301: The Emperor Knocks on the Heavenly Gate

The Primordial World is boundless; time is uncounted.

Since the extinction of the Wu and Demon clans, the Human Race was destined to rise. Saints ruled the world, and the Heavenly Dao hung high above. Everything seemed like a preordained script, with all spirits as chess pieces, struggling on a chessboard called "Fate."

However, variables always emerge.

In the Nanzhan Buzhou continent, a Human Dao Imperial Dynasty, after countless years of silence and dormancy, today bloomed with a brilliant radiance that caused the entire Primordial World to cast its gaze upon it.

Great Tang!

Chang'an City was no longer an ordinary imperial capital. It floated above the Nine Heavens, vast and boundless, its city walls winding like a dragon's spine, engraved with the epics of the Human Race's ancestors' arduous struggles. Below, three thousand worlds and trillions of subjects were all citizens of the Great Tang. Their faith, their glory, their joys and sorrows, all transformed into visible golden Luck, converging into a vast Dragon vein spanning the sky. Its dragon head was held high, its eyes like two brilliant suns, staring directly at the Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

"Roar—!"

A dragon roar, not a dragon of flesh and blood, but a dragon of National Destiny, a dragon of the Human Dao!

In the dragon's roar, it contained the unyielding will of billions of living beings. This sound pierced through the South Heaven Gate of the Heavenly Court, shook Mount Sumeru in the West, disturbed the slumber of the Nether Blood Sea, and even caused the high and lofty, indestructible Saintly dojo to ripple imperceptibly.

"What is that?"

In the Heavenly Court, above the Hall of Miraculous Mist, an Immortal official turned pale with shock, pointing at the golden dragon shadow piercing the heavens below, his voice trembling.

The Jade Emperor sat on his throne, his expression grave to the extreme. As the Dominator of the Three Realms, holding the heavenly laws, he felt a power that made his heart palpitate. It was not the might of a Saint, yet it carried a domineering Aura that could rival a Saint. It was... the power belonging to "Humans."

"Human Dao... can it actually be this strong?" The Jade Emperor muttered to himself, his heart churning. He recalled the distant past, the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, where the Human Race had once been glorious, but never like this, daring to Face the majesty of the Heavenly Dao as an Imperial Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, that... that is the direction of the Great Tang Immortal Kingdom!" Taibai Jinxing hurriedly stepped forward. He pinched his fingers to calculate, but only felt a void of Chaos; the heavenly secrets had been completely disrupted by an immensely powerful force.

"Great Tang, Li Chengqian..." The Jade Emperor slowly spat out this name, his gaze complex.

Just as the great powers of the Three Realms were lost in their own thoughts, a figure slowly rose from Chang'an City.

He wore a black dragon robe with twelve-chapter patterns, and on his head was the Ping Tian Guan, the twelve tassels swaying gently, unable to hide those deep and resolute eyes. He was not an Immortal, not a God, not a Buddha, not a Saint.

He was an Emperor.

The Lord of the Great Tang Immortal Kingdom, Li Chengqian!

He took a step and was already standing on top of that massive National Destiny Golden Dragon. He did not release any earth-shattering Spell, just stood there quietly, but the gaze of the entire Primordial World seemed to focus on him alone at this moment.

"I, Li Chengqian, swear by the Human Dao, using the National Destiny as my Foundation, today, I wish to test my height against the Heavenly Lord!"

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every corner of the Primordial World, into the ears of every living being. This was not a Spell or Divine Ability, but a proclamation issued with the power of the entire Immortal Kingdom's National Destiny!

As the words fell, the National Destiny Golden Dragon beneath his feet roared again, carrying him and crashing towards the depths of the Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the direction of Zixiao Palace!

"He is crazy!"

"What is he going to do? Challenge a Saint?"

"Human Emperor? He calls himself the Human Emperor? By what right! The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of Huoyun Cave are still there, how dare he be so presumptuous!"

Countless exclamations erupted throughout the Primordial World. Great Demons awoke from their Immortal Caves, ancient Immortals opened their eyes from seclusion, their gazes filled with absurdity and confusion.

What is a Saint? An Incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, the cornerstone of the Primordial World, an existence that cannot be defied. A Mortal Imperial Dynasty's ruler, even if he had good Luck and achieved the Dao through an Imperial Dynasty, gaining powerful strength, how could he be compared to a Saint? This is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, like a moth flying into a flame!

Li Chengqian turned a deaf ear to all of this.

In his heart, there was no arrogance, only a cold determination.

"Father, Second Uncle, and all ancestors... Do you see this? Our Human Race's fate should not be controlled by others. We must protect our own people ourselves. Even if there is an abyss ahead, even if there is the great power of a Saint, I, must carve out a path of survival for my Human Race!"

His thoughts returned to the distant past. When he was still a Mortal, he had seen Immortals fighting, the collateral damage turning a city into ashes, millions of lives lost. He had also knelt and prayed to Gods and Buddhas, begging for favorable weather, only to be met with the cold, two-word response: "Heavenly Number."

Why?

Just because the Human Race is weak? Just because the Human Race was created by Goddess Nüwa from mud, born to be pawns for Saintly indoctrination, to be cannon fodder for the calamity?

He refused to accept it!

Therefore, he embarked on a path unprecedented, and perhaps never to be followed—achieving the Dao through an Imperial Dynasty!

He gambled everything, the fate of the entire Great Tang. He succeeded, gaining power comparable to the Hunyuan. But this was not enough. He did not want to just survive, he did not want to stay in a corner; he wanted to let the Human Race truly stand up and take their destiny into their own hands!

And to do this, one must cross that highest mountain—the Saint!

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Behind him came an old and anxious voice. It was his Chancellor, Wei Zheng. Now, Wei Zheng was the head of the Immortal Kingdom's civil officials, his upright Qi almost becoming tangible.

"Your Majesty, Saints are indestructible through myriad kalpas, existing alongside the Heavenly Dao. Although our Great Tang is strong, our Foundation is still shallow. To clash with a Saint is like throwing an egg against a rock!"

On the other side, the head of the military generals, Li Jing, also appeared. He held a pagoda in his hand, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty, please hold back your thunderous rage. We are willing to clear the path for you, to scout ahead!"

Li Chengqian did not look back.

"Chancellor Wei, General Li, I understand your intentions." His voice was calm, yet carried undeniable majesty. "But this step, I must take personally. If I retreat, the spirit of the Human Dao will dissipate. If I fear, the faith of my Great Tang's billions of subjects will be shaken."

"This journey, I am not going to seek death, but to discuss the Dao."

"I want to ask the high and lofty Saint if his practiced path of 'Wuwei' is simply a path of 'ignoring' the suffering of all living beings!"

"I want to ask the Saint who holds the Heavenly Dao if the 'balance' in his eyes is just a 'cage' to imprison my Human Race forever!"

Before the words faded, the speed of the National Destiny Golden Dragon increased further. It shattered layer after layer of the firmament. Along the way, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals did not even dare to approach. Before that majestic torrent of Human Dao, their proud Immortal bodies were as fragile as paper.

Wei Zheng and Li Jing looked at each other, seeing the tragic and resolute determination in each other's eyes. They no longer tried to persuade him, but bowed deeply to Li Chengqian's back.

"Your subjects, respectfully send off Your Majesty!"

"Your subjects, are willing to live and die with the Great Tang!"

Behind them, the figures of countless civil and military officials appeared, densely packed, filling the entire Chang'an Heavenly City. They bowed in unison, performing the rites of sovereign and subject to that distant back.

"Respectfully send off Your Majesty!"

"Willing to live and die with the Great Tang!"

The sound converged into a torrent, injecting into that National Destiny Golden Dragon, making its radiance even more intense and its Aura even more majestic.

Li Chengqian felt the power coming from behind, his eyes warming.

"How fortunate I am..."

He suppressed the agitation in his heart, his gaze becoming firm again.

Ahead, the chaotic airflow surged.

That was outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, the place where Saints lived.

The place he was going to was the Eight Views Palace, the dojo of the Taiqing Sage, Laozi.

Why choose him?

Because he is the Sect Master of the Human Religion! He enjoys the Luck of the Human Race, yet he has never truly done anything for the Human Race. His "Wuwei," in Li Chengqian's view, is the greatest "Act" — maintaining the status quo, so that the Human Race can never break free from their shackles.

Therefore, this first strike must be aimed at him!

The National Destiny Golden Dragon traveled through the Chaos. The surrounding Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind were violently turbulent, enough to tear apart a Grand Unity Golden Immortal. But within three feet of the Golden Dragon, everything was calm. This was the absolute Domain formed by the power of the Human Dao.

Finally, an ancient and simple palace appeared ahead.

It was not big, even a bit crude. At the entrance, there was only a plaque with three ancient Dao characters inscribed: "Eight Views Palace."

The palace gates were tightly shut. At the entrance, there were two boys sweeping the floor, one Jinjiao, one Yinjiao.

They sensed the arrival, raised their heads, and saw that sky-covering National Destiny Golden Dragon, as well as the Emperor who looked like a Mortal on the dragon's head. Astonishment appeared in their eyes.

"Who comes? How dare you trespass into a Saint's dojo!"

Li Chengqian did not look at him.

His gaze pierced through the palace gate, as if seeing the figure sitting on the meditation cushion deep within the palace, seemingly unchanging since ancient times.

He slowly opened his mouth, his voice spreading throughout the Chaos:

"Li Chengqian of the Great Tang has come to pay respects to the Taiqing Sage, and to... discuss the Dao with the Saint!"

"Discuss the Dao?"

The Golden Horn Boy and Silver Horn Boy exchanged a glance, as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world.

An emperor of a Mortal Imperial Dynasty running to the Saint's doorstep and saying he wanted to "discuss the Dao"?

How arrogant and ignorant!

After all, the Golden Horn Boy had spent a long time by the Saint's side and had extraordinary insight. He suppressed the sense of absurdity in his heart, took a step forward, and said loudly: "My master is currently practicing Alchemy and is not seeing guests. Go back where you came from! The Saint's Daoist sanctum is not a place you should come to!"

There was a hint of pride in his words. Even though he was just a boy, he was the Saint's boy, and his status was even more noble than the Grand Unity Golden Immortals outside. In his view, him speaking to drive the person away was already giving this human emperor, who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth, a great amount of Face.

However, Li Chengqian still did not look at him.

His gaze remained locked on the depths of the Eight Views Palace.

He could feel that there was a gaze inside, calm, indifferent, and ancient, as if it contained the mysteries of the entire Universe, watching him.

That was the gaze of Laozi.

"I have come to discuss the Dao," Li Chengqian spoke again. His voice was not loud, but it carried an irresistible will. "As the leader of the Human Teachings, the Taiqing Sage enjoys the offerings of the Human Race's Luck and should manage the affairs of the Human Race. Now, I have come representing the Human Race, why does the Saint refuse to see me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn boys changed completely.

"How bold!"

The Silver Horn Boy had a more fiery temper. He raised the Purple-Gold Red Gourd in his hand, pointed it at Li Chengqian, and shouted angrily: "What kind of thing are you? How dare you question the Saint! If I call your name, do you dare to answer?"

This was his famous Magic Treasure; he did not know how many powerful demons had been captured by it. He did not believe that this Mortal emperor could be anything remarkable.

Li Chengqian finally moved his gaze away from the Eight Views Palace and landed on the Silver Horn Boy.

What kind of eyes were those?

There was no anger, no killing intent, only a deep, bottomless calm. But beneath this calm, a terrifying power capable of making stars fall was hidden.

Being looked at by him, the Silver Horn Boy felt his whole body stiffen, as if crushed by an ancient divine mountain, and even breathing became difficult. The Purple-Gold Red Gourd in his hand was now as heavy as the entire Mount Sumeru, making him almost unable to hold it.

"A mere boy, yet you dare to be presumptuous in front of me?"

Li Chengqian said indifferently.

He did not make a Move, nor did he release any Aura. But as his voice fell, the National Destiny Golden Dragon under his feet suddenly opened its dragon eyes, which were like the sun, shooting out two beams of golden light.

The golden light had no aggression, but it contained a majestic Human Dao will.

The Golden Horn and Silver Horn only felt a flash before their eyes, as if they saw endless scenes. They saw the Human Race progressing from eating raw meat and drinking blood to slash-and-burn farming, saw the sages fighting against heaven and earth for survival, and saw countless Mortals struggling, laughing, and crying in the Mortal World... It was a magnificent epic of the Human Dao, and every scene condensed the word "unyielding."

"Thump!"

The two boys could not withstand this mental impact; their legs went weak, and they knelt directly on the ground. The Magic Treasure in their hands also fell to the ground with a "clatter," its luster dim.

Their Faces were filled with fear.

What kind of power was this? It was not mana, not a Divine Ability, yet it was more terrifying than any Spell! It acted directly on their minds, making them unable to muster even the slightest heart of resistance.

"If the Saint does not appear again, I shall have to go in myself."

Li Chengqian's voice sounded again.

He was not threatening; he was simply stating a fact. He had not come today with the intention of returning empty-handed. Either Laozi came out to discuss the Dao with him, or he would break in and force Laozi to discuss the Dao with him.

There was no third option.

Inside the Eight Views Palace, it remained deathly silent.

It was as if everything that had just happened had not occurred.

Li Chengqian's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What a Supreme Forgetting of Emotion, what a governance by non-action."

He sneered in his heart. Laozi was using his "Dao" to deal with him. Let you be strong as you may, the breeze blows over the mountain ridge. Let you be fierce as you may, the bright moon shines on the great river. As long as I ignore you, all your power will hit empty space.

This was the Saint's method, using stillness to control movement, and using the unchanging to respond to all changes.

If it were any other Grand Unity Golden Immortal facing this situation, they would probably have to retreat helplessly. Because you simply could not find a point of leverage.

But Li Chengqian was not an ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

What he cultivated was the Emperor's Dao, the Human Dao!

"Does the Saint think that by closing the door and refusing to see me, I cannot do anything to you?"

Li Chengqian slowly raised his right hand.

"My Dao lies in the 'people'. My power originates from the 'living beings'."

"Today, I will let the Saint see whether the will of my Human Race's living beings can knock open this door of yours of quiet non-action!"

As his voice fell, he clenched his right hand in the air, as if grasping the billions of mountains and rivers of the entire Great Tang Immortal Kingdom.

Inside the Heavenly City of Chang'an, civil officials like Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, and military generals like Li Jing, Qin Qiong, and Yuchi Gong, all had solemn expressions.

"Your Majesty needs us!"

"Rise!"

At Wei Zheng's command, all the civil officials released all the classics they had learned in their lives and the vast righteous Qi they had cultivated. Pillars of white light shot into the sky, converging above Chang'an into a huge book, and four characters appeared on the book — "Zhenguan Zhengyao"!

"Kill!"

At Li Jing's command, all the military generals exploded with all their Evil Qi, Battle Intent, and military souls. Pillars of blood-colored wolf smoke shot straight into the sky, condensing in the air into a peerless, fierce sword that spanned heaven and earth!

One civil and one military, one soft and one hard, the two forces converged in the air and finally poured into the body of the National Destiny Golden Dragon.

"Roar—!"

The National Destiny Golden Dragon let out a roar that was more high-pitched and full of power than before. Its body swelled again, its scales became more brilliant, and the intensity of its dragon might actually caused the surrounding Chaos currents to retreat.

Deep in the Chaos, in front of the Eight Views Palace.

Li Chengqian felt the infinite power pouring into his body, and his entire Aura climbed steadily. He looked at the tightly closed palace gate in front of him and slowly raised his fist.

There were no fancy Moves, no brilliant light.

It was just a simple punch.

But this punch condensed the will of all the civil and military officials of the Great Tang Immortal Kingdom and carried the expectations of billions of people.

This punch was a punch of the Human Dao!

"Open... for me!"

Li Chengqian threw a punch.

"Boom!"

There was no earth-shattering loud noise, only a dull impact sound.

But the consequences caused by this punch made the entire Primordial World fall silent.

I saw that the gate of the Eight Views Palace, which represented the Face of the Taiqing Sage and which no one had ever dared to offend since the beginning of the world, trembling violently under that seemingly ordinary fist.

The Dao patterns on the gate flickered wildly, attempting to resist this domineering and unparalleled power. However, it was useless!

On Li Chengqian's fist, the weight of a civilization was carried!

"Crack—"

A slight, crisp sound appeared, sounding particularly harsh in the deathly silent Chaos.

A crack appeared on the gate of the Eight Views Palace. Although small, it had indeed appeared!

All the spirits of the Primordial World, all the powerful beings watching here, were stunned.

Their minds were blank.

A human's fist cracked the gate of a Saint's Daoist sanctum?

This... how is this possible?!

This was no longer a provocation; this was slapping the Saint in the Face! It was tearing the Saint's Face off, throwing it on the ground, and even stomping on it hard a few times!

"Madman! A complete madman!"

In the Kunlun Mountains, inside the Yuxu Palace, the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning's Face, which had remained unchanged for ten thousand years, showed an expression of rage for the first time. In his view, Li Chengqian's behavior had seriously disrupted the order of heaven and earth and was the greatest blasphemy against the dignity of their Saints.

On Jin'ao Island, in the Biyou Palace, a flash of light shone in the eyes of Sect Master Tongtian. Not only was he not angry, but he clapped his hands and laughed: "Good! A good human emperor! Courageous! Interesting! Much better than those disciples and grandchildren of mine who only know how to follow the Heavenly Mandate!"

In the West, on Mount Sumeru, the two Saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, looked at each other, and both saw undisguised joy in each other's eyes.

"Senior Brother, it's chaotic, it's chaotic, this stagnant pool of the Primordial World is finally going to become chaotic!" The Daoist Zhunti was overjoyed, "If this Human Emperor can fight Laozi until both are injured, then the day of the great prosperity of my West will not be far off!"

Just as all parties had different thoughts, the gate of the Eight Views Palace, after enduring Li Chengqian's Human Dao punch, finally could not bear the burden.

"Creak—"

A long sound rang out.

The gate, which symbolized the majesty of the Heavenly Dao, slowly... opened.

An old, indifferent voice, containing no emotion, came from the depths of the palace and resounded through the Chaos.

"Come in."