Chapter 21: The Sovereign Emperor Xuanyuan

Athena’s "Trinity" form brought about not only a drastic change in her appearance and physique but also a shift in her temperament, transforming her into a cold, regal queen. Every gesture she made carried the absolute confidence of a sovereign. As her Trinity form manifested, the heavens and earth offered a salute, a continuous roar of thunder celebrating the return of the Queen.

Lightning flashed across the night sky, and a dark wind swept over the land. The moon was obscured by storm clouds, and the stars served only to adorn the Queen of the Night.

Wielding her Scythe of Death, Athena charged head-on at the fierce beasts Longzhi and Ao-Yin. The overflowing power of death and darkness eroded the creatures, as if she were Death itself, waiting to harvest chosen souls. The nine-headed, nine-tailed Longzhi unleashed its full fury, while the four-horned Ao-Yin charged with its massive antlers. The clash between the giant scythe and the two beasts produced thunderous, metallic ringing sounds, the resulting sparks so blinding they illuminated the night sky. After three exchanges, Athena sent both beasts flying. She stood with the heroic bearing of a goddess of war—powerful and formidable.

"I am the Goddess of the Owl; the night is my domain!"
"In this moment, I am the Goddess of the Night!"

Athena had no intention of letting them escape, pursuing the two beasts relentlessly until they fled in terror.

***

Far from the two battlefields, atop a small hill, Xuanyuan, leader of the Youxiong Tribe, stood watching with the young Flame Emperor, Yugang.

"Well? What do you think of my proposal?" Xuanyuan asked with a smile.

Yugang remained silent for a few moments. "Very well. I agree. I will choose to join forces with you against Chiyou first."

Satisfied with the answer, Xuanyuan extended his hand. "Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation!"

Yugang glanced at Baize, the divine beast by Xuanyuan’s side, and extended his own hand. "A pleasant cooperation."

Yugang felt a deep sense of regret. He should not have been so hasty; now, he had been outmaneuvered by Xuanyuan. *If only I had pretended not to see anything and simply sat on the mountain watching the tigers fight,* he lamented. *Who could have guessed that scoundrel Chiyou would collude with fierce beasts, forcing me to clean up his mess?*

***

Before dawn, both great battles had come to an end. Kuafu had been wounded by Nüba and fled, while the beasts Longzhi and Ao-Yin had been dismembered by Athena. As for Mu Changge, he had lost consciousness the moment Athena released her Trinity form.

That evening, within the Youxiong Tribe, Mu Changge was summoned by Xuanyuan shortly after waking.

"Thank you both for your hard work. Yugang has signed a covenant with me, and we shall drive Chiyou out together."

"That is good news. Congratulations, Lord Xuanyuan."

"Regrettably, even if we defeat Chiyou, a battle between Yugang and me is inevitable." Xuanyuan sighed.

Mu Changge nodded, reflecting that this aligned with ancient records: the tribes of the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor joined forces to defeat Chiyou at Zhuolu, but after his death, they clashed over the leadership of the alliance. They fought at Banquan, ultimately leading to Xuanyuan unifying the three great tribes and becoming the Human Emperor, one of the Three Sovereigns.

"By the way, there is more good news. My trusted subordinate, Yongfu, has procured the skin of a Kui-ox and the bones of a thunder-beast for me. On his return journey, he passed through Lingshan and successfully traded for many valuable divine medicines from the Wu clan. I have decided to share some with you as a token of my gratitude."

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Xuanyuan! However, it is a pity that because of the curse upon me, I cannot make use of these medicines at present."

"You simply cannot use them now; keep them for the time being. I believe there will come a day when you will need them," Xuanyuan said with conviction.

"Then I thank you, Lord Xuanyuan!" Since that was the case, Mu Changge accepted them without further hesitation.

"Hahaha... It is I who should thank you and Athena. Without you, how could I have so smoothly found the opportunity to topple both Chiyou and Yugang?"

"No, Lord Xuanyuan thinks too highly of us. I believe you would have handled this event well regardless."

"Heh, that is not necessarily true. You and Athena contributed the most to winning Yugang over. Had it been me, I might have chosen a less effective path; when it comes to the fierce beasts, one wrong step leads to a cascade of errors."

Mu Changge understood. While it would have been possible to treat Yugang as an enemy just like Chiyou—a quick, decisive strike—that would have been the inferior strategy. More importantly, as a descendant of the Flame and Yellow Emperors, he felt it necessary to consider the status of the Flame Emperor Shennong’s son.

***

The leader of the Youxiong Tribe, Xuanyuan, and the young Flame Emperor, Yugang, announced their alliance to take on Chiyou. Unwilling to sit and wait for his demise, Chiyou mobilized his army to march against them.

Chiyou’s forces first clashed with Yugang’s tribe. Due to their superior weaponry, disciplined soldiers, and the aid of numerous beasts, they dealt a crushing defeat to the young Flame Emperor.

When Chiyou’s army threatened the Youxiong Tribe, panic spread among the people. To stabilize the soldiers and civilians, Xuanyuan took up the thunder-light drum crafted from the Kui-ox skin and the divine-awe mallets made from the thunder-beast’s bones, beating the drum himself to bolster morale.

As Xuanyuan struck the drum with the mallets, the divine sound shook the heavens and earth, its thunderous roar striking awe into the world. After three rounds of drumming, a massive silver vortex appeared in the sky, and the phantom image of a dragon, ten thousand fathoms long, manifested high above!

The dragon’s roar seemed to acknowledge Xuanyuan, triggering a transformation within him. Not only was he suffused with a rich, golden dragon aura, but his strength surged, stepping directly into the realm of the Ancient Gods.

The phantom revealed its true form: a winged dragon god—the legendary Tianyuan Yinglong!

Upon its appearance, the Youxiong Tribe erupted in celebration. The people knelt to thank the dragon for its presence before arming themselves, awaiting Xuanyuan’s command. The dragon’s body radiated a sacred light, changing the very color of the heavens. Its boundless, silent dragon-might washed over everyone present like a vast ocean of divine power.

Tianyuan Yinglong established a covenant with Xuanyuan, serving as his lead general until the day Xuanyuan ascended to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor. In return, Xuanyuan, representing the human race, permitted the "Yellow Dragon" created by Tianyuan Yinglong to be nurtured by the destiny and fortune of the supreme human ruler, while the Yellow Dragon would, in turn, protect the human sovereign who carried the great destiny.

At that moment, the Goddess of Drought, Nüba, arrived at the Youxiong Tribe under the orders of the Heavenly Emperor Dijun to assist Xuanyuan in defeating Chiyou.

In the ensuing battle at Zhuolu, with the aid of Tianyuan Yinglong and Nüba, the beasts brought by Chiyou were instantly slain, and the wind and rain conjured by Chiyou’s army were neutralized by the drought goddess.

After defeating Chiyou at Zhuolu, Xuanyuan fought Yugang at Banquan and ultimately succeeded in subjugating him. Having unified all the human tribes, Xuanyuan finally ascended to the position of leader of the human tribal alliance, becoming the Human Emperor, Xuanyuan.