Yin Xu revealed a triumphant smile. "See? No matter how confident you acted, you still ended up defeated by me."
Shi Tian was utterly dejected, the complete defeat of the Shi Tian clan having dealt him a devastating blow. Lu Gewu An's death had also impacted him. Before his final moments, Shi Tian had heard Lu Gewu An's words, stating he would rather be human in the next life than a Shi Tian. For Shi Tian, their creator, this was a profoundly failed assessment, akin to his own child rejecting the pride of being a Shi Tian. In that instant, he understood that he had treated his creations purely as tools to seize dominion over the universe. Furthermore, to unite them under a common goal, Shi Tian had stifled their capacity for independent thought, thereby reducing the inherent uncertainty that was humanity's greatest advantage over the Shi Tian clan.
Seeing Shi Tian's regretful expression, Yin Xu felt even more vindicated. She taunted him mercilessly, "You show such an expression too? How lamentable, to be conquered by the very fools you belittled."
Shi Tian let out a cold laugh. "While I may have lost, do you truly believe you defeated me?"
"What's the difference? I will soon become the common mother of humanity. You have effectively lost to my children."
"Pfft..."
Shi Tian couldn't help but chuckle, further enraging Yin Xu. "What are you laughing at?"
"Fool! Still dreaming your idle dreams? Mother? Are you worthy? Do you know what you resemble now? A puppet being led by the nose! The mighty creator, utterly manipulated by that half-finished Human Emperor. What else are you but a fool?"
Yin Xu's anger flared. "What do you know? Loser! Everything is within my control. That Human Emperor is merely my vessel!"
Shi Tian merely smiled without speaking. Yin Xu had no desire to waste more words with him. The conversation hadn't provided the satisfaction she craved, so she decided to simply capture Shi Tian. Scarlet tendrils pierced Shi Tian's body, followed by a colossal explosion.
After a fierce battle with Shi Tian, Yin Xu found herself considerably weakened. She scanned her surroundings, and despite the frightening explosion, a sense of dissatisfaction lingered. Yet, Shi Tian's aura had indeed vanished. She then let out a cold laugh, her eyes burning with ambition, and disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, she appeared before Chu Yang. Everyone else was gone, leaving only Chu Yang waiting for her. By human aesthetic standards, Yin Xu was incredibly beautiful. The flowing crimson tendrils behind her did not evoke a sense of dread but instead resembled beautiful, scarlet wings.
"Congratulations on successfully using me to kill Shi Tian. I paid a great price for this, so you must also pay your due."
Chu Yang looked into Yin Xu's eyes and asked, "Are you certain Shi Tian is truly dead?"
"Of course. And it's thanks to you. Your victory, and humanity's victory against the Shi Tian clan, also significantly weakened Shi Tian."
Chu Yang nodded. Yin Xu had no desire to engage in further pleasantries with Chu Yang. She stated plainly, "This is where we part ways. Our transaction is complete. It's time for your payment." The payment, of course, meant handing over all authority of the Human Emperor to Yin Xu.
A formidable aura enveloped Chu Yang. Yin Xu was warning Chu Yang not to harbor any ulterior motives; even though she had expended considerable energy fighting Shi Tian, she was still far beyond Chu Yang's ability to resist. Chu Yang could indeed feel the insurmountable chasm in their strength. Lu Gewu An's fusion was merely a quantitative change, while Shi Tian operated on an entirely different, higher plane. Chu Yang understood that he could no longer evade his fate. Due to the system, his path to the next realm was sealed. If he opened that gift package, he would no longer be his own master. This was the price of using others as a weapon.
"Perhaps we could exchange a few words first?"
"Unnecessary." Yin Xu's gaze was glacial. Having been manipulated by Chu Yang once and mocked by Shi Tian for so long, she felt a sense of revulsion towards any dialogue with Chu Yang.
"Consider it a ceremony, from a prospective Human Emperor, handing over humanity to you. My life is in your hands, after all. Surely, I'm allowed to speak my heart, aren't I?"
Yin Xu looked at Chu Yang's sincere gaze and found it difficult to refuse. Moreover, Chu Yang's life was indeed at her mercy. Regardless of his wishes, his end was inevitable. Chu Yang waved his hand, and a luminous screen materialized before him. He then asked, "What kind of race do you think humanity is?"
"Naturally, a perfect race."
Chu Yang shook his head. "No race is perfect, and humanity is no exception. However, I believe humanity's greatest advantage lies in their infinite potential. If this potential is stifled, humanity loses its greatest strength."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"After becoming the Human Emperor, what do you plan to do?"
"Naturally, to make humanity stronger, greater!"
"Do you think it's possible that humanity could become greater and develop better on its own?"
Yin Xu scoffed. "Are you denying my contributions to humanity? Don't forget, I helped humanity defeat your greatest enemy. Without what I gave you, humanity would have perished long ago." Although her actions were driven by self-interest, from a consequentialist perspective, she saw no issue with becoming humanity's ruler. Even Chu Yang's death did not feel like a debt she owed, as his rise to his current position was entirely her doing.
Chu Yang fell silent for a moment, then stated, "While I don't know where the two of you originated from, I believe you are a self-serving individual."
"Everyone is self-serving. At your level, you should already understand that when you pursue your own interests, you are also pursuing the interests of your people. Therefore, you can rest assured with humanity in my hands."
However, Chu Yang then uttered something that left Yin Xu utterly bewildered: "Consider it from their perspective. Do you ever feel that perhaps humanity doesn't need a Human Emperor..."
"???"
"Are you trying to go back on your word? Using your peculiar theories to talk me down?"