"Greetings, Lord Fei Yu!"

"Please do not hesitate to issue us commands in the future, Lord Fei Yu. We dedicate what's left of our lives to the revival of the Heavenly Court! Even if we are crushed to dust, we will not back down!"

The former immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court stepped forward and bowed. Wang Sheng could only return each greeting, repeatedly saying things like "I wouldn't dare," "you're too polite," and "let us strive together."

He had gone through nine years of compulsory education. Hence, he felt a bit out of place in rallying scenes that resembled sworn brotherhood gatherings like this.

If he were being honest, he also felt a little put off by these strangers, who showed closeness and loyalty to him just because of a name.

Still, Wang Sheng truly had not expected that his wild ideas, like "downgrading power" and "slaughtering great experts," would not only avoid blame from their side's powerful members, but would instead make him the top candidate to carry on the Immortal Emperor's grand cause.

Speaking of which, the Immortal Emperor had schemed against him in his previous life. Haotian himself had triggered the destruction of the Heavenly Court after the Three Pure Ones had killed him with a glare.

Although Wang Sheng no longer hated Haotian that much, being asked to directly take over his ideals still felt strange.

Does that mean I will end up drawing the attention of the Three Pure Ones as well?

Fortunately, that day was still far away; Wang Sheng did not dwell on it for now. He would wait until he grew strong enough to plan and scheme before stepping forward to speak of such matters.

Arrangements were made to have the immortals and gods rest near where Wang Sheng was cultivating in seclusion. Most had once been Grand Dao Golden Immortals or Taiyi Golden Immortals. After all, those weaker would not have survived to this day. Dozens among them were even gods of fortune and virtue before.

However, after hundreds of thousands of years of torment from the Five Heavenly Declines, their Great Dao had nearly withered. Their cultivation had steadily fallen to the very edge of the Golden Immortal Realm.

Fortunately, Wang Shan had put in great effort and sacrificed much of his life essence to help them. They would likely have been reduced to Heavenly Immortals otherwise, even if they had survived.

Despite the Five Heavenly Declines having been lifted, they would have to cultivate again from the beginning. This was still far better than being one of those who had already perished, though. For one, their starting point was still high. For another, their foundation remained intact.

It was like a deflated balloon being slowly filled again. In an environment rich with primal qi, they would likely recover to their peak in a few thousand years.

However, Wang Sheng's reserves of Spirit Stones could not handle providing enough resources to hundreds of such high-level experts until they recovered.

The other powerful beings in their group also did not have much stored. Qinghua had only just revived, after all.

Xu Zhongliang brought up the issue when Wang Sheng was called over to discuss plans with the others.

"When we followed Emperor Ziwei, we left behind a Small Immortal Realm near Earth," Xu Zhongliang said. "Now is the time to make use of our reserves in there."

Wang Sheng did not object. He exchanged a glance with Yaoyun, and the two quickly reached an understanding.

"The resources in the Small Immortal Realm are certainly suitable for this situation," Wang Sheng said. "We can retrieve them easily, but there is one issue."

"What is it?"

"For now, we should avoid disturbing Earth. It is very different from the endless space and the Immortal Saint Realm, and not just in the level of civilization. There are also differences in the way its inhabitants think.

"For example, the Heavenly Court still follows a feudal imperial system, while the general populace governs my home planet. The people back home can't really accept titles like 'lord' and 'emperor.'"

The others looked clearly surprised. Still, seeing Wang Sheng's serious expression, they all nodded.

Qinghua smiled. "I have actually heard much of this from Xiao Qing. She described many things about Earth's cultivation world now. Knowing the environment you came from was the reason I was not surprised when you proposed that three-step plan earlier, Fei Yu."

Wang Shan said, "We will follow the arrangements you two make."

"Your Imperial Majesty, what you just said makes me want to go back and take a look." Xu Zhongliang sighed softly. "I remember wandering through that mortal world with all its chaos and change. Even though it was just a small place, it had great rivers, vast lands, and countless human stories. It was truly fascinating."

Wang Sheng smiled. "You left quite a legacy on Earth, Daoist Master Qing Feng. The sword you left behind, along with the Seventy-Two Swords, held me back for quite some time."

"Oh?" Xu Zhongliang grew interested. "Are you a disciple of the Shu Sword Sect?"

"No. The resurgence of primal qi on Earth only happened not long ago. After more than a thousand years without primal qi, most Daoist heritages have been lost. Even the sect lost its Sword-Controlling Art.

"The Seventy-Two Swords contained a complete version of it, but the rules you set were a bit too strict. Since I happened to be the strongest sword cultivator at a low realm back then, I was brought in to help clear the trial."

Everyone smiled, but Xu Zhongliang's was especially wry.

"I never expected my descendants to lose that sword art."

"While we're on this topic, I would like to ask something," Wang Sheng said gently. "Before Emperor Ziwei led the Heavenly Court's final counterattack, he set up the Heavenly, Earth, and Human Qi Seals to cut off primal qi. The cultivators left behind all passed away within a few hundred years. What made you think that ten thousand years later, Daoist heritages would still exist in my homeland?"

"We... did not think that through carefully." Xu Zhongliang sighed. "But His Imperial Majesty gave that order himself. Even I raised doubts at the time."

Yaoyun asked, "What exactly is the Human Qi Seal?"

Xu Zhongliang shrugged. "His Imperial Majesty personally set the Human Qi Seal as well. I truly do not know the specifics. After he came into contact with the six celestial tablets, he seemed like a different person. He used to speak openly with us about everything, but after he studied those tablets, he grew troubled day after day."

Everyone looked puzzled, but Xu Zhongliang did not delve further into the topic.

Wang Sheng had no intention of leaving it at that, though. He lowered his voice. "I have actually seen one of those celestial tablets before. After looking at it for a while, I started to feel dizzy. What exactly are they?"

"According to His Imperial Majesty, engraved on them is a cultivation technique that defies heaven. It is also the root cause behind the annihilation of Empress Nuwa's entire race. As for the Human Qi Seal, it occurs to me now that it is related to you."

"Me?" Wang Sheng stroked his chin and thought for a moment. However, he could not make sense of it.

Wang Shan remarked, "This is not the time to discuss this. Let us get to the point."

"Alright." Xu Zhongliang snapped his fingers.

Wu Tianshou brought over a large table and placed it in front of them. A beast hide was spread across it, covered in densely packed runes.

Xu Zhongliang smiled. "Fei Yu, you said you wanted to try having the golden cicada shed its shell, but you're not strong enough to be worthy of becoming the 'golden cicada' just yet.

"This is a special incantation called the Luo Tian Divine-Possession Art. Calling it a cultivation technique is not quite accurate. On the contrary, it is a refined spell that appeared briefly in the Primal Era."

Divine-Possession Art?

Wang Sheng stared at the characters on the hide. Before long, he became fully absorbed. He could roughly comprehend a small portion of what was written: it seemed to be a spell that temporarily borrowed the power of others.

No, calling it a spell did not feel quite right. It was closer to a ritual or, perhaps, witchcraft.

Xu Zhongliang added, "What we need to do now is raise your cultivation to the Golden Immortal Realm within three hundred years, and we have to do it in the safest way possible. You cannot receive direct power transmission, rely on alchemical pills, or depend entirely on dual cultivation techniques.

Once we accomplish this goal, you can use this Divine-Possession Art to gain the strength to fight a Taiyi Golden Immortal for a short time. Only then can you be considered a true 'golden cicada.' Your staged death will have enough weight to be convincing."

Wang Sheng frowned deeply. Softly, he said, "Star Deity Xin Yue gave me a Nine-Essence Dao-Condensing Pill before he passed. I'm meant to use it to break through to the Golden Immortal Realm."

Xu Zhongliang frowned as well. "This Divine-Possession Art places a heavy burden on the body. If your foundation is even slightly unstable, something could very easily go wrong."

"But isn't three hundred years a little too short? Even with the Dao traces left behind by my master, Emperor Ziwei, I am afraid it will still be difficult to break through."

"That depends on your fate." Xu Zhongliang smiled as he patted Wang Sheng's shoulder. "We will support you with everything we have. If this truly does not work, you will have to put in more effort on the dual cultivation side. At least your foundation will not be too weak."

Wang Sheng looked somewhat helpless. Beside him, Mu Wanxuan looked out the window as if she had not heard anything.

Next, Xu Zhongliang explained the god-slaying plan in detail. As expected of him, his strategies were sharp, and he had a deep understanding of human nature. He analyzed the conflicts between the many powerful inhabitants of the Immortal Saint Realm, the current situation across different regions, and the gaps between them that could be exploited. Everything was laid out clearly and thoroughly.

The biggest issue with the plan was whether Wang Sheng could reach the Golden Immortal Realm in time.

However, whether he succeeded, the grand act of "slaying gods" would start in three hundred years. The higher Wang Sheng's cultivation, the more convincing the act would be.

Whether they could deceive the countless powerful beings and free him from the label of "sacred spirit" would all depend on this.

***

Meanwhile, inside the meeting room of Earth's cultivators on Fengmo, a group of people excitedly looked at the latest analysis report.

Based on the information they had obtained, the massive statue of Nuwa that had just been unearthed on Earth was constantly emitting a strange energy fluctuation.

An analysis of the planet's core energy revealed that the statue functioned as an external conduit for a certain unique energy within the core. The extraction of this energy would not affect the normal operation of Earth. However, if it continued to spread over time, it could easily trigger biological mutations.

Huai Jing intoned Buddha's name, his eyes filled with emotion. "Amitabha! This is definitely Fei Yu's fated opportunity! His cheat has finally been activated again!"

"Who would have thought Earth had such a treasure? Could Empress Nuwa have formed our planet using divine soil?"

"Divine soil? Don't be ridiculous. The elements on Earth exist throughout the universe. Daoist Master, did you never memorize the periodic table in chemistry?"

Xiaomiao raised both hands. "Everyone!"

The noisy meeting room fell silent.

"Let me ask a question. Everyone can celebrate after we have solved it."

They all listened attentively. However, before Xiaomiao could speak, Liu Yunzhi could not help but ask from beside her, "How are we going to tell Fei Yu about this?"

The group was momentarily stunned. They then all turned to Huai Jing.

Huai Jing took out the communication talismans. They no longer glowed with spiritual light, making the people in the room feel troubled.

"Not even Big Sister Lishang and Senior Hostess Su can reach my brother right now. No matter how important this information is, it is useless if it cannot reach the right person," Xiaomiao softly remarked. She paused for a moment, then added, "For now, send a telegram back home."

Zhang Zikuang asked, "What should we write?"

"Make preparations to prevent biological mutation. What else can we say?"

Everyone scratched their heads and sighed.