I was the Heavenly Emperor in ancient times

Chapter 14 The Calamity of the Frosty Wasteland
That peach tree grew right in the middle of the main road, blocking the way up to Kunlun Mountain.

Unlike the passive fog they encountered before, this peach tree deliberately blocked their way up the mountain, as if it were specifically targeting the Ximu clan.

Even though the Ximu clan tried various methods, they still could not climb the mountain.

Under the sky.

The great lizard of the Western Mother Clan transformed into a bird and circled over Mount Kunlun. Then, seizing an opportunity, it flapped its wings and descended, attempting to penetrate the mist and reach the summit.

"call!"

A strange wind blew up, and the thick fog, like a giant hand, rushed towards her, engulfing the bird she had transformed into.

This fog is very strange. Even a giant geese would feel dizzy and disoriented when it came into contact with it, and would not even know up, down, left, or right.

At this moment, however, the giant geese plucked a feather, which transformed into a streak of light in the wind, guiding the way.

“Yu Bu”.

This was Da Li using one of her most powerful abilities as a witch; she intended to use the power of the divination feathers to find the location of the divine stone in the vast fog.

But as she flew down with the feathers, the mist lifted layer by layer, revealing a huge tree canopy.

The tree canopy blocked her path and obscured the direction of her divination.

"It's a peach tree again!"

In the end, the giant gull had no choice but to rely on the power of the feathered divination stick to fly out of the clouds.

As she emerged from the fog, she could even faintly hear the snickering of some being, mocking her attempt to approach the Emperor.

"whee……"

The plan of the great lily, transformed into a bird, to reach the summit of Mount Kunlun also failed.

"hateful!"

"Why is this sacred tree also going against me? It wasn't like this before."

Da Li thought to himself that all of this must be related to the newly appeared peach tree.

"Where did this new peach tree come from?"

As for the Ximu clan, witnessing the great lich, who possessed the power of a shaman, return in defeat left them all pale-faced, as if the sky had fallen.

"What exactly is that thing that even the giant geese can't get in?"

"Why is that sacred peach tree opposing our Ximu clan?"

"Something must be wrong."

"Could it be that the Emperor is angry because we let the giant lily return?"

The birds in the sky slowly descended and gradually transformed back into human form.

Faced with the panic and fear of the entire tribe, as well as the questioning gazes.

Da Li felt immense pressure.

"We must find out what happened to that newly grown peach tree; the problem must lie there."

the other side.

Beneath layers of clouds and mist, on the shores of high-altitude lakes.

At this moment, the summit of Kunlun can truly be described as a fairyland.

Isolated from the world, illusory and ethereal.

The altar's bluestone was damp with moisture. Li Jun stood inside the stone, looking at the sacred peach tree outside. In the distance, he could faintly see the shadow of the small peach tree that Nuwa had transformed into, occupying the branches of the mountain path. He seemed to be pondering something.

Unlike the Ximu clan, who were as if the sky had fallen, Li Jun was not too anxious.
Whether or not he could maintain contact with the Ximu clan was necessary for the Ximu clan, but not very meaningful to him.

even.

He was no longer bothered by the Ximu clan members who frequently came to cause him trouble with their noisy rituals.

This is not a bad thing either.

But for Li Jun, observing the strength and changes in this peach tree was very important.

Even his return to ancient times ten thousand years ago was largely driven by a deep-seated purpose: to find out the true nature of this peach tree.

How can we control this peach tree, even if it's just finding a force to restrain it?

Whether it was ten thousand years ago or in the modern era ten thousand years later.

This sacred peach tree.

These have all become troublesome problems for Li Jun.

"Chirp!"

Li Jun once again took the initiative to use the Bluebird's supernatural powers, hoping to find a way to control and restrain this divine peach tree.

Various images flashed through his mind, but ultimately, what Li Jun wanted did not appear.

This supernatural power is not a wish-granting machine. It can help Li Jun avoid disasters and walk the path of good fortune, but it cannot give him whatever he wants.

At that moment, Li Jun suddenly heard a voice in his ear.

Li Jun suddenly saw another scene: on the vast grassland at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the great river, Xi Mu Shi was performing divination.

"She is using the power of shamanism to divine, and using the power of divination to contact me."

The lizard was very clever and quickly found a way to re-establish communication with the emperor.

But I never thought about it.

Li Jun saw the future of the entire Ximu clan in the divination of the giant lily.

He saw a calamity that the entire Ximu clan would face, but within that calamity, he also saw something else.

"So, the opportunity to restrain the sacred tree lies here?"

However, this opportunity made Li Jun's gaze complicated.
-
The great river flows past us.

It will flow through these high mountains and deep valleys, reaching the mountains and seas of the nine provinces.

The Ximu clan gathered here in large groups, forming several square formations and kneeling on the ground, facing the direction of Kunlun Mountain.

This sacrificial ceremony was held entirely at the behest of Da Li.

As for other clan members...

They had never held or even seen such a sacrifice before, so naturally they were somewhat skeptical.

"Is it really possible to receive the imperial edict again?"

"How can one know the imperial edict without going to Mount Kunlun?"

“If Da Li says it’s okay, then it must be okay. She’s a witch.”

Some people doubt it, while others believe it.

At the same time, some people thought that if the Great Li could communicate with heaven and earth in this way, then it would mean that they might never see the divine stone and the emperor's shadow at the top of Kunlun again.

"Then will we never see the Emperor again?"

The people of the Ximu clan had mixed feelings of joy and sorrow.

The great lily was delighted to have found a new way to receive imperial edicts, but worried that the days when everyone could climb to the mountaintop to worship the emperor might never return.

There was a makeshift altar by the river.

It can be seen that Ximushi established it in a hurry, and it appears somewhat rough and simple.

However you can tell it is an altar.

Moreover, in this vast天地 (heaven and earth), surrounded by so many ancient and barbaric people, its simplicity actually reflects an ancient charm and vicissitudes.

This was a somewhat hasty sacrificial ceremony.

Compared to the ancient and traditional ritual of burning wood to worship the heavens, this is a newly emerging sacrificial method in which shamans use special methods to communicate with heaven and earth through divination.

On the altar.

The wind blew Da Li's plain white dress as she knelt on the uneven stone of the altar, wearing a mask and a straw crown.

Amidst the sounds of ocarina and drums playing around them, they slowly began to dance on the altar.

"emperor!"

"emperor……"

Countless people shouted the Emperor's name and knelt down again and again.

Finally, the geese called out in the wind.

"Emperor, the Great Li of the Western Mother Clan, the Emperor of Heaven..."

The shaman Da Li of the Xi Mu clan stretched out her hand into the light, and as she danced, her hand moved like a bird.

This scene is reminiscent of certain dances from the Western Regions, only much more ancient and primitive.

In the light and shadow.

You can see the fine, feather-like lines on her hands slowly peeled away, materializing into something real.

Finally, it transformed into crystal-clear, jade-like feathers that floated in the air, circling around the geese.

Those few tiny, crystalline feathers spun and pieced together like snowflakes, eventually transforming into a mystical pattern.

The pattern is not fixed, but is constantly changing.

"call!"

In an instant, an even fiercer wind swept across the river.

However, the fierce wind could not move the soft, delicate feathers at all. This strange scene seemed to be announcing something to the entire Ximu clan.

Everyone cheered, sweeping away their recent worries.

"The Emperor has appeared."

"It is the Emperor!"

"The Great Li is indeed an expert in communication, even from such a distance."

“Da Li is a true shaman, unlike the false shamans of other tribes.”

The expressions on everyone's faces were visibly fervent.

The fact that it was lost and then found further elevated their reverence for the emperor.

It's as if all that's left is loss.

Only people can truly know how precious something is.

In Da Li's eyes, she felt that her vision had turned white.

Her eyes seemed to be drawn away by something, and she approached the Kunlun Mountains step by step.

At last.

Although she did not reach Kunlun Mountain, she saw the divine stone on Kunlun Mountain, as if her soul had left her body.

That place atop Kunlun Mountain, shrouded in clouds and mist.

Gradually, the tall figure within the divine stone became clearer and clearer, looking down at him from above.

She knelt on the altar she had built herself, looking up at the shadow within the divine stone. Da Li was deeply moved, even to the point of tears.

"emperor!"

Compared to the sense of loss and recovery felt by other members of the Ximu clan, her feeling was a hundred times stronger.

She knelt before the emperor, excited and wanting to say something, but fearing she would lose her composure, she could only force herself to hold back.

The entire divination process seemed incredibly mysterious to others, but to Da Li and the Emperor, it was more like a dialogue.

Da Li asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, why has Kunlun Mountain undergone such a great change recently? Why is there a peach tree blocking the mountain path?"

Perhaps it was because the way of communication was too mysterious, or perhaps it was because the surrounding fog was too thick.

Da Li always had the feeling that the two were not talking on earth, but in heaven or another world.

The Emperor said, "She is the transformed form of the woman from the Hanhuang clan."

Da Li suddenly realized: "So it was them."

Of course, Da Li knew that a tribe had recently migrated from the southern foothills of Kunlun Mountain and that they had even bartered with them.

However, Da Li did not expect that this newly migrated tribe had not only set its sights on the sacred stone on Kunlun Mountain, but had even gone this far.

Da Li: "What are they trying to do?"

The Emperor said, "I entered Kunlun Mountain because of the divine stone."

Da Li was extremely excited: "Da Li will definitely not allow these people from the Hanhuang Clan to come up the mountain. How can mortals offend the heavens?"

The Emperor said calmly, "There's no need to stop us."

In Li Jun's view, even the giant lily couldn't stop it. Kunlun Mountain was so vast, and the mist surrounding the peach tree was controlled by someone else.

The Ximu clan's attempt to stop the other party from climbing the mountain was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Once a conflict breaks out on Kunlun Mountain, the Hanhuang Clan, who can draw upon the power of the Divine Peach Tree, will inevitably suffer heavy casualties no matter what the Ximu Clan does.

And it doesn't really matter; it won't change the outcome.

Big Li: "Huh?"

Da Li was shocked and didn't understand why. She even suspected that the Emperor had abandoned them and chosen the Hanhuang Clan.

The Emperor said, “Heaven will make those it wishes to destroy go mad; these two are entangled in desires and blinded by obsessions, and you cannot stop them.”

These words immediately reminded Da Li of another person who wanted to touch the divine stone, and ultimately ended up in the same situation.

In her view, mortals who wish to obtain the supernatural powers bestowed by heaven and earth must obtain the Emperor's permission.

Otherwise, that person will suffer the same fate.

The Emperor said, "The world is about to change; it's time for you all to leave."

As the weather grew increasingly cold, the Ximu clan had to continue their migration.

Da Li: "Da Li will stay here and watch over the Emperor."

Emperor: "You have already become my witch. If you have time, you may fly back."

A hint of joy appeared on Da Li's face, and he finally spoke.

"Yes."

The giant lily woke up, feeling as if it had returned to the same spot in a daze, and heard the sound of the flowing river in its ears.

This ritual of consulting the Emperor using the art of divination has finally come to an end, and she has obtained the answer she sought.

However, after waking up, Da Li felt that the whole process was somewhat different from usual.

Suddenly, she remembered something.

"By the way, there was no Bluebird telepathy this time."

Throughout that process, her communication with the Emperor was no longer through the Bluebird's voice transmission, but she heard the Emperor's voice directly.

perhaps.

In a sense, she also became the Emperor's Bluebird on another level.

The people of the Ximu clan rushed forward, looking at the giant goose with concern, wanting to know the edict that the shaman had received from the emperor this time.

"Great Li, has an imperial edict been issued?"

Da Li explained that all of this was because of the Hanhuang clan, who actually wanted to go up the mountain to spy on the divine stone.

The entire Ximu clan was enraged and vowed to wage war against the Hanhuang clan.

However, Da Li said that the Emperor said the Hanhuang clan would be shrouded in disaster.

"We'll sit back and watch the Hanhuang clan bring about its own destruction."

Everyone cheered.

They had somehow come to have no doubt whatsoever about the Emperor's divine powers and might, or about his prophecies.

At the same time, Da Li quickly found out the person who betrayed the Hanhuang clan and brought the female priest and nun up the mountain, and announced his exile.

This is tantamount to his death not being far off.

The giant geese descended from the makeshift altar and passed by the river.

Suddenly, she noticed the changes in herself.

She seemed to have aged a bit after using the divination sticks several times.

But upon closer inspection, it seems to be just an illusion.

"I might be a little tired."

Using supernatural powers is never without a price.

Moreover, this is the power that the Emperor has already controlled after mastering it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be an exchange of power with a price to pay, but rather that one would be completely devoured by this power while using it.
-
Although the emperor said there was no need to stop it, the conflict did not subside, but instead arrived as scheduled.

At the foot of Kunlun Mountain.

The Hanhuang clan and the Ximu clan clashed. At first, they only exchanged arrows, but later more and more people came on horseback, carrying axes, stone hammers, and wooden spears.

Blows of dust rose from the grassland, mixed with shouts of battle.

People kept falling to the ground, and people were frequently seen falling off their horses.

"Kill them."

"Kill all the people of the Hanhuang Clan."

"Charge forward, and the sacred trees on Kunlun Mountain will be ours, the Emperor will protect us, and we will replace the Western Mother Clan and receive the blessings of Heaven."

"We must not let them succeed."

The cause is now unknown, or perhaps no one cares anymore.

For the Ximu clan, this was an enemy who wanted to take away what was most important to them. What the enemy wanted was not only their faith, but also the shamanic power that transcended mortals, and the future in which their entire tribe would have a greater chance of survival.

What could possibly ignite their deepest hatred more than this?

For the Hanhuang clan, this was an opportunity for the tribe to grow stronger, allowing them to leave the harsh, cold land and escape hunger and cold.

Gazing at the mysterious place atop Kunlun Mountain, which resembled a fairyland, the entire Hanhuang Clan seemed to see the future of winter turning into spring.

"kill!"

At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, the Ximu Clan and the Hanhuang Clan engaged in a fierce battle that involved the entire clan, with the leaders of both clans eventually joining in.

They were vying for the right to offer sacrifices to the Emperor, or rather, for the Mandate of Heaven.

soon.

The giant lizard of the Ximu clan transformed into a large bird and swooped down from a great height. Its sharp claws grabbed a person and tore him to pieces. Then, it grabbed a man who had killed the Ximu clan most fiercely on the battlefield, along with his horse, and lifted him into the sky before finally throwing him down.

This sudden appearance of the divine eagle, Da Li, circling in the sky filled the entire Hanhuang clan with fear, but won thunderous cheers from the Ximu clan.

"The geese are here."

"We will undoubtedly win."

"Destroy the Hanhuang Clan."

Then, the woman from the Hanhuang clan arrived on horseback.

She took up her axe and charged into battle, recklessly rushing to the most dangerous part of the battlefield. With her immense strength and extraordinary physique, she inflicted heavy casualties on the Ximu clan.

She was forcing the giant geese in the sky to give up their advantage of flying and come down to fight her.

The giant lizard of the Western Mother Clan soon discovered the Nuwa, fell from the sky, and transformed into human form.

She asked the woman as she walked toward her.

"Nüshan, is it you who sneaked into the mountain to spy on my tribe's sacrificial ceremony, and is it you who stopped my tribe from worshipping the Emperor?"

The woman, covered in blood, shouted loudly.

"That's right, it's me. You'll never be able to enter the summit of Kunlun again!"

Upon hearing the woman's mocking laughter, the giant lily instantly recalled the scene of being trapped in the misty mountains.

She also faintly heard the same laughter at that time.

The giant geese immediately became enraged, spreading its arms and transforming into a wondrous flying bird.

"I kill you."

The shaman, half-human and half-bird, fought against the wooden man whose body was no longer human.

Nuwa's axe could hardly cleave the feathers of the giant geese; she could only occasionally find some vital spots to inflict relatively minor damage.

The female nun's body was torn apart by the giant geese time and time again, but it was immediately put back together.

The two moved with lightning speed, leaving the audience breathless.

Although the great battle between the Hanhuang clan and the Ximu clan was fought rather carelessly, the battle between the two had already acquired a mythical quality.

but.

Nuwa's power was far inferior to that of Da Li, and after a long battle, she could no longer withstand it. Her body was torn apart time and time again, and the healing speed became slower and slower.

For Nuwa, things are different under that sacred peach tree and here.

Moreover, it seems that the Great Li has found the Nuwa's weakness.

Finally, the giant lizard grabbed the nun's head, broke it open, seized one of her parts, and crushed it with its sharp claws.

"die!"

But Nuwa's last gaze turned to the other side, looking up at Mount Kunlun.

At this moment.

It can be seen that the priestess had already arrived at Kunlun Mountain and was heading uphill along the mountain path opened up by the Ximu clan.

At this moment, Da Li seemed to notice Nuwa's movements and realize something.

She immediately dropped the head of the nun and flew towards Kunlun Mountain.

It let out a sharp cry.

(End of this chapter)