Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, not bothered that she withheld her true name.
Instead, he asked softly, "I wonder what brought Xiangu to seek me out?"
The woman's strength was considerable.
If she said it was nothing, he did not believe it.
Xiangu brushed back her hair and sighed, "Let me tell you a story first. It was a very, very long time ago, when Emperor Xuanyuan Huangdi ruled the world..."
After about a stick of incense's time.
Cao Cao finally understood the identity of the Snake Demon Yuan Lu Zhi — this creature now dwelt in the fairy realm and intended to devour all who opposed it.
"Are you planning to have us deal with it?"
"To be precise — it is the enemy behind you."
"This matter is unforgivable."
Cao Cao shook his head and rejected her proposal.
Xiangu was startled, then asked, "Why? I have traveled your lands these past few days. Is not the doctrine of your god that God loves all sentient beings?"
Cao Cao was silent for a long moment, then said, "That is so. But the immortal realm has brought much trouble upon the gods. Do you not acknowledge this?
I respect you as a compassionate immortal, but my faith is in the Eternal God.
Toward the enemies of God, I show no mercy.
So what does the death of the immortals mean to me?
Yuan Lu Zhi has deceived humanity several times — and the immortals took action, but the people gained happiness, and they acted only to secure their own rule.
This kind of contemptible emperor — he deserves his fate far more than anyone."
Some of these words left Nuwa speechless.
Who could have guessed the Heavenly Emperor was such a person?
So selfish.
Because he feared Yinglong, he let others take the blow — as if others couldn't see that Yinglong's rampage was his doing?
Now that Cao Cao had made his position clear.
She truly did not know how to respond.
After a long while, a gentle breeze blew.
Cao Cao said, "You may stay in my territory for now. No one will disturb you. Yuan Lu Zhi will not live long. One day I will rule the entire land, and finally wage the war to cut through the heavens!"
"But that way, even more people will die. Yinglong was wounded by me, and the seal on his body has broken seven or eight times over.
Now that he has devoured the emperor, his demonic miasma has grown stronger — even if he cannot bewitch the Central Plains, he will prey on other tribes.
Those savages and grassland people will gain power equal to yours because of his blessing.
Is that truly desirable?"
Nuwa naturally could not sit idle.
She still hoped to persuade the chief priest to ask the gods for intervention.
Because of the seal on Yinglong, she could not act directly.
Otherwise, the creature's emotions would spiral out of control, and its power would grow ever stronger.
Cao Cao looked at the female immortal before him with some amusement, then said suddenly, "How could I, a mere chief priest, have the patience to persuade the gods? Why don't you go yourself?"
"I?"
"Yes. I think if you, in your own person, were to go to the God Realm, the gods might grant you some consideration."
Though he did not know that the female immortal before him was Empress Nuwa.
Her identity had to be very noble indeed.
What better sacrifice could there be?
If he could trick her into dedicating herself, it would be a true gain.
The gods would praise him for it.
Nuwa naturally did not know what Cao Cao was thinking. If she had known, she would have kicked him to death with her embroidered shoes.
However, the other party's words did touch her heart.
After a long silence, Nuwa raised her head, looked at Cao Cao, and asked, "Do I need to make any preparations?"
"Do you truly wish to go?"
Cao Cao was genuinely shocked.
He had only spoken in jest — he had not expected her to actually want to sacrifice herself.
Was this legendary compassion?
He understood.
Nuwa nodded, stood up, and gazed at the rosy clouds in the distance with a sigh: "As a being in this world, I must make some contribution to it. The people of my age are all but gone. If I can do something, it can be considered repayment to the world."
After that, she turned to look at Cao Cao, her expression utterly serious.
She spoke each word with weight.
"Tell me how to reach the Eternal God Realm."
Although Cao Cao had been jesting moments ago, he now had to take the high ground.
"Please come with me. The faith has very few rules. Sincerity is our greatest offering."
Nuwa could not help but be moved.
Sincerity?
Could it be that simple?
No wonder it was the great God who created this world — such a heart was indeed beyond compare.
Nuwa then came to the altar.
It had originally been where Liu Bei had offered sacrifices to heaven, but Zhang Liao had since converted it into an altar of the gods.
After all, it had cost much labor to build.
Jingzhou was also a significant city.
An altar was truly needed.
············Flower Request············
Nuwa gazed at the mysterious runes on the altar; her eyes lit up. These were things she had never seen before, yet noble power flowed within them.
She wondered if the gods would blame her when she met them.
"You may kneel at the center of the altar. I will activate it."
"Understood."
Following Cao Cao's instructions, Nuwa knelt at the center of the altar, feeling somewhat tense.
A strong yet gentle force then radiated from the altar.
Immediately afterward, Nuwa was wrapped in divine light and rose toward the Eternal God Realm.
A rift was torn in the sky.
Nuwa looked upon this new world and gasped in shock.
The place where she entered the God Realm was the Immortal Realm plane — the lowest level of the God Realm.
But even here, it surpassed the heavenly realm.
"Oh... so our world was so barren?"
During her ascent, Nuwa's gaze was drawn to a beam of emerald green light. Upon closer inspection, it was a hundred thousand mu of flat peach trees.
And they were all Golden Flat Peaches.
The vintage could not be refined.
They had surpassed the most precious treasure in the world.
Mouthwatering.
She then arrived at the second dimension — the plane of the gods.
Its inhabitants were all powerful figures, each capable of covering the sky with one hand.
The world of the saint cemetery.
Her breath instinctively slowed, afraid to investigate further.
Were these the servants of God?
Each one was so formidable — any one of them could likely slay Yuan Lu Zhi in the lower realm.
No wonder Cao Cao was unafraid of the snake demon — in the eyes of God, the creature was merely an ant.
Below, in the world of mortals.
When the believers saw the divine light appear, they immediately bowed in reverence.
Whenever this radiance appeared, it signified the birth of a goddess.
So they knelt.
With wonder and awe, Nuwa finally flew to the gates of the Eternal Temple.
At this moment, two lovely little girls had just flown down from the sky. They looked suspicious when they saw Nuwa.
"Hey... is this sister new here? Why hasn't Yue'er seen you before."
"She must be a newcomer — Illya hasn't seen her either."
The two girls held hands and walked toward her.
Nuwa tried to compose herself, but because the aura emanating from these two little girls was simply too terrifying.
She could not help but show discomfort.