Chapter 196: Human Emperor's Trial - 1

"We are humans, not livestock!"

"Humans have their own will, their own strength; even if weak, they should not be meek!"

"Heaven's Dao is impartial, Earth's Dao is ever-changing; the Human Dao shall rise!"

"The Human Dao shall rise!"

"The Human Dao shall rise!"

"The Human Dao shall rise!"

"Countless ancient forebears grieved, roared, and sacrificed within the Human Emperor Banner for that one phrase 'The Human Dao shall rise,' giving everything so that future humankind would have a foothold."

"Their voices, despite having endured countless ages, still echo within the Human Emperor Banner, causing Yan Buji's spirit to suffer repeated violent shocks!"

"It is a shock, not an acknowledgment!"

"Yan Buji's mind lost control because the spiritual will of countless ancient forebears is stronger and more tenacious than his!"

"They fear neither death nor sacrifice, nor hardship and obstruction; having sworn the oath for humankind to rise, they press forward relentlessly, never retreating."

"Frankly, Yan Buji is merely an ordinary cultivator; even if he is ruthless and profit-driven, under such shock he could never possibly remain clear-headed and sane."

"He merely felt that his past life indeed lacked a clear goal; he heard the ancient forebears' resounding call, heard their unwillingness."

"Emotions can mutually influence each other."

"When everyone's will merges into one, sparing no cost for a common goal, a single person's voice cannot raise a wave."

"Yan Buji stood motionless beside the furnace, hot tears streaming from his eyes down his cheeks; his feeling of unwillingness to see humankind weak and his refusal to let humankind be bullied grew ever stronger!"

"If he were a normal cultivator, he would not oppose this spirit, for he himself is part of humanity and would not change because of his character and methods."

"Likewise, the Human Emperor Banner, as long as its wielder is human, will not attack him with those ancient forebears' will; instead, it repeats over and over the hardships and sufferings of humankind in the barbaric era."

"Sacrifice is not worthy of praise, but it must be remembered in the heart!"

"Humankind is not strong; it is only because someone fought all their battles for them that they can stand in the world."

"At this moment, the scene is as if Yan Buji stands high upon a cliff, facing countless ancient forebears, raising the Human Emperor Banner, and swearing an oath to those who are bullied and treated as livestock!"

"Speak it out!"

"Speak it out!"

"Speak it out!"

"The Human Dao shall rise!"

"The Human Dao shall rise!"

"At this moment the Human Emperor Banner emanates an unmatched aura of humanity; amidst the rolling, vast red dust, it seems as if countless dawn-commoners kneel before him, hands outstretched, awaiting each word he speaks."

"Below, Lidao Ren's pupils contracted as he retreated a few steps."

""How can the Human Emperor Banner possibly acknowledge this brat?""

""Wrong, where does this brat get the qualifications to be acknowledged?!""

""Something's wrong!""

""The Human Emperor Banner is no mere treasure; setting aside what would happen if outsiders seized it, anyone unable to withstand its might will willingly become nourishment for its revival—and this is the best proof of how the barbaric-era humans selected their Human Emperor.""

""Because those people of that era could not truly be called human; they had no choice.""

""So-called propriety, morality, human rights, rule of law—none existed.""

""That was the most chaotic era; humankind survived in the cracks between myriad races, and only the Human Emperor could contend with those alien mighty ones. The Human Emperor Banner was born in that background; to guarantee its might, besides the human aura...."

""And the lives of those who sacrifice everything for humankind, living solely for the four words 'Humankind shall rise,' can serve as nourishment to supplement the Human Emperor Banner.""

"But Lidao Ren knows that what he has summoned is not some genuine article, merely a phantom of that broken Human Emperor Banner."

"In other words, whoever can wield this phantom of the Human Emperor Banner, even if they never become a Human Emperor, is still deemed to have earned the qualification to become one."

""Could it be that I misjudged him? This brat may appear sinister and vicious on the surface, yet he still harbors a high degree of identification with humankind?" Lidao Ren thought to himself."

"This is not hard to understand, after all, being born human, one's acquired personality is unrelated to innate nature."

"Being innately human means he himself believes he was born a person, and this obsession is deeply ingrained; otherwise the phantom of the Human Emperor Banner would not acknowledge him."

"Yan Buji raised the Human Emperor Banner and shouted amid countless hopes and beliefs:"

""To speak from the Human Emperor's position without knowing one's own words—my words are for humanity first, for myself!!!""

"Yan Buji casually tossed the Human Emperor Banner in his hand, looking ahead:"

""I would rather scheme for my own person than become a Human Emperor!""

"I am Yan Buji!"

"Lidao Ren widened his eyes, watching Yan Buji tumble down from the furnace and crash heavily to the ground, not knowing what to say for a moment."

""Brat, you dare ruin my plans! I!!""

"But immediately, Lidao Ren flew into a rage; although he did not know how Yan Buji resisted the Banner's corrosion without being swept up by that belief into someone with a strong sense of mission toward humankind, now that he has dropped the Human Emperor Banner, does it not mean his plan has utterly failed?!"

""Is this not trying to take his life?!""

"Yan Buji gasped as he crawled up from the ground, his face pallid as he watched Lidao Ren charge at him, thinking he was utterly doomed!"

"Although he had withstood the Banner's corrosion by relying on his rudimentary understanding of the Human Dao, it also thoroughly enraged Lidao Ren."

"Can only.... have we come this far?"

"Unwilling."

"Faced with overwhelming power, even Yan Buji knows he is surely doomed, and despair arises unbidden in his heart."

"Yan Buji sighed, closed his eyes, and awaited death."

"But at this moment, as Lidao Ren came to kill, he saw the phantom of the Human Emperor Banner actively shielding Yan Buji's side, emitting rolling red qi that repelled him!"

"Huh?!"

"Lidao Ren stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend for a moment."

""No, what kind of grandstanding is this with your Human Emperor Banner? You don't need to rush to fawn over others, do you?""

Yan Buji waited a moment, found himself unharmed, and cautiously opened his eyes. Seeing the Human Emperor Flag before him, and then looking at the bewildered Li Dao Ren who had not yet come to his senses, he couldn't help but be surprised.

Come.

Although Yan Buji said with his mouth that he was not the Human Emperor, he nevertheless felt a faint connection with the Human Emperor Flag, waved his hand to take the flag into his hand, and looking at this flagpole nearly three meters high, he couldn't help but be shocked.

The surging human qi transmitted from the Human Emperor Flag actually unlocked the seal on his dantian; it seemed that as long as he held the Human Emperor Flag, within the Human Smoke Building he would no longer be disturbed by human qi, and instead all human qi would be absorbed by the flag, having no effect on him!

He couldn't understand.

Cleary he had already refused......

But behind every gift, there must be an unimaginable price.

Even though Yan Buji could now drive this Human Emperor Flag for free, he felt little joy in his heart, instead having a sense of being trapped.

Li Dao Ren saw the scene of Yan Buji again holding the illusion of the Human Emperor Flag, his expression instantly changed, and he said happily:

Good lad, you actually gained the Human Emperor Flag's approval and obtained the qualifications of a Human Emperor!