Chapter 529

Chapter 529: Mortals

"Nian Chao Sheng."

Qiao Mu was not surprised to see the ruins of the city, but he was surprised by Nian Chao Sheng’s presence.

At that moment, Nian Chao Sheng was still the same as ever, a handsome and graceful scholar, his clothes untouched by dust, standing out oddly from the old, worn battleground of the city.

"The Tide Listening Building has always followed the principle of listening to the tide without stirring it, but now it seems the owner of the Tide Listening Building has broken his own rule?" Qiao Mu spoke up.

Nian Chao Sheng seemed a bit inexplicably nervous, keeping a subtle distance from Qiao Mu, as if meeting him for the first time in the small world of the Tide Listening Building.

He simply said:

"Sometimes knowing too much is not a good thing; it only drags you into murky waters and makes you lose your dignity."

"But now, it seems I do not have the right to stand apart. After all, under a fallen nest, how can there be complete eggs?"

"Wasn’t this what the ancestors of the Qiao family specifically reminded us of?"

Qiao Mu narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the ruins around him:

"So, you have indeed been secretly stirring the waters in this matter?"

When Nian Chao Sheng heard this, his eyes twitched slightly, and he explained:

"You think too highly of me. Everyone has their own choices. Like Founding Emperor Yan and Emperor Wuping, these figures are strong-willed and cannot be swayed by just a few words."

"All I can do is tell them the whole story, but in the end, the choice is still theirs."

Qiao Mu said calmly, "You seem to have washed your hands clean. I see; it seems there are choices waiting for me ahead. Please tell me the whole story."

With a slightly awkward expression of Nian Chao Sheng, Qiao Mu stepped forward.

He had once asked Nian Chao Sheng about his true self in the small world of the Tide Listening Building, but Nian Chao Sheng had avoided the question and refused to answer.

However, Qiao Mu had already learned the answer to the mystery in the Return Ruins.

In mythology, Di Ting has the ability to listen well, and can distinguish truth from falsehood with his ears; often, the secrets of heaven, earth, and people’s hearts cannot be hidden.

While knowing everything is impossible, the Tide Listening Building in the great world of Jiu Province is indeed known for its vast reach and mystery.

"Then I won’t dance around the point," Nian Chao Sheng said.

"The previous Human Emperor Sword was a crucial treasure of the Great Yan Imperial Court. Although it was special, its true nature was that of a weapon of fate; names like Emperor’s Sword or Son of Heaven’s Sword fit it better."

"And when the Great Yan Imperial Court no longer exists, that sword may return to the original meaning of its name."

Nian Chao Sheng paused and said,

"Founding Emperor Yan used this sword to wound Immortal Lord Qingxuan, but that was all."

"For Immortal Lord Qingxuan, this sword might be like a rapidly spreading poison, or perhaps a mold spot on a potato, something to avoid at all costs."

Qiao Mu nodded, a bit distracted, and continued to walk forward.

As he approached, the Human Emperor Sword, which was slanted in the ground, once again glimmered with a faint yellow light, heavy like the earth, tall as a mountain.

"A treasure sword that can wound Immortal Lord Qingxuan?" Immortal Diyuan frowned.

In fact, she was also hurt by Immortal Lord Qingxuan; her immortal body was damaged by ninety percent, nearly on the brink of complete collapse, almost leading to her death.

The so-called Immortal Lord is just a title of respect, like the lords and noblemen among ordinary people.

The essence of life of Immortal Lord Qingxuan is no different from that of Immortal Diyuan and Immortal Yanshen; it is just the strength that varies.

Immortal Diyuan reminded them:

"True Immortal is the ultimate evolution for all living beings in the universe; there cannot be any powerful weapon that allows ordinary people to fight against a True Immortal."

"That’s right." Nian Chao Sheng hesitated slightly, then admitted:

"Unfortunately, this is not enough to cut through everything; it is not a powerful weapon to turn the tide."

The Human Emperor Sword that now appeared before them was indeed extraordinary.

Even with this sword, Founding Emperor Yan could not change his fate.

Qiao Mu had already killed Immortal Yanshen and had learned how to completely kill a True Immortal. To him, the Human Emperor Sword was not a great help; it could only mean… perhaps he would die a little less often?

It is truly a precious sword, but it is just a sword.

"I understand." Qiao Mu stepped forward, his expression not showing much change, as he reached for the hilt of the Human Emperor Sword.

Just at this moment.

Qiao Feixian, standing behind him, widened her eyes, and in her dark eyes, Qiao Mu’s blurry shape reflected like a distant shadow.

She took a step forward, placing herself in front of Qiao Mu.

"Adoptive father, have you made up your mind?"

"This sword should not be necessary for you."

"Is it really a case of ‘anyone can be a father…’" Wu Mingkong whispered.

Qiao Canxue’s eye twitched a little, but she remained silent.

Qiao Mu stopped in his tracks and shared a quiet glance with Qiao Feixian, as if he had fallen into the deep abyss found in her eyes.

As Qiao Mu halted, Nian Chao Sheng couldn’t help but clench his fist slightly, feeling a bit anxious, but he quickly hid it.

"This is interesting," Qiao Mu noted Qiao Feixian’s and Nian Chao Sheng’s reactions.

Nian Chao Sheng’s true identity is Di Ting, who knows many secrets.

The Human Emperor Sword before him clearly has deep ties to him and seems to be guiding him from the shadows.

Qiao Feixian is one of the reincarnations of the Heavenly Emperor’s daughter, and her eyes can see many changes in the future.

What she knows is not the secrets or rules of the present, but a vague understanding of many possible future changes.

At this moment, Nian Chao Sheng and Qiao Feixian found themselves at odds.

The first person had been waiting in front of this ruin for a long time, just like guiding Emperor Wuping and Founding Emperor Yan, waiting for Qiao Mu in front of the Human Emperor Sword.

The second person seemed to want to stop Qiao Mu.

Both of these individuals knew a lot, yet they stood on opposite sides at this moment.

So, is there something mysterious about the Human Emperor Sword?

Is it more harmful than beneficial to become the bearer of the Human Emperor Sword, or has Nian Chao Sheng hidden some of the truth?

"It is indeed interesting, but that doesn’t matter."

Qiao Mu bypassed Qiao Feixian, who was blocking his way, and without hesitation reached for the hilt of the Human Emperor Sword.

"Not everything needs to weigh the pros and cons," he said softly.

"One reason to take this sword is enough."

"It is a relic of Founding Emperor Yan."

From Qiao Mu’s current perspective, it is hard to say how close he was to Founding Emperor Yan.

The few times he interacted with Founding Emperor Yan while he was still in the human world were just life-and-death struggles, a few drinks, and some exchanges of techniques.

Moreover, almost every time they met, Qiao Mu was not the same Qiao Mu, and for Founding Emperor Yan, he was just another elder of the Qiao family.

These experiences, when placed in his long life of over 120,000 years, are merely ripples in an immeasurable sea; even if he remembers them vividly, they eventually lose their color and are no longer as lively as before.

It is not just with Founding Emperor Yan; many other old friends in the Jiu Province world feel somewhat similar.

The so-called friendship is merely a one-sided connection from Qiao Mu. To the Earth Sword Immortal brothers and to Xue Changhe and others, the person returning from beyond is not their familiar Peach Blossom Villa Master Qiao Xin, but another unfamiliar elder of the Qiao family.

Every encounter feels almost like a first meeting.

But this does not affect Qiao Mu’s judgment and choices; even if he has never met Founding Emperor Yan, he would still make the same choice.

The moment his palm touched the hilt of the Human Emperor Sword.

The heavy, dark yellow light on his shoulder suddenly shook, wrapping around him like a surging sea.

The feeling of holding the sword was not like holding an unmatched divine weapon filled with incredible power; what Qiao Mu first felt was the weight of the Human Emperor Sword.

It was as if he saw the last shining moment of Founding Emperor Yan’s life, witnessing how his followers grew in number and charged together towards the giant hand that blocked out the sun, until the hand came crashing down like a mountain, making the sky fall and the earth sink.

Just like Qiao Mu chose to draw the Human Emperor Sword, the many followers behind Founding Emperor Yan, a figure from three or four hundred years ago, had no real personal connection with him.

They all walked together down the same path to death, not because they shared a deep friendship that allowed them to trust each other, but quite the opposite; many of them were strangers, including the leading Founding Emperor Yan himself.

It was not just Founding Emperor Yan; there were thousands of people following him, and even tens of thousands of citizens in the city… the fighting spirit that these souls burst forth with at the end of their lives became the Human Emperor Sword.

"Rather than a sword, it is more like a container."

Qiao Mu pulled the Human Emperor Sword into his hands, gripping it tightly.

The founding emperor Yan did not die alone; the invisible thoughts of the ordinary people in Jiu Province, both the living and the dead, surged around him like a mighty wave, completely engulfing him.

If we say that the twelve-thousand-year-old Qiao Mu felt his heart was as calm as an ancient well.

Yet, at the moment he held the sword, it was as if a flood of turbulent sea water suddenly rushed into his heart, which had seemed like a dry, still ancient well.

Many years ago.

When Qiao Mu was still young, it was an era where people said the spirit of scholars was lost and the strength of warriors had broken.

He did many things that onlookers considered foolish, like charging alone into battle, with no one in front or behind him, only himself and his body slowly piling up into a mountain of corpses.

The spectators were either shocked, criticizing, or admiring; a mix of emotions was present.

But that was all; there were no other actions.

Yet today, looking back.

In the fifty years he was gone from the world, while he was not on the battlefield, the mortals of Jiu Province had their own struggles.

Since returning to Jiu Province from the Return Ruins, Qiao Mu has traveled throughout all the states.

From the Immortal Slaying Army’s temple at the foot of Tongtian Mountain to the battle at Long Life Gate in Dong Province, and finally to the siege of the Soul Predicting Path Immortal Gate… he walked through it all, but he did not need to join the battles.

Fifty years later, the members of the Qiao family were merely witnesses, while Xue Changhe, the Earth Sword Immortal brothers, Founding Emperor Yan, Li Changshi, and others of the Immortal Slaying Army…

They were the main characters in this long Inhuman War that lasted for fifty years.

When he returned once more, the sparks had become a raging fire.

"It’s different now." Before him still was the scene of Founding Emperor Yan riding swiftly, with hundreds and even thousands of followers rushing to the city, a sight that lingered for a long time.

"Even if we do not know each other, we can die fighting for the same goal. They are all like-minded people, worthy of being called companions…"

"And I… am the same."

"For over a hundred thousand years, my footsteps have crossed Jiu Province, and even the Return Ruins and the Thousand Realms. I have lost track of how many times I have died, and the ways of my death are many and varied."

"But the reason, in my view, is always the same."

Qiao Mu placed one hand on his chest, feeling the heartbeat in the center of his chest.

Over a hundred thousand years ago, after discovering his eternal life in the Return Ruins, he created the No Move No Thinking Skill to cope with the endless Long Life Dream.

If the immortal path’s letting go of desires means cutting away distractions to leave only a clear heart on the path, then his way of imitation was to put human nature away in a locked drawer, focusing solely on the instinct of martial practice, keeping only one or two thoughts throughout.

But at this moment, as he held the sword, he finally felt that locked drawer, collapsing under the overwhelming tide of human desires that were as immeasurable as the vast sea.

During these hundred thousand years, Qiao Mu had doubted whether his No Move No Thinking Skill had truly succeeded.

But in this moment, a thought suddenly arose in his heart.

He tightly gripped the Human Emperor Sword in his hand, opened his eyes, his eyelids slightly red, but that soon faded, gradually shining with a light like the sun.

"I am human," Qiao Mu announced seriously while holding the Human Emperor Sword.

The Human Emperor Sword, glowing with a heavy and invisible light, lost its weight in his hand and hung gently at his waist.

"To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. The second wielder of the Human Emperor Sword has appeared," Nian Chao Sheng muttered to himself.

He stood still in place, feeling a sense of relief wash over him, and his legs almost felt weak.

Nian Chao Sheng is the half-blood Demon King of Di Ting, skilled in listening to everything around him.

However, the more he tried to understand the Qiao family members, the more unfathomable they seemed. Ordinary martial artists like Xue Changhe found them trustworthy, but he felt a deep-rooted fear every time.

Especially in the Qiao family member who had returned from beyond the sky.

To other martial artists, the Human Emperor Sword is an extraordinary weapon that gives them great power.

But for the Qiao family member, who could already slay True Immortals, its main role is not as a weapon for battle.

"What is known as the ‘King of People’ is not the same concept as an emperor of ordinary people." Nian Chao Sheng said slowly.

"It is not about being powerful, nor about ruling, but about the hearts of the people that makes one a King of People."

"The hearts of all ordinary beings are his people’s hearts."

"You explained very well, but I do not like being manipulated." Qiao Mu raised the Human Emperor Sword, turned the blade, and swung it toward Nian Chao Sheng’s face.

With a loud bang, the ground collapsed, and Nian Chao Sheng was crushed into it, bleeding from his head.

Nian Chao Sheng did not get up.

He lay on the ground, blood flowing down his handsome but injured face, covered in dust, no longer resembling his previous ethereal self. It seemed he had no intention of getting up, lying flat on the ground with a slight smile.

"Getting angry is a good thing; being angry yet holding back, not killing me, is even better."

"Even if the ancestors of the Immortal Gate from Jiu Province were completely destroyed, they probably wouldn’t truly get angry enough to leave their small world… unless it blocked their path to becoming immortal!"