This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 458 - 456: Arriving at the Kunlun Ruins!

Enthroning the Fire God, igniting the Dao of Fire, was of paramount importance for Wu Wang’s first stop on his inspection tour.

From then on, Fire God Zhurong possessed a dual status as a vassal—loyal to the Eastern Emperor of the Celestial Court as well as serving the Human Emperor of the Human Domain, thereby paralleling the Dao of Fuel and Fire.

Thanks to years of ’promotion’ by the Human Emperor’s Pavilion, temples of Fire God Zhurong were scattered throughout the Human Domain, and Zhurong was also the Xia Official in His Majesty Shennong’s court.

Today, Zhu Rong·Fire Plume received recognition from the Heavenly Dao, which also strengthened the connection between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Domain. This was naturally seen as great news by the Human Domain cultivators.

Once Fire Plume resumed her position, Wu Wang smoothly concluded his ’speech’ in the Human Domain.

Next, Daoist Yun Zhongjun took the stage on behalf of the Divine Spirits of the Celestial Court. In his capacity as the God of Qi, the God of Yun Meng, the First Auxiliary God of the Third Divine Generation, and the First Auxiliary God to the Eastern Emperor, he shared with the Human Domain cultivators the true origins of living beings.

When Liu Baiyi, representing the various ministers of the Human Domain, took the stage and said a few simple words, his face darkened.

Pavilion Master Liu cursed, "When Daoist Yun Zhongjun took the stage, every single one of you had shining eyes, but when I take the stage, you don’t even look!

"Do I not have that kind of presence?

"Enough. The Human Emperor’s Pavilion will initiate a series of reforms aimed at adapting to the initiatives of the Heavenly Dao and His Excellency the Eastern Emperor, with an emphasis on protecting mortals and independent cultivators. All of you, from military families and sects alike, must cooperate honestly.

"Do not forget the disgrace of the Southeast Division of the Human Emperor’s Pavilion.

"Now, the young man who used to point fingers and curse you has become the leader of the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao is omnipresent and will always be watching you; this is far more effective than our Pavilion’s surveillance system.

"No more empty words! Let the feast begin! Today, the entire Human Domain celebrates! Congratulations to the Eastern Emperor!"

All the immortals performed a Daoist salute simultaneously and shouted in unison, "Congratulations to the Eastern Emperor!"

Wu Wang smiled and waved his hand, commencing a new round of Daoist liquor trials.

「Half a day later.」

In the hot springs near the gates of Annihilation Sect Mountain.

Wu Wang had sealed off the area with the power of the Heavenly Dao. Wrapped only in a bath towel, he soaked comfortably in the springs with the posture of a magnate, letting out a soft sigh of contentment.

In the pool with him were Ji Mo and Lin Qi, who had returned to the Human Domain with the Celestial Court’s retinue, along with Xing Tian, the body cultivation strongman whose physique was now comparable to Ji Mo and Lin Qi’s combined.

Xing Tian had just been complaining, "What’s all this about? I’ve sweated and bled, training for so many years, and then after one night’s sleep, they tell me I don’t need to train anymore. The Heavenly Emperor has run off, the Heaven Palace has become the Celestial Court, and the one in charge is now the Eastern Emperor."

Brother Xing Tian heaved a long sigh, his long neck swaying slowly as he muttered to Wu Wang, "You could have at least left us *some* path to strive for! With how things have turned out, all our ambitions are gone. All I do every day is roam the mountains and enjoy the waters of the Human Domain, fooling around with those maids of mine.

"I’m even thinking of going back to the Northern Wilderness to carry on my family line!"

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow with a smile, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He said softly, "What’s wrong? I told you I had my ways. Didn’t you believe me?"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Ji Mo coughed beside them.

Lin Qi smiled and asked, "Teacher, will you need our help against the Candle Dragon?"

"Just manage your own forces," Wu Wang said with a smile. "I’ve already granted you some minor conveniences within the Heavenly Dao. It’s only a very small thing, like making the Heavenly Tribulation a bit less difficult for you few. Having stayed in the Celestial Court for a while, your future cultivation will also benefit greatly."

"Now, everyone in the Human Domain knows that you, Lin Qi, are my disciple, and you, Ji Mo, are my brother. With the Lin Family in the Southeastern Region and the Ji Family in the Human Domain, you two are now moral paragons."

"No problem," Ji Mo said, laughing and raising his eyebrows at Lin Qi. "Call me Uncle Master!"

SWISH!

Lin Qi conjured an Immortal Sword. Ji Mo immediately began to apologize profusely, and the two started to splash and play in the hot springs.

Wu Wang’s mind relaxed a little, and he unwittingly sank into thought again.

Zhong said they faced a problem with an indeterminate cause: the world, in various forms, would end at a fixed point in time. Emperor Fu Xi’s final divination, however, had left him a clue. A sliver of hope lay in the Ten Thousand Stars. After coming full circle, did this mean he was back at the starting point?

However, Wu Wang took the hint from Emperor Fu Xi very seriously. He had already begun to use a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s ’computational power’ to deduce the Star Dao he believed in.

Is the Great Dao of the Star God truly correct? I can reasonably harbor some doubts...

Xing Tian stood up, his imposing frame emanating a powerful pressure. He walked over to Wu Wang, looked him up and down a few times, and asked in a deep voice, "Something on your mind?"

"Hmm?" Wu Wang snapped back to reality and smiled. "Nothing much."

"Why didn’t you send word before? You just went and took down the Heaven Palace," Xing Tian muttered under his breath. "We grew up together, as close as can be. Tell me the truth. Were you taken hostage by Yun Zhongjun and those other Divine Spirits?"

Wu Wang was speechless. Does imagination correlate positively with neck length?

Wu Wang muttered, "Do you think the leader of this Heavenly Dao could be a mere puppet?"

"That... is also true," Xing Tian chuckled. "Our statuses will be different from now on. I guess I can’t keep calling you ’bro’ anymore!"

Wu Wang rested his elbow on the edge of the pond and nonchalantly propped up one leg. "That’s how it should be. After all, I am a Heavenly Emperor, a supreme expert. You should show more respect when we meet in the future."

"HEY YA!"

Xing Tian’s eyes widened, his teeth clenching with a CRACKLING sound. "Your Majesty! Care to teach me a few moves?"

Wu Wang blinked. "Are you sure?"

"HUMPH!" Xing Tian’s muscles bulged all over, his pectorals bouncing. "I’ve trained hard for many years! I’m no pushover!"

"Freeze," Wu Wang uttered, a single word.

A faint black halo suddenly flashed around him.

Xing Tian’s figure sat frozen by the edge of the pool, his muscles still tensed and bulging, yet he himself was like a stone statue; his breathing had stopped, and his eyes were still.

Wu Wang smiled calmly. "Still want to fight me? Disperse."

Xing Tian suddenly gasped for air, shrinking back by the edge of the pool and breathing heavily, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Wu Wang.

"How... how did you do that? What kind of spell was that? Cough, cough, cough! My very soul was immobilized!"

Lin Qi and Ji Mo also looked at each other, stunned. The scene that had just transpired was beyond their comprehension.

Wu Wang smiled but said nothing.

Wherever the Heavenly Dao covers, words become law.

"Just a minor Heavenly Dao trick, nothing worth mentioning," Wu Wang said casually.

Xing Tian instantly became much more subdued. He cupped his fist towards Wu Wang and said, "I’m convinced." Then, he resumed his cheerful banter with Wu Wang, their conversation drifting from the slender, graceful legs of Human Domain women to the charmingly slim waists of Northern Wilderness girls.

Ji Mo also joined the conversation with great enthusiasm. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Then, the talk turned to the upheaval in the Heaven Palace.

Wu Wang said with a smile, "It all happened rather suddenly, and many aspects were kept secret. I didn’t even dare tell Jingwei. Before that, only Daoist Yun Zhongjun and the Head Manager knew parts of the plan."

"Right," Xing Tian mumbled, "I heard from my father that Cang Xue, the High Priest, was taken to the Outer Sky by Emperor Shun, along with Jingwei, my sister-in-law. Is there any way to rescue them? Do you need manpower? I’m free anyway."

"I have a lead."

Wu Wang looked at Xing Tian’s broad, orangutan-like face and smiled. "No need to worry," he said. "I’m already making plans for this, and I’ve secretly ensured their safety. The upcoming confrontations will mostly take place in the Outer Sky."

"Outer Sky..."

Xing Tian folded his arms, pondering for a moment.

"Just give me a shout if you need me."

"Big Brother, you just focus on taking good care of that neck of yours..."

Wu Wang’s words suddenly trailed off.

He looked up at Xing Tian, his brow slightly furrowed.

There was a question: what connection did the Great Wilderness have to his old home, Blue Star? Did the legend of the headless God of War hold true? If it did, would the story of "Xing Tian battling the Heavenly Emperor, losing his head, then, with his navel as a mouth and nipples as eyes, leaping about his grave mound brandishing an axe and shield" still come to pass? At this moment, Brother Xing Tian had no conflict with him, the Heavenly Emperor. Another account claimed the Heavenly Emperor was the Yellow Emperor, that the Yan Emperor’s line had passed through several generations, and Xing Tian was a great general of the last Yan Emperor... Reasoning backward from this logic... Does the Great Wilderness still have a future? Did I ultimately pass through that darkness? If I can find evidence proving this world is closely related to the ancient myths of my Blue Star home, does that mean the Great Wilderness’s future won’t be severed? Evidence! In an instant, much of the gloom in Wu Wang’s heart lifted. He stared intently at this seemingly simple and honest brother before him. The evidence was right here!

"Why do I suddenly feel a bit creeped out?" Xing Tian rubbed his arms. "Little brother, why are you staring at me like that?"

"Big Brother, do you think a person can live if their head is cut off?"

"Well," Xing Tian mused for a few moments, "logically speaking, the head is just a head. If one’s Primordial Spirit is strong enough, and the Primordial Spirit itself is unharmed, one should be able to live even if the head is gone. But the head does house the life soul, after all. So, perhaps one wouldn’t be truly, completely alive?"

Wu Wang’s eyes lit up as he stared at Xing Tian’s neck. "Want to give it a try?"

"Little brother, what are you trying to do?!"

Xing Tian’s voice trembled slightly. The feeling of being immobilized by a single word from Wu Wang had been truly unsettling.

Wu Wang smiled but said nothing; of course, he couldn’t actually experiment on Xing Tian.

Well, having thought these things through, his gloomy mood had finally brightened to partly cloudy. If the Great Wilderness had no future, then he would have to fight for one. Even if he couldn’t protect all living beings, he had to protect as many as he possibly could. If they were fated to step into darkness, then there would always be a glimmer of light in that darkness. And so, he would press onward.

"I’m off!"

Wu Wang stood up. The water vapor around him instantly evaporated, and by the time he leaped to the bank, he was already dressed in fresh attire.

"So soon?" Ji Mo asked hurriedly. "Aren’t you going back to Annihilation Sect to take a look?"

"I can come back whenever I want," Wu Wang said with a smile. "The Human Domain is just the first stop. There are many things waiting for me, the Eastern Emperor, to do. You guys take your time soaking."

"Alright."

"Big Brother?"

Wu Wang looked at Xing Tian and smiled. "The Celestial Court is still missing a God of War."

Xing Tian’s powerful frame trembled.

"The condition is that you must be able to defeat ninety percent of the old gods from the Heaven Palace."

Xing Tian immediately shrugged and threw up his hands.

Before they could ask any more questions, Wu Wang’s figure flickered and vanished completely.

Lin Qi rose and performed a Daoist salute, saying, "Disciple respectfully sees Teacher off."

Ji Mo settled back into the warm spring water, his eyes filled with a mix of reminiscence and contemplation.

Xing Tian patted his own head, muttering the words "God of War," a deep yearning filling his eyes.

The Eastern Emperor’s chariots quickly formed up above the Human Emperor’s Pavilion.

A large crowd of immortals had gathered on the path ahead, naturally forming lines to see them off.

Shennong, however, did not appear, just as he hadn’t when Wu Wang arrived. It was Liu Baiyi who led the important ministers of the Human Domain in the official send-off.

On a quiet path within the Human Emperor’s Pavilion.

Wu Wang strolled with Daoist Xiao Jian and Fire Plume, exchanging words of farewell.

Fire Plume now possessed a body of flesh and blood—such a minor feat was trivial for the Heavenly Dao.

Now, in harmony with the Dao and close to Heaven, she radiated a divine aura.

The once overly stern and martial woman commander of the Imperial Guard now had a softer, more feminine grace about her, and her temperament had become much gentler.

She was, after all, the Fire God. If her temper was too explosive and was further influenced by the Great Dao, she could easily follow the old path of the Ancient Fire God.

Next, Fire Plume would accompany Wu Wang on his tour, after which she would go to the Celestial Court to report for duty.

Similarly, Fire Plume’s existence would serve as a demonstration of the Heavenly Dao’s power, intended to intimidate the deities of the Eastern Wilderness.

Wu Wang asked about the natural disasters in the Human Domain over the past few years.

Daoist Xiao Jian answered softly, without exaggeration or flattery, speaking only the truth.

Wu Wang nodded repeatedly, remarking, "Within the Celestial Court, the God of Pestilence is also an important divine position. Natural disasters are unavoidable, but man-made calamities can be prevented. This is part of the Heavenly Dao’s workings."

"Your Majesty need not be troubled by this," Daoist Xiao Jian said gently. "Compared to the era of the Heaven Palace, the Human Domain now enjoys weather a hundred, even a thousand times more favorable for crops and prosperity. The current difficulty is that the debate between Immortals and Demons is showing signs of resurfacing."

Wu Wang, however, said, "This is actually unavoidable."

"Indeed," Daoist Xiao Jian sighed. "The differences in cultivation techniques, the established cultivation systems—all these contribute to it..."

"Everyone strives for superiority."

Fire Plume added softly, "Cultivators are no different. Although most are normal and mild-mannered, it only takes a small number disparaging others to feel superior for such divisions to arise. Gradually, even those normal, gentle cultivators get drawn into the debate between Immortals and Demons. Thus, opposing factions form within the Human Domain."

"The path of the Human Emperor’s Pavilion is truly long and arduous."

Wu Wang smiled at Daoist Xiao Jian and said warmly, "If you encounter any difficulties, don’t hesitate to send word to the Celestial Court."

"I certainly won’t let such a connection go to waste," Daoist Xiao Jian replied with a smile.

The sound of horns echoed from the sky. Wu Wang looked at Daoist Xiao Jian and performed a Daoist salute. Xiao Jian immediately returned the gesture, his bow slightly deeper than Wu Wang’s.

Wu Wang said, "Fire Plume, ride with me."

"Yes!"

Fire Plume clasped her fist in acknowledgment and flew into the sky with Wu Wang. They transformed into two streaks of light, returning to the grand ’hall’ pulled by mythical beasts.

The sound of drums throbbed as clouds and mist billowed.

Countless cultivators paused to bow as the miles-long procession traversed the sky, heading straight for the northwest.

To Kunlun, to find the old gods.

Those beings controlled a great many Great Daos.

A truly arduous battle awaited him there.

「Meanwhile, in the depths of the Kunlun Ruins.」

The Queen Mother of the West, clad in a plain long gown, sat quietly on a Lotus Throne at the edge of the Immortal Pond, gazing into an ancient mirror in her hand.

Outside the Nine Heavens Gate of the Kunlun Ruins, figures that seemed to be only armor, lacking physical bodies, formed a long queue.

Lu Wu, dressed in a robe and holding a scroll, stood before the gate with his eyes closed in concentration, waiting silently.

In various parts of the Kunlun Ruins, more signs of life had appeared. The small celestial territory grew livelier as Qingluan birds, accompanied by cranes, soared with spread wings. Innate spirits of various strange appearances also began to gather.

They, too, wished to witness the splendor of the new Heavenly Emperor.

In the deepest part of the Kunlun Ruins, within a dilapidated ’arena,’ shadowy figures had already materialized.

They were discussing and arguing, seemingly yet to reach a consensus on certain matters.

But on one point, they were united:

"We are now facing an unprecedented threat."