Chapter 1407: Eyes Turn Dark Before Me

"Retrace Yi's heroic journey?" Zu An's expression was strange. He wondered if Chang'e would be involved; if so, he might consider it. Joking aside, he was more concerned about something else: "Who exactly is this powerful enemy you mentioned?"

Hearing his question, the voice fell silent, then spoke 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 talented individuals to cope with the crises. Perhaps due to the excellent lineage of Emperor Xuan's descendants, or the urgency created by years of suppression, many of Emperor Xuan's descendants at that time possessed great talents. For instance, Gun's family was skilled in water control, and I was proficient in many areas as well."

"Furthermore, I had eight kinsmen who were recognized as wise men of the age, known as the Eight Kai. Gradually, I became more and more trusted by Emperor Yao, and my influence grew."

"As we were both descendants of Emperor Xuan, I showed favor to Gun. Even when Emperor Yao was hesitant, I recommended him to lead the flood control efforts. Unfortunately, he betrayed my trust, wasting resources and labor for many years without ever successfully managing the floods."

Yan, Yun, and Yu exchanged glances. They noticed the voice repeatedly mentioned floods. Their world also had ancient legends about a great deluge, leading them to wonder if he was a figure from that era. Yet, for a mere wisp of consciousness to persist for so long—wasn't that power a bit too exaggerated?

The voice continued, "Not only that, he was ungrateful. He forgot my recommendation and our kinship, slandering me before Emperor Yao and trying to have me killed."

"He was clearly a descendant of Emperor Xuan, yet after all these years of persecution by Emperor Bai's lineage, instead of seeking revenge, he chose to be their dog!"

From his tone, Zu An could still feel his lingering anger. Zu An's expression was odd: "So the powerful enemy you want me to deal with is Gun? Oh wait, he should be called Taotie now." He had met Taotie before; Taotie possessed the power of an Earth Immortal. While not as strong as the Demon Emperor or Zhao Hao, Taotie was certainly beyond Zu An's current ability to handle. No wonder he was told to seek some divine artifact.

"Gun? He's not worthy." The voice sounded somewhat disdainful.

Zu An was speechless. If someone at the Earth Immortal realm wasn't worthy, then what kind of existence was considered a powerful enemy by this entity? Forget it, forget it, I still want to live a couple more years. Just as he was about to give a perfunctory answer and find an excuse to slip away, he heard the other party say, "The person I need you to deal with is named Si Wenming."

Zu An was stunned. This name was so unfamiliar; he had never heard it before. Did history in his memory even have such a person? However, if it were a truly formidable figure, like Chiyou or Gonggong, he would definitely have heard their names. Since he had no impression, it probably meant they weren't that impressive. Thinking this, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "No problem, I accept this mission."

The voice was clearly surprised: "Oh, what courage! Knowing the target, you accepted without hesitation. Truly a young hero."

"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 more confidence in what needs to be done next." Although the enemy was someone he had never heard of—and thus likely not *too* powerful—it was still crucial to gather all necessary information to avoid unforeseen complications.

"When Gun betrayed and even framed me, I narrowly escaped death. My subordinates were indignant and all wanted revenge on Gun," the voice recounted. "I also knew that after this incident, our relationship was completely severed. If I allowed him to continue slandering me before Emperor Yao, not only I, but my kin and my subordinates, would likely face eternal damnation. So, I began my counterattack."

"Fortunately, Gun had accumulated too much popular resentment due to his failure in flood control. I didn't even need to act much; he brought about his own downfall and was executed by Zhu Rong, sent by Emperor Yao with a sword, at Mount Yu."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exchanged glances. Earlier, when passing Mount Yu, they had come across a mountain with several narrow valleys. At the time, the Demon Emperor had commented that the mountain had been split by sword energy, and everyone had marveled at the level of cultivation required to achieve such a feat. Was it that Zhu Rong now? But what was this person's identity? There were no records of him from ancient times to the present.

Zu An, however, was startled: "Zhu Rong, the Fire God?" Just as Gonggong was the Water God in ancient Chinese mythology, Zhu Rong was the Fire God. Legend had it that these two were mortal enemies and fought fiercely.

The three women looked at him in surprise, astonished that he knew this person. They made a mental note to thoroughly question him later about how many more secrets he held.

"Oh, you know quite a lot, young man. That's strange; given your age, you shouldn't really know these things," the voice said, fortunately not pressing the issue. "Zhu Rong indeed held the position of Fire God back then, but 'Zhu Rong' is also a title. There have been many generations of Zhu Rong, so this one might not be the one you're thinking of."

Zu An nodded, his mind quickly processing the information he was given. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was subtly wrong.

The voice continued, "After Gun's death, no one else troubled me. Later, after Emperor Yao passed away, I successfully succeeded him as the next Great Emperor..."

Before he could finish, Zu An's pupils contracted sharply: "You are Shun! So you are Shun!" He couldn't believe this was the legendary ancient sage-king Shun, revered as a saint by countless scholars throughout history, the embodiment of virtue from whom all enlightened morality began. Was he actually conversing with such a mythical figure? For a moment, he felt as if he were dreaming.

Seeing his dramatic reaction, the three women were also startled. Being intelligent, they recalled previous conversations where Shun was mentioned as one of the ancient Great Emperors, who apparently could ascend to the Immortal Realm. This would make him incomparably more powerful than even the Demon Emperor. The thought that such a figure was right there in the cave before them. While Yu Yanluo remained composed, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, who had reached the Grandmaster realm, had a fervent glint in their eyes. They had been stuck at their current level for many years, even doubting the path ahead—could cultivation truly lead to immortality? But now, a living example was right before them; how could they not be excited?

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

Zu An composed himself slightly and smiled faintly, "In my hometown, few people probably don't remember you."

"Is that so?" the voice chuckled, seemingly unsurprised; it was a natural confidence. "Since you know my identity, there's no need for me to hide anything. In my later years, I was terribly betrayed and harmed by Si Wenming, so I need to borrow your strength to help me seek revenge."

"Wait," Zu An swallowed with difficulty, "You don't mean Si Wenming is..."

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

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