CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32 SHOW ME! [MEDIUM-SIZED CUP FOR VOTES]

Within the wooden hall, Wu Wang, who had just finished telling the little story of the Northern Wilderness trial, lay on his back on the hammock in the corner, his arm resting under his head.

The elder seemed truly angry, his expression quite frightening.

Perhaps, this is what it means to be the Human Emperor.

While he might not cause death and devastation for thousands of miles in his fury, the mere flare of his rage at this moment was enough to make one’s heart tremble and dare not look directly at him.

The elderly man stood facing the medicine cauldron for a long time. He then heaved a sigh, turned around, raised his hand, only to let it fall again. Finally, he looked towards Wu Wang in the corner and said, "Wu Wang, what do you think should be done about this?"

Wu Wang blinked. Is this... to see if I possess the wisdom of a Human Emperor? Sorry, my apologies, you’re a good senior. If it weren’t for the absolute necessity of me stepping forward to save the world, I’d rather deal with this strange ailment and then return to the Northern Wilderness to live a carefree life. If only I could live for tens of thousands of years with my parents and my future wife by my side, that would be even better.

Wu Wang smiled calmly, his speech clear and concise as he said, "I do not know."

Shennong immediately revealed a gentle smile and looked at Wu Wang with a bit more appreciation. "Not bad. At this moment, it’s best to know nothing, to ask nothing. I didn’t expect you to have such deep shrewdness... but today, I must reprimand them."

Wu Wang couldn’t help but support his forehead with his hand, slumping in the hammock.

Whatever, it’s all fate.

Shennong nodded with a smile. As his right sleeve fluttered, a cloud appeared before him, quickly condensing into over a dozen phantasms.

The true bodies of these phantasms were unknowably far from this place: a youthful-faced, white-haired Daoist; an old general clad in armor; an old woman leaning on a snake-headed cane; and a few slightly younger middle-aged generals standing at the back. Each of them possessed an extraordinary air.

Though they were merely phantasms, revealing no aura or cultivation realm, they exuded an immense pressure that Wu Wang, whom the phantasms could not see, could feel.

These ministers under the Human Emperor’s command... their strength is likely far above my own father’s... Wu Wang inwardly marveled.

After a short while, these dozen or so phantasms bowed to Shennong, addressing him, "We greet Your Majesty."

"Mm." Shennong waved his hand and spoke slowly, "Today, I have contacted your Divine Souls via thought transmission for two matters. First, do not conduct any more trials for the younger generation. Such methods will not find those with great destiny; it will only needlessly deplete the Human Domain’s combat strength. Second, from today onwards, you are forbidden from overtly or covertly contacting Human Race forces outside the Human Domain. Those who willingly seek refuge in the Human Domain may be accepted, but you must not coerce or entice those who do not come of their own accord."

The dozen or so elders responded in unison, "Your subjects obey."

One old woman said with concern, "Your Majesty, your Lifespan... subjecting the young ones to perilous trials is also a way to find individuals of great fortune and blessings. If Your Majesty finds fault, this old woman is willing to accept the punishment."

"You need not worry about the matter of my Lifespan; I already have a way to deal with it," Shennong said. "I hadn’t made a firm decision before, but now I do wish to live a few more years, to see if our Human Race can truly usher in an era of prosperity."

An old general said joyfully, "Your Majesty, you have a way to extend your life? Why didn’t you say so sooner!"

"Hehehe," Shennong chuckled. "After years of diligently studying pharmacology, I have naturally made some gains. I wasn’t too certain before, but now I am."

Wu Wang’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Although he hadn’t known the elder for long, he could clearly sense that Shennong was lying. Either he’s lying about the limit of his Lifespan, or he’s lying about the method to solve it. What Shennong is relying on is definitely not ordinary Spiritual Medicine or Treasure Elixirs. Otherwise, why couldn’t the incredibly powerful Emperor Suiren and Emperor Fu Xi, the two previous Human Emperors, live until today?

Wu Wang watched for a while as Shennong listened to the ministers’ reports on the recent situation in the Human Domain, then waved his hand to disperse the cloud of phantasms.

"Senior, how much of your natural Lifespan do you have left?" Wu Wang asked.

"A little over three hundred years." Shennong walked slowly forward with his cane, smiling. "I need to give the new Human Emperor at least a thousand years to mature, so this old bag of bones has to struggle on for a few more years."

"Hmm..." Wu Wang pondered for a moment, then said, "Senior, regarding your Lifespan, if there’s anything I can do to help, please feel free to command me. Consider it repaying the favor for diagnosing my strange ailment."

"Very well." Shennong smiled in response, walked to the window, and gazed quietly at the scenery outside, speaking softly, "I still have a few worries, but there isn’t much you can help with. After your trip to the Women’s country, go to the Human Domain. Whether this Human Domain is worth your protection is for you to decide. Wu Wang, what do you think is the purpose of a person’s life, filled with endless toil and ceaseless travel?"

"I think it’s three words."

"Oh? Which three words?"

"’You, me, them,’" Wu Wang said slowly. "’You’ represents those one wishes to protect, those one must protect. ’Me’ is oneself. And ’them’ are those who can be influenced by me."

Shennong looked at Wu Wang with a hint of surprise and praised, "To think you could have such insights."

That was something I read in a book from a past life.

Wu Wang smiled, closed his eyes, and his voice gradually softened. "Senior Shennong, I can sense that you’ve dedicated your entire life to the Human Domain, to the art of medicine, and to the grand cause of the Human Race’s rise. But in this process, have you perhaps forgotten something?"

Shennong’s eyes filled with faint reminiscence, his expression tinged with emotion. He chuckled, "What? Did you want to see this old man shed tears?"

"Ah, you’re overthinking it." Wu Wang’s face was serious as he discreetly slipped the Storage Magic Treasure he was sitting on into another Storage Magic Treasure. Inside, there wasn’t much: just a few jars of the Northern Wilderness’s best wine, an erhu, and several concept sketches of "Shennong Tastes a Hundred Herbs" that he had drawn earlier. Showing respect to the elderly is a traditional virtue from my homeland on Blue Star; it’s not about wanting to see someone cry. How mundane.

Shennong said warmly, "Wu Wang, after you go to the Human Domain, you must be wary of two factions."

"The Ten Gods Sect and the Ten Fiend Sect?" Wu Wang immediately perked up, deliberately misstating one of the names.

Shennong shook his head slightly and smiled. "The Ten Gods Sect *is* the Ten Fiend Sect. They call themselves the Ten Gods Sect, but others refer to them as the Ten Fiend Sect. They are a force established in secret by enemies who infiltrated the Human Domain, and they worship the Ten Evil Gods. In the last two thousand years, as the conflict between Immortals and Demons within the Human Domain has intensified, this Ten Gods Sect has secretly been behind many incidents. Unfortunately, they are quite scattered and possess methods to control people’s spiritual minds. Not only are they difficult to eradicate, often reviving after being suppressed, but in recent years, they have also shown signs of infiltrating the major Sects of the Human Domain."

Wu Wang smiled. "Doesn’t the Human Domain have methods to investigate a person’s Human Soul?"

Shennong said softly, "We do, but it’s very difficult to detect anomalies."

"It seems the methods of Cultivation are not always superior," Wu Wang said earnestly. "I suggest the Human Domain go to the Northern Wilderness and invite a group of Priests at or above the Grand Star Ritual rank to conduct an inspection. The Praying Star Technique includes a method for observing souls; I previously used this method to see the abnormality in Wang Lin’s Divine Soul."

"Oh?" Shennong’s eyes lit up, and he clapped a large hand on Wu Wang’s shoulder. "Since that’s the case, the task of rooting out the Ten Evils Hall is yours. If necessary, you can approach any Sect, present this Yan Emperor Order, and immediately summon experts to assist you."

Wu Wang silently slapped himself on the mouth.

Shennong said softly, "However, I don’t really recommend you use the Yan Emperor Order."

Wu Wang raised a hand to rub his brow. "Because the several hundred who had it before all died prematurely?"

"Clever."

"Aside from the Ten Evils Hall, which other faction should I be wary of?"

"Sigh, it’s the Four Seas Pavilion, which I personally established back in the day." Shennong’s expression turned somewhat somber as he sighed. "The person who just offered to take responsibility is the Pavilion Master of the Four Seas Pavilion, and also a Disciple I trusted greatly in the past. Her fundamental nature is sound, and she is utterly loyal to the Human Domain. But the words ’power and influence’ can truly wear down a person’s heart. The Four Seas Pavilion now controls too many vital aspects of the Human Domain, which has, in turn, become a constraint on the Human Domain itself."

Wu Wang immediately said, "Don’t look at me for that. I’m the Young Master of Northern Wilderness; I can’t possibly sort out a major power in the Human Domain."

"I’m just warning you to be cautious, lest you invite jealousy. I’ve already chosen another young fellow to deal with the Four Seas Pavilion. Ultimately, the Four Seas Pavilion merely has some issues; it hasn’t reached the point where it must be forcefully dismantled. Besides, I cannot tear down my own ramparts," Shennong said with a calm smile. He took out two storage rings from his sleeve, floated them in front of Wu Wang, and added, "The ring on your left holds ’The Hundred Herb Manual.’ The one on your right contains a flask of Elixirs for healing and preserving life, and several flasks of potent Elixirs that can save you at critical moments. Choose one."

Without a second thought, Wu Wang immediately chose the ring on the right with the Elixirs.

Shennong’s expression darkened. "Don’t you understand the principle that teaching a man to fish is better than giving him a fish?"

"Of course, I do," Wu Wang said with a smile, "but I don’t enjoy alchemy. Besides, ’The Hundred Herb Manual’ authored by you, Senior, surely wouldn’t withhold any secrets. Even if it’s a rare alchemical text in the Human Domain, there would be other ways to obtain it. However, the same Elixir formula can yield different effects when refined by different people. The Elixirs that you, Senior, have crafted are rare treasures, hard to find in this world. To someone with a shallow cultivation like myself, these Treasure Elixirs might seem like mere pellets, but to me, they represent life itself!"

Shennong’s eyes immediately crinkled with laughter, and he casually tossed the other ring to Wu Wang. "Take them. The two rings, one yin and one yang, when worn on your left and right hands simultaneously, can conceal your aura and break some low-level Formations. Put them on for now."

"Thank you, Senior!" Wu Wang quickly refined the rings and put them on his fingers, then transferred all his other Storage Magic Treasures into them.

Treasures bestowed by the Human Emperor are indeed marvelous! The space within these rings can be described with just one word—huge!

He then asked with a hint of suspicion, "So, Senior, from the looks of it, are you preparing to send me off now?"

"Meditate." Shennong said warmly, "I must embark on a journey to find a way to break through the limits of Lifespan. First, I will perform an empowerment to help you step into the Solidifying Pill realm."

Wu Wang frowned. "Won’t this empowerment have any side effects? I feel that steady, solid Cultivation is..."

Shennong said with a smile, "Calm your spirit."

Wu Wang found himself uncontrollably closing his eyes and sitting cross-legged on the spot. An aura began to swirl around him.

Shennong beckoned the Yan Emperor Order that floated behind Wu Wang. He drew a fiery red symbol on it, and the Order immediately shone brightly, transforming into a ball of firelight that plunged into Wu Wang’s chest.

All became dim and ethereal.

Wu Wang ’opened his eyes’ to find himself enveloped in a white mist, as if seated among the clouds, in a Dream Realm.

Threads of firelight gathered from the clouds beneath him, piercing through the mist. In front of him, they solidified into the Yan Emperor Order, enveloped in a pale white flame.

In that instant, Wu Wang’s mind was flooded with layers of insights; Dao Fruits seemed like ripe red dates in autumn, his for the taking.

Not only that, but the Mana circulating within his body also became purer. Strands of pure fire-attributed Spiritual Power coalesced from his dantian, then swept through his entire body like a storm.

WHOOSH—

Countless tongues of flame erupted from all over Wu Wang’s body. His robes were almost instantly incinerated, yet his hair remained unscathed.

"Wu Wang, remember. If the strange ailment in your body fully erupts one day, and you still haven’t reached the ninth realm, or if you find you can no longer reach the ninth realm... learning to enjoy life isn’t a bad choice either."

Wu Wang’s eyes snapped open, staring at the kind-faced, smiling elder before him. Just as he was about to speak, the elder pressed a palm against his chest.

The ash covering him instantly scattered, and subtle ripples appeared in Heaven and Earth.

Before Wu Wang could utter a single word, the light and shadows around him stretched into the distance. Darkness filled his vision, and all six of his senses were blocked.

WHOOSH!

Wu Wang, who had been seated in meditation, suddenly plunged into water. The force from the elder’s shove hadn’t fully dissipated, yet Heaven and Earth had already shifted, relocating him countless miles away!

Instinctively reaching out, Wu Wang grasped two smooth wooden boards. After choking on a couple mouthfuls of water, he burst out from the not-too-deep surface.

Is this... a bathing barrel?

Wu Wang sat up straight, feeling his bare skin. He subconsciously pressed his hand against the necklace on his chest, about to retrieve some clothes. As his Spiritual Sense spread out, he found himself in an artificially excavated cave dwelling. Bluish curtains hung on the stone walls, and the bathing barrel he was in was situated behind a screen, in a relatively concealed position...

Just then!

His Spiritual Sense suddenly detected a streak of blue lightning shooting rapidly towards him from the cave dwelling’s entrance!

Wu Wang reacted instantly. His ring flickered with a faint light, and a Crystal Ball shot out, exploding in an instant.

Starlight flashed, and a wall of ice materialized out of thin air!

But the moment the ice wall formed, it shattered. A Spear, trailing layers of ice shards and afterimages, thrust directly at Wu Wang’s neck!

CLANG!

No blood splattered; instead, the Spear sparked slightly and was knocked away!

A thin layer of Ice Crystals appeared around Wu Wang’s body. This layer of Ice Crystals, tinged blue-green, was struck head-on by the Spear, which carried the force of wind and thunder, yet only slight cracks appeared on its surface.

At the other end of the Spear, a delicate hand gripped it. The owner of that hand, the woman clad in armor, was now pinned by sharp icicles at her face, ankles, neck, and waist. One wrong move and she would be severely injured.

Wu Wang coughed, silently relieved that after the mishap with his mother’s necklace, he had spent considerable time devising several emergency protection plans.

His defense was flawless, without any blind spots. It’s just that I’m completely bare and somewhat glistening right now.

Wu Wang was a young man who loved to learn, especially from the strengths of his friends. His current composure was learned from Ji Mo, Brother Ji.

He offered a gentle smile and looked up from her armored battle skirt to her face. The woman was frowning, staring intently at him.

He had to say something.

"Ahem, my name is Wu Wangzi, a humble Cultivator from the Human Domain. As for why I’m sitting in your bathing barrel, madam, I believe you could give me a moment to concoct a plausible explanation."

CLANG! CLANG CLANG~

The Spear in the woman’s hand suddenly clattered to the ground.

A circle of pale golden light erupted around her, and the icicles pinning her shattered instantly. A warning bell sounded in Wu Wang’s heart.

A master? And a female one at that, staring wide-eyed, breathing heavily, and fixating on my... vital parts...

Wu Wang hastily added several more layers of Ice Crystals around himself, instantly turning the bathing barrel into an ice bucket. He then leaped to a corner and pulled a robe from his Storage Magic Treasure, holding it in front of him. "Miss, my innocence is also precious!"

The female master’s voice trembled slightly. "You are... a man?"

Wu Wang’s face flushed. "Quite obviously. If our understanding of the term ’man’ is the same, then I should be..." He suddenly thought of something. Could it be... that Senior Shennong sent me directly to the Women’s country?

The armored woman’s eyes shimmered. She asked firmly, "Where did you come from?"

"From the Eastern Land—ahem, I mean, from the Human Domain."

"That’s not important!" the woman declared, her voice surprisingly forceful. "Melt your ice! Let me see!"

Wu Wang: ...

A male Cultivator traveling in the Great Wilderness must always protect himself.

He gathered his qi and rebuked sternly, "Fellow Daoist, your request is rather excessive! The Human Race upholds teachings and civility; the distinction between sexes is the very foundation of our culture! We are of opposite genders, meeting for the first time. How can you so brazenly demand to see another’s body!"

Seeing his overly serious expression, the armored woman was actually taken aback. She pursed her lips and snorted. "It’s just a man, not that different from us in appearance. I’ll turn around."

"Please!" Wu Wang gestured.

The woman stepped back several paces over the ice shards and turned her back.

Hearing rustling sounds behind her, the woman frowned slightly, then suddenly realized something.

Wait, this is my home!

"You barged into my house stark naked, and now—"

She spun around abruptly, only to find that the man before her had already dressed properly. He was adorned in a cyan robe and golden-trimmed cloud boots, his long hair secured with a Daoist hair circlet, a folding fan in his hand swaying gently.

He exuded an air of dashing elegance and refined grace with every movement.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask if this is the Women’s country of the Western Wilderness?"