Chapter 380: Chapter 39: The Bamboozled Emperor Fengdu

"Goddess!"

"Goddess!!"

Beneath the Heaven-Reaching Stele, the entire world was still quietly burning. The Emperor Corpse on the cliff cried out:

"Quick, look at me! Just one look!"

The stunningly beautiful woman, bound by three thousand chains, paid it no mind. She remained curled up and said listlessly, "Don’t talk to me. You’re no good, either."

The Emperor Corpse sounded helpless as it shouted again:

"Goddess, just look at me! One glance is all I ask!"

Hearing this, after a long while, the beautiful woman slowly turned her head. She glanced at the Emperor Corpse, which was dripping black blood, and showed a hint of surprise.

"Oh?"

"You see?" A smile appeared on the Emperor Corpse’s face. "I enfeoffed that Profound Clarity as the ’Profound Yellow Emperor,’ giving him the authority to command the gods of the Human World. That counts as a good deed, doesn’t it? Goddess, look..."

The beautiful woman’s face fell, and she said dejectedly:

"Tch. You want my blood? No way. If you’re so great, why don’t you help my child attain a Dao Fruit Position!"

The Emperor Corpse’s eyelid twitched. It then grit its teeth and said:

"Goddess, how about we discuss this a little more..."

"Not a chance!"

The beautiful woman proudly turned her head away.

.........

「Ancient Times, during the early Qin.」

The Underworld was located within the Netherworld, but it only occupied a small part of it. The Netherworld, in turn, only occupied a small part of the Nine Nether.

Truthfully, compared to the vast Nine Nether, the Underworld was but a drop in the ocean.

At this very moment, in the heart of the Underworld, lay Fengdu City.

A True Phoenix soared through the sky, pulling an Emperor Chariot behind it. The sound of its wheels was like rolling thunder, shaking the massive city of the Underworld. Countless ghostly inhabitants, terrified, prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to look directly at the magnificent sight in the heavens.

Soon, the Emperor Chariot entered the Netherworld palace at the very center of Fengdu City. The palace did not look large from the outside, but once inside, it proved to be boundless. Even with his current power, Lu Xuan could not see its Boundary with a single glance.

He left the True Phoenix, the Emperor Chariot, and a thousand Immortal Soldiers outside the Netherworld palace, entering with his senior brother Xuandu and a terrified Nezha.

After walking for about three thousand li, they finally saw a great throne. Seated upon it was a Great Emperor, his head touching the Celestial Vault, his figure terrifyingly colossal.

"I have long heard of the Profound Yellow Emperor’s fame. Might I ask what important business brings you here today, Emperor?"

The colossal Great Emperor glanced at Nezha, his gaze lingering for a moment on the Ancient Daoist, before finally looking toward Lu Xuan.

He didn’t seem to have any intention of offering them seats. Lu Xuan didn’t mind, simply standing with his hands behind his back and smiling calmly.

"You jest, Great Emperor. I have only gained some small measure of fame today. How could you have ’long heard’ of it?"

Emperor Fengdu lowered his eyes and said evenly:

"Let’s dispense with the pleasantries. I ask you, Emperor, for what reason have you come to my Underworld?"

"Oh?" Lu Xuan looked up. "This Underworld doesn’t belong exclusively to you, does it, Great Emperor? If I recall correctly, it is under the jurisdiction of the East Pole Qing Hua Emperor. So, am I not welcome here?"

Emperor Fengdu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Lu Xuan for a long moment before asking again:

"Why don’t you get straight to the point, Emperor?"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and three great thrones materialized behind the trio. Lu Xuan leisurely took a seat, the Bronze Mask on his face reflecting a cold light.

He pondered for a moment before chuckling lightly.

"I have heard that Emperor Fengdu has led the Netherworld for countless years, and his might is boundless. Seeing you today, I find it to be true."

Emperor Fengdu did not speak. The yin energy around him coalesced into a surging, turbulent ocean. Visions of time ebbed and flowed within it, accompanied by phantoms of All Realms.

Lu Xuan continued to smile.

"It is just a pity that the East Pole Celestial Court looms over you, Great Emperor, while the Five Ghost Emperors plot against you from below. Although you are a Daluo, you are not truly free..."

As Lu Xuan spoke with a smile, Nezha stared at his own nose as if it were his own heart, daring not to listen. Xuandu sat calmly, his expression as placid as an old well, without a single ripple.

As for the colossal Emperor Fengdu, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he let out a low chuckle.

"So, what is the Profound Yellow Emperor’s true purpose in coming here? Could it be you are delivering a message for someone behind you?"

Lu Xuan didn’t answer, merely smiling.

"I came here only to ask you, Great Emperor, do you have the heart to suppress the Five Ghost Emperors below and overthrow the East Pole Celestial Court above? Do you wish to become the true master of this Underworld, to wield authority for yourself, with no one to order you around?"

"Hm?"

Emperor Fengdu’s expression darkened, and he rebuked:

"The Celestial Court enfeoffed you as an Emperor. How dare you sow discord! What audacity!"

His eyes widened, and this boundless Netherworld palace seemed on the verge of collapse. The void trembled violently, Chaos Qi roared and churned, and killing intent flared from all directions!

Xuandu frowned and was about to rise, but Lu Xuan held him down.

"Senior Brother, I’ll handle this."

Then, Lu Xuan looked back at the seemingly furious Emperor Fengdu, his smile as warm as a spring breeze.

"Why must you be like this, Great Emperor? If you are displeased, why not go to the Celestial Court and file a complaint against me with the Celestial Emperor?"

Emperor Fengdu snorted coldly.

"I could also execute you first and report it later! I could slay a provocateur like you, who seeks to stir up chaos, right here and now!"

"You can try, Great Emperor."

Lu Xuan rose gracefully and stood calmly, his gaze profound.

"I am standing right here. Do you wish to execute me, Great Emperor?"

Emperor Fengdu narrowed his eyes. His expression was unreadable, but the surrounding atmosphere grew heavier and heavier, the killing intent surging ever more fiercely.

「A long moment passed.」

"Haha." Emperor Fengdu suddenly broke into a smile. "You were personally enfeoffed by His Majesty the Celestial Emperor, were you not? And the Celestial Emperor has bestowed countless rewards upon you. I imagine your relationship with the Celestial Emperor must be quite good, yes?"

Lu Xuan smiled but did not answer.

Emperor Fengdu also rose slowly. The entire Netherworld palace trembled, the ground shook, and the visions of time nearly erupted into chaos.

He continued to chuckle, the astonishing killing intent from just moments ago melting away like snow in summer. He said:

"This time, is His Majesty the Celestial Emperor planning to conquer the Four Extremes?"

Lu Xuan looked up and said cheerfully:

"Since you’ve spoken so plainly, Great Emperor, I won’t hide things either. In all of history, I am the first to seek you out like this... Do you, Great Emperor, wish to become the Lord of a Celestial Court?"

He spoke vaguely, making it clear that he knew this was a moment in the past, not the present. He then immediately asked Emperor Fengdu if he was willing to become the lord of his own Celestial Court.

Emperor Fengdu was a Daluo and could roam the River of Time, so he naturally knew what was originally supposed to happen later.

Seeing this new segment added to this period of history, coupled with Lu Xuan’s sudden and numerous rewards from the Celestial Emperor,

Lu Xuan had naturally led him into a misconception.

That he was the Celestial Emperor’s man.

That he had come here to negotiate on the Celestial Emperor’s behalf.

「At that moment,」

Emperor Fengdu’s brow was tightly furrowed. He sat down again, glanced at the Ancient Daoist and Nezha, then turned to Lu Xuan and spoke.

"It seems you know more than I imagined. You are not merely a messenger. In that case, you must be aware, Emperor, that history has become hazy. The things that have happened are no longer clear, are they?"

Xuandu was stunned for a moment, while Nezha was just confused.

Lu Xuan’s heart also stirred. A faint, ethereal smile touched his lips as he said:

"Originally, the Medicine King Buddha was not supposed to perish at this moment. But the Celestial Emperor’s death might be reversible, so the Medicine King Buddha had to be wronged."

Nezha’s face changed color, while Xuandu, who was listening beside them, grew even more confused.

Emperor Fengdu, however, heaved a sigh of relief.

"It seems you know even more than I imagined, Emperor. You are even more extraordinary..."

As he spoke, his expression grew solemn, and he asked tentatively:

"Did His Majesty the Celestial Emperor ever tell you the reason why the river of history has become so hazy?"

’Hazy?’

Lu Xuan’s mind raced. ’Is it because of my interference, or is it because of...’

Suddenly, he thought of a key point. Nezha, Yang Jian, Li Changgeng, and others were all certain that the Supreme Emperor Profound Yellow existed in history.

’And yet, the few Daluo I’ve met knew nothing of this.’

’Connecting this to what Grandpa Chu said and what the Three Masters admitted—the fabricated timeline and illusory history...’ 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

A guess formed in Lu Xuan’s mind.

’The false history woven by my Second and Third Masters has been laid over the real history. Nezha, Yang Jian, and the others are not Daluo, so they haven’t jumped out of the river of time yet.’

’Naturally, they were influenced by the illusory history, mistaking the illusion for reality.’

’But Daluo possess the mighty power to roam back and forth through time, having escaped its shackles. Is that why they feel that history has become hazy?’

’Then what about my master?’

’Logically, a Dao Fruit Existence like my Master should be able to see clearly, unless this false history was plastered directly over his eyes... Huh??’

Lu Xuan’s expression turned a little strange. ’It couldn’t... really be like that, could it?’

’Second Master and Third Master...’

While his mind was spinning with these thoughts, Emperor Fengdu called out tentatively:

"Emperor?"

Lu Xuan snapped back to reality, composed himself, and answered with a smile:

"The reason is that a Dao Fruit has made its move. The ages are changing. From the fall of the West Pole Celestial Court’s ruler, to the perishing of the Medicine King Buddha, to me becoming an Emperor and visiting you... the ages are about to change again."

Three question marks might as well have appeared over Xuandu’s head; he only grew more confused the more he listened. As for Nezha, his breathing became more and more rapid, sweat beading on his forehead.

Emperor Fengdu’s face was a mask of astonishment.

After a long silence, he took a deep breath and asked in a solemn voice:

"Then, what does His Majesty the Celestial Emperor intend to do?"

Lu Xuan gave a mysterious smile.

"You need only act as you normally would, Great Emperor. On a certain day in the future, when 365 beams of heaven-reaching light erupt from the Human World, you may raise your army and attack the East Pole Celestial Court."

After a pause, Lu Xuan’s expression turned grave, as if he were reciting a prophecy:

"That will be a time of great chaos. The Human World will know no peace, and the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms will be engulfed in the flames of war. If you successfully conquer the East Pole Celestial Court, you will become the new... East Pole Qing Hua Emperor!"

"The condition is that after you become the Emperor of the East Pole Celestial Court, you must stand with the Celestial Emperor, and also stand by my side."

As his words fell, every hair on Nezha’s body stood on end.

Emperor Fengdu, however, lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice:

"Alright."

He exhaled a turbid breath, his gaze profound.

"I understand... But before that, there is one more thing."

"Please speak, Great Emperor."

"It’s about the Five Ghost Emperors. There seems to be an unknown Daluo backing them. If I raise an army to attack the East Pole Celestial Court, and they decide to cause trouble at the behest of that unknown Daluo..."

Lu Xuan smiled.

"I will take care of the Five Ghost Emperors. You need not worry, Great Emperor... Aside from that, do you have any other questions?"

Emperor Fengdu was silent for a moment before asking:

"You mentioned 365 light pillars reaching for the heavens. Can you tell this Emperor what exactly that is about?"

Lu Xuan thought for a moment, then answered readily:

"Of course. The Four Extremes have long been estranged from His Majesty the Celestial Emperor. Perhaps it is time for a great reckoning. The Human Dao Fortune will surge to the Celestial Vault, the Human Race will raise its armies to attack the heavens, and you will simultaneously attack the East Pole Celestial Court. The Mandate of Heaven will be thrown into chaos, and everything will change."

Astonishment appeared on Emperor Fengdu’s face, quickly followed by a look of sudden understanding. He sighed.

"I see, so that’s how it is. Use the Human Dao to shake the very foundations of the East, South, and North Celestial Courts, use the Human Dao to create the grand momentum to ’Change Heaven and Earth,’ and then pacify the Four Extremes in one fell swoop? His Majesty the Celestial Emperor has indeed planned well..."

Saying this, he looked at Lu Xuan and added with praise:

"And you, Emperor, are Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Uncle Zhong. With a little guidance, you can make this happen. It seems you are the true key figure. I understand now, I understand!"

Lu Xuan gave a bashful smile and blinked sincerely, but inwardly, he was puzzled.

’What... did he understand??’

(There will be another Chapter around 11 o’clock.)