It wasn't until that terrifying figure vanished from the sky that Emperor Fuxi finally let out a long, trembling breath.
He wiped the cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Even now, he couldn't steady his racing heart.
Just then, a priest stumbled in, panting heavily.
"Your Majesty! That terrifying figure just now—who was it?"
Outside the palace, chaos reigned.
All the gods were panicking, desperate for answers.
Fuxi's face darkened.
"Hmph," he snorted coldly. "That was a foreign evil god. Some foolish creatures in the mortal world called upon him, which allowed him to intrude upon our realm."
The priest gulped.
"Your Majesty... what should we do now? The Three Realms are in complete disorder!"
Fuxi narrowed his eyes coldly.
"Simple. Send forces to wipe out his believers. They're gathered in Shu Mountain."
"...I'm sorry—what?" The priest blinked in disbelief.
Is he serious?
That foreign god had just bestowed ten thousand years of cultivation on his followers with a mere flick of the hand.
You want me to take soldiers to fight them?
That's suicide!
Seeing the hesitation, Fuxi's gaze sharpened into icy blades.
"What? Are you suggesting I personally take care of this matter?"
The priest shivered and dropped to his knees.
"Of course not, Your Majesty!"
"Then do as you're told. Mobilize the troops immediately. Summon Xi Yao as well. And find Fei Peng's reincarnation. We'll kill the enemy together."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
Meanwhile, back at Shu Mountain—
Solanum slowly stood up, her body still trembling.
She glanced at her other self and asked hesitantly:
"...Has the god left now?"
Hongkui shot her a deadpan look.
"What do you think? Of course he's gone!
And you better not expect any rewards this time—
You didn't even lift a finger!"
"I—I was just scared something might go wrong," Solanum stammered, tears brimming in her eyes.
"And now... so many people in Shu Mountain are dead. It's all my fault."
Her heart was wracked with guilt.
She hadn't imagined that Red Kwai would go so far—
sacrificing the entire Shu Mountain sword sect.
Hongkui rolled her eyes.
"Silly little softie," she muttered under her breath.
Then, seeing Solanum's tear-streaked face, she sighed and patted her on the shoulder.
"Listen—didn't you hear the Eternal God's words?"
"The people of Shu Mountain lost their humanity long ago.
They were monsters in human skin. If not for the Eternal God stepping in, they would've brought ruin to the entire world."
"But... but..." Solanum sniffled, still looking heartbroken.
"If you don't believe me," Hongkui said, crossing her arms,
"then ask the Eternal God yourself. He's omniscient. He'll explain it better than I can."
"O-okay... I'll ask."
Solanum nervously opened the Wanjie Chat Group and tagged her god.
Spirit of the Demon Sword: "@Eternal God, I... I'd like to ask something.
Why did the people of Shu Mountain lose their humanity?
I—I'm not questioning your judgment, I just want to understand the reason."
To her surprise—
a reply came almost instantly.
Eternal God:
"The Shu Mountain Sword Sect was once righteous.
But they deviated from their path, seeking strength above all else."
"After Emperor Fuxi severed the Way of Heaven, mortals could no longer ascend easily. Even those who reached the peak had to endure impossible trials of lightning."
"Fuxi did this to tighten his rule, to prevent anyone from surpassing him."
"In their desperation, the Shu Mountain sect tried to force enlightenment by cutting off all human emotions."
"But even gods must feel love to create life.
How could humans live without desire?"
The chat exploded.
Li Er:
"Now that the Eternal God explains it, I understand.
In the past, both Buddhism and Taoism created harsh dogmas—
not to guide people, but to control them."
Ninja Scientist:
"Exactly. Blind worship without understanding leads only to tragedy."
For Peace:
"I agree completely. If a general leads a rebellion, even if his soldiers follow him, that doesn't make them righteous."
Spirit of the Demon Sword:
"(つ﹏⊂) Thank you, Lord God!
I was ignorant before. Now I understand.
If Shu Mountain had been allowed to continue, other sects would have followed...
Killing them was the right choice!"
Watching from afar, Lucian Carter chuckled.
Sure, Qingwei and his gang weren't truly evil.
But they weren't innocent either.
Their descent into madness made them natural sacrifices.
Besides—
Hongkui's swift conquest of the Immortal Sword world was moving faster than he'd planned.
Truly, it was a blessing.
If anything, Lucian felt he had been too merciful.
In truth, he should've wiped out Fuxi right then and there—
but the Emperor of Heaven was too closely tied to the world's origin.
Acting rashly could trigger a full-world counterattack.
Still smiling, Lucian opened his system panel to review his spoils from this campaign.
And when he saw the notifications—
his grin widened even further.
Ding!
"Your followers have sacrificed the Demon Lock Tower.
Triggered a 3,000x boost—
You receive the [Evil-Sealing Tower], a Five-Star Artifact!"
Ding!
"Your followers have sacrificed the Heroes of Shu Mountain.
Their bloodlines analyzed and absorbed.
Triggered a 1,000x boost—
You receive the [Nine Heavens God Thunder Body]!"
[Evil-Sealing Tower]:
Five-Star Artifact.
Possesses nine layered spaces, capable of imprisoning powerful demons.
Can also be used as a trial ground to train believers.
[Nine Heavens God Thunder Body]:
A supreme physique of thunder attribute.
Spells cast are enhanced by thunder blessings,
magical energy consumption reduced by 50%,
and full immunity to any thunder-type magic weaker than the user.
Lucian's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"Not bad," he murmured, leaning back lazily.