Chapter 1402: Eyes Go Dark Immediately

"Re-enact Hou Yi's hero's journey?" Zu An's expression was strange. He wondered if Chang'e would be involved, in which case he might consider it. But jokes aside, he was more concerned about something else: "Who exactly is this powerful enemy you mentioned?"

Hearing his question, the voice fell silent, then said after a long pause, "He is a traitor who betrayed me."

"During Emperor Yao's reign, various disasters frequently occurred, forcing him to vigorously promote talents of all kinds to deal with the crises. Perhaps it was due to the Xuan Emperor's excellent bloodline, or the sense of urgency caused by years of suppression, but many descendants of the Xuan Emperor's lineage at that time possessed great abilities. For example, Gun's family was skilled in flood control, and I also had many proficiencies."

"Furthermore, I had eight kinsmen who were recognized as wise individuals in their time, known as the 'Eight Kai.' Gradually, Emperor Yao relied on me more and more, and my influence grew."

"As fellow descendants of the Xuan Emperor, I showed goodwill towards Gun and even recommended him to manage the flood control efforts when Emperor Yao hesitated. Unfortunately, he betrayed my trust, wasting resources and labor for years without ever effectively managing the floods."

Yan, Yun, and Yu exchanged glances. They noted that the voice had mentioned floods multiple times. Their world also had ancient legends about a great flood. Could he be a figure from that era? But for a mere wisp of spiritual consciousness to exist for so long, his power would be too exaggerated.

The voice continued, "Not only that, but he was also ungrateful, forgetting my earlier recommendation and our kinship. He slandered me before Emperor Yao, trying to have me killed."

"Despite being a descendant of the Xuan Emperor, he was persecuted by the White Emperor's lineage for so many years, yet instead of seeking revenge, he chose to be their dog!"

From his tone, Zu An could still sense his lingering anger. Zu An's expression was strange: "So the powerful enemy you want me to deal with is Gun? Oh, no, it should be Tao Wu now." He had met Tao Wu before, who possessed the strength of an Earth Immortal. Although not comparable to the Demon Emperor or Zhao Hao, Tao Wu was definitely not someone Zu An could handle in his current state. No wonder he was told to find some divine artifact.

"Gun? He's not worthy," the voice said with some disdain.

Zu An was speechless. If someone at the Earth Immortal realm was considered "unworthy," what kind of being did this voice consider a powerful enemy? "Never mind, never mind," he thought. "I still want to live a few more years."

Just as he was planning to humor the voice for a bit and then find an excuse to leave, he heard the other party say, "The person I need you to deal with is named Si Wenming."

Zu An was startled. The name was completely unfamiliar; he had never heard it before. Did such a person exist in the history he remembered? But if he were a truly formidable figure, like Chiyou or Gonggong, Zu An would definitely have heard his name. Since he had no impression, it probably meant he wasn't very impressive.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief: "No problem, I accept this mission."

The voice seemed surprised: "Oh, what courage! Knowing he's the target, you accepted without hesitation. Truly a young hero."

"You flatter me, you flatter me," Zu An said, 'humbly' cupping his hands. "By the way, what did that person do to offend you? Knowing the full story might give me a better grasp of what needs to be done next."

Although the enemy was someone he'd never heard of—and thus probably not very powerful, even if impressive—it was still necessary to clarify all the information to avoid any unforeseen mishaps.

"When Gun betrayed and even framed me, I narrowly escaped disaster. My subordinates were indignant and all wanted revenge on Gun," the voice said. "I also knew that after that incident, our ties were completely broken. If I allowed him to slander me before Emperor Yao, not only I, but also my kin and my subordinates, would likely face eternal damnation. So I began my counterattack."

"Fortunately, Gun had accumulated too much public resentment due to his failure in flood control. Without me needing to do much, he brought about his own demise, and was executed by Emperor Yao's envoy, Zhurong, with a sword at Yu Mountain."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exchanged glances. When they had passed Yu Mountain earlier, they had seen a mountain with several narrow valleys. At the time, the Demon Emperor had remarked that the mountain seemed to have been split by sword energy, and everyone had marvelled at the level of cultivation required to achieve such a feat. Now, it seemed that was the work of Zhurong? But who exactly was this person? There were no records of him from ancient times to the present.

Zu An, however, was startled: "Zhurong, the God of Fire?"

Just as Gonggong was the God of Water in ancient Chinese mythology, Zhurong was the God of Fire. Legend had it that these two were mortal enemies who fought fiercely. The three women looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to know this person. They resolved to thoroughly question him later about how many more secrets he was hiding.

"Oh, you certainly know a lot, young man. It's strange, given your age, you shouldn't know these things," the voice said, fortunately not pressing the matter further. "Zhurong did indeed hold the position of Fire God back then, but 'Zhurong' is also a title. There have been many generations of Zhurong, so this one might not be the one you're thinking of."

Zu An nodded, quickly processing the information given. He had a faint, nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.

The voice continued, "After Gun's death, no one else tried to harm me. Later, when Emperor Yao passed away, I successfully succeeded him as the next great Emperor..."

As the voice was about to continue, Zu An's pupils constricted sharply: "You are Shun! So you are Shun!"

He couldn't believe this was the legendary ancient sage king, Shun! Countless great Confucian scholars in ancient times revered him as a saint; it was said that all virtue in the world began with Emperor Shun. In historical records, he was the embodiment of virtue. Was he truly conversing with such a legendary figure? For a moment, he felt as if he were dreaming.

Seeing his intense reaction, the three women were also startled.

Being intelligent, they all remembered the previous conversation where Shun was mentioned as one of the ancient Great Emperors. Emperors of that era seemed capable of ascending to the Immortal Realm, making him perhaps immeasurably more powerful than the Demon Emperor. Realizing such a figure was right there in the cave, Yu Yanluo remained composed, but Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, who had cultivated to the Grandmaster level, showed a fervent light in their eyes. They had been stuck at their current level for many years, even doubting if cultivation could truly lead to immortality. Now, with a living example before them, how could they not be excited?

The voice immediately fell silent, then sighed after a long while, "It's been a long time since anyone called me that. I didn't expect anyone to still remember me."

Zu An also calmed himself down slightly and smiled faintly, "Where I come from, there are probably very few people who don't remember you."

"Is that so?" the voice chuckled, seemingly unsurprised, showing a natural confidence. "Since you know my identity, I don't need to hide anything. In my later years, Si Wenming betrayed and gravely harmed me, so I need your strength to help me seek revenge."

"Wait," Zu An swallowed hard, "the Si Wenming you're referring to wouldn't happen to be..."

The voice explained, "Oh, he has another name more widely known to the world. Everyone calls him Yu the Great."

Hearing that name, Zu An's vision went black, and he nearly fainted.