Rewrite the myth and become the Taoist!

Chapter 326 A True Man Should Be Like This? Can He Be Replaced?
As Xiang Ji wielded his supreme divine weapon and the Nine-Headed Nether Emperor perished, the entire Void Sea trembled.

The rulers of the nine holy lands and dynasties sensed that another human emperor had been born.

The next moment, an ineffable will descended, and a message appeared in the minds of all beings above the level of "God of Destiny" and "Great Demon of the Misty Alien Race"—this "cancer of the Void Sea" must be eradicated immediately!

[Slay that Human Emperor before the "Xia Zhou Tian" sky is repaired!]

[The unconscious Gods of Destiny awaken one by one, approaching the location of Xia Zhou Tian. The great demons of other races, seeking the favor of "Gui Xu Tian," lead their tribes to Xia Zhou Tian.]

[The ministers of the Holy Land Imperial Dynasty, these immortal demon gods, had long since comprehended the mysteries of "Returning to Emptiness."]

All beings who have cultivated to the "Demon God" realm have reached a consensus—the human race cannot be destroyed!

Once the Great Wilderness Human Race is destroyed, the concept of humanity will disappear, and a great terror will descend upon the Void Sea, erasing everything and shattering the era. Except for "Heavenly Emperor" level figures and Gods of Destiny, all other living beings will be unable to survive the "Cataclysm of Boundless Eras."

Before falling into the Void Sea, the demon gods were all peerless geniuses in their respective worlds. In their pursuit of immortality, they sought to evade the will of heaven and avoid karma... thus standing out from countless beings to cultivate this "Eternal Dao Fruit."

This "Immortal Path" is indestructible through countless eons; only "Heaven's Will" can destroy it.

To ensure their immortality and the eternal fruit of their Dao, even if the demon gods were to unleash a "Cataclysmic Calamity" to ascend to a higher level, they would first need to attain the venerable position of "God of Destiny." However, even upon reaching this realm, in this vast and boundless void, they could hardly rest easy.

This place harbors ancient taboos and lurks with unimaginable terror.

[Among them, the Human Emperor ruled over a region of destiny, and wherever his sword pointed, countless gods of destiny and ancient demon gods perished.]

[For demons and gods, unless there is a conflict over the Great Dao or an enmity for obstructing the Dao, they often avoid each other's sharp edge and hide in the depths of the Nine Netherworlds.]

One of the greatest worries and fears of the immortal demon gods who roam the Void Sea is that the "Return to the Void Heaven" is forcing them to contend with the human race. Victory may bring them the favor of the Return to the Void Heaven and the chance to prove their destiny; defeat, however, will plunge them into an abyss of eternal damnation.

These are the three universally acknowledged "calamities of the fallen path" in the Void Sea.

[Ranked first is the Chaos Demon God outside the Void Sea, indiscriminately slaughtering the demon gods of the Void Sea; once encountered, certain death is certain.]

[Secondly, there was a struggle for the Mandate of Heaven with the human race. Since the birth of the Human Ancestor and the Human Emperor, a "God of Mandate of Heaven," comparable to the Heavenly Emperor, fell under the Heaven-Opening Axe and took the place of the Great Sun of the Void Sea, openly challenging the Returning Void Heaven. The danger level for the human race increased dramatically.]

The third is the other immortal demon gods who share the same path.

If one cannot overcome these three tribulations, one will be reduced to ashes.

[A minister of the Heavenly Emperor calls forth to report this matter to the Heavenly Emperor.]

The Heavenly Emperor ignored them, only ordering "Hu" to dispatch a few powerful demons to assist the Returning Void Heaven. His established imperial dynasty, the "Ancient Heavenly Court," treated everyone equally, including alien races that had fallen into the Returning Void and the Great Wilderness Human Race.

However, in the eyes of Gui Xutian, humans who do not possess the "aura of the Human Emperor" are not considered human.

……

The Temple of the Gods.

"This human emperor is extraordinary..." The god-king "Zeus" opened his single eye.

The Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor's "lawlessness of destiny" was replaced by the Human Emperor, thus allowing the human race to cultivate all methods. It should be noted that the human race's physical body is weak; enlightenment is their true strength.

[Their divine race needs no cultivation; they are born with the power of rules, making them incomparably powerful and possessing limitless lifespans.]

However, after the world fell into the Void, the gods watched coldly as those alien races, once regarded as ants, used countless profound techniques to challenge the Great Dao, ultimately breaking through their shackles, ascending to godhood, wielding the rules, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the gods!

Even more remarkably, within the Void Sea, a mere mortal rose to power in a short span of time, his divine might overwhelming, directly approaching the realm of a God-King!

That self-proclaimed "Ancestor of Tao," who debated Tao and Buddhism, single-handedly repelled the chaos of antiquity and suppressed destiny with a flick of his sleeve.

[Zeus, the king of the gods, and the other gods were terrified, fearing the coming of Ragnarok, and thus chose to submit to "fate," establishing the Pantheon to prove their divine mandate.]

"God-King, other dynasties have also received the Divine Decree of Fate..." A goddess lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with hesitation.

[When an ordinary Human Emperor is born, not all ten Holy Lands and Imperial Dynasties participate. The Heavenly Decree is like a lottery; whoever wins the prize gets to decide who becomes the Human Emperor. But this time, the grand prize for the Human Emperor is being distributed to everyone, which is very unusual.]

Clearly, a single holy dynasty is insufficient to suppress this human emperor.

[Zeus's single eye flashed with lightning—he learned that his old rivals, the Heavenly Emperor, the Dao Ancestor, the Buddha, and the Zombie Saint, had all tacitly remained inactive.]

He paused for a moment, then instantly sensed danger.

"Jormungandr, go there."

[Jormungandr, the world-devouring serpent, awakens from the abyss as its eerie serpentine eyes gleam in the darkness. Its massive, undulating body crushes the void as it swims towards Xia Zhou Tian.]

【at the same time--】

The vanguard forces of the major holy lands and dynasties have already set out, warships tearing through the void, soldiers gripping their weapons...

Demons, monsters, ghosts, ghosts, Buddhas, gods...

……

……

Xiang Ji was completely unaware of all this.

He actually rose from a "million-strong army" to successfully raise an army, and yet, despite only being at the second level, he forged an unparalleled divine weapon.

At this moment, he was staring down at the "Mountain and River Seal" floating in his palm. This was a supreme divine weapon, one of the few supreme divine weapons left behind by the three hundred Dao-proving weapon masters enshrined in the Martial Arts Hall for the human race.

Suddenly, Xiang Ji felt a warmth on his back as a dark cloak was gently draped over his shoulders.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we repair the heavens next?" Ji Yao asked respectfully, her face filled with admiration.

"How did I become the Emperor?" Xiang Ji looked around, now fully awake, to find the leaders of the Martial Arts Hall surrounding him.

Everyone exchanged glances, nodded vigorously, and hailed him as the Human Emperor.

Yin Tianyi whispered, "You, with the body of a warrior, commanded a million men, slew the Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor, ascended to the Second Heaven, and forged an unparalleled divine weapon. No one here will believe you are not the Human Emperor."

Taishi Bo, holding the bamboo slips, his eyes lit up, and he wrote furiously, "The Human Emperor..."

"What are you writing?"

Xiang Ji raised an eyebrow, snatched the bamboo slip, and read it aloud word by word, "...Human Emperor Ji, with the help of the Sun Bird, quelled the demon god Minghai, but the heavens shattered, attracting the covetousness of the Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor, threatening the human race."

"The Human Emperor, Ji..."

"The Human Emperor Ji, with the well-being of all people in his heart, though only a warrior in body, led eight hundred soldiers with unwavering resolve, and in one fell swoop, the people, seeing his bravery, followed him... In the end, he mobilized the supreme divine army to suppress them."

"The Human Emperor, Ji..."

Xiang Ji looked somewhat embarrassed. The "historical records" in Taishi Bo's hand were full of flattery. He was no ordinary warrior; wielding the "Invincible Under Heaven" weapon, he posed no danger whatsoever to Taishi Bo's elaborate pronouncements.

From the moment he charged into the army of the Nine Infant Dynasty, he was enveloped by endless hostility from the Void Sea, and he had already comprehended the heart of "Yellow Heaven's Invincibility".

[However, the Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor did not surrender and even dared to fight back. The Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor was indeed terrifying, directly causing the invincible will of the Yellow Heaven to descend.]

After that, it was all wasted time for Xiang Ji.

Xiang Ji never plays when he's at a disadvantage.

[The five True Martial Army leaders established a pass and stationed troops here to guard against attacks from the Misty Alien race.] [The leaders of the Martial Arts Hall then led Xiang Ji to the ancestral land of the Great Xia to retrieve the supreme divine weapon, the "Xia Zhou Cauldron," which is inscribed with the superior true skills and battle formations created by the Great Xia Emperor.]

Xiang Ji received the inheritance of the Great Xia Emperor and comprehended the true essence of battle formations.

Integrating the chaotic wills of the Source Blood Warriors and condensing their battle spirits is a tremendous burden for the main force's commander.

With the thoughts of millions of people in disarray, how can they possibly forge a battle spirit?

[Speech and actions are merely the foundation. There was a military leader who trained his "war soldiers" into heartless puppets, preventing everyone from maintaining a high level of morale. While this ensured they were always focused on their battle spirit and unaffected by momentum, their combat strength was at the bottom.]

The simplest method is—profit.

[The soldiers fight for profit, knowing that winning this battle will bring them spiritual realms, spiritual veins, spiritual seeds, and the privilege of having their wives and children honored.]

[If I were to fight again, it would be for my country.]

However, these are all inferior methods.

[A superior army must ensure its soldiers understand why they fight in order to unleash their full potential. An army with such unwavering conviction is invincible!]

An ordinary military lord can command a maximum of 10,000 soldiers, while a true martial military lord can command a maximum of 100,000.

[However, the supreme divine weapon "Mountain and River Seal" does the opposite, with no upper limit on the number of troops it can command; the more troops it has, the stronger its combat power. This is the Dao that the Great Xia Human Emperor comprehended by observing "the Flame Ancestor's Battle Against the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Sun," and used to create the character "Ren" (仁) to become the Human Emperor.]

The supreme divine weapon of the Flame Ancestor, the "Heaven-Opening Axe," originates from the will of the entire human race, the will of all ancestors.

The Great Xia Emperor wanted to leave Xia Zhou Tian and create a new world for the human race, but unfortunately, he perished before reaching the level of the Flame Ancestor.

"Emperor Yan?"

[Xiang Ji saw a giant god of fire, and with the approval of the divine weapon "Xia Zhou Ding," he officially became the Human Emperor of the Martial Arts Hall.]

Tai Shi Bo faithfully recorded Xiang Ji's every move after his death.

【Ding dong! 】

[Congratulations, Holy Emperor! You have completed the main quest "Raising an Army to Prove Your Humanity and Become the Emperor," and have received a Golden Mythical Figure reward!]

"Gold?" Xiang Ji had nothing to lack at the moment and did not immediately draw it.

When Xiang Ji became the Human Emperor in the ancestral land of the Martial Arts Hall, the other seven hegemonic nations learned of the final outcome of the battle: several True Martial Soldiers had perished, the leader of the Martial Arts Hall had fallen, the Demon God Minghai had perished, the Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor had perished, and the heavens had shattered.

Among them, the sixteen-year-old Xiang Ji distinguished himself in battle and was directly hailed as the Human Emperor by the remaining champions of the Martial Arts Hall.

[Regarding the outrageous feat of "Xiang Ji's warriors slaying demon gods and wielding supreme divine weapons," apart from the million-strong army stationed in the mist who witnessed Xiang Ji's divine might firsthand, most people in Xia Zhou Tian didn't believe it. Had the Martial Arts Hall gone mad? Was they launching a deification campaign?]

[Especially those powerful states that had the potential to unify the world were greatly dissatisfied with the sudden emergence of Emperor Xiang Ji.]

[The Martial Arts Hall has already proclaimed to the world that all the vassal states and hegemonic states of Xia Prefecture must submit to a mere sixteen-year-old boy? Who could possibly submit?]

[Because of the "collapse of people's hearts," the "mysterious yellow soil" needed to mend the heavens is no longer available in the Xia Zhou Cauldron.]

This "soil" is not mere dust and sand, but a Great Wall of destiny forged by the collective will of hundreds of millions of people. This invisible barrier, erected by the human race across the heavens, has kept calamities outside the spiritual realm for thousands of years, thus making calamities like the "shattering of the heavens" extremely rare.

The leader of the Martial Arts Hall and Yin Tianyi, after much deliberation, proposed a remedy: all they needed to do was for Emperor Xiang Ji to tour the land with the "Xia Zhou Cauldron," and with the people's submission and united will, the heavens could be repaired.

[Whenever the ceremonial guard from the Martial Arts Hall arrived at a city, they would beat the nine-zhang-long Kui-skin war drum, raise the golden banner, and twelve golden-armored warriors would carry a radiant jade chariot, breaking through the clouds.]

The young emperor on the palanquin remained expressionless, the jade beads hanging from his black crown casting afterimages before his eyes—this was the ninety-seventh consecutive time he had been awakened by cheers.

The March tour left Xiang Ji sitting stiffly on the gilded platform, like a faded clay sculpture.

The Emperor's Imperial Guards stretched like a black dragon.

"Look! That emperor is even younger than in the painting!"

"The soldiers in this army are all at least warrior level! No wonder they are the Emperor's Imperial Guard!"

Several martial artists crowded around the window, pointing and whispering: "Is that white-robed general at the front Zhao Yun? I heard he took all three heads of the Nine-Headed Underworld Emperor with his spear technique."

Before he could finish speaking, his companion interrupted him: "Nonsense! It was clearly His Majesty the Emperor himself."

"This young emperor looks like an ordinary person who hasn't cultivated much. Are you sure he can wield a divine weapon? You actually believe that?"

"Brother Li, be careful what you say!"

[As everyone knows, the strength of the Qing Kingdom lies in Zhao Yun, the god-like figure who could defeat 100,000 with only 800, and in the swordsman Fei Yan Shisan, who was invincible within a small space. The Qing King Xiang Ji, with his thin arms and legs, was clearly an easy target.]

With the strong support of these two, they too can sit on the throne of the Human Emperor.

In a corner, a weathered middle-aged warrior suddenly crushed his wine bowl. He stared at the dragon banner fluttering in the wind among the troops, his Adam's apple bobbing as he forced out a hoarse growl.

【"This is what a man should do!"】

At the same time, in the crowd, a shirtless man suddenly straightened up, grinned at Xiang Ji, who was dozing off on the jade carriage.

"He can be replaced!"

The words of these two men caused the divine weapon "Mountain and River Seal" to hum. Xiang Ji, his eyelids drooping, yawned and prepared to check the situation.

People jostled and pushed their way up the walls, and a child, perched on his father's shoulders, cried out, "Dad! The Emperor is yawning!"

[The words had barely left his mouth when his mother covered it—Xiang Ji was secretly pushing his crown back, revealing his eyes filled with utter despair.]

[Nonsense, anyone who worked three months straight without moving would look like Emperor Xiang Ji.]

[It's practically like being in jail.]

"A true man should act like this?" Xiang Ji suddenly looked up at the middle-aged warrior upstairs. "Why don't you come?"

The middle-aged martial artist upstairs turned deathly pale, crashed into a low table with a thud, and scrambled into a corner.

"Can he be replaced?" Xiang Ji chuckled, then turned to look at the bare-chested man.

"The words of sages are applicable to everyone..." the shirtless man protested, but the old man beside him tightly covered the man's mouth, leaving only the old man's bright eyes still flashing with resentment.

Suddenly, twelve dark figures darted out from the shadows of the city wall.

The masked assassin, his foot shattering the roof tiles, somersaulted through the air, his poisoned dagger slicing through the air, aiming straight for Xiang Ji's throat.

"Slay the tyrant!!"

[Xiang Ji didn't even lift his eyelids, but instead stared blankly at the right side below—Tai Shi Bo was scraping afterimages on the bamboo slips at an astonishing speed, the tip of his wolf-hair brush making a "shush" sound: "The Human Emperor Ji toured the world, sleeping soundly in public, snoring loudly, arousing the indignation of the people, and righteous men shouted 'Kill the tyrant!'"]

"Stop writing!" Xiang Ji suddenly leaned forward and pressed down on the bamboo slip.

He pointed to his nose, his voice trembling, "I just dozed off at work, didn't do anything, how did I become a tyrant?"

……

(End of this chapter)