This is so dishonest!

Chapter 449 Changxi Assumes the Throne, Houtu "Explodes" [Two Chapters Combined, 7k]

As the fierce final battle between the Wu and Yao races drew to a close, and the Primordial Realm was plunged into an apocalyptic state due to the chain reaction triggered by Gonggong's angry collision with Buzhou Mountain, all the heavens and myriad realms were plunged into an apocalyptic scene.

Even the Olympian universe was not spared.

The Mediterranean Sea, which should have been a clear, azure expanse, was now churning with towering waves capable of swallowing everything. The icy waters relentlessly pounded the land, slowly eroding those once-glorious city-states.

At the summit of Mount Olympus, a majestic deity, clad in a magnificent golden robe, with a dignified face and eyes that seemed to hold the power of lightning, stood silently atop the mountain.

[Zeus] The first dragon calmly and sermonized, commanding the gods to guide all living beings out of suffering.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his profound gaze piercing through the endless barriers of the world, looking towards the source of all chaos—the Primordial True Realm.

When he saw the figure of the [Primordial Qilin] that had just taken shape but was crushed on the spot by the divine power of Pangu, a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

He hummed softly:

"Does Shi Qilin really want to take this opportunity to win the revival match?"

"Hmph, you wish!"

A resolute ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, "Even if I completely destroy this hard-won Dao Fruit of Witchcraft, I'll still kick you back into the river of time and space, so you can stay put!"

The secrets behind this are naturally unknown to outsiders.

Long ago, Jumang, the ancestral witch of wood, while traveling, by chance "picked up" a water god with extraordinary talent and introduced him to Houtu. In the end, the water god became one of the thirteen ancestral witches and was named Gonggong.

Gonggong was a pawn planted by the First Emperor, an unknown figurehead.

However, unlike the other Taiwei colleagues who like to create multiple accounts and log in to play around whenever they have free time, he is different.

Zu Long had long ago made a complete causal break with his alternate account, Gonggong.

Apart from setting its "script" from the beginning, it is basically left to its own devices, allowing it to develop freely without any intervention.

Originally, according to his initial plan, even if the Lich and Demon races fought to the point of mutual destruction in this Heavenly War, he would not actively interfere with the fate of this minor account.

The result was absolutely unexpected.

The Lich and Demon races fought fiercely at the front, causing the heavens and earth to collapse and the sun and moon to lose their light.

Meanwhile, those Qilin clan guys were secretly raiding the Wu clan's stronghold.

Not only did they stab it, but they also had the audacious idea of ​​using the power of Pangu's heart to revive their long-dead ancestor, the First Qilin.

Who can bear this?

In any case, Zu Long would absolutely not tolerate it.

And so, he watched as his old rival, whom he had fought his whole life, was about to seize the greatest victory amidst the chaos of the Lich War and successfully win the resurrection match.

This led to the later incident where Gonggong suddenly "lost his mind," angrily striking Buzhou Mountain and overturning the entire card table in a desperate act.

As the instigator of all this, the alternate account of [Gonggong] must also pay the price. Not only must he die, but the Taoist power he represents must also be completely destroyed.

Because the cause and effect he caused was so enormous that it could affect all the heavens and myriad worlds.

If he doesn't die completely, the backlash from the Great Dao will be enough to give even the original Ancestral Dragon a severe headache.

"To exchange a Dao Fruit that is about to mature for the [Primordial Qilin] being kicked back into the River of Time and Space, I think this is a very worthwhile deal!"

Zu Long twirled his fingers, showing no sign of regret about the account [Gonggong], which was about to be forcibly deleted.

In contrast, if that old guy, [Shi Qilin], were to actually win the resurrection match, it would make Zulong feel even more like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, a thorn in his back, and sitting on pins and needles.

"But then again, the Storyteller is quite amazing."

Zu Long seemed to have thought of something, and the fierce look on his face gradually faded, replaced by a playful smile.

He then slowly took out a jade book that shimmered with a faint light from his sleeve and examined it with great confidence.

On the jade scroll, a series of wonderful stories and scripts are recorded in an extremely ancient script.

"In the script of this myth, she casually wrote down the line, 'A great flood will eventually descend from the top of Olympus to punish the arrogance and sins of mankind.'"

"At the time, I thought it was just an exaggerated description she made for the sake of drama in the story. No matter how despicable I, the God-King, am, I would not do such a thing."

"I never imagined that things would actually turn out this way."

Zulong stretched out his fingers and gently stroked the cold words on the jade book, marveling at Houtu's creative ability as a "storyteller immortal".

~~~
On the other side, in the celestial realm.

That great war, which swept across the entire prehistoric world and exhausted the last reserves of the two top races, finally came to an end amidst endless blood and fire.

In the celestial realm, the once all-powerful and eternally revered "Heavenly Emperor" Taiyi ultimately lay dead in the void.

His shattered imperial body, along with a wisp of his undying true spirit, was swept away by the celestial treasure, the Chaos Bell, and transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into the endless chaos, its whereabouts unknown.

The White Emperor, Shao Hao, sacrificed himself for his cause, transforming into the most dazzling sword light, severely injuring two Ancestral Witches.

[Qingdi] Shaoyang, also known as the Fusang Emperor, died early in the chaos of war.

The Crimson Emperor Xihe burned away his own Great Sun True Fire, transforming it into the most decisive destruction, taking the lives of two Ancestral Witches.

[Xi Huang] Fuxi, also in the final calculation, faced death with a smile, proving the Dao with his own body.

Many core members of the Heavenly Emperor's cabinet, including powerful demon gods such as Ji Meng, Ying Zhao, Fei Dan, Qin Yuan, Jiu Ying, and Shang Yang, all perished in this fierce battle.

Even the formidable Black Emperor Zhenwu was utterly destroyed by the valiant Martial Ancestor Wuluo.

If Wu Luo hadn't stopped at the last moment, he probably would have perished on the spot.

Looking around, the once mighty Heavenly Court, which once dominated the world and ruled over all races, now consists of only Empress Changxi, Demon Master Kunpeng, and a few surviving cabinet ministers such as Bai Ze and Fei Lian.

"Oh, Sister Xihe, why...why are you doing this to yourself?"

Chang Xi stretched out her slender hand and gently beckoned. The Sun Essence Wheel and the Luo Shu, which had been floating in the void and had lost their master, let out a mournful cry and slowly flew into her hand.

She caressed the still-warm magical artifact, her exquisite face filled with an overwhelming sorrow.

At the last moment, Xihe resolutely sacrificed her own Sun Dao, taking the lives of the two Ancestral Witches with her, and calmly faced death.

Her path has reached the primordial state.

The next step is the most dangerous Taiyi Realm.

If she doesn't die this time, next time, Xihe will have to find a way to kill herself.

Therefore, Xihe simply chose to die first in this great battle that would determine the fate of her race, as a sign of respect and to die a worthy death.

Before her death, she transmitted her voice to Chang Xi:

"Don't worry, a friend promised me he would repay a debt of karma, and I will definitely come back."

"If I'm lucky enough, I might be able to come back with my husband. If that happens, I'll have to trouble you, little sister, to guide us!"

In short, Xihe had a good attitude; she left gracefully without any regrets.

"Emperor and Empress!"

Just as Chang Xi was immersed in grief, the Demon Master Kunpeng and the True Martial Emperor, leading the surviving star gods covered in blood, slowly approached her.

At this moment, Kunpeng looked extremely miserable; he was severely injured.

In order to completely destroy his opponent Tianwu and eliminate any future threat, thus sealing his fate, Kunpeng, at the last moment, also sacrificed half of his own essence—the [Peng] representing the Great Dao of Wind and extreme speed.

Therefore, he should now be called the Demon Master [Kun].

Such injuries, which directly target the very essence of the Dao, are fundamentally difficult to heal in a short period of time.

However, compared to the many emperors who have already perished, Kunpeng is already incredibly lucky to have survived.

"Demon Master, everyone, you've worked hard."

Chang Xi suppressed his grief and looked apologetically at the demon master Kunpeng and the many surviving star gods.

"For the great cause of my demon race, for the great cause of the celestial realm, you have sacrificed far too much."

She looked around at the broken world, her voice tinged with weariness and despair.

"I'm afraid I'll no longer be able to lead everyone forward."

"Your Majesty! You mustn't say that!"

Seeing Chang Xi's somewhat disheartened expression, Kunpeng, who had just been listless, suddenly became excited.

"We did not lose!"

He stepped forward and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Now, we need to unite more than ever, lead everyone, rebuild the order of the Heavenly Court, and await the return of His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor!"

The surviving star gods behind him also knelt on one knee and pleaded for his life in unison.

"Your Majesty, we haven't lost yet!"

"We absolutely cannot give up now!"

"Please rescind your order and lead us on this path!"

[Black Emperor] Zhenwu stood quietly to the side, holding that heavy broadsword, remaining silent throughout.

Although he didn't say much, his willingness to stand on the side of Heaven at this time already demonstrated his attitude.

However, Chang Xi simply shook her head slightly, her cool gaze sweeping over the crowd and looking towards the distance.

There, the Wu tribe's side was also in ruins.

Many high-ranking members of the Wu clan also perished in battle, and the only surviving member, Wu Luo, the Ancestral Wu of Martial Arts, is quietly cleaning up the mess.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the myriad races who had surrendered to the Wu tribe in the later stages of the war were now surrounding Wu Luo, their expressions excited as they continuously urged him to join them.

Of the thirteen Ancestral Witches, only Wu Luo and Hou Tu, who is far away in the primordial chaos, remain.

Wu Luo, after experiencing such a fierce battle, still maintained relatively intact combat strength, which shows his formidable power.

The representatives of the myriad races believed that even if the Heavenly Court still had three emperors left, if the fighting continued, their side would still be certain to win!

"Lord Wuluo, please give the order!"

"The demon race's false court is still clinging to life; we absolutely cannot give up this excellent situation!"

"Keep fighting! As long as we keep fighting, we will definitely achieve the final victory!"

"Lord Wuluo, you are the best candidate in our hearts to be the next Heavenly Emperor!"

"It's getting cold, Lord Wuluo. How about we put a yellow robe on you... oh no, I mean an imperial robe?"

The fruits of victory seemed to be right before their eyes, and the representatives of all races appeared extremely radical.

There really was a deity who immediately took out a magnificent imperial robe that had been prepared beforehand, and prepared to have Wu Luo put it on.

Wu Luo remained silent.

He raised his head, first glancing at the chaotic depths of the sky, then turning his gaze to Chang Xi opposite him.

The two looked at each other across the distance, their expressions complex.

After a moment of silence, Wu Luo finally spoke, uttering two words: "Withdraw your troops!"

Upon hearing this, the representatives of the myriad races who were in a state of excitement all showed expressions of utter astonishment.

Just as they were about to continue urging Wuluo to take the throne, Wuluo simply waved his hand slowly.

"I understand what you all mean."

His voice was steady and powerful. "But the purpose of our Wu clan's attack on the heavens this time is not for our own selfish interests, but for the freedom of all races and the freedom of all gods."

"Now that the Demon Emperor is dead, the Demon Court's power is also unsustainable."

“We have successfully defended the freedom of all races and the freedom of the gods. It is time to withdraw our troops.”

As he spoke, Wu Luo's gaze once again turned like a sharp sword towards the camp of the demon race.

He said loudly:
"From this day forward, in this primordial true world, anyone who dares to shout 'Unite all races with one race,' will be met with another military campaign by my Wu Clan!"

Although Wu Luo's voice was not loud, it carried an undeniable and extremely powerful impact.

With these words, he gave the final characterization to the Wu Clan's campaign against the heavens.

We, the Witch Clan, are born warlike, but this is not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of all races and the freedom of the gods!

In the future, our Wu tribe will continue to uphold this fighting spirit and become the most resolute defender of the freedom of all races.

Now that we have achieved our goal, do you, the remnants of the demon race, still intend to continue your perverse ways?
"you!!"

The surviving gods in the demon race camp were all furious upon hearing this.

You're unilaterally declaring yourselves the winners, which means we demons have lost.
You have your righteous cause, but don't we demons have ours too?

The demon race has greatly promoted education and improved the cultivation environment for post-natal beings. They have also spread the inheritance of the Great Dao to the entire prehistoric world using a unified post-natal script. Are you all pretending not to see any of these things?
This is precisely the fundamental reason why Demon Master Kunpeng and others persist.

The soul may die, the body may perish, but the brilliance of the Great Dao they believe in must never be tainted in the slightest!

Faced with Wu Luo's victory-declaration, Empress Chang Xi demonstrated the Heavenly Court's final stance through her actions.

She slowly stretched out her hand and gently beckoned to the void.

Amidst the astonished and bewildered expressions of the gods, the Heavenly Dao Mirror and the Investiture of the Gods, representing the authority of the Heavenly Dao, once again erupted with an extremely dazzling brilliance.

"The Heavenly Emperor decrees: The Wu tribe has rebelled and is hereby banished from the Nine Heavens. Without an imperial edict, they are not permitted to enter!"

Wu Luo gave Chang Xi a deep look, but this time, he did not stop him.

Thus, Changxi, in her capacity as Empress, wielded these two supreme treasures representing the highest authority in Heaven, thereby invoking the great power of Heaven.

They actually did, in front of everyone, forcibly expel the Wu Clan's camp, along with representatives of all other races, from the Nine Heavens.

Our Heavenly Court can be disbanded, its curtain can fall.

However, we must never disband under the threat and charity of your witch clan!

After the last warrior of the Witch Clan was forcibly moved out of this shattered celestial realm by the power of Heaven.

Chang Xi stood quietly in the void. The Heavenly Dao Mirror and the Investiture of the Gods in her hands gradually dimmed, returning to their ancient and simple appearance.

Her stunningly beautiful face showed neither joy nor sorrow, only a cold and serene quality like that of ancient ice.

She slowly turned around, looked at the survivors behind her who also had complicated expressions, and uttered four words.

"Return to the Heavenly Emperor's Palace!"

These four words, devoid of any emotion, seem to contain an unquestionable authority.

Demon Master Kunpeng, Black Emperor Zhenwu, and the surviving Star Gods all trembled upon hearing this.

They glanced at each other, and then silently and in unison followed behind Chang Xi.

The group passed through the Nantianmen Gate, which had long since turned into ruins, and walked up the broken white jade steps.

Finally, they arrived at the magnificent palace that still stood tall, symbolizing the highest authority in the heavens—the Heavenly Emperor's Palace.

Without the slightest hesitation, Chang Xi stepped into the spacious and majestic hall.

Each step seemed to land on a historical juncture, echoing the remnants of an era.

She ascended upwards until she finally arrived before the imperial throne, which symbolized supreme power.

Under the gaze of all the star gods, filled with excitement, anticipation, and even disbelief.

She slowly turned around, and then gracefully and dignifiedly sat on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor.

boom! ! !
The very instant she ascended to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor.

The remaining fortune belonging to the demon race's heavenly court seemed to have found a new outlet and a new point of convergence for the entire celestial realm, and even the entire Hongyao True Realm.

Endless golden fortune, like rivers flowing into the sea, frantically converged from all directions.

Above Chang Xi's head, a magnificent and dazzling canopy of fortune quickly condensed, as if woven from billions of stars.

Above that canopy, the coolness of the moon and the heat of the sun reflected each other, transforming into the yin and yang fish, slowly flowing.

The brilliance of billions of stars, like a necklace, hangs down from the edge of the canopy, exuding supreme majesty and holiness.

This newly formed canopy of auspicious energy made Changxi, who sat on the throne, appear incomparably majestic and inviolable, like a true empress who held the reins of the order of heaven and earth.

If I can't raise a Heavenly Emperor, then I'll do it myself!

Then, Changxi, who had ascended to the throne, began to issue decrees to rebuild the celestial order.

~~~~
Chaos outside the sky.

That earth-shattering roar originating from Buzhou Mountain was like the final pause, bringing the fierce battle between Wangshu and Houtu to an abrupt end.

Wang Shu sheathed her sword and gave Hou Tu, whose expression was complex, a deep look in her cold gaze.

She didn't say much, but left behind a meaningful remark.

"You take care of yourself."

Having said that, she ignored Houtu and transformed into a beam of bright moonlight, plunging straight into the turbulent river of time and space to rescue the myriad worlds suffering from undeserved calamity.

Only Houtu remained, silently hovering in place, her gaze piercing through the endless chaos, looking at the primordial battle that had already settled.

After a long while, she let out a sigh of utter helplessness.

"It's over...it's over, this is really, really over."

What Houtu lamented at this moment was not the failure of the Wu tribe to ultimately conquer the heavens.

The war for the change of leadership in the Heavenly Realm ended in a tragic battle where both sides suffered heavy losses. Although the process was somewhat unexpected, the result was generally within her acceptable range.

What she truly marveled at was that the six saints, along with all the gods of the heavens, were now transforming into countless forms and beginning to delve deeply into various timelines to rescue the myriad worlds suffering from hardship.

Saving all living beings is certainly a meritorious deed, and it is absolutely correct in itself.

The problem is, while everyone is rescuing those worlds and those beings, they will inevitably discover... other things along the way.

For example, the development of these bizarre and diverse worlds is largely based on the mythological scripts created by this "storyteller."

These scripts inevitably contain a great deal of extremely taboo content that she privately added for the sake of "artistic creation."

This includes, but is not limited to, some short love stories that Houtu wrote individually for each of the six sages.

In the past, Houtu used the righteous name of "no taboos" to secretly conduct "script transactions" with those powerful beings who wanted to create the world.

Everyone signed individual contracts. Once they received the script, they bought it and left to their own devices, each developing their own story, and the cause and effect were settled.

As long as those gods carve out their own unknown branch in the vast river of time and space, and do it quietly and discreetly, no one will really care.

But this time, the situation is completely different.

This time, everyone is going down to save the world together, delving into various timelines. It will be inevitable that they will see each other's fabricated "dark history" stories in other worlds.

This means that her scripts, filled with taboo content, will no longer be able to be hidden and will be completely exposed to everyone.
The thought of the expressions those six sages might make after seeing the "love stories" that had been fabricated about her sent chills down Houtu's spine.

"The only option now is to take another path to divert attention and settle the matter."

When Houtu saw that Wuluo had ultimately chosen to lead the Wu clan and voluntarily withdraw from the Heavenly Realm, her tense heart finally relaxed a little.

She nodded slightly in the direction of Wu Luo and transmitted her voice, "Fellow Daoist, from now on, I will have to trouble you to take good care of the Wu Clan and the Pangu Palace."

Having said that, Houtu no longer hesitated.

She turned around, took a step, and instantly returned to the Primordial Realm.

She did not go to Buzhou Mountain, nor did she return to the Heavenly Realm. Instead, she descended directly to the shores of the Blood Sea, where endless karma and bloodlust surged year-round.

She stood above the sea of ​​blood, her countenance dignified and her expression solemn. A grand and compassionate will instantly spread throughout the entire primordial world.

"Today, the pillar of heaven is shaken, all worlds are suffering, and countless beings are sinking in the boundless sea of ​​suffering, unable to be liberated."

"I, Houtu, feel that the cycle of reincarnation in the primordial world is incomplete, and the order of Yin and Yang is not clear, making it impossible to truly save all living beings and liberate them from their suffering."

"Therefore, today, I wish to use my true form as an ancestral witch to complete the cycle of reincarnation in the six realms, to relieve the suffering of all beings, and to quell the calamities of heaven and earth!"

"May all the gods of heaven and earth, and all living beings, bear witness!"

Houtu's grand and resolute vow, like the imperial edict of the Great Dao, resonated clearly in every corner of the entire Primordial Realm.

Throughout the primordial world, all the gods turned their gaze toward the surging sea of ​​blood.

Above the sea of ​​blood, Houtu's figure began to radiate boundless divine light.

That light possessed both the weight and vastness of the ancestral witches, and carried an unprecedented, supreme compassion that transcended race.

She slowly opened her arms, as if to embrace the whole world.

Immediately afterwards, her powerful, seemingly immortal ancestral witch body began to collapse, decompose, and evolve little by little.

Her will and the Great Dao converged to form the core that sustains the entire cycle of reincarnation—six enormous, infinitely deep, slowly rotating discs.

The realms of gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell.

The cycle of six realms of reincarnation takes shape here!
The moment the Six Paths of Reincarnation were completely stabilized, the entire primordial world trembled violently.

Above the nine heavens, endless streams of profound and yellow merit energy poured down like a bursting dam.

The newly formed Humanity and the long-awaited Underground Path have both accumulated boundless merit.

That golden ocean of merit almost completely filled the sky above the entire sea of ​​blood.

All the gods know, and all living beings feel.

Bathed and baptized by the immeasurable golden light of merit, a brand new, incomparably holy figure slowly emerged from the core of reincarnation.

She still looked like Houtu, but the savagery and malevolent aura of the Ancestral Witches had completely faded away.

Instead, there is a supreme sanctity and indifference that holds the reins of life and death and balances yin and yang.

She spoke slowly to heaven and earth and all living beings, her voice calm yet majestic.

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation have been revealed; Houtu will no longer be a witch!"

"I am Pingxin. From now on, I shall forever guard the netherworld and govern the cycle of reincarnation to bring peace to the souls of the departed."

Upon hearing this, all the gods of heaven and earth praised it:
"Your Majesty, have mercy!"

In everyone's view, the Lich War was fought for their own reasons.

Let's set aside the question of whether it's right or wrong for now.

Now that Houtu is willing to dedicate herself to the Tao, complete the cycle of reincarnation, and help all beings attain liberation, she truly deserves praise.

This feeling of praise continued until, during their act of saving the world, they unexpectedly discovered some forbidden stories about themselves.
The expressions on the faces of the many gods upon learning the truth were truly fascinating.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Links: [Monthly Tickets] [Recommendation Tickets]

Ahem, it's a bit late, so I added a thousand words (feeling guilty).
(End of this chapter)