Chapter 1038: Facing the Emperor Sword

Guo Zitai sat in the center of the main hall, with the human emperor's coffin beside him.

Logically, from a ‘rational’ perspective, there was no need to guard the human emperor's remains. At this time, too many places required manpower.

The The Axis of All Realms was being besieged by a large number of Second Grade cultivators, possibly even seventy or eighty of them.

The Dragon Veins were in a similar situation.

Numerous marvels and places requiring First Grade guardians also existed, and compared to these, the human emperor's remains were truly unnecessary.

Even if it was seen or stolen, the loss wouldn't be significant.

After all…

After his death, the human emperor had already lost all his auras; both his imperial throne and his position as Heavenly Strategist Supreme General had long since departed to a secret location, personally guarded by Sages.

All inheritors with ‘human emperor qualifications’ were there, awaiting the succession to the Supreme position.

One of them would succeed, but it was unknown who or how long it would take.

This touched upon another secret.

The human emperor was not an official position.

Heavenly Strategist Supreme General was the official position.

Every human emperor was a First Grade, and that was the reason.

Many people, including Li Qi, once believed that the human emperor became a First Grade through an official position, and couldn't help but lament how absurd the official position System was, as if it could mass-produce First Grade cultivators.

But in reality, it wasn't like that.

Humanity only had one First Grade official position, called Heavenly Strategist Supreme General , which was also the pinnacle of the entire official position System, and even irreplaceable. Humanity could create the first, but not necessarily the second.

The birth of Heavenly Strategist Supreme General even coincided with the establishment of Tang Nation, a complete accident. Before that, humanity had no First Grade official position.

If the essence of this official position were to be shattered, if its core were broken, it might become a swan song.

However, the ‘human emperor’ mechanism should not pose any problems.

Becoming a human emperor was essentially using a method incomprehensible to other Dao Orthodoxy to directly promote the inheritor from Second Grade to First Grade. This process was unrelated to any official position; the human emperor's throne was independent of the official position System.

Only after becoming a human emperor would one then acquire the official position of Heavenly Strategist Supreme General , becoming a unique dual-First Grade, considered an outstanding combatant throughout the world, and still powerful among First Grade cultivators.

However… the side effect was a predetermined death, and each action would accelerate this process.

Generation after generation of human emperors were passed down this way, and each knew that successful inheritance meant the arrival of death.

Therefore, the human emperor's remains actually held little value, at most equivalent to one or two living Second Grade cultivators.

Observing the human emperor's remains had only that much value, truly insignificant compared to a First Grade battle.

But…

Guo Zitai couldn't bear it.

As a close minister to the human emperor, he had also seen his spirited demeanor and knew the choices the human emperor made during the Human-Shaman War, abandoning the Sun-Moon Orbit for the sake of the Three Teachings' unity.

How could he abandon the human emperor's remains? He had done everything for humanity; in the end, must he even give up his body? Merely because it had no value?

If value was measured this way, then Guo Zitai would rather be a fool.

Humans were not like this; humans were not simple value-measuring machines. Only animals would use simple value dualism for measurement.

Going left gets three pieces of bread, going right gets two pieces of bread, so one must go left.

Only rats would do such calculations, but humans were not rats. Which way a human walked was entirely based on their own will and choice, not swayed by matters of profit.

What should be done, even if there was no benefit at all, must be done.

What shouldn't be done, even if it brought immense benefits, must not be done.

This was a gentleman.

A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do.

Yes, when Guo Zitai was young, he was also a gentleman. Even within humanity, known for its strict demands, gentlemen were that small group of people who demanded the most of themselves.

He couldn't do it, so in the end, he chose to stay.

“Give up, you cannot lift me.” At this moment, another Second Grade cultivator remaining in the human emperor's palace said.

Li Qi had already sensed earlier that there were two Second Grade cultivators left here, one suppressing and the other doing something unknown.

In fact, Guo Zitai was the one who was ‘doing something unknown’.

And the other… was the human emperor sword.

The power of the human emperor sword oppressed the invaders throughout the palace, hindering their steps.

But the human emperor sword was, after all, a weapon. Without someone wielding it, its power was limited. The Sword Qi it unleashed could only hinder, not truly pose a threat.

“How can I know without trying to the very end?” Guo Zitai tried to pick up the human emperor sword again.

But…

He couldn't lift it.

The human emperor sword was a Supreme sword, representing the authority of a country. Like a jade seal, it was a ‘national artifact’. To lift it, one's capacity had to be sufficient to bear the weight of a nation.

Guo Zitai did not have the qualifications to become a human emperor, so he couldn't lift it.

In fact, if he could have lifted it directly, he wouldn't be by the human emperor's coffin now, but would have gone to that mysterious place, becoming one of the ‘candidates’.

“Hurry and leave. I am connected to the national destiny. You cannot lift me, and neither can they, so I will be fine. But if you don't leave soon, you might die here,” the human emperor sword advised.

Guo Zitai, however, said nothing, merely looking at the human emperor's coffin.

“No one has inherited the official position of Heavenly Strategist Supreme General yet, right? That means, through the Supreme's remains, I can forcibly inherit Heavenly Strategist Supreme General . With this official position, I should be able to lift you,” Guo Zitai said.

“Inheriting the official position of Heavenly Strategist Supreme General means forcibly accommodating a First Grade official position with your Second Grade cultivation. Regardless of success or failure, you will die,” the human emperor sword reminded.

Yes, theoretically, a First Grade official position could only be borne by a true First Grade cultivator, and Heavenly Strategist Supreme General had a special characteristic: only a ‘human emperor’ could bear it; other Sages could not touch it.

And a ‘human emperor’ could only be passed down through ‘inheritance’. A human emperor could not be achieved through Cultivate; one had to inherit the entire humanity to gain the human emperor's status and power, and only then could one safely inherit the official position of Heavenly Strategist Supreme General .

“If I succeed, these invading Second Grade cultivators will all die, right?” Guo Zitai asked.

“You won't succeed. If you had even a sliver of a chance, you wouldn't be here now,” the human emperor sword said mercilessly.

At this moment, showing mercy in words would instead be cruel.

Undoubtedly, if the human emperor sword had said ‘there's a sliver of a chance’, Guo Zitai would have tried.

But in reality, there was no chance; he was certain to die.

“That's true. Then, with my current ability, how long can I last? Without inheriting, just forcibly borrowing power?” Guo Zitai asked again.

“Fifteen seconds, and that's your subjective time,” the human emperor sword was silent for a moment but still gave the answer.

Guo Zitai then muttered to himself, “Then, even if it doesn't work, when I inherit the position of Heavenly Strategist Supreme General , I can still wield your power. Victory is certain, but I might not be able to kill them, is that right…”

“There's no point. They'll dodge for fifteen seconds, and then it'll be no different from them leaving with you. It's unnecessary,” the human emperor sword advised. “Hurry and leave. In at most ten minutes, they'll be inside. They're already in the inner hall. Don't sacrifice your lineage for your own selfish reasons.”

Guo Zitai listened to these words and glanced outside.

Indeed, the people blocking them outside were Guo Zitai's disciples and grand-disciples. Although there were many schools among them, their origins all traced back to Guo Zitai, this Second Grade cultivator.

But he shook his head and said, “It's necessary.”

It was necessary.

“To retreat is right, and to advance is wrong; if so, would not all be content in their comfort, and not for the long term? Though steps are difficult now, and the nation's power weakens, righteousness must not be lost.”

“In ancient times, those who used military force to achieve great deeds first consolidated the hearts of the people, boosted morale, and held strategic ground without retreating first, exhausting all human efforts without yielding first. Thus, in the past, the human emperor confronted the Shaman Chu between Xinggao, and though repeatedly defeated, did not retreat an inch of land. After the Hong Canal was divided, the Shaman drew eastward, leading to their demise.”

“Though the army is weak and provisions scarce, their retreat must be stopped. From this perspective, how can we abandon the body of our former lord today, cower before the enemy, and hastily retreat?”

“Returning the chariot can indeed preserve life, but human emotions will waver, and no one will have firm resolve. Morale will dwindle, and no one will have the will to fight. If we retreat and they advance, allowing the enemy's horses to cross again, when the news reaches the frontier warriors, they will surely be joined by rebellious officials, treacherous scoundrels, cunning officers, and wicked commoners, all fiercely ambitious. If future generations wish to turn the chariot back and re-establish the court amidst thorns and rubble, though not impossible, it will be extremely difficult.”

“Rather than making it difficult for future generations, let us face the difficulty first, clearing a path for them, so that people's hearts may be righteous, and not be disturbed or invaded by demons.”

In Guo Zitai's view, if they offered no resistance and simply handed over the human emperor's remains, it would be akin to cutting down their own banner.

He knew that in the current state, too many important places needed guarding, and the human emperor's remains truly didn't amount to much.

But the human emperor's remains could be seized, but not given away.

If there was no decent resistance, what would they use to restore people's hearts during future reconstruction? Perhaps some Great Power thought the hearts of Mortals were worthless, but Guo Zitai did not think so.

Even if there were differences in ability, those people were undoubtedly part of humanity. They did not have the steadfast hearts of high-grade powerhouses; they still needed to grow. If they lost their hearts because of this, or even lost their qualification as humans, how would that be accounted for?

It was not an exaggeration; being human was not a permanent state, and their minds were not solidified. Li Qi's subordinate, Mu Yu, was once part of Dao Orthodoxy, but later chose to leave because he lost confidence and motivation.

So, what constituted decent resistance?

Let the blood of a Second Grade cultivator prove it. If the human emperor was the banner of humanity, then let the banner be dyed red, so it could be seen everywhere.

“This is not worth it,” the human emperor sword said.

“It is worth it.” Guo Zitai did not explain why, merely closed his eyes, placing a hand on the human emperor's coffin.

The heart of retreat could be temporary but not constant, once but not again. Otherwise, one step back would be one step lost, one foot back would be one foot lost.

Step by step, humanity would cease to be humanity.

So, about ten minutes later.

There were six invading Second Grade cultivators in total.

Li Qi, a True Dragon, three Great Sage of the Demon Race who came together, and one Heavenly Immortal from the reclusive faction.

The six approached the inner hall from four directions and quickly entered.

“Six of you, though I do not know who each of you are… I ask that you all die here,” Guo Zitai said, touching the coffin and standing up.

“Pfft…” The True Dragon who had spoken to Li Qi earlier couldn't help but burst out laughing.

What a big boast, it scared the Dragon to death.

But Guo Zitai said nothing more, merely gripping the human emperor sword beside him, his official position rising.

The five other Second Grade cultivators immediately stopped their sneering and frantically retreated!

Only Li Qi remained in place.

The True Dragon from before couldn't help but call out a reminder, “Hey! Fool! A First Grade official position plus the human emperor sword, this guy is going all out. Avoid him for a dozen seconds, and he'll die on his own. Don't stay there!”

The communication among Second Grade cultivators was extremely fast; all this information arrived and was understood instantly, so Li Qi immediately responded.

He replied, “I know, but… why retreat? Wouldn't it be very disrespectful?”

With that, Li Qi looked at Guo Zitai and asked, “Can you lift the human emperor sword?”

Guo Zitai also said, “I can't lift it, so I will die, but so will you.”

As he spoke, the sword's edge gleamed, and the myriad human conditions engraved on its spine could be seen.

Li Qi took a deep breath: “I have a Karma to settle with the human emperor sword.”

“There's too much Karma with the human emperor sword,” Guo Zitai didn't know what Li Qi was referring to.

“Back then, the human emperor sword shattered Luofu Grotto Heaven. That matter needs to be properly accounted for,” Li Qi said.

“Are you Yang Zhenqian? Or Ge Zhichuan? No, it shouldn't be either. You're a Shaman, which means… Li Qi?” Although Guo Zitai didn't know who Li Qi was, a simple deduction would reveal it.

The idle talk ended here.

Guo Zitai's sword had already struck out.

The Heavenly Strategist Supreme General official position, temporarily acquired from the human emperor's remains, was used to forcibly wield the human emperor sword.

The very sword strike that shattered Luofu Grotto Heaven in the past appeared before Li Qi.

A bone-chilling coldness emerged from within his body, almost freezing his thoughts.

He couldn't move.

No wonder this sword strike could shatter Luofu Grotto Heaven; it was truly powerful.

What Li Qi felt was ‘observation’, as if his position was being anchored through ‘observation’. He was like a fundamental particle, pinned in place by countless lasers, every wisp of Qi forced to stop, even compelled into a state of absolute zero.

It was as if the common people of humanity, each one an observation point, were using this method to trap Li Qi in place.

However…

Speaking of living beings, Li Qi was not lacking either.

The Desire Realm appeared on Li Qi's chest, and the human emperor sword's light struck the Desire Realm.

Could it shatter the Desire Realm, if it could shatter Luofu Grotto Heaven and almost kill Yang Zhenqian?

A huge gash appeared in the Desire Realm, and a massive amount of demonic thoughts spilled out, almost instantly filling the surroundings.

Li Qi escaped and merged into the demonic thoughts. (End of Chapter)