An hour remained until the ten suns were to appear simultaneously.
Within the Heavenly Dao:
Streams of Divine Light penetrated this stone hall, constructed by Yun Zhongjun, finding their respective places. Arrayed outside the round table surrounded by nine stone chairs, the celestial attendees filled three complete circles.
Among the top three hundred ranks of the Heavenly Dao, barring Xihe, Chang Xi, and the six absent gods of the stone chairs, all other divine and immortal beings had cast their spiritual minds to this location.
The assembly's gaze centered on the figure sitting in the middle of the venue.
At this moment, the young Heavenly Emperor sat with his eyes closed, seemingly in repose, or perhaps his spiritual mind had yet to return to this place.
Eventually, the last divine being from the Celestial Court arrived and took a seat in the corner.
Wu Wang opened his eyes. They lacked any disturbance of Divine Light, and his expression wasn't the least bit stern. He even wore a hint of a smile. Despite this, all the divine beings present felt an intense sense of oppression.
Yun Zhongjun, Earth God, Head Manager, Queen Mother of the West, Human Emperor Shen Nong, and Young Master were not present at this moment. The responsibility to convey messages to the Heavenly Emperor thus fell upon the Wood God…
A delicate jade hand pressed the rising Wood God back into his seat.
The newly promoted Fire God, Zhu Rong Fire Plume, clad in fiery red Battle Armor, rose and saluted, "Your Majesty, the spiritual minds of all gods are hereby linked to this place!"
"Hmm, very well."
Wu Wang nodded in response, thereby taking over the conversation.
Wu Wang said with a smile, "How have things been going for you all recently?"
The gods responded in unison, creating a moment of disarray.
Most spoke words like, 'By Your grace,' or 'Quite well,' akin to casual conversation.
After a while, Wu Wang nodded slightly and continued with a smile, "I've heard what you've said. Since the establishment of the Celestial Court, I've seen all your contributions… cough, even though sometimes I can't see them directly, I can sense them through the Heavenly Dao."
Many Divine Spirits smiled knowingly.
In recent years, the Heavenly Emperor had been in seclusion, and correspondingly, the power of the Heavenly Dao had soared.
Wu Wang's tone shifted as he spoke calmly,
"You must be wondering why I've suddenly summoned you here to this realm of the Heavenly Dao, rather than convening the celestial gods in the hall for discussion.
The answer is simple. Those who can come here are gods and immortals whom I trust, the pillars of my Celestial Court.
Beyond that, we're giving our enemies the illusion that things are peaceful within the Celestial Court."
"Enemies?"
The Wood God promptly spoke out, claiming back a bit of presence for himself.
"Indeed, enemies."
Wu Wang cast a satisfied smile at the Wood God, who modestly returned the smile and continued to listen attentively.
"Emperor Shun has returned, or rather, Emperor Shun's contingency plan has begun to unfold."
Shock registered on the faces of the gods.
A Goddess couldn't help but cry out, "Your Majesty! Didn't Emperor Shun venture into the Outer Sky and merge with the divine body of the Candle Dragon? If he has returned, does this mean the Candle Dragon is about to return?"
Several Divine Spirits shouted out:
"Can the Heavenly Dao prevail?"
"Your Majesty, united in our efforts, we can surely suppress the Candle Dragon! At worst, we'll just reestablish the Heaven and Earth Seal once again!"
"United in heart, we have nothing to fear!"
Wu Wang inwardly sighed at this reaction.
This was the deterrence of the Candle Dragon, as well as the shadow it cast in the hearts of the divine beings.
Wu Wang said indifferently,
"Do not rush; everything is under control.
The Heaven and Earth Seal is intact. Suppressing the Candle Dragon isn't difficult, though it would require some sacrifices.
When I said Emperor Shun is back, I meant... the Eastern Wilderness.
Please observe!"
A flick of the black robe sent a grey cloud flying to the center of the stone hall, casting a projection of Yang Valley within the Eastern Wilderness onto the cloud.
The scene zoomed in quickly, fixing upon the Temple on a branch of the Fusang Divine Wood, easily penetrating the hazy aura surrounding the Temple and revealing its interior for all to see.
Xihe sat in a regal, antique robe upon a golden throne woven from tree vines, while dozens of Eastern Wilderness Divine Spirits knelt below.
Their voices carried into the hall, pleading with Xihe to send troops to attack the Celestial Court, break open the Heaven and Earth Seal, and welcome back their recognized Heavenly Emperor.
An elderly woman exclaimed loudly,
"Emperor Shun has now conquered the Candle Dragon! Where come tales of the Candle Dragon's ferocity? The Dao of Chaos will perish alongside the Heavenly Dao, and then we can establish a new order!
My lady! Do you truly wish to remain confined in this tiny place…"
The words were emotive and touched the heart.
Yet, gods and immortals within this realm of the Heavenly Dao watched the scene with mixed emotions.
In the corner, a god murmured softly,
"Are they under Emperor Shun's control? Or do they truly not sense how mighty our Celestial Court has become?"
"I just want to know… were we the same in the past?"
"You're fine; most were in slumber during the Fifth Divine Era. It's different for me... I was once a staunch advocate of Emperor Shun's rhetoric.
I used to think living beings were but pests of Heaven and Earth.
In truth, we haven't done much for the living beings, who have provided us with bountiful Divine Power. Living in harmony isn't so bad."
"These guys are rather pitiable."
"What's called pitiable is actually ambition at work. They desire more, unsatisfied with merely dwelling peacefully in the Eastern Wilderness."
"Despite the extraordinary favor that Eastern Emperor Taiyi has already shown to the Eastern Wilderness, and the high respect he has afforded the Sun Goddess, it really has been kindness to the utmost—yet who would have thought these old ministers of the Eastern Wilderness would harbor such nefarious intentions!"
The surrounding discussions grew louder, with most of the deities jeering and expressing their dissatisfaction with these gods of the Eastern Wilderness.
Just then, from the grey clouds came Xihe's scolding voice, "Enough! Speak no more! Do not bring deadly disaster upon the Eastern Wilderness!"
A look of realization crossed the faces of many deities.
This Sun Goddess at least seemed to understand the situation clearly.
Wu Wang raised an eyebrow, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing brighter.
My previous indulgence toward the Eastern Wilderness was not misplaced; if today Xihe can control these wild gods of the Eastern Wilderness, then I can consider having the Heavenly Dao officially recognize Xihe.
Within the grey clouds, the gods of the Eastern Wilderness bowed their heads and knelt, quiet for a moment before a minor deity raised his head to offer advice.
Their idea was simple and naive, and on first hearing, seemed quite feasible.
The basis of this idea was that Emperor Shun controlled the Candle Dragon, and now with his command over the Dao of Time and the Dao of Chaos, he would inevitably become the terminator of the new Celestial Court.
With this foundation, these Divine Spirits of the Eastern Wilderness engaged in 'wonderful and filthy conjecture.'
Launching a surprise attack on the Celestial Court, catching it off guard, with the Sun Goddess striking with all her might to open the Heaven and Earth Seal, Emperor Shun would return triumphantly aboard the divine body of the Candle Dragon, ushering in a war of the gods.
Once successful, the status of the Eastern Wilderness deities would rise above the established order... and so on.
Xihe was so angry she wanted to curse the gods, her patience visibly wearing thin.
「Within the Heavenly Dao.」
Not far from Wu Wang, the Wood God was filled with emotion. "Living within Heaven and Earth, it's impossible to grasp the full picture of the Heavenly Dao. These deities of the Eastern Wilderness have all been blinded."
An irritable deity of the Celestial Court cursed, "Those fellows have lived so long their wisdom has grown into their wooden heads!"
The Wood God frowned deeply, feeling that these remarks were somehow directed at him.
Wu Wang smiled silently, continuing to lead the deities in watching the 'live broadcast,' observing the evolving situation in the Eastern Wilderness.
The Heavenly Dao perceived that something was amiss and had already taken early measures.
The Head Manager and the Earth God, among others, were not present here.
Emperor Shun, don't tell me you really intend to push your own wife and children to a dead end.
「Meanwhile, within the head of the Candle Dragon in the center of the Outer Sky,」
Within a bleak and dark grey space, four flames flickered softly. One, the size of a fist, sent out three chains that firmly bound the other three, each the size of a dragon's eye.
At this moment, the four flames were shimmering, emitting four distinct voices.
A pitiful old voice sobbed, "Emperor Shun! That is your wife, your child!"
A voice from the former Heavenly Emperor spoke coldly and indifferently, "Those are nothing but traps laid by Wu Wangzi for me."
Another rough voice dripped with sarcasm, "Emperor Shun, Emperor Shun, I truly did not lose to you unjustly back then. You even refuse to spare your own offspring. At least I had some affection for Xiao Nu."
"Oh? Is that so? Then later you can use your body to devour Xiao Nu."
"Emperor Shun!"
"What? Angered into rage?"
Emperor Shun spoke leisurely, "It's not about who has the loudest voice, but who has the more robust Divine Soul, Candle Dragon."
The grey flame jumped more violently, but ultimately transformed into a low growl, "Go kill the Martial God, kill Eastern Emperor Taiyi, kill them all!"
"With only your divine body?"
"Coward! You don't even dare to suppress the Martial God!"
"Heh, I am a coward. So what?"
Emperor Shun stated coldly, "Candle Dragon, this is our last chance. I will instigate the rebellion in the Eastern Wilderness and do everything in my power to distract Wu Wangzi's attention there. Next, it's up to you."
The Candle Dragon said, "Your great array has far too many flaws."
"We don't have much time left," Emperor Shun said. "Candle Dragon, you have no choice now."
The Candle Dragon fell silent.
Several thoughts flashed through Emperor Shun's mind, and the four flames pulsed in unison.
The voice of ThreeOld Daoist Sanxian rose again, "Really, are we going through with this? Scorching everything for ten days—what a tremendous sin it would be! How innocent are the living beings!"
"Shut up!"
Emperor Shun's voice was tinged with viciousness.
The pale grey flame, which had been silent until now, let out a light laugh. "I am merely... you've already lost."
"Hmph!"
Emperor Shun huffed as the four flames drew closer together. A shadowy figure appeared in this dim land, taking on the human-like appearance of the Candle Dragon, yet its face seemed more youthful.
'It' murmured softly, then vanished from the gloomy space, saying,
"Even if I lose, I'll make sure Wu Wangzi can't rest easy.
Moreover, I have another path."
In the central region of the Outer Sky, meandering over a mountain range, the divine body of the Candle Dragon seemed almost fused with the earth.
Below the dragon head, within the volcano, the shadowy figure of 'Candle Dragon' slowly solidified. It lifted the seals from the magma below and drew an ice-blue crystal into its hand.
'Candle Dragon' gazed at the Ice Goddess standing quietly within the crystal, a faint smile crossing its lips. Tucking this Ice Crystal into its sleeve, the shadow merged back into the dragon head of the Candle Dragon.
「At that moment,」
A clump of black mud appeared at the bottom of the dry well in the mountain valley at the edge of the Luili Realm, spreading with accelerating pace.
「In the Eastern Wilderness, at the divine Fusang Tree,」
The two Goddesses guarding behind the Temple shuddered slightly. As they lifted their heads, their expressions turned somewhat wooden.
They watched the events unfolding in the front hall.
The deities of the Eastern Wilderness were pressuring Xihe, who at this moment had no leisure to care about her beloved children.
At that moment, the two Goddesses exchanged a glance before turning towards the Jinwu Pond and started to hum a melodious tune.
The ten Golden Crow birds resting atop the Divine Wood all opened their eyes at once, their bodies surrounded by a faint flame...
This scene was fully projected within the Heavenly Dao.
"Golden Crows?"
The Wood God stroked his beard and murmured,
"Your Majesty, the Golden Crows are the avatars of the sun stars, a matter of great importance to all living beings, not to be taken lightly."
"Hmm," Wu Wang nodded slightly. "Do you all think we should warn Xihe?"
But Zhu Rong Fire Plume said, "Your Majesty, it's too late. The Dao of Fire has been aroused; the solar fire that lay dormant within the ten Golden Crows has been ignited.
This must be a contingency that Emperor Shun had set up early on, or perhaps, when Emperor Shun and Chang Xi were conceiving their ten sons, Emperor Shun had already meddled."
"Oh?"
Wu Wang's eyebrows creased slightly.
The Dao of Time? That seems unlikely. If Emperor Shun could foresee what would happen today and had taken precautions with the Golden Crows so long ago, it would require a deep understanding of the Dao of Time. An Emperor Shun capable of such things would be hard to defeat even with myself and the Eastern Emperor's Bell combined.
If we exclude the influence of the Dao of Time, there's only one explanation.
Emperor Shun had always been cautious of his ten sons. To prevent them from challenging his position as the Heavenly Emperor, he must have tampered with their Divine Souls early on.
This possibility is quite substantial.
Wu Wang let out a soft breath and shook his head slightly, saying in a gentle voice, "If that's the case, the matter of the Eastern Wilderness is probably beyond salvation."
"Your Majesty," Fire Plume rose to his feet and cupped his fists, "I volunteer to lead the troops into battle!"
"There's no need; remain seated," Wu Wang waved his hand. "I have made all the preparations. Everyone, please watch."
He lifted his hand toward the grey cloud at the center of the stone hall and pointed. Instantly, a new scene was revealed, drawing the gaze of all the Gods present.
At this moment, three situations were visible above the grey cloud:
In the Temple of Xihe, the Gods of the Eastern Wilderness collectively pressed Xihe, leaving her no time to attend to other matters.
In the Jinwu Pond behind the Temple, the ten Golden Crows flapped their wings toward the top of the Temple. The power of the flame within them became wildly uncontrollable after a few flaps.
On the shores of the East Sea, in the Eastern Wilderness.
Within a forest near the sandy beach, silent figures stood quietly in the night, breathless as if carved from stone.
At the forefront of these figures stood a muscular man, carrying a quiver and longbow, his face as if cut by axe and chisel.
Da Yi, who had already been waiting for a long time.
Within the Heavenly Dao, Wu Wang watched this scene, yet couldn't help but murmur to himself.
Is it superstitious of me to think Da Yi is the nemesis of the Golden Crows? Ugh, engaging in superstition in a mythological world... for a Blue Star native who pilots spaceships, I'm really one of a kind.
To the east of the East Sea, ten suns suddenly rose, illuminating the whole world!
In the sparse forest to the west of the East Sea, these Heavenly Generals' figures and faces were enveloped in intense light; waves of searing heat crossed Heaven and Earth, forcing them to open their eyes at once.
The Gods within the Heavenly Dao stood up abruptly, an atmosphere of tension pervading every corner. The Wood God's brows knitted tightly as he continuously calculated the situation's potential outcomes.
Wu Wang lifted his left hand and reached forward slightly, conjuring the phantom of the Head Manager.
"Do not allow the ten suns to cross the East Sea, lest they harm innocent beings."
The Head Manager bowed his head and saluted, declaring firmly, "As you command!"
Just then, within the displayed cloud, a figure soared into the sky behind the ten suns, took up the reins of a chariot, and hurriedly pursued the ten suns that sped westward.
The Sun Goddess, in her Golden Armor, held a long whip in her hand and continuously shouted urgently.
Wu Wang, watching this, couldn't hide his pity and added, "Under the premise of not harming innocent lives, give Xihe another chance. She has not betrayed her original promises."
"Yes," the Head Manager replied softly. "The chaos in the Eastern Wilderness has nothing to do with Xihe."
"Go quickly; the ten suns are swift."
"Everything is within your control," the Head Manager raised an eyebrow, and his phantom dispersed into a wisp of blue smoke.
And in the depths of the East Sea, beams of Divine Light shot into the sky from everywhere, filling the realm with the Dao of the Head Manager and Young Master!
「...」
"My children! My children! Where are you going?"
Atop the Sun Chariot, Xihe cried out in distress, her eyes filled with urgency, devoid of her usual dignified and graceful demeanor.
The ten Golden Crows in front, enveloped in flames, paid no heed to Xihe's cries.
Wrapped in a violent will, they aligned in formation and sped towards the lush Eastern Wilderness of the Great Wilderness.
Mammoth waves rose from the sea's surface; fish and shrimp floated en masse, belly up.
And in half of the Eastern Wilderness, living beings were already feeling the searing heat.
"My children!"
With a loud shout, Xihe surged from her chariot into the sky, transforming into a divine phoenix that streaked across, spreading its wings to intercept three of the Golden Crows.
In the next instant, firelight erupted in the sky.
Far from stopping, the immense Divine Power bursting from within the Golden Crows even knocked the divine phoenix form of Xihe sideways through the air.
This was, of course, also because Xihe could not bring herself to strike at her own flesh and blood.
The divine phoenix flapped its wings in a frantic chase, continuously attempting to block the ten suns, but was knocked aside again and again by the ten Golden Crows.
As Xihe called out, her voice broke into a sob.
For she had realized that her children's consciousness had slipped into chaos and their Divine Souls had become incredibly pure.
And beneath this purity surged a simple yet extreme desire for destruction.
Xihe could even hear their intrinsic yearning.
To the Eastern Wilderness!
To the Great Wilderness!
Cross this vast sea, release their own flames, and listen to the anguished screams of living beings!
This was their delight.
This is, this is…
Xihe spread her wings and rushed out, wrapping the nearest Golden Crow with her wings, pulling it fiercely into the sea, using all means to stabilize its Divine Soul.
Suddenly, Xihe saw a series of images.
The Ritual of the Ten Suns!
In the ancient nation of the Rain Master's concubine, those female priests tied to the tops of earthen altars were turned to ashes during the Ritual of the Ten Suns.
Xihe finally understood that the Heaven Palace's Ritual of the Ten Suns wasn't targeted at those female priests, nor was it as simple as cultivating a new God of Death.
Behind all the pretexts lay such dark conspiracies and schemes.
Her own dearest husband, the father of the Ten Suns, had orchestrated the Ritual of the Ten Suns with a single command, implanting a simple desire for destruction into the Divine Souls of their children.
Emperor Shun, Emperor Shun, Emperor Shun!
"Ah—"
Above the sea, the divine phoenix let out a piercing cry.
The Golden Crow in her arms struggled, as if wanting to spread its wings and follow its brothers already flying towards the horizon.
Right then, two figures suddenly emerged from the surface of the sea.
On the left, the Head Manager frowned, turned to look at the nine Golden Crows, then rose up and swiftly gave chase.
On the right, the Young Master sighed softly, pointing a finger at the Golden Crow in Xihe's arms, humming a tune that temporarily suppressed the crow's frenzied Divine Soul.
But the Divine Soul had lost its Spirit Light, leaving only numbness and singularity.
The illusion of the divine phoenix dissipated. Xihe, clutching the Golden Crow now the size of a fist, had no time to catch her breath before she had to rise and chase after the nine Golden Crows.
Suddenly, the world was ablaze with light.
The figures of the nine Golden Crows suddenly swelled, turning into nine great stars!
The flames of the sun, now entirely unleashed!
"My children..."
Xihe's fingers trembled as she watched the scene in disbelief.
For as the nine great stars solidified, she clearly felt her nine children's Divine Souls extinguish like candles in the wind.
"Lady Xihe," the Young Master called softly.
"Why did he plot against them?"
Xihe murmured, "Why did he scheme against my children like this? They are also his children, his flesh and blood. Why, why would he..."
"Emperor Shun has long been devoid of conscience."
"They..."
"Please don't blame His Majesty. He has already given the Eastern Wilderness and you, Lady Xihe, too many opportunities."
As the Young Master finished speaking, a column of light suddenly lit up on the shore of the East Sea.
It was an arrow, rippling with rainbow light, tearing a crack through heaven and earth and piercing the heart of a Golden Crow thousands of miles away.
A sun was extinguished on the spot.
On the rocks of the East Sea, Da Yi stepped out into a shooting stance, hands drawing the divine bow, the second godly arrow already nocked!
Behind him stood the countless beings of the Eastern Wilderness, many of whom had already suffered burns, leaving no room for hesitation.
The divine bow was drawn;
The Heavenly Dao augmented;
Da Yi shot the suns.
Godly arrows pierced through the sky one after another, extinguishing suns in succession, while Xihe's eyes gradually dimmed.
「Within the Heavenly Dao, the gods of the Celestial Court silently watched this unfold.」
And Wu Wang had already closed his eyes.
What followed, the chaos in the Eastern Wilderness, was inevitable. Hou Yi shooting the suns was merely the beginning of the battle, yet Xihe seemed unlikely to resist much.
The variables in the Eastern Wilderness had all been controlled by the Heavenly Dao.
Conversely, the arrangements in the Outer Sky had encountered a slight mishap.
As the gods of the Eastern Wilderness pressed Xihe, Yun Zhongjun began to carefully monitor the Outer Sky.
Just now, at the very moment Da Yi drew his divine bow, an anomaly occurred somewhere in the Outer Sky. The Dao of Chaos emerged abruptly, and the presence of the Candle Dragon ominously appeared in the heartland of the Martial God World.
Wu Wang shifted his spiritual mind to his incarnation, and streams of information flowed into the depths of his heart through the Heavenly Dao.
The site of the anomaly...
The valley where his incarnation had grown up.
Instinctively, Wu Wang clenched his fists, yet almost immediately calmed himself with the power of the Heavenly Dao.
When conflict erupts on two fronts, one must not be rushed or angered. As long as the affected area is kept to a minimum, I will emerge completely victorious from this battle.
Wu Wang's incarnation inhaled sharply, left his hiding spot, and sped toward the site of the disturbance in the Martial God World.
He flew with great speed yet never forgot to maintain his concealment.
Meanwhile, more than thirty deities from the alliance of martial and water spirits, leading armies of Martial Artists and Divine Generals from various realms, surged toward the valley from near and far.
