This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 454 - 452: The Three-Year Period has Arrived! [Medium Cup]
Wu Wang opened the Blood Sea beneath the earth, where I sacrificed myself to prove a path of slaughter.
From then on, the Heavenly Dao began to guide good and evil; six paths shall arrive, birthing reincarnation.
Once everything underground settled into tranquility, Wu Wang bowed his head, gazing at the sprawling Blood Sea extending tens of thousands of miles around, sensing the subtle changes in Heaven and Earth, and reflecting on the many revelations the Heavenly Dao had provided upon the creation of this "small world"...
The Dao of Heaven and Earth seemingly contained the ultimate secrets of this universe.
Yet this Dao is boundless, and it is exceedingly narrow to define Heaven and Earth as Qian and Kun.
The path of the Great Dao is long, and I must not slacken in the slightest.
Several silhouettes hurried over from the distance, each congratulating the Grand Elder, who responded with a smile, now with a trace more serenity and confidence than before.
At this moment, the Grand Elder’s ties to the Heavenly Dao were particularly close, and the Blood Sea would be under the strict surveillance of the Heavenly Dao.
It had only been a short while when a patch of black fog drifted over in the ’sky’ above, dark and deep, trying to seep into the Blood Sea.
Wu Wang revealed a curious expression and, with a wave of his hand, drew a wisp of the black fog to his fingertips, gently pinching it to reveal a series of phantom images.
A raggedy youth curled up on the ground, surrounded by relentless beating and kicking.
The youth grew into a strong man, kneeling before several new graves, laying down his burden and weeping with great sobs.
The burly man brandished a knife at the figures before him, seemingly becoming the leader of a band of thieves.
Suddenly, a longsword burst from the chest of the now aged man, its tip stained with blood, swiftly sliding upwards as all images plunged into darkness, yet a tide of furious emotions surged forth.
’You dare betray me!’
’You all dare betray me!’
’I will make sure you ungrateful wretches die without a burial place!’
The phantoms quietly scattered.
The black fog had already sunk into the Blood Sea, becoming part of the tainted blood within.
Though brief, this process confirmed the function of the Blood Sea and its ability to draw in the malice from living beings, extracting resentment and rage from the mortal realm.
Just as the Eastern Emperor was about to encourage the Grand Elder, clusters of black fog began to drift down incessantly from above.
Several Gods of the Heavenly Dao frowned deeply or shook their heads.
Wu Wang sighed lightly. "The world is full of vicissitudes, and many are the beings whose destinies are fraught with hardship. Perhaps human nature is inherently evil, or perhaps beings are simply driven by the need to survive and their desires. Regardless, part of the Heavenly Dao’s purpose is to guide all beings towards virtue."
The Head Manager spoke in a gentle voice, "There is no perfect solution in this world, nor perfect beings. It would be best if Your Majesty understands this sooner rather than later."
Wu Wang nodded, his figure descending towards the Blood Sea, standing opposite the Grand Elder.
"You’ve worked hard," Wu Wang whispered. "Since meeting the Grand Elder, I’ve rarely been able to aid you, nor have I allowed you to enjoy a few days of peace, deploying you instead to such a harsh and bitter place."
"Your Majesty," the Grand Elder Blood Daoist laughed, "this is a tremendous opportunity. To accompany the Great Dao, how can it be considered harsh and bitter? I have three requests to ask of Your Majesty."
Wu Wang immediately said, "Please do tell, Grand Elder."
"The first is that I have achieved the status of a Killing God here. I ask Your Majesty to keep it secret from the Human Domain and the Annihilation Sect to avoid unnecessary trouble, so the sect can develop peacefully and securely."
"Agreed," Wu Wang said. "The Grand Elder has been thoughtful."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. The second matter concerns the position of the Killing God."
The Grand Elder Blood Daoist’s expression turned serious, his blood-colored brows furrowing slightly as he spoke softly, "This Dao is too perilous, and the Slaughter Dao suppresses the Blood Sea, which contains much filth. I have confidence in maintaining my Dao heart unblemished and have the Heavenly Dao beside me to keep my Dao heart clear, but just in case..."
The Grand Elder Blood Daoist showed a slight smile, looking at Wu Wang just like he used to look at his junior long ago.
He said, "If I fall into depravity, you must strike without hesitation. As the Heavenly Emperor, you must prioritize all beings."
"Hmm," Wu Wang said, "I have taken to heart the teachings of the Grand Elder."
"The third request is a bit more troublesome," the Grand Elder Blood Daoist cleared his throat and spoke in a lower voice. "Could you relocate the grave of the old Sect Master here? I’d like to make arrangements for him here, to create some grandeur."
Wu Wang: ...
Do you mean that grave with the colorful glazed glass and eight treasures adorned with a dragon suppressing the skies and vast earth?
Why does the Grand Elder have such an obsession with the old Sect Master’s grave, unable to let it go?
Wu Wang, with a smile, cupped his hands. "I will send for someone right away."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the Grand Elder Blood Daoist’s face lit up with a joyful smile, as if a burden had been lifted. "Your Majesty is busy with affairs of state, please return to the Celestial Court to oversee them. I will do my utmost to stabilize the Blood Sea."
Wu Wang cupped his hands. "Much appreciated, Grand Elder." The several Heavenly Dao Gods who had followed him exchanged greetings with the Grand Elder Blood Daoist.
Then, beams of light descended, and Wu Wang along with Yun Zhongjun and other Gods vanished within them, directly transported back to the Celestial Court by the Heavenly Dao.
They hadn’t known the Blood Sea’s location upon arrival, but now both it and the Celestial Court were under the Heavenly Dao’s governance.
Wu Wang had intended to take the opportunity to return to his chambers with the Young Master for rest, but Yun Zhongjun, a step ahead and with a beaming expression, interjected, "Your Majesty, the day is not yet dark, and affairs of state are pressing."
The Young Master blinked at Wu Wang, then with a bow in the manner of the women of the Human Domain, offered a polite smile to Wu Wang. "I’m off to have tea with my sister."
With that, her figure flittered away, leaving Wu Wang with a vision of grace.
I feel as though I have been singled out.
"Convene the Celestial Court’s Divine Positions," Wu Wang said calmly. "The matter of the Blood Sea can now be made public, for all my dear ministers to understand the Slaughter Dao. This way, they might be more vigilant in the future."
Several Gods of the Heavenly Dao nodded with smiles as they rode clouds towards the hall ahead.
「At the Blood Sea.」
Grand Elder Blood Daoist, with his hands clasped behind his back, stood silently for a while before letting out a soft sigh of relief.
It’s good if I could be of help to the Sect Master.
"For my old bones to still serve some purpose, choosing the Blood Killing Dao back then, Master did not deceive me," he mused.
Having said that, the Grand Elder Blood Daoist chuckled softly before his figure sank into the Blood Sea.
While the Blood Sea appeared incredibly viscous from the outside, within it was an empty, vast expanse, where cotton-like clumps of blood qi floated about, entwined with wisps of not yet dense black mist.
The Grand Elder Blood Daoist calculated with his fingers and deduced that at this rate of expansion, the Blood Sea would double in size in just three hundred years.
Of course, the rate of expansion of the Blood Sea was related to the overall number of beings from the Hundred Races and the emotions of those sentient creatures who had developed Spiritual Wisdom. Should there be a massive war that led to heavy casualties, the Blood Sea would rapidly expand as it absorbed the resentment of the deceased.
If the Blood Sea expanded too rapidly, it would inevitably cause the Blood Sea’s killing aura to seep into the Human Domain. The killing intent would attach itself to those beings with great sins, driving them into madness, causing mass casualties among creatures, and leading sin-laden beings towards self-destruction to further suppress the number of living creatures.
This seemed to form a kind of ’feedback’ mechanism.
Did the Sect Master conceive all this?
The Grand Elder Blood Daoist felt a silent admiration in his heart. He put away the two Divine Artifacts of the Slaughter Dao and walked a few steps with the Longsword in the empty expanse. He released several beams of sword light, creating a clear lake.
Within the lake, there was a thatched hut, an alchemy chamber, as well as a rocking chair and a stretch of shade from the trees.
The Grand Elder Blood Daoist floated into this place, laying comfortably in the rocking chair, softly chanting to himself, and then chuckling wryly.
I thought this body of mine had lost its use, yet now it bears heavy responsibilities of Heaven and Earth.
Such an act that brings glory to the Sect... Surely, I must not forget to pay respects to the grave of the former Sect Master.
Well, there’s no need to continue developing toward grandeur. It would be nice to add some entertainment and create some grounded and approachable scenery.
「...」
"My lord, are we really going to allow Wu Wangzi to put us under pressure step by step like this?"
「That night.」
「In Yang Valley, at the peak of the Fusang Tree in the grand hall.」
Xihe lay diagonally across a dragon-embroidered and phoenix-patterned couch, her graceful hand supporting her cheek. Her delicate eyebrows slightly knitted, her eyes revealing a hint of helplessness.
In front of her, several female Deities spoke softly, one of them, surrounded by a heavy Aura of Slaughter and showing some wrinkles, said in a low voice:
"My lord, since the third Divine Era, we have never suffered such humiliation!
"When the Eastern Emperor established the Heavenly Dao, he did not even consult you and directly excluded more than fifty Gods from the Eastern Wilderness.
"Isn’t his intention clear enough?"
Another Divine Spirit said, "My lord, the most fatal aspect of the Heavenly Dao is that it only needs our Great Dao but not us, the spirits of the Great Dao. The Heavenly Dao is even more inclined to eradicate us, the spirits of the Great Dao."
"The Eastern Emperor is originally from the Human race; inevitably, he will favor the Human race."
"Enough," Xihe cast her phoenix eyes across them, and the Deities quickly bowed their heads.
The dragon-headed Deity among them showed a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
Xihe looked at the dragon-headed God and said indifferently:
"Do you really think I am too weak?
"When Wu Wangzi established the Heavenly Dao, he did not leave me much time to consider, and I had already refused once. If I had refused a second time... with the Human Emperor there, and the God Yun Meng’s Divine Skills being so unpredictable, did you expect me to be able to return?
"What does it matter if the Dao of the Sun is given up? The land of the Eastern Wilderness has been managed by us for generations. Even if the Heavenly Dao thrives, as long as we do not commit mass killings, and do not act against the Heavenly Dao, we can secure ourselves a place of tranquility."
That dragon-headed crone sighed, "But, my lord!"
Xihe interrupted her and asked coldly, "Were you granted more when Emperor Shun was alive?"
The Gods fell silent.
"Emperor Shun kept his promise. He never interfered with the Eastern Wilderness and the lands to its east," Xihe said indifferently. "But you all know very well what kind of temperament Emperor Shun had.
"He disregarded the marital affection of hundreds of thousands of years, the ultimate betrayal and faithlessness, the peak of ungratefulness in the Great Wilderness from ancient times.
"Although the Eastern Emperor follows a different path than us, he has one virtue: he possesses a compassionate heart.
"At his core, he adheres to the doctrine of benevolence and righteousness of the Human Domain."
Xihe slowly stood up, her phoenix eyes swirling with a touch of helplessness:
"Whether we wish it or not, the Heavenly Dao has been established, and the world has indeed become more stable than before.
"Look at the Celestial Court, how many are old Gods of Heaven Palace?
"This is despite Heaven Palace having committed unforgivable acts against the Human Domain.
"While I am reluctant to say this, all of you, think for yourselves. In a while, the Eastern Emperor will go on an inspection tour and will surely visit this Yang Valley. Then it would be better to offer up our own Great Dao. I will personally negotiate for you to receive every possible benefit."
"My lord, why are you now..."
The dragon-headed God’s voice trembled, "Why have you lost even a hint of fighting spirit now?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Xihe remained silent, sitting at the edge of the couch, lost in silent contemplation, her eyes filled with a profound sense of loss.
"Emperor Shun betrayed me. I do not wish to betray order.
"Emperor Shun and I have become enemies, and I will not let him off."
"However, my lord, that Wu Wangzi has only just established the Celestial Court, so he is using such means to win people’s hearts. Once the Heavenly Dao becomes more stable, he will surely reveal his vicious fangs! He..."
"Alright!"
Xihe glanced towards the dragon-headed Deity and the somewhat aged Deity, frowning as she said:
"You’ve been in the Eastern Wilderness for too long, unaware of the current state of heaven and earth.
"I should have sent you to face those reckless Transcendents in the Human Domain long ago.
"The Heavenly Dao has long been stabilized. Now, controlling nearly a thousand Great Daos, it is the most stable of the five orders that have existed since the First Divine Generation, and he has not struck down the Eastern Wilderness.
"Do you know why he spares the Eastern Wilderness?"
Feeling Xihe’s wrath, several Deities bowed their heads hastily and said:
"Your servants do not know."
"He is waiting for me and you to rebel against the Heavenly Dao," Xihe sighed. "He’s waiting for those Divine Spirits, creatures, and forces that still harbor delusions for Emperor Shun, that ungrateful and fickle former Heavenly Emperor, to slowly converge in the Eastern Wilderness.
"He has almost made it clear to me!
"In about a year or so, when the Eastern Emperor makes his first outing, it will be our only chance. Make no mistakes.
"Go now, calm yourselves. Go out and see the world."
With that, Xihe flung her sleeves and sat back down on her couch.
The Deities sighed and retreated from the place.
「Within the Celestial Court.」
Wu Wang sat in the Young Master’s chamber, meditating with closed eyes, as the Heavenly Dao manifested the situation currently unfolding in the Eastern Wilderness deep within his heart.
Under the scrutiny of the Heavenly Dao, unless it was a supreme being who intentionally concealed it, Wu Wang could see wherever he wished.
Did Xihe say so because she felt the watchful eyes of the Heavenly Dao?
Or had Xihe truly come to a sober realization of the situation?
Wu Wang mused to himself, then saw Xihe abruptly shatter the armrest of her couch in the hall suffused with soft Divine Light, appearing to lose all her strength, her eyes devoid of much sparkle.
A crisp cry came from deep within the hall.
She stood up, gently sighing, but quickly revealed a gentle smile as if she had never been angry. She straightened her slender waist, surrounded by Divine Light, changed into a simple long dress, and walked toward the depths of the Temple.
Afterward, Xihe bathed in sunlight.
Wu Wang sat there, pondering for a while.
In truth, he felt compassion and considered giving Xihe a helping hand.
But...
Zhong’s earlier reminder still echoed in his ears: ’Master, please be more wary of Xihe. In most probable scenarios, she will side with Emperor Shun again.’
Forget it, let’s see what choices she makes next. What I can do is not to intervene and wait for Xihe to make her choice from the heart.
"Your Majesty~"
"Here you are," Wu Wang immediately perked up.
Someone else’s marital affairs—what’s that to him? Better to tend to his own spouse.
Stroll in the garden, enjoy the garden.
「...」
Previously, Wu Wang had deliberately disclosed the upcoming plans of the Celestial Court in the ’space of the Heavenly Dao’—to reorganize the Western Wilderness—also as a test for Xihe.
For the time being, the result was quite satisfying to Wu Wang.
Xihe had not acted against the Western Wilderness but even ordered the Deities of the Eastern Wilderness to avoid contact with the spirits of the Western Wilderness.
In response, when the Celestial Court dispatched its armies to sweep the Western Wilderness, Wu Wang sent a generous gift to Xihe and bestowed upon her a measure of Power of Merit from the Heavenly Dao that she could use at her discretion.
This was the greatest gesture of goodwill Wu Wang had shown towards Xihe.
Xihe did not disappoint Wu Wang’s expectations; she used the Power of Merit to enhance the strength of several minor Deities and persuaded the older Gods of the Eastern Wilderness with this act.
Yet for some reason, these ancient Deities of the Eastern Wilderness still resist the Heavenly Dao and resent the Celestial Court.
’Is Emperor Shun influencing them in the shadows?’
Wu Wang was also uncertain. After all, now that Heaven and Earth are enveloped by the Heavenly Dao, even if Emperor Shun temporarily controls the Candle Dragon, any attempt to influence the world would surely be detected by the Heavenly Dao.
Or might there be something I’ve overlooked?
Out of caution, Wu Wang took time out from his busy duties over two discontinuous months to reinspect the Heavenly Dao inside and out.
Soon, Wu Wang noticed something unusual.
The Heavenly Dao’s control over the world, while extremely strong, was nonetheless imperfect.
This must be the intrinsic nature of the Heavenly Dao—to leave a sliver of vitality outside its control, to prevent the crushing weight of its rules from sapping the life force of creatures.
In other words, though the chances are slim, it is indeed possible that Emperor Shun is pulling strings in the Eastern Wilderness from the shadows.
Rounding up, that means Emperor Shun is definitely stirring up trouble in secret.
With this in mind, Wu Wang took extra precautions, never letting his guard down over the Eastern Wilderness for a moment.
The cleanup of the Western Wilderness proceeded neither too rapidly nor too slowly. With the Earth God as commander, tens of Heavenly Generals led a million Heavenly Soldiers, first encircling the Western Wilderness, then began to covertly strike at those Deities of the Western Wilderness.
In the Western Wilderness, there were no beings of goodness. Each and every one was stripped of their consciousness, and their Great Daos were seized.
The chaos in the Western Wilderness had been seen firsthand by Wu Wang, and now, through the Heavenly Dao’s reckoning, the accumulated sins of those lesser Gods... had once again brought a great deal of Power of Merit to the Celestial Court.
Half of this Power of Merit was awarded by Wu Wang to the participating Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals as a reward for their contributions.
The other half was claimed by the Heavenly Dao; after all, the landlord’s family wasn’t rich enough to rival a country yet.
Orderly and methodically, Wu Wang’s vision for the construction of the Celestial Court was gradually advancing, and almost every few months or half a year, a significant and symbolic event would take place in the Celestial Court.
Since the establishment of the Celestial Court, the Heavenly Dao had been rapidly developing.
After opening up the Blood Sea, the Power of Merit available to the Heavenly Dao continued to expand, and the plan to activate the old Gods’ Great Daos was also put into motion.
The Great Dao of the remnant Gods of the Third Divine Generation, who had perished at the hands of Emperor Shun yet had made remarkable contributions in driving away the Candle Dragon, were gradually absorbed by the Heavenly Dao after the Western Wilderness was annexed by the Celestial Court.
Traces of these Great Daos existed in the Old Heavenly Palace, and as long as there was enough Power of Merit, they could be replenished.
Thus, the number of Great Daos controlled by the Heavenly Dao had accumulated to over 1,200.
Gods like the Wood God, who told everyone they met that Heaven and Earth had never been so stable, saw the prospect of the Celestial Court’s eternal stability.
Wu Wang just responded to this with a smile.
Only the evolving trends were constant; there was no such thing as an eternally unbreakable order. The old would always be replaced by the new; the development of all things followed its laws and inevitabilities.
In Wu Wang’s perception, the establishment of the Heavenly Dao and the Celestial Court seemed just like yesterday, yet three years had quietly passed.
The day he had previously set for his journey had arrived.
In recent months, the entire Celestial Court had been busy with preparations for this event.
The Heavenly Emperor’s first outing held tremendous symbolic importance and would affect the changes in the Heaven and Earth’s structure. It was an event of paramount importance.
Wu Wang even received many vacations, allowing him to spend delightful time with his two consorts.
Strolling in the gardens was pleasant, but he could not indulge excessively.
Since Ling Xiaolan had entered the Heaven Palace, she had strictly adhered to the principle that ’pleasure must not affect Wu Wang’s important duties,’ taking turns with the Young Master to accompany Wu Wang in a limited manner, and from time to time advising him not to be complacent.
Interestingly, because of this, Fairy Ling felt indebted to Wu Wang, and when they were together, she would comply with some of Wu Wang’s slightly excessive demands.
Her bone-deep tenderness made Wu Wang linger and forget to return, yet he still had to get up on time to preside over the court affairs.
As a result, Ling Xiaolan earned a good reputation within the Celestial Court.
Although her reputation was far from the prestige of the Young Master, whenever Gods and Immortals mentioned this Fairy, they would all give a thumbs up and praise her wisdom.
Now, the day of Wu Wang’s departure had come.
Inside Wu Wang’s chamber, Lin Suqing was busy helping Wu Wang adjust the height of his jade ring and tidying the corners of his garments.
She spoke in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, are you sure I don’t need to accompany you to the Human Domain this time? At the very least, you should bring Fairy Ling with you."
"This is not a leisurely trip to enjoy the mountains and waters," Wu Wang said with a smile. "There should be no problems in the Human Domain, but we will have to visit the Kunlun Ruins, the Northern Wilderness, and the Eastern Wilderness later. It’s hard to tell what trouble we might encounter.
"Yun Zhongjun will be accompanying me, while the Young Master and the Head Manager will guard the Heavens."
"Turn around and let me take a look at you."
Lin Suqing looked over Wu Wang from head to toe with a smile and satisfied nod. "Not bad at all. You’re increasingly exuding the majesty of the Heavenly Emperor."
Wu Wang raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "I have a task for you."
"Please tell me," she replied.
"Xiao Ming has grown into a young girl now, and Nu Chou isn’t familiar with the customs of the Human Domain. I want you to give her a lesson in etiquette."
Wu Wang spoke solemnly: "The word ’decorum’ is of utmost importance in the promotion of the Heavenly Dao throughout Heaven and Earth. Beings gain intelligence and enlightenment through knowledge, and clarity through decorum..."
"I know, I know!"
Unable to help herself, Lin Suqing complained, "You are getting more and more dignified."
Wu Wang glared and said, "Don’t be disrespectful. How do you speak to the Heavenly Emperor like that?"
"Hee hee, Your Majesty~"
Lin Suqing playfully called out, causing Wu Wang to shudder and disappear in a flash.
In front of the meeting hall of the Eighth Heaven, a procession with eight people abreast stretched out for dozens of miles. Nine ancient ferocious beasts of different appearances were forcefully restrained to the same size, pulling along a palanquin as large as a great hall.
「Eastern Wilderness, Yang Valley.」
Xihe frowned as she watched the Cloud Mirror before her, a contemplative look on her beautiful face.
「Kunlun Ruins.」
The Queen Mother of the West, who sat in a pool stirring the waters leisurely, now watched the Treasure Mirror in front of her with an interested gaze, her phoenix eyes full of amusement.
The Human Domain was much livelier, with swarms of Immortals rushing east and west, announcing the Human Emperor’s decree in all the major cities of the Human Domain.
Mobilize the strength of the Human Domain to welcome the Eastern Emperor’s inspection.
The beings of the Human Domain, grateful for the Heavenly Dao’s protection, fully supported the construction of the Celestial Court.
Naturally, Wu Wang had also prepared a large number of rewards for the Human Domain, and several of his concerns were going to be resolved during this trip to the Human Domain.
Mutual benefit was what described the current relationship between the Celestial Court and the Human Domain.
「Celestial Court.」
Wu Wang’s figure appeared in the Temple, where he first gathered the Gods to give them several instructions, and then led the twelve Gods of the Celestial Court on an outing together.
At the forefront of the long line of Heavenly Soldiers, hundreds of bare-chested strong men beat drums together, their sound thunderous like the rumbling of clouds, while mournful horn calls spread across half of the Central Mountain. Hundreds of female Immortals flew around the palanquin, scattering endless rainbows and showering down petals.
The Eastern Emperor’s first inspection tour began.
