World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others
Chapter 548: Fight for the human race

Are you here to become the emperor?

The air in the imperial study seemed to have stopped flowing.

The expressions of the two Golden Elixir cultivators froze on their faces, looking at Du Ge with eyes full of confusion. Bringing a True Immortal to force the emperor to abdicate and seize the throne—wasn't this too outrageous?

He wasn't even a prince!

Without the dragon's aura, even if he got the throne, he wouldn't be protected by fortune!

"Immortal, what did you say?" The emperor of New Moon, He Yanzhao, looked up, bewildered, at Du Ge, feeling like he was dreaming.

"You heard right. By the order of the Southern Emperor, I am here to become the ruler of New Moon." Du Ge revealed the Southern Emperor's token and said, "He Yanzhao, your mismanagement of New Moon has led to public outrage and divine wrath. You must immediately abdicate and pass the throne to me."

Having understood the benefits of the dragon vein, Du Ge initially planned to manipulate a prince, using his power to seize a throne.

But as fate would have it, he gradually reached the celestial stage, where personal power nearly represented the pinnacle of the mortal realm. Assembling an army to seize the throne became somewhat redundant.

He Yanzhao finally understood what was happening. He looked coldly at Du Ge, stood up, and no longer spoke politely: "Immortal, are you sure this is the order of the Southern Emperor?"

"Naturally," Du Ge replied calmly.

"Do you have the Southern Emperor's decree?" He Yanzhao sneered.

"No decree is needed," Du Ge said.

"Haha." He Yanzhao looked at Du Ge and scolded, "Where did this rogue come from, daring to impersonate the Southern Emperor? You must not know that the Southern Emperor governs gods and ghosts. I am ordained by heaven to rule the mortal dynasty, and we do not interfere with each other. In fact, my status is comparable to the Southern Emperor's. What right does he have to make me abdicate to you?"

"If you won't abdicate, then die!"

Du Ge extended his hand, and the Dark God power gripped He Yanzhao's throat, lifting him into the air.

He Yanzhao, initially fearless, was instantly horrified when Du Ge lifted him. He felt his breath become labored, blood rushing to his face, which turned crimson in an instant.

He reached out, trying to remove the Dark God power from his throat, but found himself powerless, only able to struggle as breathing became increasingly difficult.

Seeing Du Ge choke He Yanzhao, Xu Jinghui and Lou Zhen's expressions changed drastically, instinctively stepping back.

Yet, realizing their cultivation levels were unaffected, both were stunned.

Not only they were dumbfounded, but also the two Golden Elixir cultivators, who dared not move, stared at Du Ge, who had captured the emperor from afar, full of shock. One of them said in disbelief, "How... how is this possible?"

"Let... let me go... spare me!" He Yanzhao managed to raise his hand and squeezed out a few words from his throat.

Du Ge released the Dark God power.

Thud!

The old emperor He Yanzhao fell to the ground, clutching his throat, coughing a few times before looking at Du Ge in terror: "Why... why weren't you countered by the dragon vein?"

Indeed!

Why weren't you countered by the dragon vein?

The two Golden Elixir cultivators simultaneously questioned in their hearts.

The mortal realm has its fortune, which gives rise to the dragon vein, nurturing emperors. Emperors, connected to the fortune of the mortal realm and their nation, are protected by the dragon vein. Although cultivators possess great martial strength, once they act against the emperor, they will be countered by the mortal realm's fortune.

Cause and effect, almost no immortal can bear the counter of the mortal realm's fortune.

Under the counter of fortune, any cultivator who directly attacks the emperor, along with a series of related individuals behind him, will encounter problems in their cultivation...

This is the mortal realm's means of self-preservation.

This is also why Xu Jinghui and others were anxious to check their cultivation when Du Ge acted against He Yanzhao.

Because I don't belong to this world!

Du Ge looked at He Yanzhao, smiling: "Why wasn't I countered? He Yanzhao, do you know how Prince Duan died a few days ago? If the Eastern Emperor hadn't found a way to counter the dragon vein's backlash, how could he have acted against you?"

A huge blame was thus pinned on the Eastern Emperor by Du Ge.

"..." He Yanzhao was suddenly shocked. Was the Eastern Emperor behind this? He was disheartened, "Why, why would the high and mighty Eastern Emperor meddle in the mortal realm?"

"Do you want to know?" Du Ge smiled at He Yanzhao, teasingly, "In life, ignorance is bliss. Knowing nothing, you can still be a carefree prince. But if you figure everything out, you might just end up a knowledgeable ghost! Maybe not even a ghost..."

The two Golden Elixir cultivators' expressions changed drastically, secretly lamenting how they got involved in the schemes of these big figures.

The other party wasn't even afraid of the dragon vein's backlash. Killing them, two Golden Elixir cultivators, would be a mere flick of the finger...

"..." He Yanzhao's mouth twitched continuously. Facing Du Ge's gaze, he lowered his head, seeming to age ten years in an instant, trembling as he said, "I will abdicate."

"A wise man knows when to yield," Du Ge smiled and nodded, "Summon the civil and military officials. In two days, New Moon will hold the abdication ceremony, and I will officially ascend the throne to rule New Moon."

"Two days?" He Yanzhao was taken aback, "Immortal, isn't that a bit rushed?"

"It's better to choose a day than to wait for it. One day to prepare, one day to ascend the throne—two days is already slow," Du Ge said, "What, do you have a problem?"

"No problem," He Yanzhao replied bitterly.

He never thought he would lose his throne in such a manner.

But without the dragon vein's protection, he was just an ordinary person, with no means to resist a cultivator who could easily threaten his life.

If he could delay, he might think of another way.

But in two days, he couldn't even send out a message...

...

Abdication is a significant matter.

It's not something that can be completed by just handing over the imperial seal between two people.

Under Du Ge's demand, He Yanzhao summoned all the civil and military officials to the Golden Throne Hall in advance to explain the abdication.

For a moment, the court was in an uproar.

Prime Minister Chi Muzhi stepped forward, angrily accusing Du Ge: "This is utterly absurd. Never in history has a cultivator interfered in politics. Isn't the Eastern Emperor afraid of divine retribution for doing this?"

"The Prime Minister is right. Cultivators live long lives. If they govern, where does that leave us mortals? Over time, will there even be a mortal realm?" General Qiu Shiwang echoed.

"Immortals govern the celestial realm, ghosts govern the underworld. Why does the Eastern Emperor meddle in mortal affairs?" The Minister of Rites stood up, loudly saying, "Your Majesty, we should burn incense and pray to the heavens, asking the Celestial Emperor to uphold justice for us?"

The Golden Throne Hall was noisy, like a marketplace, with civil and military officials arguing for their interests.

If cultivators could become emperors, they could also become civil and military officials.

And the long lifespan of cultivators would block any chance of advancement for mortals.

Over time, mortals would have no opportunity to rise.

No ordinary person wanted to see this happen, as their rights were severely threatened. To protect their interests, these officials were truly fearless.

Some officials even threw their court tablets at Du Ge, showing more backbone than the cultivators of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

The cultivators of the imperial teacher's office stood silently on the side, not daring to speak. Not to mention the two True Immortals standing there, they didn't dare move.

The fact that a cultivator had taken the mortal emperor's throne without suffering the backlash of fortune was enough to shatter their worldview.

The structure of the mortal realm was likely to change.

It's just unclear why the Eastern Emperor would target the mortal realm...

...

He Yanzhao watched the noisy court, saying nothing.

He had anticipated this situation.

He wanted to see how the cultivator who came to seize his throne would handle this situation.

Surely, he couldn't kill all the civil and military officials!

Governing a country isn't like cultivation. Relying on those whose minds are corrupted by cultivation to manage a country would quickly lead to its downfall.

He Yanzhao didn't know what the Eastern Emperor wanted, but he could guess that the Eastern Emperor might be using this to threaten the Celestial Emperor's rule.

Therefore.

He hoped the situation would escalate, ideally alarming the Celestial Emperor, prompting him to act against the Eastern Emperor.

...

Ahem!

Du Ge coughed, not loudly, but his voice precisely reached the ears of every official in the court.

The court instantly fell silent.

"Gentlemen, may I say a few words?" Du Ge asked.

"Bah!" Prime Minister Chi Muzhi spat on the floor of the Golden Throne Hall, "Who are you? What right do you have to command the entire court? I would rather die than be driven by you."

"We would rather die than be driven by a cultivator," the civil and military officials behind the Prime Minister echoed, causing chaos again.

Xu Jinghui frowned slightly. Faced with such a chaotic scene, he truly didn't know how to handle it. He wasn't Du Ge and couldn't bear the consequences of indiscriminately killing mortals.

"Prime Minister Chi, do you truly believe the mortal realm should be governed by humans?" Du Ge wasn't angry, smiling as he looked at Chi Muzhi and asked.

"Naturally, the Celestial Emperor governs the celestial realm, and the emperor governs the mortal realm. This division has always been clear," Chi Muzhi said, "You, as a cultivator, usurping the mortal throne, are the ones acting against the natural order."

Chi Muzhi held considerable prestige in the court, and when he spoke, the court immediately quieted down.

"The emperor?" Du Ge laughed, his smile full of mockery, "What is the emperor?"

"The divine right of kings, the emperor governs the country by heavenly mandate, hence called the emperor," Chi Muzhi retorted.

"Claiming to be the emperor, what's there to be proud of?" Du Ge chuckled lightly, "I heard someone say earlier that we should burn incense and pray to the heavens, asking the Celestial Emperor to uphold justice for you. Is this what you call the Celestial Emperor governing the celestial realm and the emperor governing the mortal realm?"

"..."

Chi Muzhi frowned, hearing a strong sense of disrespect for the Celestial Emperor in Du Ge's words, causing him to shiver. Could it be that the Eastern Emperor truly harbored rebellious intentions, using the mortal realm to challenge the Celestial Emperor?

This was not good news!

If mishandled, it could lead to widespread devastation...

"The Celestial Emperor is the lord of the three realms. What's wrong with the emperor calling himself the emperor?" Chi Muzhi said, "You, as a cultivator, disrespecting the Celestial Emperor, aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

Xu Jinghui and others were already drenched in sweat. They realized the seed plan was aimed at the Celestial Emperor, but they didn't expect Du Ge to openly disrespect the Celestial Emperor in public, which was practically a death sentence for them.

Could the mastermind behind the seed plan be the Eastern Emperor?

But if it were the Eastern Emperor, Du Ge wouldn't need to approach the Southern Emperor and ask for an introduction!

So.

There must be someone else behind the seed plan, and the Eastern Emperor was likely being scapegoated, meaning they had offended both the Eastern Emperor and the Celestial Emperor...

Xu Jinghui felt dizzy, barely able to stand. For the first time, he regretted agreeing to join Du Ge's seed plan. Continuing down this path, he feared he would be reduced to ashes before enjoying any benefits.

Had he known, he would have preferred to die on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, at least leaving a whole corpse!

What seed, it's just madness!

The imperial teacher and other cultivators were ashen-faced, wishing they could disappear into the ground. Involving the Celestial Emperor, they dared not speak on such a topic!

...

Du Ge's personal interface was always open in front of him. Since he initiated the Human Emperor Plan, his mental power had been continuously increasing.

Clearly.

His actions, walking on the edge of a knife, had once again piqued the interest of the Pan-Universal Entertainment audience, which was a good thing, at least temporarily preventing the Alien Star Battlefield from being halted.

"Prime Minister Chi, do you know that in ancient times, the emperors of the mortal realm were called Human Emperors?" Du Ge directly bypassed the issue of respecting the Celestial Emperor, speaking calmly.

"Human Emperor?" Chi Muzhi was stunned.

Even the old emperor He Yanzhao was taken aback.

"Yes, Human Emperor." Du Ge looked ahead, his eyes full of serenity and longing, "The Human Emperor represented the human race, standing on equal footing with all deities, truly leading and protecting the mortal realm. Even when meeting the Celestial Emperor, there was no need for formalities, just a simple greeting as a fellow Daoist."

With these words.

The Golden Throne Hall fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

He Yanzhao was dumbfounded, his heart unexpectedly yearning for the position of Human Emperor. Standing on equal footing with the Celestial Emperor, that was the ultimate power!

Below, the Crown Prince, who was supposed to inherit the throne, pursed his lips, speechless.

"What is the emperor, ordained by heaven?" Du Ge snorted disdainfully, "In the end, it's just a subordinate of the Celestial Emperor. Look at the mortal realm today, with Earth Gods everywhere, City God Temples in every city. Who do they obey? Is it truly you, this puppet emperor?

Can you, as this so-called emperor, truly make decisions for the country?

No.

You can't, you're just a puppet. You can't even be your own master. When danger arises, you can only rely on the dragon vein's protection, praying to the high and mighty Celestial Emperor for peace.

He Yanzhao, let me ask you, if the demon race invades, can you, as the emperor, truly stop them?"

He Yanzhao's mouth twitched, wanting to say that the demon race was repelled by the Eastern Emperor, but the words stuck in his throat, as the Eastern Emperor was still a deity of the celestial realm...

"That's right, you can't stop them," Du Ge said, "because you don't have the ability. You, this so-called emperor, are merely playing house under the celestial court's protection, like a child confined to this land! The so-called demon race has long been dealt with by your heavenly father."

"Easy for you to say, the emperor can't cultivate," an imperial censor retorted, seeing the emperor humiliated.

"Have you ever wondered why you can't cultivate?" Du Ge glanced at him, asking sharply.

"..." The imperial censor was left speechless.

"Indeed, the path of cultivation in the mortal realm has been severed," Du Ge took a deep breath, "In ancient times, the Human Emperor not only had the dragon vein's protection but could also cultivate. Not only could the Human Emperor cultivate, but so could the civil and military officials.

Civil officials had literary hearts; a word could repel ghosts, a pen could calm the world; military generals had martial courage; a punch could break rivers, move mountains, stabilize the universe."

Gulp!

The sound of swallowing echoed in the court, clearly, the civil and military officials were stunned by the scene Du Ge described, some even yearning for it.

"But look at you now, besides arguing and spitting in the court, what else can you do?" Du Ge looked around at the civil and military officials in the Golden Throne Hall, questioning.

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

"You should ask the Celestial Emperor you so revere," Du Ge chuckled, "If he hadn't wanted to monopolize power, sabotaging the Human Emperor, forcibly severing the mortal realm's path of cultivation, would the human race have declined to this point?

Yet you fools still treat him like a father, eager to pour your hearts out to him..."

He took a deep breath, loudly declaring, "Gentlemen, the Eastern Emperor has found the ancient Human Emperor's legacy, intending to reestablish the path of the Human Emperor in the mortal realm, using New Moon as a pilot. Now that you know the cause and effect, I ask you again, do you truly not wish to fight for yourselves, for the human race?"