Chapter 832: No longer the Dragon Ancestor

August Emperor suddenly felt little guilt over the matter of harming the Dragon Ancestor.

Strictly speaking, their showdown saw the Dragon Ancestor lose thoroughly, but he had actually lost more than half as well—none of them were winners.

The true winner is the one who's been driven to doubt life, racking their brains over which of the Twelve Ancestral Witches is the traitor… Nüwa!

She has formally leapt into becoming Pangu!

However, the onlooker sees clearly, while the participant is confused.

Nüwa, however, doesn't realize that she has already stepped onto the proper path of Pangu.

All that's needed is someone who's been there to point this fact out to her.

Nüwa herself lacks this awareness, which instead limits her.

She thinks she hasn't yet become Pangu, so she's stuck here, unable to manifest her strength.

Once she clearly recognizes her state, she can know everything and be able to do anything…

The August Emperor Heavenly Emperor's world‑stabilizing seal will be torn apart by her on the spot—she'll literally rip her own brother apart!

Because she doesn't know, thinking she has limits, she cannot know everything, and thus cannot do anything.

This is a strange oddity.

——Nüwa: I don't even know how strong I can be!

——I think I'm as strong as I believe I am!

Too bad.

Nüwa still thinks she can't beat the August Emperor Heavenly Emperor's world‑stabilizing seal, so she certainly won't lose, but she also can't win; thus she adopts a stance of facing a great enemy, with a resolve to fight to the death.

But……

August Emperor also carries a faint sorrow.

He claims omniscience, yet the chessboard exploded…… that's quite embarrassing.

This also shows how overbearing the Dragon Ancestor Great Sage is.

Although he lost, he lost miserably; yet it is precisely the path he walked and the traces he left that severed the layout of a supreme Heavenly Emperor at the waist.

Even if the price is his miserable end!

But, being able to shatter a Pangu's fang without a Pangu body… that's enough for him to boast about for three ages!

Of course.

As the party involved, August Emperor is still trying to make amends.

He "bullies" Nüwa's higher moral standards, lacking the Dragon Ancestor's scheming ideas; he doesn't even realize he's earned the pass‑ticket, still honestly following the rules in the Pangu game… thus he tries to clear his name and make amends.

——This doesn't mean Nüwa is low‑witted; it only means she never had the mindset to harm others for personal gain like the Dragon Ancestor, no matter the cost.

——A gentleman may be deceived with propriety…… but who wouldn't want to deal with a gentleman?

The morals of the gods and the customs of Honghuang have already sunk to a new low; we urgently need a righteous‑minded leader to step up and turn things around.

In a certain sense, Nüwa and Pangu can also be considered a potential great trend.

August Emperor doesn't want to block this trend, but…… his own position still needs to be secured.

One can't say Nüwa would just tear apart August Emperor here, then go back to Honghuang to punch Fuxi, her spirit swelling to the extreme, then make a supreme leap to look down on past, present and future.

What would become of that?!

What face does he have left to show before others?

Perhaps he can only turn his back on all beings, hypnotize himself, and preserve the last shred of his dignity.

Thus, adopting a casual attitude, he explained his layout to Nüwa—this proactive confession is surely a bit better than her discovering it herself later…… right?

Merely while explaining, he also tried to clear his name—this is nothing but an elder brother's "loving care" for his younger sister!

Of course, this is indeed true.

Fuxi never thought of harming Nüwa; at most he'd give a "surprise", and incidentally knock her inflated ideas—actually daring to rebel?!

But his starting point was still to help Nüwa start a family and career, thereby achieving his own undertakings.

If he truly harbored ill intent, as soon as Houtu established reincarnation, he could easily have snatched away Nüwa's lifelong efforts.

Opening Heaven Merit has hidden hands, Pangu's essence blood harbors schemes…… Nüwa, in her dazed state, was arranged by Fuxi to write him an astronomical IOU.

She operates Opening Heaven Merit, using the Wu Clan and Human Race as fronts to reciprocate the human way—essentially she's working for him.

She manipulates Pangu's essence blood, reshaping reincarnation with the Ancestral Witch identity, establishing the Underworld—essentially she's also doing charity for August Emperor this Pangu, boosting his reputation.

August Emperor lurks behind the scenes, yet he makes clear the arrangements he gave Nüwa—he could completely let her leave with a clean slate…… but in the end he didn't do so.

But by now, Nüwa in Pangu…… doing this is also of little use.

One verification, eternal verification; one achievement, eternal achievement!

Before Nüwa's supreme leap, she can be toyed with at will.

But once she crosses that hurdle?

Then she can break free of her bonds!

This is the domineering nature of the Pangu Wielder!

Of course.

August Emperor can still rely on information asymmetry to "bully" Nüwa a bit.

Who let her not realize her own strength?

With bluff and deceit, they keep her dazed and confused.

"……Nüwa has grown up, she has her own ideas, and I shouldn't be as harsh as before." The Heavenly Emperor said wistfully, "Many things she's done aren't quite good enough, her considerations aren't thorough enough, but I can't step forward to lecture her, so I have to take a detour, going through some of her 'comrades' to indirectly make up for omissions."

"Whether it's the Wu Clan or the Human Race…… to get to today, Nüwa's own struggle is indispensable, but behind it…… there's also my share of military merit!"

"If that's the case, do I still have to thank you? My dear 'brother'!" Nüwa looked doubtful, half‑believing, half‑skeptical.

She deeply felt that Fuxi's words were insincere.

Perhaps there is a bit of meaning, but the greater possibility…… is that they want to give her a harsh lesson!

"Ha!" August Emperor wasn't panicked; on the contrary, he gave a faint sneer, "Your wings have hardened; you've torn off the roof tiles."

"But do you know?"

"In the past, I always regarded you as my daughter."

"By today, after enduring trials and gradually growing, you can stand on your own…… only then are you qualified to be my sister!"

Fuxi spoke, word by word, each pause shocking Nüwa into repeated retreats.

"This this this..."

Nüwa opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but felt her mind turn to mush.

She hadn't even managed to secure her position as Fuxi's mother, yet she was first demoted—become a daughter?!

Before she could rebut, August Emperor launched successive attacks: "Look at you—you don't know people, you misuse them; among the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the myriad kings, who's a mole is utterly unclear!"

"If I hadn't secretly supported you, even personally intervened, and held onto that guy Cang among the human race, could you have gone so smoothly?"

"You've been rebelling at home for so many years; if it were anyone else, they'd have crushed you long ago."

"It's only because I treat you like a daughter and dote on you that I've been so indulgent!"

August Emperor began to invert black and white, twisting the facts.

"Back then, I built the Heavenly Court, unified Honghuang, and held sway over all under heaven."

"You were dazzled by the flashy world, plunged into the money‑eye, set up some nest‑based real estate…… if anyone else acted so recklessly, I'd have killed them on the spot!"

"And the result?"

"I had no reaction."

"Back then I merely thought, you've toiled so hard for years, enjoying yourself…… is still okay."

"Besides, raising a daughter in wealth…… there's nothing wrong with that!"

"However, once you set out, you didn't halt your steps—you couldn't stop, unknowingly swept up by your subordinates, raging across all of Honghuang, unstoppable."

"I merely bore the heartache and liquidated your holdings."

"You always think I'm harvesting your leeks, full of ill intent!"

"You think I deliberately indulged you, letting you amass excessive wealth in Honghuang to lure out all the speculators, then net them all and redistribute…… purely treating you as a tool to be used."

"But just think!"

"I established myself with justice, subduing all the gods!"

"With all your meddling, in the end it's my authority that suffers! My reputation!"

"Am I crazy?!"

"How could one possibly choose you to do such a thing?"

"I want to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys—that also means picking a suitable cannon fodder!"

"Do you know?"

"The myriad peoples will eventually develop estrangement from me; the Great Luo will lose me, the Heavenly Court will collapse—there's no denying this affair plays a part!"

"Because of you, I've lost faith in the myriad peoples…… but what have I ultimately done to you?"

"Merely confiscating your property—and not even suppressing you!"

"If you were merely my sister, I would have long ago upheld righteousness and slain kin…… the reason I haven't moved against you is because I regard you as my daughter!"

"How could I suppress my own daughter?!"

The Heavenly Emperor gave a cold snort, deeply moving Nüwa.

She wanted to say something, yet could not rebut.

She even began to feel panic.

Because of her, the elder brother lost dominion over Honghuang? Did it end the August Emperor's Heavenly Court's great undertaking?!

She's still immature, jumping up and down?!

What the hell is all this?!

Faced with the August Emperor, she was speechless, unable to rebut.

Nüwa—she now just wants to be quiet.

Too bad, she can't stay quiet.

She stands here, destined to face some raging storms, unavoidable.

Past right and wrong lie before her, making her waver, leaving her at a loss.

The August Emperor launched a heavy strike; a few words left Nüwa completely dazed.

Now she can't even ponder which of the Twelve Ancestral Witches are moles!

Perhaps even if she understood and guessed who they were, she couldn't act to kill them.

After all…… according to the August Emperor's words, this is all an elder brother's concern for his younger sister, sparing no face, to bring in outside help for her!

A generation of Heavenly Emperor!

To conclude his own undertaking's wayward sister, he lowered his proud head…… what a sorrowful and tragic sight!

Nüwa, even after all this, could still have complaints……

How utterly insane would that be?!

Nüwa is breaking down.

The August Emperor gazing at the life‑doubting Nüwa felt a sigh well up in his heart.

"With Nüwa's stature…… even if she were sold, she'd still help me count the money."

"I can keep her under my thumb for a lifetime!"

"But……"

Still not safe!

After all... there are always some points I can't justify.

For example...

Donghua! Wenming!

If I had known...

I'll just endure a bit longer, let Donghua lie low and not act against the girl...

This is a sad story.

The girl chased after Wenming, but ended up giving it away for nothing.

Nüwa is now being bluffed, left dazed and confused, believing the August Emperor's nonsense.

But just wait until the girl shows up...

Immediately, one will see there's something fishy about this.

But having said that...

If it weren't for the Donghua Emperor personally intervening, setting a trap to scheme against the Dragon Ancestor... how could the Dragon Ancestor now be lying here half-dead, utterly defeated?

Don't look down on him just because he recently mocked the Dragon Ancestor.

In fact, if the Dragon Ancestor weren't strong enough, how could a generation's Heavenly Emperor target and scheme against him like this?!

All we can say is, there are gains and losses.

After subduing the Dragon Ancestor, Nüwa could no longer consider everything thoroughly.

In the end, a mistake was made; for now, we can only do our best to fix it.

Thinking this, the August Emperor shifted his attention away from Nüwa and focused it on the Dragon Ancestor.

This Dragon Ancestor, having suffered a great change, now takes in more breath than he lets out, seeming not far from death.

The August Emperor looked at him, his expression indifferent, as if having fulfilled the Dragon Ancestor's dying wish to be a wise ghost, he would not humiliate him, merely waiting for him to fade away, giving him a final dignity.

However...

Yet deep in the Heavenly Emperor's hazy, muddled gaze lies a hidden anticipation.

Dragon!

I gave you a chance to catch your breath...

You must grab it!

Brave little dragon, don't fear difficulties!

You must rise up!

Beyond the deepest anticipation, wrapped in a condescending posture, the August Emperor began to speak.

Dragon!

You have striven for strength all your life, and dying because of it can be considered without regret.

You can rest assured.

Although your efforts fell short, you schemed against me and became a generation's Dragon Ancestor; after you're gone, I will not mistreat the dragon clan.

Back when I proclaimed myself Heavenly Emperor, the dragon clan was a defeated foe, yet I likewise refrained from killing them, treating them equally.

I still have that courage.

By the way...

There's something I still forgot to tell you.

But perhaps if you think about it, you'll understand.

Do you know why Donghua back then could infiltrate the dragon clan so deeply, even going undercover by your side to gain your trust?

Because, you and I are both Dragon Ancestors!

And this Dragon Ancestor... was delivered by your own hands!

Donghua is also a part of me; I sent him over to lurk, and your subconscious would naturally trust him—it's only right and proper—so in the end, your loss may seem unjust, but it isn't.

Back then, your demise—rather than saying I schemed against you, it's more like you lifted a stone only to drop it on your own foot.

I merely went with the flow... although back then I might not have understood today's machinations.

But turning cause and effect around, everything follows its own karmic law.

If there is a next time, I hope Dragon Ancestor you won't again exhaust yourself in scheming... lest you mistakenly ruin Qingqing's life.

The Heavenly Emperor's face grew somewhat forlorn.

Seeing an old rival off, the world has one less great foe; to him, it seems not something worth rejoicing over.

A worthy opponent is hard to find!

The Dragon Ancestor Great Sage lowered his head, as if he had resigned himself to fate.

His life force, once strong but now waning, gradually dwindled, as if he were burying himself, and thus he collapsed in these years.

However!

Just at this moment!

Ah!

The Yinglong Great Sage suddenly let out a horrible scream!

A terrifying change is occurring!

This later-born Dragon Ancestor suddenly ignited with the fire of the Great Dao on his body, the flames belonging to a backlash of the human Dao!

Meanwhile, the Dragon Ancestor Great Sage suddenly surged in strength, his aura turning strange and wondrous—no longer the ancient, weathered aura of a dragon ancestor, but rather a vigorous, upward vitality, with brilliant flowing light bursting forth, aligning him with other powerful clans... that of humanity!

Hmm?

The August Emperor furrowed his brows, reaching out to suppress.

But the terrifying divine light surged, tearing open a span of ages and blocking it for an instant.

Fuxi!

Cang lifted his lowered head, "Next time you want me dead, don't waste words—be direct!"

"You..." August Emperor looked shocked, moved, "How decisive! How willing to sacrifice!"

"You actually abandoned the Dragon Dao, leapt out of the Dragon Ancestor's body, and joined the human race?!"

(End of chapter)