Inside the secret chamber, Qin Chuan set up a protective array using the Forbidden Red Lotus to prevent any prying eyes. Then, from his inner world, he pulled out the phantom of the Thick Earth Emperor.
"You—"
Slap slap slap!
The Thick Earth Emperor tried to speak, but Qin Chuan responded with a crisp slap across his face, the sound echoing through the chamber.
The Thick Earth Emperor was momentarily stunned. His face flushed red, and an unimaginable fury ignited in his eyes. "How dare you humiliate me like this? I am an Emperor! No one dares insult me!"
Slap slap!
Qin Chuan didn't bother to respond verbally, instead delivering several more slaps. They didn't cause much harm physically, but the humiliation was devastating.
"You—"
Slap slap slap!
"I'll kill you!"
Slap slap slap slap…
Qin Chuan relentlessly continued slapping the Thick Earth Emperor until, eventually, the latter stopped trying to speak.
He had been beaten into submission.
With cold eyes, the Thick Earth Emperor glared at Qin Chuan, his anger now restrained. He didn't fear pain, but he didn't want to endure this kind of humiliation. After all, every time he opened his mouth, it would only lead to another slap. Why bother?
Finally, the Thick Earth Emperor realized he had completely lost any power to resist. Every act of defiance would only invite more degradation. In short, any attempt to fight back would lead to further humiliation.
"Good, now that things are quiet, we can talk terms," Qin Chuan said with a calm smile.
The Thick Earth Emperor turned his head away, choosing to remain silent in a final act of defiance.
However…
Slap slap slap!
Qin Chuan delivered a few more slaps, causing the Thick Earth Emperor to see stars.
"You—!"
The Thick Earth Emperor glared at Qin Chuan, but when he saw the man's playful smile, he dared not speak another word.
"When I say not to speak, don't speak. And when I want you to speak, don't pretend you can't hear me," Qin Chuan said casually, flexing his fingers and blowing on them. "Otherwise, you'll end up with a broken face."
"What do you want?!" the Thick Earth Emperor asked, barely containing his fury.
"I told you, I want to negotiate some terms. Otherwise, do you think you'd still be alive right now?" Qin Chuan replied with a calm smile.
"Are you telling me that if we strike a deal, you'll let me go?" the Thick Earth Emperor sneered, not believing a word.
Slap slap!
Qin Chuan slapped him again and said, "When you're in my presence, lose that ugly attitude, or I'll make sure your face is thoroughly ruined."
The Thick Earth Emperor clenched his teeth, his whole body trembling with anger. As a Martial Emperor, when had he ever been subjected to such indignities?
Like a beast cornered, he growled, "You can kill me, but you can't humiliate me!"
"All that 'honor' talk is nonsense. All I know is, in my domain, I'm the boss! Even if I ordered you to eat dirt today, you'd have no choice but to eat it!" Qin Chuan sneered.
Suddenly, as if reminded of something, Qin Chuan's lips curled into a grin. "Now that I think about it, that's part of our negotiation. If you don't satisfy me, I might actually make you eat dirt. Or worse, strip you naked and parade you around for the world to see."
The Thick Earth Emperor shuddered.
At this moment, it felt like he was a fallen angel who had been cast into hell, now surrounded by the filth and demons of the underworld. He was forced to experience the darkest aspects of the world. Even in his weakest moments, he had never been so thoroughly humiliated. He had never even imagined that someone could treat him this way.
Some things may not have happened before, but that didn't mean they would never happen—or that they wouldn't happen to him.
"What do you want? Speak. I know you won't let me go. Even if you promise, I wouldn't believe you. I only ask that you give me a quick death. As someone who's ruled my entire life, I wish to die with dignity," the Thick Earth Emperor said, his tone filled with resignation.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" Qin Chuan snapped his fingers in approval. "If you'd been this cooperative earlier, I wouldn't have had to go to all this trouble. Look, my hand is even sore from slapping you."
The Thick Earth Emperor no longer showed anger. He understood that his fury would do nothing but further his own suffering—it served no purpose.
Qin Chuan chuckled and then cut straight to the point. "I want to know how you managed to merge your spiritual essence with the 'Sutra of the Ten Directions of Thick Earth' and use it to resurrect yourself."
Even now, Qin Chuan found this technique incredible. It was like some kind of advanced programming—embedding one's consciousness into a set of instructions!
Such methods weren't completely impossible in this world of fantasy. Some could resurrect through others' memories, and others even claimed that galaxies were nothing more than rivers.
However…
Such techniques shouldn't be within the reach of mere Martial Emperors. To be honest, Martial Emperors weren't on that level yet!
They were far from it.
A being whose existence was still limited to the realm of energy shouldn't have access to such concept-level powers.
The Thick Earth Emperor didn't seem surprised by Qin Chuan's question. In a calm voice, he explained, "Actually, it's a technique I stumbled upon in the Forbidden Divine Mountain. And I only found a fragment of it."
"This technique, if it were complete, would allow my spiritual essence to exist independently in the world. As long as someone practiced my 'Sutra of the Ten Directions of Thick Earth,' my essence would gather in their body. I would essentially have countless spiritual bodies."
"Even if one of my spiritual bodies were captured, I could reform through another person practicing the sutra."
"But since I only obtained a fragment, I couldn't achieve that. I could only form a single spiritual seed, moving from one person to another through the sutra. From beginning to end, there was only one spiritual body."
"That's why, once you captured me, I was done for."
Qin Chuan listened without betraying any emotion, though internally, he was deeply shocked.
The Forbidden Divine Mountain really did hold some incredible secrets. It must truly be a treasure from the Upper Realm.
Perhaps it was even an important artifact there.
He also thought of Lin Yi. Maybe Lin Yi's mother came to this world seeking this treasure, only to meet with misfortune. Losing her power, she was found and taken advantage of by Lin Yi's father.
Thinking about it, even the "Father of the Great Ruler" would have to nod in approval of this turn of events.
After a moment of reflection, Qin Chuan said, "Pass the fragment of that technique to me."
The Thick Earth Emperor hesitated briefly, then a light shone from his brow. Golden characters floated from his forehead, hanging in the air.
"Eternal Soul?" Qin Chuan muttered the name of the technique, his eyelid twitching as he realized the gravity of the spell.
This was advanced beyond belief!
"I've heard this technique has three parts—upper, middle, and lower volumes. What I have is only the upper volume. The other two are likely still within the Forbidden Divine Mountain," the Thick Earth Emperor explained.
"The reason I fought with the Nine Heavens Realm for control of the Forbidden Divine Mountain was to obtain the rest of the technique."
"Of course, others had their own reasons for wanting the mountain. It holds too many secrets, and everyone seeks something different."
"That's all I know. Now, please… give me a swift end," the Thick Earth Emperor pleaded, his tone earnest.
"Why are you in such a rush to die? Are you hiding something?" Qin Chuan asked suspiciously.
The Thick Earth Emperor gave a bitter laugh. "Once you're dead, nothing matters anymore. But there are some things I cannot reveal, no matter what. For example, matters related to the Heavenly Balance Clan."
"I know you're curious about those things, but no matter how you try to force me, I won't say a word."
"Regardless of which side I stand on, loyalty is not a crime."
"I hope you will allow me to die with some dignity."
His eyes reflected a rare sincerity. In that moment, it seemed he had set aside all worldly grievances, seeking only the final act of honor.
Qin Chuan was silent for a moment.
Then he nodded. "Very well."
Raising his right hand, he clenched his fist, summoning a power of destruction.
Whoosh.
The phantom of the Thick Earth Emperor disintegrated into countless glittering sparks, like flower petals drifting away on the wind.
A peak Martial Emperor had finally fallen.
Boom!
But just then, a terrifying pressure descended from the sky. Boundless demonic energy swept over them like storm clouds.
"The Dragon King Hall envoy of the Demon Clan has arrived to reclaim the True Dragon!"