316: With Emperor Shen Renhuang alive, our human race will surely prosper!

Immediately after, Murong Chen said seriously, "Our original plan was to go to the Upper Realm together with Lord Lin. However, Lin Qingyue's betrothal is approaching. Although he doesn't say it, he actually really wants you, Brother Shen, to go. Unfortunately, the Upper Realm and the Great Xia are not that simple to cross. Because of this, we felt embarrassed to ask Lord Lin and the others to bring us to the Upper Realm."

"Wang Damu and I discussed it, and he said he had an unconventional way, so we just followed him here..."

"If I had known earlier that we were digging our way up, I definitely wouldn't have followed!" Murong Chen said, becoming increasingly agitated.

"Brother Shen, let me tell you, I almost died several times!"

"This idiot dug in the wrong place several times while looking at the map. Once, he dug into someone's freshly buried grave, pulled out the corpse, stared at it with his bull-like eyes, and then demanded the corpse to kneel to him. He even scattered the bones into ashes! But as it turned out, the relatives hadn't gone far, and we were chased underground for three whole days by a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator!!" Murong Chen described it vividly, his face revealing lingering fear.

"I don't understand either. Isn't this all learned from Fellow Daoist Shen..." Wang Damu muttered softly.

Hearing this, Shen Nian just glanced at Wang Damu and then looked quietly at Murong Chen.

Three seconds later.

Murong Chen sighed helplessly, "Fine, to tell you the truth, I was worried about my sister wanting to see him..."

Another three seconds passed.

"Sigh, I knew I couldn't fool you, Brother Shen. I feel that something is wrong in the Lower Realm; the Yao Race in the Heavenly Demon Cave has all disappeared. I have a feeling that something major is about to happen. Coming up here was mainly to tell you about this, Brother Shen. If possible, I hope you can go to the Lower Realm to check it out..." Murong Chen finally revealed his true purpose.

Although he had no direct evidence, he just felt that the sudden disappearance of the Yao Race in the Heavenly Demon Cave was too strange.

He couldn't just make Lin Yuan and Ji Xuqing return to the Upper Realm early because of his own suspicions, could he? What if the suspicion was false?

One must know that the resources required for a round trip were astronomical. If it was a wasted trip, the entire Sunset Valley couldn't afford it!

Fortunately, Wang Damu had a way, so he followed him. Of course, he also had his own thoughts; even if the suspicion was false, he could at least see if his sister was safe, right?

After listening to Murong Chen, Shen Nian pondered for a moment and then asked, "How is Xia Youyue? Is she doing well?"

He hadn't heard the System release any rewards for Xia Youyue. He didn't know if it was because of the barrier between the Upper and Lower Realms preventing the rewards from arriving, or if it was because Xia Youyue hadn't improved during this time.

However, Shen Nian estimated that the former was more likely.

Otherwise, this Daughter of Destiny would be too trashy.

"Princess Xia is fierce!"

"Simply a Prodigy, truly worthy of being Brother Shen's Junior Sister!"

"She's almost become a female Supreme. Brother Shen, you didn't see it, but that guy isn't even a match for her at the Nascent Soul Early Stage..." Murong Chen rattled on, and Wang Damu nodded in agreement from the side.

Just at this moment.

Rumble!

The entire earth suddenly shook, and a terrifying pressure permeated the heavens and the earth.

"Lord Emperor Shen, it seems the first level is about to drive people away. This old man will take his leave first. Thank you, Lord Emperor Shen, for your rescue earlier!" An old man at the Void Return Peak stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

One after another, other Cultivators also thanked Shen Nian and decided not to stay any longer.

"Emperor Shen?" Murong Chen immediately shut his mouth, feeling shocked upon hearing this title.

He didn't know much, but even the Young Master of the Shen Family couldn't be called Emperor, right? And to be addressed this way by these terrifying beings—looking at them, they were all incredibly respectful, not at all like Elders looking at a Junior, but more like subordinates looking at an emperor!

"You couldn't even pass the first level; the second level will only be harder. Moreover, none of you practice Buddhist Dharma. Wanting to pass is as difficult as ascending to heaven..." Shen Nian glanced at the crowd and said softly.

The leading Void Returning Realm old man smiled bitterly and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Emperor Shen. It's just that our group is nearing the end of our Lifespans; we don't have many days left to live. It is rumored that there are Buddha Sariras in this Thousand Buddha Ruins that can allow one to instantly become a Buddha and live another life, so we came here to try our luck..."

"If we are lucky enough to obtain a Sarira and be reborn, we can kill more Yao for the Imperial Pass, right? If we are unlucky, well, we can only accept our fate..."

The Cultivators behind him nodded one after another, their expressions filled with disappointment. They were all Loose Cultivators from the Imperial Pass; killing the Yao Race was a daily routine. Some chose to perish together with the Yao Race, while others chose to return to their hometowns to settle down. Those who remained were the ones who didn't want to die yet, running to the ruins to try their luck, though they knew the hope was slim.

"Can't you exchange rewards at the Imperial Pass by killing the Yao Race? Are there no items to extend one's Lifespan?" Shen Nian raised an eyebrow and asked.

In his memory, didn't the Old Ancestor say that at the Imperial Pass, as long as one contributed to killing the Yao Race for the Human Race, they could receive rewards regardless of their background—even Loose Cultivators could obtain true teachings from the Holy Lands.

Even those life-extending divine medicines listed as treasures in the various Holy Lands could be exchanged!

"Sigh~" The old man sighed deeply and continued, "Emperor Shen, you might not know, but the Holy Lands of the Five Domains as well as the Ancient Desolate Families..."

The old man stopped here, first glanced at Shen Nian, then thought about how he was about to die anyway, so what was there to be afraid of saying? He then said freely, "Be it the Ancient Desolate Families, none of those powers will bring out good things. They are all reserved for their own Families or Sects. How could we Loose Cultivators ever exchange for any life-extending items?"

"This rule was set by the Old Human Emperor. In the past, there were still some resources to claim, but now that no major war has started, the orders of the Human Emperor Hall seem to be ineffective. Furthermore..."

"And even when the Old Human Emperor was present, many divine medicines could not be exchanged; after all, the Old Human Emperor also had to consider the feelings of the Ancient Desolate Families and the Holy Lands..."

"Those of us have thought about choosing a power to join, but we all have our own reasons—be it our personality, or the fact that we originally came from some small powers, we are just unwilling. Even if we joined these Holy Lands, we would ultimately be outsiders, and it would be extremely difficult to obtain life-extending divine medicines..."

After he spoke, the Cultivators behind him revealed a trace of dejection. In terms of strength, they were not weak, but they were all people who had slowly grinded their way to the Void Returning Realm; their talent was actually not very strong. Those life-extending divine objects could be given to stronger Sect Elders; it would never be their turn as ordinary Void Returning Realm Cultivators.

Otherwise, why would they be exploring the ruins here? It would be more practical to kill the Yao Race! Even if they died, it would be more heroic than dying in the ruins!

After listening to the old man, Shen Nian was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, return to the Imperial Pass, go to the Cangtian Army, find General Shen Long, and report your achievements in killing the Yao Race truthfully. Let General Shen Long exchange them for you."

"Just say that I said so..."

As soon as these words were spoken, these Cultivators were stunned, some unable to believe their ears.

"Is… is what Lord Emperor Shen said true?" An elderly woman immediately asked, unable to contain her excitement. "We are at the Void Returning Realm; the life-extending divine medicines we need are not ordinary. Even if it is the Shen..."

She wanted to say that it would be extremely precious even for the Shen Family! Keeping such things for the Shen Family Elders to use would be better than for them, these Void Returning Loose Cultivators! But before she could finish, she was pulled back by the leading old man.

Shen Nian looked at her, nodded, and said, "In my eyes, there are no disciples of great Sects or Ancient Desolate Prodigies. As long as one kills the Yao Race for my Human Race, all can take divine medicines. If the Shen Family's supply is not enough, then go take from the other Ancient Desolate Families. If anyone refuses, record it down; when I return to the Imperial Pass, I will settle the account with them together. If the Human Race's supply is not enough in the future, then I will take you to the Heavenly Demon Realm to get them!"

His tone was very plain, but it sounded deafening to everyone's ears!

The next second.

The old man fell to his knees with a thud, and the other Void Returning Cultivators also knelt down one after another, some even shedding tears.

"Thank you, Lord Emperor Shen, no...!!!"

"Thank you, Human Emperor!!"

"With Human Emperor Shen in this world, our Human Race will surely flourish!"