Chapter 819: You Look to the Future; Shen Mou Holds the Present for You

Divine Dynasty, Imperial City.

Two maids stood outside the quiet courtyard gate, watching the sword-wearing woman hurrying toward them, and both bowed respectfully.

She held no official post in the Divine Dynasty, nor even a public identity, yet everyone in the imperial court knew this young lady was the only person, aside from Lin of the Immortal Department, who could enter the Wine Pool alone to pay homage to His Majesty.

“Lady Ye, this way, please.”

The maid turned and led the way with delicate steps; His Majesty had said Lady Ye needed no announcement to see him.

“Thank you both.”

Ye Lan gripped the jade slip tightly in her hand; though she had longed for that person countless nights and days, she forcibly restrained herself and did not use her spiritual sense to probe its contents.

She knew full well that her cultivation realm meant nothing against the vastness of heaven and earth.

Any giant could seize her and perform soul-searching at will.

This letter from Beizhou could be read only by the Emperor.

Soon, Ye Lan halted her steps, standing at the edge of the Wine Pool; only after the two maids quietly withdrew did she retrieve the jade slip: “Your Majesty, please read this.”

“Another letter so soon? What’s happened?”

The man leaned against damp pebbles, waving his hand to summon the jade slip telekinetically—but awkwardly, it remained motionless in Ye Lan’s palm.

“Tsk.”

A hint of helplessness crossed his face, but it vanished instantly, replaced by his usual languid demeanor: “Just bring it here. What are you standing there for?”

“...”

Ye Lan stepped forward respectfully and placed the jade slip into his palm, her eyes filled with concern.

Though she did not know what this Lord of Shenzhou was doing, merely from his outward appearance—the increasingly grayed hair, the visible changes to his face—each time she saw him, he seemed ten years older.

Such a condition should never occur in a Six Sovereign of Heaven and Earth.

She could clearly sense that the Emperor was merging more and more with the Wine Pool, yet his control over the outside world had plummeted drastically.

Ye Lan even began to wonder whether, without the aid of Lin of the Immortal Department, His Majesty could still project his voice beyond this courtyard.

Could such a Six Sovereign still protect Shen Yi?

“There’s always gain and loss.”

The man seemed to read Ye Lan’s thoughts, yet he felt no offense, instead chuckling lightly.

When he was still the lofty Emperor, he had been full of vigor, like a mighty tiger, awe-inspiring and majestic—but now, to fully mobilize the Divine Dynasty’s vast reserves, he must pay a heavy price.

Yet, as he grew more and more like an ordinary mortal, he could better understand the helplessness of mortal beings facing gods and buddhas—so it was not entirely without merit.

“Let me see what trouble this brat has gotten into now.”

The man appeared casual, but his eyes held a trace of gravity.

He had previously given Shen Yi a token granting direct access to a Divine Dynasty General; if even that couldn’t resolve the boy’s troubles, then with his current state, he was truly powerless.

Though His Majesty had acted like a debtor trying to dodge repayment when dealing with Shen Yi last time,

that man had still been the great hero who defended Nanzhou for the imperial court.

If he were to perish now, how could he not grieve?

The Emperor carefully infused his spiritual sense into the jade slip; after reading its contents, he fell silent for a long while before reopening his eyes: “Truly... unexpected.”

“...”

Seeing the Emperor’s serious expression, Ye Lan instantly clenched her sleeve, her face paling.

Fortunately, the Emperor had no intention of frightening her further; he burst into laughter: “Look at you—you let him take that monk away and left you alone in this vast city, yet you harbor no resentment. In the old days of peace, I’d have forced them to wed.”

“Take it and read it yourself.”

The Emperor casually tossed the jade slip back.

Ye Lan had no mind for the old man’s teasing; she snatched the jade slip and plunged her spiritual sense into it.

As she read Shen Yi’s message, astonishment slowly spread across her face—she finally understood why the Emperor had been silent.

Shen Yi had fled to Beizhou to escape the pursuit of the Great Freedom Pure World Bodhisattva; under such circumstances, merely surviving was already a miracle.

Ever since she heard he refused to follow the path the Emperor had arranged, her heart had never rested.

What kind of place was Beizhou? The sacred ground where the Three Pure Ones taught; a scaled-up Nanxumi, where walking the streets, you might look up and see a Great Immortal pass by.

To stir up trouble there was tantamount to suicide.

Yet the jade slip’s contents made her heart race faster... Shen Yi had not only joined Lingxu Cave, but become a disciple tasked with traversing the mortal world to undergo trials—a status usually reserved for the chief direct disciple.

Worse still, Shen Yi had actually succeeded—he had claimed a Daoist domain in Beizhou!

Judging by the calm tone of the text, he had already cleared the obstacles and stabilized his position.

“He wants to know the situation in the other continents.”

The man, immersed in the wine, wore a peculiar expression; this boy, barely able to save himself, had not only secured his footing but still found leisure to concern himself with the world.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell who was truly the Emperor.

Yet he had to admit—the boy had far exceeded his expectations.

Thinking of this, the Emperor shook his head: “Go back for now. I’ll ask Lin Shuya to compile the situation in the other three continents, then you can send it to the boy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Ye Lan smiled and prepared to bow and take her leave.

At that moment, the maid’s voice sounded outside the Wine Pool.

“Your Majesty, Lord Lin of the Immortal Department requests an audience.”

“...”

Ye Lan frowned slightly and glanced at the man.

This was the Wine Pool—His Majesty was receiving her, and matters concerning Shen Yi were always kept strictly private.

The maid clearly knew this, yet instead of making Lin wait, she chose to announce him—Ye Lan felt a strange unease.

“He arrives at a convenient time.”

The man smiled indifferently; he knew well that his once-trusted ally had turned against him.

And not over power or profit.

Ever since Lin Shuya had begged him to use the Divine Dynasty’s reserves for his own transcendence, the man had known their fundamental views on this matter diverged.

Just like the former Regional Commander of Zhennan.

Three men, three different paths.

But the difference was: he and the boy truly had the power to act on their choices, while Lin Shuya clearly lacked such ability—so he need not be concerned.

Moreover, with his current state, replacing the head of the Immortal Department was beyond his strength.

“Let him in.”

The Emperor sat up slightly.

Soon, two figures hurried in under the maid’s guidance.

The front figure was the slender Lin Shuya; behind him stood a tall woman clad in armor, her face veiled in silver ornaments—she clearly possessed no cultivation, yet every movement radiated an aura that made Ye Lan’s heart tremble.

Ye Lan instantly guessed the woman’s identity.

She was one of the imperial court’s few Second-Rank Divine Dynasty Generals!

“Your Majesty!”

Lin Shuya, usually perpetually worried, now revealed a rare smile: “General Gu has returned from Beizhou with good news—please, Your Majesty, read this report!”

“A Li, speak plainly.”

The man did not take the memorial, but looked at the armored woman.

Gu Li bowed deeply; though her face was veiled, her voice carried unmistakable joy: “Your Majesty, internal strife among the great sects of Beizhou has granted our people temporary peace.”

“...” Hearing this, the man paused, turned to glance at Ye Lan, then looked back: “Explain.”

“Your Majesty, recently, a cultivator from Nanzhou called Tai Xu Zhenjun, who had clashed with the Bodhi Sect, traveled north. His methods are extraordinary, his strength far surpassing his peers in the great sects; within a short time, he gained the favor of a Golden Immortal, joined Lingxu Cave, and repeatedly challenged the original Beizhou cultivators.”

“Even Qingguang Cave’s You Yao—one of the original Three Prodigies—was slain by him at Kaiyuan Mansion’s Tian Ta Mountain. Afterward, instead of punishment, he secured a Daoist domain in the Five Prefectures and is now clearly trending toward becoming the chief disciple of the Three Immortal Sects.”

Gu Li spoke calmly, yet all could hear the awe in her voice.

After all, this alone was enough to be recorded as legend.

A foreigner establishing himself so forcefully in Beizhou would, in time, become the Divine Dynasty’s greatest threat—and perhaps the blade delivering the fatal strike.

“General Gu, focus on the good news...” Lin Shuya gently reminded.

“The good news is: this man seeks vast domains, so he abandoned the Immortals’ old method of seizing imperial qi, and instead reversed course—he seeks to win the people’s hearts.”

“To preserve their domains, the other Three Immortal Sects were forced to follow suit... Now, across Beizhou’s twenty-nine prefectures, though life is not as prosperous as before, the people are safe and have enough food and clothing.”

Here, Gu Li exhaled deeply.

Once, a million Divine Dynasty soldiers and countless demon-slayers had fought to the death and failed to hold even a single city—now, because of one man’s greed, the people were freed from the torment of daily peril.

One hardly knew what to say.

She did not notice that the Emperor and the woman beside him had both grown strangely complex expressions after hearing her.

“...”

The Emperor recalled the jade slip he had just read—he had never imagined the content within was already a simplified version.

There was no ambitious prodigy scheming for more domains; the one protecting the lives of Beizhou’s people was still that Regional Commander of Zhennan.

Only now did he finally understand why Shen Yi refused to hide his identity—though anonymity would have increased his chances of survival, it would have taken too long, leaving no chance to participate in the great tribulation.

Their initial meeting had seemed harmonious, but in truth, neither could accept the other’s path.

Yet now, these two entirely different paths had somehow converged.

Since the noble Six Sovereign, the Lord of All Under Heaven, was stretched too thin, his eyes fixed on the future,

then Shen Yi, merely a Third-Rank cultivator, would strive to protect the present.

“Huh.”

The man took a deep breath, turned his head away, and hid his face in shadow.

Since his quarrel with Lin Shuya, he had become a solitary autocrat, a man misunderstood by all.

The Emperor had gradually grown accustomed to this taste.

Now, however, a sudden wave of emotion rose in his heart.

How could a man once called the Restorer of the Realm completely ignore the suffering of all living beings? He simply had no choice—he had to stake everything. His heart was not cruel enough; this world could never surpass the gods and Buddhas unless he was.

But now, someone had suddenly stepped forward to share his burdens, allowing him to feel a little at ease, less guilty, and focus entirely on preparing for that great undertaking.

The man lowered his gaze and smiled briefly, then composed himself: “Good news indeed. What of the other four continents?”

“This...”

Lin Shuya hesitated, then spoke slowly: “The struggle between the two great sects has grown fiercer. Mount Sumeru on Nanzhou has yet to act, but the remaining two continents are nearly blinded by bloodshed—especially Dongzhou. Reports say the cultivators and monks fight without mercy, and multiple deaths and injuries have already occurred. Even the Great Free Bodhisattva has appeared within Mount Sumeru.”

He did not mention the common folk, but everyone understood: if cultivators were fighting like this, what hope remained for the lives under their rule?

“Understood.”

The man waved his hand and sighed: “All of you, leave.”

Lin Shuya paused, sensing the Emperor’s unease, and quickly bowed before leading Gu Li and Ye Lan out of the courtyard.

He failed to notice that, the moment he turned, the Emperor quietly shifted his gaze, staring coldly at his back—his aged face seeming to have returned to youth, its dignity now sharpened by swift, decisive resolve, like a tiger opening its eyes, gleaming with the hunger to devour.

Yet in the end, the Emperor slowly withdrew his gaze.

Just now, a troubling premonition had risen in his heart.

A mere mortal, even if he harbored treacherous intent, could not possibly affect the grand scheme—after all, the countless sect masters and gods would never spare a single glance for an ant.

But Shen Yi’s actions, though saving countless lives, were also adding weight to Lin Shuya’s side of the scale.

If that boy could do even better—so well that even the two great sects grew wary—then this Lin of the Divine Court would finally have his chance to take the stage.

At that point, he would truly possess the power to undermine the order.

“Impossible.”

The man gave a self-deprecating smile. Shen Yi had already secured Nanzhou and protected Beizhou—he had already exceeded all expectations.

Not even he himself, nor Houtu, both Sixth Sovereigns who had reached the First Rank, could halt the tide of the great sects.

Perhaps he was truly growing old, frightening himself with shadows.

“This boy... truly gives me pause.”

The man closed his eyes, his face gradually softening into calm—he had not slept well in a long time.

He has done enough. It is time he thought of himself. Let it be this way.

(End of Chapter)