Chapter 409 The Primordial Pearl Reappears
When the spiritual energy storm arose, it nearly tore the mortal Quan Chang apart. Fortunately, Chang Hao was present and saved Quan Chang and the inner court officials of Qiankun Palace in time, thus preventing a major disaster.
Chang Hao frowned. Ordinary humans were utterly powerless against cultivators. The coexistence of humans and gods was ultimately the root of chaos.
A cultivator can cause a hurricane to rise in the human world with a casual wave of their hand, which is extremely unfriendly to humans who have never cultivated.
Quan Chang's heart pounded wildly. Looking at his tattered clothes, he knew he was almost about to meet the late king.
"Your Majesty, that Taoist priest is clearly targeting me." Quan Chang mustered the greatest courage of his life and secretly sowed discord among the evil Taoist priests inside.
Chang Hao snapped out of his daze and couldn't help but chuckle. Quan Chang's little scheme was really too easy to guess. "You are not a cultivator, so it is naturally dangerous for you to face this situation. The Daoist Master did not mean it. Please do not misunderstand."
"Your Majesty..." Quan Chang said with a mournful tone. He was no longer the most trusted servant of His Majesty. Wasn't it said that someone like him could always get his slander right?
"You have enough wrinkles on your face already. If you keep wrinkling your face, it will be unbearable to look at." Chang Hao looked away, finding it rather irritating. "Alright, I'll go see what's going on. You can go down first. By the way, spread the news that I was assassinated and am now seriously injured. Make sure the guards and officials in Qiankun Palace keep their mouths shut."
Chang Hao was truly impressed with himself; he was able to come up with a win-win solution in such a tense situation.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make the arrangements immediately." Quan Chang was reluctant, but he could not disobey the king's order. That sorcerer was truly treacherous. Quan Chang's biggest worry was that the king would be bewitched by the sorcerer, abandon the country and his family, and follow that sorcerer to practice that damned Taoist magic.
Although, for now, the king seems to be very wise.
"Quanchang, etc..."
"Go quietly and bring me the family records of my uncles. Remember, do it quietly, and don't let those old foxes hear a word." Chang Hao decided to find a few suitable candidates and then choose the most outstanding one to be the crown prince.
The inescapable trap he laid is about to be closed.
He killed his two elder brothers with a single sword. The dynasty needed a successor. Since he had already recognized Yuanshi Tianzun, how could he possibly create a child behind Yuanshi's back by any means? This would be a betrayal of Tianzun.
But an heir can't just appear out of thin air.
"Yes..." Quan Chang was puzzled. Could it be that something was wrong with his uncles? Thinking of this, Quan Chang's expression turned serious.
“Bi Gan, Ji Zi…” Chang Hao took three steps at a time and walked towards the inner hall. After weighing the options in his mind, he hoped that these two families would have outstanding offspring. He really did not want to search any further ahead.
"Heavenly Venerable One, what has happened?"
Yuanshi had regained control of his body, but his face was filled with worry. "I just had a sudden realization, and I saw through the obsession that had been in my heart for so long. I have achieved a breakthrough in my realm."
Once his three bodies are united, he will become a true Heavenly Saint, no longer needing to rely on a major sect as a foundation to barely achieve sainthood.
"Congratulations, this is a good thing, you should be happy, why do you look so worried?" Chang Hao touched Yuan Shi's brow with his fingertips, "Look at you, your brows are all furrowed."
Yuanshi held Chang Hao's hand tightly, reluctant to part, "If I were to merge my three corpses into one and attain the Primordial Dao Fruit, the danger would be even greater. Don't be careless. I can take on someone like Tongtian three times over in the future."
"Are you leaving?" Chang Hao felt the lingering affection in Yuan Shi's eyes, and his heart was also filled with reluctance.
"I must leave immediately." Yuanshi pulled Changhao into his arms. "Have you remembered everything I told you?" This place is Chaoge, a densely populated area of mortals. If he were to attain enlightenment here, rivers of blood would flow across the land.
Chang Hao, who was leaning against Yuanshi's chest, felt the endless and terrifying spiritual energy suppressed within Yuanshi Tianzun's body. This was unacceptable, so he immediately withdrew from Yuanshi's embrace. "I've remembered it. You can leave now. Don't look back."
Yuanshi looked at Chang Hao with a hint of sorrow in his eyes, and before he left, he was filled with endless longing.
"The Primordial Celestial Venerable I know resides in the Nine Heavens, untouched by worldly affairs. If liking me causes you such sorrow, then this liking is not worth it..."
Yuan Shi touched Chang Hao's lips with his fingertip, "Don't say such things. Loving you is instinct, etched into my bones. It's inevitable that I'll feel reluctant to part. Knowing you is the greatest fortune of my life."
"I promise you, if you don't come, I will go to Kunlun to find you, so you can rest assured," Chang Hao coaxed Yuanshi Tianzun.
"Alright, I'll wait for you." Yuan Shi turned back and glanced at Chang Hao one last time, his sorrow for parting hidden deep within, before his figure vanished into nothingness.
Chang Hao stood quietly for a moment, gazing at the empty space. Just now, the Heavenly Venerable was still standing there, calm and rational but not reluctant to part, with a deep and tender concern hidden in his heart.
Chang Hao composed himself, thinking about the vast empire he was in charge of. He needed to properly manage the relationship between humans and gods before he could hand over the empire to his successor without any worries, so that he could go to Kunlun Mountain to search for people.
Humans and gods coexist...
Although humans are known for their cunning and treacherous nature, their lack of martial prowess is a fatal flaw. Cultivators, on the other hand, are mostly simple-minded. Yet, when they harbor evil intentions, cities can be wiped out, leaving them in a state far beyond what can be described as a living hell.
Humanity is ultimately the weaker race...
Chang Hao's eyes narrowed, and an unscrupulous thought arose in his mind. He wanted to drive the immortals and gods away from the Nine Provinces, set up a barrier, and give the human race a proper and stable living environment.
Once the thought came to mind, I couldn't stop it.
In this world, strength is king. If he has the strength, why not completely separate humans from gods? Even human cultivators, once they have achieved success in their cultivation, cannot stay in the Nine Provinces for long.
Just like the planet he came from, there were no immortals or gods, but there were many myths and legends.
Chang Hao thought about his battle with the Tongtian Sect Master, and how the Cangmin Sword suddenly appeared in his hand. It seemed to be from the same source as him, like half of his body. He felt even more strange. If a Cangmin Sword could suddenly appear, could other spiritual treasures appear as well?
It is said that there is a kind of innate spiritual treasure in the primordial world, which is a world of its own and can be lived in. If he has such a spiritual treasure, it would be more appropriate to relocate the human race into it.
Setting up a barrier is ultimately a last resort.
As soon as the thought arose, he unconsciously communicated with the spiritual treasures sealed by the Great Dao, and the Hongmeng Pearl and the Qiankun Cauldron appeared in Chang Hao's hands one after the other.
The Primordial Pearl bumped into the Qiankun Cauldron. What its master wanted was a spiritual treasure that could form its own world. Why was the Qiankun Cauldron getting involved?
The wrath of the Qiankun Cauldron is nothing more than a world unto itself. It can return to its origin and, as long as the master is capable enough, use it to transform the primordial world into the master's private realm. How can that not be considered a world unto itself?
"The Qiankun Cauldron, the Hongmeng Pearl..." Chang Hao's eyebrows twitched slightly. He had quite a few good things on him, but to take them out, he would probably need the right time, place, and people.
"You two can form your own world," Chang Hao said, picking up the Primordial Bead. This bead was covered by a layer of light gauze, but the thing on the surface... Chang Hao gently scratched it, and a bit of Breath Soil appeared at his fingertip. "Nine Heavens Breath Soil?"
Chang Hao suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "This bead looks a lot like the planet I came from. Is it you? The Primordial Bead?"
The Primordial Pearl intermittently transmitted a memory to Chang Hao. Of course, it was this thing. It was alive for a while, but, Master, creation cannot be done halfway and then run away. It needs the flesh and blood of countless immortals and gods as nourishment to evolve successfully.
Even if we don't talk about being on par with the Primordial World, we should at least be able to operate independently without interfering with each other, and be able to stand on our own even if we leave the Primordial World.
Chang Hao held the Primordial Pearl in his hand. If all else failed, he would have to open the Primordial Pearl, move the human race into it, and take them with him.
The neglected Qiankun Cauldron, not to be outdone, emitted a brilliant light to remind Chang Hao of its existence.
As the Qiankun Cauldron wished, Chang Hao simply picked it up and exclaimed, "The Qiankun Cauldron is indeed very famous."
Chang Hao perked up, thinking about the feeling of summoning the Qiankun Cauldron and the Hongmeng Pearl, and about rare and precious materials. Unfortunately, how could rare and precious materials compare to the Hongmeng Pearl and the Qiankun Cauldron?
"I was originally planning not to touch the rare and precious materials given by the Primordial Celestial Venerable, but it seems I have no choice but to." Chang Hao thought of the Primordial Celestial Venerable again. This sudden amnesia of the Primordial Celestial Venerable was also very strange, and he himself was also very strange...
Chang Hao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and carefully recalled the past. He detached himself from his own vision and observed from the perspective of an outsider. After Kaitian died, Li Qi appeared in the Yin Shang royal palace and had a father who doted on him.
Looking back now, my father's attitude was indeed strange, unlike that of a king. His behavior often had similarities with that of the Primordial Celestial Venerable.
His father probably didn't die; perhaps he's secretly watching him closely.
Thinking of this, Chang Hao was overwhelmed with emotion, and it took him a long time to regain his calm and focused state of mind...
When the Tongtian Sect Leader first met him, he acted very familiarly. Perhaps it wasn't that the Tongtian Sect Leader was naturally familiar, but rather that the Tongtian Sect Leader genuinely knew him.
But if that's the case, why did they force him to become an apprentice afterward? Just because he had mastered the 'One Line of Life' technique?
Chang Hao noticed a detail: he couldn't help but kiss Yuanshi Tianzun, and Yuanshi's eyes held an expression that was hard to describe as either joy or sorrow.
Is his amnesia related to him?
Yes, it's possible that the Tongtian Cult Leader also lost some of his memories. Unfortunately, it's all speculation, and without concrete evidence, Chang Hao can hardly be certain.
That's all...
"Yuanshi Tianzun, are you tolerant and patient?" Chang Hao decided to be infinitely tolerant and indulgent towards Yuanshi Tianzun. No matter what Yuanshi Tianzun became after losing his memory, as long as his love for him remained unchanged, everything else could be slowly tamed.
Chang Hao struck the golden bell on the table, and soon Yuan Hong appeared in the Qiankun Palace.
"Yuan Hong greets Your Majesty." Yuan Hong bowed with his hands clasped.
"Yuan Hong, have the other six monsters appear together." Chang Hao wanted to observe the other six monsters.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Yuan Hong immediately summoned the other six monsters who were waiting in the distance.
"Dai Li..."
"Jin Dasheng..."
“Zhu Zizhen…”
“Wu Long…”
"Chang Hao (White Snake)..."
"Yang Xian..."
"Greetings, Your Majesty..."
When the fake Chang Hao (Lu Ya) meets the real Chang Hao (White Snake), Chang Hao's gaze naturally falls on the White Snake Chang Hao. Coincidentally, he is also Chang Hao.
"Your Majesty, please give your orders..." Yuan Hong, representing his seven brothers, said that no matter what the emperor ordered, they would do their utmost and repay him with their lives.
"Chang Hao (White Snake)..." Chang Hao's face showed a strange expression, as if he felt someone was calling him.
"Chang Hao is here..." The White Snake was excited; His Majesty had called his name.
"Does he know the art of transformation?" Chang Hao originally wanted to choose a clever person, but after seeing this person, he felt that it might not be fate.
Using one's real name to travel to Mengjin would reduce the chances of being exposed.
"Your Majesty, I will." The white snake spoke faster than she thought, without considering what she would encounter next.
“Very well, you have now transformed into my appearance…” Chang Hao said abruptly.
"Huh?" The white snake suddenly looked up. What did he hear?
Unfortunately, he couldn't fight city hall. When Quan Chang secretly brought over the family records of several of his uncles, he saw two kings facing him as soon as he entered the Qiankun Palace.
Quan Chang's legs went weak. After a careful examination, he rushed towards the white snake, shouting, "What kind of demon dares to impersonate His Majesty..."
Quan Chang bumped into a soft, unidentified object and bounced back, landing back on the soft cloud unharmed, except his hat was askew.
Chang Hao withdrew his magic. "Quan Chang, calm down. This is the White Snake, one of the Seven Monsters of Meishan. Since I have already spread the word about the assassination attempt, it means I have something important to do. Tell me, why did you recognize that the White Snake was not me at a glance?"
"I could tell right away just by watching him walk; there were flaws all over his body." Quan Chang scorned the White Snake. Could someone really impersonate her like that?
"Quan Chang, you know me very well." Chang Hao said with a wicked smile.
"Of course, I watched His Majesty grow up," Quan Chang said proudly.
“Very well. The King has been assassinated. The morning court session is temporarily suspended. If there is any urgent matter, bring the memorials to the Qiankun Palace. I will deal with it as soon as I feel better.” Chang Hao announced directly, “Quan Chang, you must provide good cover.”
"Your Majesty, you mustn't..." Quan Chang immediately knelt down.
"In addition, the White Snake is impersonating me. You need to give him some pointers. If you can't learn anything else, start by learning how I walk. I'm entrusting this to you, Quan Chang. You are the person I trust the most. You don't want me to encounter danger outside, do you?" Chang Hao stood with a smile and handed a bamboo slip to Quan Sheng, quietly giving him some instructions. In case the White Snake fails to do his job well, he should leave a backup plan to save these people's lives.
Quan Chang was helpless against his willful emperor and could only resign himself to covering for him.
……………………
On the way to Chaoge, two figures went to every village and entered every city. They were Jiang Ziya, who had been tricked by Ji Fa, and Yang Jian, who had realized his mistake and escaped in time.
"Erlang, seeing the spirit and appearance of the people under the rule of King Shang, I finally know who the sage ruler in my heart is." Jiang Ziya's face was covered in dust, but his eyes, which had been dull and lifeless before, shone brightly again.
For the first time, Yang Jian saw the land under the Shang king's rule with his own feet, and even the slaves had a gleam in their eyes.
"Prime Minister..."
"I'm ashamed, please don't call me Prime Minister." Jiang Ziya blushed. "Second Brother, what do you need me for?"
"If we continue forward, we will reach Chaoge. What are your plans?" Yang Jian could go directly to the King, but what about Uncle Jiang?
"I plan to go and seek refuge with my sworn brother again. Would you like to come with me, Erlang?" Jiang Ziya was filled with trepidation, wondering if his sworn brother, Song Yiren, had heard the news that he had become a rebel.
Yang Jian's eyes suddenly narrowed. How could that young general, who was wearing a black and gold cloak, had two small braids at his temples, his hair was all combed up and fixed with a jade crown, wore silver soft armor, black arrow sleeves, and had a long spear hanging on his back, look so much like Emperor Xin?
Why would Emperor Xin appear here alone? No, that's not right, he wasn't alone...
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