Primordial Era: The Great Serpent of Yunmeng

Chapter 197 The Four Spirits Return to Their Positions, and Heaven and Earth Change Suddenly

"Heaven above, I, Zhuque Lingguang, the ancestor of the Phoenix Clan, feel the weight of my sins and now know my responsibilities. I am willing to guard the South Pole, repay the karmic debts of Heaven and Earth, and consolidate the primordial world."

"From this day forward, I will no longer interfere in the affairs of the primordial world; may Heaven bear witness!"

The Daoist voice, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird's voice, resounded throughout the primordial world, but that was all it was, much simpler than before.

But that makes sense. The Vermilion Bird is weak now, far inferior to the Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise, so it is naturally less impressive on paper.

Merit fell from heaven and earth, washing away much of the Phoenix Clan's karma and allowing Yuan Huang to regain her senses for a brief moment.

Yuan Huang narrowed her phoenix eyes and scanned the dormant volcano with her divine sense, only to see the phoenix bathing in fire, with countless flames shooting into the sky.

"In the end, they didn't come back. If you think it was a mistake, then why did you still acknowledge the identity of the Phoenix Ancestor...?"

Yuan Huang wanted to continue speaking, but she was too weak and her consciousness quickly sank into the boundless darkness, so she fell into a deep sleep.

Although the Vermilion Bird shared some of its merits with the Phoenix Clan, the remaining merits were enough to heal its injuries.

Although it is still a long way from restoring the Luo Tian Venerable God, at least the Dao Fruit is no longer incomplete, and there is still a sliver of possibility to pursue the Great Dao.

With a hint of reluctance, Zhuque glanced back at the primordial world, then resolutely embarked on the path of guidance forged from boundless fire.

From then on, the primordial world no longer had the Phoenix Ancestor Vermilion Bird; only the Vermilion Bird, the Lingguang Divine Lord, remained, guarding the south and symbolizing propriety and virtue.

Meanwhile, on the western continent, a star god also entered the Tiger Clan and had a pleasant conversation with Shao Hao.

"Fellow Daoist Shaohao, since that's the case, let's announce it to the world. We should have been as close as brothers, but it's a little late to do so now."

The soldier's laughter carried outwards, clearly satisfied with the spoils of the trip. Shao Hao, too, beamed with joy, saying:

"Brother Jianbing, we should have been brothers, but one of us is in heaven and the other is on earth."

"It is only natural to announce this to the world, so why should we say it's late? Having my brother join us is a blessing no matter when, so what does it matter if it's late?"

The two immediately burst into laughter, and Shao Hao extended a grand invitation to all the gods to celebrate the addition of the supervising soldier.

Around the evening of the first day of the new year, the final Daoist chant of the Four Spirits returning to their places resounded throughout heaven and earth.

"Heaven above, I, the White Tiger Supervisor, am the ancestor of the primordial tiger clan and the patriarch of the White Tiger clan. Now I feel the weight of my responsibility and wish to guard the westernmost point for the sake of heaven and earth."

"From this day forward, the four spirits returned to their places to secure the primordial world. From this day forward, space could not be broken by anything, and the world was established based on this."

"From this day forward, the tiger shall be the king of all beasts in the primordial world, and this shall not be changed. May Heaven bear witness!"

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and gusts of wind swept across the land, vanquishing evil and punishing wickedness.

Qi Yu, in the Yunmeng Marsh, casually tore open a space, but only felt a storm raging within, threatening to devour him, and could no longer sense the approach to the primordial wilderness.

In the past, as long as one could withstand the tearing of space, one could see the primordial world through space.

But now, even with Qi's cultivation level, he doesn't know where he is outside the space. It is unpredictable and full of ominous signs.

"From now on, when roaming the primordial world, one can only rely on the art of flight."

Qi sighed somewhat, after all, moving by tearing through space was indeed convenient and quick.

He originally thought that after the four spirits returned to their places, the space would simply become more stable, making it difficult for those with low cultivation levels to pass through.

Unexpectedly, while the space was indeed much more stable, the effect was not limited to that. The White Tiger returned to its place, directly sealing off the path of spatial travel.

With the Four Spirits returning to their rightful places, the world was cleansed, and a new era began under their guidance. Countless spiritual forces were active and extraordinary, and the concentration of spiritual energy in the world reached a new standard.

As the sunlight appeared on the earth, a new era began, and the primordial world underwent a true transformation.

Suddenly, the world brightened, and countless stars fell into the sight of all living beings in the primordial world. Even in broad daylight, they still shone brightly.

The innate spiritual energy in the world became much more violent, unlike before. Its intensity made Qi feel as if he had returned to the time before the great calamity of ferocious beasts, but it was much denser than it had been then, almost dozens of times more concentrated.

Countless celestial phenomena began to take human form, becoming part of the primordial creatures. They were intelligent and had excellent origins, and most of them were taken in as disciples of innate deities.

Mount Sumeru.

Two figures emerged from the Bodhi tree that Rahu had once collected. One was fat and the other was thin. One had a sorrowful face, and the other had a smiling face.

After the two left, the Bodhi tree collapsed with a crash, its branches and leaves gathering together to form a precious branch with seven forks, gleaming with pearls and jewels, truly extraordinary.

It fell into the fat man's hands again, and the fat man laughed:

"This thing is destined for me; the Seven Treasures Tree is rightfully mine."

Seeing this, the fat man's smile widened even more, while the thin man's expression grew even more sorrowful, and he sighed repeatedly, saying:

"good."

However, this was on the ground, when suddenly a gap appeared, and a bamboo shoot emerged from the soil, instantly transforming into a giant bamboo.

Upon seeing this, the thin man quickly ran to its side, reached out and gently touched it. The giant bamboo collapsed with a crash, turning into a bamboo staff, which landed in the thin man's hand.

The thin man immediately stopped feigning sadness and distress, and smiled broadly, saying:

"How bitter! How bitter! This thing is destined for me!"

The two exchanged a glance, both overjoyed, and bowed simultaneously, saying:

"This humble Taoist priest, Jieyin, greets fellow Daoist!"

"This humble Taoist priest, Zhunti, greets fellow Daoist!"

However, at this moment, heaven and earth suddenly bestowed merit upon Jieyin and Zhunti, which seemed to signify something, and the fortune of the entire West also converged accordingly.

Jieyin and Zhunti looked at each other again, but their previous joy was gone; their expressions were now somewhat solemn. Jieyin spoke first:

"Fellow Daoist Zhunti, it seems we bear a heavy responsibility. Apart from you and me, there are no other divine beings left in the West!"

"Given this, what should we do? How bitter! How bitter!"

After saying this, Jieyin's expression became even more sorrowful, and tears even fell.

Zhunti, too, wept and said:

"The West is impoverished, Brother Daoist. This underscores the weight of our responsibilities. Our destiny is intertwined; we must strive forward for it!"

Upon hearing Zhunti's words, Jieyin also wiped away his tears and said:

"Absolutely! Absolutely!"

Then the two of them started from Mount Sumeru and traveled in the west, repairing the earth's veins and purifying the resentment and evil energy left over from before, without stopping.

The primordial starry sky and the primordial heavens merged, and the resulting impact was not limited to this.

The starry sky was in chaos, with meteorites frequently falling into the primordial wilderness, causing constant heavenly fires and earthly disasters. The primordial wilderness was too vast, and although many cultivators tried to intercept them, some always ended up missing.

Most of these meteorites fell in the east, some large and some small. The larger ones were blocked by people and landed safely, becoming a small mountain in the east.

There might be some small ones that were missed, like a small lake that was smashed into the vast, untamed land.

Although these meteorites caused considerable damage to the primordial land, they also brought many benefits to the creatures living there.

For example, the East has historically lacked mineral deposits, but these meteorites, after being burned by celestial fire, contain many high-quality minerals, which have brought about many changes to the prehistoric world.

However, as the starry sky gradually merged with the heavens, the number of meteorites falling into the primordial world decreased significantly, as most were intercepted by the rolling clouds.

As the starry sky and the heavens merged completely, the celestial realm was born amidst the rolling clouds. Although the location of the portal is unknown, it does exist in reality.

The Celestial Realm is vast, encompassing most of the primordial land; it is practically another primordial continent, and it has not been divided.

Its area is even larger than any three continents combined.

Buzhou Mountain.

Taiyi, Fuxi, and Nuwa also sought out those innate deities and began to invite them to visit.

"Taiyi (Fuxi, Nuwa) greets fellow Daoists."

"I, Emperor Jiang, Ru Shou, Ju Mang, Gong Gong, Zhu Rong, Hou Tu, Tian Wu, Xuan Ming, Qiang Liang, She Bi Shi, Xi Zi, and Zhu Jiu Yin, greet fellow Daoists."

As the group interacted, Taiyi and the others learned that these people called themselves the Witch Gods, which was completely different from them, the innate deities.

They do not comprehend the Great Dao, have no primordial spirit, and focus solely on cultivating the physical body and the power of laws. Although they are gods, they have almost no resemblance to them.

"Fellow Daoist Houtu, since you lack a primordial spirit and do not comprehend the Great Dao, how can you perceive the will of Heaven, cause and effect, and karma?"

"Wouldn't that mean we'd be outmaneuvered without even knowing it?"

Nuwa was quite curious, and since the atmosphere among everyone was harmonious, she took the opportunity to ask her question.

Houtu, however, disregarded Nuwa's question and bluntly stated:

"Although we are ignorant of the will of Heaven and do not comprehend the Great Dao, our methods are also unknown to outsiders."

"We live in Buzhou Mountain and have no intention of leaving. We are content with our lives and have not offended them, so why would they scheme against us?"

"Besides, what do we have to fear about those karmic consequences? If someone truly forms the karmic ties you speak of with us, shouldn't it be them who should be afraid, given our strength?"

"The same applies to karma. According to you, when karma accumulates, the mind is clouded, and one cannot comprehend the Great Dao. What impact does this have on us?"

"We sorcerers do not cultivate the Great Way, and we don't even know what the Spirit Platform is, so why should we worry about those things?"

Nuwa was at a loss for words when faced with Houtu's words. After all, while Houtu's words were hard for Nuwa to accept, they also seemed to make some sense.

The twelve brothers and sisters were all nearly as powerful as the Heavenly Venerable Luo. Normal people would avoid such a group at all costs, so why would they be so foolish as to have a conflict with them?

Houtu, unaware of Nuwa's thoughts, continued:

"My brothers and I pursued freedom, and apart from worshipping the Father God, we did nothing else but hunt every day, so why bother with those things?"

"We can't expect to be plotted against just because we're hunting. If that's how people end up being plotted against, then no one in this ancient world could survive."

"Moreover, although we cannot perceive the number of days you speak of, we have our own way of sensing those evil desires directed against us."

"According to what you have said, if someone is plotting against you, you can detect the anomaly through celestial secrets."

"But if they have the means to deceive them, you will also be targeted. I think they probably do have such means."

At this point, Houtu paused slightly, waiting for Nuwa's reaction.

Nuwa nodded in agreement. Obscuring and disrupting the secrets of heaven were not extraordinary methods, and the problem Houtu mentioned did indeed exist.

Seeing this, Houtu continued:

"We are different. My brothers and I specialize in cultivating our physical bodies, bloodlines, and the power of laws. Although we don't have the same effects as you, we are not ordinary people either."

"If any evil thought can threaten us, our flesh and blood will react accordingly; in your terms, this is called a sudden impulse."

"It's just that you encounter this situation much less often; it's not absolute."

"But we can always be aware of this. What is a sudden impulse for you is accidental, but for us it is inevitable."

"They can deceive the heavens and disrupt the workings of the universe, but can they also stop the spontaneous impulses that arise from the union of our spirit and flesh?"

At this point, Houtu showed pride; their powerful physical bodies were what they, her brothers and sisters, were most proud of.

Every inch of her flesh and blood has been forged through countless trials; this is what Houtu, as the goddess of witchcraft, is most proud of and the power she trusts most.

Laws may have opposing forces, but their bodies, forged through countless trials, are something no one can overcome.

Nuwa nodded in agreement. Houtu was absolutely right. For the innate deities, spirit and flesh were the manifestation of their life cultivation.

That is the most fundamental power, regardless of realm or combat strength, and is the perfect embodiment of a living being.

The increase in one's physical cultivation will not lead to a higher realm, but if one's physical cultivation is insufficient, cultivation is nothing more than a mirage.

Cultivating one's physical and mental well-being is the foundation of cultivation. Without sufficient cultivation, one's spiritual realm is merely a castle in the air, which will collapse at the slightest touch.

Nuwa seemed to have thought of something and asked with some surprise:

"Father God?"

Houtu nodded and said:

"Yes, unlike you, although you comprehend the Great Dao, understand the destiny of Heaven, respect Heaven and Earth, and also revere the Father God, it seems that you are not so willing to admit that your birth was fundamentally due to the Father God."

Upon hearing Houtu's words, Nuwa immediately knew who the Father God was referring to, and smiled:

"So the Father God you're referring to is Pangu, the Great God. Pangu is indeed worthy of respect."

"But we are nurtured by heaven and earth, nurtured by the Great Dao. It is true that the Great God Pangu created heaven and earth, which was a great merit, but the Great Dao was not created by the Great God Pangu."

"We naturally respect the Great God Pangu, but although we live in the primordial world, we were conceived by the Great Dao. It is right to respect the Great God Pangu, but there is no need to regard him as our father."

Houtu was somewhat displeased upon hearing this, but she didn't say much. It was only their first meeting, and their perceptions differed, so there was no need to say more.

"However, you claim to be the true descendants of Pangu, and there are three other innate deities in the primordial world who are the same. I just don't know what the difference is between you."

Nuwa didn't find her words offensive at all, and continued chatting.

Houtu immediately became interested, which also attracted the attention of the other witch gods, who were looking forward to Nuwa's next words.

(End of this chapter)