Chapter 164: Nan Luo's Mask

In the western wilderness, atop the summit of the Great Snow Mountain.

Since the ferocious beast clan took dominion over the western wilderness, the perennial white snow that once blanketed the Great Snow Mountain gradually transformed into countless crimson flakes of blood snow, shrouding the entire massif.

Hence, in this moment, the Great Snow Mountain bore another name: the Great Blood Mountain.

As the tallest peak in the western wilderness, the Great Snow Mountain concealed beneath its depths millions of spiritual veins, crowning it as the foremost among all mountains in the region.

Yet, the mountain’s fate was fraught with hardship.

Whether occupied by the ferocious beast clan or seized by the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou, the mountain seemed perpetually steeped in an aura of slaughter and demonic cultivation.

It was not until the Western Sect took possession of the Great Snow Mountain that the landscape was restored to its pristine snowy glory, reclaiming its status as a sacred mountain.

Xiong Shitian stood atop the Great Snow Mountain, gazing out toward the distant fierce cities. In his hand, he held a letter bearing the nine-colored Qilin seal, and he sank into deep contemplation.

“I never expected Nan Luo to defeat the Qilin Emperor with a single punch. When did he attain sainthood in the flesh?”

As the Fierce Emperor, Xiong Shitian neither managed the affairs of the ferocious beast clan nor concerned himself with the murderous divine auras within the hundred-zhang furnace. Instead, he stood atop the Great Snow Mountain, pondering this matter alone.

Nan Luo, as the Lord of Destiny, remained still for long periods, but when he acted, the heavens shook and the earth trembled, inevitably drawing the attention of all wild beings.

Xiong Shitian, as the Lord of Rebellion, was fated to be Nan Luo’s destined adversary, and thus paid particular heed to everything concerning Nan Luo.

Since Nan Luo revealed his identity as the Lord of Destiny, Xiong Shitian had assigned subordinates to keep constant watch over him.

Whatever Nan Luo did, Xiong Shitian understood it thoroughly.

Yet, the more Xiong Shitian observed Nan Luo in secret, the less he comprehended him.

Ten thousand years ago, after founding the Divine Clan, Nan Luo secluded himself within the City of Gods, diligently cultivating in hopes of breaking through to the demigod realm.

During those ten millennia, Nan Luo appeared remarkably ordinary and unremarkable, even resorting to petty schemes, believing no living being noticed his subtle maneuvers.

Unbeknownst to him, Nan Luo’s identity was too sensitive; he could not conceal any of his schemes.

The exalted immortals, wary of the hidden hand behind the scenes, paid special attention to this variable called Nan Luo.

The Dragon Emperor, Phoenix Emperor, Qilin Emperor, and Fierce Emperor, each vying for supremacy, also watched Nan Luo, the Lord of Destiny, with exceptional interest.

Every move Nan Luo made was scrutinized under a magnifying glass, observed by all powerful beings.

At first, Xiong Shitian thought Nan Luo was merely playing the role of a feigned fool, hiding his true strength and deliberately concocting absurd schemes to deceive the saints and emperors.

As fifty thousand years passed, the saints and emperors gradually lowered their guard, believing Nan Luo posed no real threat, dismissing the idea of a hidden tiger beneath a pig’s guise.

Yet, Xiong Shitian persisted in his belief that Nan Luo was still playing the feigned fool, not truly harmless.

As both Fierce Emperor and Lord of Rebellion, Xiong Shitian could never accept that his destined nemesis was a powerless fool.

If Nan Luo, bearing the mantle of destiny, were a mere waste, then what would that make Xiong Shitian, who bore the mark of rebellion?

Destiny and rebellion stand opposed.

The Lord of Destiny and the Lord of Rebellion are fated adversaries, never with one overwhelmingly strong and the other weak.

Only when both are evenly matched can they be called true nemeses of fate.

Otherwise, destiny and rebellion would be nothing but a farce.

Contemplating this, Xiong Shitian began to see in Nan Luo’s actions reflections of his own virtues.

If Xiong Shitian had any remarkable qualities, the first to come to mind were endurance and ruthlessness.

Endurance, though a simple word, was exceedingly difficult to practice.

Take the ferocious beast clan as an example. According to fate, the clan was doomed to extinction in the coming catastrophe, with at least half of its members wiped out.

Even Hong Jun, the Sacred Immortal backing the ferocious beast clan, had no interest in preserving them during this calamity.

The demise of the ferocious beasts was the inevitable course of the primordial world, a celestial decree.

Hong Jun had no desire to oppose the heavens by rescuing a doomed clan.

Faced with such destiny, Xiong Shitian neither openly resisted nor rebelled. Instead, he revered Hong Jun’s decrees, showing no awareness that his end was near.

Without sufficient power and before ascending to sainthood, Xiong Shitian would never defy Hong Jun or the decrees of fate, silently persisting in one word: endure.

Ruthlessness, seemingly simple, was in truth incredibly difficult.

For an ordinary being, killing three or five enemies in anger might be called minor ruthlessness; casually slaughtering hundreds of thousands would be major ruthlessness.

But for Xiong Shitian, ruler over billions of ferocious beasts and sovereign of a territory spanning countless miles, his ruthlessness was measured in the lives of all primordial beings.

If he could ascend to sainthood, even if countless beings perished, so be it.

The multitude of primordial clans and beings conservatively numbered in the tens of trillions.

Xiong Shitian’s ruthlessness was not mere talk; it was already in motion.

One day, it would erupt, turning the heavens and earth into a blood-soaked storm of slaughter.

As mentioned earlier, Xiong Shitian had devised a plan for annihilation—destroying the world and slaughtering all beings.

Reflecting on his endurance and ruthlessness, and observing every action of Nan Luo, it became clear that Nan Luo’s conduct conveyed eight words: feigning madness, playing the fool, enduring in silence.

Nan Luo seemed to wear a mask, deeply concealing his true self to deceive the saints and emperors, yet he could not fool Xiong Shitian, who wore a mask too.

In March of this year, Xiong Shitian dispatched a clone to launch a surprise attack on Nan Luo, which in truth aided Nan Luo, enabling him to immediately ascend to demigod status.

After Nan Luo’s ascension, Xiong Shitian understood that Nan Luo’s mask would gradually fall, revealing his true self—a genuine Divine Emperor.

Sure enough, as Nan Luo shed his disguise, his true self emerged: arrogant, unrestrained, and supremely self-assured.

The Qilin Emperor was the first to witness Nan Luo’s unveiled nature.

Therefore, after being defeated by Nan Luo, the Qilin Emperor remarked, “Divine Emperor Nan Luo lives up to his name. His heart is unfathomable.”

No true emperor is truly foolish; only those pretending to be fools act so.

Clearly, reflecting on Nan Luo’s past and present, the Qilin Emperor immediately discerned the difference—that Nan Luo had always worn a mask to conceal his depths.

“Nan Luo’s heart is unfathomable!”

This was a direct admission of Nan Luo’s profound scheming and vast reserves of cunning.

“Oh Nan Luo, shedding the mask of falsehood and lies reveals your true self—the one who, in my heart, is the Lord of Destiny!”

Xiong Shitian gazed across the splendid lands of the western wilderness, deeply satisfied with Nan Luo, his rival, who had not disappointed him.

In a lifetime, one must have a worthy opponent; only then is the journey through this world meaningful.

Nan Luo was the best opponent in Xiong Shitian’s heart.

“I wonder, when will my own mask be lifted?” he mused.

Thinking of the endurance he must still maintain, Xiong Shitian unconsciously clenched the nine-colored Qilin letter in his hand, his heart swelling with unwillingness and fury.

One day, the anger in Xiong Shitian’s heart would explode, bringing about a cataclysmic calamity upon the world.

Atop the Great Snow Mountain, the blood snow thickened, countless crimson flakes falling upon Xiong Shitian’s blood-red cloak, transforming into pure ferocious power that merged into his body.

“Xiong Shitian, by my sacred decree, the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, Qilin Clan, and Ferocious Beast Clan—these four great royal lineages—shall unite their armies to annihilate the Divine Clan.”

As Xiong Shitian was immersed in his thoughts, the voice of Sacred Immortal Hong Jun suddenly echoed in his ear.

“The four great royal clans uniting to destroy the Divine Clan?!”

Hearing Hong Jun’s command, Xiong Shitian could not help but imagine the enraged and displeased expression on Hong Jun’s face, inwardly chuckling: “Nan Luo, by removing the mask of falsehood and lies, you have truly provoked the mighty Hong Jun who once underestimated you!”

Hong Jun, a being of supreme nobility, would one day be mocked by an insignificant insect like Nan Luo.

For ten thousand years, Nan Luo played the role of the fool so convincingly that Hong Jun treated him as such.

Now, with his mask removed, Nan Luo revealed his arrogant and supreme true self, striking Hong Jun’s face with a series of resounding blows.

In his fury, Hong Jun mobilized the four great royal clans to besiege the Divine Clan, determined to destroy it and vent his wrath.

This dark chapter of Nan Luo’s history later inspired some immortals and gods to craft a magical mask named “Nan Luo’s Mask,” symbolizing the indistinguishable boundary between falsehood and truth beneath the mask.

Of course, after Nan Luo ascended to the supreme Primordial Emperor, all artifacts and items violating his taboos were to be destroyed, and this mask bearing his dark past was no exception.

Yet, in later generations, some mischievous souls replicated the mask, naming it the “Mask of Falsehood and Truth,” which became widely circulated in various myths and legends.