Chapter 1040: Wow!

The Human Emperor fell, and the Human Dao was invaded. This battle lasted for about one-tenth the length of the Human-Shaman War.

It was indeed a catastrophe.

natural disasters, famine, widespread deaths, rampant bandits, and invasions from all sides.

The prosperous beings of the Human Dao probably never imagined that these things would one day happen to them.

Under the control of some Shamanes, strange insects suddenly bred in the fields throughout the Human Dao. They had no claws or teeth, burrowing and gnawing, entering the heart of the crops from the roots and nodes. Anything they touched would die. From one area to one region, and then spreading to an entire city, all fields, and even various engineering facilities constructed by the Human Dao, nothing was left; everything was consumed.

These were Fuzhong, pests of the insect kind, Gu worms cultivated by Shamanes.

At that time, some couples cried bitterly in the fields, holding hands and drowning themselves in the river; others, having cried, returned home and hanged themselves behind closed doors; still others, hearing of their neighbors' suicides, followed suit. The heartbreak and misery were too great to fully describe.

However, the Shamanes were not targeting these Mortals. In reality, releasing Fuzhong was merely to release the Earth’s power and liberate the Human Dao's control over the natural world.

In the past, the Human Dao manipulated the weather and controlled the Earth’s power, bringing everything into their plans as they wished. What these Shamanes were doing now was merely returning the restricted weather and Earth’s power to their natural state.

But in doing so, all the constructions undertaken by the Human Dao were naturally destroyed. The original abundant produce turned into barely enough to eat, and even frequent famines occurred. Tears flowed endlessly, and everyone was miserable, filled with countless worries.

A woman, several months pregnant, walked onto the street, suddenly pulled out a pair of scissors, intending to stab herself. Then, with tearful eyes, she looked at the child in her arms, burst into loud sobs, threw the scissors to the ground, and continued walking forward.

There were also Demonic Overlords who took the opportunity to invade, inciting the starving populace to abandon the Human Dao and engage in slaughter. The devastation they caused, turning the civilized into ruins, goes without saying.

Various disasters also emerged. True Dragons, in order to clear the water veins, stirred up floods one after another. Battles between Great Powers often covered many cities.

The Shamanes were even considered lenient, as their objectives were very specific, and deaths were merely a byproduct; their goal was not to slaughter.

The demon race were even less restrained; they deliberately massacred. Some Great Sage of the Demon Race even declared that they were destroying the Human Dao's 'demon race breeding grounds.' As a result of repeated massacres, white bones littered the wilderness, livers and gallbladders stained the marshes, epidemics spread, corpses filled the roads, with no one to bury them. The stench permeated for a thousand li, and rotten fluids filled the ditches.

Human Dao armies were frequently mobilized, supplies were converted into military provisions, and various skirmishes continued unabated.

On the battlefield, the wilderness was desolate, wild grasses grew lush, and thorns intertwined. One could see endless yellow sand. Originally, these were all cities, but they had all been turned into wastelands by the aftermath of the battles.

In addition, various anomalies appeared.

On the wasteland, skeletons lay exposed, lamenting the heroes of yesteryear; bones were scattered and broken, a pity for the brave warriors of that time.

A gentle陰wind blew, only the cries of ghosts and spirits could be heard. Waves of cold mist rolled in, only foxes scurrying and rabbits running could be seen. Apes cried at the night moon, breaking one's heart with sorrow. Geese wailed in the autumn clouds, and wandering souls faded away.

By the roadside, one could often see people lighting fires, burning paper money, and bowing while crying to the sky. Then, they would get up and search carefully, walking all over the battlefield, only to see intertwined white bones, not a single complete corpse.

In the first wave of conflict, the loyal and upright died first, and the reserve officials were exhausted. The remaining people were all terrified, everyone had a desire to retreat, and everyone had no intention of holding office. Skeletons were scattered like tangled hemp, and cries echoed through heaven and earth.

Throughout the Nine Lands Under Heaven, there was the sorrow of separation, and every household harbored sighs of resentment and desolation. White bones formed mountains, and empty sacrifices were scattered across the wilderness.

The noble humanity of the Human Dao faced a severe test here.

When resources were abundant and everyone was prosperous, naturally everyone was human, living in peace. Everyone was so noble and elegant, so diligent and hardworking.

So, what happens when resources are cut off? When demonic thoughtss attack? When wars are constant?

How many tests can so-called humanity withstand under various real-world trials, amidst the harassment of various demonic thoughtss, and the rampant spread of various Dao Orthodoxys?

Perhaps for high-grade cultivators, this is nothing, but what about those Mortals? Those unranked, or ordinary people of the Eighth Grade or Ninth Grade, how long can they persevere?

However, the answer was unexpected.

Even so, the proportion of Mortals who succumbed to corruption was less than 30%.

Although 30% could cause a huge impact, it was still a minority.

There was a local official who organized commoners into battalions, manufactured weapons for self-defense, and fought to the death with their backs to the city walls, saying: "If we win, we will advance eastward to achieve great deeds; if we lose, our bones will be exposed within the territory. A great man's life's work will be complete."

Later, they blocked the advance of six thousand True Dragons for one year and two months, trampling the dust two feet deep. Their soldiers and arrows were exhausted, reinforcements did not arrive, and their food and water springs ran dry. People drank water from soaked hemp to quench their thirst, many suffered from dysentery, and died lying side by side, yet not a single one betrayed them.

There were also reclusive cultivators who emerged from their mountains to resist. They were disturbed by demonic thoughtss, which tried to make them defect. Upon realizing this, he spat blood and cursed angrily, until the Demonic Overlord was so enraged that it, in turn, generated demonic thoughtss, and sliced his neck and cut his tongue and throat.

Warriors from all paths charged forward before battle, unyielding even in defeat. They glared and cursed angrily, and died under chaotic blades.

Such was the Qi of the Human Dao; united in their hatred, they advanced bravely, some taking orders to fight, others assigned to defend their land, or moved by gratitude to fulfill their duty. Though their positions differed, their sacrifice for their principles was equally loyal and righteous.

On the battlefield, victory and defeat were uncertain. Those captured, whether they nobly faced death or judiciously took their own lives, were as numerous as ox hair.

There were also those who met disaster in their prime, losing their lives to chaotic soldiers. Although their bravery might be questioned, they were ultimately different from those who merely sought to escape. Furthermore, with their nation destroyed and homes lost, their lord humiliated and ministers dead, even if their achievements were unfulfilled, their aspirations were worthy of respect, and they were not few in number.

When the world transforms and society collapses, those who can maintain their original integrity and resolve, who brave danger and defy taboos, whose will is to defend the nation, and who disregard their own safety, as well as the heroes of the countryside and the exceptional figures from beyond the mundane, who bravely uphold righteousness, and whose deaths are equally significant, are also numerous.

The Human-Shaman War has already lasted long enough, and this war was a full one-tenth the length of the Human-Shaman War, and mostly took place on Human Dao territory...

Looking across all Human Dao regions throughout space-time—

natural disasters and man-made calamities, depleted granaries, insufficient monthly provisions, nine out of ten houses empty, even entire families starving to death, leading to mass suicides by jumping into rivers. The land was barren, refugees wandered, carrying children on their backs, with nowhere to return, slowly dying, only one in ten thousand barely surviving.

Those capable of fighting lay dead, their brains splattered. All that remained were remnants of people and old folks. Regardless of commanderies, counties, or villages, as far as the eye could see was ash and ruin. People supporting the elderly and carrying the young to seek food elsewhere filled the roads, and even fathers and sons, brothers, and husbands sold each other for food, a common sight everywhere.

Of course, it wasn't all destruction.

In fact, where there was slaughter, there was naturally also aid. Many Great Powers came for their own purposes, and it was normal for them to show kindness when they saw suffering.

For example, in the Buddhist and Daoist schools, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva manifested here, and the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerate also descended to relieve suffering, offering porridge and medicine.

There was also systematic aid, such as places like orphanages and charity homes, where money and rice were given to people who collapsed from cold on the roads and to unclothed beggars. Poor orphaned children who could be taught were allowed to attend elementary school, and abandoned children were hired to be nursed.

There were also Great Divine Abilities who even issued clear edicts, which were carried out by myriad gods. First, there was a yellow light, like the rising sun, shining into Hell, and all suffering ceased.

Some ordinary Immortals and deities also frequently manifested, for example, Pearl Spring, where an Immortal used his Qi to make clear water gush from the ground, forming a spring. It is said that this spring does not dry up for a thousand years and can supply millions of people without depletion.

But all of these were merely drops in the bucket.

Li Qi was well aware of these matters, but he took no action regarding them, nor did he attempt to rescue anyone.

Ultimately, all of this was merely the aftermath of what other Great Powers had done. Unless this grand carnival was completely stopped, any relief would only be temporary.

Saving people is easy, but few can avoid or eradicate the root cause of a catastrophe.

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, who claims to relieve suffering and hardship, was simply not qualified to intervene. A Second Grade could not do much in this situation; she merely took away a portion of the common people who turned from humanity to Buddhism.

The same was true for other Great Powers.

Looking at the pitiful state of the Human Dao now, in fact, every time the Nine Lands Under Heaven waged war, people were just as pitiful.

It's just that the battlefield rarely entered the Nine Lands Under Heaven, so it didn't seem as tragic.

This was an internal conflict within the Nine Lands Under Heaven, only due to the suppression of the Nine Lands Under Heaven did it not involve space-time interference. It seemed tragic, but compared to a space-time war, what was it?

If space-time tactics were truly employed, and a war of possibilities began, then countless timelines would be annihilated at every turn, and the beings within them would vanish into thin air unknowingly, their possibilities directly reduced to zero, and their timelines heading towards doomsday, with no way to even suffer.

Therefore, Li Qi merely observed the entire Human Dao from a bystander's perspective.

Large and small metal gears rotated and danced, pulling the colossal entity into motion.

And this colossal entity was under siege.

However, what were the high-grade Human Dao practitioners thinking?

The Human Dao had theoretically experienced this kind of 'catastrophe' many times, at least several hundred times, because the Human Emperors had also changed at least several hundred times.

So, was this catastrophe intentional? Could the Great Powers of the Human Dao, those Sages… not have defended against it in advance?

However, it was clear that the Second Grades couldn't do it. In fact, this was speculating about the intentions of the First Grades.

What was the purpose of these repeated catastrophes for the Human Dao?

But no matter what, all of this might also be the fundamental reason why the Human Dao could stand firm.

If one does not experience dangers and obstacles, does not go through worries and hardships, does not know to act when Heaven shows changes, does not know to care when the people are displaced, does not know to believe when the wise speak, loses proper preferences, has no moderation in expenses, trusts the wrong people, procrastinates and is content without ambition, and is confused and willing to perish, then it would have long since been annihilated.

Forget it, I won't think about these things anymore.

Li Qi carried the human emperor sword coffin, with the damaged Desire Realm in his pocket, and quickly returned to Mystic Radiance Mountain.

No one stopped him; the Human Dao no longer had enough strength, but the human emperor sword was still in its original place, and Li Qi really had no way to deal with that thing.

After returning to Mystic Radiance Mountain, Li Qi informed the rabbit, then shut himself in his Immortal Cave, set up his defenses, and eagerly opened the human emperor sword coffin.

Inside lay the remains of the previous Human Emperor. Although his official and imperial positions had been stripped from him, a portion of First Grade might still lingered.

The might of that instant immediately forced Li Qi back more than a dozen steps, until he hit the wall and was stopped by the Restriction he had set up earlier, finally halting his steps.

“This is truly… there’s clearly no power left,” Li Qi patted his forehead, sighing.

Not a speck of power remained, yet merely the residual might forced him to retreat. Was it affecting his mind?

That was roughly what he expected; it was all something that directly acted upon consciousness. But in reality, this corpse was already dead; even its past had vanished.

If one were to trace the history of this corpse, one would find that it had no history at all, because the Human Emperor's imperial position and the First Grade official position had long since departed, leaving no trace whatsoever.

However, as mentioned before, this thing was not entirely without value.

The wind leaves a shadow, and geese leave their marks, let alone the power brought by the Human Emperor's imperial position and the First Grade official position.

Li Qi took out the Desire Realm.

Then he threw the corpse inside.

The body of the previous Human Emperor entered the Desire Realm.

This 'purely spiritual' object, within the Desire Realm, almost immediately stirred up a spiritual storm!

The Human Emperor's corpse's might could only intimidate in the Reality Universe.

But in the Desire Realm, it was truly real!

Li Qi immediately plunged into the Desire Realm.

This was his initial plan; through this method, he could truly and carefully observe the formation of First Grade power at the Second Grade stage.

As for the damage to the Desire Realm, it was unexpected, but it didn't matter. This damage had already been assessed and would not cause any substantial permanent harm to the Desire Realm.

Li Qi submerged himself into the Desire Realm and began to observe.

Everything went smoothly.

Through the Desire Realm's characteristic of 'manifesting spirit,' Li Qi successfully witnessed the manifestation of the Human Emperor's First Grade power within the Second Grade.

Because the Desire Realm itself cannot replicate a First Grade, this is due to the upper limit of the Desire Realm's capabilities. No matter what, the Desire Realm cannot truly replicate the power of a First Grade, so the Human Emperor's power it manifested always remained in the state of 'similar in form but not in spirit' at the Second Grade.

However, this was precisely the state Li Qi wanted.

If it had truly replicated a First Grade for him, Li Qi wouldn't have understood it, and understanding it might even have misled him.

This is good.

Li Qi observed this information, greedily absorbing the details: what First Grade power looked like when it degraded to Second Grade, and what was going on with the residual thoughts in the Human Emperor's remains—

However, as he was observing these things…

He felt another strange power.

It was leaking from the depths of the Desire Realm, due to the fragmentation of the Desire Realm and the oppressive feeling brought by the Human Emperor's remains.

It was like a precise instrument that, when operating, was normally encased, so one wouldn't see the detailed workings.

However, with the casing damaged and operating under overload to manifest the Second Grade, the Desire Realm clearly exposed its internal structure.

This was truly… an unexpected delight.

Li Qi thought he understood the Desire Realm well, but this still surprised him a bit.

However, he wouldn't mind more such surprises; it didn't matter, he wanted them all.

Li Qi diverted some of his energy and submerged into it—

Then, he widened his eyes!

Wow…

This is truly…!!!

End of the month, please give your monthly votes!