Chapter 747: The Three Paths of the Divine Dynasty

"What are you offering in return?"

From the instant Shen Yi saw that vast ocean of Imperial Qi, he knew he probably wouldn't be getting any real benefit today.

The other party seemed to be showing off, but was actually explaining himself… explaining that original question.

Just as Shen Yi had guessed earlier.

This Human Emperor had indeed prepared to offer up most of Shenzhou as the price, but not because he was a madman—rather because he possessed something that could win.

To win against all the gods and Buddhas above.

As for how to win, the other party did not say outright, but before such an immense stroke of Imperial Qi, even the strongest being Shen Yi had ever seen—the Great Freedom Purifying-World Bodhisattva—seemed as insignificant as an ant.

"What do you need most right now?" The Human Emperor submerged himself back into the wine pool again, leaving only his head exposed.

Shen Yi deliberated for a long while, then raised his head and said seriously: "To stay alive."

"That's right."

The man smiled, as if he had long anticipated this: "Borrowing strength between the three sects is extremely perilous. Although you successfully slew the Southern Emperor, problems will inevitably arise."

"Aren't you up to your neck in trouble now?"

The Human Emperor spoke, sinking straight down to swallow a mouthful of wine, the tightly furrowed tips of his brows easing slightly: "What do you plan to do?"

"Head to Beizhou and throw in with the Sanxian Sect."

Shen Yi did not conceal anything. The other party controlled all the Imperial Qi under heaven—learning his whereabouts would be far too easy.

"So now it's those monks of the Puti Sect who want to kill you?"

The Human Emperor gave a slight nod of his chin and continued: "How exactly do you plan to throw in with them? Give me a specific plan."

"…"

Shen Yi fell silent once more, then shook his head: "No, I don't know much about the three sects."

He was utterly unfamiliar with Beizhou. Although he could draw on Shenxu Laozu's experience, this insect demon himself had never been to Beizhou either—he had merely stumbled upon the Shenxu method, cultivated immortality and attained the Dao. Even within Da Nanzhou, he had been ostracized by his own sect to the point of retreating into the Hidden Great Void realm, rarely emerging for years on end.

Roughly speaking, he could blather about anything, but once it came down to specifics, he knew nothing at all.

"Since you want to throw in with the Sanxian Sect, you'll need to find a relative first."

The Human Emperor was not surprised. He cast a subtle glance at that memorial—everything from the first matter to the last—in just a few short years, the man before him had risen like a monster into the heavens, vaulting to become a figure renowned throughout Da Nanzhou.

This was absolutely not someone who had come up through orthodox channels.

For a person like this, one should either thoroughly investigate his secrets and use them for oneself, or strike him down early.

But the Human Emperor chose neither.

This General Zhennan was a meritorious official of the Divine Dynasty—could not be killed… but from the chilling look in his eyes when facing that question, one could tell he was not of the same mind as the Emperor. At the very least, this young man was fundamentally resistant to that idea of his.

The General Zhennan before him could not accept gambling with the lives of all living beings.

Since they were not of the same path, better to take to the broad road, each going his own way, lest meeting become mutual disgust.

"Among the Three Pure Ones and Five Sovereigns, which lineage are you closer to?"

"The Three Pure Ones and Five Sovereigns?"

Shen Yi raised his head, his eyes clear.

The Human Emperor's expression gradually grew complicated. He licked his lips: "The so-called three sects—setting aside the orthodox deities—each of the remaining two sects has a batch of figures who have reached the absolute pinnacle."

"The Puti Sect has the Buddhas of the Three Kalpas. Beside each one stand two True Buddhas to the left and right, each presiding over three Mount Sumerus—nine in total."

"Correspondingly, besides the three Sanqing Sect Lords, the Sanxian Sect has another five Emperor Lords—eight in total."

"Why one fewer?" Hearing this, Shen Yi asked curiously—could there still be a gap in the foundations of the two sects?

"Tch, it's not exactly fewer."

The man gently rubbed the stubble on his chin: "Actually there are six Sovereigns—the four Extreme Emperor Lords of east, south, west, and north, plus that Earth Mother Goddess…"

"And the sixth is?" Shen Yi looked over.

The Human Emperor glanced at him, seeming a bit speechless: "The sixth is me."

"…"

Shen Yi's whole body gave a start. He seriously examined this man before him who bore not the slightest trace of cultivation, utterly unable to reconcile him with that first-grade supreme master who had reached the absolute pinnacle.

"That's why I said five Sovereigns."

The man stretched lazily: "The Human Emperor doesn't cultivate. Relying on Imperial Qi, he can possess strength comparable to theirs, but comparatively, his lifespan is like that of a mayfly. Generation after generation takes over that final Sovereign's position. By my generation, I simply gave up—couldn't be bothered to humor them."

Saying so, he pointed at his own front tooth: "You wouldn't think this got knocked out by someone, would you? It fell out on its own. I'm already old, about to die."

Bearing the cultivation of six Sovereigns, mending a single front tooth would be no difficult feat.

The Human Emperor closed his eyes, leaning lazily against the pebbles. He wanted to use this tooth to remind himself that he was still a man, not some lofty god, Buddha, or immortal sovereign—that he would eventually die. Therefore, within that brief span of time, he had to finish everything, leaving no retreat.

"These seventeen people in total represent the Daoist lineages under heaven."

"What Dao Fruit are you?"

"The Shenxu lineage." Shen Yi replied crisply.

In the current situation, a single misstep meant the fate of body perishing and Dao vanishing.

The only one who could help him was the Human Emperor before him.

"Let me think… your Dao Fruit should fall under the lineage of Lingxuzi beneath the Shangqing Sect Lord. This Hunyuan Daluo Jin Xian is neither too high nor too low—rather suitable for you to take shelter under."

The man clearly knew the three sects in great depth. With a brief moment of closed-eyed deliberation, he gave his answer: "However, your Shenxu lineage—the old ancestor is an insect demon, his roots are too poor. Given the Sanxian Sect's typically aloof bearing, you'll inevitably face some discrimination. You're doing this to survive, so rein in your temper when the time comes. Staying on shouldn't be hard."

"Once you've stayed, even if you can't climb into the Shangqing Sect Lord's good graces, they won't just stand by and watch those monks bully you."

"After that… just stay in Beizhou, cause less trouble, keep a low profile, and seek the method to step into second grade. That step is as hard as ascending to heaven, but once you've taken it, your life will be secured."

The Human Emperor stretched lazily, sending droplets of wine scattering: "This bit of information still doesn't match your merits. Speak—besides Imperial Qi, what else can I help you with?"

Once again, words that seemed generous on the surface.

Shen Yi cast a helpless glance over, already somewhat accustomed to this Human Emperor's stinginess.

The other party had already made it clear: apart from the cultivators recruited by Zhan Yao Si, the imperial court's own garrison forces—including the Human Emperor's own cultivation—all came from the Imperial Qi of heaven and earth.

They are completely two different paths.

Under these circumstances, let alone offering any tangible benefits, it is impossible even to get one of the Six Sovereigns, a giant among them, to give a hint on his cultivation.

"I must keep abreast of the news from the Four Continents and the Three Sects at all times." Shen Yi, settling for the next best thing, had learned after the events in Da Nanzhou the importance of information channels; in certain situations, they could save a life even more than a useful magical artifact.

"Very well. Leave someone you trust in the Imperial City to be solely responsible for relaying messages to you."

The Human Emperor readily agreed, then finally climbed out of the pool. He instinctively frowned, but quickly masked the discomfort on his face, waved his hand, and summoned a maid from outside carrying a jade tray.

On the tray was fine wine, prepared long ago.

Dragging his wet body, he personally poured two cups of wine, handed one to Shen Yi, and joked, "Rest assured, it wasn't fished out of this pool."

"..."

Shen Yi took the cup and drank with him.

The Human Emperor wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and only now, with a touch of emotion, said, "It is a pity. If our natures were alike, with your help, the probability of success would increase by at least one-tenth."

Splash, splash.

He set down his cup, turned, and sank back into the pool. After hesitating for a long time, he added a few words: "The blade in my hand has only one chance to be thrust out. It is not that I am naturally cruel; I simply cannot afford to lose."

"Thank you for saving Da Nanzhou."

"Live well. When I have pacified this heaven and earth, return, and you shall once again be the First-Rank Great General of my Divine Dynasty."

"If I lose... I hope you, this Immortal Venerable Bodhisattva, will show some mercy to the common people."

"Take care."

Without giving Shen Yi another chance to speak, the Human Emperor averted his gaze and directly ordered the maid to lead Shen Yi out.

The night was deep and quiet.

Shen Yi walked slowly out of the courtyard, looked at the empty long street, and after a long silence, gently exhaled: "Hoo."

This trip to the Imperial City seemed to have yielded no tangible benefits.

Yet the Human Emperor had bestowed a reward whose preciousness was hard to describe.

When he left Nan Xumi, Shen Yi went to the Eight Extremes Valley and chose to slay the Five Directions Bodhisattvas, thereby tying himself and the Divine Dynasty together with his own hands.

And those final words of the Human Emperor had re-unbound that rope, setting him free.

No need to pick a side; just live peacefully.

Whichever side won, Shen Yi would be the winner: advancing as the Divine Dynasty's Great General, retreating as the Puti Sect's Dragon-Taming and Tiger-Subduing Bodhisattva, or perhaps the Taixu Danhuang of the Sanxian Sect.

The Human Emperor's meaning was clear: saving Da Nanzhou was enough; the rest, he would leave to him.

"..."

Shen Yi's eyes grew increasingly complex. A figure like him, rising from the humblest origins, found it hard to feel any affection for a warlord like the Human Emperor, who viewed the world as a chessboard and living beings as mere pieces.

After all, no one wishes to be the pawn that is sacrificed.

But the complexity of the matter lay in the fact that even after Shen Yi pondered for a long time, he truly could not think of a second path to victory.

Opposite them were countless Heavenly Emperors and True Buddhas, the six Sect Masters, while behind the common people of the Divine Dynasty stood only one of the Six Sovereigns.

The Human Emperor possessed First-Rank strength, yet could only watch helplessly as the Divine Dynasty was nibbled away. Moreover, his lifespan, let alone compared to other Sect Masters and Heavenly Emperors, or even to figures of the Second Rank Great Self-Mastery, could not even match that of a Great Luo Immortal.

After his natural death, would the next Human Emperor still have the courage to pick up that blade?

Besides that.

Shen Yi had always experienced the feeling of being burdened with others' expectations; even when he could barely save himself, he still had to worry about his home base being swept away by others.

It was rare to encounter someone who shouldered everything and urged him to scram immediately to save his own life.

This inexplicable sense of relief was truly rare.

"Hoo."

Shen Yi resumed his steps, walking onto the long street, with less entanglement in his eyes.

He could understand the Human Emperor's thoughts, but he could not follow; it had nothing to do with liking or disliking, merely a difference in ideals, which was quite normal.

So the other was the Human Emperor, a warlord, while he himself was essentially a small figure, able only to do what he could.

With the guidance of one of the Six Sovereigns, Shen Yi's thoughts became much clearer.

He was just about to go find Ye Lan when, at that moment, a carriage ahead slowly stopped, blocking his path.

"General Nanyang."

A slender figure slowly descended from the carriage, nodded at Shen Yi, and smiled: "From the Immortal Department, Lin Shuyi. We met last time at the Wine Pool."

Having spoken, he extended a jade slip: "This is the location of Ling Ling Xu Zi's cave dwelling. Your Majesty instructed me to hand it to you."

"Thank you, Lord Lin."

Shen Yi took the jade slip and carefully stored it away. When he raised his gaze again, he saw that Lin Shuyi had no intention of leaving; instead, he reached toward the carriage and said gently, "I know General Nanyang is about to depart and dare not delay you, but while the sky is not yet bright, I wish to invite the General to my residence for a chat."

As he spoke, Lin Shuyi also carefully sized up the youth before him.

That memorial was not only seen as irregular by Your Majesty; amidst his shock, he too sensed the extraordinary nature of the person before him. In that terrifying resume, every word highlighted something eerie!

According to the maid's report from the Wine Pool, this General's thoughts seemed to differ from Your Majesty's.

This also aligned with Lin Shuyi's earlier speculation.

How could a peerless genius who turned the tide and saved Da Nanzhou from disaster tolerate such a delirious and insane scheme by Your Majesty?

Seeing Shen Yi silent, he forced a smile: "It is merely a chat, with no other meaning. Perhaps... we are on the same path?"

The instant he heard these words, Shen Yi suddenly laughed.

This left Lin Shuyi somewhat stunned, and the smile on his face stiffened: "Why does General Nanyang laugh?"

"Nothing."

Shen Yi shook his head. He simply felt that the conversation which had just ended had reached another person's ears so quickly; the matter itself was worth sighing over.

Especially since this person's identity was the head of the Immortal Department, the one Your Majesty trusted most.

"I am more accustomed to walking alone."

Shen Yi politely declined the other's kindness and stepped around the carriage.

The waters of this Imperial City were deeper than he had imagined.

Under these circumstances where his life was in danger, Shen Yi was unwilling to get involved in the ideological disputes of these people.

"..."

Lin Shuya stood in place, silently watching Shen Yi's back vanish into the night until it disappeared completely.

He lowered his gaze and withdrew his hand.

After an unknown amount of time, this lean middle-aged man suddenly let out a scoff: "Heh."

As expected, these lofty figures all looked the same; the safety of the world was nowhere near as important as their own cultivation. Even though the Divine Dynasty was already suffering a massacre of its people, their hearts were still fixed on that imperial qi reward that had yet to be delivered.

He was holding a grudge.

If one truly wanted to save the suffering and the world, it would have to be ordinary people like himself who did it.

Only ordinary people would treat other people as people.

"My lord, should we transfer a sum of imperial qi from another continent, perhaps drawing two or thirty thousand calamities, to soothe this general's resentment?" the Immortal Bureau official in charge of driving the carriage asked in a low voice.

"No need."

Lin Shuya's expression remained calm. He turned, lifted the curtain, and boarded the carriage, saying lightly, "I misjudged him. He is not the sort of person I was looking for."

(End of this chapter)