Rise of Humanity

On Nacre Lake, Zhong Yue met with Chi Xue again,

After all these years, the young lady had blossomed into an even greater beauty, and her eyes glimmered with a mysterious air. But what was more surprising was that her cultivation was no lesser than Zhong Yue’s, moreover, she seemed to even be slightly stronger than him!

Chi Xue held the imperial air of a domineering empress, making her even more attractive than ever!

She was already appointed as the next Western Mother Empress, but was also the young lady who had a past with him. They had their moments on the moon, but eventually parted ways; Zhong Yue returned to the Ancestral Star while Chi Xue stayed in Kun Lun.

They were two love birds who were never meant to be together, like the Shen and Shang constellations. Despite having places in each other’s hearts, fate had other plans.

“I’m leaving.”

Zhong Yue smiled, he said, “It might be very long until I return, or maybe never. So… I’m here to say goodbye. The Ancestral Star is undergoing major changes, some unknown force is shifting the principles of cultivation, it is no place for Qi Practitioners to inhabit anymore. The Ancestral Star will be devoid from cultivators in a thousand years time. Thus, other than saying goodbye, I am also here to…”

“To place the human race under my watch?” Chi Xue tilted her head and mulled, she interrupted, “No, you won’t, you know me well. I am entitled with the greatest honor of the whole Kun Lun Realm, but my faction is yet to be strong enough; so you won’t hand the human race to me. After all, I will have to face with all the other factions once the Western Mother Empress dies; that places the human race in a greater threat, they might even go extinct from the war. Moreover, you won’t allow the humans to bow to anyone else anymore.”

Zhong Yue smiled, “I know your faction is yet to be fully matured, that’s why I will bring the Ancestral Star dragon race and Bai Zhe Clan to your aid. The old Western Mother Empress has at most eighty years to live, her death will open the floodgates for the other gods to come and take your throne. However, with the aid from the Ancestral Star, the pressure on you can be greatly reduced.”

Chi Xue was overjoyed, “You are giving your helpers to me? I really do need them, but what about the human race? After you leave, and when cultivation stops, the human race will be even more inferior than the naturally gifted races. What are you going to do then?”

Zhong Yue smiled, but never replied.

Chi Xue gazed deeply into his eyes; a thought flashed across her mind, and her body abruptly shivered in shock, she shook her head and said, “I don’t believe you are capable of that!”

Zhong Yue remained calm, however, “I do need to warn you on how much I value my people. If, in any case, you dare to infiltrate the Ancestral Star, not only will seal the Ancestral Star races, I will seal all of whole Kun Lun as well.”

A cold chill traveled Chi Xue’s spine, and she chortled abruptly, “You ungrateful lover, I am your lady, how can you threaten me like this?”

Zhong Yue laughed, “To the Western Mother Empress, I am just another man. You don’t belong to me, nor do I belong to you.”

“Darling, why do you have to be so fickle in love?” Chi Xue mourned sorrowfully.

Zhong Yue then lowered his voice as he said, “An empress’s will is unbendable, and the empire is her only concern. I cannot let my people down because of my personal affections.”

Chi Xue chuckled, “Humph, it’s difficult to take advantage of you. Why don’t you stay? Stay in Kun Lun, I am the Western Mother Empress and you can be the Eastern Father Emperor, we can each conquer one end of Kun Lun. You and I have both cultivated the Six Paths Wheels, we have sixty thousand years to spend together, wouldn’t that be nice?”

Zhong Yue shook his head while smiling, “I’d like to be the Eastern Father Emperor as well, but my people needs me more than anything else. I dare not lay back and relax for even a second. Maybe, when one day I have settled everything, I will come back and you can pass your throne away to your successor. Maybe we can enjoy our time together in peace by then.”

Chi Xue knew words wouldn’t have any effect on his decision, so she stopped and smiled, “Let me show you around. There are many gods in Kun Lun, I thought you should know as well what we are going to face against in the future.”

Zhong Yue nodded, and the two started walking through the Kun Lun Realm. The first place they went to was the Kua Fu Celestial Race. There, the Kua Fu experts and Kua Fuding tensed their muscles, and strained their nerves while staring closely at them.

“Zhong Yue, I know you are a walking disaster, go back to your Ancestral Star and leave our Kun Lun alone

Kua Fuding stepped forward, he smirked coldly while saying, “You and I are not done yet, we shall fight again!”

Zhong Yue was startled for a second, he then nodded and left with Chi Xue.

After that, they came to a picturesque paradise hidden in a mountain. Shang Zhen God was hovering above the woods, colding staring at Zhong Yue while saying, “Zhong Yue, why are you here? I will never forgive you for killing my son, Shang Qing!”

Chi Xue continued to show him around while he was bombarded by curses and verbal vitriol from the gods they came across.

Zhong Yue locked his brows deeper as time passed by. It was only when they visited the Tian Wu God that he was able to relieve the tension in his heart.

“Did you glean anything?” The future Western Mother Empress asked.

“Enemies. I have enemies all over Kun Lun.”

Zhong Yue furrowed his brows, “But, how strange, they aren’t doing anything. It feels as if something is holding them back, like a near-eruption volcano that is suppressing itself so that it can deliver a stronger calamity. I heard there was a West Barren god that sought refuge in Kun Lun, he must be the one plotting all of this as revenge against me.”

Chi Xue nodded, “It is true, this Ancestral Star god is called the Yellow Snake, he found out about Kun Lun discontent towards you and gathered those who were interested to launch an assault. So, darling, what else do you see?”

“We share the same enemies. They are all related to those we’ve killed in the Returning Ruins.”

Zhong Yue frowned, “While the Western Mother Empress is still alive, they will not touch a single hair of yours. But once she’s gone, you will have to face wrath, they will first kill you and take the throne, then slaughter the humans in the Ancestral Star because of me.”

Chi Xue clapped her hands happily, “Exactly!”

Zhong Yue pondered deeply, “Furthermore, the Kun Lun gods will not let the sealing ritual happen, they will surely descend upon the Ancestral Star and sabotage the ritual.”

Chi Xue laughed, “Now, do you still want to leave the Ancestral Star?”

Zhong Yue laughed back, “The Ancestral Star is too small for me now, I need a larger stage to grow stronger! Chi Xue, nothing can stop me from leaving. When the time Western Mother Empress passes away, and the calamity arrives, the human race will have more than ten human gods, with countless treasures. We will be strong enough to stand on alongside you as your trusted allies. Furthermore, my two incarnations will be left in the Ancestral Star, they will ascend to deityhood as the same time as me. In addition the Tian Wu God I’ve asked to help us, there is nothing much to worry about anymore!”

Waves of emotions flashed through Chi Xue’s eyes, she sighed and lamented, “That being said, it’s impossible for me to persuade you to stay anymore…”

She only showed Zhong Yue around to show him the strength of their enemies; she didn’t want him to go, but as the next Western Mother Empress, she couldn’t openly plead him to stay, or to fully rely on him.

Her identity and status wouldn’t allow her to that; thus, she could only show Zhong Yue the threats to the human race and hope that Zhong Yue would decide to stay of his own accord.

But now, Zhong Yue had clearly stated that he has fully prepared for the future, there was no other reason she could use to make him stay anymore.

Zhong Yue smiled, “This is not a true farewell. I will come back to visit you, I promise you that.”

The two of them continued their walk around Kun Lun. Suddenly, Zhong Yue stopped when they were treading across a mountain ridge. He looked up and noticed the corner of a well-hidden palace within the woods. He strode toward the palace, and found a few children handling a herb garden beside the palace.

As soon as the children saw the two of them, they scattered away in all directions, running while shouting, “Intruders! Bad guys!”

Zhong Yue stopped one of them and asked warmly, “Is your master home? I am his old friend, please do inform him I am here to visit.”

The child’s body shuddered as he entered the palace. Moments later, the children walked out of the palace and said, “Master invites the guests into the palace.”

Zhong Yue and Chi Xue walked into the palace. An old man was preparing a cup of tea in the middle of the palace. Although aged, the old man’s hands were steadier than the hunters’.

The old man waved his hand, and the children exited the palace; he invited Zhong Yue and Chi Xue to be seated and said smilingly, “Little friends, we meet again. How may I help?”

Chi Xue was puzzled for a second, but was quick to realize, she exclaimed in shock, “The Six Paths Fruit Tree!”

The old man was none other than the Six Paths Fruit Tree while the children out there were also the cultivated divine herbs. That was why the children were so afraid of Zhong Yue and Chi Xue, feared they would have been captured and consumed.

The Six Paths Fruit Tree poured each of them a cup of tea, and Zhong Yue said while smiling, “It was unexpected to run into you, of course I had to pay you a visit. I will be leaving soon, and so I thought I might as well visit you and say goodbye.”

“I see.” Six Paths Fruit Tree said, “But you really are a disaster. You could’ve visited me on your own, why did you bring her along? It may seem like nothing now, but when she grows strong enough, she will hunt for me one day. Guess I’m going to have to find a new place to live again!”

Chi Xue wasn’t quite happy as she questioned, “And why would I do that?”

The old man smirked coldly, “You are the future Western Mother Empress. Although you are still weak now, you will one day be stronger than most gods. By then, you will never allow my Six Paths Fruit to fall into the hands of others, you will surely catch me for your own use. You aren’t as benevolent as Zhong Yue. Even if I am not your target, my other divine herb servants will still be taken away from me.”

Zhong Yue quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I never thought of this. Please do forgive me, senior.”

Whereas Chi Xue never spoke a word, only giving a cold snort.

The Six Paths Fruit Tree smiled, “You are planning to leave? Where to? You’ve ruined my place, I think I have the rights to demand a new one!”

A thought flashed across Zhong Yue’s mind, he smiled in reply, “To a wider, and bigger space. Does senior want to follow?”

Six Paths Fruit Tree’s face changed slightly, but he eventually shook and declined, “The universe is far too big, where should I ever stay in? I refuse.”

Zhong Yue’s new plan was just forming in his head was dashed with the tree’s reply. He waved goodbye to the Six Paths Fruit Tree and left with Chi Xue.

The two returned to Chi Xue’s place and spent some time together. After a few days, Zhong Yue stood up from the soft bed without waking up Chi Xue, and left quietly on his own.

Zhong Yue burnt the incense stick and was ready to return to the Ancestral Star when suddenly, an old and hoarse voice sounded from behind.

“Little Friend Zhong, you’ve ruined my house, it’s time to pay me another one.”

“Senior, you…” Zhong Yue asked puzzlingly.

Six Paths Fruit Tree led a few divine herb servants on the front, he sneered coldly and explained, “I don’t trust the little Western Mother Empress, if I told her I am leaving, she will surely try many ways to stop me. Thus, I decided to quietly follow you from behind.”