Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 700 - 349 First Emperor

Lu Yu's words came out, and the Monkey was somewhat surprised and said, "The First Emperor? Is that the fanciful mortal?"

"Fanciful mortal? If that were so, why then has his name become a taboo throughout the three realms? Do you know how much effort the celestial gods from the heavens put forth to try to kill him?"

Hearing this, the Monkey promptly asked out of curiosity, "Scholar, you're well-informed with many secrets. Hurry up and tell me so I don't embarrass myself if someone asks me about it later."

"The Twelve Bronze Figures that the First Emperor cast were modeled after the Twelve Grand Sorcerers of the Witch Tribe. Back then, he built them as the foundation to establish the Dragon Court of the Human Path, coveting the throne of the Heavenly Emperor. He attempted to act in place of heaven through the Human Path, which not only violated the taboos of all gods but also went against the will of the sages of the Human Path. Ultimately, he perished, his soul annihilated, and all that he accomplished was buried deep within the river of history. I, too, only heard of it when I caught wind of a casual discourse among a few honorable Divine Spirits of the Underworld," Lu Yu explained.

That a mere emperor of the human race dared to snatch the Heavenly Emperor's throne is quite impressive!" the Monkey couldn't help but exclaim.

"Impressive indeed. He devoured the Eight Wastelands, swept through the cosmos, established the Dragon Court of the Human Path, cast Twelve Bronze Figures to suppress heaven and earth, and he almost changed the entire three realms," said Lu Yu with a sigh of his own.

When he first heard about these deeds, his expression was even more exaggerated than the Monkey's. One should know that the era of the First Emperor was not a time when humans and gods lived together harmoniously, a golden time for spiritual cultivation. In such an era, for him to emerge so forcefully, wielding such talent and willpower, was truly extraordinary.

It was just a pity that he was born in the wrong era. Had he appeared when the human race first emerged, he might have changed the development trajectory of the human race, leading it down a completely different path. However, during his time, the All Saints had already set their plans in motion, and the saints of the Human Path had already established the path to follow. Any rash changes would be too risky.

Yet the First Emperor went ahead with his single-minded rebellion, challenging the strong while being weak. He nearly succeeded, which at the time, shocked all beings in the three realms and caused the gods to become even more wary of the human race.

"So what happened afterward?"

"What else could happen? Of course, he failed. He pursued the path of a despotic ruler, attempting to govern the gods in the same way he ruled the human race. Do you think the gods and Buddhas scattered across the heavens would have allowed him to succeed? It is said that in the final battle, the First Emperor formed the Great Divine Fierce Array with the Twelve Bronze Figures, and summoned the phantom of Pangu, almost cleaving open the Heavenly Court in one strike. Had it not been for the intervention of the Three Pure Ones, the entire Heavenly Court would have been destroyed by him," Lu Yu recounted.

"And the counterattack of the gods ensued. They first brought down meteors to weaken the Fortune and Destiny of the Great Qin, then used the Book of Life and Death to diminish his lifespan. Eventually, they sent the stars down to the mortal realm to change the dynasty, thereby ending his life." Lu Yu quietly recounted his knowledge, revealing the secrets unknown to others, leaving those around him with looks of amazement. They could hardly believe that there could be such a person in the world, a mortal who had compelled the intervention of a Saint, an honor perhaps unmatched before or after.

"Impressive!" murmured Chen Xiang to himself. He had read of the name of the First Emperor before but never imagined that so many Divine Spirits were involved behind the scenes.

"After the First Emperor perished, his loyal followers placed him in the mausoleum that had been prepared in advance, attempting to seize the mysteries of heaven and earth, to intrude upon the arcane secrets of the sun and the moon, to reverse life and death, but the gods thwarted their plan by shifting the landscape with celestial might. Furthermore, in secret, they aided the Red Emperor's Son to overthrow the Qin Dynasty and seize its Fortune and Destiny, thus extinguishing the life of this astonishing figure," Lu Yu continued.

"And those Twelve Bronze Figures were also buried within the First Emperor's mausoleum. This Magic Artifact, having been imbued with the Fortune and Destiny of the Human Path, had become the most impeccable Artifact of the Human Path, the only kind capable of undertaking the task of splitting open the Heavenly Stripes."

"Please tell me the location of the mausoleum; I must retrieve the Bronze Figures," implored Chen Xiang quickly.

"The First Emperor's mausoleum is filled with peril. His followers, to prevent anyone from interrupting the resurrection process, laid countless traps. Entering now in your current state would only end in losing your young life. Better to patiently continue your training before setting out," advised Lu Yu gently.

With no choice, Chen Xiang nodded in frustration, acknowledging the reason in his teacher's words. After all, that was the First Emperor's mausoleum, his traps were most likely designed to target immortal gods, and one misstep could mean utter ruin.

"Chen Xiang, take me too; it sounds very interesting!" the Rakshasa Princess said nearby, her face full of longing as she gazed at Chen Xiang.

"You shouldn't go, Princess. Didn't you hear the Teacher say? It's very dangerous," said Chen Xiang, troubled.

"What's to fear? I'm not some damsel with no strength to truss a chicken. I've been cultivating ever since I was little. You might even need my protection when the time comes."

"And me, and me too, I want to go!" chimed in Sun Shier, who had managed to run back and was now eagerly scratching his head and shouting from the sidelines.

"Stop causing trouble; I'm going on business, not to play. Moreover, as I said, that place is very dangerous. One careless move and it might be the end of you. You better stay back and enjoy Huaguo Mountain," Chen Xiang implored earnestly, not wishing to bring harm to his friends because of himself.

However, without considering his expectations, Sun Shier and the Rakshasa Princess insisted on accompanying him to see the mausoleum of the First Emperor, having been stirred by the story Lu Yu told, motivating their strong curiosity for such a character.

Chen Xiang looked to Lu Yu, hoping his teacher would step in and stop these two overcurious individuals, but he only saw Lu Yu's smirk of schadenfreude, confirming the futility of seeking his help.

After some thought, he bit the bullet and said, "Taking you with me isn't entirely out of the question, but let's get one thing clear. You'll follow orders and not act recklessly."

He was well aware of the potential for chaos from these two and set the rule beforehand to prevent any mischief from the pair later on.

"Chen Xiang, you're the best!" said the Rakshasa Princess with a beaming smile, her beautiful eyes fixed on Chen Xiang's face.

"There, that's better; it saves me from having to sneak out," retorted Sun Shier with an air of arrogance. He had made up his mind that if Chen Xiang refused to take him along, he'd sneak off as he had done before and follow Chen Xiang stealthily.

Chen Xiang looked at Sun Shier speechlessly; he knew that was exactly the kind of scheme the rascal was planning. Even the Rakshasa Princess would likely sneak out restlessly. In that case, it was better to agree to their demands, as he could keep an eye on them and prevent any misfortune.

If Lu Yu could hear Chen Xiang's inner thoughts, he might comment on where Chen Xiang got the delusion that he was a reliable and mature person.

"So for this period, train diligently in preparation, and when the time comes, I will naturally tell you the location of the First Emperor's mausoleum," Lu Yu said softly, sending them off to return to their training.