Between the Great Dao, beyond that grand door.

Wu Wang felt a chill run through him. One thought after another surfaced, only to be dismissed.

Was Emperor Shun from the Human Domain?

No, that's not right. Emperor Shun is the most powerful will in the world today. He was born in the second divine era, survived several transitions of godly eras, and subsequently established the current order of Heaven and Earth.

At this moment, Wu Wang could be certain that Emperor Shun was not watching him.

The imprints of the Great Dao left here were quite peculiar.

Wu Wang began to ponder how he had arrived at this place.

A great war had erupted outside. The Great Dao trembled, and the cosmic order seemed to have 'loosened.' He had inadvertently stumbled upon this place while contemplating the Dao of Living Beings.

He pushed open that grand door, saw a vast expanse of nothingness, and 'accidentally' discovered these imprints of the Great Dao left by Emperor Shun.

Who was Emperor Shun conversing with?

Wu Wang was baffled but suspected it might have been a former Human Emperor from the Human Domain.

The most likely candidate was Emperor Fuxi.

Wu Wang speculated that an unknown confrontation had occurred between Emperor Shun and Emperor Fuxi. Emperor Shun had been the victor, and Emperor Fuxi had vanished thereafter.

"Emperor Fuxi?"

In front of Ling Xiaolan, within the sphere formed by the circling Yin and Yang Qi, Wu Wang murmured.

Ling Xiaolan's long eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she were about to awaken from her state of Enlightenment. However, she forcibly steadied her spiritual mind, remaining deeply immersed in the Great Dao to maintain their joint cultivation.

She could clearly sense Wu Wang's confusion.

As long as they maintained their joint cultivation, her Great Dao would be of absolute benefit to him.

They had been escorted to the rear by Ming She.

Heaven and Earth were embroiled in a great war, with Divine Spirits and living beings locked in combat. The Human Domain was not at a disadvantage. Instead, after a brief display of valor from the Head Manager, the Heavenly Palace was forced to retreat step by step by a continuous stream of experts emerging from the Human Domain.

Lin Nuhao of the Lin Family seemed shocked by the Heavenly Palace's incompetence and was surrounded before he could react.

What Wu Wang did not know at this moment was that the Heavenly Palace had been defeated rather too quickly this time.

「In that vast and profound region.」

Wu Wang stood quietly in the doorway, lines of clues constantly crossing his mind.

He vaguely felt he had grasped something, but upon closer assessment, he found obvious flaws in his current speculations. He had even linked the mystery surrounding the Sanxian Daoist with the Lin Family's betrayal... In the end, what critical information had he overlooked?

Wu Wang focused inward, forcing himself to remain calm. He began to unravel, from the very beginning, the complex relationships between the Heavenly Palace, the Human Domain, the Candle Dragon, and the Northern Wilderness.

Memories flowed like silent rivers before his eyes:

His mother, stationed at the Peak of the Snow Mountain and the Starry Sky Temple.

The Star God's body, transformed into a sword hovering above the Heavenly Palace, and the Star God's Dao.

The will of the Heavenly Emperor, entrusted to the Dao of Order.

The somewhat naive yet decisive Young Master.

The obstinate Head Manager.

Old Senior Shen Nong, who loved fake wine.

The slippery Master Liu.

Wu Wang suddenly recalled what Master Liu Baiyi had said when he presented the *Tao Te Ching* fragments before the Scripture Hall:

'…The pivotal texts left by Emperor Fuxi, as well as several of his disciples, have all disappeared without a trace during the upheavals.'

Then, he remembered being in Jiuhuang City in the Southeastern Region, face to face with the Heavenly Emperor's Order incarnation. The Heavenly Emperor had casually remarked:

'To this day, there have been three Human Emperors in the Human Domain, and the one I admire most is of the Fuxi Clan.'

'The Fuxi Clan's Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams interpret how this Heaven and Earth exist, operate, and transform. How marvelous it is!'

The Heavenly Emperor's demeanor at that time, the enigmatic light in his eyes, had left a deep impression on Wu Wang.

He even thought back then that the Heavenly Emperor was a true Fuxi enthusiast.

'Fellow Daoist, care for a game of chess?'

Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist.

It was as if stone slabs, carved with obscure Daoist text, appeared before his eyes.

The Head Manager's strangeness, the Heavenly Emperor's indulgence, the peculiarities of the God of Spring's position...

In this profound place, Wu Wang suddenly took half a step back, held his breath, and focused. A somewhat insane notion emerged, one he could hardly suppress!

Moreover, all his previous doubts about the Heavenly Palace were answered in this instant!

Could the Heavenly Emperor, sensing a threat from the Human Domain and from my mother, the Ice God, merely sit and wait for doom, to be led by the nose? This is the ultimate victor of the ancient god wars! He isn't static; he's constantly changing, constantly thinking—an active and powerful will, not the stationary dragon in a maze waiting for a hero to behead it, as I subconsciously believed!

Indeed, the Heavenly Palace was currently plagued by internal and external troubles.

Within Heaven and Earth, the Human Domain was growing stronger, its cultivation methods continuously improving, and the Dao of Fire was locked within its borders.

Outside Heaven and Earth, the Candle Dragon had transformed into the will of chaos, constantly assaulting the Heaven and Earth Seal. Meanwhile, the Ice God had infiltrated and taken control of the Star Dao.

Would the Heavenly Emperor just wait quietly for everything to restart, to battle the Candle Dragon once more? That is definitely not his optimal choice. If… if the Heavenly Emperor had a way to make Heaven and Earth even more stable… What would that be? The method… the method…

Wu Wang's Dao heart trembled violently. He spun around, staring at the faint imprints of the Great Dao left by Emperor Shun.

The answer… I found it long ago.

"Is that it? Ha!"

Wu Wang laughed, but his smile froze instantly. His spiritual mind churned wildly as he forcibly tore himself away from this place.

The Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams! Emperor Fuxi's Innate Yin-Yang Diagram is the key! Things have become thoroughly troublesome.

「...」

「Before Ling Xiaolan.」

Wu Wang suddenly opened his eyes. The Yin-Yang Qi around him erupted into a fierce wind, rushing in all directions. Ling Xiaolan also immediately opened her eyes, which were full of fatigue.

Wu Wang paid no heed to anything else. He was about to turn and call for Ming She when he saw an endless blaze on the northern horizon.

Within the blaze, Shen Nong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down upon the earth. His silhouette was as tiny as a sesame seed, yet clearly visible to all living beings.

And where Shen Nong gazed, the Head Manager's dozens-of-feet-tall Dharma body had smashed a mountain peak and was now struggling amidst the rubble.

His entire body was covered with black spots that were continuously eroding him.

Within those spots were the cries of living beings, filled with endless resentment.

Further out, the great battle had now ceased. The Heavenly Palace forces had retreated some distance, with no reinforcements behind them.

The Lin Family's city had vanished along with the mountain. Below, a lake of blood and corpses had formed.

How long did the battle last? How long was I in that state of perception?

Wu Wang didn't know, and now was not the time to investigate. He faintly sensed that eight or nine hours had passed.

Living beings had suffered grievous casualties, and Divine Spirits had fallen.

Even some Great Daos in this Heaven and Earth had shattered, their lingering rhythm indicating the Dao of Fire had nearly shaken the very foundation of Heaven and Earth.

It had been an incredibly tragic battle, yet it had little direct relevance to what Wu Wang needed to do.

The Head Manager cannot die! The Head Manager absolutely must not die!

Wu Wang leaped into the air and immediately rushed north. He reacted quickly, however, calling out in his mind to the Yan Emperor via the command token:

"Senior, don't kill the Head Manager! Emperor Shun wants the Head Manager to die so the Dao of Life will merge!"

In the distant sky, Shen Nong, who had raised his left hand and had been watching the northern sky, slowed his actions slightly.

He turned his head south, gazing far at Wu Wang's figure.

His somewhat majestic voice also resonated in Wu Wang's mind, "If the Dao of Life merges and is controlled by the Young Master, it might not be a bad thing for living beings."

"That's the outcome Emperor Shun wants!" Wu Wang stopped mid-air, shouting anxiously in his mind.

Figure after figure followed, hovering behind Wu Wang, led by Ming She and the Grand Elder. The rest were elderly cultivators of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

The Transcendents who had originally guarded Wu Wang had already rushed to the front lines.

Wu Wang declared firmly in his mind, "Your Majesty! Please listen to my explanation! This is all part of Emperor Shun's grand scheme! Emperor Shun is the rule-maker; he has long transcended our logic! Our logic is built upon the order Emperor Shun created, and with it, we can never defeat him. This plot began the very first time the Young Master came to the Human Domain as an incarnation. Emperor Shun wants to upgrade the cosmic order! Yin and Yang are opposing yet unified, just like life and death. Heaven and Earth will use the life and death of living beings to compensate for their final deficiencies. Emperor Shun intends to use the Dao of Life and the Dao of Death to suppress this world, completely severing any possibility of the Candle Dragon's return! The existing order is already riddled with holes. Senior, you cannot kill the Head Manager! The Human Domain can imprison him! The cosmic order envisioned by Emperor Fuxi's Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams has become Emperor Shun's new blueprint. It is Emperor Shun who truly appreciates Emperor Fuxi's will… If the Head Manager dies today, if he dies today, both the Human Domain and my mother will be utterly defeated by Emperor Shun! Emperor Shun has likely already comprehended the ultimate truth of Yin and Yang!"

In the sky, Shen Nong furrowed his brows slightly. His raised left hand slowly fell, and he lightly closed his eyes.

He seemed to be pondering, perhaps mulling over something.

Wu Wang truly breathed a sigh of relief.

With the Human Emperor's authority, suppressing the experts of the Human Domain is effortlessly within his power. Next is to come up with an excuse not to kill the Head Manager, to have him imprisoned in the Human Domain, so that he can… can…

PFFT!

Without warning, the Head Manager's agonized screams abruptly ceased. A streak of pitch-black Divine Light burst from his mouth—a Spear had pierced his true body's throat.

Then, the Spear swept brutally!

A dense green hue emerged between Heaven and Earth, coalescing into the phantom of a Great Tree, which instantly withered and yellowed.

This change occurred so rapidly that Wu Wang's expression didn't even have time to shift.

No, it's the surrounding Heaven and Earth that has a problem.

A single instant was being infinitely prolonged.

Emperor Shun had acted.

Perhaps because Wu Wang had experienced this before, he too was pulled into this elongated instant. However, he could only watch events unfold, unable to do anything, much less cry out.

Perception, not interference.

He saw slight fluctuations in the world as the pitch-black Spear shot out from the Head Manager's body.

Behind the Spear was a large hand, and a shadowy figure shrouded in mist slowly emerged, frantically absorbing the Head Manager's Great Dao.

Wu Wang's throat tightened, feeling the primal fear of a living being.

The Dao of Death. The 'God of Death' the Sleep God always called incompetent.

At this moment, this Innate God was greedily devouring the Divine Power from the Head Manager's body, incessantly absorbing the resentment of living beings from him.

Just then, two more figures appeared out of thin air, standing beneath the Great Tree, the manifestation of the Lifespan Dao.

Emperor Shun and the Young Master.

The Young Master stared blankly at the scene, her eyes bloodshot.

Emperor Shun whispered something in her ear. The Young Master raised her right hand, and the Great Tree instantly shot into her palm.

'Is this… enough?' the Young Master asked, her voice trembling.

'Alas,' Emperor Shun sighed softly. 'I did not wish for this either, but it is for the sake of the Hundred Races, for the sake of the order of Heaven and Earth.'

At that moment, the flames that had been frozen in place began to flicker slowly.

Wu Wang felt it: the Dao of Fire was surging, erupting, assaulting this frozen instant.

Emperor Shun shook his head slightly, swept his great sleeves, and both the Young Master and the dark figure below vanished instantly.

"Heavenly Emperor!" Shen Nong suddenly moved, his furious roar shaking the heavens as he launched a palm strike at Emperor Shun.

The flames wove into boundless clouds, carrying the force to shatter the sky.

Emperor Shun's Divine Skill was instantly broken. His figure dissolved into a cloud of mist, from which countless divine lights flew out, coalescing into an azure jade palm that clashed head-on with Shen Nong.

「The next instant.」

Wu Wang's fingers trembled slightly.

Shen Nong's figure flashed and vanished mid-air as the Dao of Fire exploded.

Looking again, where the battle had been most intense, the Head Manager's towering true form was gone. The withered, sky-reaching Great Tree had long since disappeared.

The Head Manager's divine body had been devoured by the God of Death.

His Lifespan Dao had been absorbed by the Young Master.

Emperor Shun had been plotting this from the very beginning. The Heavenly Emperor schemed against his two most trusted subordinates, fully exploiting the weaknesses of both the Head Manager and the Young Master… Is this my greatest enemy? The Heavenly Emperor… That supreme Divine Spirit who spoke of order and living beings with a smile… Everything expendable, everyone a pawn. To try and measure such an Innate God by the emotions of living beings, that is the greatest joke, that is…

Wu Wang closed his eyes and took a breath, but felt he couldn't muster any fighting spirit.

I can't give up. I can't just give up now. It's not a completely desperate situation. Old Senior Shen Nong has already gone after them. There must be a way to salvage this. We must still have a chance!

But then, Wu Wang felt a suffocating pressure…

The sky seemed to grow thicker.

The earth seemed to expand.

But living beings found themselves shackled, one bottleneck after another appearing on their paths forward.

"What is that in the sky?" an old Daoist cried out, his voice trembling.

Wu Wang looked up. High above, a black star and a white star had appeared. The two great stars chased each other, rotating endlessly, while faint glimmers of light rose from the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness.

The Power of Living Beings was being absorbed by the Great Dao.

A Yin-Yang Diagram appeared in the sky, slowly adhering itself to the celestial dome.

"AH!" Wu Wang suddenly let out a low growl, clutching his forehead, then his temples, curling up in mid-air as a flood of images overwhelmed his mind.

In the skies of the Northern Wilderness, an endless meteor shower rained down.

Mother Cang Xue, her figure somewhat frail, stood there, sighing softly. She glanced down at her husband and kinsmen behind her.

She turned her head, a somewhat relieved smile on her face, yet her eyes held no resentment or regret.

'Wu Wang, will we meet again?'

The girl who loved green skirts, her hands clasped behind her, faced away from the boundless Divine Guards. A faint smile touched her lips as she murmured softly.

'I was so happy to meet you.'

'My Lord, do you like me?'

Beneath the Divine Tree at the edge of the heavens, a blurry figure stood quietly, her almond-shaped eyes filled with deep affection.

Then, she leaned in and bit his shoulder gently.

'Then it's settled. We are husband and wife.'

'I won't make you wait too long, my dear.'

He felt as if his head were about to explode.

The sudden flood of images nearly snapped his heartstrings; his Dao heart was being torn apart.

He had experienced them. It felt like he had experienced all of them, but he couldn't remember… Why… At a time like this, I should be thinking of a countermeasure, how to salvage the situation!

Wu Wang's eyes widened, his vision suddenly consumed by blood red.

"Brother Wuwang!"

Amidst Ling Xiaolan's cries and the surrounding shouts of "Wuwang!" and "Hall Master!"—

A drop of blood oozed from Wu Wang's forehead. His body exploded in mid-air!

As darkness consumed his consciousness, the last thing Wu Wang saw were the figures rushing towards him, now slowly receding. The blood from his exploded body, however, continued to splatter in all directions…

He plunged into darkness.

But the darkness didn't last long.

A faint light appeared before him. Wu Wang felt groggy, sensing someone calling softly by his ear.

"Young Master? Young Master?"

Then he heard that familiar voice muttering, "See? I told you fainting and sleeping aren't the same thing."

Wu Wang opened his eyes. They seemed to struggle with the bright light, but he soon made out the room's layout.

The Temple. The Sleep God's Temple.

He was sitting behind a desk, feeling drowsy but not about to fall asleep. A sentence escaped his lips, his thoughts seemingly aligned with it:

"How is this any different from that 'beam-hanging, thigh-stabbing' device I envisioned…"

Disappointment welled up. Wu Wang instinctively raised a hand to his forehead. The Sleep God's chubby, fair face was etched with embarrassment.

What is this?

Wu Wang suddenly pushed the desk away and stood up, holding his breath as he unleashed his full Immortal Consciousness.

The Annihilation Sect. His own mansion nearby. All the houses quiet and peaceful.

"Don't get agitated, little brother," the Sleep God said hurriedly. "I'll definitely try my best to help you figure something out…"

"You can't quite manage it, can you?" Wu Wang stared, his voice trembling slightly. "You can take away my ability to sleep, but you can't give it back, right?"

The Sleep God looked shaken and murmured, "To think you value sleep so highly… Ah! My mistake, this old brother was too rash!"

"Wuwang!"

Outside the Temple, Xiao Jian Daoist's figure landed and rushed straight in, his expression urgent as he shouted, "Trouble in the Lin Family! Lin Nuhao has rebelled!"

THUD.

Wu Wang staggered back half a step and sat down on the wooden chair.

He turned to Lin Suqing beside him and asked softly, "What day is it today? What day of the month?"

Lin Suqing replied hurriedly, "The twenty-seventh day."

"The twenty-seventh day."

Why… have I returned so bizarrely…

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