Chapter 139 I can sacrifice my life for the common people
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Having lost the chance to escape his physical confinement, all that remained in his heart and mind was murderous intent.
Han Ling's eyes narrowed. The entire Po Feng Ten Realms had entered a deep winter. After the death of the evil god Yuan Chi, the miasma seemed to have receded, but in reality, a portion of it was still suppressed within the Shi Feng Ridge. The ferocious beasts in the ridge dared not cause trouble because of the water-dividing barrier set up by the Emperor. Han Ling's demonic energy burrowed underground and instantly shattered all the restraints!
Ferocious beasts swarmed out, miasma arose from attached spirits, and resentment was amplified infinitely at this moment. Black winds swept through, and evil spirits roamed freely. The Ten Realms of Breaking Wind, which had been peaceful for a long time, returned to the era when ferocity once ran rampant.
Plants and trees came to life, and ferocious beasts gathered. Han Ling transformed all things with evil intentions into his clones, which were then assembled into a swarm of people who attacked the gods in a pincer movement!
The immortals were trapped inside and were the most vulnerable. Duan Jiuyou and Di Jiang had a clear division of labor. Duan Jiuyou led Ao Zong alone to protect the immortals and fought off the evil beasts all the way back to the immortal village.
Di Jiang and Bai Yanxing unleashed the four Dragon Phoenix Bells, forming eight arrays that descended simultaneously, unleashing a powerful burst of magical light.
While killing the ferocious beast, Duan Jiuyou also kept an eye on the situation, thinking to himself: "The magic cultivators are indeed more imposing than the martial cultivators when they fight, with both lightning and light."
Lacking these fancy moves, and feeling a pang of jealousy, she decided that after the great battle, she would definitely take out all the formation secrets that her master had taught her and memorize them.
Han Ling was briefly trapped inside the formation, but broke free again!
He was indeed afraid of the power of the four-headed dragon-phoenix, and even felt his demonic soul in disarray when he got close. However, this thing had a fatal weakness: its magic power was strongest only in the lava pool. Once taken out, it lost its divine power. Only by introducing Han Ling into the bell could his demonic soul be melted.
Han Ling was ruthless and slippery, a mere wandering soul without any physical form. Even after Emperor Jiang and Bai Yanxing activated the Dragon Phoenix Bell several times, they were unable to trap Han Ling.
This person was like smoke, like water, like a puddle of mud. In the midst of the entanglement and fighting, he let out a fierce shout that shattered a group of immortal officials on the ground!
However, Han Ling, who seemed to have the upper hand, was not having an easy time. The Xuanhuang poison within his body was surging and backfiring, and had begun to devour his demonic spirit. He turned his head to look in the direction of Xianmin Village. Only by devouring those people could he cure the Xuanhuang poison!
With a sudden stop, he charged towards Xianmin Village, where Duan Jiuyou was located.
Duan Jiuyou had just led the Ao Sect to repel a wave of ferocious beasts when Han Ling arrived with lightning speed. Many of the immortals had not yet entered the village. Duan Jiuyou had no time to think. He crossed his hands in front of him and took Han Ling's attack head-on, urgently calling out to Liantang and the others: "Form a defensive formation and protect the immortals!"
The "wall" in front of Xianminzhai was built quickly, like an indestructible fortress rising from the ground.
Duan Jiuyou crashed into the "wall" under the fierce and heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood. This blow directly pierced through her primordial spirit, but it could not shake the body of the Ao Zong behind her. All the immortals of the Heavenly Realm Divine Continent were protected within the wall.
Enraged, Han Ling unleashed a swarm of ferocious beasts. Di Jiang charged over, seemingly calling her name. Han Ling went berserk, and Duan Jiuyou's vision grew increasingly blurry; the more she tried to see clearly, the more murky it became.
The ferocity of the gods far exceeded their expectations. Wave after wave of gods charged forward, but more fell than rose. The four-headed dragon-phoenix hovered overhead like a piece of emotionless iron, silently watching the corpses strewn across the Ten Realms City.
Duan Jiuyou closed his eyes wearily, thinking: What kind of monster is this? I've never seen anything this hard to fight in my life!
Her consciousness was slowly slipping away. For a fleeting moment, she knew she was dead. She had experienced that brief, excruciating pain of her soul being pulled away before, and then she awoke from her dazed state.
She still had one life left. She thought to herself: I can't let this bastard get away with this!
Di Jiang and Bai Yanxing were still fighting fiercely against Han Ling. It was clear that both of them had done their best, their bodies swaying precariously, barely holding on by sheer willpower.
They are the youngest emperors in this Heavenly Realm. If given more time, their cultivation will improve, and they will surely be able to fight against Han Ling.
Back then, all the gods were at least Venerable Gods in terms of cultivation, so it's already quite remarkable that the two of them have managed to hold on until now.
Duan Jiuyou fixed his gaze on Di Jiang, his eyes filled with longing. He finally suppressed his emotions, gritted his teeth, got up, and activated the demonic spirit within him.
Duan Jiuyou had half of Han Ling's demonic spirit sealed within his body. This demonic energy was like another clone of Han Ling. Once activated, it would create a restraint. Duan Jiuyou used half of the demonic spirit as a guide to forcibly summon Han Ling's demonic soul into his own body, and together they crashed into the Dragon Phoenix Bell!
All of this happened too fast, so fast that the Emperor's realm had no time to stop it. The gods urgently called for their priests, for once the demon spirit entered the bell, the array inside the bell would be activated, and both gods and demons would be reduced to ashes!
Little Siji seemed to be calling for its mother. Duan Jiuyou's eyes were firm, but he felt a deep reluctance in his heart.
In the past, I didn't know that a peaceful life was happiness. I didn't cherish my life and even often thought about dying. Now, I cherish this divine life, want to spend it with someone, want to watch Xiao Siji grow up, want to continue to protect the Heavenly Realm. There are so many things I want to do, but it's all too late.
Han Ling roared frantically inside Duan Jiuyou's body, "You still have one life left, why do you want to die with me? You've guarded this Heavenly Realm for over seventy million years, haven't you had enough? Those people outside are no relation to you, why risk your life for them?!"
After saying that, he changed his words to pleading for mercy: "I can spare you, and Ao Zong, and those immortals, and even the gods! I can spare your lives!"
The demonic soul of Han Ling separated from Duan Jiuyou's body, but no matter what he did, he could not break free. Duan Jiuyou had not yet released the restraint on Han Ling. His gaze towards Han Ling contained mockery, arrogance, and a faint hatred!
"I am a Celestial Official, serving through nine dynasties. Since assuming the position, I have inherited the duties of my parents. In times of crisis, I am willing to sacrifice myself for the sake of all living beings. My parents were forever submerged in the Broken Cliff Sea to seal you away. This debt will be settled today!!"
The power of the four dragons and phoenixes began to operate, and the core of the formation within the bell was completed. The two continued to descend.
The rain outside was pouring down; was Little Siji crying? She had finally found herself a mother, and now she was gone. When she adopted her as her daughter, she never imagined she would die so young.
He thought to himself: To be a hero, you always have to pay a price. After the god's death, the incense offerings will surely be more abundant than those of other gods.
Then she thought of her parents, who must have felt the same reluctance she had back then, reluctance to part with each other, and reluctance to leave her all alone.
The four dragon-phoenixes rang out a bell, and the flames at the center of the formation surged. Duan Jiuyou calmly closed his eyes.
And at this very moment.
Two beams of azure light suddenly shot out from the bottom of the cliff, rushing into the Ten Realms of Breaking Wind with unstoppable force, and crashing into the four-headed dragon-phoenix!
The bell tilted, and a strong blue light entered, severing Duan Jiuyou's ties with Han Ling just before she was about to fall into the center of the formation, and firmly supporting her.
Duan Jiuyou opened his eyes in astonishment, only to find himself surrounded by azure light. He managed to take her away before the Dragon Phoenix Bell hit the ground.
With the demonic soul of Han Ling completely dissipated, Duan Jiuyou landed safely. Still somewhat disoriented, she looked at the divine light before her. She knew who they were; she knew.
"...Father, Mother!"
Her voice was hoarse, and she called out in a choked voice. In the bluish light, two figures seemed to appear briefly, looking at her with tender eyes, as if with pity and reluctance. Unfortunately, they had used up their last strength to see her.
In times of crisis, you protect the three realms with your own body; in times of crisis, your father and mother are your strongest support. You are not a helpless child. If we could, we would like to accompany you as you grow up; if we could, we would do everything in our power to protect you, no matter what.
It is a parent's duty to sacrifice themselves for the people, and it is a parent's instinct to sacrifice themselves to protect their own children.
The bluish light drifted away like smoke, like a final sigh left in the world.
Duan Jiuyou chased after him like a madman, and bumped right in front of the Emperor Zong who had arrived. She cried like a child, tightly grabbing his arm and pleading urgently.
"Uncle! I saw my parents! They saved me! Did you see them? It's that ray of blue light! Please help me keep them here! Please help me keep them here!"
The Emperor remained an expressionless deity. From the day he entered the Path of Ruthlessness, he had been the most emotionless god in the world. He could foresee everything that would happen, but he could not change the course of events. Everything had its cause and effect, such as Jiuyou's enlightenment today, the end of the war between gods and demons, the last wisp of divine breath Duan Chenzhang left at the bottom of the sea, and Yan Lingxi's sudden awakening of her divine soul upon sensing Jiuyou's peril.
The Emperor said, “You awakened them. You shouldn’t cry, you should be happy. The dissipation of the blue light is not annihilation but rebirth. The Thirty-Three Heavens had already arranged divine positions for them. Your parents have ascended to heaven, not died.”
"Not death?"
Duan Jiuyou tried to process what the Emperor had told her, and asked eagerly, "So I can still see my parents?"
"Of course, but their primordial spirits are currently weak, and it will take at least another thousand years before they can rebuild their physical bodies."
Duan Jiuyou had mixed feelings; he wanted to believe the Emperor's words, but he also felt they weren't credible enough.
Are you telling the truth? Or are you just trying to fool me?
He had a history of deceiving her so many times that she simply couldn't trust him.
"This time it's for real." The emperor remained expressionless, thought for a moment, and raised three fingers to swear, "Every word I said today is true."
"Then why do you have that expression? Isn't your parents' rebirth a joyous occasion? Why do you look unhappy?"
"I don't laugh," the Emperor said calmly.
His face was "stiff," having been in the ruthless path for so long that he had long forgotten what joy and sorrow looked like. But inside, he was happy, one could even say he was jubilant.
The Thirty-Third Heaven is too cold. Currently, the only living people living there are him and a few ascended emperors. These people are incredibly boring, spending their days tending to flowers and plants, playing chess and drinking tea. No one is more eager for his sister and brother-in-law to return than him.
Then he took out a scroll of divine decree and handed it to Duan Jiuyou.
"You have grown a lot in the battle between gods and demons. I have been ordered by the Heavenly Dao to promote you to the position of Supreme God. From the day you receive the divine decree, you may go to the Twenty-Third Heaven to cultivate."
"The twenty-third heaven?" Duan Jiuyou didn't answer. "Then isn't that ten levels below the thirty-third heaven where my parents are?"
“Cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight. You have been ignorant and incompetent for many years. It is already quite an achievement that you can take this opportunity to advance.”
The implication is: Don't you know your own limitations? You've been courting death for over 70 million years, only to finally realize the truth in this battle. You've already given me more than the twenty-three heavens; where else do you want to go?
The emperor asked, "Will you accept this decree or not?"
Having accepted the assignment, he was to ascend to the 23rd Heaven to assume his post immediately. From then on, he would cultivate within his assigned territory and would not be allowed to enter the Heavenly Realm again except for major events.
Duan Jiuyou looked towards the imperial territory.
This is an imperial edict of "separation from the emperor," meaning that once one takes up the post, one must part ways with the imperial territory.
Duan Jiuyou discussed with the Emperor: "Could we wait tens of thousands of years before taking over?"
She and Di Jiang had finally overcome all their hardships, how could she just leave like that? If they could wait tens of thousands of years, Di Jiang could accumulate more political achievements in the Heavenly Realm and then enter the Twenty-Third Heaven with her.
The emperor didn't understand matters of love and romance, only telling Duan Jiuyou, "If you don't accept it today, the divine decree will be withdrawn. And there's more—"
Emperor Zong casually conjured up the deity's bestowal: a blue jade brocade robe with flowing clouds, a jade belt with sixteen beast patterns, a lotus-patterned deity court hat, and in addition, an imperial edict listing the many rewards the deity would enjoy: a salary equal to that of a celestial god, five million spiritual treasures annually, a royal carriage for travel, and nine layers of divine temples within the territory...
Duan Jiuyou looked at the imperial territory, then at the rewards, then back at the imperial territory, then back at the rewards, scrutinizing the rewards closely, scrutinizing them closely... his eyes were practically glued to the ground.
Di Jiang took a shallow breath; no one understood Duan Jiuyou better than him!
She wants this official position!
Di Jiang thought to himself, "Isn't this guy a scoundrel? They've been in love for so long, yet it's all worth less than these material possessions?"
Duan Jiuyou also weighed the matter in her mind. She hadn't been promoted in more than 70 million years. She had been a divine official since entering the Heavenly Realm. This title was indeed quite high, but it was still a level below that of a supreme god. She had to admit that she was vain and really liked that official robe!
She also has five million taels of silver. She loves money, but not as much as Master Huang, who is obsessed with it. However, five million taels is no small sum.
Most importantly, the 23rd Heaven is closer to her parents. By accepting the divine decree, she can ascend from the 12th Heaven to the 23rd Heaven, and after ascending ten more levels, she can reunite with them. Without accepting the divine decree, how long would it take to fly up from the 12th Heaven? She couldn't ascend that quickly even if she worked herself to death.
The battle between gods and demons was a significant achievement; missing this opportunity might mean another chance. Besides, two lives were lost—two lives, so precious! Wouldn't it be a waste to let them go to waste?
Duan Jiuyou made his decision, accepting the divine decree with one hand and grasping the imperial territory with the other.
"I'm going to take up my post. While you're in the Heavenly Realm, you must be diligent in your duties, do good deeds, and accumulate merit. Your battle record is quite good. As long as you don't seize other people's territory, you'll definitely be able to ascend to godhood in tens of thousands of years, and then we can meet again in the Twenty-Third Heaven. There are nine-story palaces there, and I'm sure you'll like them."
Di Jiang took a breath and said, "Think it over before you speak."
Duan Jiuyou said, "I've thought it through. After I leave, Feifei can go with me to the Twenty-Third Heaven and the Four Seasons. She is a weather demon, and except for the Thirty-Third Heaven, she can travel freely throughout the Nine Heavens. I cannot return to the Heavenly Realm, but they can come and go freely and can deliver messages to you on my behalf."
Emperor Jiang didn't even want to say anything.
Ascending to godhood is not as simple as Duan Jiuyou said; it depends not on time but on opportunity.
Only three of the nine emperors of the Heavenly Realm were promoted to the venerable gods, and Duan Jiuyou himself served as a god for a full seventy million years.
He is too young and his achievements are not high. If he wants to rise to the twenty-third heaven, the Heavenly Realm will only produce a second, third, or even a fourth Han Ling.
Could Duan Jiuyou not have thought of these things? She could have, but she still accepted the divine decree.
Emperor Jiang could not describe the feeling at this moment.
It's like I suddenly realized I wasn't the most important person to her, like I couldn't believe she could be so heartless, like I even swore a little, like I wanted to hold on but was too angry to say anything. My mind is a complete mess.
How could she possibly say such heinous things?
She decided on the promotion even faster than she previously decided whether to have sweet or savory porridge for breakfast! He's not as conflicted about two bowls of porridge as he is about to give her a choice.
Duan Jiuyou grabbed Di Jiang and said, "Repair it. After I leave, you must repair the Ten Realms properly. Maybe I can come back?"
...
The emperor left with Duan Jiuyou.
He was eager to return to the Thirty-Third Heaven to see his sister and brother-in-law and did not want to stay here any longer.
He helped them raise their children, just as they had raised him.
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to explain myself properly. This niece used to live like a scoundrel, with a fiery and willful personality. She was always fighting or threatening to die, like a local thug in the celestial realm.
Things are different now. He's become sensible, enlightened, and even ascended to a divine position. He's beaming with pride and can now report back to his sister and brother-in-law.
Emperor Zong felt delighted. He casually parted the clouds and mist, and the sky over the Ten Realms of Breaking Wind cleared up, revealing a clear and bright expanse of sky over the entire Heavenly Realm.
The lingering spirits of the ferocious beasts vanished with the fierce beasts, and the immortals thronged around them. The gods performed official rites to respectfully send the two deities away.
Duan Jiuyou looked back in the sky, and only then did he seem to feel reluctant to leave the Imperial Territory. He raised his voice and instructed, "Repair the Ten Realms, the Imperial Territory! And Bai Yanxing, both realms must be carefully repaired, to rebuild the immortal village for the immortal people—"
It seems like a few more sentences followed: Look at the state of this place, all thanks to Han Ling's evil deeds. It looks even worse from a higher vantage point. The immortal fields are all destroyed...
Xiao Siji did not leave with Duan Jiuyou immediately, but chose to stay with her father in the Tenth Realm first, and then go to the Twenty-Third Heaven to be with her mother.
She felt that her father was about to be driven to his death by her mother. She quietly grabbed her father's hand, which was icy cold, as cold as a knife. She didn't know if it was a flare-up of his cold illness or if he really wanted to kill her.
But he appeared very calm until the vassal, oblivious to the situation, walked over and said, "I advised you not to take it too seriously. She's had so many lovers, they're together one minute and gone the next. You just think you're different. Being young is useless, being good-looking is useless. All those who were with her before were young, handsome, and had extraordinary bearing, and they all broke up, didn't they?"
He was the one who felt most sorry for their revered leader.
She had poured out her heart's blood, but she cared deeply about everything concerning him. And yet, she was clearly destined to harm him, having killed their lord at their first meeting. Now, she was leaving without a word, undoubtedly stabbing the lord in the heart once more.
After waiting for a long time without receiving a response, the vassal asked again, "My lord, are you still alive?"
Di Jiang gave him a cold glare: "Do you want to die?!"
...
A great battle raged from the Heavenly Realm to the Tenth Realm, leaving behind only broken bricks and tiles everywhere.
With the baton used up, the heavy responsibility of repairs naturally fell to the lords of the two tribes.
Emperor Jiang had no time for such trivial matters, so he left his subordinates behind and took Xiao Siji back to the Ten Realms Palace. This was currently the only residence in the Ten Realms that was still relatively well-preserved.
Every day, Siji would sit with him in the study, lost in thought. At first, she was willing to quietly keep him company, but after a while, Dijiang stopped talking. Siji, being a child at heart, would run out to play with her friends.
The Wilderness Clan dared not disturb Emperor Jiang's "quiet cultivation." They all knew he had been deceived by a wicked woman, and they secretly discussed it, marveling that their lord, such a powerful and influential figure, would actually be troubled by love one day.
Some speculate: "Perhaps this is the Lord's tribulation of love, destined to be a love affair that ends without fruition."
Some people reminisce about the past: "I still prefer the decisive and ruthless ruler of the past. How wonderful the past was! He was full of grand ambitions and could sit in front of the sand table with his arms crossed, raise his chin, select a land, and the next day that place would become ours."
The boy who once drew up a grand blueprint is now staying indoors, brooding alone in the Ten Realms Palace. How can one not feel sorry for him?
...
"Are you still angry?"
Fifteen days later, Bai Yanxing arrived uninvited.
Emperor Jiang has never shown his face, which has led the Wilderness Clan to seek his advice on any decisions they are unsure about. The two of them are now in charge of a region and are each emperor. He doesn't pay him any wages, so why should he meddle in so many other people's business?
Bai Yanxing said, "Once you get the divine decree, you can only stay in the Twenty-Third Heaven to cultivate in seclusion. She has already taken up her post, and no matter how unhappy you are, that is an undeniable fact. You might as well focus on governing the Ten Realms, bringing more blessings to the immortals, accumulating more merits, and striving to advance to the Venerable God as soon as possible. At that time, you can not only live forever, but also reunite with her."
Di Jiang spoke softly, "What you said makes more sense than what Zhao Fengchen said."
Yesterday, Zhao Fengchen came to visit him, ostensibly to pay a visit while passing through, but actually to ridicule him. He compared him to a mythological figure from the human realm, saying that Di Jiang was like Dong Yong from the Heavenly Realm, forever separated from Duan Zhinu. Dong Yong at least had a Magpie Bridge reunion, but he didn't even have a Magpie Bridge. Not only that, he didn't even have a biological child. His only goddaughter, Xiao Siji, would be residing permanently in the Twenty-Third Heaven. He had lost both his wife and his daughter.
Bai Yanxing said, "Didn't you send Siji up to ask? Don't just be angry. It's not easy for her to get promoted. With such a high position and generous salary, anyone would be tempted."
Di Jiang's eyes were cold: "If you're here to provoke me, then leave now, or I'll force you to fight."
Bai Yanxing chuckled, knowing that Duan Jiuyou had confused him. If he had thought one step further, with Di Jiang's intelligence and cunning, he would have been able to guess Duan Jiuyou's intentions.
She had no intention of separating from him, and even repeatedly emphasized the word "repair".
Bai Yanxing said, "Is it possible that Ancestor Duan took over as the Venerable God to have the best of both worlds? I'm out of money and need to borrow some. I imagine the Ten Realms also need a lot of in-game currency for repairs. You tell me, we're so poor, who should we borrow money from?"
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