[Primordial God Lord: Human Empire Emperor, I know of your plight.]
Shen Zhaochi spoke.
[Primordial God Lord: What you face is the most foul Chaos Power in the universe. With your own spirit, you have fought the Evil Gods for ten thousand years, protecting humanity's last spark. Your merits are immeasurable.]
First, he acknowledged the Emperor's achievements and built rapport.
The Emperor's soul trembled.
This God Lord actually knew about the Chaos Evil Gods!
He even knew how the Emperor had struggled to hold on for ten thousand years!
Could he really be a great being who transcended the dimensions of the universe?
[Primordial God Lord: But your method is wrong. Fighting Chaos with your soul is like feeding yourself to a tiger—it will only make things worse. The more you resist, the more your leaking emotions become nourishment for the Evil Gods. Your Empire has deified your name and established a state religion, yet it doesn't understand that such blind and foolish faith will only burden you with even more chains.]
Shen Zhaochi pinpointed the problems with the Emperor and his Empire.
On the Golden Throne, the Emperor's soul surged like a storm-tossed sea.
That was right!
He had gotten everything right!
When the Emperor had founded his Empire, he had meant to spread the Imperial Truth, champion science and reason, and eradicate every kind of superstition.
But what had happened?
He himself had become the greatest "god," worshiped atop an altar.
What bitter irony.
[Human Empire Emperor: God Lord, please guide me! If it can save humanity, I am willing to pay any price!]
The Emperor set aside his last shred of pride and begged the mysterious God Lord for help.
[Primordial God Lord: It's simple. Abandon the worship of yourself and turn to worshiping Me.]
[Primordial God Lord: Establish My temples across your Empire and chant My divine name. I will bestow divine power to purify the taint of Chaos and grant Divine Grace to your loyal warriors, helping them better fight the xenos and daemons.]
[Primordial God Lord: You will become My Proxy in that world. Once your merits are complete, I can not only restore your body and let you leave the Golden Throne, but also help you establish a truly eternal and imperishable Human Empire.]
Shen Zhaochi offered the Emperor a temptation he couldn't refuse.
Leave the Golden Throne!
Rebuild a truly glorious Empire!
It was the dream he had pursued for ten thousand years!
[Human Empire Emperor: What is the price?]
The Emperor's soul calmed.
He didn't believe there was such a thing as a free lunch.
[Primordial God Lord: The price is the faith of you and your entire Empire. Your faith is the source of My power.]
Shen Zhaochi didn't hide the truth.
There was no point in keeping it under wraps.
It was a fair deal.
I give you power and hope; you give Me faith.
The Emperor fell silent.
He would have to abandon the principles he had upheld his entire life and worship an unknown god.
It was a difficult choice for him.
[Great Qin Ancestral Dragon: @Human Empire Emperor, brother, don't hesitate. I'm telling you, worship the God Lord and gain eternal life! Look at me. I feel like I could punch a tiger to death right now! Everyone in my Empire is as strong as a dragon, and they're all cultivating the Immortal Methods the God Lord bestowed! The Immortal Qin Empire is just around the corner!]
Ying Zheng, the "plant," popped up at just the right moment.
[Wudang Hundred-Year Old Daoist: The God Lord is merciful and answers every prayer. This old Daoist can now appoint Mountain Gods and protect the people of a region.]
Zhang Sanfeng chimed in as well.
[Loves Drinking Beast Milk: Big Brother God Lord is super amazing! I feel like I'll be able to get my bones back soon!]
Seeing these "elders" sharing their experiences in the group chat,
the scales in the Emperor's heart began to tip.
Perhaps...
This really was humanity's only hope.
[Human Empire Emperor: God Lord, what should I do?]
At last, he made his decision.
Shen Zhaochi smiled faintly.
Another valuable worker was in the bag.
He sent the Emperor an abridged version of the Primordial Godhood Scripture.
He also included a method for making a Purification Talisman.
These talismans could only be made with a believer's sincere devotion and a trace of divine power bestowed by the God Lord.
They were highly effective against Chaos corruption.
They were exactly what the Emperor and his Empire needed most right now.
Having done all this, Shen Zhaochi felt that his Godhood System had grown stronger once again.
The human divine court of Great Qin.
The Immortal Dao Deities of Wudang.
The tribal totems of Stone Village.
And the future War Temple of the Human Empire.
A Godhood Empire spanning the myriad heavens was beginning to take shape.
"Once the faith in these worlds stabilizes, the power they provide should be enough for me to make some big moves in the Primordial Era."
Shen Zhaochi's gaze returned to the Primordial Era.
Golden Ao Island.
Biyou Palace.
Sect Master Tongtian should be receiving some warnings about the "future" as well.
Golden Ao Island, Biyou Palace.
The Supreme Pure Sage, Sect Master Tongtian, sat atop the Nine Dragon Agarwood Carriage. Sword qi swirled around him, at times taking the form of green lotuses and at others transforming into a river of stars. His aura was unfathomable.
It wasn't a day for preaching, so only his personal disciples, including the Seven Attendant Immortals, were in the palace, attending to him.
Suddenly, Sect Master Tongtian snapped his eyes open. Two sharp beams of sword light seemed ready to pierce Chaos.
"Hmm?"
He let out a surprised murmur.
Just moments ago, his heart had stirred. Somehow, he sensed that an immense fortune had become entangled with the Interception Sect.
This fortune was vast and awe-inspiring, yet utterly unfamiliar. It belonged neither to the Mystic Gate nor the Western Teachings, and certainly not to the Devil Dao.
It was like an unforeseen variable that had appeared out of nowhere, forcing its way into the already-determined course of the Heavenly Dao.
"Master, what's wrong?"
Daoist Duobao sensed the change in his master's aura and asked with concern.
Sect Master Tongtian didn't answer. He closed his eyes and began to divine the Heavenly Secrets.
But the Heavenly Secrets were a chaotic haze, shrouded by Calamity Fiend Qi. Even a Sage could see nothing but mist.
He tried to divine the future related to the Interception Sect.
What he saw was still the same heartbreaking scene.
The Myriad Immortals Formation was broken. The Interception Sect's disciples were slaughtered, either dying and ending up on the Investiture of the Gods or being taken by the Western Teachings and made into mounts and protectors.
In the end, his master, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, would take him back to the Purple Sky Palace and confine him there for reflection.
This was the course of the Heavenly Dao. It was fate.
Even a Sage could hardly defy it.
But...
What was that unfamiliar fortune he had sensed moments ago?
Like a boulder dropped into muddy water, it stirred up ripples even though its shape remained indistinct.
Unwilling to accept it, Sect Master Tongtian tried again, using the murderous aura of the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation as a guide to force open the mist and glimpse a fragment of the future.
This time, he saw something different.
In the scene of the Interception Sect's destruction, a faint violet-gold light appeared.
Though dim, it held fast, stubbornly protecting the True Spirits of several key figures.
Golden Spirit Holy Mother, Wudang Holy Mother, Turtle Spirit Holy Mother... and Zhao Gongming, Sanxiao...
In the original course of fate, they were all destined to face the calamity and meet tragic ends.
But in this new vision, the paths of their destinies seemed to have shifted slightly.
Though they were still entangled in tribulation qi, a sliver of hope had appeared.
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