CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 70: BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE HUMAN EMPEROR (THIRD UPDATE/MAKE-UP UPDATE!)

"Envoy Mao, please have a seat."

In the overly simple courtyard, Mao Aowu stood stiffly by the door, unable to decide whether he should step forward or retreat, kneel or clasp his fists. Is this really happening? Could it be some sort of illusion? Mao Aowu glanced at the elder in the courtyard and then turned his head to look at the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion Master playing chess under the nearby tree—the most powerful person he had had the privilege of meeting so far. His Majesty the Human Emperor inviting him for a simple meal... It was just like a dream!

"What are you standing there for?"

The amiable and friendly Human Emperor, who combined the dignity of an emperor, the air of a top expert, and the image of a kind old neighbor, was smiling and beckoning him to come and sit.

Mao Aowu nodded vigorously, pulled himself together, breathed somewhat heavily, and his demon heart was quite unstable. Dizzy and confused, he didn’t know how he managed to walk over and sit on the small stool opposite His Majesty the Human Emperor, still maintaining an impeccably proper posture, as if he were a statue. There were several simple dishes on the table, surprisingly ordinary.

The Human Emperor picked up a cup of spirits, took a sip, smiled, and let out a few contented sighs, saying, "Why are you standing there? Help yourself with the chopsticks, raise your cup. Surely you don’t expect me to toast you?"

"I wouldn’t dare, I dare not! How could you honor me? I’ll drink first, as you please, as you please."

Mao Aowu quickly picked up the cup in front of him, tilted his head back, and emptied it in one gulp, which somewhat settled his mind.

The Human Emperor was without any formalities; he had heard this from the Pavilion Master before. Yet, facing His Majesty in person, and feeling his cultivation as vast as the ocean and endless as the starry sky, Mao Aowu truly couldn’t relax.

"Your Majesty, I am somewhat too excited!"

"It’s understandable," said His Majesty Shennong with a warm smile. "The rapid resolution of the recent immortal-demon bickering owes much to your significant contributions. The reason I asked you here is to meet you. The three strategies to stabilize the sea seem simple and straightforward in execution, but upon closer inspection, they contain profound truths and wisdom. Can you tell me how you came up with these strategies?"

Upon hearing this, Mao Aowu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, unsure of how to respond. The silver-haired Heavenly Immortal turned pale, his speech faltering and shaky, his eyes fluctuating with surprise, and after hesitating for a while, he abruptly stood up and knelt down with a thud.

"Eh?" His Majesty Shennong looked puzzled. "Why are you kneeling?"

"Your Majesty, forgive me! These strategies were not devised by me!"

Mao Aowu declared firmly, "But I cannot reveal who is behind them! I am willing to bear the sole responsibility for deceiving Your Majesty!"

His Majesty Shennong’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked out of the courtyard. The two distinguished elders outside also stood up, one of them frowning at Mao Aowu and speaking in a deep voice, "Aowu, these strategies were not developed by you? Then where did they come from?"

Mao Aowu’s brow furrowed tightly, and he sighed, "I do not know why this matter has come before His Majesty. If I hide anything from His Majesty, it would be disloyal. Yet if I reveal the source of the strategies, it is also disloyal and even more dishonorable. I am caught between a rock and a hard place and am willing to face death for it!"

"Ah," His Majesty Shennong seemed to understand something and said to the two outside, "Continue your game, don’t frighten the boy. Aowu, stand up."

The two elders nodded and continued to play chess and chat with smiles. Seeing Mao Aowu’s troubled face, His Majesty Shennong spoke soothingly, "You are too nervous, treating me as if I were a flood or a fierce beast. Am I some kind of man-eating monster? Look, I’ve even lost a few teeth. What does it matter if the ideas weren’t yours? We are discussing merits, not punishments. If you speak the truth, you can simply decline credit. How does that involve being disloyal or dishonorable? You are a meritorious contributor; if anyone dares to trouble you, I’ll dismiss them right away!"

At that moment, to Mao Aowu, the elder seemed... to be glowing. The Human Emperor was truly too kind-hearted.

Regaining his composure, Mao Aowu said with a bit of embarrassment, "I was just overly excited, making you laugh, Your Majesty."

"Just sit and eat," His Majesty Shennong said with a smile. "Who came up with the strategy?"

After hesitating repeatedly, Mao Aowu finally said, "There’s nothing to hide from you. These strategies were given to me by my Sect Master, given that I hold the office of inspection immortal envoy. He wanted me to do my best to present them to the Pavilion Master as soon as possible."

His Majesty Shennong nodded slowly and smiled, "Your Sect Master thinks so little of fame and fortune and can consider the bigger picture, which is truly commendable... Which Sect are you from?"

"Wind Great Demon Sect of Dark Desire Annihilation!"

His Majesty Shennong blinked, then chuckled as he stroked his beard, rice grains falling onto his whiskers. "I’m not laughing at the name of your sect, but it really is quite long and a bit inscrutable," he said.

Mao Aowu hurriedly replied, "It is long, indeed. Our sect is a merger of three sects from long ago. In order to respect the original three sects, we simply combined the names together."

"Pick up your chopsticks, don’t just talk—try the Spirit Fish I personally caught."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

Trembling slightly, Mao Aowu ate a piece of fish flesh and gradually relaxed. He began to speak more smoothly, and his spiritual mind once again started to circulate. Why hide this fact in front of His Majesty the Human Emperor? Wasn’t this a great opportunity to make the Sect Master famous and gain the Human Emperor’s favor and nurturing?

Thus, when His Majesty the Human Emperor asked, "What is the cultivation level of your Sect Master this year?"

Mao Aowu didn’t hesitate and answered decisively, immediately saying, "Condensation Establishment Realm!"

—He had been busy inside the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, and since the Annihilation Sect had been preoccupied with advising discretion internally after Wu Wang’s breakthrough, they hadn’t informed Mao Aowu.

"Oh?" His Majesty Shennong frowned, "Is that the Condensation Establishment Realm of the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Mao Aowu even deliberately paused to create suspense, then said with a smile, "Our Sect Master’s cultivation may not be high, but that’s because he has cultivated for a short time—he’s just over twenty years old. But Your Majesty, our Sect Master truly is one of the top three smartest people I’ve ever seen. The recent calamity that befell the Immortal Sect was deduced by our Sect Master from limited clues and in a very short time. He speculated where the perpetrator might be hiding, allowing us to capture them in one fell swoop. Before the matter was settled and the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion had yet to formally intervene, our Sect Master said that the matter could easily become a big issue. He instructed me to act in the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion’s name to avoid triggering a dispute between the Immortals and Demons. Indeed, the situation later escalated. The Sect Master likely wanted to see how the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion would respond. He waited a while before calling me back and gave me these three strategies to stabilize the sea."

Mao Aowu paused, then laughingly said, "Besides this, our Sect Master is particularly... Your Majesty, what’s wrong?"

Only then did the silver-haired Heavenly Immortal realize that the Human Emperor had a hand on his forehead, his expression extremely complicated. Shen Nong waved his hand in a circle, and strands of abstruse Dao rhymes enveloped them, also keeping their conversation hidden in this place. The Human Emperor’s expression was one of profound exasperation. He leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice, "Is he called Wu Wang? Or Wu Wangzi?"

Mao Aowu exclaimed, "Your Majesty is divinely astute and all-knowing! How could you calculate this so quickly! Yes, that is indeed our Sect Master’s Daoist name."

Shen Nong casually released a point of Spirit Light. The glow of the Spirit Light revealed Wu Wang’s figure and appearance.

"Does he look like this?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Mao Aowu said excitedly, "Your Majesty can even calculate this..."

He paused mid-sentence, his expression becoming somewhat strange. Looking at His Majesty Shennong and then at the point of Spirit Light, he suddenly realized a minor issue. "Have you perhaps met our Sect Master before?"

Shen Nong dispersed the Spirit Light and picked up his chopsticks, saying indifferently, "Not familiar, just average, that’s all."

Mao Aowu couldn’t help but feel startled; that tone, why did it sound like it had a tad of... resentment?

"Let’s hear it," Shen Nong said with a frown, "how did this fellow with only a Condensation Establishment Realm cultivation become the Sect Master of your sect? Is he really that convincing? Tell me the details, everything you know."

"Yes," Mao Aowu responded, but couldn’t resist asking, "Your Majesty, what is your relationship with our Sect Master...?"

"You must keep this matter secret. Otherwise, it will bring many troubles to him and to the Human Domain."

Shen Nong smiled calmly, caressed his beard, hummed, and said, "I see him as I would my own grandson."

Mao Aowu’s spirits soared and, without further doubt, he began to recount in detail the events surrounding his first meeting with Wu Wang. To the two elders outside, it seemed that the silver-haired Heavenly Immortal and His Majesty the Human Emperor were enjoying a very pleasant conversation.

The newly appointed Pavilion Master of the Four Seas Pavilion, a lean elder, said with a smile, "His Majesty seldom esteems a young person so highly. The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion should pay him more attention afterward."

"Of course," the slightly more portly Pavilion Master of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion said as he stroked his beard and chuckled, "When we return, we will promote him to Inspection General. But how far he can go in the future will depend on his own efforts."

"That’s true. We can’t just favor someone because His Majesty likes them; we have to see if they truly have that ability."

The Four Seas Pavilion Master hummed thoughtfully, then changed the topic, sending a voice transmission, "I recently heard that the Young Master of the Northern Wilderness Bear Hug clan has arrived in the Human Domain, but I have no clue where this little Young Master is."

"What? Why do you care about this matter?" The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion Master was somewhat puzzled.

"To buy mines from him," sighed the Four Seas Pavilion Master, "the Northern Wilderness has recently established a Treasure Mine Alliance. The seven great clans have taken direct control of the mineral outflow and unified the external sale price, claiming they want shared prosperity. The prices they offer are still reasonable, but the supply to us has been slashed by a full twenty percent. There’s too much wear and tear on the magic treasures and tools at the borders, and we’re about to face a great battle, so we must increase our reserves..."

The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion Master wondered, "What does that have to do with the Young Master of the Bear Hug clan?"

"I’ve already had people secretly investigate," said the Four Seas Pavilion Master in a low voice, "The priestly power that clandestinely controls the Northern Wilderness has now been replaced by the Star God Cult. The Divine Word Envoys of the Star God Cult are equivalent to the sole chosen envoys of the Star God, and this is the mother of the Bear Hug clan’s Young Master. Most of the seven great clans are heavily indebted to the Bear Hug clan, and they have all agreed not to expand externally. In foreign affairs, they have already begun following the Bear Hug clan’s lead. That Northern Wilderness Mining Alliance is supervised by the chief priests of each clan, and the one who built this alliance is that Bear Young Master, who has been mingling and admiring the scenery in our Human Domain."

The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion Master hummed thoughtfully and laughed, "The Northern Wilderness has actually got a handle on it?"

"It’s this Young Master who has got a handle on it," the Four Seas Pavilion Master stroked his beard and mused, "According to the spies we’ve planted in the Northern Wilderness, the seventh Divine Envoy of the Star God Cult might just be this Young Master of the Bear Hug clan. Alas, the Northern Wilderness is one of the top forces in the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness, but the situation with the Star God is a bit mysterious. If the Star God falls, the Northern Wilderness will likely have to restructure, and that will inevitably lead to blood and carnage."

The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion Master puzzled, "Could it be that this Bear Young Master came to the Human Domain for this reason? To bring the Human race’s cultivation methods back to the Northern Wilderness?"

"Ah? With your hint, my friend, I’ve come to understand a bit more." The Four Seas Pavilion Master’s eyes lit up, and the old man said with a smile, "What this Bear Young Master said is that he left the Northern Wilderness seeking the True Scriptures that could save it from suffering, could these True Scriptures be, in fact, the cultivation methods of the Human Domain?"

"If that’s indeed the case, are we still worried about not being able to exchange for the Northern Wilderness’s mines?"

"Please have the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion secretly investigate this matter, and let’s not broadcast it." The Four Seas Pavilion Master said earnestly, "If we find this Young Master, we must treat him with all due respect; do not disturb others, and certainly do not leak the news, lest those of the Ten Evils Hall catch wind of it. I have identified dozens of spies within the Four Seas Pavilion, and I’m discreetly taking care of them one by one. I’m afraid you have quite a few rotten elements in your Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, my friend, so you need to be cautious."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

Just then, a voice called out from the small courtyard, "What are you two whispering about over there?"

The two executive pavilion masters immediately stood up and saluted the small courtyard from a distance. They then heard the Human Emperor say, "For the upcoming banquet with the sect leaders, add a few more seats at the table, allowing them to bring along a few outstanding disciples, so I can see if there’s any promising talent."

Both pavilion masters accepted the order without delay and rushed off on clouds to make arrangements.

At this moment, Mao Aowu had come to understand something and wished he could teleport directly back to his own sect to shout at the Grand Elder, "Protect our Sect Master!" This could very well be the Human Emperor’s own grandchild! His face showed utter conviction. Isn’t this order from the Human Emperor just a cover for the unique qualities of his own Sect Master? What other possibilities could there be? Who would believe if it were said that the Sect Master was just a friend of the Human Emperor, despite their age difference?

Then he heard the Human Emperor ask, "Aowu, did you inform the sect before you came here?"

Mao Aowu hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, it was urgent, and I didn’t have time to inform the Sect Master."

"That’s good. It’s better you didn’t inform... Aowu, stay here for the next few days, and I will instruct you on matters of cultivation."

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Emperor Yan of Shennong’s mouth: "I want to see what new surprises your Sect Master can provide for me."

"At your command!"

Mao Aowu was slightly stunned, feeling as though he had unintentionally stirred up some trouble for his Sect Master. But what harm could the great Emperor Yan of Shennong wish for? He felt somewhat puzzled at heart.

Thus, a few days later, during the grand banquet of the Human Emperor.

...

The Human Emperor added a new decree to the invitation, requesting each Immortal Sect and Demon Sect to bring along three outstanding disciples in addition to the two slots for the Sect Master and Elder. This news shook the entire Human Domain. The Human Emperor had not shown himself for over eight hundred years, but recently he had been increasingly active, promoting the matter of the Little Golden Dragon of the Human Domain and inviting all sects to the Main Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion for the banquet. As a result, the Human Domain became much more stable.

Just before the grand banquet was about to begin, the notice was suddenly changed, instructing the sects to bring along three disciples who had not yet become immortals. What was this for? It was clear that they were selecting the rising stars of the Human race, and it was possible that a successor to the Human Emperor would be chosen! Because of this, the Immortal Sects and Demon Sects put in a lot of effort and immediately brought out their most talented disciples; many border military families and prominent families that were not part of a sect also began to secretly contact various sects. For those sects ranked beyond one hundred, the ’banquet disciple’ seats secretly fetched astronomical prices.

Aboard a six-story tall ship sailing towards the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion through the sky, Wu Wang sat on the top deck, watching the performance in front of him with a somewhat puzzled expression. Despite thinking for several days and nights, he could not figure out why the old senior suddenly changed the order. Wasn’t this intensifying the conflict between Immortals and Demons? When disciples from various sects gathered, there was bound to be a competitive spirit, and if those who were young and impulsive could not control their temper, unpleasant conflicts could easily arise. And by having various immortals bring disciples, wasn’t this giving Ten Evils Hall an opportunity to cause trouble? Was the old senior covering up his tracks for him? Impossible. If he had been so kind-hearted, he would have definitely nodded in agreement to betroth Little Jingwei to him at the beginning. There must be... no, there was definitely a problem here! Judging by the consistent behavior of His Majesty the Human Emperor, there could be a series of traps waiting for him ahead!

The big ship slowed down. Through his Spiritual Sense, Wu Wang saw that above and below the clouds were filled with flying magic treasures, and ahead in the sky were golden-armored Immortal Soldiers from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, who blocked various Cloud Paths and verified the identities of all comers. Some sects also brought a ship full of people, but only five were allowed inside, the rest had to wait nearby.

Beside him, the Grand Elder in a black robe stood up and said, "Sect Master, we should prepare now."

Wu Wang slowly nodded and said indifferently, "Bring me my battle robe."

Two female disciples gracefully approached, carrying a black greatcoat and presenting green jade ornaments; Wu Wang took the garments behind the screen, erected a Barrier, and began to change swiftly. This strange illness had taken away so much joy from him that even Maidens could not approach him.

When Wu Wang emerged dressed, the four people from the Annihilation Sect who were attending the Human Emperor’s banquet were waiting. The ’Not Transcendent’, eighteenth-ranked expert of the Demon Path, Blood Hand Demon Lord Grand Elder, was clad in a black robe with his blood hair fluttering, exuding an aura of ferocity he couldn’t quite hide. Elder Miao was supplementing the immortal combat power for this trip; underneath, she wore a fitted white bandeau top and a short white skirt, but on the outside, she wore a serious black robe. Her makeup was light, her eyebrows curved gently, and her hair ornaments were extremely dignified; yet with just a glance, she could set the spiritual mind of those who were not firm ablaze.

In addition to this, there were two disciples from the Jumping God Realm, a young man and woman, both shining stars of the Annihilation Sect; the man was from the Extinguishing Sky branch, and the woman was the future ’star’ of the Black Desire Door. The appearance of one elder and one younger Demoness, their allure in full bloom, could set many in the ship from the Demon Path ablaze with desire even if they did not resort to charming techniques, making it difficult for them to look directly.

Of course, the most dazzling presence today was the Sect Master of the Annihilation Sect, Wu Wangzi. Other than that, there was nothing peculiar. Wu Wang simply dressed casually and performed as usual, with only the black greatcoat bearing shiny gold characters—

Sect Master.

He revealed the fluctuations of the early stage of the Golden Core Realm, adorning himself with six magic treasures that concealed his aura, as if he had just recently broken through from the Condensation Establishment Realm. With a folding fan in hand and a sachet, he bore a gentle smile on his lips, his sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes shining with a faint firelight.

When the ship came to a stop, Wu Wang snapped open his folding fan and took out the invitation, "Let’s go."

The five from the Annihilation Sect stepped onto a black cloud and floated up, flying towards the palace complex that loomed behind the golden-armored Immortal Soldiers atop the mountain’s summit.