Chapter 259: The Aid of the Demon Race and the Luo Sect

Human Dao?

Feng Yi raised his eyebrows slightly, looking in surprise at the spear-wielding girl before him.

The girl's aura was like fire, with a hint of cold arrogance in her brow, her gaze solemn as she looked at Feng Yi, waiting for his answer.

In Feng Yi's perception, the girl at this moment did not resemble a fox demon; instead, she was like a phoenix soaring the nine heavens, or rather, a female sovereign ruling over the world.

Demon Sage?

This thought arose in his mind; seeing the girl's aura shift dramatically, Feng Yi's eyes flashed with realization, and without the slightest hesitation he said: 'It is naturally the Dao of all spirits and beings.'

The two words 'Human Dao' can be big or small!

Speaking narrowly, it refers solely to the path of humanity; speaking broadly, among all heavens and worlds, every sentient being—whether immortal, demon, god, or demon—can all be encompassed by the Human Dao.

To a certain extent, the Human Dao is the Dao of civilization, the collective exploration of the unknown by all intelligent life, the contemplation of the Great Dao, and the sum of their understanding of heaven and earth.

Thus, the so-called Human Emperor can refer either to the emperor of humanity or to the emperor of all spirits.

Even the status and authority of the Human Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor overlap greatly; they can be interchangeable, the key lying in whose fist is stronger.

If the Human Emperor's fist is strong, he can naturally rule the heavens with the Human Dao; the Human Emperor is the Heavenly Emperor.

But if the Heavenly Emperor's fist is strong, then the Human Emperor can only honestly submit beneath the Heavenly Emperor.

Feng Yi wishes to unify the heavens under the Human Dao, becoming the sole sovereign of all heavens and worlds, thereby ascending to the other shore; naturally he must be all-encompassing, incorporating the so-called Demon Dao, God Dao, Demon Dao, and so forth into the Human Dao.

Of course, the final authority over the interpretation of the Human Dao still rests in his own hands.

"Oh?"

The spear-wielding girl's pupils shifted slightly; she gazed deeply at Feng Yi, her tone carrying a hint of something inexplicable, and said: 'I never expected to hear such an answer from the mouth of a Human Emperor like you.'

A faint smile appeared on Feng Yi's face, and he did not take up the question.

Regarding the Human Emperor's Dao, different experiences naturally lead to different understandings.

The Human Emperor of these heavens grew up in an age of demonic chaos upon the earth, witnessing during his upbringing countless fiends and demonic creatures slaughtering humanity at will, feasting on humans, leaving an indelible hatred for fiends and demons in his heart.

Even after he later ascended step by step to the other shore, transcending the river of time and space, this understanding never changed.

Precisely for this reason, the Dao of the Human Emperor of these heavens is solely the path of humanity, meant to blaze a road for humanity that will last through the ages, establishing a pure Human Dao paradise.

However, because the Human Emperor's Dao is too pure, it cannot accommodate the remaining myriad races, including the Demon Race; ultimately, even the Demon Emperor who helped him ascend to the other shore had to abandon him.

Because the Demon Emperor is not only the ancestor of humanity but also the sovereign of the Demon Race, both races' future fruition depends on him; neither side could possibly give him up.

But the situation Feng Yi now faces is completely different from that of the medieval Human Emperor.

In the twilight of antiquity, demons ran rampant across the land, and humanity lived in constant peril.

But in the present age, humanity is no longer in constant peril; instead, it occupies a dominant position throughout all heavens and worlds.

For Feng Yi, his Dao will naturally no longer be limited to humanity alone; he intends to encompass all sentient beings within his Human Dao.

He even hopes to see a day when the entire heavens and worlds have only one Dao—his own Human Dao.

After glancing at Feng Yi, the spear-wielding girl's pupils shifted slightly, and she suddenly said: 'Human Emperor, as long as you uphold today's words, our Demon Race is willing to lend you our full aid in restoring you to the throne of Human Emperor.'

Hearing the girl's words, Feng Yi's gaze grew deep, his tone inexplicable as he asked: 'What are the conditions?'

A glint of cold light flashed in the spear-wielding girl's eyes as she said in a cold voice: 'You need only promise, Human Emperor, that after attaining the Dao in the future, you will lend your aid to help me suppress a powerful foe.'

"Strong foe."

"That simple."

After glancing at the spear-wielding girl and sensing the shift in her qi, a hint of realization rose in Feng Yi's heart.

"Demon Buddha?"

Thinking this through, Feng Yi nodded and said: 'No problem.'

"Good."

After saying that, the spear-wielding girl stepped back, fell silent, and seemed utterly unconcerned that Feng Yi might renege.

Feng Yi looked at her in surprise, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

It seemed as if this final condition were merely a trifle; as long as he confirmed his own Human Dao path, no matter how he answered his last question, the other party would agree to assist him.

Could this be an instruction from the Demon Emperor?

This thought arose in his mind; Feng Yi slightly raised his head, as if piercing through boundless time and space, he saw a pair of lofty, inscrutable eyes.

"Demon Emperor?"

"Is it hoped that through my hand the two races of humans and demons may live in harmony, thereby perfecting his own path of reduction and seeking emptiness?"

One after another, thoughts surfaced in his mind and spirit; countless hexagrams flowed through the depths of Feng Yi's eyes, reflecting various divergent future branches, yet there was not the slightest trace of the Demon Emperor's figure.

"Forget it; anyway, for now it's a good thing for me!"

After a good while, having suppressed the thoughts in his heart, Feng Yi turned his gaze toward another girl.

This girl wore a white robe, ethereal and pure; her jade-white hands grasped a pole of misty, intertwining plain-colored cloud-realm banner, bearing a hint of sanctity—she is none other than the Holy Maiden of the Luo Sect, one of the Nine Demonic Dao, Gu Xiaosang.

While Feng Yi was conversing with the Demon Sage, Gu Xiaosang merely stood silently in place, like a clay statue of a deity.

Sensing Feng Yi's gaze, the girl's qi shifted, as if she had transformed directly from a clay idol into a living spirit, and she softly said: 'Greetings, His Highness Prince Jin!'

"Greetings, Holy Maiden!"

Feng Yi gave a slight nod: 'I do not know why the Holy Maiden has come to seek me this time.'

Gu Xiaosang glanced at the spear-wielding girl beside her, smiling as she said: 'Just like this fellow Daoist, our Luo Sect is also willing to aid Your Highness in ascending to the throne of Human Emperor.'

"Oh?"

Feng Yi raised his eyebrows slightly, posing the same question: 'What are the conditions?'

"No conditions."

Gu Xiaosang rubbed the plain-colored cloud-realm banner in her hands, her eyes downcast, she chuckled softly: 'In fact, Your Highness should know this in your heart.'

"Knows it in his heart."

Feng Yi gazed deeply at Gu Xiaosang, and a faint understanding stirred in his heart.

"Does the Golden Emperor really have to bear the grace of attaining the Dao that originally belonged to the Human Emperor, assist this Human Emperor's body of mine to reach the other shore, and completely settle this karmic debt?"

Thinking of this, Feng Yi increasingly felt that this karmic bond was not merely as simple as containing the grace of attaining the Dao that originally belonged to the Human Emperor.

"Golden Emperor."

Feng Yi looked toward Gu Xiaosang again and saw her merely smiling at him, as if waiting for his answer.

Just then, the spear-wielding maiden who had been standing silently at the side suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Heh, I never expected that the Net Sect, notorious for rebellion and subversion, would actually choose to support a Human Emperor!"

Gu Xiaosang turned her gaze, smiling charmingly at the spear-wielding maiden: "Compared to our Net Sect, it's even more unbelievable that you, the Demon Race, would support a Human Emperor!"

"You"

A flicker of fire flashed in the spear-wielding maiden's eyes as she glanced at the plain-colored cloud realm flag in Gu Xiaosang's hand, then she turned her gaze away without speaking further.

Gu Xiaosang looked toward Feng Yi again, chuckling: "As the future Human Emperor, Your Highness shouldn't mind our Net Sect's demonic dao identity, right?"

"Of course not."

Feng Yi shook his head; his Human Dao could even accommodate the Demon Dao, so naturally it would not reject the Demonic Dao.

Anyway, in the future everything will have to proceed according to his rules.

Merely thinking about the two forces supporting him before him, Feng Yi suddenly felt a strange sensation in his heart.

The supporters of this Human Emperor of mine are either the Demon Race or the Demonic Gate; it really feels quite strange.

If this were exposed, likely the entire orthodox path of the Real Realm would lump me together with heretical devilish ways and shout for my beating and killing.

Thinking of this, Feng Yi looked toward the person beside him, Wang Siyuan.

Noticing Feng Yi's gaze, Wang Siyuan observed his nose, observed his heart from his nose, appearing detached from worldly affairs, and expressed no opinion at all.

Since arriving here, Wang Siyuan has realized that these two maidens before him are not someone he can provoke; he had best remember the ancestral precepts of the Wang clan.

As for the distinction between orthodox and heterodox, this near-mad artesan of his naturally doesn't care either.

"Forget it, let's first obtain the Human Emperor Sword and then talk!"

Thinking of this, Feng Yi turned his gaze, lingered for a moment on the phoenix-wing black gold spear, and suddenly had a plan in his mind.

"Sword Brother, your old rivals have all appeared; why don't you show yourself?"

"As the Human Emperor Sword, you can't be cowardly!"

With the thought turning in his mind, Feng Yi looked toward the Human Emperor Ancient Path ahead, smiling: "Two fellow Daoists, since you both wish to help me attain the position of Human Emperor, come with me to see the legendary Human Emperor Sword!"

While speaking, Feng Yi led Wang Siyuan to before the ancient path.

Gu Xiaosang and the spear-wielding maiden exchanged a glance and followed the two's steps.

The ancient path could roughly accommodate two people walking side by side, with lamp posts planted on both sides, burning with a soft flame that seemed never to extinguish.

Wang Siyuan curiously surveyed the Human Emperor Ancient Path before him, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

He again encountered something he could not see clearly.

"Beyond this Human Emperor Ancient Path lies the Sword Forging Platform, which is also the birthplace of the Human Emperor Sword."

"Unlike other peerless divine weapons, the Human Emperor Sword was not strong when first born; but in the process of following the Human Emperor to sweep across the heavens, it was tempered by the blood of myriad immortals, gods, demons, and monsters that fell beneath its blade, refined by the convictions of generation after generation of human forefathers, growing step by step, transforming step by step, ultimately accompanying the Human Emperor to ascend to the supreme peak, becoming one of the strongest peerless divine weapons in this world, and also becoming the supreme treasure of the Human Dao."

As he spoke, Feng Yi's internal qi shifted slightly, and radiant Human Dao light wove around his whole body, containing the shadow of myriad beings of the Human Dao, bearing a hint of majesty, as he stepped into the ancient path.

"Human Emperor Sword Human Emperor Ancient Path"

A glimmer of realization appeared in Wang Siyuan's eyes, and he too stepped into the Human Emperor Ancient Path.

Hum

Upon entering the ancient path, resonant, unyielding voices rang in Wang Siyuan's ears, followed by ancient scrolls depicting the human forefathers cutting through thorns and brambles, pioneering human civilization.

These scrolls were like primordial divine mountains, immensely heavy, causing Wang Siyuan's bones and muscles to faintly ache, almost making him cough up blood.

But the next moment, Human Dao light enveloped all directions; the pressure on Wang Siyuan's body dissipated like melting ice and snow, vanishing as if it had never existed.

Glancing at the figure beside him whose whole body was wreathed in Human Dao light, Wang Siyuan's eyes flashed with understanding.

Does one need to cultivate Human Dao methods to truly pass through this Human Emperor Ancient Path?

Before the thought in his mind had fully settled, seeing the two maidens behind him and sensing the qi emitted from the divine weapons in their hands, Wang Siyuan gained another realization.

If there were a treasure guarding at the same level as the Human Emperor Sword, one should also be able to pass through this passage!

The deeper one goes into the Human Emperor Ancient Path, the greater the surrounding pressure becomes.

However, Feng Yi possessed the status of Human Emperor and cultivated Human Dao methods; not only was he unaffected, he actually felt like a fish in water, while the other two, having other-shore supreme protection of the same level, also did not feel much pressure.

Everyone's footsteps did not stop, continuing forward along this passageway.

After a while, a lingering vital energy of verdant wood giving rise to hair and the bright intention of the sun remained on the left side of the ancient path, inseparable, forming a whole.

"This is the residual qi of the East Yang Divine Lord."

Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar qi, Feng Yi's eyes twitched slightly, he uttered a brief explanation, did nothing more, and continued walking forward.

"East Yang Divine Lord?"

A hint of contemplation appeared in Wang Siyuan's eyes; he seemed to be a Dharma Embodiment powerhouse of the medieval era, whose strength back then was not particularly outstanding.

Had he also come to the Human Emperor Ancient Path?

With thoughts turning in his mind, after glancing at that lingering qi, Wang Siyuan hurriedly caught up with the figure ahead.

After the two, when Gu Xiaosang passed by this qi, she took a deep look at the figure ahead, a faint inexplicable smile appearing in her eyes, though she did nothing else.

After everyone had left, the surroundings of this qi suddenly had a river of time and space flowing, as if in an instant returning to a certain point in the past, where past and future overlapped here.

The next moment, countless images flowed; this qi continually transformed, directly becoming a tangible figure—the East Yang Divine Lord who had come to this place at that past time node.

At this moment, he stood frozen in place, countless streams of information flowing in his pupils, as if he had suddenly understood something.

"I see."

"I am."

A soft sigh sounded; before the words faded, this figure directly turned into a mark linking past and future, merging into the river of time and space and disappearing.

The past timeline thereby underwent a change, but the East Yang Divine Lord was merely an ordinary Dharma Embodiment; his impact on the history of the Real Realm was not great, as other Dharma Embodiments appeared to uphold the historical process, causing no major ripples.

This place regained tranquility again.

Within the Human Emperor Ancient Road, the walking Feng Yi suddenly let out a muffled groan, his breath momentarily disrupted, but soon settled.

Wang Siyuan glanced at him, a hint of doubt appearing in his eyes.

A backlash of spacetime power?

Gu Xiaosang and the spear-wielding girl also looked toward Feng Yi.

However, the two seemed to have already sensed it, their expressions not changing much.

Feng Yi also paid no heed to his own change, continuing forward.

In the following time, everyone encountered many different residual auras, all famous figures from the Middle Ancient era: the Middle Ancient Sages, the Five Dynasties Mysterious Lady, and even one of Wang Siyuan's Middle Ancient ancestors, the Numerous Saints.

These auras, according to their strength, remained in different places respectively.

After an unknown amount of walking, a heavy stone gate appeared before everyone; beyond it lay an endless sea of fire, within which a sword-forging platform faintly appeared.

Beside the gate, crackling purple lightning coiled, and an overwhelmingly strong blade Dao true intent surged forth, creating an oppressive feeling.

"Overlord?"

A hint of contemplation appeared in Wang Siyuan's eyes as he recalled the Middle Ancient powerhouses recorded in the classics, matching them to a certain figure.

"Not bad, exactly the sole Middle Ancient figure who self-proved the legend of the Overlord."

Feng Yi nodded, but did not look at that purple lightning; instead, he gazed at the illusory figure beside it.

That was a monk wearing gray robes, his body suffused with a glazed luster, exuding a pure and solemn sense of liberation.

"What is this?"

Upon seeing this monk, Wang Siyuan's mind and spirit uncontrollably trembled, his pupils suddenly becoming unusually bright.

"Ananda!"

At that moment, a chilling sound like that from the Nine Netherworld Hell rang out, followed by a terrifying flame that could scorch heaven and earth, resembling a phoenix spreading its wings and flying, which directly fell upon that illusory figure.

In silence, that illusory figure directly turned to nothingness, even the last trace of its breath being burned away cleanly, leaving no residue.

Wang Siyuan looked somewhat astonished at the spear-wielding girl beside him, who had suddenly become extraordinarily terrifying, countless thoughts surging in his mind.

"That monk just now was the disciple of the Buddha, the Great Arhat Ananda."

"Ananda, Ananda..."

Feng Yi's eyes likewise showed a hint of surprise.

The Demon Saint seems utterly unconcerned about his true identity being exposed?

He silently committed this information to memory; Feng Yi did not continue forward but instead closed his eyes.

As the Demon Saint's spear power was aroused, Feng Yi's mind and spirit faintly connected with a vast, boundless consciousness, sensing an eager, supreme fighting will.

"Human Emperor Sword!"

Indeed, upon the appearance of his old rival, the Human Emperor Sword would surely not remain silent any longer.

With this thought arising in his heart, Feng Yi's mind and spirit fully sank into his body, completely activating the Human Emperor rank he contained, communicating with that consciousness as vast as a galaxy.

"Clang!"

After an unknown interval, a heavy, low-pitched sword resonance suddenly rang out; the entire Human Emperor Ancient Road abruptly fell silent, as if everything had come to a halt.

As Wang Siyuan pondered the matter of Ananda, his mind and spirit shuddered, and a series of resonant, powerful shouts suddenly arose in his heart.

They were shouts of defiance, of hot-blooded zeal, vowing to carve a path of survival for humanity.

Wang Siyuan suddenly felt his blood boiling, as if he had returned to the end of antiquity, forging a long sword, protecting the human race, cutting through thorns, slaying demons, and carving a myriad‑generation path for humanity.

"Is the Human Emperor Sword really here?"

Just as that thought arose in Wang Siyuan's mind, Feng Yi suddenly opened his eyes, reached out, and plunged his hand into the flames ahead, pulling out an object.

"Human Emperor Sword?"

Wang Siyuan instinctively looked, but upon seeing the object's shape clearly, he couldn't help but startle.

That was not the Human Emperor Sword at all, merely a thin rod of scrap iron, covered in nodules, resembling some kind of smelting waste.

"Is this the Human Emperor Sword?"

(End of chapter)