Chapter 535 - 322: Hexagram Dilemma, Emperor Orange Fate Grid "Sword Saint", Empire’s Treasure, Absolute Brewed Blood Spring

The Returning Ruins Silent Sea was as calm and undisturbed as ever.

At some point, the curtain had fallen on the events at sea.

The lone vessel carrying the Demon Race army slowly approached the shore.

Only Yun Qinghe, who had been waiting on the reef, tightened her grip on her Immortal Sword, her beautiful eyes flickering with emotion.

’He must have won, right?’

For some reason, Yang Zhaoyuan also felt a pang of nervousness at the sight.

The Empress and Fairy Ci Hang had already gone ahead to explore the island, while the others waited in place.

Even knowing that His Majesty’s Cultivation was unparalleled, that he could withstand even three strikes from a Sword Immortal, they still couldn’t help but worry.

After all, this was an entire Demon Race army aboard an Ancient Ship, vast in number, led by a Demon Emperor and assisted by several Demon Monarchs.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.

A man in an Emperor’s Robe, carrying the Wuqing Treasure Saber, leaped down from the Ancient Ship.

Upon seeing him, both Yun Qinghe and Yang Zhaoyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Mingyuan came ashore bathed in blood. He used his saber to support himself as he dropped to one knee, letting out a heavy breath. He took in the air of the Ascension Relics, his eyes calm and resolute, which only enhanced the masculine aura of his handsome, jade-like features.

It was all the blood of the Demon Race; he wasn’t injured, merely exhausted.

He had exterminated every last member of the Demon Race on the Ancient Ship.

All the Demon Monarchs, the Flame Python Demon Monarch included, had been beheaded.

One man had annihilated an entire army.

The Great Unbinding Martial Saint Armor had already retracted, revealing his true form.

He looked somewhat exhausted.

It wasn’t the act of killing the demons that was so tiring, but rather that wielding the Divine Saber Zhu Xie and the Armor of the Martial Saint simultaneously had drained him.

Even so, he stood ramrod straight, his imposing aura palpable. Anyone who came within a hundred feet would meet certain death, torn to shreds by his Sword Intent.

From a distance, he looked like an unsheathed blade!

He had barely set foot on shore when Lu Mingyuan felt a burning sensation in his mind.

The Ascension Dao, an Immortal’s withered bones. Obtain the treasure, and an Immortal Dynasty can be forged.

After a long silence, the Six-Yao Turtle Shell began to emit a golden radiance. Ancient symbols floated before his eyes, coalescing into words.

Four trigrams appeared, telling of the many tribulations and Opportunities within the Ascension Relics.

"Upper Trigram of Evil: Within Half an Hour, reach the old site of Feisheng Ancient City. Ignore any Treasures that may appear and revive Qi Xingyan. The boon is the protection of a Saint; the bane is suffering harm from the enthroned Demon Race and likely losing the Opportunity. Life and death will hang on a single choice. The ’Master of the Human World’ can be promoted to the Emperor Orange Fate Grid ’Sword Saint’. Minor Good Fortune!"

"Middle Trigram of Good Fortune: Proceed with caution. When the Absolute Brewed Blood Spring emerges, seize that Opportunity. The bane is potentially losing the Ascension Platform; the boon is a great leap in Cultivation, a solution to the Great Ascension Tribulation, and the chance to obtain the Emperor Orange Fate Grid ’Sword Immortal’. Minor Good Fortune!"

"Middle Trigram of Good Fortune: Wait for the Ascension Platform to emerge, then watch the conflict from a safe distance before claiming the legacy of the Ancient Dynasty. There is no bane. The boon is that your life will not be in danger, you will gain the Opportunity to forge an Immortal Dynasty, and you may obtain the Emperor Orange Fate Grid ’Martial Dao Emperor’. Medium Good Fortune!"

"Middle Trigram of Evil: Rush straight to the Ascension Platform, acquiring Treasures and Opportunities along the way. The bane is a confrontation with the enthroned ones. Without a Saint’s protection, the result is Great Misfortune!"

This series of trigrams left Lu Mingyuan silent for a long time.

Clearly, these four trigrams were very different from the ones he had seen before.

All the trigrams he had seen before had followed a pattern: high reward paired with high safety.

But this time, that pattern was broken.

High reward and high safety were no longer mutually inclusive.

The trigrams were very clear.

If he wanted the Ascension Platform, he would have to forsake other Opportunities and seek a Saint’s protection just to have a chance of survival.

If he chose the other Opportunities and gave up the Ascension Platform, his life would be safe. He would still gain considerable boons, increase his strength, and even allow the Great Yan Dynasty to take the next step and become an Immortal Dynasty.

It would surpass any Dynasty of the past millennium, becoming a behemoth like the first Celestial Destiny Dynasty, the Eternal Immortal Dynasty.

If Great Yan became an Immortal Dynasty, perhaps unifying the Central Plains and confronting the Wilderness and the Holy Netherworld would become much simpler.

After all, back in the Middle Ages, ever since the Human Race destroyed the Divine Beings, they had monopolized the world’s Destiny and reigned as its supreme masters.

’The Upper Trigram of Evil promises the greatest reward, which makes it the best path. But it also means I’ll face significant trouble, and the danger is far greater than the other two options. This decision is harder than any I’ve faced before.’

Staring at the words before him, Lu Mingyuan found himself facing a true dilemma for the first time.

The first trigram was, without a doubt, the most precarious. Yet it was the one that made up for the shortcomings of the second and third options.

As long as he could obtain the Ascension Platform.

He could revive Mr. Qi.

He could also temper his Flesh Body, successfully pass the Saint Tribulation, and reach the Martial Saint Realm.

With the Ascension Platform, what need was there for any other Opportunity?

The Ascension Platform *was* the greatest Opportunity!

In these ancient city ruins, the Ascension Platform was the most precious Magical Treasure.

What was the Ascension Platform?

It was a supreme treasure from the Mythical Era!

It was an ultimate Divine Object, born at the dawn of time!

And yet, this time, the trigrams were telling him to play it safe, seize the other two Opportunities, and abandon the Ascension Platform.

How could he, Lu Mingyuan, possibly do that?

’The Upper Trigram of Evil doesn’t mean there’s no chance of survival, just that I have to fight for it myself. But what are the odds of success?’

Lu Mingyuan racked his brains but could find no clear answer.

If Qi Xingyan were to remain buried forever...

His heart would know no peace.

Mr. Qi had used his peerless strategic genius to lay out a breathtaking grand scheme, plotting against Emperor Yong’an and bringing the Three Religions into his fold, all to place him upon the throne.

Yet now, for the sake of his own safety, he was supposed to just give up.

When that time came, even if he could pass the Saint Tribulation, he would never be able to overcome the tribulation of his own heart.

Faced with such a choice, even though Lu Mingyuan’s gaze remained calm, a cold sweat broke out on his brow.

"Lu Mingyuan, what’s wrong?"

Seeing Lu Mingyuan spacing out from a distance, looking as if something was wrong, Yun Qinghe walked straight toward him.

Her clear eyes swept over him, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief when she saw he wasn’t seriously injured.

"It’s nothing."

Lu Mingyuan forced a smile.

"The Empress and my Senior Sister have already gone inside. We need to hurry."

Yun Qinghe said in a serious tone.

To her surprise, Lu Mingyuan didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he asked her a question.

"Qinghe, isn’t your Taoist Sect known for its ability to seek good fortune and avoid calamity? Can you divine whether this journey of ours will be fraught with peril or blessed with luck?"

Yun Qinghe gazed at his earnest expression and chuckled softly. "The Taoist Sect does indeed have many methods of Divination. The earliest can be traced back to the first Human Emperor, of the Fu Xi Clan. He created the trigrams and taught the Human Race how to discern the will of the heavens."

"In truth, as I see it, the divination for this journey has always been ominous."

"Always been ominous?"

Lu Mingyuan said with a frown.

Yun Qinghe nodded. "That’s right. You can’t expect every divination to be auspicious. The Dragon Peak Cave Heaven is fraught with danger. But even if we know the signs are ominous, does that mean we shouldn’t have come? Of course not."

"Ultimately, a divination is just a reference."

"Whether we can turn the tide depends entirely on our own efforts."

"Even if you know from the start that you will fail, you still have to try. By intervening, you can use the knowledge from a bad omen to turn the tables. That is the true purpose of the Taoist Sect’s Divination. It is also why the Fu Xi Clan taught the trigrams to the Human Race: to prepare for the worst-case scenario, to make preparations in advance, so they would not be caught off guard by floods and storms."

"So that’s how it is..."

Lu Mingyuan seemed to understand something and fell into thought.

In Yun Qinghe’s eyes, Lu Mingyuan’s expression shifted from deep contemplation to certainty, and finally, to unwavering resolve.

Lu Mingyuan’s eyes shone with determination as he said, "I only have Half an Hour. We must hurry!"

With that, he sheathed the Divine Saber Zhu Xie and flew off in the direction of the Grand Array within the ruins.

"What about Half an Hour?"

Although Yun Qinghe found it strange and felt there was something indescribably odd about Lu Mingyuan, she still followed after him.

「...」