Chapter 137: It’s Over, It’s All Over

"What innocence? The River of Time is the ironclad proof."

Xuanyuan's face flushed red, the veins on his forehead bulging as he argued, "The matters of the Daluo... cannot be counted... as!..."

A series of incomprehensible words followed—talk of "timelines being rebooted" and "Daluo tampering with parameters"—prompting sneers and laughter from the crowd. The atmosphere inside and outside the Huoyun Heaven was filled with a sense of joyous mockery.

The Heavenly Sovereign Fuxi sneered and waved his hand, causing a continuous emergence of Daluo from the Fuxi Feng clan: Yanzi, Leize, Panhu, Huaxu... and the Yellow Emperor's loyal minister, Feng Hou.

Upon seeing Feng Hou, Xuanyuan was overjoyed. "Feng Hou, save me!"

Feng Hou shook his head and sighed. "Your Majesty, in truth, I am an undercover agent. Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to balance." With that, he bowed to Xuanyuan and took his place beside Fuxi.

Xuanyuan’s brow furrowed as he retreated, muttering, "You scoundrel, Feng Hou! To think you would backstab me!"

Feng Hou gently waved his feather fan, his expression rich with meaning. "Your Majesty, in the past, I had no choice. Now, I simply wish to be a good man."

Seeing his long-time companion betray him, Xuanyuan clenched his fists and roared at the sky, "You forced my hand! Rain Master, save me!"

In the distance, a crimson dragon soared, descending with the wind and rain before transforming into a sage with a celestial air—red hair, white eyes. It was the Rain Master, Chi Songzi.

The Wind Count and the Rain Master were the two great pillars of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan. With the Wind Count having sided with his ancestor Fuxi, he could only turn to the Rain Master. However, fate is fickle. No sooner had Xuanyuan felt a flicker of hope than the divine bird Jingwei flew from Shennong’s shoulder, circling joyfully around Chi Songzi.

"Oh no!" Xuanyuan’s expression changed. He had forgotten that back in the time of Shennong, Chi Songzi had been the teacher of the Princess Mulberry, and he shared a close bond with Jingwei.

Chi Songzi patted Jingwei with affection, then bowed to the Yellow Emperor, offering a look of helplessness.

"Hahaha! If the Wind Count and Rain Master are of no concern, I still have my top generals: Limu, Changxian, and Dahong!"

No sooner had he spoken than three more Daluo warriors ascended. The Yellow Emperor’s lineage was brimming with talent; even with the loss of the Wind Count and Rain Master, he could summon three more Daluo at will.

Yet, the assembly of Daluo Sage Sovereigns remained unmoved, chatting and conversing as if nothing had happened. Chi Songzi even began playing a game of chess with Shennong. Xuanyuan trembled. What was happening?

Suddenly, Shennong placed a piece, capturing the "Great Dragon" on the board, and smiled. "They are here!"

A round, adorable, black-and-white creature rolled slowly toward them. Xuanyuan squinted, confused. "An iron-eating beast?"

Iron-eating beasts were rare primordial creatures, masters of the Yin-Yang and Taiji Daos. Their ultimate forms were equivalent to Golden Immortals, no less impressive than the ancient dragon race. But Limu, Changxian, and Dahong were all Daluo; what use was a single iron-eating beast?

"Wait, why does this one look so familiar?!" Xuanyuan panicked—for the first time. Even surrounded by the Three Ancestors and mocked by the Heavenly Sovereign, he had never panicked, for his lineage was the strongest among humanity. But now, he was truly afraid.

A deafening sound erupted. Another iron-eating beast leaped out, its height like a mountain, its aura suppressing the ages. This was a true primordial divine beast, incomparable to the cute creature from before.

Standing atop the mountain-like beast was a burly man wielding the Tiger Soul Blade, his killing intent piercing the heavens.

"Brother Chiyou, aren't you out expanding territory in the Demon Realm? What brings you back here?" Xuanyuan forced a smile while his hands, hidden beneath his robes, frantically signaled for reinforcements.

The War Lord Chiyou was Xuanyuan’s lifelong nemesis. Seeing their old rival, the other Human Sovereign Daluos grew excited, abandoning their chess and tea to reminisce about the selection of the Human Sovereign.

Back in the final tribulation of the Earth Sovereign, before the Tai Sovereign had emerged, Chiyou had surpassed Xuanyuan in force, army, and weaponry. The only reason he had lost to Xuanyuan was his own recklessness. As a prince of the Flame Emperor’s lineage and a candidate for Human Sovereign, Chiyou had misallocated his skills—his farming was mediocre, but his ability to forge weapons and train troops was peerless, and his strategic and combat values were off the charts. He had even successfully ascended to Daluo before the throne was decided.

Time, place, and people were all on his side. He was one step away.

Alas, the moon wanes when it is full. As the throne was within his grasp, Chiyou became arrogant and committed two fatal errors. First, he borrowed troops from the ancient Witch God lineage, hoping for a swift victory. While this seemed perfect, a candidate borrowing troops was merely inviting wolves into the house. Had he ascended, it would have been a minor oversight, but he lost the throne through carelessness.

The second error was the fatal blow: after attaining Daluo, Chiyou began collecting all authorities related to war and slaughter, offending a host of Daluo and Great Supernatural Beings, such as the Golden Mother of Kunlun and the Styx of the Blood Sea. At that time, humanity was not as strong as it is now; it was the cautious ideology of the Shennong lineage that dominated. Chiyou was simply too puffed up with pride.

Conversely, Xuanyuan was humble, cultivated a vast network of friends, and was surrounded by allies. Thus, year after year, day after day, Xuanyuan had "crouched and won."

"Gongsun brat, take this!" Chiyou sneered, charging forward on his iron-eating beast.

Xuanyuan’s face fell. In terms of strength, they were evenly matched, but one was a berserker and the other a mage. If he were pinned down and pummeled, what would become of the dignity of a Daluo and a Sage Sovereign?

"Everyone, save me!" Xuanyuan shouted as his own reinforcements finally arrived.

The Three Ancestors smiled and began chatting with the younger generation, ignoring the fray. Seeing this, the Daluos of the Shennong and Fuxi lineages followed suit.

Half an hour later, Xuanyuan was bruised and battered, pinned to the ground. Chiyou fared no better; he had lost all his hair and could easily pass for a Buddhist monk.

As the brawl reached its end, the Sui Ren, holding his lamp, gazed into the void and spoke to the Daluo of the heavens: "What are you staring at? It’s over, move along!"