Chapter 462: Reborn as a Human for the Sixth Time

From his wet nurse’s occasional muttering, Xu Lei knew that this father of his was no fool.

In fact, his abilities already surpassed those of many emperors throughout history.

And his diligence on the throne far exceeded that of many past emperors.

But it was useless. Useless.

A great change was sweeping the era, a tidal wave of revolution rolling in. No matter how hard he struggled, it was like being in a small boat on a vast ocean. He was filled with a sense of powerlessness, in constant danger of capsizing and perishing.

He often startled awake at night, dreaming of the Great Kang Dynasty collapsing under his rule.

He had even tried to practice the Ancient Immortal Martial Arts, but alas, he had no talent. The heavens simply did not favor him!

It was true that he had been born the Crown Prince, had smoothly ascended the throne, inherited the Imperial Authority, and become the ruler of the realm.

By all rights, his fate should have been a noble one. The heavens should have blessed him.

But who could have known the world would change so drastically? And on top of that, he lacked any talent for Martial Arts Cultivation.

Amidst the great changes of this new era, even he, the Emperor, felt utterly powerless, filled with apprehension and unease.

Precisely because he was not mediocre, he could foresee the realm’s future. It would likely grow ever more dire. The entire Great Kang Dynasty might not withstand the pressure, and he would become its final emperor!

This was a fate no emperor wished to accept—a complete disgrace.

The Ancient Martial and Immortal Powerhouses were simply too strong. Once they embarked on the path of Martial Arts Cultivation, they not only possessed formidable Power and unparalleled speed, but also a vibrant Life Force and a longer lifespan than ordinary people. This was especially true for the world’s top-tier Martial Artists, who had already reached the point where they could regenerate a Broken Arm.

When such a powerhouse charged into an army of ordinary men, they were nearly impossible to stop.

It would take the lives of countless ordinary men just to wear down and kill a single such Martial Artist. Even then, it wasn’t always possible to prevent their escape.

Furthermore, just ten years ago, there were no Ancient Martial and Immortal Powerhouses in the world who could regenerate a Broken Arm. So, who could say whether even stronger ones would appear in the future?

But according to the legacies in the collected Ancient Immortal Martial Secret Collections, when one’s Ancient Immortal Martial Arts Cultivation reached a high enough Realm, one’s lifespan could extend for several hundred years. The body could even recover from being shattered, so long as the head remained intact.

They could even fly.

And so, even though he was the Emperor, whenever he recalled the records in the Ancient Immortal Martial Secret Collections and dreamed of the appearance of those terrifying beings who could fly and restore their shattered bodies, he would break out in a cold sweat.

When that time came, could Great Kang’s rule be maintained? The very foundation of Great Kang’s dominion was its vast army of ordinary men!

But if such powerful Ancient Martial and Immortal beings appeared, it was likely that a conventional army would no longer be able to stop them.

At that point, he, the so-called Emperor of Great Kang, would be a lamb to the slaughter.

Even if he secluded himself deep within the Imperial Palace, what could stop such a powerhouse from killing him? They could fly straight into the palace and eliminate him.

However, despite knowing the path ahead was hopeless, he was determined to struggle for as long as he remained on the throne.

Though it left him perpetually plagued by worry, at this moment, seeing his adorable son, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Let me hold him,” he said to the wet nurse.

The wet nurse handed Xu Lei to His Majesty the Emperor.

The Emperor of Great Kang held Xu Lei, rocking him gently. He teased the baby with a rattle, and Xu Lei simply blinked his large eyes back at him.

“I wonder how your mother is faring,” the Emperor of Great Kang suddenly sighed. “I hope she can quell this rebellion. I hope she isn’t injured. My child, you were born in an unfortunate time. I wonder how long you will be able to enjoy the splendors of being a Prince!”

Xu Lei couldn’t say anything to the Emperor of Great Kang, of course. He just cooed and gurgled in response.

His Majesty the Emperor of Great Kang did not stay with Xu Lei for long. Soon, he departed again to attend to matters of state.

「Two years passed in the blink of an eye.」

Xu Lei was now three years old.

The Great Kang Dynasty had not yet collapsed. Xu Lei had heard that his mother, leading the grand army to quell rebellions across the land, was still highly effective.

She had beaten back some of the most arrogant Ancient Martial and Immortal Powerhouses and put a number of ambitious Noble Families in their place.

Because of this, however, Xu Lei hadn’t seen his mother in this life for two years. He didn’t even know what she looked like.

Finally, one day, Xu Lei awoke from a nap to find a woman in armor sitting by his bedside. Her hair was slightly disheveled, as if she had just removed her helmet.

The woman did not look old at all—she appeared to be in her early twenties. Her build wasn’t burly; in fact, she seemed quite slender.

But as he looked into her tear-filled eyes, Xu Lei knew at once: this was his mother, the Grand General.

It was the power of Ancient Immortal Martial Arts that allowed her to possess immense strength and a longer life than ordinary people, despite her slender frame.

As a result, she looked far younger than His Majesty the Emperor of Great Kang.

“Mother!” Xu Lei immediately cried out.

“My child! You still recognize me!” The woman was astounded. Tears streamed down her face as she swept Xu Lei into her embrace.

As he felt the woman’s youthfulness and her slim, graceful figure, Xu Lei was inwardly amazed.

‘This Ancient Immortal Martial Arts really is extraordinary,’ he thought, burning with envy.

Because the revival of Ancient Immortal Martial Arts had only begun a little over thirty years ago, even the current Ancient Martial and Immortal Powerhouses didn’t actually know the limits of their own lifespans.

They could only make judgments based on the records found in the Ancient Immortal Martial Secret Collections.

However, the Secret Collections stated that an individual’s lifespan was not fixed. Even among Martial Artists of the same Realm, some might live for decades longer—or shorter—than others.