In the eyes of the Radiant Light Empress, she had never truly entered the heart of this man.
To him, her existence seemed merely to assist him in comprehending the Dao. Even after spending five years together in the mortal world, she had never stirred any genuine feelings within him.
However, now it appeared that this man had resolutely given up the chance to become an immortal for her safety.
The Radiant Light Empress was also surprised by this. It was truly unexpected.
This revelation seemed to forcefully tear open the hatred in her heart.
Her emotions were incredibly complex. She couldn't help but murmur, "If you have me in your heart, why would you still do such things?"
She couldn't understand why he had treated her this way. He had suppressed her under the Sun God Star for thousands of years, sealing all her cultivation.
Watching her being burned by the scorching flames, her Yin body was destroyed at that time.
No matter how much she pleaded, it was to no avail. Even her questions and pleas received no response.
The Emperor's cold gaze from that time felt as vivid as last night, even after all these years.
Seeing that scene back then, her heart was shattered, as if betrayed by the entire world, leaving her nearly incapable of thinking.
Since then, she had locked away her heart, maintaining an extremely indifferent attitude towards everything and everyone.
Sometimes she was baffled. Despite hating him for so long, after so many years, her feelings for him should have faded, leaving only hatred.
Yet, seeing his gentle side and his resolute choice to give up becoming a Mortal Immortal to save her, her heart still trembled.
At this moment, the Radiant Light Empress was deeply confused, feeling a great pain in her heart.
She did not know whether to hate or to love.
It was as if past troubles had resurfaced in her mind.
In the Heavenly Emperor Mirror, Chu Yang held up a grand seal and gazed far into the mortal realm.
After a long silence, Chu Yang unhesitatingly raised the celestial-level seal high into the void.
The Seal of the Human Emperor burst forth with dazzling light, enveloping the entire landscape of mountains and rivers.
Boundless pressure spread across the Nine Provinces.
Chu Yang declared loudly, "With the rise of the Golden Era, the myriad races have emerged, and heroes vie for supremacy. In such an era, our human race appears weak and vulnerable."
"Today, as the Human Emperor, I use the Seal of the Human Emperor as a guide to suppress the fortunes of the human race, hoping that our human race may endure through such struggles and remain unblemished for all ages!"
As these words fell, the heavens and earth trembled.
The mountains and rivers flowed backward, and the stars shifted.
The human race in the Nine Provinces, witnessing this scene, had faces filled with shock.
They knelt on the ground as if in worship, repeatedly bowing and paying respects towards Chu Yang's direction.
"The Seal of the Human Emperor is an unparalleled celestial artifact with the power to regulate heaven and earth. Yet, the Human Emperor is willing to relinquish it just to stabilize the fortunes of the human race and ensure its long-term prosperity."
"Such great grace, we dare not forget!"
Countless people were moved to tears at this moment.
In their hearts, the image of the Human Emperor became immensely exalted.
Even the past Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could not compare to the Human Emperor in this moment.
In an era where the human race was declining and faced with the myriad races acting like bloodthirsty predators, these kneeling Buddhas had not provided any aid in the mortal realm.
Only the Human Emperor dared to step up and protect the human race in such dire circumstances.
The image of the Buddha in people's hearts crumbled like a collapsing tower. They no longer sought divine intervention but only revered the Human Emperor.
"With the myriad races standing tall and our human race weak, like prey to be slaughtered, suffering endless bullying, no one has ever stood up to consider the human race."
"Yet now, the Human Emperor has emerged, not only imparting the Dao to us but also bestowing upon us an indomitable will, solidifying our beliefs, and leaving behind the Human Emperor Seal, a celestial artifact, in the mortal world."
"Such great grace, how could we ever forget!"
"Thank you, Human Emperor!"
The thunderous voices echoed from every corner of the Nine Provinces.
Countless people were moved to tears at this moment.
The absence of an Emperor among the human race had been a longstanding pain.
Throughout the vast river of time, the Nine Great Sacred Bodies emerged, bloodied the firmament, and fought against the myriad races.
Without an Emperor, the Nine Great Sacred Bodies battled the heavens.
Now, the human race no longer lacks the protection of a great Emperor.
With the Human Emperor's appearance, who can rival him? With the Human Emperor guarding the mortal realm, how can the human race not prosper and rise?
In this brilliant era, in the age of rising heroes, how could the human race be absent?
Outside the Heavenly Emperor Mirror, the cultivators were all in utter shock upon seeing this.
They had never expected that the Human Emperor Seal, such a celestial artifact, would be discarded by the Emperor.
When they first saw that the Emperor had acquired a previously unseen celestial artifact, they nearly panicked, fearing that the Emperor might have more powerful trump cards and might even overturn the Heavenly Emperor Mirror.
But now, they were astonished.
The allure of a supreme celestial artifact to cultivators was almost self-evident.
Moreover, with great enemies looming, the Emperor chose to abandon such an artifact. What could he be thinking?
Some cultivators remained relatively calm.
After all, the Emperor had dared to forsake the chance to become an immortal, so even a celestial artifact might not be beyond his letting go.
Thinking about it, the cultivators' perception of the Emperor changed once again.
It must be said that the current Emperor was exceptionally benevolent towards the human race and the Radiant Light Empress.
There were no faults to be found; his benevolence was completely selfless.
Such an Emperor made the cultivators question whether the rumored bloodbath of the human race was real.
After all, it seemed the Emperor still had no motivation to harm the human race.
Perhaps the so-called bloodbath was just a facade?
The Emperor's display of great love for the human race touched everyone deeply.
Only Ye Fan's expression was incredibly grim.
His face alternated between pale and dark, veins bulging, looking quite sinister and terrifying.
He loathed these fence-sitters who quickly changed their opinions.
One moment they hated the Emperor, and the next, they praised him.
Ye Fan couldn't help but ask, "The bloodbath of the human race by the Emperor was witnessed by the Radiant Light Empress. Could it be a deception?"
He knew that at this moment, the Radiant Light Empress needed to step forward to stabilize the cultivators' hearts.
The Radiant Light Empress, hearing this, nodded with a complex expression and sighed softly.
"This matter was indeed witnessed by me and cannot be false."
"Moreover, the rumors circulating are unlikely to be groundless. If the Emperor had not done such things, there would not be such rumors."