'Time is tight, the task is heavy.'

Wu Wang finally understood the specific meaning these six words held, words he had always heard in his previous life.

At this moment, he was like the driver of an out-of-control carriage, hurtling through the dark night, desperately trying to avoid the cliff ahead before the carriage crashed and its occupants were killed.

Ming Snake's figure appeared behind Wu Wang first. Its long, serpentine eyes were filled with respect as it bowed low to Wu Wang.

"Master."

"Immediately open the passage to…"

Wu Wang's voice trailed off.

He, who had intended to seek out Emperor Yan of Shennong immediately, found a flicker of bewilderment in his eyes.

Just then, a strong wave of dizziness suddenly assailed him. Wu Wang staggered, nearly losing his footing.

A large hand reached out from the side, and Xiao Jian Daoist managed to support Wu Wang just in time.

Thank goodness it was Xiao Jian.

Ming Snake glanced at the Sword Cultivator, a faint trace of disgust in its eyes.

Xiao Jian Daoist said warmly, "Wu Wang, what's wrong with you? Why do you seem so weak?"

Wu Wang was speechless. You try getting blown up twice!

I still don't even know the specific principles behind this retrospection; I'm almost broken by it!

I mustn't be impatient. At a time like this, I cannot be impatient. I must keep myself completely calm...

Though his understanding of the Dao Realm would not fade, the accumulation of cultivation and the buildup of Divine Power in his body also required vast amounts of 'source' material.

Wu Wang even felt that his vital energy and his spirit had suffered a great loss.

If he were to marry and consummate the marriage now, without his strange affliction, he wasn't sure he'd have the strength for the bridal chamber. Of course, if he forced himself, it would certainly be possible.

Regardless, he truly couldn't withstand a third retrospection!

He couldn't afford to be reckless; he needed a methodical approach.

Wu Wang had initially thought that if Elder Shennong took action and captured the Head Manager directly, all problems would be easily resolved.

But who could have known that the Head Manager, perhaps after having his spiritual mind kicked by some expert from the Human Domain named Ma Hu, had actually embedded the Great Dao of Death within his own body!

Is that old god of longevity eating arsenic because he thinks his life is too long?

The absurdity of this act was on par with the stone monkey who immobilized the Seven Fairies and then climbed a tree to pick peaches!

Moreover, amidst the collision between the Lifespan Dao and the Great Dao of Death, the Head Manager could actually harvest the Power of Living Beings for his own use—this was something Wu Wang had never anticipated.

Elder Shennong could certainly kill the Head Manager instantly. However, with the Heavenly Emperor watching secretly, ready to strike at any moment, attempting to suppress the Head Manager while simultaneously stripping away the Great Dao of Death was an incredibly difficult task.

—The Human Domain's offensive against the Head Manager had all become the driving force that helped Emperor Shun complete the merging of the Great Dao of Life!

Where is the crucial point of this matter?

How can I pin down the Head Manager?

No, that's not right!

The reason Emperor Shun had schemed all this, choosing to let the Head Manager self-destruct rather than secretly killing him, was because of the Young Master's attitude.

The most critical aspect of this entire affair was whether the Young Master would cooperate with the Heavenly Emperor to restore the Great Dao of Life.

Wu Wang endured the intense dizziness, his pale face taking on a trace of morbid crimson.

Having experienced such bizarre situations twice, Wu Wang had also noticed something unusual.

Both times he underwent retrospection, a drop of Essence Blood had flown from his forehead.

Was it this drop of Essence Blood that carried the memories of the 'wrong paths' I'd taken, transmitting them to the me of two days ago?

Or is this Essence Blood a medium for activating some kind of Divine Skill, forcibly returning me to the point before I 'took the wrong turn'?

Wu Wang, who had rushed out of the Sleep God Hall in a hurry, had now calmed down. Under the gazes of the few people who had arrived, he paced back and forth, occasionally muttering a sentence or two.

"Fairy Ling."

Ling Xiaolan tapped her toes lightly. The hem of her white skirt, like a weightless swan, fluttered gently, and her cloud-patterned white boots shimmered with a touch of Immortal Light. Her voice was slightly cool as she asked, "What is it?"

"Help me contact Brother Ji. Tell him and his wife there's no need to rush here. I'm aware of the Lin Family's situation.

They can't help much, and they needn't be too anxious. I have my own ways to handle it."

"Alright."

Ling Xiaolan murmured softly, her eyes fixed on Wu Wang's face, before she gracefully departed.

Wu Wang continued pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his steps inevitably a bit hurried.

"Suqing, please make me some tea."

"Brother Dao, I need an elite unit, ready to break through the Lin Family's defenses at any moment."

"Grand Elder, can your Blood Killing Dao sense the Great Dao of Death? I want to understand that Great Dao a bit more."

The people around him acknowledged his requests and quickly got busy around Wu Wang.

Wu Wang, also feeling tired from pacing, raised his hand and summoned a chair from the bedchamber. He took a breath and slowly sat down.

Ultimately, I still need to contact the old senior, but I must first come up with a complete plan.

Having the old senior directly suppress the Head Manager and crush the Lin Family wouldn't solve the fundamental problem. The old senior should act as high-end combat power to confront the Heavenly Emperor head-on; that would be sufficient.

I'm actually somewhat tired...

He, someone on the verge of stepping into the True Immortal Realm, possessing the Star God's bloodline and a Star God avatar, and with combat power rivaling a half-step Transcendent Demigod-Demihuman, was actually feeling physically tired.

No, that's not right. I've been 'weakened' twice now. It's already impressive that I can fight evenly with an ordinary late-stage Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivator.

That's not the main point. My Dao Realm hasn't been lost. Recovering my cultivation is just a matter of how to replenish my Spiritual Power.

What should I do?

He asked himself before answering:

At this point, it was fairly certain that there were only two ways to stop Emperor Shun's scheme.

Either prevent the Young Master from completing the advancement of the Great Dao of Life,

Or make the Head Manager stop his suicidal actions and willingly sever his own Great Dao of Death.

Neither of these paths seemed feasible at the moment.

The Young Master was currently in the Heaven Palace. He couldn't just stride in there shouting, 'Young Master, I've come to negotiate!' That would be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den. Even if he wasn't killed on the spot, he'd become a prisoner.

There was still a sliver of possibility on the Head Manager's end.

For no other reason than the Head Manager was not too far from the Human Domain right now.

But the thought of the Head Manager's face, once handsome but now twisted, made Wu Wang feel sick to his stomach.

And so, Wu Wang could only try to find a third path. He…

Grasped the necklace.

If there was ever a crisis that demanded the return of the Candle Dragon Divine Faction, shattering the existing order of Heaven and Earth to turn the tide, then surely this was it.

"Mother?"

"What is it, Ba'er?"

Cang Xue responded immediately, and a great star blazed above the Annihilation Sect.

Wu Wang closed his eyes. His Primordial Spirit's mouth opened slightly, but the words caught in his throat.

His decision now could lead to most of the Great Wilderness being destroyed in a divine war, could lead to another catastrophe, could…

"If the situation becomes uncontrollable, I want to ask you, Mother, to extract the Star God's Dao from the Divine Court and break open the Heaven and Earth Seal in the shortest possible time."

Unexpectedly, Wu Wang's voice was remarkably calm.

「In the Starry Sky Temple.」

Cang Xue, who had been sitting leisurely on her throne, now stood up, Staff in hand.

She asked, "Don't you want to make more preparations?"

"Emperor Shun is about to upgrade the order of Heaven and Earth," Wu Wang said, "and merge the Great Dao of Life… I can't explain to you in detail how I know all this, Mother, but I just…"

"Mother naturally trusts you. You're not the type to act recklessly when faced with trouble," Cang Xue said softly, then asked, "How does the Great Dao of Life upgrade the order of Heaven and Earth?"

Wu Wang explained, "It absorbs the Power of Living Beings, then leverages life and death to evolve Yin and Yang. This allows these two Great Daos to touch the essence of Heaven and Earth. Afterward, they seal off Heaven and Earth and reinforce the Heaven and Earth Seal."

Cang Xue frowned gently and spoke softly, "If that's the case, even if we withdraw the Star God's Dao now, it's already too late. The seal won't be broken immediately, and it will take at least several years to impact it. Since the Heaven Palace has found a remedy, this time, we have lost."

Wu Wang was taken aback.

That's right. The upgrade of the order of Heaven and Earth was very rapid, even somewhat rushed, precisely to prevent Mother from having time to react!

The fragmented visions he had seen before: his mother standing in mid-air, an endless meteor shower before her, and the Bear Embrace Tribe and his father behind her.

This was the fate of his mother and the Bear Embrace Tribe after the order of Heaven and Earth was upgraded.

Once Heaven and Earth were stabilized and the Heaven Palace no longer had any worries, Emperor Shun's first target wouldn't be the Human Domain. Instead, it would be the Ice God—his mother—and the remnants of the Star God.

This was a dead end, a dead end laid out by Emperor Shun.

When Emperor Shun had appeared in Jiuhuang City, his calm and composed manner, coupled with subtle expressions of a desire for peace, had mostly been a disguise.

What a Heavenly Emperor!

The father of the sun and moon, the Lord of Order, who had started from a weak position but eventually expelled the Innate Gods of the Candle Dragon Divine Faction!

Suddenly, Wu Wang felt somewhat breathless, as if he were still his past self without any divine power or mana, sinking into a deep sea trench, falling deeper and deeper, unable to move…

Cang Xue called softly, "Ba'er, take your friends and leave with Mother."

Wu Wang suddenly snapped back to his senses, breaking free from that suffocating feeling.

He gently rubbed the gemstone on his necklace with his thumb through his clothing and said, "Mother, if things become truly impossible, then take Father and as many clansmen as possible away from the Great Wilderness. I still want to try a little longer."

Pausing, Wu Wang seemed to think of something. A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth as he spoke warmly, "To struggle against the Heavenly Emperor is an endless joy."

Having said that, Wu Wang's fingers tugged gently.

This necklace, still possessing a trace of divine power, was removed from his neck for the first time and placed inside the Yin and Yang ring on his finger.

At this moment, if Mother were to suddenly make a move, she would undoubtedly face a thunderous strike from Emperor Shun. Emperor Shun's choice to first appease them, mother and son, and merge the Great Dao of Life, is essentially just to ensure stability and reduce potential interference in this matter.

「In the Starry Sky Temple.」

Cang Xue called out "Ba'er" twice but received no response.

She couldn't help but frown, her willow-leaf eyebrows knitting together. She stood in the center of the Temple for a while, her tall, slender figure emitting faint ice crystals.

"Emperor Shun, the Great Dao of Life, the opposition of life and death…"

Cang Xue gently raised her Staff, then slowly lowered it. The light CLANG reverberated continuously within the grand hall.

At some point, her figure had vanished without a trace.

「In front of the Annihilation Sect's Sect Master's bedchamber.」

The third option wouldn't be effective right now; the only choice was to seek a breakthrough through the first two paths.

Wu Wang suddenly raised an eyebrow.

If Emperor Shun was so confident in completing the upgrade of Heaven and Earth's order, why did he keep making gestures to win Mother over?

Emperor Shun's plan definitely isn't foolproof. There must be some weakness that I haven't seen yet.

The Heavenly Emperor's loophole... Heaven Palace's oversight... The Heavens...

Just then, a figure sauntered past the edge of Wu Wang's vision, hands clasped behind his back, plump and looking slightly puzzled.

Wu Wang's eyes lit up, and he immediately called out, "Elder brother, give me a hand!"

The Sleep God blinked and tentatively asked, "Help you with what?"

"Put the Head Manager to sleep!"

The Sleep God shivered all over. He clenched his teeth, his voice trembling as he stamped his foot, "Can't do it! I absolutely can't! Aren't you trying to set me up?!"

"Elder brother!"

Wu Wang stood up, took half a step sideways, and gestured towards his wooden chair.

"Come, sit. This matter is of great importance. Let me think about how to persuade you."

"Why such eagerness?"

The Sleep God glared at Wu Wang and muttered, "Our acquaintance has only been for a few years, while I have lived through long, long ages. A few years is just a drizzle to me. To stand against the Heaven Palace for this... isn't the price of our friendship a bit too high?"

Wu Wang smiled. "So, that means it's negotiable, Brother?"

"The Head Manager is a powerful god of the Heaven Palace, wielding the incredibly strong Lifespan Dao between Heaven and Earth. To put him to sleep…"

The Sleep God strolled over, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were full of hesitation and his face was etched with gravity as he mused aloud, "I'll need some extra incentive for this."

Wu Wang's mouth twitched slightly. "Brother, just name your price!"

"Can I take a look at that necklace of yours?" The Sleep God's eyes shone brightly. "Could that be the Life Essence Artifact of an… Innate God?"

Wu Wang hesitated for a moment, then said solemnly, "It's a protective item given by my mother. I can't show it to others easily."

"Mother!"

The Sleep God's mouth twitched. He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and grabbed Wu Wang's arm. "That was your mother?"

The few people nearby, along with the Blue Bird, all tilted their heads simultaneously.

"Yes," Wu Wang said slowly. "Brother, why don't you come with me to see His Majesty Shennong? We can discuss this properly."

The Sleep God still seemed hesitant.

Wu Wang made a gesture. Ming Snake's slender fingers swept through the air, tearing open a rift in Heaven and Earth. The swirling lights and shadows ahead revealed the secluded cultivation place of Emperor Yan of Shennong.

The Sleep God, caught between laughter and tears, complained, "How did I get so muddle-headedly dragged into this by you?"

Wu Wang said, "Brother, this matter isn't just related to the Human Domain and the living beings between Heaven and Earth; it's also closely tied to your own well-being."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"In a complete Order of Heaven and Earth, one that has lost external pressures and has an absolute ruler, Brother, do you think you'd still be able to sleep soundly?"

"What exactly has happened?"

Scrutinizing Wu Wang from head to toe, the Sleep God asked in a low voice, "Why is there a strange Dao rhyme about you? And why do I vaguely feel as though I've said the same thing three times in a row?"

Wu Wang stared at the Sleep God. "You can feel it?"

"You, my friend," the Sleep God clicked his tongue in wonder, "just how many secrets are you hiding? I'm becoming more and more curious about you."

Wu Wang was speechless.

"Everyone, come over."

He called out to those behind him. "More people mean more brainpower; perhaps we can come up with more ideas."

The Sleep God asked, "Are we really going to put the Head Manager to sleep?"

"We don't necessarily have to put the Head Manager to sleep."

As Wu Wang spoke, his gaze settled on the figure of an old man slowly materializing under the tree. He said gravely, "A great war cannot be allowed to break out in the Northwestern Region of the Human Domain. Making the Heaven Palace retreat without a fight is the minimum requirement. We mustn't keep His Majesty waiting. Let's go together."

As he finished speaking, a flicker of understanding arose in Wu Wang's heart.

The Human Domain was not entirely passive. They at least held the initiative in deciding whether to harm the Head Manager and whether to go to war with him.

Behind Wu Wang, the Grand Elder and Xiao Jian Daoist were already contemplating the posture with which they would later bow to the Human Emperor.

The Blue Bird perched on Lin Suqing's shoulder couldn't help but cover its little face with its wings, looking somewhat embarrassed.

「Meanwhile.」

North of the Northern Wilderness, on a certain part of the vast, snow-covered plain floating above the North Sea.

Cang Xue stood silently on a cliff. Her silhouette, like an orchid in a blizzard, swayed gently in the wind and snow as she gazed towards the south.

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