Chapter 411: The Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang

September 26th, a god fell into the mortal world.

September 27th, the Second Lady successfully seized power and took control of Pingkang City; it was quite intriguing.

After all, the news previously spread was that the God of White Wolves had descended upon the Kunan Orc Tribe.

Later, all the White Wolf tribes slowly gathered toward the Kunan Orc Tribe.

That the true body of the God of White Wolves was in the Kunan Orc Tribe also became something all werewolves tacitly accepted.

Viewed now, the upheaval in Pingkang City actually occurred before the Kunan Orc Tribe incident.

The meaning represented by this could not be more obvious.

A flash of joy appeared in Lin Chao's eyes.

It truly was a case of "searching high and low, only to find it without any effort."

"I am already aware of the matter regarding Pingkang City." Lin Chao spoke, then thinking of something, he continued to ask, "Did that Wolf Tribe Second Lady order you to come to Iron Stone City?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The Second Lady is ambitious and wants to occupy more human cities.

She heard that Iron Stone City is prosperous and flourishing, and greed grew in her heart.

Plus, winter is coming soon, and the White Wolf tribes at the Kunan Orc Tribe are severely lacking in supplies, so the Second Lady set her sights on Iron Stone City.

Please, Your Highness, send troops to save the citizens of my Pingkang City!" Hanshe's expression was filled with grief.

He had already been poisoned by wolf venom; once Iron Stone City sent troops, he would undoubtedly die.

But at this moment, he had no choice.

Since death was certain either way, it was better to make his death worth something.

Hanshe had not expected that, in the end, he, a noble, would choose to die for the commoners of Pingkang City.

"Hmm, I am already aware of this matter; do not spread the word for now.

I will help you take back Pingkang City."

After Lin Chao finished speaking, he looked at his subordinates nearby and ordered, "Give that adventurer who died in battle a proper burial."

"As you command."

"Many thanks, Your Highness!"

By the banks of Iron Stone Lake, Lin Chao and Yuwen Zhanye were fishing.

At the same time, they were discussing matters regarding heading to Pingkang City to deal with the God of White Wolves.

At this moment, Yuwen Zhanye suddenly sighed with emotion: "My Lord, why do you think that adventurer named Tieshui suddenly betrayed Xiangfu?"

Lin Chao was slightly stunned: "Perhaps, he was born among the lowest class and could not bear to see Iron Stone City destroyed."

"Indeed, among the lowest class, there are always those with firm character who understand the greater good."

Yuwen Zhanye sighed, then continued: "I observe that Your Highness's divine office is the Fire of Civilization.

Such a divine office is unheard of.

However, I observe the decrees of Your Highness's Iron Stone City, which are quite considerate of the lowest class; is Your Highness thinking of imitating... the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang... to overcome Heaven with humanity?"

"Oh?" Lin Chao knew that Yuwen Zhanye must have been implying something by mentioning Tieshui.

Yuwen Zhanye continued: "The Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang was the founding emperor of the Ancient Tang Empire.

This emperor used the lowest class as a foundation to ascend to the imperial throne, while simultaneously transforming the imperial throne of the Ancient Tang Empire into a divine office.

The Ancient Tang Empire almost transformed into a God Kingdom, where everyone was like a dragon, ascending to the God Kingdom.

Such a scene was admirable.

Such an idea made countless people bow in respect.

Unfortunately, this wish was too beautiful.

Among ordinary people, there are indeed loyal and righteous souls like Tieshui, but there are also ingrates like Xiangfu.

But more are the mediocre, the blind followers, and those who vent their frustrations.

To deal with the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang, the Pantheon merely released some rumors and incited the citizens, and the Ancient Tang Empire almost collapsed.

The Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang transformed himself into a divine office, opening up second, third, and fourth God Positions for the Ancient Tang Empire.

Unfortunately, after the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang fell, the people died and the policies ceased, and he even left a 'stinking reputation' for ten thousand years.

People are not to be trusted; My Lord can collect faith, but must never imitate the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang by using people as a foundation, in the end..."

Yuwen Zhanye's face was full of emotion.

Lin Chao listened quietly and said slowly: "The Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang... is quite admirable.

Rest assured, I will not walk his path; great power belonging to oneself is what my heart desires."

Hearing this, Yuwen Zhanye breathed a sigh of relief.

Because he was truly a bit worried that the lord he served might walk the path of the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang.

After all, he also took from the people, used for the people, and treated the people with kindness.

Moreover, the Temple of the Fire of Civilization also vaguely made Yuwen Zhanye see the shadow of the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang.

"Did the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang walk the path of the entire nation ascending to godhood?" Lin Chao asked.

He was curious about the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang that Yuwen Zhanye had just mentioned.

The entire nation ascending to godhood, everyone being like a god.

This is an ideal, or a dream, yet it is very difficult to realize, or perhaps, almost impossible to realize.

"In my view, the Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang can be considered the most stunning and brilliant person among all the emperors of our Eastern dynasties.

Of course, the citizens of the current Ancient Tang Empire do not think so.

The Divine Emperor of Ancient Tang was born during a time when our Eastern Human Race was beset by internal and external troubles.

He supported the mansion as it was about to collapse and turned the tide."

Not only did he quell the internal strife of the Human Race in the east, but he also defeated the coalition of the Orc Tribe.

What was most shocking about the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor was that after he ascended to the God Realm, he did not immediately establish a God Kingdom.

Instead, he linked his divine profession to everyone in the Ancient Tang Empire.

He harbored the delusion that everyone could be like a god, building the Ancient Tang Empire into a God Kingdom.

Such an ideal and ambition truly caused a sensation at the time.

With this method, the strength of the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor did indeed increase rapidly.

Unfortunately... this method had a flaw, which was that it relied too heavily on the subjects.

Moreover, as a pioneer, the Ancient Tang Empire exhausted its own Divine Power and divine profession to help the subjects of the Ancient Tang Empire become like dragons, and his own lifespan was not as long as that of a true god, perhaps only able to survive for a hundred years or so."

A look of nostalgia appeared in the eyes of Yuwen Zhanye.

"The Ancient Tang Divine Emperor's idea was good; although the person on this imperial throne could only survive for a hundred years.

But once the God Kingdom was formed, the Ancient Tang Empire would last for thousands of generations.

Unfortunately, a hundred years later, the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor fell, and the gods of the Pantheon breathed a sigh of relief and slowly infiltrated the Ancient Tang Empire.

Some rumors also arose within the Ancient Tang Empire.

These rumors claimed that only by bathing in the light of the gods could one be redeemed.

Only by believing in the gods could one obtain eternal life and have an afterlife.

These rumors also claimed that the Ancient Tang Empire was selfish, and for the sake of its own power and strength, it had cut off the afterlife and past of all its subjects.

Because the path of the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor relied on the trust of the people, once rumors arose, many blind subjects were incited, and chaos ensued, breaking the ideal kingdom of the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor from within.

Therefore, after the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor died, the government collapsed with the man, and among the common people of the Ancient Tang Empire, many reviled the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor, saying that it was he who had cut off the path to the afterlife for all subjects."

Lin Chao felt somewhat amused upon hearing this.

If the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor had truly been as exceptionally gifted as Yuwen Zhanye described, if he had followed the normal path to godhood, he would likely have been a Master by now.

At the very least, he would be a Strong Divine Power.

Yet, the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor forsook eternal life for a mere hundred-year lifespan, sharing his divine profession and Divine Power with all the subjects of the nation, only to be reviled in the end.

"The Ancient Tang Empire is very interesting... this country seems somewhat similar to the Arcane Empire," Lin Chao asked.

Indeed, although these two countries were completely different in essence, they were very similar in many places.

"The Master has also noticed; that Sage of the Arcane Empire once went to the Ancient Tang Empire to study when he was young.

I have also met that Sage; he was a person of peerless elegance, learned and wise, and the person he admired most was the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor.

He even said that he wished to be a disciple of the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor across generations."

"So that's how it is."

"By the way, Master, there is also a rumor in the world that the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor was the reincarnation of an ancient god, which is why he was so stunningly talented.

He established an empire and ascended to the God Realm before the age of thirty," Yuwen Zhanye said, looking at Lin Chao.

To tell the truth, he also had some suspicions that the Master was the reincarnation of an ancient god.

After all, the talent the Master displayed was even more terrifying than that of the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor.

"Is that so?" Lin Chao knew that there was no shortage of geniuses in this world, and he was just an Ordinary member of the masses.

The autumn rain was bleak, and the wind swept up the withered yellow leaves. Suddenly, a gale blew, and the roof of a thatched cottage in the distance was blown away by the wind.

An elderly man ran out of the thatched cottage; his figure was extremely thin, as if he were malnourished.

The poor people in this world were indeed mostly malnourished, sallow and thin.

Eyun Xiaojie withdrew her gaze and looked at the mysterious woman opposite her, her eyes filled with wariness: "Who... exactly are you!"

An Qian revealed a smile: "Little beauty, why such hostility toward me?

I only want to see the Ice Snow Empress.

I heard that the Ice Snow Empress is the greatest beauty in the Pantheon, and I am truly curious to see how beautiful she is."

"Are you... a Spirit God?

No, are you from the Ancient Tang Empire?"

Eyun Xiaojie's thoughts were in turmoil as she guessed the identity of this mysterious woman.

"Eyun Xiaojie, why keep guessing?

Just call the Ice Snow Empress down, a projection will do.

I am a good friend of the Ice Snow Empress; I even know that her favorite underwear is blue..."

"You..." Eyun Xiaojie was furious.

In Eyun Xiaojie's eyes, the Ice Snow Empress was pure and unsullied, yet An Qian would say such things.

However, she looked at An Qian without speaking.

At this moment, An Qian did not stop and continued: "I'm afraid Eyun Xiaojie doesn't know yet that the God of Fire has already stepped into the realm of Medium Divine Power at this time.

In a month, you might go to Saya Wangcheng and then meet the newly promoted God of Song.

However, the God of Fire has already set an ambush, and the beautiful Eyun Xiaojie will likely die in the Saya Kingdom."

Hearing this, Eyun Xiaojie's expression changed drastically: "How do you know!"

That she was going to Saya Wangcheng was an absolute secret.

Only she herself knew, not even the God of Song knew.

"I know a lot of things," An Qian smiled lightly, "Unfortunately, you probably won't see the Ice Snow Empress's tragic end, that scene of ice covering ten thousand miles."

"Impossible, even if a Master takes action, it is impossible to completely erase the Ice Snow Empress!"

An Qian smiled enigmatically, then she stared into Eyun Xiaojie's eyes and lowered her voice.

"Legend has it that when the Ice Snow Empress falls, the Ancient Tang Empire... will be frozen for three thousand miles."

The Ancient Tang Empire?

Eyun Xiaojie's heart gave a jolt.

How did she know!

Eyun Xiaojie and the Ice Empress had an unfathomable relationship; no one knew that Eyun Xiaojie was actually the Ice Empress's younger sister.

Eyun Xiaojie also knew a great deal.

Actually, her sister...

"Who exactly are you?"

"Oh my, you people, you gods, are truly annoying, asking me who I am every single day.

If you just call your sister over... wouldn't that settle it?

Could it be that you want to watch your sister... fall?"

Upon hearing this, Eyun Xiaojie felt a complex mix of emotions, feeling immensely shocked.

Such a secret, yet the woman before her actually knew it.

"Fine." Eyun Xiaojie hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.

Even if there were a conspiracy, all that would come of her sister would be a projection.

If anyone died, it would be her; her sister would remain safe and sound.

She organized the information here and transmitted it to the Ice Empress, who was still holding up the God Kingdom.

A moment later, amidst the autumn wind, snow began to fall in swirling flakes.

A tall woman appeared around An Qian.

The temperature of the air also dropped to the Ultimate at that moment.

The unserious smile on An Qian's face faded at this moment; looking at the woman before her, a look of appreciation appeared in her eyes.

She had not yet spoken.

The Ice Empress's projection spoke first, her voice ethereal and cold: "What relationship do you have with... Tang Gu?"

"Tang Gu? You mean that Divine Emperor of the Ancient Tang Empire?" An Qian's eyes revealed a smile, "I do indeed know of him, but I have never met him."

"Do you come from the same place as him?"

The wind stopped at this moment, but the snow was still drifting.

"Perhaps... you could say so, or perhaps not."

An Qian neither denied nor admitted it.

"You possess... the same temperament as him; you are... very much like him." After the Ice Empress finished speaking, she let out a long sigh, like an orchid in an empty valley.

"I am certainly not like him.

After all, I would never be as useless as he was." An Qian spoke teasingly, seemingly holding the Ancient Tang Divine Emperor in low regard.

Yet this sentence touched the Ice Empress's reverse scale.

An aura, powerful to the point of suffocation, suddenly rushed toward An Qian.

The wind began to blow again, and the heavy snow swirled, biting and bitter to the Ultimate.

An Qian's body also began to tremble, appearing to be frozen stiff.

However, she felt no fear, and continued, "If Tang Gu isn't useless, then who is?

Back then, when the gods had just defeated the Spirit Gods and moved into the Pantheon, the gods' strength was still very weak.

That was already considered the best opportunity, but unfortunately, he didn't make good use of it and lost to the gods.

The most ridiculous thing is, this fellow... got too deep into the game, and ended up... playing himself into a corner?

You must have played chess with Tang Gu, right?

Have you ever seen someone play chess and replace the 'General' in the game themselves, while also binding themselves to all the other pieces?

A chess player who develops feelings for the pieces and lives and dies with them, only to end up with the board destroyed and himself dead—it's truly laughable.

A chess player... should stand outside the game and overlook the board."

There was resentment in An Qian's voice as she grumbled.

"The Source was already scarce, and not only did that guy use it all up, he also left me with a mess!"

The Ice Empress stood opposite An Qian; hearing An Qian's take on the chess game, she remained silent, seemingly also knowing much.

An Qian looked up at the Ice Empress: "That guy Tang Gu left a message saying that in this world... only you are worth trusting.

Although I don't think much of that guy, he did have some eye for talent after all.

Ice Empress, are you willing to cooperate with me... to deal with the gods of the Pantheon?"

The Ice Empress was silent; in her mind, the image of that imposing man wearing Golden Armor appeared, and finally, she nodded: "Fine."

(End of chapter)