This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 510 - 508 Gathering of the Heavenly Dao, Deciding the Strategy

The Candle Dragon, Emperor Shun, truly began to stir things up.

This time, upon convening the gods of the Outer Sky, aside from deposing the Water God, he also issued two edicts and passed down a Curse method.

If deposing the Water God was a move by Emperor Shun to consolidate power, then, after completing the first step, without giving the gathered gods too much time to think, he proceeded with his own plan.

The first edict was: *Within three years, all gods of the Divine Realms must report an approximate count of living beings within their domains, as well as the number of Divine Guards, to three deities appointed by the Candle Dragon.*

This move was clearly designed to rally the Divine Guards from each Divine Realm and integrate the combat forces of the Outer Sky.

The second edict stated: *The Divine Realms must increase their populations by thirty percent in the shortest possible time, utilizing the Curse method once deemed an ancient forbidden taboo—the Transformation Spell.*

That Curse method was specifically for facilitating this second step of the plan.

They were to transform plants, insects, and fish into 'Intelligent Life,' essentially using these entities to cultivate the power of living thoughts.

The rationale was similar to farming crops. One must first plant the leeks before planning to harvest them in the future.

The scenario Wu Wang and the Strong Gods of the Celestial Court had worried about—the Candle Dragon rallying the gods of the Outer Sky to assault the Heaven and Earth Seal—did not occur today.

Yun Zhongjun and the others had been informed by Wu Wang that the Candle Dragon's body was now possessed by Emperor Shun. The Innate Gods of the Outer Sky, however, were completely in the dark.

In the past, whenever they gathered, wasn't it always to assist His Majesty the Candle Dragon in ramming the Heaven and Earth Seal a few times? This had almost become a customary celebration in the Outer Sky, occurring every few years.

In the Land Beyond the Skies, the relatively peaceful Divine Realms were all situated on the periphery of this land. The central region, where one could look up and see the Candle Dragon God's body, was constantly plagued by disasters.

But today, His Majesty the Candle Dragon actually…

Stopped ramming? Had His Majesty suddenly changed his temperament, or had he determined that after the Heaven and Earth Seal thickened, it was impossible to return by sheer force?

A subtle unease spread among the gods of the Outer Sky, but in the presence of the Candle Dragon, they all maintained silence and flew back to their respective Divine Realms.

The Water God was deposed.

The Martial God had spoken out of turn.

His Majesty the Candle Dragon had bestowed the Curse method for transforming plant life into Intelligent Life.

Caught up in the midst of it all, the gods of the Outer Sky couldn't yet see which 'track' they were on, nor whether a cliff or a bright path lay ahead. But they all felt the change in His Majesty the Candle Dragon and indirectly sensed the formidable strength of the newly risen Great Wilderness Heavenly Emperor, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, who had apparently pressured the Candle Dragon into resorting to strategy…

「Meanwhile, amidst the Heavenly Dao.」

In response to the recent developments in the Outer Sky, Wu Wang summoned the top ten of the Heavenly Dao sequence, plus the Human Emperor Shen Nong, and excluding Xihe, to discuss the corresponding arrangements the Heavenly Dao should make.

It had been a long time since they had last seen him, and Shen Nong, the elder, looked somewhat younger. After all, he was now blessed by the Heavenly Dao, free from the constraints of lifespan. The Human Domain was also in a state of semi-autonomy, so he no longer needed to worry excessively about his 'cubs'.

"The Transformation Spell?" Shen Nong furrowed his brows, leaned back in his stone chair, and said in a low voice, "Could it be the same Curse method that once transformed Innate Beings into what are now the Hundred Races?"

Silence fell in the space of the Heavenly Dao. For the Innate Gods, that was a disgraceful period of their past.

The Head Manager said, "I do know a bit about this. This Transformation Spell should have been created by Emperor Shun previously. He once borrowed my power to comprehend the Dao of Life and modified many ancient forbidden curses."

The Queen Mother of the West, seated to one side, showed a hint of confusion. She asked curiously, "If Emperor Shun had such a forbidden Curse method, why didn't he use it before when he was in the Heaven Palace?"

"Because it wasn't necessary," Wu Wang stated firmly.

"When Emperor Shun was in the Heaven Palace, although it was in decline, it never lacked Divine Weapons or warriors from the Hundred Races. If Emperor Shun hadn't had his predictions preempted by our own, he wouldn't have abandoned the already established power structure of the Heaven Palace so easily. The Outer Sky is different. I suspect Emperor Shun intends to foster the Power of Living Beings in the Outer Sky, then absorb that power using the Dao of Chaos. By destroying the Land Beyond the Skies, he would obtain a complete Dao of Chaos and use it to counterattack the Great Wilderness. This is actually a rather serious issue. Do any of you have suggestions?"

"Preemptive strike," the Earth God uttered calmly.

The Queen Mother of the West also said, "Indeed. The best way to suppress the Dao of Chaos is to act before the Candle Dragon and Emperor Shun truly devour that realm of the Outer Sky."

"Impossible," Yun Zhongjun suddenly interjected.

"The Power of Living Beings from the Outer Sky is likewise very important to us. We must preserve this power as much as possible, and preferably, directly incorporate the various gods from the Outer Sky. In doing so, we can not only reduce the pressure on the Heavenly Dao but also bolster its reserves for confronting changes in heaven and earth. The Dao of Chaos, like the Dao of Order, can also be integrated into the Heavenly Dao sequence."

Apart from Wu Wang and the Queen Mother of the West, the gods looked at Yun Zhongjun with slightly conflicted gazes. Yun Zhongjun also knew his words were somewhat inappropriate. It couldn't be helped; it was an issue of differing perspectives. The other gods viewed the elimination of the Candle Dragon-Emperor Shun entity as the final battle in the early establishment of the Celestial Court. According to the developmental pattern of divine eras, after clearing out the remnants of the old age, the new order should enjoy a long period of stability before needing to face new internal and external problems.

However, Yun Zhongjun spoke from the perspective of how to deal with the inescapable, indescribable, and unfathomable great calamity of the future.

The Earth God asked, "Your Majesty, is there something that the few of us are unaware of?"

The Young Master also looked towards Wu Wang with some doubt.

Wu Wang, however, smiled and said, "Yun Zhongjun's words are aimed at allowing the Heavenly Dao to develop as quickly as possible, and at how to perfectly reclaim the lost lands of the Outer Sky. Yun Zhongjun's pursuit of perfection is part of his nature; let's try to understand."

"Yes, His Majesty is right," Yun Zhongjun said with a smile.

"I just feel that the beings from the Outer Sky are living beings too. Their ancestors were separated from our world. If the Heavenly Dao is to demonstrate impartiality, then we should protect them as much as possible, without adversely affecting the beings within our world. In this way, our world can prosper even more, the two realms can merge back into one, and the land will become broader."

The gods then relaxed.

Shen Nong asked, "Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, what are your chances of victory against the Candle Dragon?"

"Without considering the attrition of the Power of Living Beings from the Outer Sky, I have a ninety percent chance of success."

"Then it's best to prepare on two fronts," Shen Nong said slowly. "For the Candle Dragon and Emperor Shun to harvest the Power of Living Beings from the Outer Sky, they will need at least several hundred years to set things up. It's similar to how we previously plotted against the Heaven Palace. The Innate Gods have existed for a long time; they have their own Great Daos and will not absolutely submit to the Heavenly Emperor. Befriending some, suppressing others, and eliminating some—this approach can also be applied to the Outer Sky."

Wu Wang responded, "Hmm, after fighting the fifth divine era, we still have to battle the fourth. This is indeed quite interesting."

The Young Master laughed. "Then you would be the first Heavenly Emperor in history to overthrow two divine eras!"

Without a second thought, Wu Wang retorted, "That title isn't as resounding as being the husband of the Young Master."

She let out a snort of laughter, her face revealing delight without much embarrassment. The other gods tactfully shifted their gazes.

The Head Manager huffed, directly changing the subject, "This approach is feasible, but implementation is the issue."

"I'll handle the arrangements," Wu Wang said calmly.

"To be frank with you all, I have already started planning for matters in the Outer Sky. I've sent a few trustworthy members of the Human race there, and they have now become the Heavenly Dao's anchors. The Heavenly Dao has already infiltrated the order of the Outer Sky, but Emperor Shun, busy suppressing the Candle Dragon's Divine Soul, has not detected these changes. The Head Manager and the Earth God have also witnessed that, apart from the Candle Dragon, the strongest force in the Outer Sky—the alliance of the Martial God and the Water God—has already effectively turned against the Candle Dragon. Next, the Candle Dragon will likely make moves concerning the Martial God. This Martial God fellow—ahem, this Innate God—is a bit special. Elder Shen Nong should be aware that he once followed the Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan."

Shen Nong nodded with a smile and said admiringly, "The Martial God was originally an Innate God of only moderate strength. He's honest and unyielding in his principles. After being defeated by the Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan, he refused to give up and repeatedly challenged him, losing over a hundred times. Eventually, he wanted to become the Ancient Emperor's disciple. The Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan didn't want to take such an old disciple, so he directly became his sworn elder brother. The Martial God pioneered a new cultivation path on his own Great Dao, continuously growing stronger. Now, he's the strongest in the Outer Sky besides the Candle Dragon."

Wu Wang continued, "The Candle Dragon can tolerate the Martial God because the Candle Dragon is a true powerhouse, understands other powerhouses like the Martial God, and is confident in subduing him. But Emperor Shun cannot tolerate the Martial God. Emperor Shun lacks that confidence and adheres to the principle of 'how can one permit another to snore peacefully by one's bedside?' This is actually another reason why Emperor Shun wanted to strip the Water God of his authority today."

The Young Master inquired, "Isn't Emperor Shun afraid that he and the Martial God will both suffer greatly?"

"The ones who will suffer greatly are the Innate Gods under the Candle Dragon," the Head Manager said, closing his eyes with a sigh. "With Emperor Shun's machinations, he is certainly plotting a great war to make the Innate Gods and the Martial God fight until both sides are severely weakened. What he ultimately wants is not just the world of the Outer Sky, but also the Great Daos of the gods from the Outer Sky. Or at least, the Great Daos of some of the Foreign Gods. You still don't fully understand Emperor Shun; he has an almost obsessive pursuit of killing multiple birds with one stone."

Wu Wang nodded slightly, leaning back in his stone chair, and fell into contemplation. The enemy certainly won't just sit there foolishly waiting for him to challenge them. Sending his incarnation to the Outer Sky in advance, who has now established a good relationship with the Martial God… that was indeed a smart move. For this, he had to thank Little MSG; if her wisp of Divine Soul hadn't escaped the seal, Wu Wang wouldn't have descended to the Outer Sky so early and would probably have had to wait a while longer.

"All gods of the Heavenly Dao, heed my command." Wu Wang took a breath, and when he looked up, a sharp gleam shone in his eyes.

"Starting today, the Celestial Court will reserve one million elite Heavenly Soldiers, to be in a constant state of combat readiness. They will be rotated every three years. The Earth God will be responsible for this.

"Yun Zhongjun will be in charge of coordinating all information from the Outer Sky. In my absence, he has the authority to decide whether to activate the Heaven and Earth Seal to attack the Outer Sky.

"The Celestial Court will select 360 Divine Generals, to be trained by the Head Manager in the practice of the Great Array of Zhou Tian Xing Dou. I will provide the Array Diagram and Array Flags to the Head Manager later.

"The Queen Mother of the West will be responsible for overseeing rewards and punishments for the Immortals in the Celestial Court, helping to share some of the burden."

All the gods rose to accept their orders.

The Young Master asked, "What about me?"

"Guard the critical juncture for me," Wu Wang said earnestly. "This is also very important."

"Mhm!" She nodded seriously, which made Wu Wang feel somewhat embarrassed deep down.

With that, Wu Wang also slowly rose to his feet. A vast heavenly might surged around him, and an imposing Dao authority faintly seemed to transcend heaven and earth.

"We will proceed on two fronts. I will personally take charge of winning over the Divine Spirit factions of the Outer Sky, to see if we can suppress the Candle Dragon from within. If I cannot complete this in time, we will use the full power of the Heavenly Dao to overwhelm them. My efforts in the Outer Sky will be focused on preserving as much of the Power of Living Beings as possible. Yun Zhongjun was right about one thing: the Power of Living Beings is very important. We do not seek a perfect Heavenly Dao, nor do we seek a perfect order. However, we must guard the kind, orderly, and just living beings. This is one of the meanings of the Heavenly Dao's existence. That is all for today. Meeting adjourned."

「…」

When Wu Wang's incarnation opened his eyes, the Martial God was just flying back from the horizon with the Luili god. The Martial God's expression was clearly displeased, and the Goddess of Luili also had a hint of worry in her eyes. The latter did not land but, after whispering a few words to the Martial God, flew straight back to the spire of Luili City.

Wu Wang stood up and stretched, a carefree, innocent smile on his lips. The Martial God had just landed when this cheerfully smiling young man approached him, which eased his mood somewhat.

The Martial God called out, "Come on, let's find a place for a drink."

"I'm not even twenty yet."

"That doesn't matter!" The Martial God waved his hand magnanimously. "I permit it. You can start drinking a few years early."

"Alright then," Wu Wang rolled up his sleeves. "Today, I'm going to test my limits!"

"Hahaha!" The Martial God laughed heartily, seemingly forgetting his previous troubles. He also changed into a long robe, concealed his aura, and headed to Luili City with Wu Wang.

As the hub of the Luili Realm, Luili City was incredibly prosperous. The long-lasting peace had fostered a dazzling culture, with drinking being one of the favorite activities among residents and travelers alike. The Luili Realm also boasted several fine wines famous throughout the Martial God World. Finding a well-decorated tavern with rich, fragrant wine here was exceedingly simple.

The two found a high-rise building near the city gate, chose a room by the window, and casually ordered seventeen or eighteen side dishes. The Martial God then grabbed a wine jar and began to drink heavily, GLUG, GLUG, GLUG.

After less than two jars, the Martial God started cursing the Candle Dragon's ancestors.

"That sneaky old serpent! He doesn't even consider who's been managing the Outer Sky for him all these years!

"All he knows is to ram the heavens, ram the heavens! Every time he rams it, it causes cosmic turbulence, and so many places suffer from natural disasters and man-made calamities!

"Whenever a god caused trouble, wasn't it Old Water who helped him settle it?

"Whenever a Divine Spirit in the Outer Sky couldn't hold on, wasn't it Old Water who went to mediate?

"And now? Just one sentence! 'You need to avoid suspicion, your grandson is incredible now.' And just like that, he stripped Old Water of all his power, turning him into a powerless, bald god!

"Is that excessive?

"Tell me, isn't that excessive?"

"Excessive!" Wu Wang nodded. "Although I'm not entirely clear on what you're referring to, Teacher Martial God."

"You don't need to know. I'm just venting." The Martial God sighed, his gaze quite complex.

He said, "The Goddess of Fortune mentioned that the current ruler of Heaven and Earth, that Candle Dragon, is behaving somewhat abnormally. It's uncertain whether it's true or not."

"The Goddess of Fortune? I heard the Water God mention her. Is she the biological daughter of the ruler of Heaven and Earth?"

"Yes," the Martial God nodded. "That's correct… Look, do we distrust Xiao Nu just because she's the Candle Dragon's daughter?"

Wu Wang smiled. "There are bound to be differences in character between gods."

"Haha, I like the way you put that!" The Martial God picked up the wine jar, and Wu Wang raised his cup. The two gently clinked them together.

Wu Wang called out lightly, "Teacher, let's drain this cup! Bottoms up!"

The Martial God's hands trembled, and he nearly smashed the wine jar on Wu Wang's forehead.

After a few jokes, the Martial God's mood visibly improved. He stopped just GLUGGING the bitter wine down his throat and began to eat and chat.

As they were conversing pleasantly, a group of four men came walking up the stairs. Wu Wang immediately sensed something amiss about these four, but he didn't say much, simply continuing to drink and eat with the Martial God. They were just four Martial Artists, after all. And the one sitting across from him was their god.

「Meanwhile, in the Ming Qing Realm.」

After returning to her temple, the Ming Qing god sat quietly on her high throne, her gaze fixed on the prostrating priest below, not uttering a word for a long while. She was pondering and analyzing.

Has Lord Martial God truly chosen Luili? Previously, when she and the twelve subordinate gods accompanied Lord Martial God to the Water God's temple, the Luili god and the Martial God had behaved quite intimately. When the two gods stood close, their movements were very natural.

The Ming Qing god felt inevitably disturbed. She glanced down a few times and found a random pretext, "Have you got any updates on the investigation of that Martial Artist, Qing Shan?"

"My God, our people are still investigating. There has been no news yet…"

VWOOM! A ripple sliced through the air, and the speaking priest was decapitated. His head drew a parabola through the air before landing and rolling several yards away.

"Waste," the Ming Qing god uttered dispassionately. Immediately, divine guards stepped forward to remove the priest's corpse. The postures of the remaining prostrating priests suddenly became even more impeccable.

Hmm? The Ming Qing god rubbed her brow, suddenly feeling agitated, as if something detrimental to her was occurring. This was her intuition, a significant factor in her survival since ancient times. What could it be?

The Ming Qing god thought hard. A fledgling idea had just begun to surface in her mind when it was erased by an unseen force, leaving her unable to pinpoint the potential problem even after a long period of contemplation.

Actually, under normal circumstances, she would have been able to figure it out. She had dispatched men to investigate Qing Shan and had even spoken of capturing him. Naturally, her subordinates would do their utmost to fulfill their god's decree. When the Martial God had departed, he was accompanied by the Luili god, heading in the direction of the Luili Realm. If Qing Shan were the Martial God's disciple, then Qing Shan would likely be accompanying the Martial God. This was precisely when Lord Martial God was furious and agitated; if they were to stumble upon him in his volcanic rage…

Unfortunately, the Ming Qing god, who should have considered these possibilities, had her spiritual mind clouded by that force.

[Misfortune Upon All Foes].

「Luili City, a private room in a certain tavern.」

Four men with cold smirks on their faces stood behind Wu Wang and the Martial God.

Clearly, they were surrounded.