Chapter 6: The Grand Finale (End) (7k words)
==============================
Two days later,
The High School History Teacher finally awaited the audience with the Female Emperor.
Clearly unlike the last time, as soon as Lao Gao laid eyes on the Female Emperor, his knees buckled as if under immense pressure, and with a “thud,” he knelt on the ground, unable to lift his head.
“Uh… Sorry, I’m still not too skilled in handling divine power.”
The Female Emperor slowly approached him, personally helping him up.
Only then did Lao Gao get a glimpse of the Female Emperor’s true visage.
Though she wore her usual black dress, the faint golden aura surrounding her couldn’t be hidden.
Even the soft sound of her voice gave the High School History Teacher a profound sense of spiritual awakening.
“I know you all wish to return to Earth.”
“Please grant us your favor, Your Majesty.”
“Alright, leave everything to me. You may go now.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Although it was only a few brief exchanges, Lao Gao had received a promise from the Female Emperor, and naturally, he was on fire with excitement, wanting to rush back and share the news with his companions.
As for the idea that the Female Emperor was a traveler, he had been quite certain of it before, but upon considering that this woman had the terrifying ability to challenge the Four Heavenly Kings,
How could omniscience and omnipotence not be a god’s basic characteristics?
Thus, Lao Gao dared not be too confident about this speculation anymore.
The place where the Female Emperor received the High School History Teacher was her current residence—the Imperial Palace.
This imposing structure, gleaming in gold and silver, was a magnificent gift from Di Shitian.
He had easily transported it to Black Stone City, standing tall above the entrance of the Sky Tower.
With the goodwill expressed by Di Shitian, there was no reason for Lin Nan to reject it, especially since her successful reclaiming of her body’s dominion was not without Di Shitian’s significant help.
Although she was well aware of his intentions, contemplating a confrontation with him was not something her current strength could manage.
So, her immediate task was to cooperate fully with Di Shitian to pave the way to another hive, but first, she had to figure out how to send the remaining players back.
After all, this place was not their home.
She returned to her throne, lost in thought.
The silent trio protecting her, San Shiyuan, stood like sculptures, only moving their limbs after Lao Gao left.
Lin Nan turned to look at those three identical boys, a pang of bittersweetness swelling inside her.
“What will you do if I leave?”
Perhaps even she didn’t realize, after perfectly merging with Frost North Snow’s memories, her feelings for San Shiyuan had unexpectedly undergone a qualitative change.
Silly Shiyuan always had simple and straightforward answers that hardly needed any thought.
“Wherever you go, we go.”
Evil Shiyuan swung his iron rod, sneering, “Are you planning to leave us behind? I refuse to agree to that!”
Good Shiyuan stroked his chin, “The Great Dao Empire has only been recently established, and the monarch is everyone’s stabilizing anchor. If you were to leave abruptly, have you considered that the Three Races might fall apart and become enemies?”
Lin Nan had certainly thought about this.
There were countless examples from ancient Earth history; during an emperor’s reign, it was all about the battle for succession. Not to mention, if an emperor suddenly passed away, the nation would split and attack each other.
The reason Wendaotian could unite was that she served as the core.
If she suddenly vanished without a trace, how long could the Great Dao Empire hold together? This was indeed a puzzle.
She wasn’t the kind of person to neglect her country for personal gain.
Moreover, she had been entrusted with the power to govern the entire empire by the people of the Three Races; how could she betray that trust?
So, she had to consider not only the feelings of San Shiyuan but also prevent a resurgence of war in the Asking Dao Continent due to her temporary absence.
Yes, as the deity governing this land, the first emperor of the Great Dao Empire, she was inextricably tied to the Asking Dao Continent and could never be separated from it.
“How long do you intend to leave, Sister?” Good Shiyuan inquired.
Lin Nan shook her head, “It’s precisely because I don’t know the exact timeline that I’m worried.”
She had no secrets from the three and immediately shared her agreement with Di Shitian.
Evil Shiyuan immediately expressed his displeasure, “What nonsense! That b*stard is clearly plotting something.”
Silly Shiyuan nervously stated, “Sister, you’ve got to promise to always take me with you! I’m tough—I can help you take the hits!”
“Clearly, the Asking Dao Continent is just a chip for Di Shitian.
If you manage to successfully ascend to Earth and ignore Di Shitian’s demands, then this realm could collapse entirely due to Di Shitian’s wrath.”
Good Shiyuan quickly pointed out the key to Di Shitian’s plan.
“Of course, if you completely disregard this place, with Di Shitian’s godly status, he won’t be able to traverse the fragile pathway.
You could easily live freely on Earth.”
Lin Nan fixed her gaze on Good Shiyuan, “Do you think I’m that kind of person?”
Good Shiyuan smiled, “That’s why it’s so charming about you—I just can’t help it.”
“Hey, don’t throw in romantic compliments at every turn, alright?”
Good Shiyuan sternly replied, “Sister, I speak the truth; having responsibility and accountability is indeed a rare quality.”
Lin Nan gave a wry smile, “But here’s the rub. If I succeed in bringing him to Earth as per Di Shitian’s demands, while the Asking Dao Continent is saved, what about Earth? It’s like I’m being tortured in two ways; I don’t want to abandon either side!
Yet, alas, it’s a choice between the two.”
Indeed, anyone attempting to make that kind of decision in a short time would find it exceedingly difficult.
San Shiyuan had realized by now that their beloved had briefly lived on Earth, sharing a similar bond with that place that they couldn’t easily sever.
Making her abandon either location would be no easy feat.
Of course, Lin Nan had long laid bare her entanglements with Frost North Snow to the trio, thinking they would explode in anger and leave her entirely.
After all, Lin Nan’s memories were unrelated to the Asking Dao Continent.
Yet, she ultimately melted away all of Frost North Snow’s past memories, becoming an entirely new entity led by Lin Nan’s consciousness.
Silly Shiyuan, seeming confused, firmly stated, “I know who my sister is; knowing it’s you is enough.”
Evil Shiyuan shrugged, “Bah, it’s just a fight between good and bad kids in your head, right?
One says, ‘I can’t sleep in,’ and the other says, ‘I’ll sleep until the end of time.’ They’ll bicker until one wins, but regardless, she’s still her without any fundamental changes.”
“See, this is our instinct; we know who we love.”
Good Shiyuan concluded.
Among the three, he often was the last to speak, trying to appear different from the other two fools.
Lin Nan looked at the trio, and an idea emerged in her mind.
…
In the conference room, Lin Nan gathered elite representatives from the three races.
Before she departed, she wanted to completely transform the administrative framework of the Great Dao Empire into a constitutional monarchy.
This way, even if she were to leave for ten or eight years, or even longer, as long as the political situation remained stable, the country wouldn’t face significant issues.
Undoubtedly, Lin Nan’s ideas vastly exceeded people’s expectations.
This was also the first time people had heard that a country’s monarch could exist in such a fashion.
But after all, the proposer was the first emperor of the Great Dao Empire and also a guardian deity of the Asking Dao Continent, so everyone had no choice but to consider it seriously.
“Gods have their duties.
While I am the monarch of the Great Dao Empire, I also belong to the Divine Realm and must obey Da Fantian’s arrangements.
Thus, I may be away from the empire for a while—three or four years at minimum, possibly decades at most.
During this time, I do not wish to see any chaos arise from my absence, so the nation needs a strong governance structure that can thrive even without a monarch.
And this is what you will need to discuss next.
I’ll give you a fair warning—if one day I return to the continent and see a divided empire in disarray,
I will not spare any of the true culprits!”
The room fell into silence.
Lin Nan gracefully left, handing over the meeting’s proceedings to Cold Moon.
With her current status, she no longer needed to involve herself in specific policy-making; she could modify and confirm them once they’re complete.
The reason she didn’t pull up the relevant documents directly from the computer was that some things could only be properly formed through ongoing discussions. If she merely duplicated them, it would lead to unnecessary conflicts.
The meeting went on for a full fifteen days, and finally, under the framework Lin Nan had laid out, the draft for the new regime was completed.
Lin Nan then called in a bunch of adept individuals from among the human players to assess it.
After all, players had gone through modern education, and their perspectives on various issues were more profound, quickly spotting many naïve errors.
After another week of revisions,
the Prime Minister’s Office of the Great Dao Empire was finally established amidst great anticipation.
Cold Moon became the first Prime Minister by popular demand, exercising power on behalf of the monarch.
Only then did Lin Nan let out a breath.
No matter what, she could be considered to have done right by the citizens of the Great Dao Empire.
Next, she would have to face the next significant issue: how to bring the players back to Earth.
…
“Di Shitian, my apologies for making you wait.”
“No worries; time is merely a grain of sand in the vast desert to me. I have plenty of patience.”
Lin Nan brought Di Shitian to the hundredth floor beneath the Sky Tower.
This peculiar existence, the Sky Tower, was already a secret installation planted by Di Shitian in the Four Heavenly Kings’ territory.
Out of boredom, Di Shitian thought he would tease the four brothers from time to time to add some excitement to his mundane life.
Thus, the Sky Tower appeared quietly one year.
The Four Heavenly Kings suspected Di Shitian, but they couldn’t find any evidence.
Plus, since the Sky Tower constantly provided them with energy from challengers’ memories, the Four Heavenly Kings eventually tacitly accepted its existence.
According to Di Shitian, the location of the Sky Tower wasn’t fixed; it could move freely.
Lin Nan certainly believed he had the ability.
Thus, under her guidance, Ji Shen had early prepared a ritual on the hundredth floor underground.
Thousands of players were arranged at each formation eye.
Di Shitian watched all of this with keen interest.
“Finding you was certainly the right move. So far, no god has been willing to relinquish their upper-diety status as you have.”
Lin Nan calmly responded, “I merely wish to keep my promise.”
“You will gain independent control over a dimension in another hive, this is my promise to you. However, the Earth dimension is critical for the connection between the two hives, so I cannot hand it over to you; I hope you understand.”
“I understand; it’s the lifeblood.”
Di Shitian smiled, “Talking to smart people is indeed effortless.”
Zizaitian interjected with a scoff, “I have a feeling you’re hinting at someone.”
Di Shitian shrugged, “So, are you interested in coming over to take a look?”
“I still have to deal with Da Fantian on Mount Sumeru, so I won’t accompany you.”
Di Shitian chuckled, “Suit yourself. After all, Da Fantian knows quite well what we are up to.”
He turned to Lin Nan, “Once you’re ready, we can begin. I’ll await your signal.”
“Understood.”
When the passage between the Asking Dao Continent and Earth opened once again, Di Shitian swiftly relocated the Sky Tower near the passage.
During this time, apart from the players participating in the ritual, there was no one else around the Sky Tower.
Lin Nan hovered at the center of the ritual, her arms raised, letting unknown winds whip her hair.
The trio of San Shiyuan stood protectively in a triangular formation beside her, never leaving her side, no matter what happened.
As the ritual officially began,
Lin Nan gently closed her eyes, dense divine energy started to radiate from her and spread toward each formation eye.
This process was irreversible.
The three hundred thousand players from Earth already possessed lower-god genes, and under the stimulation of divine power, subtle changes began to emerge within them.
Di Shitian witnessed it all,
What sparked his keenest interest was the fact that humans on Earth possessed lower-god genes.
If he wanted to gain sufficient power before Da Fantian caught on, then absorbing the life energy from all these Earthlings seemed like a splendid choice.
“Buzz buzz buzz…”
After a prolonged tremor, all the patterns within the ritual were filled with the divine energy radiating from Lin Nan.
After such an extensive release, Lin Nan had instantly dropped from the upper-god tier to lower-god tier.
Of course, this was the highest divine rank required to pass through the passage.
Previously, Di Shitian had tried once, and out of tens of thousands of lower gods from the Divine Realm, only one was able to cross through the passage.
This indicated that the passage had significant exclusivity.
The reason that lower god could pass through could likely be that he was a distant relative of the humans on Earth.
Otherwise, why would the passage be an insurmountable barrier for the many lower gods from the Divine Realm while Earthlings could pass through freely?
Only this reasoning could explain it.
But regardless, as the passage to the void gradually expanded before her, Di Shitian felt a surge of joy.
As the second-ranked god in the Divine Realm below Da Fantian, many of the world’s laws were merely trifles to him.
As long as this passage could accommodate a deity with upper-god energy, he could disguise himself as a distant Earthling relative, sneaking through the void into another dimension.
In an instant, the Sky Tower glowed brilliantly.
Three hundred thousand players, buoyed by divine power, felt for the first time the joy of floating, aside from a few elder players who had already mastered the Immortal Gate’s floating technique.
Yet, swiftly thereafter, a massive, irresistible suction force followed.
The players were caught off-guard and spiraled into the rapidly rotating vortex.
At that moment, only Lin Nan remained poised and unmoving.
With her divine power backing them, the players being swept into the passage returned to stability; in an instant, they appeared high above Earth.
However, their divine energy dissipated during this process and expanded the passage further.
Thus, these players landed safely yet lost all the abilities they had learned in the Asking Dao Continent. Some lucky few retained bits of divine power, laying a solid foundation for the future revival of spiritual energy on Earth.
“Di Shitian, after you!”
Lin Nan bowed.
Di Shitian smiled slightly, “Cold Moon, you’ve been wronged. But don’t worry, under the nurturing of a vast dimension, you’ll quickly restore your upper-god qualifications.”
“Thank you for your guidance.”
Di Shitian wasted no more words,
Having awaited this day for nearly ten thousand years, while he still appeared calm on the surface, a hint of excitement bubbled internally.
Compared to the passage’s restrictions on divine power levels, Di Shitian only needed a drop of bl**d from an Earthling to cross without bloodline limitations.
Lin Nan stepped into the passage first.
San Shiyuan, wanting to follow, found that without Earth’s bloodline and lacking Di Shitian’s divine abilities, they could only watch Lin Nan and Di Shitian’s figures disappear into the void.
Silly Shiyuan’s wails, Evil Shiyuan’s furious curses, and Good Shiyuan’s sighs echoed from afar,
Lin Nan didn’t look back, as if she had completely forgotten them.
Just then, the entrance of the passage unexpectedly closed.
At that moment, the passage between the two hives plummeted like a rapidly falling waterfall, no turning back in sight.
Di Shitian’s entry was like a powerful flood rushing downstream; although the passage had expanded significantly due to the massive influx of players, handling Di Shitian’s enormous energy was still daunting.
But at that moment, Lin Nan, who stood before Di Shitian in the narrowest part of the passage, suddenly planted herself like a rock bracing against the torrent.
Di Shitian’s expression changed, “Cold Moon, what are you trying to do?”
“Sorry, I can’t let you through.”
“Are you worried I’ll harm the Earthlings? If it makes you uneasy, I promise I won’t lay a hand on the Earth.”
Di Shitian could clearly feel the temporary passage was on the brink of collapse; his tone grew urgent.
Lin Nan shook her head, “I’m sorry, Earth is my homeland. I won’t allow it to fall under the dominion of the Divine Realm. Only by completely severing the connection between the two hives can it let go of its hope.
After all, who can guarantee that you won’t be replaced by a second Di Shitian after you’re gone?”
Indeed, if one wanted to quickly raise their strength to fight against Da Fantian, aside from massively collecting life energy, there was no other way.
On Earth, there were her parents, her family, all her cherished loved ones and friends.
She couldn’t just stand idly by and watch them perish at Di Shitian’s hands.
After deliberating, she realized this might be the only chance to prevent Di Shitian from invading the Earth dimension.
Di Shitian sneered, “Do you think you can trap me like this? Too naive!”
As soon as he finished, Di Shitian unleashed his might,
Fully aware that the key at this moment wasn’t to subdue Lin Nan but to stabilize the passage, propelling the torrent that represented his power to its quickest destination.
In an instant, the divine energy of Di Shitian clashed with Lin Nan’s, trying to obliterate the rock obstructing the passage.
Lin Nan smiled, “Did you not know this void passage favors Earthlings?”
“Boom!”
A tremendous energy converged upon her from all directions, those divine energies aiding the passage’s expansion were amplified and then reabsorbed by Lin Nan.
Di Shitian hadn’t felt the threat of d*ath in over a hundred thousand years.
“Cold Moon, do you wish to d*e with me?”
Lin Nan declared, “Yes.”
Di Shitian laughed heartily, “Very well! I’m willing to sacrifice this lifetime of cultivation to fulfill your obsession.”
The two collided violently, as if a river had suddenly been obstructed by a dam, sending waves soaring towards the heavens and crashing through to create a gaping hole in the sky.
The void passage was already highly unstable,
Adding to that, two top-tier divine beings were battling fiercely within it, and soon, chaos erupted.
“Boom Boom!”
Not only Lin Nan, but Di Shitian showed no signs of pulling back.
After an unimaginably long period of monotony, the surge of bl**d made him momentarily forget his predicament; it was only the fight that could make him truly feel alive.
Yet, no matter what, everything was within Lin Nan’s plan.
No matter how Di Shitian presented himself, she would not allow him to escape the void passage.
…
At the base of the Sky Tower,
Zizaitian lay lazily on the ground, seemingly unfazed by Di Shitian’s disappearance into the void.
However, San Shiyuan was darting about like a headless fly in a panic.
“Sister! Sister!” The sound of Silly Shiyuan’s voice was laced with a cry, “You can’t just leave us behind!”
Evil Shiyuan swung his iron rod, smashing the surrounding rocks, and not feeling satisfied, he began banging his head against the wall.
Good Shiyuan lay beside Zizaitian, seemingly oblivious to Lin Nan and casually crossed his legs.
After a while, Zizaitian suddenly sat up and frowned, “This doesn’t feel right.”
Good Shiyuan nodded, “I feel it too.”
Zizaitian twirled a red thread in his hands, “Listen up, brothers, let’s make a deal.”
Good Shiyuan glanced at the other two who were wrapped up in their emotions, “I can make the call; what’s your plan?”
“I have a way to bring Di Shitian back, and all you three need to do is to temporarily block Cold Moon and leave the passage. That way, both Di Shitian and Cold Moon can survive, and we’ll each get what we want.”
“Deal!”
Zizaitian, ranking sixth among the twenty heavens, undoubtedly wielded significant power,
And he specialized in spatial magic, making him Di Shitian’s trump card. If any abnormalities arose during the passage, Di Shitian would always be saved by Zizaitian.
Yet the challenge lay in the fact that Di Shitian was under Cold Moon’s restraints, and their fierce combat rendered the passage precariously unstable.
In such circumstances, even Zizaitian couldn’t guarantee absolute success in casting a spell.
“Let’s go save sister!”
At Good Shiyuan’s words, the other two immediately huddled close.
Zizaitian used another thread stained with Earthlings’ bl**d to toss the three into the passage.
As soon as they entered, they spotted two golden figures clashing violently in the void. The tiny space they occupied was a minute rift between two massive hives, and their duration there would not last long.
Thus they had to hurry; otherwise, everything would be lost.
“Boom Boom!”
After another round of powerful punches, bl**d trickled from Di Shitian’s mouth,
While Lin Nan sported a scraped forehead, yet still held her elegance, exuding a unique charm.
“Ha, I’ve thought of an ingenious idea.”
Di Shitian suddenly said, “I’ll give you a thousand years; of course, that’s my absolute limit. I’ll find a way to Earth.
If you can still surpass me by then, I’ll willingly bow out and never step into the Earth dimension again.”
Lin Nan froze, never expecting Di Shitian would voice such a demand.
Good Shiyuan called from a distance, “He has a method to leave here!”
Lin Nan stared in surprise as the trio flew towards her, “This place is too dangerous; how can you…”
“Sister, you hypocrite! You can’t leave us!”
“Ahhh!” Evil Shiyuan picked up his stick and struck towards Di Shitian.
The latter merely blew a puff of breath, causing Evil Shiyuan and Silly Shiyuan to collide and tumble.
“Di Shitian, you!”
Seeing the two were unscathed, Lin Nan finally felt relieved.
Because of San Shiyuan’s sudden intrusion into the passage, she refused to lead them to doom, and thus immediately agreed to Di Shitian’s proposal.
“Very well, see you in a thousand years!”
Di Shitian didn’t pause for a moment, vanishing into the passage under Zizaitian’s red thread.
At this point, only Lin Nan and the trio remained.
“Thud!”
The instant Di Shitian disappeared, Lin Nan plummeted due to the intense backlash from forcibly expanding her strength against him.
Simultaneously, the void passage trembled violently.
Seeing the passage on the verge of collapsing, San Shiyuan immediately dived to protect Lin Nan, trying to pull her out in the last moments.
But their combined strength was indeed limited, and even with all their effort, they couldn’t successfully rescue the ailing Lin Nan.
The three exchanged glances,
Realizing that there was only one way to save their beloved in this grave moment.
At this instance, their thoughts aligned,
At this moment, they were extraordinarily resolute.
“Boom!”
The three held tightly together, their hearts converging after four hundred years apart.
Their beloved must not d*e!
Their most cherished wife must survive!
With a thunderous boom, San Shiyuan re-coalesced into one.
When the Monster King Shiyuan reappeared in the world, the passage fully collapsed.
…
Five years later,
A brilliant shooting star streaked across the sky above Earth.
Countless media covered it extensively; people had never witnessed such a beautiful moment. The golden tail resembled a trace engraved in space, fading gradually after a long while.
They sought to find the remnants of the meteor but could not locate even a trace.
What they did not notice was within the nearby dense forest, two figures were tightly nestled together, akin to young lovers who had just fallen in love, unable to be separated by anyone.
(End of the full text!)
(Thank you for your patience and appreciation! We shall meet again in the martial world, until next time!)
