The blazing sun hung in the sky as the clouds gradually dissipated.

Wu Wang sat suspended above the white clouds, his back to the Yin Yang Eight Trigrams, surrounded by layers of firelight. The simple words from his mouth caused countless cultivators' Dao Hearts to tremble.

This beam of sunshine spread out, so bright that many cultivators hardly dared to look directly at Wu Wang's figure.

The Yin and Yang Path.

The Eight Trigrams Path of the Yin and Yang left by Emperor Fuxi. And its Dao rhyme, its Dao shadow, and its Dao tremor all bore the pure essence of the Dao of the Eight Trigrams!

Cultivators cultivate themselves; each Dao is different.

Such a similar Dao rhyme to that of Emperor Fuxi could only be explained by lineage inheritance, poured enlightenment, the rebirth of a residual soul, or possession. There were no other explanations.

All these scenarios proved Wu Wang's close connection with Emperor Fuxi.

At this moment, as Wu Wang sat suspended there, the surrounding jeers had vanished into thin air.

It was just that simple.

Yet within that simplicity, there were many twists and turns, and many principles buried.

Today's events confirmed that everyone in the Liu Family—aside from their old ancestor—had issues. They could have been coerced by the Heaven Palace. They might have been controlled by Evil Gods like Qiong Qi with more sophisticated means, ones that could evade the detection of the Human Domain's experts. Or perhaps they were chess pieces planted by the Heaven Palace from the start.

—When they chose to slander Wu Wang by committing suicide, these matters no longer carried the same importance.

What mattered was how Wu Wang would cleanse himself of this stigma without affecting the Human Emperor's credibility.

He had come up with many plans in the past two days and pondered many paths. In the end, he chose the method that was perhaps not the safest but would inflict the least damage on the Human Domain.

Advance as a form of retreat, transform contradictions.

Thus, he brought forth the Yin and Yang Path that he had newly accepted and comprehended. Relying on the connection between the Yin and Yang Path and Emperor Fuxi, he donned the label of 'Fuxi's disciple.'

The term 'disciple' was far from ordinary.

Emperor Fuxi once had several disciples, but as the years passed, most had either died in battle or vanished.

The paths inherited by these disciples were not the Eight Trigrams Dao of Yin and Yang.

Wu Wang, this 'disciple' of Fuxi, even hinted at being a 'direct transmission disciple.' This caused the cultivators of the Human Domain, who already valued sect heritage, to subconsciously regard Wu Wang as the 'true inheritor of Emperor Fuxi's path.'

At the same time, it helped dilute the relationship between Wu Wang and Emperor Yan of Shennong.

His Majesty Shennong valued Wu Wangzi because he is a disciple of Emperor Fuxi and was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by Emperor Fuxi.

This was Wu Wang's first clever point.

Then, Wu Wang went with the flow and lied, claiming to be Fuxi's disciple, and attributing the Essence Blood of the Innate God to a gift from Emperor Fuxi.

This was using the unshakable influence of Emperor Fuxi in the Human Domain to seek 'legitimacy' for his demigod body and Little Jingwei's current demigod body.

That was the second point Wu Wang had schemed.

With these two points already established, Wu Wang then made use of an order from Yan Emperor, once used by Emperor Fuxi.

This Yan Emperor's order had become the most critical item of the day.

The thrice-transformed Yan Emperor's order, with the silent consent of Shen Nong, could now directly summon the power of the Dao of Fire.

He summoned an Azure Dragon of fire to protect him and then spoke those eight words directly.

The throne of the Human Emperor—he could inherit it at any time!

The underlying message was this:

Wu Wangzi is a disciple of Emperor Fuxi. He has received Emperor Fuxi's inheritance and a body tempered with the Essence Blood of an Innate God. He carries out Emperor Fuxi's commands to aid the Human Domain, uphold justice, and fight against the Heaven Palace. His Majesty Shennong has thus taken care of him and granted him many conveniences. He has fought against the Heaven Palace all along and has now completed the tasks entrusted by Emperor Fuxi. Now, he has gained the recognition of the Dao of Fire and does not need to cultivate the Yan Emperor's order technique to the ninth level to inherit the Dao of Fire. If His Majesty Shennong's Lifespan comes to an end and the Heaven Palace is about to unleash dark turmoil, he, Wu Wangzi, can directly become the new Fire God, wielding the Dao of Fire, protecting the Human Domain, and preventing any dark unrest.

With this, what else was there to fight over?

Those forces eyeing the position of the Human Emperor had been deluding themselves from the start.

With this, what was there to fear?

The Human Domain was no longer as it was before the fall of Suiren and Emperor Fuxi; now there was a possibility for the Human Emperor to take over and transition smoothly.

And at the center of all this was Wu Wangzi, whom they had been reviling today.

Of course, for the cultivators here who had been constantly shouting 'Where is human reason?' and 'Death is paramount,' the thought process might be simpler.

Wu Wangzi has been the successor to the Human Emperor all along; what need was there to scheme against the Liu Family? To cover up his own origins? The Great Dao of an Emperor has been passed on, and the Dao of Fire recognizes him. As he is of the same human race origin, why would he need to hide his background by revealing all these things?

Two lines of logic led to the same conclusion.

And beyond these, there was something else Wu Wang had not considered before—that is... the few incomplete scriptures he had previously placed in the Scripture Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.

"Indeed, it is so! It really is so!"

Above Floating Jade City, one elder after another revealed their forms, continuously transmitting Divine Thoughts.

"This old man told you so! Wu Wangzi definitely has a connection with Emperor Fuxi; those scriptures were left for us by Emperor Fuxi!"

"Why conceal this? Why did His Majesty hide this? If he told everyone, wouldn't all our worries be gone?"

"Can this be proclaimed? What if we're targeted by the Heaven Palace?"

"I've always thought that Wu Wangzi, with his clear brows and handsome appearance, looked quite good. I didn't expect him to be so low-key and patient; such resolute tenacity is commendable indeed."

"Tsk, started to flatter him already? Then don't send your voice transmissions to us; go speak directly to Wu Wang!"

"Hahahaha!"

"We also have to thank these senseless fools today. If it weren't for their pressure, we probably would never have witnessed this scene before our deaths; then we truly couldn't have rested in peace."

In Floating Jade City, Wu Wang flicked his finger lightly, and all the extraordinary phenomena around him retracted.

His expression remained calm. He was still seated without moving, looking down at the cultivators below.

The method he was using now, by standing out today, had extinguished the ambitions of the other major powers to contest for the Human Emperor's throne. Their thoughts would now shift to how to continue their own family's glory.

At this moment, Shen Nong's implicit agreement and non-committal attitude added fuel to Wu Wang's fire.

A 'future pattern' centered around him began to take shape from this moment onwards.

But for Wu Wang himself, if he couldn't forge his own path before the venerable Shen Nong's demise and elevate his Great Dao to a level where he could face the Strongest Gods, he would be bound by the Dao of Fire. He would lose the chance at longevity and the opportunity to change the current state of the Human Domain.

—This was the primary reason he had always been resistant to the position of the Human Emperor.

He was not satisfied with becoming the second Yan Emperor.

The moment he encountered an Innate God, the instant he knew his mother was the Ancient Ice God, a wild ambition had taken root deep inside him.

To become strong to protect oneself.

To become immortal to wander freely between heaven and earth.

But now, the time left for him amounted to only a thousand years, perhaps even less.

What neither Emperor Fuxi nor Emperor Yan of Shennong could accomplish...

He had a thousand years to break through the blockade of Suiren, the Fire Emperor...

Is it possible? Is it realistic?

If he arrogantly assumed it would be easy, that would be nothing but frivolous thinking.

Riding a pig is easy, but getting down is hard, and the pig's sudden lunges could easily lead him astray.

This time, I really was... somewhat unreliable.

But when Wu Wang chose to stand out, he had already planned an exit strategy for himself.

Either he would break through the barriers within a thousand years and rewrite the current cosmic order, at which point it would no longer matter whether he became the Human Emperor.

Or, he would cultivate a Human Emperor to succeed him and step aside from the Dao of Fire.

After all, from the beginning, he hadn't planned to achieve his Dao through the gifts of others. That would be nothing more than treading old paths and repeating old deeds, which was uninteresting.

Besides, the thought of becoming the Human Emperor and then having to look after these people who cursed him...

Isn't that masochistic?

Not walking away today, but instead fooling them, was already the limit of his patience.

It was enough to help the old predecessor fulfill his wish.

At this moment, the cultivators watched, all waiting for him to speak.

Wu Wang had long been prepared with various justifications.

After all, these two days and three nights of contemplation weren't spent solely on thinking about... how many children to have in the future.

He said, "Today's event has affected countless lives in the Human Domain, and the responsibility lies with me. I previously wanted to remain an ordinary cultivator in the Human Domain and didn't plan to bring these matters before you all.

"Naturally, I am still an ordinary cultivator, seeking my own longevity, fulfilling the promises I made to my predecessors, and feigning civility in worldly affairs.

"If you have no other business, please disperse.

"Regarding the Liu Family's disaster, I suspect the Heaven Palace is manipulating things from behind the scenes. However, no conclusion can be drawn yet, so I cannot speak to you directly about this; we need to find more evidence.

"And I hope for this from all of you."

His complexion was calm, so calm it appeared somewhat grim.

Within Floating Jade City, the mass of cultivators who had previously confronted Wu Wang were now showing shame, hanging their heads in silence.

And those cultivators who had previously turned their backs on Wu Wang were now sticking out their chests and holding their heads high, their eyes shining with a multitude of colors, the smiles on their faces irrepressible.

Wu Wang declared aloud, "The Human Domain is the Human Domain because its cultivators understand propriety and law, receive teachings, know honor and disgrace, and adhere to integrity and shame!

"Since there are so many experts from the Human Emperor Pavilion present, then don't just stand idle.

"Those previously suspected of inciting cultivators, arrest them on the spot and interrogate them publicly. Test their Divine Souls.

"Those who were previously shouting 'Death is paramount,' deliberately creating confusion and attempting to invoke a tragic atmosphere, examine their state of mind!

"If they are ignorant people, or those who lost their judgment in the heat of the moment, they can be released on the spot.

"But for those who deliberately caused trouble, punish them severely!

"Let's see whether they are foolish or malicious, or both foolish and malicious!

"Of course, I am merely offering a suggestion to the Human Emperor Pavilion; this is certainly not an order."

As soon as his voice fell, many cultivators below turned pale.

But Wu Wang did not concern himself further. He slowly stood up, rode on a white cloud, and headed out of the city.

Suddenly, numerous streaks of light flickered all around, and one expert after another appeared above the crowd of cultivators.

Some cultivators exclaimed, "It was that person who said those words just now!"

Others immediately dodged to the side, distancing themselves from those who might be interrogated by the Human Emperor Pavilion.

Cultivators could be quite pragmatic.

Wu Wang's final few words were actually quite severe.

It was almost as if he was pointing at these cultivators' foreheads and cursing—Let's see whether those who were stirring things up before were foolish or malicious!

If they were malicious, it was still somewhat better; at worst, they would die.

If they were foolish, then it was miserable. They would likely never be able to hold their heads high in the Human Domain for the rest of their lives.

Before long, Wu Wang's figure had left Floating Jade City.

He left behind a city full of noise, leaving the cultivators to their commotion with the Human Emperor Pavilion.

In fact, there were still many things he hadn't explained directly, but it was no longer important.

Because the cultivators would fill in the blanks themselves. They would attribute unusual events like the hissing snake, the Golden Dragon incarnation, or his Northern Wilderness origins yet receiving the Dao inheritance from Fu Xi, all to one phrase.

Given by the Former Emperor.

The highest realm of deflection.

"Senior."

Wu Wang muttered to himself. The smiling image of Emperor Sanxian often appeared in his mind, unconsciously bringing a smile to his own face.

"Wuwang Palace Lord!"

A call came from the horizon. With flickering streaks of light, several elders appeared before him, revealing warm smiles.

"Wuwang Palace Lord, where are you heading? I am the former Sect Leader of the Heavenly Bead Surrounding Wood Sect, now following His Majesty to protect the border. I wonder, Wuwang Palace Lord, if you have time to sit somewhere with us?"

"Wuwang Palace Lord must be tired by now. It just so happens that I have a few rare treasures that can assist the Divine Soul, aid sleep, and stabilize your Dao Heart..."

"Wuwang Palace Lord, have you not yet taken a wife? Right, right, I almost forgot, the Tianyan Saintess from Xuan Nu Sect."

"Restrain yourselves, all of you! Wuwang Palace Lord, I have a barely acceptable world-class Divine Skill here. Since you're skilled in the Emperor's Eight Trigrams Dao, could you perhaps assess it?"

Wu Wang: ...

More and more streaks of light approached from all directions.

The figures enveloped in those lights, with their abstruse Dao rhymes and robust auras, were clearly experts from various factions, their strength quite substantial.

...

Inside the Heaven Palace, in the Head Manager's Temple.

The Young Master stood with hands clasped behind her back, wearing a black miniskirt, gazing at the tumbling sea of clouds, seemingly unrelated to any matters here.

The Head Manager's expression was as somber as still water. He eyed Qiong Qi, who was kneeling and trembling before him, and it seemed possible he might burst out and slap Qiong Qi to death right there.

But the Head Manager knew.

There was no flaw in his scheme. This time, Qiong Qi had also risked consuming his origin to complete the arrangements across the entire Human Domain.

It was Wu Wang's chosen method of breaking the deadlock that had leaped straight out of their circle of calculations.

The Yin and Yang Path.

That irrefutable Dao of Fire!

The Head Manager's eyes were full of confusion.

How could Wu Wangzi have mastered so many Great Daos in such a short period and gained so many opportunities? Could it really be that great fortune accompanied him, and that his destiny nurtured his luck?

"Head Manager need not blame Qiong Qi."

The Earth God rose to his feet slowly, speaking in a gentle tone, "I have been watching closely all along. I have seen how tirelessly the Head Manager has worked, and how Qiong Qi has rushed about. Should His Majesty place blame later, I shall speak the truth of the matter. This was not a case of unfavorable battle, but rather Wu Wangzi's excessive cunning. Had Wu Wangzi not been able to hold on earlier and shown even a hint of impatience, it would have forced Emperor Yan of Shennong to appear, creating a rift within the Human Domain. That, in itself, would have been a great achievement."

The Head Manager frowned at him.

The Earth God immediately said, "I am by no means mocking anything. Just as I have also offered strategies before, I share some of the responsibility for today's miscalculation."

"Is the Earth God trying to display broad-mindedness?"

"No, I merely wish to help the Head Manager return to his position as Power God as soon as possible."

The Earth God sighed softly and spoke slowly, "His Majesty's great expectations—I truly cannot bear too much of them. Head Manager, you might as well go immediately to His Majesty and report the truth of this matter. If I am not mistaken... the Human Domain is bound to take significant action."

"Oh?"

The Head Manager raised an eyebrow and asked, "What kind of action?"

The Earth God said, "They may launch a counterattack against the Heaven Palace, possibly within decades or even a few years. Head Manager, do not forget that Shen Nong has had his Lifespan extended. The experts who followed Shen Nong in the restoration of the Human Domain are also nearing the limits of their own Lifespans. The Lifespan of Transcendent Realm cultivators of the human race is fixed; those hidden followers of Yan Emperor likely have little time left and won't last until the next Human Emperor's reign. The wave of counterattacks that occurred before the end of Suiren's and Emperor Fuxi's Lifespans should be upon us. What Shen Nong previously told the Human Domain about a thousand-year counterattack was likely to conceal his true intentions..."

The Head Manager gazed intently at the Earth God.

The Earth God forced an ugly smile.

He said, "I truly just want to live peacefully as an Innate God."

The Head Manager's furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Beside them, the Young Master seemed hesitant to speak.

What is this Earth God implying? Sensing that the Human Domain is about to take action, he deliberately steps back, letting my older brother do the dirty and tiring work, and bear the blame as well. Hmph, he's not even as good as Wu Wangzi; at least he openly declares what he wants and carries himself with some grace.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the Human Emperor's Hall in the Human Emperor Pavilion.

The dishes of food and wine before Shen Nong were now empty plates. A smile on his lips, he drained the last cup of Daoist liquor and, facing the direction of the Heaven Palace, raised his cup in a distant toast.

"Indeed, as you said, everything is moving along this path..."

Suddenly, laughter was heard from the side.

"Your Majesty, this son-in-law of yours is quite something."

Smoke billowed from behind a nearby Screen, and out of the smoke emerged several figures.

They appeared as ordinary old men, one by one aged and hunched, most of them leaning on walking sticks.

Shen Nong smiled, "Not bad, but he still needs to work harder. His heart isn't fully settled yet."

An old man laughed and said, "We are at peace now. We implore Your Majesty... to see us off on our final journey."

Shen Nong closed his eyes and let out a light sigh, the smile never leaving his face.

"Then let's take advantage of this surge of public sentiment. Attack Central Mountain from the north, seek an opportunity for a surprise assault on the Heaven Palace. It must not be delayed longer than three years."

The blood and qi in the elders' bodies suddenly began to surge. Their originally withered forms rapidly filled out. They all bowed deeply to Shen Nong.

"Your generals obey the command!"

"We shall tread upon the corpses of Gods to the north."

"To bring solace to our ancient lands."

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