Chapter 1182: Going Home |
On Pearl Island, the people were busy as ever. Since the great migration had been completed, life on the islands around Pearl Island bustled with energy.
New homes were being built. Resources were constantly being moved. More importantly, many were awakening elemental control abilities in the Elemental Sea. Everything pressed forward at full pace.
Xiao He and the other leaders of humanity understood well how hard-earned all this was, and how fragile humanity remained. To truly secure their place, they would need even greater effort—and sacrifice.
But today, something unusual was happening.
The entire world was shifting.
The sky alternated between dark and bright, at times bearing down with crushing weight. From the endless Blue Sea, countless motes of blue light soared skyward, streaming west toward the Ancestral Court.
Most humans didn't know what was happening. Some felt fear, others excitement, others confusion. But deep down, they all sensed it was tied to them. More than anything, fear gripped their hearts. After so much struggle, they finally had this home of freedom—how could they not fear losing it? And so, they did what they could: pray for good news.
On the western side of Pearl Island, waves crashed against the rocky shore with titanic force. Normally the waters were calm, stilled by the Sea Pillars that stood at the foundation of the Skytree Realm. But today the sea roared, surging with countless rising motes of blue light. Sea creatures broke the surface, strangely elated.
The sky flickered between light and shadow, sometimes pouring down pressure, sometimes pouring… rains of blood.
At their head was Xiao He, prime minister of the Skytree Realm. At his sides stood Luo Qingzhu, leader of the Peacock Demon clan, and Su Qin.
Before Tang San went to the Ancestral Court with Xiao Wu, he had arranged for Su Qin to wait here, safe, away from worry. At the wedding, when humanity migrated, he had already foreseen that the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor would move against him. So many things had been laid in place long before.
Half a year had passed in waiting. Now the sudden upheavals in heaven and earth left everyone on edge.
Zhang Haoxuan was here as well, with Tang San's old companions: Wu Bingji, Du Bai, Gu Li, Cheng Zicheng.
Each time the bloody rain fell, their hearts clenched. Unlike most people here, they knew what it meant: Another Emperor had fallen. Again and again it rained, and they could not help but fear that among the fallen was also Tang San or Mei Gongzi. The Ancestral Court had to be in a ferocious struggle if Emperors died one after another. But which ones died? They didn't know. Unease was written on every face.
"Don't worry. Don't worry. Nothing will happen. Tang San never gambles blindly. He must have arranged everything." Luo Qingzhu soothed the grief-stricken Su Qin.
Su Qin only nodded, unable to speak.
Suddenly, the heavens brightened. All oppression vanished in an instant. The sky was clear as glass.
Xiao He, Zhang Haoxuan, and the others all stared wide-eyed. The weight had lifted. Their bodies felt light, refreshed. Yet their hearts only grew tighter with worry.
Su Qin clenched her fists and stepped forward.
Then… laughter rang out.
"Hahahaha! It's done! It's all good!"
They all startled, turning toward the sound. It was Xiao He, laughing madly.
"Prime Minister, how can you be so sure things are well?" Zhang Haoxuan asked.
Relaxed at last, Xiao He pointed toward the endless Blue Sea. "Look there—do you see it? The faith of the sea is still rising, still gathering toward its source! I've watched this all along. As long as the faith flows, it means Tang San lives. He is the Sea God. Only he can summon the faith of the sea beasts. If the energy still rises, then he is still there. And now, the skies are clear, the pressure gone, yet the faith continues to flow. What else could it mean? They've won! They've ascended to Emperorhood, and they've seized the Ancestral Court! That is the only possible explanation!"
Hearing his reasoning, Su Qin wept with joy. "Really? Truly? Then that's wonderful!"
But then… the sea stilled. The faith that had been rising ceased, vanishing in an instant.
Xiao He's smile froze. Everyone went rigid.
Su Qin's tears froze too.
What…
"Little Mei!" she cried out, breaking down.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Just teasing you, Prime Minister."
Silver light shimmered and two figures appeared. Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu rushed into Su Qin's arms. "Mother, don't worry. I'm fine, I'm safe."
Taken from joy to despair to joy again, Su Qin nearly fainted. Chaos energy flowed from Xiao Wu, soothing her mother's body and spirit.
As Xiao Wu comforted Su Qin, Xiao He, Zhang Haoxuan, and Tang San's companions crowded forward, faces alight with joy.
"You succeeded?" Xiao He asked.
Tang San smiled and nodded.
But Xiao He's face did not brighten as the others' did. "You once said… that if you succeeded, you would leave."
Tang San sighed softly and nodded again. "We have regained our divine thrones. We cannot linger. If we remain, the plane itself will suffer irreversible damage. So we must leave soon."
It was like a bucket of cold water poured over them all.
Du Bai couldn't hold back. "If you leave, what will become of us? Will demons and nymphs spare us?"
Tang San smiled faintly. "The matter of the Ancestral Court is settled. Only three Emperors remain: the Undying Demon Emperor, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, and the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor. They will not harm humanity. So today, we came back to bid farewell—and to leave you with what you need."
The crowd was stunned. From over a dozen Emperors to only three… the meaning was beyond words.
Light flared in Tang San's eyes. His divine consciousness unfolded. At once, they all saw his memories, and the entire process of ascension to Emperorhood was imprinted in their minds.
In a mere instant, it was as if they had lived it through his eyes.
Still in shock, they heard Tang San say gently, "That is what happened. With the Emperors gone, chaos may follow. But with the Undying Demon Emperor at the helm, it won't fall too far. For a hundred years, humanity will be safe. I believe he will restrain the others. Soon, humanity will live peacefully not only across the seas, but even on the Daemon Continent itself."
Zhang Haoxuan's heart swelled. Once, this boy had been his disciple. Surprise after surprise had happened since, miracle after miracle—yet even now, he found it hard to believe what he had become.
The Redemption Society had been founded to give humanity hope. And now, just as he had long predicted, Tang San alone had become that hope.
Tang San turned to Xiao He. "Prime Minister, I now leave humanity to you. As planned, we must walk three paths: the Demonic God Transformation, elemental mastery, and the Book of All Laws. I will erase all memory of myself from this plane, to avoid disrupting its balance. But I will not leave you empty handed. I perfected the cultivation path of the Codex of Divine Grace."
Golden light flickered. The Book of All Laws appeared in his hand.
"In a sense, this book is a blank slate, and it's up to you to fill it in. It has three powers. One is derived from your clan's Celestial Plume—the power to peer into the workings of heaven. That is the Book of Prophecy, and it will alert you of the dangers that may come. The second one is derived from an ability of my own divine seat—the power of words to influence natural laws.That is the Tome of Edicts, and it is the anchor I leave in this plane. The third one is the power to awaken divine abilities within those compatible with it. That is the Codex of Divine Grace, and you should keep this part separate from the others; otherwise, the book will be too strong and too few will be worthy to awaken these abilities."
He handed the book to Xiao He.
Xiao He received it reverently. "Do not worry. I will find the right inheritors."
Tang San nodded. "Divide the powers among people. Balance must be kept; power must not be allowed to concentrate too much."
"Understood." Xiao He nodded.
Tang San then drew forth another golden pouch. "One last gift. After we leave, open this and follow the instructions. It holds the true chance for humanity's rise."
Xiao He accepted it, bowing deeply, on behalf of all humanity.
Tang San breathed deeply, then looked out over the endless sea. "Twenty years I have spent here. Heaven granted me reunion with my wife. One day, we will repay this world. Within three hundred years, our descendants will return. They will raise humanity to become masters of this plane, and Planet Falan shall become a divine realm. Train well. Perhaps we will meet again."
He joined Xiao Wu, who had by now calmed Su Qin.
"Prime Minister, Master, my friends… We have to go now. May we meet again. We will never forget Planet Falan."
He bowed with Xiao Wu, then light rose around them, lifting them upward.
A gentle glow spread from Xiao Wu, wrapping around Su Qin. She vanished. The others bowed, led by Xiao He and Zhang Haoxuan.
"We bid you farewell," said Xiao He, his voice thick with feelings.
"Farewell!" Zhang Haoxuan wept.
Wu Bingji, Du Bai, Gu Li, Cheng Zicheng also bowed deeply, tears streaming down their faces.
Tang San's voice rang across the heavens. "Children of the sea, I depart for now. Be at peace with humanity. When I return, Planet Falan will rise. May the seas be calm and never again plagued!"
Golden light washed across the ocean. Then Tang San and Xiao Wu shot upward, two streams of golden radiance.
From that day on, Planet Falan's seas knew no plague.
…
The cosmos.
Stars glittered in the dark. Planet Falan below gleamed green and blue, vast and splendid.
There, above it, two lights intertwined, their glow enveloping the world.
One golden—a slender trident, the Sea God's weapon, radiant and majestic. One crimson—a sword pointing downward, faintly quivering with restrained power.
Suddenly, golden light flashed from the planet below. The Sea God's Trident and the Asura Sword rang with joy, circling excitedly around two figures that appeared in brilliance.
Tang San held Xiao Wu's hand, smiling.
"My love, it's time to go home."
"Yes! Time to go home. I miss our children so much…."
He raised his hand. The Sea God's Trident leapt into his grasp like a bird returning to its nest. Golden light burst forth, dyeing Planet Falan below in radiance.
Tang San smiled at his companion. "Sea God Tang San is back."
Xiao Wu's eyes brimmed with tears. Before she could even lift her hand, the Asura Sword pressed its hilt into her palm.
"Asura God Xiao Wu is back!"
"Let's go home!"
***
On Planet Falan, the sky turned golden, then crimson, the two colors weaving together in unprecedented splendor.
Xiao He's hands shook as he opened the golden pouch.
Words floated out.
I used the Book of Prophecy myself before leaving. In two centuries, a cataclysm shall strike the Daemon Continent. Humanity must prepare now. In this time, you must create seven prototypes of divine artifacts: the Peerless Pearl, the Sea Dragon Pearl, the Nether Pearl, the Firmament Pearl, the Holy Radiance Pearl, the Sky-Breaking Pearl, and the Amethystine Pearl. The method of forging…
When they are complete, the Book of Prophecy will foretell the Ancestral Court's fall. Humanity's chance will follow.
That dark age will give way to our golden age.
the poing team's Thoughts
Penguin's Choice™ #9: Who Let Him Cultivate?
Some people really shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a bottle of cultivation pills. You know who you are, guys.