Chapter 823: Yanhuang Black Manor, come get it!

Yandi made a mistake.

Di Hong whispered, "Once on the battlefield, what room is there for morality?"

This time it's settled…… August Emperor's this imprint incarnation is now completely beyond cure.

Speaking of which, this is a common ailment of Nüwa's lineage…… soft‑hearted, high integrity, worthy of respect, but in fierce competition, it's not a good thing.

Insufficient for success, excessive for failure.

The Human Emperor sighed long before reincarnation.

This annoyed a goddess; Houtu snorted coldly, refusing to be outdone: "Through endless ages and vast ancient history, no secret can be buried."

To be human or divine, one ought to have a clear conscience!

What about strengthening this incarnation of the August Emperor?

Relying on plots and tricks, faithless and treacherous, even if you can temporarily defeat an opponent, you cannot win forever.

Having come this far, what we need is self‑validation, surpassing ourselves, surpassing the past!

There's never a need to compare with others…… cheating to win may seem victorious, but it's the greatest self‑denial!

So what if the August Emperor is mighty?!

Let him be strong, let him be rampant; as the Way of humanity and all beings, we must forge ahead!

To conduct oneself uprightly, straighten the back and stride forward…… with a broad mind, open and honest, not discouraged by temporary gains or losses, not agitated or impulsive—that is the human way!

Losing this era is nothing to fear; the next age can strive to rise…… as long as the heart does not die, as long as the dream does not die, holding to the radiant Holy Way's heart, let brilliance shine through the ages, so more people will agree—one day we will welcome the era of our ideals.

And with your thinking, even if you win this battle and defeat the August Emperor, what then?

Ill‑gotten position brings future calamity!

Losing the pattern, losing the grandeur, petty conduct will ultimately sow the seeds of future collapse and ruin.

Thus, another round of reincarnation, reappearing now!

Houtu lectured loudly and rebuked Di Hong.

Critiquing his path, attacking his inner self.

Even if we cannot defeat his will with mere words, we must lay a winning groundwork for the later contest.

To this end, she racked her brains, trying every means to defend Yandi…… despite sweat already beading on her forehead.

——Yandi bolstered a wave of the August Emperor, truly beyond her expectation!

But she must not panic…… if she panicked, how could she lead her subordinates to pluck the laurels of victory?

She forced her dignity, calculating her hand, outwardly steady as an old dog, inwardly panicking.

At this moment, Nüwa is acting.

Hiding in the Sea and Mountain Realm, she could no longer wait for a "mutual loss" to reap the fisherman's gain; grasping her livelihood tools, she moved furtively, aiming to ambush and deceive, targeting the August Emperor's incarnation that slays all sides, fixing on his occiput, intending to strike a blow.

All available forces converged; creation and reincarnation, authority unified—this moment's Houtu had become an empty frame, unable to withstand the slightest probe.

Facing Di Hong, whose motives are inscrutable but whose ill intent is written on his face, Houtu could only prop up her frame and engage in verbal sparring.

However, this seems to have a remarkable effect.

Di Hong's expression seemed moved; he played with a jade stone, rippling with temporal fluctuations, recording Houtu's earlier words.

Houtu's words, like nectar poured onto the crown, made him feel something, and the sharp edge opposed to reincarnation faded considerably.

'Eh?'

Houtu's heart surged, her composure remained aloof, yet inside she wondered wildly, 'He wouldn't really have duped me into lameness, would he?'

'I never imagined…… I actually have the talent to do ideological work on others……'

She felt pleased with herself.

But she didn't know that in a hidden spacetime, someone was copying Houtu's just and righteous demeanor from earlier, replaying it.

"Look, she said this."

"How well she said it…… failure isn't frightening, get up and carry on."

"As long as the dream doesn't die, feet on the ground, not taking shortcuts, there will surely be a day of victory."

"Understand the applause!"

Papapa applause, monotonously ringing, quite comical.

"So then, when she loses later, I can use this to give her chicken soup to pour back." Another voice chuckled lightly, "It's her own words—don't let temporary wins or losses discourage you!"

"I want this thing!"

A palm reached, taking a grain of sand from the ages, corresponding exactly to that moment.

"I've given you the thing; you ought to act now, right?"

A hazy ancient mirror, reflecting the vast heavens and earth, the primeval Honghuang, held in one's hand—it is he who is whispering.

"That's correct……" an Emperor stepped out of a fairy cocoon, "but this trade is most unequal…… you've schemed against me."

"No wonder it was so easy to agree to swap clothes with me and scramble the insignia."

"With my spear, I attack my own shield."

"Ha!"

The supreme divine spirit bearing the title Haotian Supreme Emperor, his tone seemed somewhat hostile.

But as he spoke, he suddenly laughed.

Indeed, it's reckless daring, complementing Yandi.

"Too kind……" the Xuanyuan incarnation beside him sighed lightly, "If His Majesty the August Emperor lacked this intention, I could never have plotted against the Imperial Elder Brother."

"Being able to catch this trace is your ability…… I never imagined that one day I would have to contend with 'myself'." Haotian shook his head, "The former world‑settling imprint, traversing the ages, came in the era of restoring the dragon and phoenix, erasing the traces of those who had fallen."

Heavenly Emperor invincible, Heavenly Emperor supreme, naturally immortal!

Mount Buzhou, therefore, would also be severed…… such a huge tombstone standing there—who wouldn't feel uneasy in their heart?

"Here I am, yet it is returning to the origin and going back to the source, an era's nirvana, calling back my true self buried in Honghuang."

"This is the Phoenix Ancestor's supreme divine ability, the Great Summoning Technique, the Great Nirvana Technique, which revives the fallen traces of the Dao and calls back the former glory."

"The essence of human Dao was accidentally given a buff by her, instantly awakening past and present lives—Soul Xi has returned!"

"Soul Xi returning is enough."

"Donghua also showed up."

"This is simply absolute atop absolute."

"Instantly, this formed a counterpoint with the August Emperor Heavenly Emperor's imprint of the Dragon-Phoenix era Heavenly Court, which was indiscriminately slaughtering everything."

"One is the continuation of life."

"One is the resurrection of death."

"Alright, this actually isn't anything much."

"Someone like the August Emperor Heavenly Emperor—once proven, forever proven; once accomplished, forever accomplished—means little to him in terms of any counterpoint."

"This Haotian colliding with that 'August Emperor' and showing themselves together—such an operation needs nothing remarkable."

"But... Yandi!"

"He said he moved the human Dao, cutting flesh, picking bones, letting blood to repay debts, thereby blocking the righteous justification of that 'August Emperor'."

"Moreover, there is the black-hearted Huangdi, who colluded with Donghua, made a deal, roped him in, and even lent out the peak body forged by 'Soul Xi's Return,' thus fulfilling Fuxi's layout."

"With karmic recalculation, it became a case of using Xi's spear to attack Xi's shield... Haotian needs to intervene to balance the situation."

"This is Fuxi's decision of the 'Dao'."

"The Dao of Change grasps the truth of change and constancy; the Great Derivation of fifty, its application forty-nine, has one that escapes."

"He holds absolute control, yet often leaves a sliver of vitality as a variable."

"Restoration is the continuation of the unchanging; reincarnation is the evolution of change."

"The interweaving of life and death, the clash of epochs and eras... for someone like Fuxi, this is also a rare spectacle, stirring his thoughts, wishing to witness this splendid blossoming."

"Therefore, Haotian is also willing to cooperate in being mobilized once more—even if this might ultimately lead to the failure of the Dragon-Phoenix era's restoration, with the August Emperor no longer the Heavenly Emperor."

"But does he care about this bit of power?"

"Having reached this point, as long as his successor is competent and public-spirited, he would gladly relax, let go completely, and go witness the wonders of the world."

"To contend with an opponent, or even a group of opponents, of sufficient skill is something he has long dreamed of."

"He will not suppress the newcomers, obstructing others' path of Pangu."

"Otherwise..."

"When Houtu reforms reincarnation and establishes the underworld, he will be able to overturn the board."

"Because he originally owed no debt to the human Dao, and through a certain Nüwa he returned it to Honghuang."

"The greatest dispute lies in reincarnation—but Houtu, the possessor of Pangu's essence blood, single-handedly transformed reincarnation."

"Roughly speaking, the August Emperor implemented the reincarnation item!"

"Even if he opposes it in his heart, can he not still put up a front to appease others?"

"Just a show project, settling debts... even back then, Fuxi could have restored!"

"Fuxi toyed with Nüwa in the palm of his hand, proving the human truth that 'your brother will always be your brother'."

"Even if Nüwa, sly and stealing, tricked her way into obtaining Pangu's essence blood, thereby mustering the Wu Clan's forces... it's hard to say whether what followed wasn't openly arranged by calculation."

"——What I gave you will someday make you repay it with interest!"

"——Silly little sister, you've been sold, yet you're still counting money for others!"

"——You invested in humanity, invested in Honghuang; the qi fortune and merit bursting from here flow back to the human Dao, long having helped me clear my debts."

"——The Pangu essence blood you obtained enables you to mobilize Pangu's righteousness to oppose the orthodoxy of the Heavenly Dao... Have you considered? The final interpretive authority over what you did while using that Pangu essence blood... lies with me!"

"——All this, from the time your Youshou real estate company was overturned by the August Emperor Heavenly Emperor, planted the earliest hidden danger!"

"——Until the end, having developed and grown, everything remains under control."

"Those who cultivate heavenly secrets... their hearts are all corrupt."

"Many people were arranged, yet until death they never understood how they were arranged—killed invisibly, never seeing the killer's face."

"As long as it can develop, the later stage of the Dao of Change is invincible."

"Perceiving the trend, grasping the details, spotting loopholes... though single combat wouldn't be called invincible, who would single‑combat you?"

"Yin and yang plots unfold, leaving you no choice."

"Nüwa's rebellious desire to overthrow and seize the family throne."

"But even the foundation of her rebellion was clearly arranged long ago, all of it poisonous."

"Not to say she couldn't perceive it; even if she understood... what good would it do?"

"She still has to walk the same path."

"Without Pangu essence blood, this bestowed Pangu righteousness—Hongjun could directly block the Heavenly Dao's door, strangling the Wu Clan in its cradle."

"Without the 'Heaven-opening merit', how could the Wu Clan oppose the Monster Clan Heavenly Court that has inherited the orthodoxy? Do you really think the countless years of accumulated foundation don't exist?"

"Perhaps the monster gods pursue profit; their sacrificial heart is lacking, their spirit of dedication even more so—but fighting a favorable battle is enough!"

"Drinking poison to quench thirst—yet not drinking is impossible."

"Nüwa struggled through an age, striving hard, but in the end, who holds the interpretive authority... is hard to put into words."

"She is essentially a corporation dedicated to taking the blame."

"When trouble arises, she bears it; when benefits come, Xi takes them."

"Fuxi's scheming is all too clear."

"Perhaps the only thing he miscalculated... was the human Dao."

"The human Dao gave him a surprise, beyond his control."

The concept he created with his own hands ultimately smashed Fuxi's foot.

This was unexpected, yet also understandable.

After all, the only thing that can oppose a Pangu is another Pangu!

The rebellion of the Human Dao exceeded Fuxi's calculations, making him furious.

However, afterward his anger subsided, and he felt a bit delighted.

A worthy opponent is hard to find.

He wanted to see just how far the Human Dao could go.

"Yan... Huang... Yanhuang!"

Haotian chuckled, "One pure good, one dark-hearted... united, you can combine to form the Dao, and sit in the Black Manor."

"Your Majesty overpraises me." Huangdi's thoughts vibrated, "Compared to Xiwa's Black Manor, I still have many shortcomings; I need to learn from the ancients."

"Indeed so."

Haotian nodded, "A mere Black Manor is enough for you... but if you wish to govern heaven and earth, command the myriad gods, that remains uncertain."

"Don't look at these gods..." He pointed at the deities fighting to the death, "At this moment they are passionate and fearless of sacrifice, with no regret even if they die nine times."

"Let me tell you, when they are earnest and upright, they are truly flawless."

"But when they turn bad, each one harbors wickedness in their heart, devising ways to match wits and courage with you; that is truly wicked enough to make your blood boil to the point of a stroke."

"This is also unavoidable... after all, goodness is the Dao, evil is also the Dao."

"The Great Dao embraces black and white; there is no distinction between good and evil, both are part of the Dao, the process of the universe's circulation... attaining the Great Luo means becoming the Dao; goodness is them, evil is also them."

"The stronger one is, the holier the good, the fiercer the evil."

"Therefore, the decline of worldly morals is largely inseparable from the gods—seventy to eighty percent is inseparable from the gods."

Haotian said leisurely, "We who embody Pangu have the responsibility to properly educate them and maintain a balance."

"Once, August Emperor used the Heavenly Court to bind the gods."

"But with you, it is about establishing humanity, setting a standard with the Five Virtues."

"But can it be achieved?"

"It just depends on whether you can pass this trial of ours."

Haotian laughed freely, "You lured me into the game; that shows you're not weak, you're clever enough... but you're still lacking."

"Although your added stake is not bad, this 'August Emperor' has been strengthened—I can't defeat him... In the end, the axe will still have to fall on your body, becoming the trial."

"What the Human Dao owes will eventually be repaid... Yan Emperor's repayment is a bit late; he has already arrived."

"No..."

Huangdi, however, smiled, "Not too early, not too late—just right."

"If it's too late, it's useless; the gods will collapse, their spirits will scatter, and the resolve of sacrifice cannot be awakened."

"If it's too early... this brand cannot reach this era."

"Where can I find the Green Emperor of my Human Dao now?"

He smiled meaningfully, "He has just received the benefits of the Human Dao, right?"

"Are the benefits of the Human Dao so easily obtained?"

"Wait until I cut off his retreat, using the era to assimilate him... then the Five Direction Heavenly Emperors will be considered accomplished."

"Huh?!" Haotian raised his eyebrows, "The Five Direction Heavenly Emperors... that seems to be my plan."

"I've taken a liking to it; I want to copy it—is that not allowed?!"

Xuanyuan spoke righteously and vigorously, "The former Five Direction Heavenly Emperors were merely ennoblements of the human race—shady deals of interest... Now, with my Human Dao's ennoblement, do I give more face?"

"Your shameless attitude is excellent; please keep it up." Haotian laughed, "I look forward to your performance, hoping you're not just boasting with your mouth."

"You will see!"

(End of chapter)