For the third time in humanity’s history, they gathered on Mount Tai. Although not every member of humanity congregated, the number of people exceeded the time when Shennong abdicated because of the increased population. The more prosperous humanity became, the greater their numbers.
Xuanyi stood in front of the altar, waiting for the sun to rise. Behind her stood Cangjie, and further back stood Xuanyuan’s wives and descendants. Of note, Nuba was not present because she had not repented or changed her ways.
Unlike her brother, Xuanyi remained unmarried. She had no descendants. What was the point? She would soon become the mortal sovereign and live eternally with humanity. As long as humanity existed, she would live longer than the stars in the sky.
Even further back stood the officials and meritorious clans that survived from the War of Yan and Huang. Behind them were the members of humanity who made this pilgrimage, just to witness Xuanyi’s ascension to become the mortal sovereign. They filled the lower half of the mountain and even spread through the surrounding land.
Xuanyi turned around and zeroed in on one of her brother’s descendants. Even compared to his fellow clan members, he stood out. He was neither the most handsome, fittest, nor smartest among the descendants, but he exuded an unmistakable air of wisdom. It magnified his aura to the point that only Xuanyi and Cangjie’s aura overwhelmed him.
“Zhuanxu, step behind me. Next to the Grand Advisor,” Xuanyi said. Her temperament had become much more mellow in the years of her reign. Although her sharpness remained, she learned to sheath it when not needed.
“Descendant obeys,” Zhuanxu said as he stood next to Cangjie.
Speaking of Zhuanxu, Xuanyi noticed his existence before he even left his mother’s womb. The night of his birth, myriad stars of all colors gathered above Zhuolu and formed a stellar river. Just like Xuanyuan and Xuanyi’s birth, a miraculous phenomenon heralded his birth.
After he grew up, Xuanyi made him an official and allowed him to develop. She wanted to see if he had the talent to become her successor. Zhuanxu didn’t disappoint. Many of the cases Xuanyi had trouble solving could be solved under his management.
But he had another trait that made Xuanyi praise him even more. Zhuanxu wasn’t like Fuxi, Shennong, or Xuanyuan. Like Xuanyi, his ability to innovate new things to progress humanity was limited, but he had the wisdom and vision to recruit people who could. No single innovations these people made could compare to Fuxi, Shennong, or Xuanyuan’s creations, but with enough numbers, quantity will transform into quality.
And this aspect made Xuanyi appoint Zhuanxu as her successor. To this end, she taught him the Yellow Emperor Inner Canon, a cultivation method she created for humanity derived from the combination of the Supreme Purity Scripture and Eight Source Ascension. She also left him the Yellow Emperor Secret Code. It recorded Xuanyi’s insights into war as well as the formation she derived from the Nine Heavens War Code. Even if a war erupted, Zhuanxu could rely on the wisdom recorded in the book to defeat almost every opponent.
Xuanyi turned back to the altar. She kept her face expressionless, her thoughts indiscernible. Then the sun appeared, shrouding Mount Tai in a golden hue.
“I am Gongsun Xuanyi, the second Yellow Emperor!”
Xuanyi’s words, which echoed in the ears of all humanity, caused many of them to express puzzlement. Only Xuanyuan’s wives, Cangjie, and Zhuanxu guessed what she was planning. Sure enough.
“My brother is Gongsun Xuanyuan, the first Yellow Emperor. During his reign, humanity prospered under his governance. He invented the wheel and currency. His wives invented silk, the comb, cooking utensils, and the mirror. He also propagated the Human Script created by Grand Advisor Cangjie, bringing humanity to new heights!”
Xuanyi’s impassioned speech made the blood of the people, who had forgotten about Xuanyuan, boil as his deeds imprinted themselves into their minds. Their passion only increased as Xuanyi listed Xuanyuan’s achievements one by one.
“Alas, he fell under the cruel hand of Chiyou, humanity’s greatest traitor!”
The hatred that simmered beneath Xuanyi’s calm facade finally unsheathed itself. Her words of denouncement caused humanity to gain a hatred for the Titan Tribe. It almost reached the same level as their innate hatred for the Demon Clan.
During her speech, the ground shook, as if some caged beast wanted to emerge from under. However, it only shook for a brief moment, and the people soon forgot about it.
Rather than Xuanyi’s ascension ceremony, it appeared more like Xuanyuan’s ascension ceremony. Just as Cangjie, Fuxi, and Shennong worried that Xuanyi’s action would cause an unforeseeable accident to her ascension as the mortal sovereign, she ended her eulogy to her brother and started to list her own achievements.
Compared to the passion of the first half, Xuanyi’s words were incredibly dry, as if stating facts. And she was stating facts. Were it not for the prestige she built during her one hundred thousand twenty-nine thousand and six hundred years of reign, the people’s enthusiasm might have waned thanks to her dry narration.
By the end of her speech, all members of humanity except the ancestors and sovereigns kneeled under Xuanyi’s supreme momentum. They prayed to her, their belief condensed into a dense faith that manifested as a violet light radiating from her figure.
Under this light, even Zhuanxu had to kneel.
The heavens roared, lightning flashed, and clouds rumbled. The manifestation of humanity’s negative emotions attacked Xuanyi. It wasn’t just the negative emotion gathered from the War of Yan and Huang, her reign, but from the moment Sovereign Shennong abdicated.
It would not be an overstatement to say no tribulation of negative emotion for the rulers before or after would ever reach the same extremes she was tested under.
Xuanyi suffered waves upon waves of negative emotions. It didn’t only include the hatred of humanity against the demons and giants, but against each other. During the years without a ruler, humanity waged war against each other, forming countless links of hatred.
Under this buffet, Xuanyi’s eyes turned red from the influence of negative emotions. Just as when she reached the limit of her tolerance, she felt the hatred of the Jiuli Tribe. Even if Xuanyi expelled them from humanity, the Way of Heaven still considered them humans, so their negative emotions assaulted Xuanyi.
Instantly, her grip on the Xuanyuan Sword tightened, and the hidden murderous filled her. Xuanyi’s cloudy eyes regained a bit of their clarity. Compared to the negative emotions of all humanity, she was more resistant to the murderous intent within the Xuanyuan Sword.
The negative emotion and murderous intent fought for dominance within Xuanyi’s body, allowing her room to maneuver. The two formed a queer equilibrium under Xuanyi’s deliberate control. Although she managed not to fail, she still suffered from the clash.
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Xuanyi gritted her teeth and persisted. If it was her brother, he would have definitely been able to succeed. As his chosen inheritor, how could she fail to live up to his expectation?
Finally, she succeeded. Although it appeared that she suffered for a short amount of time to onlookers, it felt like an eternity to Xuanyi.
The nine bell tolls beckoned the immortal song that heralded Xuanyi’s success. Clouds of merit, one far larger than any of the previous rulers, condensed above her, but they didn’t descend. Xuanyi had received humanity’s and the Way of Heaven’s acknowledgment. Now, only the Saints of Heaven’s acknowledgement remained unfulfilled.
Xuanyi didn’t have to wait for long because the Saints descended.
First to arrive was the solemn Heavenly Venerable of the Virtuous Way. He appeared indifferent to all things, but if you looked closer, you would discover that he was the source of all things.
The second to arrive was the Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginning. His gaze looked down on all things, and all life kneeled in his presence, revering his nobility.
The third was the glamorous and sharp Heavenly Lord of the Immeasurable. When Xuanyi laid eyes on her, she couldn’t help but superimpose her master’s image over the Heavenly Lord of the Immeasurable’s figure. Seeing the familiar visage, she couldn’t help but enter a daze.
It was only when the Heavenly Lord of the Immeasurable winked at her that Xuanyi broke out of her daze. Xuanyi didn’t have time to question her as the next Saint arrived.
Mother Nuwa, the creator of humanity, arrived, adorned in a green dress. All who saw her would feel a sense of kinship with her, as if she was their relative. This feeling manifested the most in humanity, who considered themselves her children.
Even Xuanyi felt her back start to bend under Mother Nuwa’s aura. However, as the third ruler of humanity, she must not bow easily, even to Saints.
The fifth and sixth flew from the West, exuding resplendent golden light as they did so. Anyone who gazed upon Saint Jieyin would feel a sense of intimacy despite having never met him. In contrast, Saint Zhunti felt ephemeral, as if he would disappear once your eyes left him.
The last, but definitely not least, was Saint Redcloud. Like his namesake, a red cloud carried him to the mountain. Dressed in red robes, he carried a gourd on his waist. Compared to the previous six Saints, although his coercion was awe-inspiring, it appeared a little lacking in Xuanyi’s eyes.
“Everyone, do you think Gongsun Xuanyi is worthy of becoming the mortal sovereign?” the Heavenly Venerable of the Virtuous Way asked.
Without exception, all the Saints agreed.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Virtuous Way gazed down upon Xuanyi. “The Yellow Emperor has united mankind after the invasion from the foreign world, defeated Chiyou, prevented outsiders from stealing the foundation of humanity, and increased humanity’s prosperity. We Saints acknowledge her as the mortal sovereign!”
The golden clouds of merits descended and split into four parts. Ten percent of it fell onto the Heavenly Lord of the immeasurable. She did not absorb it and allowed it to merge with the golden halo of merit behind her. When Xuanyi saw this, it only confirmed her guess.
Thirty percent streamed into Cangjie. The reason humanity became so prosperous under Xuanyi’s rules could not be separated from Cangjie. It was not an exaggeration to claim that Cangjie was responsible for half of the prosperity. Like the Heavenly Lord of the Immeasurable, the halo of merit absorbed the Karmic Merit and his realm did not increase.
Thirty percent of the merit flowed into Xuanyi. Even if she wanted to condense it into a halo of merit, the Way of Heaven did not allow it. Soon, she broke through the boundary of the Great Firmament Realm.
Early Quasi-Saint Realm.
Intermediate Quasi-Saint Realm.
Advanced Quasi-Saint Realm.
Peak Quasi-Saint Realm.
Half-Saint Realm!
The major powers, who were not present but still paid attention to Xuanyi’s ascension, also sighed. From now on, there will be another Half-Saint above them. A few even gritted their teeth and sought shelter under The Realm Linked King, hoping to get a strand of the Grandmist Gold Qi.
The Xuanyuan Sword absorbed the last portion of the Karmic Merit. Like Xuanyi, it also evolved. As more and more merit flowed into it, the slaughterous intent within the blade weakened, as if the souls used to forge it found salvation. When it absorbed the last bit of merit, it released a splendid light that radiated over all humans, bathing them in warmth before disappearing.
Xuanyi felt a heated gaze, but when she glanced over, she only saw the Saints gazing calmly at her. She didn’t think much of it for now and stared at Zhuanxu. “From now on, this will be your reign. Govern humanity well.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Zhuanxu said as he saluted Xuanyi.
With those words, Xuanyi disappeared from Mount Tai. If she stayed, it would not be conducive to Zhuanxu’s rule. Cangjie also left. Zhuanxu wasn’t Xuanyi, who needed his help. In addition, he had also trained his own group of helpers.
The two humans flew toward the Human Temple. Midway, they stopped as a red-robed figure appeared in front of them.
“Heavenly Lord of the Immeasurable,” Xuanyi said. “Or should I call you Master?”
In contrast to Cangjie’s shock and bewilderment, Tongtian smiled. “You can call me whatever you want.
“If you want to be more precise, my Future Incarnation was the one who accepted you as a disciple. However, that does not discount you as a member of my Supreme Purity Lineage,” she added.
Xuanyi stayed silent in Tongtian’s words. As the silence elongated, Cangjie felt something off. “Master, why did you accept me as your apprentice?”
“Let’s just say it’s a favor for my eldest disciple. It’s a bit late to meet him, but there is a strong karmic tie between you and him,” Tongtian said.
“Then…” Xuanyi never finished her words. She didn’t want to know if her master plotted to have her brother killed.
Tongtian sighed. “Honestly, I never expected the third disciple I picked would become humanity’s mortal sovereign. As Xuanyuan’s sister, you also carried a trace of the Purple Majesty Qi, but compared to your brother, it was far too little. However, fate makes fools of us all.”
Xuanyi didn’t know what to make of Tongtian’s last words, but she released a relieved sigh, nonetheless. All she wanted to know was whether her master had plotted against her brother. With that answered, the stone in her heart finally dropped.
“By the way, I never taught you about cardinal spiritual artifacts, did I?” Tongtian asked. “You know that spiritual artifacts are split between acquired and innate, but there’s actually a third type, cardinal spiritual artifact. There are very few among heaven and earth, and their value far outstrips that of innate spiritual artifacts. Cardinal spiritual artifacts cannot be created, only born.”
Xuanyi nodded. However, she was still puzzled by why Tongtian mentioned this.
“However, there is another method to attain a cardinal spiritual artifact. When an artifact absorbs enough Karmic Merit, it will automatically obtain restrictions. The more Karmic Merit it absorbs, the more restriction it will gain. Correspondingly, its type can also evolve. Yes, an artifact can become a meritorious cardinal spiritual artifact.” After she finished, Tongtian stared at the Xuanyuan Sword in Xuanyi’s grasp.
“You mean the Xuanyuan Sword evolved into a meritorious cardinal spiritual artifact?”
Tongtian nodded. “It’s extremely precious. Even Saints might not have a cardinal spiritual artifact in their possession.”
Xuanyi’s heart tensed as she recalled the heated gaze she felt. “But it won’t help them. Only when a human uses the Xuanyuan Sword to fight humanity’s enemies can it display its true power. It will only be a tough sword in non-human hands.”
Tongtian didn’t answer. Instead, she gazed at a certain location far away. Xuanyi turned and followed her master’s gaze, but saw nothing.
“Master, is there someone there?”
“Not anymore,” Tongtian said. “Just be careful. Many people saw the Xuanyuan Sword and will inevitably covet it.”
Xuanyi’s eyes sharpened, and the killing intent within her surfaced. “They don’t have the ability to take it from my hands.”
Tongtian gave a proud smile. “That’s my disciple.”
Their conversation ended, and master and disciple parted ways. Tongtian returned to the Heavenly Realm while Xuanyi went to the Human Temple, where she met her predecessors. And so, the Era of the Three Sovereigns ended and the Era of the Five Emperors began.