Section 7: The Four Sons of Heavenly Fortune
2014-06-18 By Gu Zhenren
“Xingzhou is in great peril, ravaged by monsters from beyond the heavens. Only the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors can save Xingzhou and all living beings.”
From an unknown source, this message, fueled by a hidden hand, spread further and wider. Soon, it ignited like wildfire across Xingzhou.
Initially, most people did not believe it.
“Didn’t all the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of history pass away? Or go missing. How can they still be alive?”
But soon, explanations targeting these doubts began to flood the public sphere.
“You don’t understand. Not only the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, even our Star Saint has not died. They are all beings of supreme cultivation; how could they possibly die?”
“The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors achieved great success and enlightenment, seeing through the vanity of the world. The prosperity of the mortal realm no longer attracted them. They chose to slumber, and would reawaken once Xingzhou faced an existential threat.”
Besides this, there were other explanations.
“These Emperors all left Xingzhou to explore vaster Worlds. As long as we call out to them, they will return to save Xingzhou.”
“These Emperors are all disciples of the Star Saint, living in the sacred halls at the deepest reaches of the starry sky. As long as we can contact them, we are saved!”
Although these explanations were varied, more and more people began to believe.
Beneath the despair and darkness brought by the armies of gods and demons, people yearned for the light.
Even if this light was so illusory, so unreal.
This public opinion gradually became mainstream, and the people of Xingzhou began to form teams, seeking ways to awaken or contact the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
The appearances, achievements, and legends of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were unearthed anew. Even Chu Yun, the newly appointed Spirit Emperor, was subjected to frantic investigation.
The images of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, once obscured by the dust of time, became clearer, taller, more majestic, legendary, and mysterious with these investigations.
A chaotic, burgeoning faith was thus condensed and, in a hidden way, directed towards the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
“ when You Huang left Xingzhou, he established the Dragon Gate World and removed his boots of freedom, disassembling them into ten pairs of Demon Soldiers. These ten pairs of Demon Soldiers are Xingzhou’s renowned Ten Great Flying Boots. As long as they are gathered, they can merge into the Boots of Freedom. With the will of freedom, they can summon You Huang’s return.”
“ after White Emperor unified Xingzhou, he scoured the land for rare materials, forging nine precious cauldrons. White Emperor had actually foreseen the great disaster of Xingzhou long ago. Therefore, he needed to slumber and accumulate power. As long as the nine cauldrons are collected and prayed to, our suffering can be conveyed to the slumbering White Emperor, and he will awaken then.”
“ deep within the mountains of Xingzhou, there is a vast Palace. This Palace appears and disappears. Normally, even if people see it, they cannot enter. Only on moonless nights when the stars twinkle does it fully manifest its physical form. This Palace is a projection of the sacred hall in the starry sky. By entering this Palace, one can see the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”
… Similar answers quickly spread. Manipulated by the hidden hand, they gradually formed the mainstream viewpoint.
The entire people of Xingzhou saw hope amidst their suffering.
Batches of Beast Tamers assembled, collaborating as a whole populace, and began searching and collecting across Xingzhou.
Most people failed, but a few stood out. Gradually, they became the stars of public attention, entrusted with the hopes of the people of Xingzhou.
Xingzhou, Mongol Yuan Nation, Snow Peak Heavenly Mountain.
A small but renowned four-person exploration team trekked arduously through the snow pine forest.
Heavy snow fell, icy winds howled, and everything was a vast expanse of white stretching from sky to ground.
“Stick close, everyone!” the young man leading them, Hong Fei, shouted. But immediately, a large mouthful of wind and snow was forced into him, making him shiver.
The four members of the team were all young men, around fifteen or sixteen years old. However, their cultivation far surpassed that of their peers. Captain Hong Fei held a position on the Hegemons List. The other three, Pan Shi, Qing Guo, and Tian Yun, although not as famous, all possessed Phenomenon level cultivation.
The Demonic creatures accompanying them were also almost all rare plants and exotic beasts with extraordinary potential.
Therefore, despite the heavy snow and wind on Snow Peak Heavenly Mountain, the four did not get separated, climbing step by step towards the summit.
However, good times did not last. The roars of wild Demonic Beasts echoed continuously, and grew closer.
“Oh no, it’s wild Bloodthirsty Tiger-Rabbits!” The faces of the four young men paled in unison.
Soon, hundreds of pairs of blood-red eyes lit up in the vast, swirling snow. Enormous figures rapidly materialized from the blizzard, charging towards the four-person team.
These wild Tiger-Rabbits were of Upper grade quality. They were rabbit-shaped but enormous, comparable to bears. Their snow-white fur was marked with the black stripes of tigers. They were highly aggressive Demonic Beasts, often forming packs of hundreds. They were a dominant force in Snow Peak Heavenly Mountain.
“Run!” The young men’s bodies trembled. Although their cultivation was not bad, and they were the crème de la crème of their generation, facing such powerful enemies, their only option was to flee.
Fortunately, the Demonic creatures held by the four youths were extraordinary. With the help of sudden events like avalanches and chasms along the way, they managed to fight and retreat for over an hour.
However, in the end, due to the vast difference in strength, they were forced into a hollow by the group of rabbits, trapped in a dead end.
“We’re going to die, we’re going to die…” the young girl Tian Yun began to cry. She was still young, after all, and could not withstand the immense terror of death.
“Death is nothing. It’s just that we still haven’t found the projection of the sacred hall, and can’t contact the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors,” Qing Guo clenched her fists and sighed regretfully.
Hong Fei, covered in blood, was annoyed by the crying and couldn’t help but roar, “Stop crying! What’s there to cry about? Let’s just die then!”
“I’ll charge into the rabbit horde and lead them away. You all take the chance to break out,” Pan Shi suddenly said.
The crying stopped. The other three looked at him with surprise.
In this four-person team, Hong Fei was tall and handsome, Tian Yun graceful and elegant, Qing Guo cute and lively. Only Pan Shi was taciturn and ordinary-looking. In the past, he quietly took on all the dirty and tiring work in the team, never drawing attention.
Yet, in the face of life and death, he revealed his true valor.
“Then you…” Tian Yun’s voice was hesitant.
Qing Guo’s gaze was complex, but she did not try to stop him.
Hong Fei’s throat bobbed. He opened his mouth to speak several times, and finally said, “Do you have any unfulfilled wishes? Tell me, and I will fulfill them for you.”
Pan Shi nodded. “You guys know why I joined the team. My mother’s illness requires the Jin Yang Grass. Unfortunately, this Demonic Plant has long since gone extinct. But I checked the records, and the Rain Emperor among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors has a Jin Yang Grass. If I can see an Emperor in the future, I hope you can ask for a leaf of Jin Yang Grass to give to my mother.”
“Okay, I promise!” Hong Fei agreed.
“I promise too,” Tian Yun added.
“Shi Tou, I’m sorry. I’ve always been harsh with you…” Qing Guo looked at Pan Shi with an apologetic gaze.
Pan Shi took a deep breath and was about to charge into the rabbit horde.
Suddenly, with a boom.
The four turned to look, their faces a mixture of shock and joy.
This was originally a hollow in the mountain wall, with the mountain body above and to the sides. For some reason, a section had caved in.
With a loud noise, a dark hole suddenly opened in the concave surface, its depths unknown.
“Heaven truly does not cut off all paths!” Hong Fei exclaimed.
Even if Pan Shi went out to lure them, the success rate would not be high. Breaking out was extremely dangerous; it was better to enter this cave and try their luck.
The four youths were all confident in their luck. Many times on their journey, they had narrowly escaped danger and turned misfortune into good fortune.
As the rabbit horde approached, the four quickly filed into the cave.
They walked quickly inside the dark cave.
The cave was pitch black, so dark they couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces.
After walking for a while, they couldn’t see the entrance. It seemed like a straight path, or perhaps an underground plaza.
The darkness made all four of them uneasy.
“Can anyone provide light?” Tian Yun’s soft voice carried a trace of panic.
The other three shook their heads.
They had only managed to escape the pursuit of the rabbit horde; it was already incredibly difficult. Now, they were exhausted, and their Demonic creatures were either dead or injured. They had no energy left to provide light.
It was impossible to even start a fire.
“No choice, we’ll have to feel our way forward in the dark,” Hong Fei said helplessly.
“It’s strange, haven’t you noticed that the Bloodthirsty Tiger-Rabbits didn’t chase us into this cave?” Qing Guo suddenly said.
“Perhaps there are many岔道 (forked paths) in the cave…” Tian Yun said uncertainly.
“No, there’s something strange about this cave. It’s too dark, an almost boundless darkness,” Pan Shi said.
“Stop talking, I’m scared,” Tian Yun said quickly, shrinking back and hiding behind Hong Fei.
After walking for a while longer, Pan Shi suddenly exclaimed, “There’s light over there.”
The light was so faint that the other three had to search for a moment before they saw a faint, firefly-like glow.
“Let’s go!” Hong Fei shouted excitedly. This glimmer of light seemed to ignite the hope in their hearts.
The light grew brighter and brighter, gradually expanding into an opening.
“It’s an exit!” Qing Guo shouted, rushing out first.
The next moment, she froze, unmoving.
“Qing Guo, why are you…” Hong Fei and the others followed out, but they too seemed to have been struck by a paralysis spell, freezing on the ground like stone statues.
They were dumbfounded.
Before them stood a magnificent Palace, quietly majestic. Star radiance poured down, illuminating the faces of the four youths, their expressions shifting.
A sense of understanding spread through the youths’ hearts.
“This is the projection of the sacred hall, we’ve finally found it!” The next moment, the youths erupted in fervent cheers.
Pan Shi, however, shed silent tears.
They rushed into the sacred hall, and eight colossal statues, each thirty feet tall, entered their vision.
The lifelike sculptures were the majestic figures of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
You Huang, Book Emperor, Human Emperor, Qin Emperor, White Emperor, Rain Emperor, Dragon Emperor, and Spirit Emperor – a total of eight immense statues stood in a line.
The youths trembled with excitement, gazing upwards for a long time, exclaiming in awe until their necks were sore.
Hong Fei fell to his knees before the statue of You Huang with a thud. He closed his eyes and prayed silently.
Among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, he admired You Huang the most, championing the spirit of freedom.
As soon as Hong Fei finished his prayer, the statue of You Huang erupted with a dazzling golden light, and a magnificent voice echoed, shaking the entire Main Hall: “Hong Fei, are you willing to become my disciple?”
The youths were utterly stunned, their mouths agape, wide enough to swallow a duck egg.
Hong Fei stared blankly for a moment, then frantically kowtowed with joy, kneeling and bowing to the statue of You Huang: “I am willing! I am willing!”
The void split open, and an Immortal Pouch slowly floated before Hong Fei.
You Huang’s voice came: “As my disciple, you shall travel the World on my behalf.”
“But Master, those monsters are too strong! Xingzhou needs you to come forth and save us,” Hong Fei cried out.
“The time is not yet right. You may spread the information of this place. If mortals sincerely worship us, they will receive miraculous blessings.” B After saying this, the golden light dissipated, and the sacred hall returned to its peaceful state.
(To be continued)
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