Chapter 594 353: Calming the Sea, Suppressing the Celestial Gate

"Thank you so much, Senior!"

Having received the hexagram he sought, Lu Mingyuan bowed deeply.

"It is no trouble." Fu Xi wiped the cold sweat from his brow and shook his head.

"Divining the future of the Human Race is truly exhausting work. I was the only one who could brave such a great taboo, bypassing the Celestial Dao to find a sliver of hope for you. Even then, the Celestial Dao interfered with me relentlessly."

"Then I am truly honored by your high regard, Senior Fu Xi."

Lu Mingyuan said with immense gratitude, though he was also inwardly astonished.

'To think that Fu Xi the Human Emperor could perform a divination for him even under the suppression of the Celestial Dao... His powers of deduction were truly unparalleled.'

"Come, young friend. I will take you to meet the other seniors."

Emperor Yu took Lu Mingyuan by the hand and started toward the other Immortal Mountains.

"The others are still sleeping. I am afraid you are not fated to meet them today. It would be best to come again another time."

However, Fu Xi, who stood to the side, pinched his fingers together in calculation. He let out a few laughs, as if he had just glimpsed some Celestial Secret, and offered his suggestion.

"If that's the case, then it is a pity," Emperor Yu said with a sigh.

"I was the last to enter, so I have been the one guarding this inheritance. Brother Fu Xi's Divine Soul is the strongest, allowing him to remain conscious. Our other brothers have fallen into a deep slumber over the long years and will need some time to awaken."

Hearing Emperor Dayu's comforting words, Lu Mingyuan cupped his hands in a fist and said, "It is no matter. To receive the help of two such great seniors is an honor that spans lifetimes. You are both sages of our Human Race, continuing to protect it for all eternity even in death. In the presence of such greatness, I cannot help but feel ashamed of myself."

And he was speaking from the heart, without a hint of arrogance.

Fu Xi stood up, placed a wrinkled, ancient hand on Lu Mingyuan's shoulder, and said in a gentle, comforting voice, "Young friend, there is no need to feel ashamed. It must not have been easy for you to have come this far. Since you were chosen by the Yangbo, it means there must be something about you that attracts it."

Lu Mingyuan fell silent at these words, the corners of his eyes growing slightly moist.

Men do not weep lightly, but only when their hearts are truly broken.

His journey had been fraught with endless controversy.

'I'm a Transmigrator, but to be honest, I'm just an ordinary person.'

Along the way, he had been branded a patricide. His reforms in the Court had limited the infiltration of the Three Religions into Great Yan, earning him a place on the secret blacklists of various Immortal Influences. People didn't dare to speak against him openly, but they cursed him viciously behind his back.

The other nations feared him only because Great Yan's might was overwhelming.

The Three Religions honored him only because they had no better choice.

But who remembered how it all began? All he had ever wanted was to escape the whirlpool of the Nine Dragons Struggle for the Throne and live out his days peacefully in the Cold Palace.

Years ago, in a classroom at the Yangxin Study,

Mr. Qi had once spoken of the makings of a Saint, and of the principle that a Gentleman does not try to save the world.

At all times and in all places, one must regard one's own life as paramount.

Saving the world was a task for Saints.

Even back then, Lu Mingyuan's answer had been perfectly clear: he couldn't do it. He wasn't a Saint, and he had no desire to become one.

And now, he had finally become the very thing he never wanted to be.

Fu Xi looked into Lu Mingyuan's eyes and continued earnestly, "Young friend, keep walking this path. No matter the outcome, no matter the future, you must keep going. Whatever happens, do not lose hope in this world."

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath and nodded firmly.

"Senior Fu Xi, I understand."

"Let's go."

Emperor Yu watched this scene silently from the side, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He personally escorted Lu Mingyuan to the exit of the Little World.

Before he left, Lu Mingyuan glanced at the three remaining Immortal Mountains, which represented the Suiren Clan, the Xuanyuan Clan, and the Shennong Clan.

"Senior Da Yu, should I go and pay my respects at those mountains?"

"There's no need," Emperor Yu sighed. "Just bow to them from here."

Lu Mingyuan nodded. Before he left, he performed three bows toward the vast, misty marsh and recited:

"Lu Mingyuan, a junior of the Human Race, pays his respects to the three Human Emperors."

"May you all awaken soon, Seniors. May our Human Race prosper forever, and may the Four Seas be at peace."

'Being born human, this was a fate he could neither refuse nor escape.'

Fine ripples spread across the water's surface, and a gentle breeze blew past, seeming to be the best response he could receive.

...

「Above the Returning Ruins Silent Sea.」

Fierce winds howled. The Power of Darkness was as thick as ink, and the entire sky was shrouded in a vast, boundless sea of demonic clouds.

"Hahaha! So what if he's the Emperor of the Human Race? In the end, isn't he just trapped to die in the cage we set together!" Life and Death Yama flashed a gleeful smile.

"Once we obtain the Ascension Platform, we can open the Celestial Gate. When the Celestial Court returns, the entire Three Realms will be ours for the taking." The Blood Scorpion Demon Monarch extended five sharp, hook-like fingers. Her graceful, alluring figure rode the wind, radiating a sinister aura.

"We will accomplish what Lord Qitian could not." Ye Mingzi's single eye spun a full 360 degrees. It looked toward the dark prison, and he seemed to notice something amiss, exclaiming:

"Quick, look at the sea!"

WHOOSH.

Ripples spread across the surface of the sea as a colossal Tongtian Iron Pillar tore through the black fog and revealed itself.

The Tongtian Iron Pillar grew taller and taller, as if it could shatter the firmament and punch a hole straight through the sky.

A man with a tall, straight posture rose into the air, a battle saber in hand, his robes whipping about him.

'Emperor Yu's Sea Stabilization Technique.'

Lu Mingyuan roared in his heart. He gripped the saber in his left hand and swung it out, while his right hand stretched forward, an endless stream of brilliant golden runes pouring from his palm.