The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

Yu the Great taming the floods?

  Could it be…

  “It seems that you understand. No creature or thing can escape the cycle, can escape death—no plants, trees, or humans, or even the world. It is destroyed again and again, reborn again and again. No matter what we did, we couldn’t change it.”

  Origin Supreme’s voice echoed through the stone chamber as he slowly closed his eyes and thought back to that long-ago era.

  “No one knows what the objective of the otherworldly invaders is, only that they will utterly destroy the world before disappearing, a cycle that repeats without end.”

  Wang Chong said nothing as he thought back to his own memories.

  For others, Origin Supreme’s words were just a description, but Wang Chong had truly experienced it.

  The earth crumbling away, the blood and fire gushing out, the ground covered in corpses—a hellish landscape emerged in Wang Chong’s mind, a pain that he would never be willing to recall.

  “…Perhaps because of our numerous failures, Heaven lost confidence and decided to carry out the ‘Purification’ plan. Since the otherworldly invaders sought to destroy the world, it would be better to simply purify the human world.

  “Destroy the majority of humanity before the otherworldly invaders could, and leave only a minority to serve as seeds for the new world, the sowing of new civilizations. In this way, we could preserve as much civilization from each epoch as possible.”

  Origin Supreme’s voice gradually weakened, this conversation seeming to take a great deal of his energy.

  “At the time, this plan attained the support of Essence Supreme, Genesis Supreme, Grand Supreme, and Radiance Supreme, but I and a few others could not accept it.

  “To wipe out so many lives, annihilate tens of millions of people, and transform the thriving human world into a silent hell… How was what we were doing any different from the otherworldly invaders?

  “But this was not the most important. What was most important was that we discovered that Heaven was gradually turning cruel and emotionless, even losing any affection for humans. For him, those beings in the world were the same as ants. He was no longer the same person.

  “As our ideals differed, because we could not approve of Heaven’s plan, the twelve Supremes broke up.

  “I left the Celestial God Organization a long time ago. After me, others also left the Celestial God Organization, all of them with their own resolves, so they used different methods,” Origin Supreme sternly said.

  “And the others?” Wang Chong asked. “Senior said that you were not the only person to leave the Celestial God Organization.”

  The Supremes had parted ways!

  If more than one had left the Celestial God Organization, it meant that if he could find the other Supremes, he could join with them to resist Heaven.

  This was the best news Wang Chong had heard in a while.

  “You are not unfamiliar with some of them, though they do not call themselves Supremes.

  “You should know of Ü-Tsang’s Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple, yes? That is the hiding place for one of the Supremes. His name is ‘Unity Supreme’,” Origin Supreme solemnly said.

  “The High Monk of the Holy Temple?”

  Wang Chong raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  Almost everyone knew of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple. If Heaven had been seeking out those rebellious Supremes, there was no reason for him to not know of that place.

  After all, the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple was far more obvious than Origin Supreme, who was hiding away in this tiny space.

  “Unity Supreme joined Heaven even earlier than me, and when Unity Supreme’s epoch perished, it produced an enormous ritual tool that he refined into his personal divine tool.

  “He used that ritual tool to cover the entirety of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple. In that region, Unity Supreme can harness the entirety of the Tibetan Plateau’s earthly energy and also suppress the strength of other Supremes.

  “Thus, even though Heaven knew that Unity Supreme was there, neither Genesis Supreme nor Essence Supreme dared to approach him,” Origin Supreme said.

  Wang Chong said nothing as he pondered these revelations. The Sindhu High Priest was a Supreme of the Celestial God Organization, as was the High Monk of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple.

  How many other Supremes had fled during that time of internal discord, changing their names and appearances as they moved about the world?

  At this time, Wang Chong felt that his understanding of the world had undergone a momentous shift.

  In other words, everything was inextricably connected to the Celestial God Organization.

  The Arab High Priest had established the powerful Arabian Empire, but Origin Supreme alone had been able to protect all of Sindhu. As for the Ü-Tsang Empire, it revered the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple, and almost all of its generals had come from that place.

  Wang Chong had no idea what else he regarded as normal was connected to them.

  “Sindhu is close to Ü-Tsang. Why did Unity Supreme do nothing when Essence Supreme’s group arrived?” Wang Chong suddenly asked.

  “It was useless. Heaven’s avatar went there.”

  The one who had spoken was not Origin Supreme, but the Arab High Priest.

  As the ‘spy’ within the Celestial God Organization, the Arab High Priest knew much more about what was going on than Wang Chong. The mention of Heaven’s avatar amply explained why Unity Supreme had not come.

  Wang Chong fell silent.

  “The twelve Supremes are not what you imagine them to be. Although some of us did not approve of Heaven’s ideas and left over the Purification plan, not everyone shared the same idea. Do not believe that just because the Supremes broke up, you can bring together those that fled. Things are far more complicated than that.”

  Origin Supreme spoke in a tone of warning, apparently knowing what Wang Chong was thinking.

  “The twelve Supremes are not kind people. Before their epochs crumbled, some of them were ruthless and brutal devils!”

  After a few moments of silence, Origin Supreme began to speak in a much weaker tone.

  “But this is no longer important. The seven Doomsday Insignias contain enormous power and are linked to the life and death of this world! If Heaven obtains them all, he will break out of his seal, and there will be no saving this world.

  “Origin Immortal’s insignia has already been brought to Heaven, and now, Heaven has obtained mine. The time of his escape grows closer and closer. We left the Celestial God Organization with the Doomsday Insignias precisely so that we could buy time and prevent Heaven from emerging. But it now seems that things have reached their end.

  “King of Foreign Lands, remember: no matter what, you must stop him! If he succeeds, the numerous civilizations that live on this world will all end!

  “Under Heaven’s hand, everything will truly turn to ash, a calamity visited upon the world! More people will die than even under the Purification plan!

  “He will show no mercy!” Origin Supreme sternly said.

  He understood Heaven too much. The failure of the Purification plan had enraged him, and an enraged ‘Heaven’ was more frightening and cruel than at any other time.

  This would be the annihilation of all humans!

  For no one could stand against the Divine Martial realm!

  The mood in the stone chamber was heavy and still.

  Even the Arab High Priest had a grave expression.

  He had also devoted some of his sweat and blood into the human world, and he did not wish to see it all turned to nothing.

  “Relax! He won’t succeed!” In this oppressive air, Wang Chong suddenly spoke.

  “It’s impossible for him to gather all the Doomsday Insignias!”

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong flipped his palm over, revealing an insignia.

  This insignia was somewhat similar to the Doomsday Insignia that the Arab High Priest had made a projection
of, but it differed in that it also had a few silver inscriptions upon it that endowed it with a hallowed aura.

  “The Primal Insignia!”

  “Li Taiyi really gave it to him!”

  The two of them stared in shock at the insignia in Wang Chong’s hand.

  “The Primal Insignia?”

  Wang Chong raised an eyebrow.

  The Sage Emperor truly had given him this insignia, but Wang Chong had no idea that it was called the Primal Insignia.

  “The Primal Insignia is the first Doomsday Insignia! It is said that it was the first Doomsday Insignia that Heaven discovered!” the Arab High Priest explained, shooting Wang Chong a complicated glance.

  There was truly something special about this Child of Destruction. He had been confused at first, but he now understood why Origin Supreme had chosen to entrust this boy with his hopes.

  “Though there are seven Doomsday Insignias, this is the core, the key piece for unsealing Heaven! Without it, even if he has the others, he cannot use them. Heaven has sought the Primal Insignia for several thousand years. It has always been rumored that this insignia was in the hands of some imperial household, but after investigating, Heaven ruled it out as complete nonsense.

  “The only signs of progress were with that Sage Emperor of yours, Li Taiyi.”

  Chapter 2293 - Luo Supreme!

  Chapter 2293: Luo Supreme!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “It seems that Li Taiyi’s death is the key to everything. Heaven is probably certain that the Primal Insignia is in his hands! Otherwise, Heaven wouldn’t be doing everything in his power to find the other Doomsday Insignias!”

  Origin Supreme sighed in understanding.

  In truth, Heaven had many chances to collect the Doomsday Insignias, but he had not done so. It was only after a long while that he had chosen to move out.

  It was now apparent that everything was closely linked.

  “Your Highness, remember, you cannot let Heaven obtain the Primal Insignia. While Heaven does not have it, there is still hope. Otherwise, nothing will be able to prevent this world’s destruction,” Origin Supreme said to Wang Chong.

  His lips trembled as if he wanted to say more, but a moment later, his face shivered and rapidly paled. He began to fiercely cough, expelling blood.

  Rumble! The stone chamber began to shudder.

  The Arab High Priest instantly grimaced.

  In a boom of Stellar Energy, azure soul power erupted from the Arab High Priest’s body and transformed into various talismans that attached themselves to the walls.

  The chamber quickly stabilized and Origin Supreme’s complexion rapidly improved.

  “Origin Supreme, my spell cannot last for much longer. Tell him the most important parts,” the Arab High Priest sternly said, an urgent tone to his voice.

  “Your Highness, you must remember everything I am about to say.

  “First, it is not easy to meet with the Tibetan Plateau’s Unity Supreme, but if necessary, you must seek his help.

  “Second, there is a war god worshiped by the Turks of the steppe who is also one of the Supremes. His name is Luo Supreme, and he secludes himself within Mount Yaluo.”

  “A Turkic War God?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flew open upon hearing Origin Supreme’s words.

  Wang Chong was no stranger to this term. The traitor of the Great Tang, An Lushan, had called himself the son of the Turkic War God.

  Wang Chong had thought this a legend. For generations, in order to draw attention to their noble status, all sovereigns would call themselves reincarnations of gods or true dragons, and from this, many stories had been born.

  But Wang Chong had never imagined that the legend would be true for An Lushan.

  “Luo Supreme’s lay name was ‘Yaluo’. In order to remember his mortal life before he followed Heaven, he raised a part of the crust and called it ‘Mount Yaluo’. That An Lushan that you defeated was probably an accidental product from one of his affairs,” the Arab High Priest added, clearly familiar with these details.

  Wang Chong said nothing, his heart trembling in shock.

  Wang Chong had always been suspicious of divine legends like these, but it now appeared that while legends might have been fake, they had their bases in reality.

  “…During that time of internal discord, many people left Heaven and left the Celestial God Organization. Luo Supreme was one of them, but his reasoning was different from all the others. Luo Supreme is extremely selfish, and he has always had a powerful desire for authority. However, he lacked the strength and could never surpass Heaven. After that internal strife, Luo Supreme departed and seemingly disappeared.”

  Origin Supreme continued to speak.

  “Luo Supreme has always been very fearful of Heaven, so he has been extremely inconspicuous over the years. He calls himself the Turkic War God, but he has barely ever displayed any divine skills, leaving behind only a few female priests.

  “But what is key is that Luo Supreme holds one of Heaven’s important secrets. Other than Essence Supreme, only Luo Supreme knows where Heaven is sealed.

  “No matter what, you cannot let Heaven get out. If you wish to truly save the world, find Luo Supreme, find where Heaven is sealed, and defeat him where he is sealed. This is the only hope for the world.”

  Origin Supreme’s voice grew weaker and weaker, the light in his eyes rapidly dimming.

  “Senior!”

  Wang Chong’s heart shivered. He knew that Origin Supreme couldn’t last for much longer.

  Bang!

  A moment later, Wang Chong unleashed a vast torrent of Grotto Heaven Stellar Energy that he sent into Origin Supreme’s head.

  But on the moment of contact, Wang Chong realized to his shock that Origin Supreme’s situation was even worse than he had envisioned.

  Origin Supreme’s soul was shattered and full of holes. It was actually a miracle that he could still remain conscious and speak with him.

  “Your Highness, this is the last remnant of my soul and contains countless years’ worth of memories. It might be useful to you in your future battle against Heaven!”

  Origin Supreme looked at Wang Chong, his complexion turning a healthy red for a moment, seeming even healthier than an ordinary person.

  The Arab High Priest and Wang Chong both shivered.

  This was a soul echo, a sign that the last sliver of Origin Supreme’s soul was about to disperse.

  Buzz!

  Origin Supreme’s mouth opened, and a golden Buddha sarira slowly made its way toward Wang Chong.

  (TN: A sarira is a bead-shaped object that is purported to be found amongst the cremated ashes of enlightened Buddhist masters.)

  “A Buddha sarira!”

  The Arab High Priest’s eyelids dropped as he let out a long sigh.

  The Supremes of the Celestial God Organization had various identities. Just like how Luo Supreme was known as the Turkic War God on the steppe and had created many myths, Origin Supreme had another important identity within Sindhu.

  Starting from a very long time ago, Origin Supreme was known to the natives as the Buddha, and he had created the Buddhist culture of Sindhu.

  The Buddha sarira was Origin Supreme’s core. Extracting the Buddha sarira meant that Origin Supreme would completely disappear.

  Buzz!

  In the blink of an eye, the golden Buddha sarira disappeared into Wang Chong’s forehead. The head on the stone table quickly grew still, and that energy belonging to Origin Supreme vanished.

  “Ha…”

  The Arab High Priest let out a long sigh, a look of deep sorrow on his face.

  Sindhu and Arabia were nearby, and the two of them had a much deeper relationship than many would expect. In the end, he had watched a friend pass.

  “Grandmaster, go well.”

  “Your Highness, my mission is done. This place can’t last for much longer, so you should leave. I hope that Orig
in Supreme did not make the wrong choice, and I hope that you will not disappoint me.”

  With this said, the Arab High Priest prepared to leave.

  “Senior!”

  After a few moments of silence, Wang Chong called out, “Are we enemies or friends?”

  Wang Chong had many questions about this High Priest. In many aspects, they were friends, but Wang Chong felt from the Arab High Priest’s actions that things were far more complicated than they seemed.

  “Neither.” The Arab High Priest looked at Wang Chong and calmly said, “Before I leave, I have something important to tell you. Though you have subdued the other countries in the war of the northeast, you cannot drop your guard. From what I know, Heaven is preparing to summon the Celestial Army.”

  “The Celestial Army?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes twitched.

  The High Priest did not say any more. Rather, he pressed a finger against Wang Chong’s forehead, and Wang Chong was instantly drawn into a different world.

  Rumble!

  In a flash of light and rumble of thunder, Wang Chong discovered that he was in a massive underground space.

  He was confused at first, but in a flash of light, a golden-armored soldier ‘appeared’ before him. This soldier had a black symbol on his forehead, and his eyes were closed, his expression calm. His body was laid on a stone platform that was nearly as tall as Wang Chong, motionless as if he was sleeping.

  A second, a third, a fourth…

  This underground space was packed with these slumbering golden warriors.

  Even though they were sleeping, Wang Chong could still sense a formidable power in their bodies. But most astonishing was their number. Wang Chong sensed that there were at least one million of them.

  “…Over the numerous eras, Heaven has been training an extremely powerful army.” The Arab High Priest’s voice rang out in his ear. “With each cycle, he will select the finest soldiers of the epoch and use a secret technique so that they will become soldiers that only heed his command. This is a power that belongs solely to Heaven, and their sole reason for existence is to deal with situations like this one.”

  Wang Chong’s expression was grave. He knew that the High Priest was showing him his memories of seeing the Celestial Army.