<h4>Chapter 99: Emperor Wei''s True Inheritance</h4>
As the three figures arrived at the dragon''s head mountain, Xiao Nanfeng btedly discovered that this one was different from the other two. Compared to those in the two empresses'' illusory realms, the dragon''s head mountain here wasrger and loftier.
This time, there was no one gathered by the foot of the mountain. The mists at the peak were even thicker, and an imposing figure stood on the za there.
The figure, who stood with hands sped behind his back, seemed to be looking down on the entire world. Even from afar, Xiao Nanfeng and Yu''er felt a sense of tremendous pressure.
Upon seeing that figure, the Red Emperor hesitated. Her nose wrinkled as tears wet her eyes. This was the Red Emperor''s first time crying since the two cultivators had encountered her. In that case, the imposing figure had to be the emperor of Great Wei.
"Is that Emperor Wei? Didn''t he head to the divine domain to seek rebirth there?" Yu''er asked.
The Red Emperor wiped at her tears and sucked in a deep breath. "It''s just a remnant of my consort, not my consort himself."
Even the remnant alone, however, was sufficient to cause havoc on the Red Emperor''s emotions. She had to suck in many deep breaths to calm herself, forcing herself not to look at the figure at the peak of the mountain.
Just then, Xiao Nanfeng found that the stairs leading up the mountain were exceptionally unusual. There were over a hundred open-air zas from the base of the mountain to its top. The sound ofbat could be heard within. Red- and blue-armored cultivators were repeatedly sent flying through the air.
"Cultivators of Qi and Yan? As expected, they do have seals into this illusory realm. With whom are they fighting?" Yu''er frowned.
"This is the ''za Stairway'' that my consort established. A hundred and eight different champions stand on each za, each of whom were once my consort''s enemies. My consort consolidated their fist techniques into Hegemon''s Fist," the Red Emperor exined.
"Oh?" The two cultivators looked toward the Red Emperor.
"When my consort went to seek rebirth in the divine domain, he established these champions and their zas, promising that any able to defeat all the champions and arrive at the peak of the mountain would gain my consort''s true inheritance," the Red Emperor continued.
"Emperor Wei''s true inheritance?" Xiao Nanfeng was enticed.
"Defeating them is no easy feat," the Red Emperor warned. "Your spiritual power will be restricted to their level."
"A test of martial skill alone, with our spiritual powers equalized?" Xiao Nanfeng''s eyes grew brighter.
"Are you a practitioner of Hegemon''s Fist?" The Red Emperor looked toward Xiao Nanfeng.
"Yes, Your Majesty! I''ve reached mastery with the technique," Xiao Nanfeng reported honestly.
"Mastery? Ha!" The Red Emperor nced at him with some disdain.
"Master, Hegemon''s Fist is an exceptionally difficult technique, and the vast majority of cultivators in the world atrge are unable toprehend even the basics. Nanfeng has done an incredible job at his level," Yu''er exined, trying to help her master understand Xiao Nanfeng''s achievement.
"Show me your Hegemon''s Fist, then," the Red Emperormanded, stepping toward the first za. The two cultivators followed suit.
There were no stairs between the first and second za, and there even seemed to be a barrier preventing ess to the second from the first.
"Defeat the first champion and the stairs leading to the second za will appear," the Red Emperor exined.
A ck-faced monk appeared before the three figures. His palms were sped in a gesture of peace, though his face was fierce and showed nopassion. Fighting spirit brimmed from him.
"This is the first champion?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.
"This is the first opponent of notable strength that my consort encountered at the age of sixteen, ck Vajra," the Red Emperor introduced. "Nanfeng, have a try."
Xiao Nanfeng nodded and stepped up to the monk.
ck Vajra''s eyes lit up as he pounced straight toward Xiao Nanfeng.
The twobatants'' fists met. With equal spiritual power, they were evenly matched. They shot toward each other once again, exchanging dozens of blows in a flurry.
ck Vajra was a particrly strong cultivator, with vicious skills that targeted Xiao Nanfeng''s vitals. With Hegemon''s Fist, Xiao Nanfeng was able to hold him off and slowly gain the upper ground.
Suddenly, as he discovered one of ck Vajra''s weaknesses, Xiao Nanfeng''s eyes lit up. He struck ck Vajra in the chest, sending him flying into the distance. The moment ck Vajra struck the ground, he admitted defeat.
"Amitabha!" ck Vajra sped his palms together once more and bowed toward Xiao Nanfeng. Behind him came a rumble. The stairway to the second za had appeared.
"Master, look! Nanfeng''s Hegemon''s Fist was able to beat this ck Vajra!" Yu''er eximed happily.
The Red Emperor looked toward Xiao Nanfeng. "What did you think?"
Xiao Nanfeng thought for a moment. "ck Vajra''s fist technique was certainly strong, but that weakness it revealed seemed unnatural. An ordinary person wouldn''t have done so."
"That''s right. The real ck Vajra wouldn''t have exposed such a weakness, but this is only an eidolon generated by my consort with a wisp of spiritual power. He cannot think, and all he knows is this fist technique. With sufficient effort, any cultivator would spot this weakness and be able to defeat him." The Red Emperor nodded approvingly.
"Oh? As long as you can identify these champions'' weaknesses, you can climb all the way to the top?" Xiao Nanfeng murmured thoughtfully.
"The higher up the champion, the more intricate the fist technique used, and the harder it will be to find any weaknesses. My consort designed these eid for the purpose of instructing any trial-takers in Hegemon''s Fist," the Red Emperor exined.
"Is that so?" Xiao Nanfeng pondered the information carefully.
"How go your studies of Hegemon''s Fist?" the Red Emperor asked.
"It''s getting harder and harder. I used to spend great effort attempting to understand Hegemon''s Fist in its entirety, but the more I do so, the more mysterious it appears. Although I''ve reached mastery, I feel like there''s a vitalponent missing in my understanding, and I find it very difficult to advance whilecking it," Xiao Nanfeng replied, frowning. This was in spite of his superior yin pearl.
"You''recking experience," the Red Emperor exined. "You have learned the form of Hegemon''s Fist, but not its heart. It is as if you''ve built a tall tower with a hollow foundation, which might topple at any moment."
"Please educate me, Your Majesty." Xiao Nanfeng nodded as he paid careful attention.
"My consort developed Hegemon''s Fist by consolidating the fist techniques of these hundred and eight champions. You must inculcate these techniques in your study of Hegemon''s Fist," the Red Emperor instructed Xiao Nanfeng.
"Your Majesty, do you mean that this za Stairway itself is Emperor Wei''s true inheritance?" Xiao Nanfeng gasped.
The Red Emperor nced above her at the hundred-odd zas that dotted the mountain. "It is so. To get past these zas with ingenuity is to miss an opportunity. Fail, struggle, learn; with hard work alone will you reach the peak and gain that which you seek."
Xiao Nanfeng sucked in a deep breath and turned toward the za expectantly. "Thank you for the instruction, Your Majesty. Please permit me to try again."
"It is unfortunate that these fist techniques will take extreme investment to study andprehend. We have not the luxury of time," the Red Emperor sighed, frowning.
"Your Majesty, it doesn''t take me much time to learn fist techniques. Please allow me to demonstrate." Xiao Nanfeng was very confident. With the superior yin pearl, he was able to memorize all that he saw with a single nce.
"Oh?" The Red Emperor looked expectantly at Xiao Nanfeng.
Xiao Nanfeng bowed toward ck Vajra.
Sensing the champion, ck Vajra immediately stepped forward. With a sh, the twobatants began fighting once more.
Xiao Nanfeng ignored ck Vajra''s weakness. He began to absorb his fist technique, exchanging blow after blow. Gradually, their fist techniques became near-identical.
"Hmm? Such tremendous talent, to be able to memorize and replicate the fist technique in barely any time at all..." the Red Emperor murmured, staring at the astonishing sight.
Within an hour, the twobatants'' fist techniques were all but copies of each other. Even so, Xiao Nanfeng''s technique still seemedcking in some form, and he was barely able to avoid being pushed back.
"That''s enough," the Red Emperor called out.
Xiao Nanfeng quickly struck ck Vajra''s unnatural weakness and took him down, ending the fight.
"Your Majesty, I''ve learned ck Vajra''s fist technique, but only to a superficial degree. Although it is far lessplex and demanding than Hegemon''s Fist, I''ll still take some time to reach his level of mastery," Xiao Nanfeng exined, frowning.
"There''s no need. I can allow you to reach that level of mastery immediately," the Red Emperor promised.