Rise of Humanity

Zhong Yue kept mum, he clenched Feng Shenyong in his hand. He looked up at Fu Shang and murmured softly, “The seals here are already long unable to trap you, you can walk away anytime you want. But… when will you be able to walk out from the traps you’ve concocted in your own heart?”

Fu Shang’s body shivered, he looked out at the world outside of the Six Paths Bead, “Walk out?”

“Yes, walk out, like a Fuxi.”

Upon hearing, Fu Shang’s eyes were swallowed by fear and terror, he quickly shook, “No! I don’t want to go out! There are bones everywhere! Ghosts! They are waiting to devour all of me! They know I am responsible for their deaths! I don’t want to leave!”

Zhong Yue frowned softly, Ghosts everywhere?

The ghosts Fu Shang referred, were they the imaginations of his own heart? 

His heart was filled with guilt, and this guilt twisted his mind into demonizing the outside worlds being filled with ghosts seeking revenge on him.

“The crown prince is unsalvagable,” Xin Huo who had never been been so disappointed before, shook his head, “You’ve delivered the Fuxi traitors to him in an attempt to reawaken the lost spirit in him, but your efforts led nowhere. His Dao heart has long shattered away, it will not return anymore.”

Zhong Yue shook, “It’s not that I needed him to return, but that the Fuxi Celestial Race that needed him, the Fuxis need him to rise.”

Feng Shenyong heard the whole conversation, and he was overjoyed, This brat is the wild Fuxi! I must make my escape, once escaped, this intel will bring me endless wealth! In the whole Heaven Suppressing Prefecture, other than Fu Shang, none is capable of killing me! I still have a chance!

In the Heaven Suppressing Prefecture, as the silver curtain tardily dispersed, the gods were sweeping the battlefield; some were repairing the damaged ships and weapons and some proceeded in tending to their own injuries.

Under Zhong Yue’s orders, they had battled with two ancient great presences who were both peak Imperial Emperors. The battle had greatly surged their battling spirits; before this, none of them thought they were strong enough to battle with the ancient presences. But now, they could feel the endless spirit burning in their hearts!

Of course, Feng Shenyong’s and Fu Baozheng’s art of the monarch strike was too strong, they were able to break the array formation and showed their magnificence as the ancient presences to the world.

However, even though the gods were lost in the battle, they could still claim the honors on them. After all, what they were facing against were two ancient great presences.

Furthermore, Zhong Yue’s swing of saber that separated the two Imperial Emperors and severed their tails, breaking the art of monarch strike, has greatly bestirred the gods’ morales!

The morale across the whole Heaven Suppressing Prefecture was purely impressive.

The 28 Heavens hung high in the sky, their powers billowed down as a God Slaying Stage was built. There were gods on the stage, drawing the powers of the Heavens to refine the God Slaying Stage and they were already at the end of the refinements.

Zhong Yue had given his order, one of the ancient great presences would be executed on this God Slaying Stage as a show of dominance!

Executing an ancient great presence as a show of dominance?

Just how upsurging would it be to the morale across the whole Heaven Suppressing Prefecture?

“Mister, should we notify my father?” Mu Suge watched as Zhong Yue dragging Feng Shenyong by the latter’s neck and he hastily stepped forward and ask.

Zhong Yue smiled, “His Majesty should know by now. However, these two traitors are from His Majesty directly, there is a need to notify His Majesty. Your Highness, send the messengers, or connect His Majesty with the totem pillars.”

“My father already knew?” Mu Suge startled but was quick to understand what Zhong Yue meant. There were Imperial Emperor Xian Tian’s cronies hidden across the Heaven Suppressing Prefecture, they must’ve already passed the message to Imperial Emperor Xian Tian.

Mu Suge was a little worried, he quickly said, “Mister, my father, he…”

Zhong Yue waved his hand with laughter, “Although the lord and subjects should always be intimate, there is still a need for the lord to remain vigilant and keep something up his sleeves. It is, of course, natural that His Majesty had allocated some eyes and ears around me. Prince Suge, worry not.”

Mu Suge eased his heart, he replied, “I don’t know what message was reported back to father, but I will be all honest and truthful in my message to him.”

Zhong Yue nodded while Mu Suge quickly took out the totem pillar and said, “Then, I will proceed to contact father.”

Zhong Yue dragged Feng Shenyong toward the God Slaying Stage. Feng Shenyong grew extremely agitated, he tried to speak but no sound could be made, Shit, Feng Shang has sealed all I have!

He couldn’t cast his Yuan Shen, use his psyche and arcane energy; he couldn’t move at all, not even his vocal cords!

On the God Slaying Stage, Zhong Yue glanced around and saw the Creators inscribing the totem patterns on the stage. These totem patterns came together and formed a complex system of blood grooves.

A Creator stepped forward, it was Sovereign Ning. He bowed and led Zhong Yue to the front and said, “Lord, please look. This is where the execution will be taking place. When the stage is opened, the criminal will be suppressed in the center of the stage.”

Zhong Yue inspected the stage carefully. There were many strange and bizarre complex Dao totem patterns carved all over the stage. Even with his knowledge, Zhong Yue still couldn’t see through all of these Dao totem patterns’ secrets.

Sovereign Ning smiled, “The first swing of scythe will behead the criminal, the blood will flow into the grooves and activate the stage’s totem patterns, locking the criminal’s Yuan Shen and mortal body. But some may pull through the first swing, their heads would grow back, but the blood shed will still trigger the blood grooves. Once the totem patterns are activated, even the Immortal Body will be left powerless. When the new head was grown back in place, the second swing would fall, beheading the mortal body and Yuan Shen together.”

Zhong Yue praised, “The Ning Race is indeed impressive. The God Slaying Stage is truly a stunning creation. But what if even the second swing fails to kill?”

“Then we’ll do the third swing!” Sovereign Ning smirked with an eerie smile, “The third swing is the real deal here. Lord, please look there.”

He walked down the stage to its back. There, dug a huge pool but there was no water in it. The pool’s walls and base were also engraved with complicated totem patterns.

“This is the Pool of Death. The specters of the gods killed on the stage will be stored here. Their essences, blood, and flesh, all will turn into the nutrients to this pool. Along with the third swing, the Pool of Death’s power will be gathered together and unleashed in one single strike that will even erase the criminal’s soul!”

Sovereign Ning smirked, the eerie smile extended ear-to-ear and his looks grew nefarious, “Our Ning Race and Zheng Race had never been known of our powers. But all the reigns of Heavenly Monarchs have had us two races to forge the God Slaying Stages for them. Not even the Tian Gong Celestial Race stood a chance against us in this field. Our Ning Race still has the God Slaying Stage’s blueprint with us. If there was the Zheng Race to help us, this God Slaying Stage would be even more perfect.”

Zhong Yue then recalled that the Zheng Race was a race under the Haoying Clan’s faction. Back when he encountered Fu Baochu, he had taken advantage of the Zheng Race to set up Fu Baochu’s death, which also costed the Zheng Race a grand ancestor.

However, the Haoying Clan was a monarch race, it wouldn’t be easy for them to ally with him.

“The Zheng Race’s cultivation system is aimed solely to counter the mortal bodies. The sabers forged from the Zheng Race Imperial Emperors’ horns can even slay the other Imperial Emperors’ mortal bodies! Whereas our Ning Race’s claws are forged so we can kill and slash through every Yuan Shen! Of course, it’d be a problem when it comes to the likes of the ancient great presences.”

Sovereign Ning said, “The Pool of Death is newly built, there are no specters in it, no essence, flesh, and blood. There is nothing in it now. If it were the Heaven Court’s God Slaying Stage, in addition to the Sovereign Zheng, we will be able to execute this criminal.”

He continued in excitement, “With the blood of the ancient great presence’s blood offered to this God Slaying Stage, it will surely turn into something horrifyingly strong in the future!”

Zhong Yue nodded, “Bring him to the stage, summon my Heaven Suppressing Prefecture’s warriors.”

Sovereign Ning heeded the command. He pushed Feng Shenyong to the stage and imprisoned him in the middle, suppressing the Fuxi’s powers.

Meanwhile, the Heaven Suppressing Prefecture’s armies were gathered before the God Slaying Stage. The gods and generals stood like statues on the sides of the stage, even the Yinkang demon gods had also rushed in to witness the public execution, including Yin Bokang and the elders.

“Son-in-law, he is sent by Imperial Emperor Xian Tian. If you’ve killed him, how will you report to the Imperial Emperor?” Yin Bokang asked.

“Just hand in a report. Nothing more shall be done.” Zhong Yue smiled.

“You sure are daring!” Yin Bokang raised his thumb and praised, “So daring that you think you are Xian Tian Palace’s lord! When Imperial Emperor Xian Tian expresses his wish for your head, I will not lend you a single hand!”

“Father-in-law, you’ve overcomplicated the matter,” Zhong Yue was between laughter and tears, he commanded, “Where is the executioner?”

Sovereign Ning stepped forth, he shouted, “The executioner is here!”

Zhong Yue nodded, he said, “Rebel Feng Shenyong, his crime — treason…”

“Please wait!” All of a sudden, a voice shouted from outside of the Heaven Suppressing Prefecture, “King Yi, please wait!”

Zhong Yue traced the voice and saw a general donned in armors and a cape on his back. The general strode into the Star River and was shouting, “Please wait!”

Zhong Yue stood up and ordered men to open the city gates. He laughed, “I see, it’s high commander of the left wing Shield Wall Keep. Forgive me for not able to welcome you properly. High commander, what brings you here?”

The general was an Imperial Emperor, he was given the title as Imperial Emperor Duo Yin. In his arms was a pipa, on his face was a warm smile, he said, “Vice commander, it’s vice commander! I’m not the high commander yet, the high commander himself is still alive!”

Xian Tian Palace’s forces compromised of one head and two wings. The head referred to the Heaven Suppressing Prefecture, and the wings were the left wing Shield Wall Keep and right keep Heaven Riding Keep. Imperial Emperor Duo Yin was the vice commander to the left wing, Zhong Yue has met him once in the Xian Tian Palace.

A bright smile radiated across Zhong Yue’s face, “Isn’t the high commander of old age now? Now or not, one day, you’d still replace him in his place as the high commander.”

Imperial Emperor Duo Yin’s smile bloomed like flowers, but he quickly turned humble as he said, “Mister, you’ve overestimated me, I’m so flattered. Mister, the Imperial Emperor has given me a message to rush over and have you have mercy beneath the saber. Imperial Emperor said he has already heard of Feng Shenyong’s and Fu Baozheng’s treasons, it’s his fault for not taking everything into considerations. However, they are not to be killed just yet. Please, mister, have mercy on them. The Imperial Emperor’s messengers are on the way now. Soon, they will arrive with his orders. I’m just here to explain the situation.”

Zhong Yue invited Imperial Emperor Du Yin to sit and said, “Senior martial brother, little did you know, Fu Baozheng was a stubborn one, I’ve already killed him.”

Imperial Emperor Duo Yin’s eyes glared wide in shock, he exclaimed involuntarily, “An ancient great presence is already dead?”

Zhong Yue was placid, “These two traitors have publicly announced their act of treason. They intend to capture me and seize the Heaven Suppressing Prefecture, and in addition to the lives of the armies, they will offer it all to the Heaven Court in return of a high position in the Heaven Court. Such evildoers, who dare to save a spot for them?”

Imperial Emperor Duo Yin was hesitating, “But it’s the Imperial Emperor’s wish to have him alive…”

“Senior martial brother, please, take a seat and watch as the ceremony proceeds. I will explain to His Majesty on my own.”

Zhong Yue turned and gave the order, “Executioner, it’s your time now!”

An eerie smile cracked on Sovereign Ning’s face, he pulled out a demonic saber from his mouth. Accompanied by the demonic saber’s appearance, a strong wave of freezing gale swept across the stage and oppressed Feng Shenyong. He walked toward the imprisoned criminal.

“MERCY! MERCY!”

A loud shout came from outside of the stronghold. Zhong Yue frowned and stood up to look out. Imperial Emperor Duo Yin also did the same and he suddenly laughed, “It’s Old Daoist Fu Ya!”

An old man was seen rushing to the scene, treading across the river while shouting. It was the high commander of the Heaven Riding Keep.

“Mister, have mercy! The Imperial Emperor has just contacted me to stop you from killing them. His messengers are on the way already! Huh? Mister, you’ve killed one? There’s only one left!”

“Senior martial brother, please, sit.”

Zhong Yue quickly invited Imperial Emperor Fu Ya to sit, and he said, “Execute!”

Imperial Emperor Fu Ya’s butt just touched the chair and he immediately hopped up again. Just as he was to speak, Zhong Yue waved his hand and said, “Senior martial brother, can you see the wounded soldiers in the armies? Did you see the sudden hike of numbers of graves in the stronghold? These two traitors nearly slaughtered the 50 million gods of our Heaven Suppressing Prefecture. If I don’t kill them, how do you suppose I can lead? You are also a commander yourself, you should know well where I come from.”

After hearing the explanation, Imperial Emperor Fu Ya sighed and didn’t say a word anymore.

Sovereign Ning swung the saber and the 28 Heavens hovering in midair all shot out a bright ray each into the demonic saber. A flash of light blinded the eyes of those around and concomitant with a loud din, the demonic saber slashed 3 inches into Feng Shenyong’s neck.

Sovereign Ning raised the saber again, but it was at this time, Mu Suge hesitated and said, “Mister, my father wants to talk to you personally.”

He cast out the totem pillar and the pillar exploded away. The totem patterns of the pillar waltzed and recombined together into Imperial Emperor Xian Tian’s image. He said, “King Yi, please have mercy.”