Chapter 117: The Era of the Five Emperors

"Greetings to the Celestial Emperor and the Celestial Empress!"

As Li Tian and Nuwa descended, countless humans knelt in reverence. The four Sages—Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Zhunti—offered slight bows as well.

"Junior Brother, Junior Sister (Senior Sister) Nuwa."

"It seems everyone has arrived."

Li Tian smiled, cast a glance at the Sages, and stepped down from his carriage with Nuwa.

"Senior Brother, the completion of the Three Sovereigns' ascension is a matter of great importance. We fear that any turbulence in the Human Race's fortune could lead to disaster, so we have come to invite the three Sovereigns to reside in the Holy Land of the Human Race," Zhunti said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Nuwa frowned slightly.

While they claimed it was to stabilize the Human Race’s fortune, was it not effectively a disguised form of house arrest to prevent them from interfering in human affairs? However, realizing this would benefit the Celestial Court, she instinctively looked at Li Tian, wondering if he could find a way to satisfy both sides.

Li Tian caught her gaze and offered a look that urged patience. He turned to Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan, and asked with a smile, "If you do not stay in the Holy Land, will it truly lead to disaster?"

"If our absence from the Holy Land would bring about catastrophe, we would gladly guard it for all eternity!" Xuanyuan, already resentful of the Sages' ulterior motives, stepped forward without hesitation and bowed. "However..." He left the rest of his sentence unsaid, but everyone understood his implication.

"Insolent," Yuanshi murmured, casting a sharp look at Xuanyuan. Since Xuanyuan’s words were barely veiled accusations against the Sages, it was an intolerable provocation to the prideful Yuanshi. "Such a momentous affair is not for a junior like you to speak of lightly. If disaster strikes and karma entangles you, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Xuanyuan acts with a clear conscience!"

"You!" Yuanshi was visibly angered.

"Enough, Senior Brother Yuanshi." Seeing that Yuanshi intended to strike, Tongtian frowned and intervened. Regardless of the circumstances, Xuanyuan was his disciple, and he could not stand by while he was bullied. Moreover, he was already regretting his presence here; for the sake of mere human fortune, he found the act of bullying his own disciple beneath his pride.

Yuanshi snorted. Realizing that arguing with a junior was beneath him, he joined Laozi and Zhunti in turning their gazes toward Li Tian, eager to see what the Supreme Emperor of Mount Sumeru had in mind.

"Junior brothers, will the Three Sovereigns not residing in the Holy Land truly bring about disaster?"

Li Tian smiled and posed the same question to the four Sages.

Upon hearing this, Laozi, Yuanshi, and Zhunti frowned. Did the Supreme Emperor intend to oppose the confinement of the Three Sovereigns because of Fuxi?

"While it may not lead to immediate disaster, one must remain vigilant," Laozi said after a moment of contemplation.

"So, it won't?" Li Tian smiled. Seeing Laozi struggle to articulate a concrete reason, he knew the Sage had no further arguments. Being Sages, they had their pride and would not debase themselves by lying through their teeth to achieve their goals. "In that case, there is no need to place restrictions on the Three Sovereigns. I trust they have a sense of propriety."

"Indeed." Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan nodded repeatedly. To alleviate the Sages' concerns, they added, "We shall not interfere in human affairs henceforth. We ask that the Sages please rest assured."

"See that you do," Laozi said, his brow smoothing. With a wave of his sleeve, he turned and departed. Seeing him leave, Yuanshi and Zhunti also vanished in a flash.

"Senior Brother, Junior Sister Nuwa, I shall take my leave as well," Tongtian said, greeting them before smiling at Xuanyuan. "Feel free to visit my Penglai Island whenever you are free."

"I shall certainly pay a visit when the opportunity arises," Xuanyuan bowed. With a nod, Tongtian vanished.

"Many thanks, Celestial Emperor." Once the Sages had departed, Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan turned to Li Tian, expressing their heartfelt gratitude. If they had been confined to the Holy Land forever, their existence would have lost its purpose. Though they could no longer intervene in human affairs, they had at least retained their freedom.

"Is it truly fine to go against the other Sages like this?" Nuwa asked with a smile, surprised by Li Tian’s actions, as confining the Sovereigns would have been more beneficial to the Celestial Court.

"A trivial matter," Li Tian replied. In reality, as long as the Three Sovereigns did not interfere, the outcome was largely the same whether they were confined or not. That was why Laozi and the others had chosen to leave.

Within the Human Race, if one were to ask who held the greatest power, most would answer the Celestial Emperor and Empress. Only a few would name the other Sages. After all, temples to the Celestial Emperor were everywhere, and the deeds of Li Tian and Nuwa had been woven into various versions of mythology, passed down through generations. If the Three Sovereigns were to intervene in human affairs, this perception would shift, and the fortune of the race would migrate toward them. Unlike the distant, ethereal Sages, the humans' own Sovereigns were far easier for the people to revere. This was the true reason the Sages could not sit still. Furthermore, there were the Five Emperors yet to come.

After returning to their respective domains, the Sages sent out their disciples to maneuver for influence over the next Human Emperor. Because the Five Emperors were not born with the Purple Qi of the Sovereign, their identities were uncertain. Thus, the Sages adopted a "wide net" strategy, having their disciples recruit and mentor candidates who held the potential to ascend. As the next Emperor was undetermined, the Sages did not intervene personally to avoid the embarrassment of backing a failure.

Because Xuanyuan was a disciple of Tongtian, the Jiejiao sect had flourished among the humans in recent years, even overshadowing the Renjiao sect. Laozi, having only one disciple, Xuandu, felt the pressure acutely. To preserve his sect's legacy, he began to manipulate the heavenly secrets and devise his own plans.

Meanwhile, after granting the Three Sovereigns spiritual treasures and offering words of encouragement, Li Tian and Nuwa boarded their carriage and returned to the Celestial Court. Shortly after their departure, Fuxi, Shennong, and their kin returned to the Holy Land, leaving the human realm to the new rulers.

Thus, the Human Race officially entered the Era of the Five Emperors.