Chapter Sixty-One: An Unexpected Turn as Heaven and Earth Shift (2)

“I do not know! Your Majesty, do you still remember?”

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After hearing Ancestor Sujing’s words, a fleeting fragment flashed through Haodan’s mind, but the elusive thought vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving Haodan momentarily dazed.

“The events of my past life, I cannot recall. I beg your guidance, esteemed elder.” Haodan was no longer the Eastern Emperor Taiyi of old, and with the havoc wrought by the Heavenly Soul in the Eastern Emperor’s world, his Human Soul had long since been devoured, making all memories of his former existence inaccessible.

“The ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’ is the innate treasure of our clan, one of the ten great artifacts of the primordial era. It encompasses the cosmic harmony of time, place, and people, gathering the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, Nine Palaces, and stars. This treasure is infused with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and its own, rendering it unreachable for ordinary beings. After Your Majesty ascended to the throne, the Human Emperor Fuxi came to offer his congratulations and gifted you the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book.’ As this treasure’s supreme powers could not be cultivated by immortals or gods, Your Majesty concealed it within this peak. Firstly, to harness the grand array of stars to gather celestial essence; secondly, to use its innate power to suppress the Dragon Ancestor and the spirit of the Candle Dragon. It has been suppressing them for ten thousand years. The ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’ is a treasure that recognizes its master; only Your Majesty can awaken it. Now, our clan is in chaos—an omen of great upheaval. Years ago, using the minor celestial array within Jiuyi Peak, I deduced that calamity would befall the world, and with Your Majesty’s reincarnation, my foresight has come true.”

“I was unclear at first as to why Su Xiaowa brought you here, but when she revealed you were the reincarnation of the Eastern Emperor, her intentions became clear.”

“After all, for a thousand years, the story of the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’ has been passed down in our clan, yet successive Jiuyi kings forbade its mention. It is the clan’s greatest taboo—even the White Emperor dared not touch upon it! But Su Xiaowa brought you here, which speaks volumes.”

Listening closely to Ancestor Sujing’s words, Haodan fell into deep thought. Su Moran, beside him, maintained a solemn expression; though he was born into the clan, he had never heard any of this. The demon clan had fallen to the Jiuyi tribe for a millennium, and whatever inner upheaval had shattered the clan and led to its current disintegration remained unknown to him. The elders of the clan avoided speaking of the past, and so many demon clan stories had already faded into dust.

Times had changed; the demon clan was no longer what it once was. Its glorious past had turned to mist, dissipating across the world. Now, the Jiuyi demon clan gradually faded in history’s long river, dimming but never truly vanquished. No matter the despair, they would never allow their lineage to be extinguished by outsiders.

Such resolve belonged to the unified Nine Tribes of old. Now, Jiuyi faced unprecedented peril—foreign invaders stirring discord, a brewing conspiracy rising to the surface, echoing the calculations of Ancestor Sujing of Qingqiu. Sujing had chosen this moment to leave seclusion, for the clan’s fate was at stake, though he could not intervene directly, bound by ancestral law.

Yet, to Sujing, all appeared as divinely ordained. The Jiuyi clan faced an unprecedented upheaval; the prophecy of cosmic calamity was manifest. Internal strife, external infiltration, the stirring of royal authority—the human realm’s monarchs faced the same, and the emergence of two dragons carried profound meaning. With the Eastern Emperor’s reincarnation, a storm of blood and chaos would soon sweep across heaven and earth.

But Haodan, the reincarnated Eastern Emperor, was utterly unprepared. Everything had come so suddenly. From the moment he encountered the avatar of Lord Luya outside Shangqiu City, he was swept from the mortal world into a meticulously orchestrated conspiracy, becoming its most critical piece.

Who was behind it all? The three present could not divine it. Was it, as Li had hinted, the Jade Emperor of Heaven with grand designs? Or perhaps the Witch Clan, returning after a thousand years of dormancy to challenge the immortal realms of the East? Perhaps neither; what dangers lurked within this conspiracy, and whose hand guided it? The answer remained elusive—for someone capable of moving freely through the Eastern Immortal Realm, manipulating the chessboard unseen, was impossible to fathom.

Coincidence or fate, the Eastern Emperor had returned. The strands of karmic reincarnation seemed entwined. Without great karmic resonance, how could the Eastern Emperor escape the Endless Sea, return to the human realm, and arrive here by chance? It seemed far from coincidence—perhaps it was destiny itself.

Judging by the current situation, the Witch Clan’s resurgence in the East was fact. Their ambitions had been evident for a millennium; though not boldly proclaimed, their intent was clear. Jiuyi and the nine nations of the East had all suffered clandestine infiltration—far more complex than it appeared.

If the conspiracy involved the Witch Clan, then Heaven’s forces would surely not ignore it, but the matter had not yet reached that point.

“This place is the forbidden ground of our clan. I chose to seclude myself here to guard Jiuyi Peak and watch over the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book.’ Its allure is immense; immortals and gods all covet it. Without a guardian, its inheritance could not be ensured.”

Seeing his young companions silent, Ancestor Sujing explained again.

On hearing his words, Su Moran resumed his usual silent demeanor and asked, “Is it possible now for His Majesty the Eastern Emperor to awaken this treasure? With the clan in turmoil, Thirteen needs your support. If His Majesty has not awakened yet, perhaps the treasure’s power could help Thirteen quell the chaos of Yangyi.”

“What exactly is the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’?” Haodan, returning to himself, pondered the recent wonders he’d experienced, struggling to distinguish dream from reality.

Seeing Haodan speak, Ancestor Sujing explained with a smile, “This is one of the three primordial innate treasures, one of the ten great artifacts. Its power rivals that of your companion artifact, the ‘Eastern Emperor Bell.’”

Just then, a defiant voice rang out in astonishment!

“The mere ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’ cannot compare to me! I am one of the three primordial treasures, chief of the ten great artifacts, reigning supreme across ages and the cosmos—no artifact can rival me!”

The three present were all startled! Ancestor Sujing stared at Haodan’s brow, where a crimson glyph flashed—the voice emanated from it. A saintly white radiance shimmered, and the Eastern Lord manifested, clad in white, his lips curled in playful mockery, revealing his words were made in jest.

With the Eastern Lord’s arrival, Ancestor Sujing’s worries eased. Haodan’s strength was still slight; despite possessing the body of a golden immortal, he would struggle to awaken the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’ unaided. Yet with the Eastern Lord’s presence, Sujing’s attitude shifted completely.

The ‘River Diagram and Luo Book,’ one of the three primordial treasures, was surely formidable, possessing an independent consciousness like the Eastern Emperor Bell. Ordinary immortals or gods lacked the power to subdue its spirit, but the Eastern Lord was different: chief among the three treasures, his strength equaled the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book.’ If the two spirits contended, Haodan might profit as the fisherman between them.

‘Two spirits struggle, Haodan gains.’

Such was Ancestor Sujing’s speculation. With his five centuries of experience, he naturally calculated for Haodan. If the Eastern Lord succeeded in awakening the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’ and suppressing its millennia-old masterless will, he could tame it and return it to the Eastern Emperor—a marvelous outcome!

“So it is the Eastern Lord—then the matter is simple! This place holds a primordial grand array: the ‘Nine-Curve Cosmic Array.’ It was established by the nine demon saints of old, its power unmatched—it can turn the world, shift mountains and seas, shake the stars. The artifact that powers it is the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book.’ If the Eastern Lord assists the Eastern Emperor in breaking the array’s eye, its location will be revealed!”

“But to pass through, one must endure the nine curves’ trials!”

“Each curve may hide danger; it’s said that Emperor Fuxi once taught the nine curves and the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’s’ spirit. Thus, the nine curves may not be the toughest challenge, but beware the spirit hidden in the ‘River Diagram and Luo Book’—it is also versed in music!”

After Sujing’s words, the Eastern Lord shed his arrogance, standing respectfully by Haodan’s side, awaiting his master’s decision.

Thus, Ancestor Sujing’s heart tightened, judging Haodan would not shrink back; though he was only the Earth Soul of the Eastern Emperor reincarnate, by nature he would never allow another to touch what was his.

Su Moran watched Haodan intently, seeing him hesitate, wishing to persuade him but unable to speak.

“If so, then this treasure should belong to me. I must give it my all. The world’s situation is turbulent; neither the immortal nor mortal realms are at peace. If it concerns me, I cannot shirk my duty. Though many things remain unclear to me, I have come to terms with it. Yet, for some reason, I feel a subtle connection—a multitude of threads tying me to all this, though I cannot explain it.”

Everything had come too suddenly for Haodan. As the reincarnation of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, some instincts were innate, yet they differed from those of the Heavenly Soul—similar yet distinct!

Such premonitions occasionally granted Haodan a delicate sense of alertness.

“If this game is laid for me, then I shall break it!”

Such resolve befits Haodan, the reincarnated Eastern Emperor! He smiled calmly in crisis; though at a disadvantage, his pride soared—matching the demeanor of the former Eastern Emperor, who once gambled everything against the heavens worshipped by myriad immortals.

At this moment, the Eastern Lord had not expected Haodan’s aura to change so dramatically—his entire bearing transformed, strikingly familiar to the Eastern Lord.

Ancestor Sujing and Su Moran’s fox eyes lit up; they had never seen this side of Haodan. Until now, they judged him weak; even with the Eastern Emperor Bell, he lacked the courage to face the legendary spirit of the three primordial treasures.

But now it seemed Haodan had been deliberately hiding his strength. The term ‘concealing one’s edge’ would never have applied to the arrogant, aloof Eastern Emperor Taiyi of a thousand years ago.

Ancestor Sujing, wise beyond measure, his mind flashed with delight—if Haodan truly fused his three souls and awakened the true self of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, he would shake the cosmos. An arrogant emperor is no match for a wise ancient emperor—the difference is as vast as heaven and earth.

No matter how unmatched one’s strength, it cannot rival unmatched wisdom!

For blind courage rarely succeeds.

To master yin and yang, knowing when to retreat and advance, bold but not reckless, reserved but not timid—through reincarnation and worldly trials, Haodan’s greatest test was to endure hardship, to bide his time in darkness, cultivate humility and wisdom, and discern the greater game.

Indeed, Ancestor Sujing was worthy of his reputation. Once the most trusted aide of the White Emperor of Qingqiu, adviser to the imperial teacher Bai Youran, his vision was far-reaching. By catching a single detail in Haodan’s demeanor, he could extrapolate so much.

Yet, Sujing’s deductions were only a preliminary judgment of Haodan’s character, not a forecast of the entire future.

“In that case, I shall open the array for Your Majesty!”

With that, Ancestor Sujing turned and swept his robe; a beam of golden light struck the sky above the ancient temple, revealing a massive matrix hidden among the clouds.

“This journey through the array is shrouded in mist and unknown danger. Eastern Lord, I trust you will protect our emperor!”

The Eastern Lord chuckled at Sujing, “Even if I fail, the one within my master would never allow it!”

“Let us proceed! Time waits for no one!”

Haodan and Su Moran understood well whom the Eastern Lord referred to, though Ancestor Sujing, having not witnessed Li’s earlier appearance, merely smiled and let it pass.

As he spoke, Haodan’s gaze grew resolute; Su Moran and Ancestor Sujing stood respectfully at their sides. A staircase appeared in the sky, conjured by the Eastern Lord; with a graceful sweep of his sleeve, a stairway of clouds formed, and Haodan ascended without hesitation.

Watching the young master whose wings were not yet fully grown, the Eastern Lord was filled with anticipation. This was a path of thorns; since meeting Haodan for the first time in the Eastern Emperor’s world, he knew this youth would walk it, for the Eastern Emperor Taiyi never shrank back, nor sought shortcuts.

In the heart of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, the road beneath his feet was always the greatest shortcut.

How the story unfolds, we shall see in the next chapter!