Chapter 565 - 338: The Trial of the Human Emperor: A Spark to Start a Prairie Fire

Soon, Lu Mingyuan found his consciousness being pulled into the stone slate by an invisible force.

When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in a land of beautiful mountains and clear waters.

Before him lay a great marsh that stretched for a thousand li.

Upon the great marsh stood five Immortal Mountains, each with a unique landscape.

Lu Mingyuan, however, found himself suspended in mid-air.

In the distance, about twenty zhang away, he could see a sturdy man in a straw raincoat fishing on a lone boat.

The very image of a solitary angler on a lonely vessel.

Lu Mingyuan began to wonder.

’Could this be the space inside the stone slate? To receive the inheritance, do I have to pass a trial?’

’The five Immortal Mountains must symbolize the five Great Divine Techniques.’

"Senior? Senior?"

Lu Mingyuan called out tentatively. The sturdy fisherman turned to glance at him, revealing a square jaw. He radiated an aura of righteousness; one look was enough to tell he was the kind of uncompromising, stern man who couldn’t tolerate the slightest flaw.

He demanded, annoyed,

"Who are you?"

Lu Mingyuan moved forward, cupped his hands, and said, "This junior is the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, chosen by the Celestial Mandate to rule the Central Divine Continent. The Human Race currently faces a calamity at the hands of the Divine Beings, and I need the Divine Techniques from the All Emperors Martial Scripture to defeat them. I humbly ask for your guidance, Senior!"

His words were delivered with the utmost respect, devoid of any arrogance.

Hearing this, the sturdy man repeated doubtfully, "Chosen by the Celestial Mandate?"

He snorted. "In my era, there was no such thing as a Celestial Mandate. I only knew that you could rely on no one but yourself."

He then eyed Lu Mingyuan askance and said coolly, "Just because you say you’re the Emperor of the Human Race, that makes it so? This isn’t a place you can just waltz into for an inheritance simply because you picked up a stone slate. How do you intend to prove your identity?"

In response, Lu Mingyuan unleashed the Golden Dragon Fortune within him. Instantly, countless Dragon Shadows filled the sky, soaring toward the heavens. Only an Emperor could possess such a dense Dragon Fortune.

The sturdy man’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded calmly and said, "You are indeed an Emperor. However, I never said that just any King can master the five Great Divine Techniques."

"You must understand, these five Great Divine Techniques weren’t just comprehended by the Human Emperors of old out of thin air. They were formed only after those Emperors performed deeds that altered the great Dao of heaven and earth. Upon their enlightenment, the Celestial Dao bestowed a vast amount of merit, which crystallized into these merit-based Divine Techniques."

"Each of these Divine Techniques has the power to reshape the world and grants one the ability to stand against the Divine Beings. If an opportunistic, black-hearted person were to learn them, would that not bring disaster upon our Human Race?"

After hearing this, Lu Mingyuan nodded slightly in agreement.

"What you say is reasonable, Senior."

"If the character of the inheritor isn’t ascertained, this power could indeed spiral out of control."

He had been observing the man, trying to guess the sturdy fisherman’s identity.

He had a feeling the man was one of the Human Emperors from the Ancient Era, but he didn’t know which one.

Lu Mingyuan probed, "Senior Human Emperor, how should I properly address you?"

The sturdy man, whose gaze was profound, could naturally see what he was thinking. "Here, I am of the lowest seniority and have the least merit. Do not address me so casually as ’Senior Human Emperor’."

"As for who I am, you will find out in due time."

Lu Mingyuan heard those words: "lowest seniority" and "least merit."

He instantly guessed the man’s identity.

He smiled, his voice filled with excitement. "Could you be the one who carved mountains and tamed the floods to bless all life, established the order of the Kyushu, and pushed the foundation of the Human Race toward great prosperity—Emperor Yu? I have long admired your great name!"

Seeing how he had so cleverly deduced his identity from a single phrase, Emperor Yu was not surprised. He gave a faint smile. "Don’t try to cozy up to me. I am no longer a Human Emperor, just a sliver of will from the All Emperors Martial Scripture. In a moment, I will ask you three questions. If you can’t answer them, then you’d best pray for your own sake."

The implication was that if he couldn’t pass the trial,

then no amount of talk would do him any good.

He wouldn’t be leaving with a single Divine Technique.

Lu Mingyuan’s expression turned solemn. He cupped his hands and said, "Please ask, Senior."

"First question. You claim to be an Emperor chosen by the Celestial Mandate and the ruler of the Central Divine Continent. Suppose the Celestial Dao—what you call the Celestial Mandate—were to bring disaster upon our Human Race. How would you save them?"

Lu Mingyuan fell into deep thought, momentarily stumped.

He had thrown out such a monumental question right from the start.

The question was clearly related to the story of Emperor Yu taming the floods. No matter how he answered, it wouldn’t be perfect. It was a dilemma, like the classic choice between loyalty and filial piety; a simple "yes" or "no" would not suffice.

The Great Yan Dynasty was blessed by the Celestial Mandate, which was why it was able to revitalize the Human Race.

But if the Human Race were to be abandoned by the Celestial Dao, how could he, its Emperor, possibly come to a good end?

Siding completely with the Human Race would mean defying the heavens, rendering the idea of a Celestial Mandate meaningless. Was he supposed to believe that man could triumph over nature?

The Human Race would inevitably decline, losing its current glory.

How humanity coexists with nature has been a subject of debate since time immemorial.

No matter how prosperous the Human Race becomes, its achievements are nothing in the face of a single flood, an earthquake, or a tsunami...

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath. He recalled the ridiculously difficult interview questions from his past life’s civil service exam. ’Compared to those,’ he thought, ’what’s a little difficulty like this?’

He thought for a moment before giving his answer.

"The Celestial Dao does not operate according to the will of the Human Race. Rather, the Human Race must learn to live in harmony with heaven, earth, and nature, for humanity is a part of them."

"Humans cannot decide whether a natural disaster will strike, but they can fight against it, overcoming calamity with their own strength."

"In this era, the Human Race has become the main player in the world. We must always remain vigilant, strong, and self-reliant. We should use natural disasters as a whetstone to temper ourselves, while ensuring we are never replaced by other races."