If I had known this, I would have rather died at Dragon Tiger Mountain and at least had an intact corpse!

What seed, it's simply madness!

The State Preceptor and other Cultivators were in utter despair, and if there had been a crevice in the ground, they would have dived in headfirst long ago. Involving the Immortal Emperor, they dared not interject on such a topic!

...

The personal panel before Duge remained open as his spiritual power continued to grow ever since he initiated the Human Emperor Project.

Obviously.

His tightrope walking antics once again stirred the interest of the Pan-Universe Entertainment audience. That was a good sign, at least the Alien Battlefield wouldn't be suspended for the time being.

"Prime Minister Chi, do you know that in the Ancient Era, there was no concept of a Heavenly Son, and the sovereigns of the Mortal Realm called themselves Human Emperors?" Duge skipped the issue of paying respect to the Immortal Emperor and calmly broached the topic.

"Human Emperor?" Chi Muzhi was stunned.

Even the old emperor behind him, He Yan, was taken aback.

"Indeed, the Human Emperor," Duge gazed ahead, his eyes filled with tranquility and yearning, "The Human Emperor represents the Human Race, stands on equal footing with all that is divine, is the sovereign of the Mortal Realm, the true ruler of humans, the protector of the Mortal Realm. Even in the presence of an Immortal Emperor, there is no need to pay homage, at most, one would address him as Daoist Brother."

Upon these words.

A silence fell over Jinluan Hall, and one could hear a pin drop.

He Yan's eyes bulged, and his heart suddenly yearned for the position of Human Emperor. To stand on equal footing with the Immortal Emperor---this was the pinnacle of power!

Down below, the Crown Prince, who was supposed to inherit the throne, bit his lip, at a loss for words.

"What is a Heavenly Son, one who is ordained by heaven?" Duge scoffed disdainfully, "In the end, he is just a subordinate of the Immortal Emperor. Just look at the Mortal Realm now, everywhere there are Mountain Gods and land spirits; every city has a City God Temple. Whom do they obey, is it really you, the puppet emperor?

Can you, the so-called emperor, truly rule the nation?

No.

You cannot. You are just a puppet, unable to even be your own master. When danger comes, you can only rely on the protection of the Dragon Vein, on the lofty Immortal Emperor, praying that he will bring you peace.

He Yan, I ask you, if the Demon Clan invades, can you, the emperor, truly withstand them?"

He Yan's lips twitched, wanting to say that the Demon Clan was kept at bay by Emperor Donghua, but the words wouldn't come out, for Emperor Donghua was still a deity of the Immortal Realm...

"That's right, you can't withstand them," Duge said, "because you don't have the power. You, the so-called emperor, are merely like a child under the protection of the Immortal Court, confined to this land and playing house! The so-called Demon Clan has been dealt with by your 'father' in the heavens long ago."

"Easy for you to say, but the emperor cannot cultivate," an Imperial Censor, seeing the emperor humiliated, objected unwillingly.

"Have you ever thought about why he cannot cultivate?" Duge swept his gaze toward him and asked sharply.

"..." The Imperial Censor was at a loss for words.

"Exactly, the path of cultivation in the Mortal Realm has been severed by someone," Duge took a deep breath, "In ancient times, not only did the Human Emperor have the protection of the Dragon Vein, but he could also practice cultivation. Not only the Human Emperor, but civil and military officials could all cultivate.

Civil Officials had the Literary Heart, with a single word, they could drive away ghosts and gods, their writing flowed like dragons and snakes, capable of pacifying the world; Military Generals had the Martial Gall, with a single punch, they could sever rivers, move mountains, and stabilize heaven and earth."

Gulp!

A series of swallowing sounds echoed through the court, as evidently, the civil and military officials were all shaken by the scene described by Duge, and some even felt a longing for it.

"But look at you now, other than quarreling and spitting in the court, what else can you do?" Duge looked around at the civil and military officials in Jinluan Hall, questioning them.

"Why is it this way?" Chi Muzhi asked.

"You have to ask the Immortal Emperor that you all so reverently speak of," Duge chuckled, "If it weren't for his desire to monopolize power, his act of framing the Human Emperor and forcibly severing the Mortal Realm's path of cultivation, would the Human Race have declined to this extent?

Yet you fools still treat him like a father, willing to give him your all..."

He took a deep breath and spoke aloud, "Gentlemen, now that Emperor Donghua has found the Ancient Human Emperor Inheritance and desires to reestablish the Way of the Human Emperor in the Mortal Realm, starting with New Moon Country. Now that you are clear about the cause and effect, I ask you again, do you truly not wish to fight---for yourselves, for the Human Race?"