Primordial Era: A Counterattack Against Hongjun Daozu at the Start

Zhou Yi closed the scroll in his hand, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. Wasn't this spirit pearl the predecessor of Nezha, who stirred up the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods in later legends? He maintained his polite demeanor: "Since the Holy Mother has summoned me, I shall obey."

As the two soared through the clouds, he casually chatted with the boy about interesting tales from the prehistoric era, which captivated the innocent Lingzhuzi.

Upon entering the main hall of Nuwa Palace, Zhou Yi solemnly bowed to the elegantly dressed woman on the cloud platform.

Humans still enshrine the mural of the Virgin Mary creating man in their ancestral temples, and this blood bond makes their rituals exceptionally devout.

After Lingzhu withdrew, Nuwa stared at the figure below the steps for a long time, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the tortoise shell in her sleeve. The fluctuation of Zhouyi's soul light was exactly the same as the fragments of heavenly secrets that had been scattered when her elder brother Fuxi fell.

"Zhou Yi, leader of the human race, you are truly outstanding. It is no easy feat to have enabled the human race to develop to such a scale in just a few hundred years."

Nuwa's indifferent voice echoed through the hall as her fingertips lightly tapped the armrest of her jade throne. "Do you know why I summoned you here today?"

Zhou Yi cupped his hands and said, "How dare I presume to guess the Holy Mother's thoughts?"

He had actually anticipated the reason for the three-point difference, but pretending to be confused was the safest course of action at this moment.

A barely perceptible smile flashed in Nuwa's eyes. She couldn't hide her thoughts from the sage, but she didn't intend to expose them.

"The Dao Ancestor summoned the Six Sages today to discuss the consequences of the war between the Lich King and the Demon King. It was those two bald monks, Jieyin and Zhunti, who made the suggestion."

Nuwa suddenly coughed lightly and changed her words, "The two Western Saints suggested restricting the human race's Quasi-Saints to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

The Dao Ancestor has decided that the quasi-sages of the human race should relocate to the Fire Cloud Cave, and should not emerge from the world except in times of survival.

Zhou Yi feigned just the right amount of surprise, but inwardly he sneered.

The two brothers, Zhunti and Jieyin, have been scheming against the Six Paths of Reincarnation for quite some time now, and they even dared to try to manipulate things by restricting the powerful humans. It's truly laughable.

Not to mention that the Supreme Saint had planned this all along, if the Primordial Heavenly Venerable knew that they dared to steal the merits of his disciple's good fortune, he would probably directly attack Mount Sumeru.

"Since it is the decree of the Dao Ancestor, the human race should naturally obey it." Zhou Yi replied readily.

He knew that the development of the human race had attracted the attention of the Heavenly Dao. Although it was not to the point of being feared, the Dao Ancestor clearly wanted to exclude the human race from the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods.

Nuwa suddenly changed the subject: "There's something else. The Demon Emperor's Hetu and Luoshu are in your hands, aren't they?"

Although it was a question, the tone was certain. Sages can know the secrets of heaven with a simple gesture, so this kind of question, which they already know the answer to, must have a profound meaning.

"Reporting to the Holy Mother, when the Demon Emperor Jun died in battle, the Hetu and Luoshu did indeed fall into my hands. It was quite a coincidence that just as the Demon Emperor breathed his last, the Demon Master Roc came to snatch the treasure, and I caught him red-handed." Zhou Yi said, gesturing as he spoke.

He had planned this all along; before even arriving at Nuwa Palace, he had anticipated that the Sage would inquire about this treasure.

"That opportunistic roc again? If you ever encounter this traitor again, make sure you eliminate him completely!" Nuwa's tone was cold as she slammed her teacup down.

Zhou Yi sensed the sage's complex feelings towards the former members of the demon race. Although she was a saintly mother of the human race, she was ultimately of demon origin and could not let go of her kinship.

That roc bird usually does treacherous things, no wonder it aroused the sage's disgust.

Nuwa lightly flicked her sleeve and changed the subject: "The Hetu and Luoshu are no ordinary objects; they have a great destiny with my brother Fuxi. That's why I've summoned you here today. But rest assured, I won't take your things for nothing."

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, "Do you want a magical treasure or a stroke of luck? Just say the word."

Zhou Yi knew perfectly well that this treasure was the key to Fu Xi's reincarnation and attainment of enlightenment. If the sage truly insisted on it, how could the human race dare to refuse, based solely on the merit of creating humans and mending the heavens? The fact that they were discussing it like this was already giving the princess ample face.

"I've heard that understanding the Hetu and Luoshu can lead to comprehending the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Era. Could it be that the Holy Mother is paving the way for the reincarnation of Master Fuxi?" Zhou Yi deliberately revealed the secret, observing the sage's expression as he spoke.

Nuwa chuckled upon hearing this: "You're quite the clever one. Indeed, although my brother suffered a calamity and lost his physical body, he gained the opportunity to enter the world and attain enlightenment."

As he spoke, a wisp of pure energy condensed at his fingertips. "He is about to be reborn as a human. Once his merits are complete, he can return to his saintly position. This Hetu Luoshu is the key to attaining enlightenment."

"The key to my brother's enlightenment lies entirely in the Hetu and Luoshu," said the Goddess Nuwa, getting straight to the point.

Zhou Yi responded bluntly: "You created our human race, so in principle we should grant all our requests. But have you considered this? Even if you cultivate to the highest level of enlightenment, what's the difference between being trapped in the Ten Thousand Fire Cave for life and being imprisoned?"

The candlelight inside the hall flickered, casting shifting shadows on the expressions of the two men.

The reincarnation of Fuxi as the leader of the human race was a destiny ordained by heaven. After achieving perfection, he would not only reach the peak of Quasi-Saint, but also enjoy the protection of the human race's fortune, seemingly enjoying boundless glory.

But as the Book of Changes says, no matter how many benefits one may have, one will ultimately not escape the fate of lifelong imprisonment.

"So what if you become a saint? In the eyes of those Heavenly Saints, aren't Quasi-Saints still just ants?" Zhou Yi made his point even clearer.

He noticed that Nuwa's fingertips were trembling slightly. Even sages have things they can't do; they all understand this principle.

Nuwa sighed softly, "Ensuring his safety during the great calamity is already the best outcome." Though she said this, her voice betrayed a sense of helplessness.

"Wait a minute!" Zhou Yi suddenly pulled out a tortoise shell. "Could we shield the heavenly secrets for now? I have a new idea."

Nuwa looked at this audacious human leader with surprise, and then waved her hand to set up an isolation barrier.

The palace outside the Thirty-Three Heavens was instantly shrouded in chaotic mist, which even the laws of Heaven could not penetrate.

The content of their secret conversation remains unknown; all that is known is that when Zhou Yi left, the innate treasure was still in his bosom.

Walking on the cloud path, Zhou Yi touched the Hetu and Luoshu in his sleeve and pondered to himself: Nuwa's attitude today is too abnormal.

Although he was the supreme ruler of humanity, he was still a junior in front of a sage. Why would she patiently listen to him say so much?

Even in the end...

A distant clap of thunder interrupted his thoughts, and Zhou Yi shook his head with a wry smile. He hadn't even reached the threshold of a quasi-saint yet, so it was indeed too early to speculate on the intentions of a saint.

He quickened his pace, and in the blink of an eye, his clothes fluttered as he passed through twelve layers of clouds.

As soon as Zhou Yi stepped out of the Nuwa Palace gate, Grand Master Miaole was already waiting outside.

The eldest disciple of the Sage of Taiqing smiled and said, "My master specially ordered me to come and take you to Taiqing Realm."

In just half a day, the sage Nuwa had summoned this human leader, and in the blink of an eye, it was the sage Taiqing's turn to invite him.

As they passed through the Thirty-Three Heavens, Grand Master Miaole spoke of the recent situation of the human race: "Since the bloody war between the Wu and Yao races ended, all the races in the prehistoric world have been devastated, but our human race has remained unscathed. This is all thanks to your strategic planning, Brother Dao. Now our strength is quite considerable in the prehistoric world."

His words were full of praise.

Zhou Yi shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Our foundation is still shallow! At most, we have only about a hundred Great Luo Golden Immortals, and the number of Quasi-Saint level warriors is even more limited. Now that the Dao Ancestor has issued a new decree, all the Quasi-Saints of the human race have to move to the Ten Thousand Fire Cave to take charge. Without these pillars, we are afraid that life will be difficult in the future."

Grand Master Miaole was taken aback upon hearing this. The Wanhuo Cave's prohibition meant that unless faced with the threat of annihilation, human quasi-saints were forbidden from interfering in mortal affairs.