“Severing the connection between heaven and earth?”
Within the Yellow Emperor’s Sword, a desolate voice sighed, “Perhaps… it was a form of remedy, a veiled protection for the Way of Humanity.”
A remedy?
Chen Dong, enduring the infusion of demonic energy while shielded by the aura of the Dao, felt a flicker of confusion.
“When I ascended through the Heavenly Gate on dragonback, all of humanity in the lower realm believed that reaching the Upper Heavenly Realm required passing through it. But that one, using the Jianmu tree, pierced from the Heavenly Gate into the lower realm, connecting heaven and earth.”
“Creatures from the Upper Heavenly Realm could freely enter the lower realm, travelling between the two. Though Jianmu linked them, and the Way of Humanity could theoretically ascend to the Upper Heavenly Realm via Jianmu, the beings of the lower realm were too weak. Entering the Upper Heavenly Realm was exceedingly difficult for them.”
Chen Dong suddenly understood.
Since arriving in the Upper Heavenly Realm, every creature he encountered left him trembling with awe.
And he… was already the strongest of humanity!
If even he felt this way, how feeble must the rest of humanity and the beings of the lower realm be in the face of the Upper Heavenly Realm’s inhabitants?
“It seems Jianmu allows passage both ways, but when one side’s strength utterly dominates, doesn’t it mean that humanity and the beings of the lower realm, attempting to enter the Upper Heavenly Realm, would face slaughter by its creatures? Even if they made it through, survival would be nearly impossible, right?” Chen Dong murmured softly.
The desolate voice paused.
“Yes.”
“The rules appear fair, but in reality, they embody the greatest unfairness. When the creatures of the Upper Heavenly Realm can utterly crush the lower realm, it becomes a catastrophe for the latter.”
“That’s why Zhuanxu severed the connection between heaven and earth, cut down Jianmu, and pushed back the Heavenly Gate, preserving the hope of humanity and the beings of the lower realm.”
Chen Dong fell silent, his brows knitting into a deep frown.
His final doubt had been fully resolved.
This conspiracy was nothing less than a complete entrapment and domestication of humanity and the lower realm’s beings by that Primordial Spirit Seed wielding Jianmu.
With absolute dominance in strength and unrivalled advantages on every front, no one—absolutely no one—could escape this trap. They could only obediently step into it.
After all, the lower realm where humanity existed was merely one of the three thousand lesser worlds附属 to the Upper Heavenly Realm.
The Upper Heavenly Realm had existed far longer than the lower realm, its creatures outlasting humanity and the beings below by an vast stretch of time.
It was akin to an adult meticulously planning every detail and weaving an elaborate lie for a toddler just learning to walk.
How could a toddling child discern the truth?
The only one to evade it, Chiyou, might have done so because of his demonic nature.
After all, in the Upper Heavenly Realm’s earliest days, the Twelve Ancestral Demons predated the Primordial Spirit Seed. It was due to that Seed that the Ancestral Demons scattered their demonic energy across the three thousand worlds.
It made sense that Chiyou could sense the dangers of the Upper Heavenly Realm—especially those Primordial Spirit Seeds who directly acted against the Ancestral Demons.
“Little one…”
“I’m here.”
Chen Dong’s expression turned solemn, noting a shift in the desolate voice.
It no longer sounded as frail as before, growing robust instead.
“This is the last bit of strength I can offer for the Way of Humanity.”
What?
Chen Dong’s face shifted with shock.
The next second—
Clang!
A piercing sword cry erupted, sharp and deafening.
A vast, majestic pressure burst forth from the Yellow Emperor’s Sword.
The blade radiated dense golden light, shimmering with brilliant hues.
The sword’s cry persisted as golden light flared.
The Yellow Emperor’s Sword trembled fiercely, its emanating golden light swiftly enveloping Chen Dong, transforming into a suit of golden armour.
The armour was imposing and regal, adorned with intricate runes.
In an instant, the Human Sovereign Aura and the Fortune of the Lower Realm within Chen Dong responded to the Yellow Emperor’s call. They surged violently, pouring out of his body and merging into the golden armour.
“Ancestor Yellow Emperor…” Chen Dong realised something and tried to protest.
But the desolate voice of the Yellow Emperor cut in, “I am the Yellow Emperor, but I am also the Ancestor of Humanity. Since the primordial era, I’ve led humanity toward light. Through these endless ages, I’ve sat withered in the Ancestral Graveyard, witnessing generation after generation of human ancestors fade into oblivion. Now, at last, you’ve arrived—chosen even by Chiyou. You… are the light of our humanity.”
“The Ancestor wishes for humanity to flourish, for its descendants to thrive. You are the variable, the one to shatter all predetermined fates, to carve out a new world for our frail and humble humanity.”
“Chen Dong… please strengthen our humanity, bring it to greatness.”
Boom!
The moment those final words were spoken—
The space fell into utter silence.
Demonic energy, Dao aura—all stilled.
Only the Yellow Emperor’s Sword blazed with dazzling golden light.
And only the Human Sovereign Aura and Fortune of the Lower Realm within Chen Dong surged with unprecedented vitality.
This was the Yellow Emperor’s hope, his power’s endorsement.
Chen Dong stood tall, acutely aware that as the Yellow Emperor spoke his last, the Human Sovereign Aura and Lower Realm Fortune had swelled to an astonishing degree.
So immense that, even within the Upper Heavenly Realm, he could sense the changes in humanity and the beings of the lower realm across boundless void.
“Youen…”
Chen Dong pinpointed his daughter’s aura. His eyes deepened, unfathomably so, like black abysses. Yet at their core, two golden sparks ignited, spinning, piercing through everything—through the Upper Heavenly Realm—to see his daughter in the lower realm.
She… was smiling!
So adorably.
“Dad…”
A soft, childish call.
Chen Dong smiled, a breath surging into his chest.
His lips parted, “Daddy’s here. Wait for Daddy to bring Mommy back.”
Boom!
A muffled roar echoed from within him.
His connection to the lower realm blurred.
The next second—
A spinning golden Taiji Bagua diagram burst from his body, whirling above his head and rapidly expanding.
Simultaneously, an identical golden Taiji Bagua diagram appeared beneath his feet.
Above and below, mirroring each other.
Clatter…
The sound of chains rang out.
The spinning Taiji Bagua overhead unleashed golden chains, cascading down to link with the diagram below.
“This is…”
Chen Dong’s mind reeled, staring in disbelief at the golden chains before him.
They appeared as chains, but a closer look revealed they were composed of countless intricate runes.
A single glance was overwhelming—like gazing into a boundless sea of stars, complex, mysterious, all-encompassing.
Demonic energy, Dao aura, Human Sovereign Aura, Lower Realm Fortune, the Yellow Emperor’s final aid, and now this Taiji Bagua…
“With all these forces converging in me… what will I become?”
Even Chen Dong, at this moment, felt a haze of uncertainty about himself…