Rise of Humanity

This aura… Feng Wuji’s face turned gloomy as he pondered.

Moments later, one of the Deity Overlord asked, “Mister, why did you stop moving?”

“A terrifying presence stays within the mountain,” Feng Wuji’s tone turned dark and deep as he said, “I want to meet with him, but I am afraid to see him.”

“A terrifying presence?” The Deity Overlords were puzzled.

Feng Wuji’s face was dark and gloomy, the hem of his clothes fluttered by itself even when there were no winds, he said, “He is my father, a terrifying presence who I once feared more than anything else. But after all, he is the one who brought me to life, I still respect him a lot. Little did I expect to meet him here and think that Mister Yi is with him. However, I am not the old me now, I am far more powerful than he is now. Looks like it’s time for me to get rid of the fear I once had for him.”

After a long time, Feng Wuji made his mind and he inhaled deeply. He led the Deity Overlords and strode for the mountain.

Shi Tuo descended from the sky and he stopped the Deity Overlords on their paths. The Deity Overlords turned vigilant in an instant and one of them gave a cold sneer, “A mere demon god’s spirit and you dare stand in our way? You should just crawl back into the Void World and live in it. Why do you even descend and seek death?”

Shi Tuo sneered back, he said arrogantly, “A bunch of brats, do you even know what death is? Do you need your father Shi Tuo to teach you, kids?”

The Deity Overlords were infuriated and burst out their auras while Shi Tuo stood without fear. Suddenly, Feng Wuji raised his hand and stopped them, “Be at ease, I am half a master to this place. There is no need to be furious at a lowly gatekeeper. Gatekeeper, listen carefully, I am the son of your master and I demand to see him.”

“You are master’s son?” Shi Tuo was shocked and he looked at Feng Wuji from top to bottom. He frowned and asked, “My master is a human, what are you? Fine, follow me and I will bring you to him, but your servants will stay here.”

Feng Wuji laughed, “They are mine to command, of course I will bring them to let my father have a look at them, to let him know what sort of power his son holds.”

Shi Tuo glanced at the Deity Overlords with a weird expression on his face, he shook and said, “Fine, do whatever you want. Follow me.”

Feng Wuji raised his head and slightly pushed his chest out with pride. He led the Deity Overlords and arrived before the Spiritual Jade Palace. He laughed, “My father was once a talent that shook the world, one who stood above all. Yet, look at this place, look at this palace, does this even count as a decent rabbit hole?”

A Deity Overlord smiled, “Mister Wuji comes under a great teacher who even master has to treat with respect. Mister Wuji has seen many treasures. Of course this palace wouldn’t even be worth a scrap.”

“Mister Wuji is a paragon of your clan, your father will be more than glad to know of your achievements.”

Feng Wuji laughed, he looked at Shi Tuo and ordered, “Summon my father, let him take a good look of how great I am now, let him share the pride I now have!”

Shi Tuo walked into the palace and found Feng Xiaozhong, he said, “Master, your son is here with some Deity Overlords, he is looking for you, stating that he wants to show you his achievements now and have you share the joy of it.”

Feng Xiaozhong and Zhong Yue were studying the innate god’s mortal body, completely immersed in the joy of research and their ever-growing attainments.

Feng Xiaozhong heard Shi Tuo and shook immediately, “No.”

Zhong Yue raised his head and asked curiously, “Your son? Senior martial brother, how many sons do you have?”

“Only one.” Feng Xiaozhong answered.

“Could it be Feng Wuji?” A thought flashed through Zhong Yue’s mind as he began to leak out killing intent, “I’ve searched for him a long time already, and he is finally here!”

Feng Xiaozhong suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhong Yue, “He is my son.”

Zhong Yue suppressed his killing will and replied frigidly, “Your son has betrayed the human race, he caused the death of the old man and placed humanity at the edge of annihilation. He despises to be a human and wants to be a dog instead. Despite all of this, you still want to protect him? Senior martial brother, you should kill him instead!”

“But he is still my son.” Feng Xiaozhong straightened up his body and shook, “The humanity you care about means nothing to me. No matter what he has done, no matter what stand he takes, he is still my son. Junior martial brother, did my father kill me? If even a righteous man like my father didn’t kill me even with the atrocities I’ve committed, how would I kill my son?”

Zhong Yue frowned, “Then I’ll kill him for you?”

“No.” Feng Xiaozhong shook again, “You are my junior martial brother, that makes you his junior martial uncle. Thus, you cannot kill him. I’ve never raised him myself and I have no feelings for him, but I loved his mother more than anything. I have only two weaknesses, killing him leaves me with only one. Aren’t you afraid of what will come after?”

A cold chill ran down Zhong Yue’s spine as he imagined what a terrifying consequence that would come if Feng Xiaozhong were to lose his sanity. The old headmaster Feng Shang was one of the two weaknesses that Feng Xiaozhong spoke of, it was also because of that old man that Feng Xiaozhong was able to preserve a sliver of humanity.

On the other hand, the Xiao Mang Celestial Race lady he once loved was his second weakness. But when she died, Feng Xiaozhong’s love towards his wife was transferred onto Feng Wuji as Feng Wuji was the only thing that reminded him of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race lady.

If these two pillars of his humanity were to both disappear, that would make Feng Xiaozhong a man without weaknesses. By then, Feng Xiaozhong would no longer be classified as a worldly being, but rather, a pure god, one devoid of emotions or feelings, but a divinity who had truly shed all mortal tethers in pursuit of the Dao.

Deep down, Zhong Yue knew that he preferred the Feng Xiaozhong as he was now over the emotionless, pure god.

Suddenly, Zhong Yue smiled, “Well if he is here, why don’t you see him?”

Feng Xiaozhong pondered, he said, “Alright.”

Then, he strode toward the gate with Zhong Yue beside him. When the two arrived in the main hall of the Spiritual Jade Palace, they found themselves standing in the midst of several Deity Overlords’ surging aura. The space in the hall was twisted by the immense auras and create an illusion that the gods’ appeared to be tall and grand.

The Deity Overlords cast out their Yuan Shen and Avatars, taking numerous peculiar forms.

Light wheels were revolving behind Feng Wuji’s head as the gods stood behind him. The formation and show they have putted up allowed Feng Wuji to present himself as a grand leader, harboring a saintly air and overbearing air.

“Father!” Feng Wuji saw Feng Xiaozhong and Zhong Yue walking into the hall, his eyes brightened up and he bowed, “Father, do you see how overbearing I am now?”

Feng Xiaozhong glanced an eye at Feng Wuji and slowly closed his eyes, he said, “You’ve come to see me, what for? To show your power?”

Feng Wuji smiled, “I was hunting for my disciple, but it is a surprise to see you. Father, have you ever thought that your son will someday achieve such a grand status?”

He was proud of himself and laughed loudly, “What you couldn’t do, I’ve done it. I’ve avenged mother and killed that old dog, even controlling the Xiao Mang Celestial Race in my hands. I have become a god and the ancestor of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race; I found an innate god as my teacher and learned all the innate cultivation techniques under him. I stand as an advisor and assist the future Heavenly Monarch, who even has to respect me and my status!”

His voice grew louder and his excitement could seen brimming out of him, “Can you imagine it? Your son, me, I have reached a point that you never could! Have you ever thought that this day would come?”

Feng Xiaozhong nodded, but his eyes were still closed, he said, “Shi Tuo, you didn’t ask him to leave his servants at the mountain foot.”

Shi Tuo replied helplessly, “I’ve told him to leave his servants behind, but he insisted on bringing them up to the mountain so that he could show them to you.”

Feng Xiaozhong nodded softly, he said to Feng Wuji, “Now I’ve seen it. It is nothing but a bubble that takes only a single poke to burst it. What else do you need from here?”

Feng Wuji felt like he had been doused in cold water when he heard his father’s dismissive words. He recollected his thought and looked at Zhong Yue, he said solemnly, “Father, I need to bring my disciple back. Please allow me to do so, father!”

Feng Xiaozhong shook with his eyes closed, “He is your Junior Martial Uncle Zhong. Acknowledge and call him your junior martial uncle, and with it, he will let you live in the future.”

Feng Wuji was stunned, while Zhong Yue smiled and nodded, “Nephew, it’s best to turn back and do good.”

Feng Wuji grew furious and suddenly, he laughed, “Father, he is of utmost importance to my future, I plead you to let me bring him away!”

Feng Xiaozhong replied, “You are no match to him, you won’t be able to bring him anywhere. Your heart is filled with too many thoughts, stay and cultivate by my side for 3,000 years. After that, you will be able to secure a place and fight with the universe for supremacy.”

Feng Wuji was shocked and infuriated, he stood up and laughed in extreme anger, “Father, you want to imprison me for 3,000 years? Do you know who I am now? I am the disciple of the innate god Tu Yu. My teacher, Tu Yu, heeds no command to no worldly creatures, not even the Heavenly Monarch, he stands only a level below to the Heaven himself! When my lord takes over the throne Heavenly Monarch, I will be above all but one. Even the Realm Monarchs and the Imperial Emperors will acknowledge me as their senior martial brother. No one will dare to call me a human anymore and address me as a Mister! Have you ever been treated this way? Have you ever thought of how high a status I have now? You want to imprison me? None of my subordinates will agree to it!”

Feng Xiaozhong frowned, while Feng Wuji continued raging on, “Why do you think I am doing all of this? So I can bring pride to you, so you will be proud of me, that our ancestors will be happy for my achievements, and that you will look an eye at me! For an outsider, you want to shatter my future? How could you?”

Feng Xiaozhong’s eyes were closed, his tone was placid, “I am doing this for your own good. Cultivate with me 3,000 years and you will be a monarch yourself. So you will stand above all but below none.”

“Why don’t you dare look at me?” Feng Wuji was even more furious, he said coldly, “I am the disciple of an innate god, a highly valued advisor to the future Heavenly Monarch, a man who commands more than countable; all of which are greater than you now. Cultivate under you and I will be a monarch myself? Father, what gibberish are you speaking, do you still think I am a child?”

Feng Xiaozhong replied calmly, “I don’t want to look at you, because I don’t want to shatter the beauty of your mother in my heart. Wuji, you truly disappoint me. As a disciple of the Feng Clan, your heart is too weak. Lowering yourself as the disciple of the outsiders and bowing before others as a subject, you are just like any other beggar, except you have a diamond bowl…”

“Xiao is my surname!” Feng Wuji raised his voice and shouted back.

Feng Xiaozhong’s body shuddered and the brows he locked was softened down, he said placidly, “You should leave now.”

The angered Feng Wuji gave a cold sneer, “I will go, but I will have to take him with him!”

Feng Xiaozhong’s body flickered and silhouettes filled the palace hall in the blink of an eye before disappearing again.

All of a sudden, the Deity Overlords Feng Wuji brought with him were dissected into pieces, even their Yuan Shen were shattered into parts. But what was even more terrifying was that even though they were in pieces, the Deity Overlords were still well and live!

Feng Xiaozhong reappeared back on the same spot, his eyes were still closed as he ordered, “Shi Tuo, send them back to the rooms, clean and prepare them.”

Shi Tuo who was used to it nodded and transported the Deity Overlords into the Spiritual Jade Palace.

Feng Wuji’s eyes were staring wide and his mouth agape, he was shocked by the sudden development. But before he could regain his calm, Feng Xiaozhong swung his sleeve and Feng Wuji was hurled out from the palace like a revolving cannon.

When he landed on the ground and finally regained his balance, the mountain in front of him has suddenly shrunk and flown away in great speed, disappearing in his eyes in just short moments.

In the Spiritual Jade Palace, Feng Xiaozhong opened his eyes and there was a glimpse of warmth that could be seen in it. However, it disappeared just a short while after to be replaced by his usual cold and tranquil eyes.

He said, “My son’s demeanor is a little twisted, he will surely reveal my location, so we will have to change a place. Well, now that that’s been dealt with, let’s continue our business, Junior Martial Brother Zhong.”