0133 The Yiming Martial Emperor

Moqi Yu met his gaze, knowing full well that if he surrendered the golden seal, he would lose all control and become completely useless to both Hua Su and Lord Fuliu. For men like them, to lose one's utility was to lose one's right to exist. His teeth rattled, and he took another step backward.

Their conversation was heard clearly by those below, and all manner of suspicious, shocked, and angry gazes were cast upon Moqi Yu. Suddenly, Moqi Yu’s body swelled in size! He opened his mouth and spat out a powerful black current that slammed into Hua Su. Then, he stomped on the ground, vaulted into the air, and turned to flee! If he could keep the golden seal, he would remain the Prefect and still have a chance to reorganize and turn the tables. If he were taken into custody by Hua Su, he would lose his life!

A candidate below whispered in astonishment, "The Prefect... he is actually a Mind-Illuminating Martial Master!"

Flight was the hallmark of a Mind-Illuminating Martial Master. His attack had been sudden, the black current shrouding Hua Su and binding his body, giving him a very high chance of escape as he took to the skies.

Just then, Hua Su snapped his fingers.

Moqi Yu, having only left the ground by a meter, suddenly froze. His expression locked in place, his fleshy face twisted, and even the beads of sweat on his skin solidified, shimmering in the sunset. The black mist around Hua Su shattered into pieces and hung motionless in mid-air. Looking closely, one could see a thin, transparent layer of frost coating Moqi Yu and the mist, freezing the Martial Master in his tracks.

Hua Su laughed mockingly, "What made you think you could escape?"

Moqi Yu stood no chance; Hua Su was a Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign—a master capable of controlling a field of frost!

Below, the candidates had stopped their celebration, struck dumb with shock. A Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign—they never imagined they would witness one in their lifetime! A Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign, having opened all six chains, could fly, command an area of influence, and manifest a Dharma image to aid in battle. Compared to a Mind-Illuminating Martial Master, a Martial Sovereign was on an entirely different level of power. One only had to look at how Hua Su handled Moqi Yu to see the utter disparity in their strength. The higher one climbed, the more pronounced the gap between tiers became; by comparison, the minor gaps within the same tier paled into insignificance. There were fewer than ten such sovereigns in the entire Nine Heavens Continent, and while the Xuanji Continent had slightly more, they were still far from common. Yet here they were, witnessing one in Taicang City!

Even more shocked were the three from Pingluan Mountain, who muttered in disbelief, "Teacher Hua is a Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign? We have a Martial Sovereign for a teacher?!"

Nearby candidates overheard and were green with envy. "He is your teacher? No wonder you achieved such great results!"

Even Jiang Feng was somewhat surprised. He had known Hua Su was a Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign before his injury and subsequent demotion. Theoretically, once his internal energy circulation was repaired, he would eventually cultivate his way back. But Jiang Feng hadn't expected the recovery to be this swift. In just a few days, he had fully returned to his former state.

However, this was for the best. In the current Taicang City, he was the strongest force. He could single-handedly control the entire situation, providing a great sense of security to everyone present. As he revealed his strength, joy broke out across the faces of the crowd, excitement nearly matching that of when they heard the veterans had returned. This was the drawing power of a true powerhouse!

Moqi Yu remained frozen, only his consciousness capable of a flicker of movement; his eyes were bulging from their sockets. He never dreamed he was dealing with a Martial Sovereign. Had he known, he would have made other plans and laid different traps. But it was too late now.

Hua Su swept his gaze over him and hooked a finger. The golden seal floated from Moqi Yu’s waist and landed in Hua Su’s hand. The seal represented the name and authority of the Prefecture. With it in hand, all affairs of Yushui Prefecture were temporarily transferred to him.

Hua Su tapped Moqi Yu five times, relaxing the domain. The frost melted instantly, and Moqi Yu’s body hit the ground with a thud. Everyone could feel the internal energy fluctuations within him vanish; he had temporarily become an ordinary person. Hua Su had used his power to lock his Mind-Seed and Vital Branches!

Moqi Yu glared at Hua Su with resentment, but Hua Su didn't spare him another glance. He lazily pulled out a cigarette and flicked it in the air, the tip igniting automatically. He took a deep drag and turned to descend. A nearby official stepped forward, reminding him, "Lord... Lord Hua, the Prefectural Exam..."

Hua Su immediately remembered. With the golden seal in his possession, he was temporarily performing the duties of the Prefect, which included the examination. "Oh, right," he asked, "what do I need to do?"

Wang Xuandi walked over from behind the crowd, looking at him with a complex expression. As the chief examiner of the Mind-Illuminating Society and a Martial Master himself, he had been fighting on the front lines for days and had returned specifically for the exam, never expecting to witness such a series of spectacles. Wang Xuandi bowed, "Lord Sovereign, congratulations on your success."

Hua Su tossed the golden seal. "You mean this? It’s just a temporary measure. Once things are settled, who would bother with this?"

Yushui Prefecture was located in the central part of the Zhutian Kingdom, traversed by the Changchuan River and boasting extensive transport links. It was a strategic stronghold, a prize for both the noble clans and the Zhuyang King. Had it not been for the Demon Cave incident, Moqi Yu would have struggled to secure the Prefect’s seat. A major goal of his actions here had been to bring this territory under the control of Lord Fuliu and the Zhuyang King. Now, Hua Su’s dismissive attitude showed that this vital golden seal was, to him, merely a "trinket" that happened to be useful for the moment.

Wang Xuandi smiled. It was true; for a Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign, what was such power?

The most important part was about to begin. The top-ranked candidates were beaming, and those further down were not disappointed either. This Yushui exam had been a trial for everyone, and compared to the life-and-death battles and the defense of their home, the weight of the exam had become much lighter.

Wang Xuandi said, "My Lord, this Yushui exam will select fifty people, with the top fifteen receiving the Heaven-Illumination Order for the Prefecture Exam. Please read the names of these fifty from last to first, and we will issue the Martial Cultivation Orders and Heaven-Illumination Orders."

Hua Su gave an "oh," glanced at the Heaven-Reaching Ranking, and began to call the names. As he read the first name, the candidates erupted into cheers. Hua Su was a bit bewildered, but below, Jiang Feng and the others smiled.

Hong Cheng muttered, "To have one's name called by a Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign... if it were before, I would have fainted from excitement..."

Pingluan Mountain nudged him and asked with a grin, "Not anymore?"

Hong Cheng looked up at Hua Su and suddenly laughed. "No! That is our Teacher Hua!"

Yes, before being a Will-Illuminating Martial Sovereign, he was first Hua Su, their Teacher Hua!

The four of them remained calm, but the other candidates were unable to stay composed. The first person to go up and receive the order was trembling so hard he had to struggle to keep from making a scene. The second was a total disaster; when Hua Su took the token from Wang Xuandi and handed it to him, the candidate’s hands shook like a sieve, and then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

Hua Su was stunned into silence, and the candidates below were also dumbfounded. A moment later, they burst into laughter. Amidst the merriment, Hua Su rubbed his nose and muttered, "There's no need to be so nervous..."

"Yes!" the candidates replied in unison.

The third from last was Pingluan Mountain. When his name was called, he walked up to the review platform with ease. Hua Su stared at him, his gaze complex as Pingluan Mountain approached. He took the Martial Cultivation Order and handed it over, saying, "I owe you one."

Pingluan Mountain made a face. "Teacher Hua, if you say that again, I'll get angry! I did this willingly, and I'm proud that I did!" He patted his chest. "From now on, I can say that I played a big part in the peace of Taicang City!"

Hua Su stared at him for a moment longer, then laughed. "That's right, a big contribution!"

Pingluan Mountain lowered his voice. "Teacher Hua just needs to remember not to bully me anymore..." This was a remnant of when he first arrived at the Yuanshan Martial Hall. Because he resembled an "old friend" of Hua Su, Hua Su had targeted him for a long time, with nothing but sharp sarcasm and criticism instead of encouragement, leaving Pingluan Mountain quite depressed. Who would have thought then that Hua Su would one day say, "I owe you one"?

Hua Su laughed, "That was my fault back then, it won't happen again."

Pingluan Mountain said earnestly, "If it weren't for Teacher Hua, I probably would have struggled even with the County Exam, let alone getting to where I am today. I still have many things to ask Teacher Hua in the future!" He was referring to the Demon-Suppressing Army; he had only told Jiang Feng about this, never revealing it to Hua Su. Yet, as if Hua Su had known all along, he smiled slightly and nodded. "No problem!"

The atmosphere shifted. Although Hua Su was sharp-tongued and sarcastic, he had a genuine fondness for these candidates who fought with all their might. With every person who came up, he offered a word of encouragement. The candidates weren't as hysterical as the first two, but they nodded vigorously, wishing to etch this moment into their memories.

No one spared a glance for Moqi Yu on the side. Compared to Hua Su, his strength, his realm, and his character were far, far inferior.

For Hong Cheng and Teng Zhi, Hua Su didn't say much—there was no need. A pat on the shoulder and a smile said everything that needed to be said.

The last one was Jiang Feng. When he came up, Hua Su stared at him for a long time, finally laughing, "One day, I will tell everyone that I am Jiang Feng's master!"