Chapter 570 - He Walked Through History and Witnessed Myth - Part 1

"The tyrant is finally gone. He passed the throne to Ji Yong."

"Ji Yong is mild and timid. How could someone like him possibly handle a world in chaos?"

"It doesn’t matter. As long as the imperial edict hasn’t been made public, nothing is set in stone. Our people are already in motion. The Crown Prince once said something foolish, so foolish that it’ll end up being his grave."

"I know. Ji Yong once spoke of implementing a ban on travelling to the Eastern Sea, of keeping martial artists confined to the Central Plains. Said it was to protect the people, to bring relief to the world. Clearly, he just wants to play the role of a benevolent ruler, without caring about what the martial world needs. Selfish. Utterly selfish. How could someone like that ever be worthy of the throne?"

"Your Highness is absolutely right. That single line from the Crown Prince is enough to turn every warrior in the land against him. Everyone knows, the future of the martial world lies across the Eastern Sea."

"Then, sir, what do you believe I should do now?"

"Perhaps Your Highness should have the Princess Consort invite the Princess of Stars to stay as a guest for a few days."

"Zhen’er..." Second Prince Ji He, dressed in golden robes embroidered with a python, hesitated. To be fair, he didn’t harbor any ill will toward her. "I don’t want to drag her into this."

"Hah. But inviting her is precisely how we keep her out of it. Once she’s at the prince’s manor, pampered and protected, no one can touch her. And when the dust settles, she’ll still be the Princess of Stars."

Seeing Ji He still hesitant, the scholar suddenly burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs.

Ji He stared, stunned. “Why are you crying?”

The scholar replied, "Because we’re all about to die with no one left to even bury us. We're on the edge of death, why shouldn’t I cry?"

“Why do you say that?” Ji He asked.

The scholar said, “If the Crown Prince ascends, the best outcome for Your Highness is a nominal title, some idle prince of leisure. But with your intelligence and ambition, it’ll still end with a cup of poisoned wine. Even if the Crown Prince is generous and remembers the bond of brotherhood, what about everyone else? Will they allow you to live? We’ve made all preparations. We’re only waiting for your command. The bow is drawn, the arrow nocked. This moment of hesitation chills the hearts of all who follow you!”

“...” Ji He fell silent.

The scholar pressed on, “If the Princess of Stars doesn’t help us out of this deadlock, we don’t stand a chance. We must bring her in, treat her well, and only then can we move against Ji Yong.”

Still, Ji He said nothing.

The scholar stamped his foot in frustration. “Your Highness! There’s no time left!!”

Ji He said quietly, “Let’s wait until the tyrant is dead. After all, he’s already making his move. He’s not been himself for a long time. Leaving behind a secret edict now, he must be planning something drastic.”

He walked to the window and pushed it open.

Outside, darkness had swallowed the world.

Heavy snow fell in silence. And yet, far off at the edge of the sky, a faint golden glow shimmered.

A magnificent column of light pierced through the storm clouds, like divine judgment descending from the heavens.

And at the very top of that column, gray shadows squirmed and writhed like tadpoles, drifting through the air.

The tadpole-like shadows swarmed together, chaining themselves into shackles, trying to seal off the pillar of light, but the pillar flared back, pushing them away.

It became a tug of war, and with each pull, the light dimmed further.

Ji He watched it all unfold, the corners of his mouth lifting into an excited grin.

"The tyrant is dying." He clenched his fists and barked urgently, "I can feel it. He's nearly gone. Almost there. Go, make the preparations! Hong Nu, bring the Princess Consort here, hurry!"

His wife was on friendly terms with the Princess of Stars. Today, that friendship would be put to use.

Ji He’s gaze locked onto the pillar of light outside, eyes burning. In his heart, he was fixated on that man. Fixated, and furious.

Die. Just die already. Why won’t you die? Hurry up and die!

That towering figure of the Human Emperor, once invincible along the banks of the Eternal Rest River, now loomed high above the clouds. He was still mighty, still radiant. But this time, his greatest enemy wasn’t someone from the outside.

It was himself.

He had made up his mind to sever the Underworld. Yet, at the very moment he tried to act, a flood of voices rose within him, trying to stop him.

Regret. Frustration. Fear of death. Uncertainty about what came next.

It was as if countless people were whispering in his ears all at once, murmuring doubts, begging, accusing...

"You can’t destroy the Underworld. You’ll only bring greater catastrophe!"

"You still have a chance. You’re the Human Emperor! You can find a way to extend your life!"

"You’re already the strongest being on this earth. You’ll figure something out!"

"He’s manipulating you! Don’t be so foolish as to believe his lies!"

"You should think for yourself! Seek your own path to immortality!"

"Stop now, stop before it’s too late. There’s still time!"

"Don’t ruin yourself. Don’t ruin this world. This isn’t what power is for!"

"You’re wrong!"

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Completely wrong!"

"Utterly wrong! Everything about this is wrong!!"

...

The voices clawed at him, a tempest of doubt and fear trying to pull him back.

What made it worse, what made it terrifying, was that these weren’t voices from others. They were his own. Every single one of them came from the depths of his own heart. And each one of them could, in an instant, overturn his will.

Who didn’t want to live? Even ants would scramble to stay alive. How could the mightiest man in the world not feel the same?

Every

ladder

was already set, ready to help him down gently.

But the Human Emperor never took a single step back.

The day the Dragon Vein shattered, the Human Emperor made his choice.

Golden light blazed across the mountains and rivers, and all of it converged on one man.

If the fate of the land rested in his hands, how could he let it down?

The Human Emperor burst into wild, defiant laughter, crushing the deafening noise inside him with sheer will.

He swung his sword, a blow filled with divine power. It was both real and unreal, descending through the earth, yet passing through as if the soil were transparent.

The strike did not shake the ground.

But in the unseen depths, where only he could see, a vast, dark cloud cracked open like an eggshell.

A single sword pierced the Yellow Springs.

The Yellow Springs, the Underworld...the gates burst open.

A terrifying wave of Yin energy surged forth, as if the world were being split apart from the beginning of time. The energy twisted into millions of black serpents, hissing and shrieking as they coiled around the sword’s path.

"Stop!"

"Stop now!"

"You’re destroying this world!"

"You don’t understand what you’re doing!"

...

The voices in the Human Emperor’s mind grew frantic, almost panicked. A chess piece had gone off the board. The plan had spun out of control. Everything was unraveling.

"Don’t you want to live?"

"You’re the strongest person on this earth!"

"You still have a chance to extend your life!"

"You could have done it!"

...

But the Human Emperor said nothing. He simply kept swinging his sword, strike after strike with unwavering resolve.

Each blow seemed to cleave apart mountains and rivers themselves. The golden light collided head-on with the surging tide of darkness. It was like two armies from separate worlds crashing into battle, their weapons clashing in the void.

To the outside world, it was merely golden light laced with shadows. The true war remained invisible.

Ji He stared at the glow, his python-embroidered robes soaked through with sweat.

But then, the light began to fade. Dimmed. And finally, it disappeared altogether.

His heart leapt with joy, yet he dared not fully believe it.

In the very next moment, the faded light exploded like a dormant volcano. Countless golden motes burst out, scattering like shattered petals and butterflies, sweeping across the land, rejoining the rivers and mountains, returning to the world.

But something about this golden light had changed.

It was deeper now. Brighter. More radiant.

Ji He turned to a man beside him, a fourth rank cultivator..

“Exactly like 30 years ago. No.. perhaps even stronger.” The man nodded solemnly. After a pause, he added, “That tyrant, he must have fallen.”

Ji He didn’t hesitate for another second. “Go! Tell the advisor. It’s time!”

Golden light scattered across the land.

Snow fell quietly over the human world.

In the midst of that snow, a gaunt figure lay sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.

He was only 49 years old, yet he looked ancient...hair white as frost, his face deeply lined and twisted with age. He looked like a worn-out, broken old man.

Sadly, there were no stars in the sky tonight, only endless darkness.

His strength was gone.

In the silence of his heart, he wondered,

Did it work? It must have worked...right?

Then, he felt it, someone was standing over him, casting a long shadow. Only when the shadow bent down did he realize someone was there. But he didn’t care. He was no longer the Human Emperor. He had no power. What harm could anyone possibly do now?