Chapter 1867: Green Gemstone

In the entire world of the Ancient Martial God Dao, an imperial emperor would only address two types of people as "Your Excellency."

One type is an important imperial minister who served the previous emperor.

The other can only be a powerful martial artist with remarkable martial cultivation and status, typically a legendary figure at the Martial God level, who receives such treatment.

At this moment, Xu Yang, as the opponent, was still addressed as "Your Excellency" by the true imperial emperor. This was, without a doubt, an absolute recognition of Xu Yang's identity as the Ninth Human Emperor and his strength.

Xu Yang had not expected his experiences in this empire to be so astonishing, ultimately revealing two emperors—one real, one fake.

Not long after completely absorbing the empress's fragmented soul essence into his own soul world, the true imperial emperor finally let out a sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart. What he had to do next was to forge an absolute alliance with Xu Yang's three-person team.

Xu Yang smiled lightly and shook his head.

"No need to be so formal. Our relationship is simply one of mutual benefit and cooperation. I intend to help you reclaim the throne."

The emperor, who had now regained his human form, abruptly raised his brilliant eyes to meet Xu Yang's gaze.

"Your Excellency, please state your demands. Whatever I can do, I will do with all my might."

Xu Yang spread his hands. "You already know what I want: the purple jade crystal in the fake emperor's possession. Also, the most precious metal materials from across the empire—any valuable materials that can be used to forge divine artifacts. Your Majesty must prioritize providing them to me. As for high official positions and lavish emoluments, we are outsiders, so those are not a consideration. You should be well aware that for martial artists like us, worldly titles hold no allure whatsoever."

The old emperor, being a discerning man, gently assented with a nod. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he lightly waved his hand and transferred the remains of the towering tree, which had been bound to his life force, back before him. From among the remnants, he retrieved an incredibly dazzling green gem.

"I wish to present this item to Your Excellency Xu Yang as a gift of gratitude for helping me escape my predicament."

Xu Yang didn't hesitate, decisively taking the dazzling green gem into his hand. Regardless of its origin, the incredibly pure and translucent primordial aura emanating from it was enough to captivate Xu Yang.

"The incredibly pure primordial aura this gem possesses makes it an extremely rare and valuable material for enhancing the strength of a sword soul. This gift indeed pleases me greatly. Thank you, Your Majesty."

After speaking, Xu Yang gently waved his palm, directly merging the gem into his Emperor's Cauldron and immediately beginning its refinement without a word.

After resolving other issues, Xu Yang, led by the old emperor, proceeded with Long Kun and Po Xiao toward the entrance of the Misty Mountain Range.

Now that the Return Stone Tablet was shattered, the illusions and the labyrinthine formations that once permeated the Misty Mountain Range had completely lost their effect. This path was now no different from the route marked on the map.

Taking out the map marking the location of the Misty Mountain Range once more, Xu Yang couldn't help but crack a smile.

"So that's how it is. This map records the true Misty Mountain Range. From this perspective, it precisely proves that the owner of this map, the elderly emperor in the palace, is indeed an imposter. Because only he would know the true route of this place best."

Upon hearing his boss's words, Long Kun crossed his arms, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, and chuckled.

"It really echoes the saying: 'What's fake cannot become true, and what's true cannot become fake.' Disguise is indeed a powerful skill, but if it's not used properly, it will eventually be exposed."

Po Xiao also nodded gently in agreement.

"An empire built on the foundation of a false ruler will not last long at all."

Hearing this, Xu Yang seemed to be inadvertently reminded by his two close companions, and a more serious problem came to his mind.

"If that old imposter's mind is truly meticulous enough, he will definitely have hidden some secret informants near the Misty Mountain Range to guard against any unexpected changes occurring within the restricted area of the Misty Mountain Range. We should still be careful on our way back and try our best not to reveal any traces."

However, just as Xu Yang voiced his concerns, dozens of martial artists, moving with astonishing speed, suddenly emerged without warning from both sides at the edge of the jungle.

In an instant, they completely surrounded Xu Yang's three-person team and the old emperor.

It's worth noting that the leader was enveloped by an incredibly translucent silver-white water dragon, which appeared to be his personal battle pet, equally powerful.

The leader himself wore a golden robe. A six-pointed star symbol was intricately carved at the center of his forehead, and this mark was also strikingly golden.

"They're actually Martial God-level followers! Your Excellency truly has foreseen everything. I suppose these are the people the imposter in the palace sent here to monitor us."

Po Xiao's voice became exceptionally sharp. At the same time, she genuinely began to admire Xu Yang's powerful ability to predict the unpredictable.

No one in this world can truly predict the future, but Xu Yang achieved this through his exceptional grasp of the overall environment and situation, often making the most accurate assessments before danger even arrived.

Indeed, no sooner had Po Xiao finished speaking than the mysterious leader in the golden robe before them revealed a chilling smile.

"You guessed correctly. In reality, His Majesty the Emperor never truly trusted any of you. From the moment Xu Yang and his companions left the palace, your every move and every place you visited have been under His Majesty's surveillance. We are here as enforcers, preventing any changes to the seal of the Misty Mountain Range's restricted area. However, what truly surprises me is that the three of you actually accomplished this. You should know that the formation used to seal this old man is one of the most powerful forbidden ancient formations from ancient times. Even His Majesty himself, along with his truly powerful team of hidden followers and guardians, put in immense effort to complete all the patterns of that formation. Yet, it was so easily shattered by just three human cultivators like yourselves. I must admit that the strength you, Xu Yang, possess is something few in the entire Ancient Martial God Dao can contend with."