Chapter 187: Enduring Humiliation to Bear the Burden, the Descent of a Heavenly God

At this very moment.

Above the vast and boundless sea, the figure of Lu Yuan rode the gale, rapidly tearing through the horizon, carrying Dongcheng Boyu as he flew swiftly toward the direction of the Sunlight Country.

After advancing to the late stage of Refining Essence into Qi, the Dharma Power issue that had long plagued him no longer existed; not only was it sufficient to support the prolonged use of the Wind Riding Technique, but his speed had also reached an astonishing rate of over a thousand miles per hour, so even a journey of over four thousand miles was nothing to him.

However, because he was carrying someone at this moment, this journey not only increased his consumption of Dharma Power significantly but also severely dragged down his speed, making it so he could only fly six or seven hundred miles per hour, meaning it would take at least seven hours—that is, more than seven hours—to reach the Sunlight Country's capital, Shangjing.

Fortunately, Lu Yuan carried many Qi Replenishing Pills with him, which could replenish his Dharma Power at any time. He flew along like this, and whenever there was a tendency to lose his way, he would fly to an altitude of over ten thousand meters to let Dongcheng Boyu determine the direction, and then, before sunset, he finally saw the shadow of a massive island sitting in the distance.

It was none other than the birthplace of the Sunlight Empire, the Rizhao Archipelago.

"If that demon wants to do you harm, he must first step over our corpses!"

"Bastards, what on earth is the navy doing? How could it have turned out like this!"

"People from the Shenluo Holy See once said that their Pope has been preparing to break through to the Ninth Stage God-Man realm, and it has already been a year; whether he succeeds or fails should be known very soon. As long as the Shenluo People succeed, we can borrow their power to deal with that person; there might even be a chance to reap the benefits as the third party!"

Shenhua Tianyi revealed a silent and weathered smile:

"The Buto Soul-Cleansing Shrine is the dwelling place of the heroic souls of the Sunlight people. As the Shrine Master, how could I turn a blind eye and cling to life when encountering a powerful enemy? My lifespan is already running low, and since I can witness the power of a so-called Immortal with my own eyes this time, I naturally will not miss it."

This beam of golden light was like a sharp arrow, piercing the sky and manifesting in the shape of a Heavenly Ladder; immediately, a figure stepped down from the Heavenly Ladder, walking with Immortal light swirling around his body, while the massive light shadows of a dragon and a phoenix chased and circled on his left and right.

Everything about it was as if a true god residing in Tianjie had descended into the human world!

This scene, which seemed like the descent of a heavenly god, was not only seen by powerful figures in the martial arts world like Shenhua Tianyi, but countless soldiers and commoners in the vast Shangjing also looked up and saw it clearly amidst their exclamations, and then all of them opened their mouths wide, falling into unprecedented shock and panic.

Behind Shenhua Tianyi, his True Disciple Ueda Masaaki said in a deep voice:

"Immortals also need to rest. He has carried someone across thousands of miles, and it happens to be nightfall, making it difficult to distinguish direction; it is possible he will rest for the night on the way."

Such worry was not without reason; once these words were spoken, a look of shock and fear flashed in the eyes of most ministers.

On the roof of the main hall of the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion.

"Not bad."

"Your Majesty the Emperor, latest intelligence! Patrol ships on the southern coast have discovered the existence of that Shenzhou Immortal. He did not stop but is coming straight toward the direction of Shangjing!"

Even the newly developed Steam Airships were dispatched by the dozens, all scattered to patrol and keep watch in the airspace for tens of miles, seeking to discover Lu Yuan and react at the first opportunity.

Shenhua Tianyi, the only Eighth Rank Imperial Sovereign, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the deep, bright moonlight on the horizon, not knowing what he was thinking.

Shenhua Tianyi sighed long and hard, his murky eyes carrying a hint of unspeakable meaning:

This sentence sounded as if he were giving his last words; all the experts had heavy and dejected expressions, and Ueda Masaaki's eyes even turned red:

With such a huge commotion, the millions of Sunlight people in Kyoto had no idea what was happening, yet they clearly felt a sense of suffocation and oppression as if the sky were about to collapse and the earth to crack, and they fell into panic and chaos.

"No matter, it is only one night, I will wait right here."

The news was not deliberately concealed, and soon a large number of landlords and powerful figures learned of the situation and took advantage of the night to flee Kyoto with their families; the high-level officials, facing a formidable enemy, had no time to stop them and let these people escape.

And subsequently, after repeated verification by intelligence personnel, they could fully confirm that Lu Yuan indeed possessed some kind of Supernatural Power to manipulate people's hearts; otherwise, the princes and high officials of the Jin Dynasty could not have been so cooperative when the great changes occurred in Shenzhou.

"What exactly does he want to do? Does he want to attack Shangjing alone?"

"Lord Shenhua, Your Majesty the Emperor, at his speed, he will arrive in Shangjing in another two or three hours. We must prepare as soon as possible, otherwise, I am afraid it will be too late!"

"How can that be? Then why did you agree to come out of seclusion and come to the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion?"

At this moment, one could see that the sea area in this direction was sparsely scattered with a large number of small military ships, patrolling everywhere, seemingly guarding against or searching for something.

They had long learned through various channels the intelligence that Lu Yuan was suspected of being able to manipulate people's hearts with techniques; after all, the things that happened among the high-level officials of the Jin Dynasty in the two months before the founding of the New Nation were too bizarre, and there were various rumors circulating that made it hard for people not to notice.

Following the tapping of the Telegraph Machine on the ship, only a moment later, the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion in Shangjing received the news.

"Master, in my opinion, that Immortal might not come tonight."

"The Empire has only built four fleets in all these years; doesn't that mean half are already gone?"

After all, no one knew what would happen in the end once Lu Yuan arrived; if the two sides were to engage in battle, it would inevitably be earth-shattering, so letting these people escape could be considered a disguised way of reducing losses.

The ministers and the powerful experts of the martial arts world hurriedly stepped aside and then answered passionately:

"Your Majesty the Emperor, please rest assured. As long as we work together, the Empire will surely be able to safely survive this catastrophe!"

Great Priest Ueda Masaaki immediately said:

Miyamoto Shinichi, who commanded the Dark Department Ninjas, hesitated for a moment before saying in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty the Emperor, I oppose resisting this person with great fanfare. The destruction of the Second Fleet, the Third Fleet, and the Dawan base has already proven that this person is like a god or demon and cannot be dealt with by relying on experts to hold him back or by human-wave tactics. Using the Destruction King in Shangjing would be killing a thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses, and it might even be completely ineffective."

"Your Majesty the Emperor, please move to the safe house immediately; leave the rest to us!" The other party's target was suspected to be Shangjing, and ensuring the safety of the Emperor was something everyone agreed upon. Yushen Emperor bowed deeply to Shenhua Tianyi once more, then turned and left with the guards.

As the words fell, the main hall was in an uproar, and many ministers and experts of the martial arts world were shocked and angry:

"Presumptuous! To actually dare to invade our Empire's territory!"

But facing such a terrifying existence as Lu Yuan, they were deeply afraid that they would be brainwashed and manipulated in a single encounter just like the high officials of the Jin Dynasty; if that happened, it would no longer be enduring humiliation to bear the burden, but a national catastrophe!

"What you all say makes sense."

Many martial arts experts were shocked upon hearing this:

"Ten percent? Thirty percent?"

Shenhua Tianyi then said slowly:

"So we must endure as much as possible and avoid conflict. But on the other hand, we must also prepare for the worst-case scenario. If that person is relentless and leads to the Empire's existential crisis, then we will have no choice but to resist at any cost..."

"Send a telegram immediately, notify Shangjing, hurry!"

And among these people, the one sitting in the main seat was actually not Yushen Emperor, but an old man in plain clothes with white hair.

Shenhua Tianyi nodded:

"You must remember, if the situation reaches the worst point, you do not need to sacrifice your lives; you should prioritize preserving yourselves. Just as that old saying from Shenzhou goes: 'As long as the green hills remain, one need not worry about firewood.' As long as the spark is not extinguished, the soul of Sunlight will always exist, and our nation will still have a chance to rise again. Do you understand?"

"Master, please rest assured, we will definitely keep your teachings in mind and never dare to forget."

"I believe we should temporarily endure humiliation, show weakness to the enemy, and find a way to appease this person. As long as we endure this time, we can find ways to unite with the Shenluo and Sha'e countries in the future, and by concentrating the power of the three countries, there will always be a time to take revenge, rather than letting the Empire fall into danger now!"

This wait lasted for an entire night.

Shenhua Tianyi nodded, then said no more, and just sat cross-legged on the roof in silence.

When facing a powerful enemy, they would never hesitate to kneel to gain a breathing space, and wait until they were strong enough to bare their fangs and counterattack.

"Kyoto can no longer be stayed in, leave quickly!"

At this moment, even the Yushen Emperor could not help but cast his gaze toward the white-haired, aged Shenhua Tianyi, and after taking a deep breath, he said:

"Lord Shenhua, to resist this person, we can only rely on you."

"W-what, that Shenzhou Immortal wiped out the Third Fleet at Dawan, and has now already arrived at the Empire's mainland?!"

Everyone looked up in shock, and immediately saw a golden light rapidly spreading within the slightly deep, dark clouds overhead, then piercing through the cloud layer to illuminate the heavens and earth.

It was none other than the true strongest of Sunlight Country, the Eighth Rank Imperial Sovereign, the legend worshipped by the masses of the martial arts world, and the true master of the Buto Soul-Cleansing Shrine, Shenhua Tianyi.

However, legends are fabrications after all; with the rise of the Sunlight Empire and the development of science and technology, such talk of Immortals and gods has today become stories used by the elderly to coax children. No one could have imagined that they would truly and tangibly witness the existence of an Immortal or god with their own eyes!!

"It's over, it's over. Wiping out two fleets in succession is something only a true Immortal could do. The Empire has angered an Immortal and will surely face Heaven's wrath!"

Shenhua Tianyi was silent for a long time, then slowly said:

The Yushen Emperor also took a deep breath, bowed and saluted the crowd in the great hall, and said:

"The rise and glory of the Sunlight people must never be cut short in our hands. Gentlemen, the fate of myself and the Empire is entrusted to you all!"

Clatter!

A large number of ignorant commoners in the city knelt down at the first moment, kowtowing like they were pounding garlic; the powerful and military personnel who knew the inside story were filled with despair, almost instantly losing the courage to resist.

"It is regrettable, but if all the intelligence is accurate and correct, then my confidence in winning a battle against him is not even one in ten, and even if I were to merely contain him, the confidence does not exceed three in ten."

The next moment.

"Lord Shenhua is right."

The Yushen Emperor's brows could not help but knit tightly together, while the presiding Military Affairs Minister had a face like iron, and said bitterly:

"Both lords have misunderstood. It is not that we are overestimating our abilities and insisting on dealing with this person, but from past battle records, the Shenzhou Immortal is ruthless and unscrupulous. The fate of the Second Fleet sent to Shangdu, as well as the Third Fleet and base at Dawan, have all proven this.

And Lu Yuan, thousands of meters high in the sky, merely swept his gaze over them, and without paying them any mind, he swept past with Dongcheng Boyu, continuing to fly toward the direction of Shangjing.

Although the history of Sunlight Country is not as long as that of Shenzhou, under the influence of its culture, legends of Immortals and gods were once relatively prevalent, and there is no shortage of various Immortals and gods worshipped by the people in various places.

At this very moment, the main hall of the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion was packed; not only were the Yushen Emperor and a crowd of military and political ministers present, but many experts and powerhouses of the martial arts world, including Ueda Masaaki and Miyamoto Shinichi, were also gathered here.

"He is heading straight for Shangjing, so he definitely harbors malicious intent and is not so easily dismissed. We are worried that he will turn His Majesty the Emperor and the rest of us into his puppets, just like he controlled the Emperor and high officials of the Jin Dynasty. At that time, the entire Empire will be finished!"

All the experts and powerhouses of the martial arts world stood respectfully behind him, and tens of thousands of Sunlight soldiers inside and outside the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion were also full of tension, waiting anxiously.

At this moment, several Imperial God Generals and over twenty Great Famous Generals were waiting on the roof, and one Imperial God General could not help but ask:

"Lord Shenhua, this humble one dares to ask, if you were to face that Shenzhou Immortal, what degree of confidence would you have?"

And even though it was dusk and the sky was dim, many observers on the various Sunlight military ships also discovered the figure sweeping past from the high altitude, and then let out terrified screams:

"That Demon God has appeared!"

The entire Heavenly Guardian Pavilion began to operate with unprecedented efficiency; an army of over one hundred thousand was mobilized, and hundreds of Cannons, machine guns, and armored vehicles entered the capital city, being deployed in the streets inside and outside the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion.

This also filled them with fear regarding Lu Yuan's move to head straight for Shangjing.

"This old man is already aged; even if I were to strike with all my strength, I fear it would be difficult to resist such a terrifying figure. I can only do my best."

Just like that, several hours passed. From sunset to the arrival of night, the entire city fell into pitch blackness, and in the tense waiting of hundreds of thousands of Sunlight people, they did not wait for Lu Yuan's arrival.

"Even if the situation reaches the worst possible point, we, along with the hundreds of thousands of warriors in Kyoto, will defend the Empire with our lives!"

The chaos throughout Kyoto did not stop; wealthy merchants, powerful figures, and even commoners continued to flee through the major city gates. It was not until the sun rose and the daylight gradually brightened, and the countless Sunlight soldiers who had been on high alert at the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion all night felt exhausted, that Shenhua Tianyi, who was sitting cross-legged on the roof, suddenly looked up:

"He has come!"

At this time, an intelligence officer rushed into the great hall in extreme urgency and reported loudly:

Subsequently.

Enduring humiliation and bearing burdens is actually a basic skill for every Sunlight person; without this power of endurance, the vast Sunlight Empire could never have risen rapidly and grown to the point of stepping into the ranks of the great powers.

And only the Shrine Master, Shenhua Tianyi, stood up suddenly at the first moment, letting out a thunderous shout from the roof of the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion, which could be called the tallest building in Kyoto:

"May I ask, are you the Shenzhou Immortal Lu Yuan? I am the master of the Buto Soul-Cleansing Shrine, Shenhua Tianyi. I invite the Immortal to condescend to a meeting!"