This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 357 - 355: The Challenge Given by Emperor Shun【Medium Cup!】
With the Earth God playing the role of mediator, the Head Manager and the Young Master did not actually come to blows.
But anyone could feel the clear rift that had formed between these siblings—between the Lifespan Dao and the Dao of Reproduction—and this rift could very likely deepen over time.
The Head Manager summoned a large number of Divine Guards and had them encircle the Temple of Death God from a distance, after which the Head Manager concealed his form.
But he did not venture too far from the area, lurking in the shadows to observe the imminent developments at the Death Temple.
Wu Wang and the Young Master also did not delay.
The Young Master said, "Let’s go take a look inside the temple."
Then, as if another thought struck her, her eyes filled with a trace of uneasiness as she transmitted her voice, "I might have been a bit impulsive earlier, making decisions on your behalf without permission."
"Ah," Wu Wang waved his hand dismissively, "it’s nothing serious, don’t take it to heart."
The Young Master gave a slight nod. Seeing that Wu Wang’s eyes were filled with divine light and his smile was as it always was, she finally breathed an inward sigh of relief.
Just now, she truly had been impulsive, forgetting to ask for Wu Wang’s opinion and using the term ’we’.
For some reason, the Young Master had thought she would say ’I’ or ’me’, but when the words came out, they inadvertently became ’we’.
However, she didn’t dwell on it or get embarrassed. Hearing Wu Wang call out to her, she stepped onto his cloud, and together they descended towards the Death Temple.
Before entering the Death Temple this time, Wu Wang set two reminders for himself.
First, to act rather than engage in lengthy arguments if possible, to avoid his own remarks giving the God of Death any sort of inspiration.
Second, to extract himself from the situation rather than acting rashly.
By now, he was completely certain that the Head Manager had arranged for him to come here "to help the God of Death" as a trap to provoke him into acting against this God of Death, thereby giving them reason to directly accuse Wu Wang, or at the very least, expel him from the Heaven Palace.
If Wu Wang had not contained himself and truly eliminated this ’threat’ for the Human Domain, the Heaven Palace would not suffer any actual loss.
The Dao of Death was locked within the Divine Court; they could spend divine power at any time to reshape another God of Death.
Moreover, the God of Death itself had already collapsed many times; one more time wouldn’t make much difference.
This was the Head Manager’s true scheme.
Wu Wang just needed to smoothly get through the current phase, doing nothing more. After leaving this place and no longer paying attention to this God of Death, he would have weathered this minor crisis.
Due to the God of Death’s previous outburst, the Death Temple had also undergone several changes.
Clusters of dark grey aura floated outside the temple doors. Wu Wang felt as if he could already sense the various pains of living beings as they approached death.
"Ah..." The Young Master sighed softly, staring into the dark space within the temple doors, and said in a low voice, "This Divine Spirit really has it tough. It has collapsed so many times that with every resurrection, its consciousness is completely new, having no connection with its past."
"Oh? Why so?"
The Young Master explained, "The Divine Spirits born initially are very fragile, unable to withstand the resentment and hatred of living beings, no matter what methods are employed. Back when there weren’t that many creatures, it already suffered this kind of backlash. And now, in Heaven and Earth..."
"Creatures are beyond count."
Wu Wang also sighed softly and said with a smile, "Let’s go in and see this strong god of the Heaven Palace who has never managed to mature. If he’s conscious, that will be interesting."
"Hmm," the Young Master gestured for Wu Wang to hang back a little. A puppet appeared in her right hand, and with a gentle sway of her left, she drew simple Divine Runes.
A globe of emerald light slowly flew towards the temple door ahead, guiding the pair to step slowly inside.
Suddenly, a series of piercing laughter, crying, and curses came from ahead.
The resentment of living beings, so tangible it was like a grey river flowing past them, dissipated at the end of the corridor.
Wu Wang felt a slight epiphany within him—these resentments of living beings were the real culprits preventing any life from thriving in this place.
A distance of some fifty yards was crossed in a blink.
The emerald light became more dazzling, illuminating the entire hall.
The lidless stone coffin was placed at the center of the hall. Amidst the wandering mists of darkness, numerous insubstantial and meaningless shadows enacted various tragic deaths.
The two of them almost simultaneously noticed the small, huddled figure in the corner. Wu Wang’s Dao heart was inexplicably moved.
The figure looked like a human girl of about eleven to thirteen years old, wrapped in a solemn and dignified black robe, which seemed to swallow her whole. The lower half of her straw-like long hair was scattered across the ground.
She seemed somewhat fearful of the Young Master, as if she had just awoken from a nightmare but had not yet escaped its ordeal. Her entire body trembled.
Seeing this, the Young Master raised her hand to dissipate the emerald light.
The God of Death instantly relaxed.
Just as she was about to speak, from her thin and bloodless pale lips came a plea, "Save..."
HUM!
A visible grey ripple burst forth from her forehead, sweeping in all directions.
But the grey trail had barely extended half a yard when it suddenly retracted back to her forehead. The scene resembled the reversal of time, the folding back of space-time. As the grey ripple re-entered her forehead, the God of Death let out an utterly mournful scream, her body convulsing uncontrollably.
The Young Master’s face showed pity, ready to intervene and seal the God of Death at once.
However, Wu Wang suddenly raised his hand to stop the Young Master’s arm, whispering low, "Life and death are opposites; you are her natural counter."
The Young Master nodded slightly and frowned as she watched the pitiable state of the God of Death.
The piercing cries came one after another.
Even though Wu Wang had witnessed countless battles where beings were reduced to ash, in this moment, he couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine, his hairs standing on end.
This place is truly too eerie.
"Can we help her?" The Young Master said softly. "Although death is loathed by the living, for living beings, death is an indispensable rule. The Heaven and Earth are not boundless, and there are limited spaces for living beings to survive. My Dao of Reproduction corresponds to the continuous propagation of living beings to the next generations, while my brother’s Lifespan Dao defines how long a being can live within Heaven and Earth. And the Dao of Death is both the end of lifespan and an aid to reproduction. The significance of the Dao of Life lies in the endless cycle of life, in inheriting and continuing."
A hint of hesitation appeared in Wu Wang’s eyes.
He said, "Firstly, I don’t know how to help her. This backlash from the Great Dao, the resentment of countless beings imposed on an immature consciousness—the collapse of this consciousness is inevitable. One can only say that the God of Death was doomed to face such a predicament by not rising quickly before living beings gained prominence. Secondly, the current God of Death may seem pitiable, but once she recovers and becomes a true strong god of the Heaven Palace, how would the Palace utilize this Dao? My brother’s Lifespan Dao can directly threaten living beings, and he is now..."
"Ah, such is the principle," said the Young Master with a slight frown, mulling over it carefully.
Soon, she murmured, "That is to say, we can only think of ways to help her overcome this painful process if we can find a way to ensure she won’t obey the Heaven Palace."
Wu Wang’s heart was somewhat amused.
The Young Master really did not feel much allegiance to the Heaven Palace.
"It’s more or less like that," Wu Wang agreed, slowly squatting down. He watched the God of Death gradually calm down from her agony and began to search for her eyes.
The God of Death’s eyes were a pure black, as deep as the abyss, as dark as night, harboring immense pain within.
"There’s an important point," Wu Wang said slowly, "we also have to consider whether the God of Death, after enduring so much Resentment Power and gaining stable, formidable strength, would become warped by these experiences."
The Young Master also squatted down, gazing intently at the pallid face of the God of Death.
"In that case, we truly cannot help her," she said.
"Yes," Wu Wang replied, "We are not supreme gods; there are many things we cannot do. This matter is actually beyo—"
Before he could finish saying "beyond," the Heaven and Earth in front of Wu Wang instantly solidified.
He had experienced this situation before, more than once.
In the Southeastern Region of the Great Wilderness, in the Northern Region of the Human Domain, beyond the Lin Family!
And each time, it was accompanied by the arrival of that existence—the Heaven Palace, Emperor Shun, the Order Incarnation!
The faint sound of footsteps came from behind. Wu Wang stood up and turned around only to see Emperor Shun walking with his hands clasped behind him, like a middle-aged scholar without any power.
For some reason, Wu Wang felt a sense of kinship towards Emperor Shun, and instantly understood that this was not Emperor Shun’s Order Incarnation, but the Heavenly Emperor himself.
Indeed, if the incarnation could use Divine Skills, there was no reason the original form couldn’t.
Emperor Shun gave Wu Wang a slight smile, calling out in a familiar tone, "Wu Wang, have you thought of any solutions?"
"Senior, please do not address me that way," Wu Wang responded formally, "I am not quite accustomed to it."
Emperor Shun was about to reply when he frowned and turned towards Wu Wang’s side.
There, the Young Master’s head lightly shook, and with a soft exclamation, a phantom emerged above her head and entered this ’stretched moment.’
Emperor Shun was clearly surprised, obviously not expecting the Young Master to break through his Divine Skill.
This is trouble, Wu Wang thought. If Emperor Shun views the Young Master as a threat, she might be in for it.
"Your Majesty?" Young Master asked with some confusion. "Why still use Divine Skills to make an appearance?"
Emperor Shun immediately put away his previously ’amiable’ temperament, returning to his usual ’unperturbed by anything’ composure.
He smiled and said, "I did not expect that the Young Master accelerated the evolution of her Great Dao so rapidly. This Dao is not far from the strongest."
Just as the illusory figure above the Young Master’s head was about to reply, Wu Wang chuckled beside her and spoke, "Senior is overstating things. The Young Master’s Dao of Reproduction is but a part of the Dao of Life. Even if it is enhanced by the flourishing of living beings between Heaven and Earth, it is like the tide of the sea, rising and falling. It’s not that the Great Dao has taken a big leap. Not to mention, she differs from the other Innate Gods."
A playful look appeared in Emperor Shun’s eyes. "It seems you’re somewhat nervous."
"Not nervous," said Wu Wang. "I just feel that sometimes the Young Master is a bit muddle-headed, and I’m afraid she might say something wrong and offend you, Senior."
"Do I seem like that senseless and dimwitted Heavenly Emperor?"
"Great talent and breadth of vision have no direct correlation with tolerance."
Emperor Shun and Wu Wang both paused, their gazes locking for a moment.
The illusory figure above the Young Master’s head tilted slightly.
Although not quite understanding what was happening, she felt that His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor and Wu Wang were locking horns over something.
Soon, Emperor Shun sighed lightly. "You still haven’t fully trusted me after all."
"The restrictions set by Elder Xihe must have been under your instruction, right?"
"It doesn’t matter. Trust should be mutual, and I have plenty of patience."
Emperor Shun walked up to Wu Wang with his hands clasped behind him, glanced at the Young Master, and then set his gaze on the God of Death.
"Wu Wang, do you know why, back then, I bestowed upon you the God position of the God of Spring and why I placed the profound mysteries of reviving dead wood in spring within it? Reviving dead wood in spring... it symbolizes the renewal of all things from decay and has the potential to achieve one of the strongest Daos."
Wu Wang secretly smirked. That’s only ’potential’.
He said, "The arrangements and calculations of you, Senior, are something I cannot see clearly. The God position you gave me indeed has many mysterious uses, such as helping the Small People Kingdom and some small animals extend their lifespans."
"You are mistaken. I actually gave you a dilemma, but you have never thought about it in this direction." A hint of apology surfaced in Emperor Shun’s eyes.
Emperor Shun said, "This dilemma is: when the Human Emperor’s lifespan is about to end, and you possess the ability to revive dead wood in spring, will you save the Human Emperor, or will you not?"
Wu Wang paused.
Not saving the Human Emperor means the Human Domain loses its protection. If the forces of the Heaven Palace threaten from the north, and the Dao of Fuel and Fire falls silent, the Human Domain faces another dark and tumultuous period where nine out of ten homes are abandoned. Saving the Human Emperor means one must pay a heavy price, possibly even risking one’s own life...
This was a heart-wrenching strategy.
"This was actually a strategy I devised at the time, as I was not yet acquainted with you."
Emperor Shun continued, "At that time, I just wanted to see whether the Human Domain would preserve today’s Human Emperor with the hope of the future, or have the courage to endure a third period of darkness but keep that flame alive, waiting for it to burn again.
"If you choose not to use your power of reviving dead wood in spring for Shen Nong, your Dao heart will inevitably be shadowed for life, and your achievements will surely be beneath Shen Nong’s.
"If Shen Nong is saved by you, it will just be a lingering existence for a while, and his own state of mind may collapse as a result.
"Thus, the recovery of the Dao of Fire can be expected."
Wu Wang’s expression darkened slightly, and the Young Master also couldn’t help but frown.
"However, now I can’t bear to let you make such a choice." Emperor Shun changed the subject, his eyes filled with the caring affection of an elder.
"Sometimes, indeed, my calculations are too deep, but now I will only give you benefits and will not let you suffer such hardships.
"When I was only an old Daoist in the Ascending Immortal Realm, I hesitated even to take you on as a nominal disciple, finding it hard to voice.
"But now it’s different. As the Heavenly Emperor, even granting you the Western Wilderness and Eastern Wilderness as your fiefdoms is merely a wave of my hand."
Wu Wang was speechless.
Hearing the Heavenly Emperor’s tone, could it be he wants to take him as an adopted son?!
Pah! Disgusting! 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Meanwhile, the Young Master’s frown grew deeper.
It was as if she only recognized the Heavenly Emperor for the first time today. She found this Heavenly Emperor to be peculiar in every way, completely different from the Heavenly Emperor she had encountered before.
To be precise, he seemed more human.
Wu Wang decisively spoke first, "Senior, your sudden appearance is surely not just for reminiscing with me. Using such Divine Skills in the Heaven Palace must mean you don’t want others to find out about this. It would be better to keep it simple. My mother has always been watching over me, and if she senses something amiss, she is very likely to become overly anxious."
"Then let’s talk business," Emperor Shun said with a serious tone. "Wu Wang, I wish for you to use the divine power and profound meaning of bringing dead wood back to spring to give the Dao of Death a chance."
"A chance? I’m a bit confused."
Wu Wang said with a smile, "Senior, as the Heavenly Emperor, all such divine powers were granted by you. Why don’t you use the God of Spring’s divine power directly instead? Why do you need me to take action?"
"Because you can influence the Young Master," Emperor Shun explained. "The mere intention of spring cannot help the God of Death."
Wu Wang clasped his hands and said, "I would like to hear the details."
Emperor Shun continued, "In fact, there is something you got wrong earlier. The God of Death was born and had developed a mature consciousness before the prosperity of living beings, yet it still could not withstand the resentment of living beings towards death. This is the main reason I have always been unable to stabilize the God of Death. The fear of death among living beings is common and steadfast, something that no one can change. Yet, it is the existence of the Dao of Reproduction, which redefines death, as the Young Master just mentioned. The existence of the Dao of Death provides a place for the newly born. The meaning of the Dao of Life lies in unending life and incessant cycles."
Wu Wang nodded in agreement and then asked, "And then?"
"If you both take action at the same time, there is a chance to prevent the God of Death from collapsing," said Emperor Shun.
"I refuse." The Young Master’s voice was somewhat cold and firm. "If the God of Death becomes stable, the Heaven Palace will oppress living beings unchecked."
"No, why would the Heaven Palace want to oppress living beings?" Emperor Shun countered with a question. "Is it the Innate Gods who gain pleasure from oppressing living beings, or among the gods of the Heaven Palace, are there Innate Gods that take joy in the slaughter of ordinary beings?"
The Young Master was at a loss for words.
Wu Wang slowly uttered two words, "Gold God."
"She is an exception," said Emperor Shun. "Her nature is perverse, and I have long been dissatisfied with her."
Wu Wang, however, said, "Most of the Innate Gods enjoy the worship of living beings, relishing the sense of control after establishing their rule over them."
"In that case, I can’t persuade you." Emperor Shun chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned, but then he added, "However, I have one more thing to say... do you know why I have repeatedly helped the God of Death to rebuild, and why I don’t care how much divine power it consumes? Actually, it is to deal with the Candle Dragon."
The Young Master showed a slight change in expression.
Emperor Shun sighed softly, gazing at the God of Death that was as still as a clay sculpture, and said, "The reason the Candle Dragon is invincible in the Great Wilderness is that it cannot die, change, or be defeated.
"No injury, no matter how severe, can cause it to die, and no powerful seal can limit it.
"But if my Heaven Palace were to have the God of Death with a stabilized Great Dao, it could bestow the characteristics of death upon the Candle Dragon when it returns. This would make it possible for the Candle Dragon to fall.
"Thus, in an all-out battle between the Heaven Palace and the Candle Dragon, victory is not out of reach.
"I certainly hope the Heaven and Earth Seal does not break, and to maintain it, I am willing to pay many prices.
"But likewise, I must be prepared for when the Candle Dragon returns, to give it a fatal blow with the profound mysteries of death within the Dao of Life.
"Wu Wang, I... I can make you a promise.
"As long as you persuade the Young Master and find a way to help the Dao of Death flourish like dead wood in spring, I will only deploy the God of Death when confronting the Candle Dragon, and I will never use her to threaten living beings or the Human Domain."
Wu Wang stared at Emperor Shun’s back, his mind brimming with doubts.
Persuading the Young Master is not the point. If Emperor Shun wished, he had at least a hundred ways to convince the Young Master to act long ago. The God of Spring was ordained by the Heaven Palace. Its name isn’t important. The God of Spring’s divine power was merely a pure tool.
The difficulty of this matter should lie in the words that Emperor Shun had just casually mentioned: ’And find an approach to help the Dao of Death flourish like dead wood in spring.’
This task...
Wu Wang’s eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly a cloud of mist emerged in his Dao heart, within which the shadow of a great bell loomed, but the shadow flashed away in an instant, as if afraid of being perceived by Emperor Shun.
Wu Wang suddenly looked up.
"Senior, how do you intend to gain my trust?"
The Young Master hesitated to speak, while Emperor Shun had already turned around with a smile, as if he had already anticipated Wu Wang’s agreement.
