This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 520 - 518: The Game Escalates, The Black Mud Reappears!

When Yun Zhongjun received Wu Wang's command amid the Heavenly Dao, his expression was complex.

He had just managed to temporarily forget the great calamity, comfortably mingling in the Outer Sky, immersively experiencing Sister Yun's joy, as if a new world had opened up...

And now, political affairs again?

This Eastern Emperor Taiyi, really. He truly doesn't desire to handle any real matters and is constantly pushing troubles away. He only wishes to enjoy the thrill of suppressing the Candle Dragon but is reluctant to do the bothersome groundwork beforehand...

When will the Great Wilderness's strategists finally stand up!

"Brother, why are you grinding your teeth?"

"My gums are itchy!"

"Do Innate Gods also have dental problems?" Wu Wang immediately became interested.

"This is the rage from the third Divine Age!"

Yun Zhongjun growled through gritted teeth. After roaring, he humphed and took on the new mission Wu Wang threw at him: to help the Tri-God Alliance balance the power of the Candle Dragon.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "This Goddess of Fortune is quite interesting. She acts as if she wants to rebel against the Candle Dragon but doesn't dare, and then secretly comforts herself by pretending this is opposition against Emperor Shun, just to muster up the courage."

"She is the daughter of the Candle Dragon, so the emotions involved must be quite complicated."

Yun Zhongjun sighed and said, "But no matter what, the incident involving her mother is itself a tragedy. The tragedies the Candle Dragon has brewed over so many years are far too numerous; it deserves to be destroyed."

"The Alliance of the Three Gods," Wu Wang said, "finally there is an organization formally opposing the Candle Dragon in the Outer Sky. I can feel that the Martial God has gained much more confidence after establishing the Alliance."

"Behind the establishment of each previous Divine Age, there was a similar alliance."

Yun Zhongjun spoke righteously, "Your Majesty, do you already know what the Water God and his party aspire to? What demands do they have of the Celestial Court? What level of assistance do they need, and what price are they willing to pay?"

Wu Wang smiled and said, "You telling me to discuss these things with the Water God, isn't that just setting the Celestial Court up for a small loss? After all, he is my grandpa."

"That is true. Your Majesty actually places too much emphasis on kinship and emotions," Yun Zhongjun nodded slightly. "For this matter, it is indeed more convenient for your servant to come forward."

"Exactly."

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow. "I've already said that I would introduce your incarnation to the Water God. When will you have time?"

"Anytime," Yun Zhongjun said. "I will arrange to go out to sea later, then create a false appearance of having been shipwrecked and rescued by the Water God, and directly make contact with him."

"You handle it, and call me if there are any problems."

Wu Wang raised his hand and patted Yun Zhongjun's shoulder, expressing, "With you assisting me, Brother, it's equivalent to having three million Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals!"

Yun Zhongjun smiled, slightly embarrassed, and watched as Wu Wang turned into Divine Light, dissipating from amid the Heavenly Dao.

After a moment, Yun Zhongjun finally realized something.

He had a feeling that he was, somehow, tricked by the Emperor...

"Alright then, it's not bad to have more to do."

Yun Zhongjun chuckled and transformed into a cloud, drifting to the periphery of the Heavenly Dao.

This place was already built on top of his Divine Skills' Illusionary Realm; it was like his own Divine Skills were enlisted by the Heavenly Dao. Here, compared to Wu Wang, the Heavenly Emperor, he actually had even more freedom.

「Meanwhile.」

In the Outer Sky Martial God World.

Atop a carefree white cloud.

"Eastern Emperor Taiyi is my nephew, heh, this feeling is actually pretty nice."

On the way back to the Martial God World, the Martial God muttered to himself the entire journey, his mood suddenly becoming quite bright.

Clearly, he... truly believed in the Alliance of the Three Gods.

Wu Wang sat cross-legged beside his teacher, the Martial God, looking up at the fluffy clouds high in the sky, slightly lost in thought.

The Goddess of Fortune stood quietly to the side, as if meditating, but Wu Wang had already sensed her Divine Thought probing him, and could only pretend not to notice.

Keep probing; she won't make out anything, anyway.

If he could be exposed so easily, then right now, immediately, he would add two rabbit ears to the design of the Eastern Emperor's Bell. And they must be pink!

"How do I write this apology letter, anyway?"

The Martial God muttered under his breath, a troubled expression on his large face, his gaze drifting towards Wu Wang.

Wu Wang pretended not to see it. He had already pushed everything onto his brother, Yun Zhongjun, and was definitely not going to take on new tasks.

The apology letter was one of the several strategies set by the Water God: have the Martial God write a letter of apology, create some fanfare, and have it delivered to the Candle Dragon.

[To advance by retreating, to apologize and show weakness to the enemy].

The other strategies set by the Water God, according to Wu Wang's summary, included but were not limited to—

Securing a promise from Eastern Emperor Taiyi, preferably with a token as proof;

Taking the initiative to contact the Innate Gods who had already leaned towards the Candle Dragon, to put on a show of pressuring the Candle Dragon, and secretly communicate with the Innate Gods who were confirmed to be dissatisfied with him;

In all the Divine Realms, rumors were spread that the Candle Dragon was controlled by Emperor Shun. These rumors were directed towards "Emperor Shun's intention to destroy the Outer Sky and strengthen the Dao of Chaos," increasing the sense of crisis among the gods;

Drive a wedge between Yinyinhu and other Strong Gods who followed the Candle Dragon. Utilize Emperor Shun's suspicious nature and the Candle Dragon's dislike for intricate plots to create discord and distrust between them...

And so on.

The Martial God's "Apology Statement" was just one of the minor items.

The Goddess of Fortune accompanying the Martial God back to the Martial God World had a primary purpose that naturally couldn't be to protect Wu Wang, but to be able to strategize in a timely manner with the Martial God in case the Water God went into hiding.

These three allied Innate Gods, upon closer inspection, were quite interesting.

One was the Water God, who knew the Candle Dragon the best. As one of the Five Elements Gods, the Water God's power was profound and unfathomable. Previously, he was the Candle Dragon's chief strategist, and now he had taken the initiative to raise the banner against the Candle Dragon.

Another was the Martial God, who was most likely to challenge the Candle Dragon. The Martial God dared to fight and could pose a direct threat to the Candle Dragon, who also regarded him as the greatest hidden danger in the Outer Sky.

Then there was the Goddess of Fortune, the Candle Dragon's daughter, who held a grudge for the murder of her mother. Although her feelings towards the Candle Dragon were somewhat twisted, her own hatred had begun to surge.

If the Goddess of Fortune betrayed the Candle Dragon, it would be akin to stabbing him fiercely in the heart.

Now, Wu Wang finally felt a bit of "holding the winning cards" and "having the advantage on his side."

However, he wouldn't underestimate Emperor Shun and the Candle Dragon because of this. He would continue plotting, using all of his power, to suppress the Candle Dragon with the least cost and rescue his mother and Little Jingwei.

"How exactly should this apology be written?"

The Martial God, with a troubled look on his face, sighed, "Old Water makes it sound so simple, as if I truly have ink in my belly... Qing Shan, Qing Shan, huh?"

Wu Wang responded, "What's the matter, Teacher? Your disciple had some insights just now and was about to enter seclusion for cultivation."

"Ah! Fine then, your cultivation is more important."

The Goddess of Fortune beside them let out a snicker, saying indifferently, "The mighty Martial God, yet manipulated by his own disciple."

"How is this manipulation? Why would it be manipulation? Little Nu, why must you always mock and speak with such veiled sarcasm?"

The Martial God glared. The two gods, who had just ceased hostilities not long ago, looked like they were about to reignite their conflict.

The Goddess of Fortune curled her lip slightly, showing some disdain.

Wu Wang laughed, "Teacher, surely the great Goddess cannot stay in my humble abode..."

"No matter, I can experience the mundane world dominated by the Human race," the Goddess of Fortune said. "I can already perform many Divine Arts by now, which allows me to disguise myself. I won't be recognized by anyone, so you need not worry too much."

"As you will, my Lady." Wu Wang bowed, his smile slightly stiff.

Hah, the temperament of this goddess truly leaves something to be desired.

A few days later, a merchant ship left the Luili Realm. It encountered a shipwreck by the sea, but over a hundred people on board safely returned; they were found unconscious on the sands.

Naturally, this meant Yun Zhongjun had made official contact with the Water God.

What they discussed and what strategies they set were promptly shared with Wu Wang.

Based on the strategies already set by the Water God, Yun Zhongjun added a few more—like "setting up smokescreens," "prioritizing which Innate Gods to ally with," and "coordinating efforts within and beyond the skies"—and so on.

At Yun Zhongjun's suggestion, Wu Wang convened a meeting with the Earth God and the Head Manager to discuss the upcoming layout in the Great Wilderness World.

They had to give Emperor Shun some hope. Then, they would use that hope as shackles to tie Emperor Shun down in the Outer Sky, to prevent him from giving up on the great battle and fleeing into the void.

The key to hope lay in the Eastern Wilderness, as well as those more than fifty Innate Gods from the Eastern Wilderness who had not joined the Heavenly Dao.

The Sun Goddess Xihe became a pivotal point in the plans that followed.

Wu Wang deliberated for a long time and finally made a ruthless decision. If Xihe were to reconnect with Emperor Shun, and the Eastern Wilderness genuinely cooperated with Emperor Shun in stirring up trouble, the Heavenly Dao would never let Xihe and Emperor Shun's offspring go.

Although Xihe's contributions to living beings outweighed her offenses, at such a critical moment, Wu Wang could no longer afford to be merciful.

Several more days passed.

The Martial God's "Apology Statement" appeared out of nowhere, and all the gods in the Outer Sky received the news within half a day.

The Martial God sent his most trusted Sword God to request an audience with the Candle Dragon, stating his unwavering loyalty to His Majesty the Candle Dragon and that the Outer Sky should unite against Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

One of the gods beside the Candle Dragon questioned why the Martial God did not come himself.

The Sword God was, of course, prepared for this, remembering the few whispered words Qing Shan, the Martial God's disciple, had pulled him aside to say before he left for the Luili Realm to visit the Martial God.

Strangely, the Sword God felt a surge of confidence.

The Sword God looked up at the Candle Dragon's closed dragon eyes, then moved his gaze to the dozen or so Divine Spirits floating in the air, and explained, "Your Majesty! Some time ago, a Divine Realm vanished overnight, leaving the Martial God deeply concerned about the beings in the Martial God World. During such troubling times, he dares not leave the Martial God World even for a moment. As soon as we uncover the truth behind that Divine Realm's transformation into a desert within just a few hours, we must determine where the mysterious black mud that obliterated it came from. Once we resolve this issue, the Martial God will be able to step out of the Martial God World. Please forgive us, Your Majesty! And please, everyone, be understanding!"

"Black mud?" Yinyinhu frowned and asked, "What black mud?"

Suddenly, the breeze within heaven and earth seemed to stall, as the Candle Dragon's eyes opened a slit, fixing its gaze upon the Sword God below.

The Sword God's expression was stern, but he stood proudly. The spirit of the sword, unyielding and distinct.

The Candle Dragon did not speak, its eyes slowly closing once more.

The Innate Gods gathered around it did not trouble the Sword God. They accepted the Martial God's plea for forgiveness and sent the Sword God on his way. With this plea for forgiveness in hand, they could somewhat restore the face they had lost in the Martial God World.

After the Sword God left, Yinyinhu and several Strong Gods remained before the Candle Dragon, while the other gods returned to their respective Divine Realms.

The Candle Dragon's serpentine, mountainous divine body remained still. The scales on its forehead radiated pitch-black Divine Light, from which a middle-aged man emerged.

Several Strong Gods bowed their heads in reverence, addressing him as "Your Majesty."

"A plea for forgiveness?"

Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun beckoned with his hand, and the Martial God's plea for forgiveness flew into his grasp. He calmly scanned it.

Hah, just a trick of the Water God.

"Your Majesty," Yinyinhu said, "since the Martial God hides within the Martial God World and does not emerge, why don't we simply surround the Martial God World? If Your Majesty devours the Martial God's Great Dao, you will surely be able to suppress Eastern Emperor Taiyi. The price paid would be worth it."

Several Strong Gods also voiced their agreement.

But Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun merely snorted coldly and said indifferently, "My Great Dao is the Dao of Yin Invasion. Even if I devour more Daos, it will only strengthen the power of this Dao. How can it contend with the Heavenly Dao? The Heavenly Dao is but the new Dao of Order. What can stand against it is my Dao of Chaos; whether or not to devour the Martial God or any other Innate Gods is of little relevance now."

The six Strong Gods each lowered their heads in silence.

Suddenly, Yinyinhu asked, "Your Majesty, how did the Martial God come to know about the black mud?"

"They have already joined with the Heavenly Dao," Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun said with a cold laugh. "The Heavenly Dao must have already enveloped this Outer Sky. Our every move cannot be concealed from Eastern Emperor Taiyi."

A god spoke with a trembling voice, "Then don't we have little chance of winning?"

Emperor Shun was silent for a while before saying, "I have already explained to you what the ultimate form of the Heavenly Dao is. The plan is to seal and petrify Divine Spirits, leaving only the Great Dao to serve living beings. Innate Gods must then either reincarnate as living beings or perish on their own. You should all understand such principles. Now, Eastern Emperor Taiyi has not secured his position, and the Heavenly Dao has not fully formed. This is the only chance for us Divine Spirits. The Martial God is not my formidable adversary; I have never deigned to give him a proper look. The real threat is Eastern Emperor Taiyi and how to strengthen the Dao of Chaos. With chaos, we will end the current order. Then, we will create a new order—a new one that belongs to us Innate Gods."

"We will follow Your Majesty's arrangements in all things!"

"After all, Eastern Emperor Taiyi is of Human race origin. How could he be kind to us Divine Spirits?"

"That's right, this is no longer a war of the divine era; this is a battle between gods and living beings, fighting for the ownership of this world."

"Alas, those gods of the Heavenly Dao are probably no longer in control of themselves, having been locked down by the Heavenly Dao."

"No need to worry," said Emperor Shun calmly. "Everything is within my plan; the Dao of Chaos shall grow strong."

Yinyinhu asked, "Your Majesty, should we select a few more Divine Realms to deter those gods who are harboring dissent?"

"Pick three more Divine Realms. Just choose the three lesser gods who are closest to the Martial God and the Water God. We cannot afford to expend too much Power of Living Beings at this time. Choose to act half a month from now. After I make my move, you shall immediately convene the gods. Those who do not surrender their military power, there's no need to spare them this time. This is the final deadline."

A hint of a fierce smile appeared on the corner of Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun's mouth.

Despite their considerable strength, Yinyinhu and the other Strong Gods felt a chill running down their spines, unable to tell if the loquacious 'Your Majesty' before them was the Candle Dragon or Emperor Shun. Or perhaps, these two Heavenly Emperors had become indistinguishable from each other, supplementing one another?

"How's the painting charm being used?" Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun suddenly asked.

Yinyinhu reported, "Your Majesty, the first batch of living beings that were painted have started to spread throughout the world. We have embedded the painting charm in their consciousness, and they will swiftly paint their own kind, developing into new intelligent life forms."

"Hmm, the Power of Living Beings from the Outer Sky is still far from sufficient to bring the Dao of Chaos to maturity."

With this quiet murmur, Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun's form turned into Divine Light and returned to the forehead of his divine body.

The Strong Gods dared not linger any longer. After bowing, they hastily took their leave to continue executing Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun's orders.

The Heavenly Dao had its calculations; Emperor Shun had his strategies. Though both sides were advancing in different directions, their fists were already colliding through the void.

「And so, half a month later.」

In the forests outside Liuli City, two shadowy figures chased each other back and forth.

As usual, the Martial God simulated the same cultivation realm as Wu Wang, and a 'balanced duel' ensued between them.

When they first started sparring like this, Wu Wang couldn't last more than ten moves against the Martial God. But now, with the Martial God holding back, Wu Wang could exchange blows, feeling his Martial Techniques had improved rapidly.

The Martial God paused mid-action, hovering in the air, and turned to look at the western sky.

Wu Wang stopped atop a tree and also looked in that direction.

"Teacher, what's wrong?"

"I have a bad premonition, feeling somewhat irritable," the Martial God said, frowning. "It's my intuition; something untoward has definitely happened."

"Why not ask the Water God..."

Before Wu Wang had finished speaking, a bell rang in his heart.

In Liuli City, within the spire where the Goddess of Liuli resided.

The fox girl Lu'er suddenly clutched her chest, moaning in pain, her vision tinged with blood-red.

In a flash of Divine Light, the Goddess of Liuli appeared above the Earth Class classroom, extending her hand to release a Divine Light, and brought Lu'er before Wu Wang and the Martial God.

The Goddess of Fortune rode her cloud to the forest at a leisurely pace, joining the Martial God and the Goddess of Liuli, waiting for Lu'er to recover.

The black mud has appeared again!

Lu'er sensed a large number of her fellow Celestial Fox Tribe members dying, but she only sensed the tragedy affecting one small Celestial Fox Tribe clan within a particular Divine Realm.

As the news came one after another, the gravity of the situation far exceeded what the Goddess of Fortune and the Martial God had anticipated.

Three Divine Realms were annihilated within a few hours.

Three minor gods who had secretly promised to ally with the Water God disappeared without a trace.

The Candle Dragon immediately called a meeting of the gods. He forced those who had not yet chosen a side to decide, thereby consolidating ninety percent of the military power in the Outer Sky.

He who complies prospers; he who opposes perishes.

Under this series of blows by Candle Dragon·Emperor Shun, the situation that the Tri-God Alliance had just started to improve suddenly worsened.

But because of this, Wu Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

The opposition likely would not attack the Martial God World again anytime soon.

In the Great Wilderness, gods met amid the Heavenly Dao to discuss the current situation.

In the Outer Sky, several gods gathered at the Water God's place, deliberating on how to respond to the current situation.

The Grand Strategist Gods continuously calculated Emperor Shun's intentions and soon deduced his next plan:

[Strengthen the Power of Living Beings, nurture it, then obliterate the Outer Sky, enhance the Dao of Chaos, and finally confront the Heavenly Dao with the Dao of Chaos.]

Amid the Heavenly Dao, the Earth God voiced the doubt in his heart, "Wouldn't Emperor Shun be afraid that after we perceive his conspiracy, we would take direct action to destroy the Outer Sky?"

The various strategist gods pondered separately.

"Could there be another plot behind this?" Yun Zhongjun murmured. "Emperor Shun's actions, by rights, should have a contingency."

"Or perhaps, he really has no other choice."

The Head Manager scoffed coldly, "Gentlemen, you can deduce again and again. In today's world, this is the only path that might allow him to turn defeat into victory. All other paths have long been sealed by the Heavenly Dao."

Wu Wang raised his hand to signal, and all the strategist gods looked over.

"Regardless of how the other party makes its move, amid countless changes, the essence remains the confrontation between the Heavenly Dao and the Dao of Chaos. In the Outer Sky are my mother and the woman I love. My coming decisions may be influenced by my personal feelings.

I propose the creation of a Heavenly Dao Council. This council will focus solely on subduing the Candle Dragon. It will be jointly overseen by the Earth God, Yun Zhongjun, the Head Manager, the Young Master, and the Queen Mother of the West. Depending on how the situation evolves, they will decide when the Heavenly Dao should move against the Outer Heavenly Candle Dragon. I reserve the right to launch an offensive against the Candle Dragon in advance, but I cannot hinder any offensives you have already commenced. Who is in favor? Who is against?"

"Good."

"Agreed."

"Acceptable."

"Your Majesty, are you perhaps delegating too much authority?" Yun Zhongjun muttered. "It feels like you're completely offloading the burden onto our shoulders."

Wu Wang looked sincerely at Yun Zhongjun and said softly, "Brother, it's because I trust you."

The gods were deeply moved, with the Head Manager's eyes even welling up.

It feels like you just want to let go completely and continue to be carefree in the Outer Sky.

This thought Yun Zhongjun dared not truly mutter aloud, but instead echoed a sentiment, "The Heavenly Emperor's vision."