Primordial Era: The Great Serpent of Yunmeng

Chapter 24 Hollow Willow Raises Its Eyebrows and Preaches (Bonus Chapter 110 for Immortal Qitian)

Qi and Nuwa quickly avoided the scene and rushed back to Yunmengze.

When they turned around, the battle was still going on, but Shen Ni's projection had almost faded into nothingness.

The willow branches continued to stretch rapidly, and the black flames had diminished considerably, with only a few scattered flames clinging to the branches and burning.

The two arrived at the edge of Yunmeng Marsh. The great formation was not yet closed, but it had turned into a scene shrouded in smoke and clouds.

At this moment, a willow branch stretched out from the space beside the formation, its tender green leaves brimming with vitality.

Upon seeing this scene, Qi and Nuwa retreated as if they had seen a death warrant.

Di Jun and Fu Xi were also teleported out of the formation and stood guard beside Nuwa.

"We're not far from the great formation. Fuxi and I will try our best to hold them off. You two should quickly return to the formation and adjust your condition."

Di Jun's voice carried a sense of urgency, revealing the pressure he was under in this situation.

"Be ready to assist me at any time!"

As he spoke, golden flames ignited around Di Jun's body, as he prepared to unleash his power.

Just as everyone was on edge, a Taoist priest emerged from among the willows.

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need to be nervous. I have no ill intentions towards you."

Looking towards the sound, one could see a Taoist priest dressed in a green robe embroidered with willow branches swaying in the wind, holding a whisk in his hand, his eyebrows and hair tied up with a willow branch as a hairpin.

His face was like that of a young man, full of spirit, and his body was filled with Taoist energy. He had a handsome face and was born to be an immortal!

This person was the most handsome of all the gods Qi had ever seen, and also the most unfathomable.

When facing Him, one does not feel the same pressure as when facing Hongjun.

Yet you feel even more that He is unfathomable; He stands right in front of you, but you cannot perceive His presence.

In the perception of the divine sense, it was as if it did not exist, but the danger warning given by the primordial spirit sounded the alarm bell.

"I am Yangmei, the hollow willow! Greetings, fellow Daoists."

He raised his eyebrows, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and took the lead in bowing.

Everyone quickly returned the greeting:

"We pay our respects to the Great God."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled with satisfaction, then said, "There's no need for that, everyone. We are all born of the same heaven and earth, people of the same path, seeking the Great Dao together. How can there be any talk of a great god?"

Upon hearing this, the four men were at a loss for words.

Finally, only Qi could step forward and say:

"We dare not do such a thing. There is a sequence to learning the Way, and each profession has its own expertise. The great master is a pioneer, and we must not forget the proper etiquette."

"Haha, young friend and the others are quite polite. It seems that our innate divine beings have successors, and the divine way will flourish."

Yang Mei was quite pleased. The innate divine beings, according to the Dao, are of different generations, though they are of the same generation.

While it's acceptable to treat peers as equals, who wouldn't want to be respected?

When he first followed the Three Kings, he was arrogant because they were all innate deities. He wanted to treat his peers as equals, and was punished by the Thai King several times.

Even though it was the Earth Emperor who said that first, and he didn't refute it, he's still so petty.

Seeing that several people were well-mannered, and recalling these events, I felt a surge of joy.

He also felt a pang of regret, thinking that if he had been more pragmatic back then, he would have suffered much less.

But as it turns out, the person he was closest to was none other than the petty and narrow-minded King of Thailand.

After the three kings passed away, the one he missed the most was the Thai king who would find excuses to spar with him and take the opportunity to beat him up.

These were the words that the King of Thailand once said to him.

Now he repeats these words to these outstanding descendants, also out of concern that he himself will perish in the great calamity, and because he wants to leave some legacy for the divine path.

Seeing that the four were still standing there in a daze, he smiled and said:

"Is this how you treat your guests?"

The four then hurriedly invited Yang Mei to enter Yunmengze.

Upon arriving at the lotus pond, Yang Mei, seeing the shimmering water and blooming lotus flowers, exclaimed, "This is truly a blessed place."

"If you like it, senior, you are welcome to stay here permanently. Although Yunmeng Marsh is small, it is a blessed place."

Prayer extended an invitation.

If such a great deity resides in Yunmengze, it would be a great opportunity for Yunmengze.

"I am not so low as to compete with a junior like you for a place of practice, but if you are interested in the future, you may come and stay for a few days."

He raised his eyebrows and walked towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake. He sat down in the pavilion and looked around with great interest.

Qi then brought out lotus seeds, melons, fruits, and fine wine, and Di Jun, Tai Yi, and the others took their seats as well.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Yang Mei didn't say a word and focused his gaze on Taiyi.

"Would you like to follow me and learn from me?"

They asked directly and bluntly.

Seeing the opportunity, Yang Mei was delighted. As a fellow traveler who sought to be the best, he admired Taiyi and believed that Taiyi's future achievements would not be inferior to his own.

Tai kept looking at the people around him, and before they could persuade him, he directly refused:

"I apologize, senior. I am now on the right path, and I have good friends by my side. I have everything I need, including the Dharma, wealth, companionship, and a suitable place. I do not want to be separated from you."

Yang Mei was somewhat surprised, but she didn't blame him.

If he had had these friends back then, he probably wouldn't have followed the Three Sovereigns.

Seeing Taiyi now is like seeing my former self, full of vigor and ambition.

Without saying another word, he ate a few lotus seeds, drank a pot of fine wine with everyone to relieve their fatigue, and waved to signal that the things on the table be cleared away.

When Qi cleared away the fruits and wine and returned, he saw Yang Mei smiling gently, sitting cross-legged in the pavilion.

He beckoned Qi over, and had everyone sit cross-legged to his side. Then he said:

"The Supreme God Taiyi is from the primordial realm. He was created by the Nine-Headed Emperor Tai, one of the Three Sovereigns, and perfected by the Heavenly Emperor Cangli."

"Taiyi, also known as Taiyi, is the origin of all things in the universe, the chaos before the separation of heaven and earth..."

As Yang Mei began to preach, the sound of the Dao resounded throughout the world like a great bell, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and flowers scattered from the sky.

The celestial clouds and mist resembled dancing goddesses, with the sun, moon, and stars reflected within them.

Spirits emerge from the water, ordinary trees transform into long, fragrant herbs, their light and color condense, and dew turns into jade beads.

A celestial horse appeared, striding through the air, carrying flowers and fruits in its mouth; white apes offered peaches to the ground; and a spiritual mist permeated the air.

The lotus flowers in the pond were all in full bloom, their colors bathing the heavens and earth in their hues.

Duckweed floats on the water, and lotus flowers, like jade placed in a precious mirror.

Lotus sprouts new buds, jade seeds emerge from the rocks, and the white roots are clearly visible in the clean black soil.

Yang Mei recounted the Dao of Taiyi for three thousand years, and then another hundred years, before everyone regained consciousness and the strange phenomena disappeared.

Qi tapped the stone platform in the pavilion and quickly took out fruits, wine and food.

Everyone bowed and thanked Yang Mei's disciple.

But Yang Mei avoided it.

"Since you have already refused, then we are not meant to be. Do not make such a show of it."

"Come and drink and make merry with me, rest for a while, and we'll talk about the Heavenly Venerable God Luo again in three hundred years."

The crowd no longer made the gesture of formally becoming disciples; the practitioners understood the importance of sincerity most clearly.

Since I've already said that, I won't think about it anymore.

During this banquet, Qi and Taiyi often played music nearby, and Fuxi occasionally played the zither as well.

Everyone sang along, even Yang Mei tapped out the rhythm.

They chatted and laughed, seemingly forgetting the great calamity that had befallen the world, leaving only the people in Yunmeng Marsh.

Happy times are always short-lived; three hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.

"You all live such carefree lives. I should have gone after my Daoist partner back then."

"Instead of following the Nine-Headed Clan to create some kind of paradise for all beings!"

Faced with Yang Mei's remarks, everyone just smiled and remained silent.

Because they knew that if given another chance, Yang Mei would definitely follow him again.

Yang Mei also knew.

P.S.: Here's the first bonus chapter. More chapters to come, we'll see. I realized I overestimated my writing speed! Goodnight everyone, but I won't forget the nine more chapters to come!

1/10, nine chapters to go

(End of this chapter)