Chapter 598

Yinglong, following the command of the human emperor's heir, mobilized the troops, lax outside and tight within, to guard Nüwa's carriage and traveling palace.

In troubled times, she dared not relax in the slightest.

However, fortunately, after the dragon clan sent envoys to have a detailed talk with Nüwa, the situation seemed to have turned a bit.

The specific content is unknown.

But from the few words Nüwa dropped to her subordinates after the secret talks, it seems the dragon side may be willing to concede a bit.

Of course, this is merely 'intentional'.

To truly implement it, there may need to be several more consultations to finalize the regulations.

And the dragon clan will not simply yield weakly.

One must have either face or substance.

If you lose face, you must gain the benefits.

If you lose the benefits, you cannot suffer too much loss of face.

Such negotiations largely determine the outcome of the later military exercises and whether the future relationship between the human and dragon clans will head toward full confrontation and parting ways.

For now, it can be considered a good start.

"Face? We don't care." Nüwa settled the regulations at a temporary meeting, saying, "The human race needs concrete benefits."

"This eastern tour, having come this far, we have already reaped considerable gains."

"We have purged the tribes along the way, luring the Heavenly Dao and the Heavenly Court to reveal their malicious intent… the situation shifts, and squeezing a bit of oil from the Dragon Ancestor is also about enough."

"Your Highness is sagely wise!" the leaders chorused like echoing insects.

"Although I don't care about face, if we can have it, we should still package it a bit." Nüwa raised her hand and pointed, saying, "Auspicious."

"I am here!" Yinglong rose to await orders.

"After the meeting, you shall covertly steer public opinion, emphasizing the promotion that His Highness harbors a broad mind and can tolerate others…"

"In times of crisis, being able to consider the welfare of the subjects, with a broad mind, setting aside past grudges, and continuing the human‑dragon cooperative relationship."

"Mind the art of language… do not publicize it as if I am afraid of the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Dao, forced to compromise with the dragon side, understand?"

"I understand!" Yinglong said solemnly, "Your Highness halted hostilities with the dragon clan because of your noble, benevolent nature, unwilling to let the people suffer great harm or make pointless sacrifices, to mend the rift, which is the supreme virtue of a broad heart."

"Well said… that's it." Nüwa nodded, shifted her focus, and addressed the leaders such as Qiong Sang, saying, "If the dragon clan's attitude is proper, then your conduct in the upcoming military exercises must also be proper."

"Friendship first, competition second, display prowess without regard to victory or defeat… that will do."

This means that in the competition with the dragon clan, we must exhibit a demeanor transcending win‑loss, promote the brilliance of humanity, let the victors enjoy the glory of victory, and let the losers shine with the sublimity of virtue.

"We obey the order!" Jun, Lilu, Yuchen, and others clasped their hands in assent.

"Excellent." Nüwa tapped the table, saying, "You each take your posts and carry out your work; then I can rest easy."

"Afterward, I too would like to revisit the dragon clan, which can be regarded as honoring the worthy and welcoming scholars."

"Huh? Revisit?" Several leaders were startled, and Yinglong even warned, "Your Highness, a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall!"

"I fear the dragon clan may be deceitful; please reconsider!"

"No problem!" Nüwa waved her hand, brimming with confidence, "Even if the Heavenly Dao's holy position restrains me, needing half my body to bear the cycle of rebirth, I, Nüwa, am still invincible in the world!"

"The Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, the World‑Crushing Mill, slaying all demon gods and destroying the firmament; at the pinnacle of the gods, overlooking the world, only I, Nüwa, forge a new heaven!"

"Only those who chant my true name throughout the world can perceive eternal life within the cycle of rebirth!"

Nüwa's regal aura burst forth, leaking in all directions, making many present leaders tremble in their bodies, nearly bowing ninety degrees, as they shouted, "Lady Nüwa, civil and martial virtue, unifying Honghuang for myriad ages!"

"I tread the vast sea, walk the dragon abyss—who could resist? Who could kill me?"

Nüwa loftily looked down upon the world, all was silent, "Even though these years the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Dao have been restless, trying to trip me up… yet the strength I have retained, relying on the Dragon Ancestor's modest ability, in single combat could not hope to harm me."

"Therefore, my resolve is set!"

"You officials need say no more!"

Nüwa hammered the gavel.

The mighty exchanged glances, and in the end could only nod in agreement.

Of course, in fact, nobody was overly worried about Nüwa.

After all… Nüwa is truly strong!

Just as she herself said.

Even though she has been repeatedly beaten and trapped these years, she remains second to none in the present age—no one can cause trouble before her!

"In three days I will revisit the Eastern Sea… you may go, each attend to your duties."

Nüwa slowly closed her eyes, as if gathering energy, "At any time, one must not let the formation fall into disarray."

Her tone gradually grew ethereal, as if she had faded into the obscure.

The mighty bowed in obedience and then withdrew.

……

Say three days, and it is three days.

That was a very beautiful, splendid day.

Nüwa activated her divine carriage, traversed mountains and rivers, passed the shore of the Eastern Sea, and headed for the dragon clan's main base.

Along the way, myriad divine lights shone, immortal radiance blazed, illuminating the ages; an eternal, transcendent aura condensed this span of time into a special point that could not be ignored.

Those who swim upstream against the river of time, those who drift downstream with the flow, inevitably must lower their gaze to observe and remember.

After the vague relationship between the human and dragon clans broke, they mutually tolerated and renewed the contract… such information also counts as a headline‑worthy item.

Of course, this seems somewhat forced, lacking explosiveness.

However, for the parties involved, it still demands utmost attention, not daring to slack in the slightest.

Take the dragon side, for example: they revealed the soldiers of the four seas, displaying the clan's vast military might; the surging force condensed into a colossal dragon, boundless, sinking into the River of Time, roaring past, present, and future.

With a single roar, it caused the ancient star‑seas to surge, made myriad spirits and corporeal beings tremble, possessing an awe‑inspiring divine might unmatched in the world.

The Dragon Ancestor commanded the clan's fortune, refined the home-field advantage, reached the pinnacle of divine birth, displayed majesty, and awaited Nüwa's arrival.

And just under the gaze of countless billions, Nüwa arrived!

As the spacetime scale shrank, the Demon Race's sovereign, the Wu Clan's progenitor witch, the Holy Mother and heir of the Human Dao, suddenly unleashed her aura; boundless light filled the Myriad Heavens and all worlds, eternal spacetime, and the Suiyue Changhe momentarily ceased flowing, as if it could hardly continue.

She is the sovereign of creation, the Supreme Emperor of reincarnation, holding the life and death of the Human Dao, even the birth and death of the cosmos and heaven and earth!

When she displayed her dignity, that splendid light was so dazzling it melted away light and shadow, causing the epoch to pause for her.

Nüwa, shrouded in boundless divine might, descended calmly upon the Dragon Clan's stronghold—even if the Dragon Clan possessed vast armies and countless troops arrayed before her, she felt not the slightest fear.

This confirmed the bold words she had once spoken.

— Even if the Heavenly Dao's sacred position restrains me, needing half my body to bear reincarnation, I, Nüwa, am still invincible in the world!

— The Qiankun Cauldron, the World-Extinguishing Mill, slaying all demon gods and destroying the azure heavens; at the pinnacle of divinity, proud of the world, only I, Nüwa, forge a new heaven!

Such bearing shocked and moved people, prompting the thought—when facing such a goddess, even if the Dragon Clan submitted, it would seem there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course.

Others may think that way, but the Dragon Clan's leader cannot.

Anyone can surrender, but the Dragon Ancestor… Dragon Ancestor, will absolutely not bow his head.

Thus, immediately, the Dragon Clan's forces mobilized, escorting the emergence of the Dragon Ancestor Great Sage.

The Dragon Ancestor Great Sage faced Nüwa, his eyes deep, his voice low: 'Human race's sovereign, you have finally come…'

Formulaic exchange, ordinary pleasantries—everyone always exchanges courtesies before getting to the point.

After all, with so many watching, one must maintain appearances.

"Today, please…"

The Dragon Ancestor Great Sage solemnly gazed at Nüwa, organizing his words in his heart.

Suddenly, he inexplicably felt a moment of dazedness.

This feeling was very brief, just an instant.

Yet, it was precisely this instant when a startling change erupted.

"... Go to death!"

It seemed to come from his mouth, yet also as if another deity in the dark spoke, confusing his voice; a black hand swept across the vast heavens and earth, the surging ages, and descended!

At the same time, a divine light, inexplicably arrived, exploded here!

"Boom!"

Upon the void's great sea, violent waves were stirred, agitating the Myriad Heavens, unable to find peace.

The River of Ages thus breached, collapsing the original order, sweeping wildly.

Such commotion, such spectacle, was immensely grand; in a moment, the entire Eastern Sea was drawn in!

And where Nüwa was located was the core of the core! The focal point of focal points!

Blinding light that cannot be stared at, a killing intent that chills the world…… This is the action of assassinating the king and attacking the emperor!

Heaven and earth split apart, order churned……

Chaos!

Everything fell into chaos!

Beyond many's expectations, exceeding the predicted course, no one could fathom the changes; each could only instinctively make a subconscious response.

"Hey!"

Nüwa was the core of the strike, while the Dragon Clan's army lay within the affected range.

That seemed capable of exterminating myriad spirits, driving even peak Great Luos into chaos; the Dragon Clan's army also went all-in, condensing the fortune and strength of the entire clan, roaring as they defended and charged in this collapsing spacetime, hoping to break out of this sudden disaster.

"Where do you, a petty villain, dare to harm me!"

This was Nüwa's fury; accompanying her angry cry, another divine light rose, transcending the ages, surpassing ancient and modern, as if colliding with some existence in the dark, unleashing a world-shaking slaughter.

For a moment, Nüwa seemed to still have the upper hand!

But it was too chaotic there.

The special power of the Taiyi Realm inverted existence and non-existence, reshaping rules, making that region of spacetime for the gods hard to see and even harder to comprehend…… like a garbled code, requiring endless effort to decipher, for a moment one could not distinguish even one, two, three.

However, no matter how chaotic, for some people the thing to do is clear as day.

"Save the emperor! Quickly save the emperor!"

Yinglong cried out, shouted loudly, and at the same time was the first to lead the charge into that chaotic, collapsing spacetime.

In an instant, bones and blood flew everywhere; she suffered grave injury.

This place is too perilous!

Countless indescribable rules were born, step by step lethal; it was the collision of Nüwa's Taiyi Dao principle with another Taiyi Supreme's Dao principle, producing strange mutations.

Spacetime here was pulled apart, as if seeking to plunge utterly into void, to battle in an unreachable heaven and earth…… This situation even spread to affect the entire Eastern Sea and its shores, causing this place to become an independent heaven and earth; those Great Luos outside wishing to intervene immediately could not do so…… it requires some time!

At this moment, what Nüwa could rely on seemed to be only the Great Luo beings still present here.

Yinglong responded first, risking his life to charge in, even if he suffered grave wounds.

Next, the eight department leaders of the Human Race all took action, also entering the core battlefield.

Even though their strength appeared rather unremarkable.

But when they are needed, they absolutely do not retreat!

Everything is developing toward a better direction.

However……

"Ah……"

"No!"

Nüwa let out a mournful cry.

Another shocking change!

"Crack!"

The spacetime had already been shattered, and then several streams of utterly terrifying power surged together, blasting this heaven and earth into dust, nearly turning into a vast void of nothingness…… These powers all bore the aura of the Great Simplicity, yet they still kept their heads hidden and tails tucked, making their true nature hard to see.

Moreover, they all pointed toward…… the girl!

"Despicable!"

No one could see the truth; only the girl's voice became the sole battlefield broadcast, proving her situation was dire.

Incidentally, it revealed some very important clues.

"A sneak attack……"

"Who is betraying……"

The words cut off abruptly.

The girl no longer had the strength to speak.

"Hiss!"

The most mournful blood-light burst forth, and its aftershock swept over, annihilating an entire division of the dragon clan that had been unfortunately implicated.

The dragon ancestor watched until his eyes turned red.

But the incident happened so suddenly that he himself was somewhat at a loss, finding it hard to move…… where would he get the extra energy to worry about anything else?

Too strange!

Too chaotic!

"Hongjun!"

At the same moment, angry roars exploded in the underworld, originating from Houtu, who was facing off against the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

This Supreme Emperor who governs reincarnation now had blood-red eyes: "It's you…… no wonder you've been coming to restrain me these years!"

"Get out of my way!"

She threw a punch that struck the heavens, piercing eternity and striking straight at the Purple Firmament, aiming to shake loose the enemy, rushing to aid at any cost.

Shift her focus, carry out self-rescue.

"Uh……"

Hongjun was somewhat taken aback, for a moment actually at a loss.

He's innocent!

The matter of assassinating the girl has nothing to do with him!

So now Houtu is telling him to get lost……

Is he supposed to step aside?

Or is he not supposed to step aside?

'Wrong? What am I thinking?'

The Dao Ancestor quickly figured it out.

'I don't know which fellow Daoist, so capable, plotted this assassination operation to take the girl's life.'

'How could I harm him?'

'We must block it!'

The Dao Ancestor felt that his character was very steadfast, his consciousness very capable.

——He has never harmed a teammate!

At this very moment, facing the anxious Nüwa…… retreat? That's impossible to retreat!

Block it!

We must absolutely block it!

"Hahaha……" Hongjun laughed loudly, "Nüwa, just accept your fate!"

"Today, you dare not dream of passing my gate!"

"Girl, you will surely die!"

"No one can save her…… that's what I say!"

Amid the laughter, the Dao Ancestor became utterly serious, like a stubborn plaster, refusing to loosen or give up, stubbornly preventing Nüwa from stepping even half a pace forward.

"Hongjun…… I've taken note of……"

Houtu's tone at this moment was low and terrifying.

(End of chapter)