The Steward Demonic Emperor

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Look, somethings coming up. Don’t miss it…”

The old man waved in excitement, looking like some perv peeking at the girls’ showers with his wretched grin.

Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes, though he paid attention. Knowledge was power. Regardless of how he would face this powerful enemy, the more he learned, the better.

Zhuo Fan’s eyes widened as he stared at the lake, “That man in white again? Are these his memories?”

The old man nodded.

“As the Heavenly Sovereign’s younger brother who formed a Sovereign path, he should be a half Sovereign. Even he would choose to be reborn? Just how cruel was that ancient war?”

He could imagine why this great younger brother died. A situation in which not even the Heavenly Sovereign could protect him had to be the great war.

Zhuo Fan watched the man in white in a cave having lonely eyes.

A familiar voice was heard, “Must you do this?”

“That voice…”

Zhuo Fan shuddered, “The Nether Sovereign? He’s involved?”

The old man grinned.

In the water, the man in white hesitated but his voice was firm, “I can’t refute elder brother’s words. He might be right. The Heavenly Daos are heartless while mine is too emotional, preventing me from reaching the Sovereign Stage.”

“While both of you comprehended the Heavenly Daos, he did it through the heartless void path, as for you, the emotional Heavenly Daos. Talking of previous and current heaven is the same, regardless of right and wrong, the comprehension is of different aspects. If you must insist on separating them, his Heavenly Daos were before humanity, while yours is after it. From how I see it, your Heavenly Daos is more fitting with humanity to reach the Supreme Dao Stage above the Sovereign Stage.”

The Nether Sovereign spoke.

The man in white sighed, “Why mention that when I can’t even reach the Sovereign Stage? Nether Sovereign did you do what I asked?”

“I did.”

The Nether Sovereign sighed, and with a wave, a black sculpture of a woman appeared, “This is made of the Nether Sea’s yin crystal formed for ten thousand years from millions of lost souls’ grievances. As your emotions are tied to the Heavenly Daos, these grievances are too few to seal it.”

The man in white nodded, “Thank you.”

He made a sign.

“Wait!” The Nether Sovereign spoke up, drawing the man in white’s attention, “The Heavenly Sovereign is your elder brother and ever since he reached the Sovereign Stage with the void path, we all know his character. By sealing all your emotions in this sculpture, won’t that ascertain our stance with each other?”

The man in white sighed, “Time will tell.”

He made the sign again and the space shook. A multicolored light flew out of him and into the sculpture.

“Five colors?”

Zhuo Fan gasped, “Brothers indeed, with the Sovereign path having seven colors, he reached five already. He’s not just a half Sovereign, but a mere step from the Sovereign Stage. But why didn’t he become the tenth Sovereign in the end? He forsook all emotions from the Heavenly Daos!”

The old man shook his head.

The man in white turned stiff and cold after that, looking at the Nether Sovereign with icy eyes, “Thanks.”

“So our friendship ends here.” The Nether Sovereign sighed and left.

The man in white was now void of any emotion, removing all semblance of his humanity, so that he could now cultivate the heartless Heavenly Daos. Three months later, he still couldn’t reach the Sovereign Stage.

He had great talent, yet he still couldn’t do it.

In his greatest confusion, his heart stirred, restless for him to do something.

So he followed his heart and left cultivation, returning to where he sealed his emotions, in that cave. 

“You’re back!”

A soft voice reached him as an incredible woman stood at the entrance of the cave with a big smile

The man in white shuddered. 

Zhuo Fan gasped, “I-isn’t that the sealed sculpture? Why is it a human?”

The man in white thought the same, his heart frantic. 

[What trick did the Nether Sovereign pull? Didn’t he say that the woman sculpture is a vessel? Why is it human?]

[Was it made after her?]

The woman walked over and explained everything, while he had no intention of pushing her away.

This sculpture was filled with regrets and sorrows, but when he poured all his Heavenly Daos cultivation inside, it nurtured true emotion. The seal couldn’t contain it either, resolving all the negative emotions and turning them into pure emotions.

But what was this item with emotion?

Human or demon?

She could speak and had the white man’s emotions as her foundation. He was the first to sense her life, while the woman kept staying by his side. 

He couldn’t tolerate this as he cultivated the heartless Heavenly Daos now, breaking away from all emotions.

However, the emotions that the woman had came from him. He couldn’t find it in himself to drive the woman away. It was like they were always connected.

One thing led to another and the man in white got used to her as the days passed, becoming her master. Due to his cultivation residing within her, she was fast in cultivating.

But she was not human, just a spirit formed from emotions.

After a few years, she reached Saint Stage. The man’s heartless Heavenly Daos were now tainted with feelings of love for the woman.

The woman also loved him beyond measure. They were a match made in heaven, leading to the re-establishment his old friendship with the Nether Sovereign and the others as well.

The Nether Sovereign showed a bright smile…

“The Nether Sovereign is so vile.”

Zhuo Fan clicked his tongue, “Did he plan for the woman to stir his heart? Wasn’t she but a sealed vessel from the start? Why not just make a box?”

The old man smirked, “Isn’t it great the young man recovered?”

“Recovered? He was supposed to reach the Sovereign Stage, but didn’t the Nether Sovereign delay him?” Zhuo Fan sneered, “Now I know why he was never among the ten Sovereigns, ha-ha.” 

The old man shook his head, “He didn’t reach it because his path had regret, not because his path was wrong. After cutting himself of all emotions, wasn’t he stuck all the same? Kid, don’t you have anyone you love?”

“I do.”

“What will you pick, her or the Sovereign Stage?”

Zhuo Fan smiled, “Her!”

“Why?”

“I go where my heart is!” Zhuo Fan nodded at the man in white in the reflection, “By clashing with your heart, you’re blocking any chance at reaching the Sovereign Stage. The Heavenly Sovereign’s younger brother only strayed further when he abandoned all emotion.”

The old man nodded, “You do understand!”

“Yeah, and I seem to be in the same situation as him, ha-ha-ha…”

“Forget her!”

A cold tone had Zhuo Fan jumping in fright. He looked back to see the Heavenly Sovereign’s icy face staring at the man in white, “I thought you’d be a Sovereign when I came out of seclusion but not only do you still have emotion, you even have a woman. How can you grasp the Heavenly Daos?”

The man in white rebutted, “It doesn’t matter. With elder brother shocking the world is enough. I don’t need to be a Sovereign as well.” 

“I don’t care about you, or the glory of my clan. I am me, the Heavenly Sovereign, wielder of the void path!”

The Heavenly Sovereign’s tone was ever cold, “I urged you to be a Sovereign out of instinct. Just like rearing a pet. Humans say animals have feelings, but are they as complex? Everything follows the Heavenly Daos, reproducing. I am the same. As my younger brother, I hoped we’d grasp the Heavenly Daos together and grow beyond human condition instead of making me take pity on you.”

The man in white raised an eyebrow, “Pity? Elder brother, I thought you’re heartless.”

“Yes, pity is speaking too highly. What I mean is not to make me despise you like every other bug.” The Heavenly Sovereign’s eyes shone with bloodthirst, “If you don’t want to cut them off, I’ll kill that woman for you!”