Primordial Era: The Great Serpent of Yunmeng

The atmosphere in the arena fell into a deathly silence following the sudden sarcasm and Kuafu's rise. The newcomer, seeing Kuafu's reaction, continued to shout:

"Don't you think it's wrong? Your grandiose and reckless words have attracted so many people to place high hopes on you."

"The result? It was a laughingstock. Those guys on the other side stood outside the bronze pillar, mocking our bravery!"

"Today, the people of our tribe are so joyful, the red stars in the sky are twinkling and swaying so beautifully, and the wine and roasted meat around the campfire contain so much of the people's expectations."

"Everyone was having a carefree time, wanting to witness the bravery of their people, but now you want to stand up again, wanting to continue to prove to us the power of the Heavenly Court and our powerlessness?"

Looking at Kuafu before him, whose eyes were bloodshot and whose body radiated murderous intent and rage seemed poised to tear him apart, the man revealed a mocking smile and sneered:

"What? You want to kill me? Come on, prove your courage. If you can pull out the bronze pillar, what does it matter if I lose my life?"

Kuafu remained completely silent, about to continue walking forward, when Da Yi suddenly called out:

"Kuafu! That's one of our people."

Unfortunately, the man didn't appreciate Da Yi's well-intentioned advice and instead continued to provoke him:

"Great Yi, Great Shaman, please don't say that! I am ashamed to have a clansman like Kuafu. Let him kill me, and let everyone see how a coward proves his bravery!"

As soon as the man spoke, countless shamans who had been drinking began to cheer, and some even wanted to throw the remaining fruit peels and bones at Kuafu.

Seeing the support of his people, the newcomer became even more proud. He wanted to continue mocking Kuafu, but was slapped away.

Kuafu's eyes were filled with disbelief and incomprehension. He had never imagined that one day his people would see him this way.

Faced with the ridicule and disgust of the crowd, Kuafu finally spoke:

"My bravery is beyond the comprehension of a petty person like you who only knows how to shout and incite your people. I will prove my bravery, and you had better show me yours!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuafu walked silently toward the bronze pillar. Zhou Shen's aura was like an abyss, and wherever he went, the surrounding witches all avoided him, not daring to stop him.

Da Yi and the many great shamans watched in silence. They wanted to stop it, but the words they could think of were so powerless and contradictory.

Da Yi had the ability to stop it, but for some reason, his legs felt as heavy as lead. He knew that he also wanted his friend, Kua Fu, to prove himself and wash away the shame on his body.

Even though they knew it was a mistake, all the great shamans knew that Kuafu had been placed on a cliff by his tribe, with abysses in front and behind him, and there was no way back.

Kuafu walked to the bottom of the bronze pillar. It was clearly ordinary brass, yet it emitted a golden light that inspired fear. Kuafu understood that the unsettling thing permeating it was called majesty.

His blood and qi surged, and Kuafu's body began to grow rapidly, from a little over ten feet to more than a thousand feet in just a few breaths.

The green and yellow snakes coiled around his left and right hands, their huge tongues flicking out before slowly retracting until they disappeared into Kuafu's hands.

Kuafu's body continued to swell, growing another five hundred feet tall. Only then did Kuafu place his hands on the bronze pillar and exert his strength.

The cracking sounds of bones and muscles continued, Kuafu clenched his teeth, a little blood seeping from between them, and let out a low growl.

The arena was silent, with all the shamans' eyes fixed on Kuafu, as if the moonlight and the swaying red stars in the sky could not attract his attention.

Veins bulged, but Kuafu felt as if he were embracing not a bronze pillar, but the entire continent. No matter how hard he tried, he could not budge it.

As time went by, many of the tribesmen seemed to realize Kuafu's powerlessness and gradually lost patience with him.

Seeing that the bronze pillar remained unshaken, while Kuafu had exhausted all his strength, his veins bulging, blood dripping from his teeth, and his life force waning, one of his tribesmen couldn't bear it and shouted:

"Kuafu, you've done your best. Give up. We didn't really have any hope. Don't take what you just said to heart; it was just that person's opinion."

The voices of agreement were sparse but persistent, and gradually gained momentum, but Kuafu seemed oblivious, his mind completely absorbed in the bronze pillar.

In fact, Kuafu heard them, but the voices urging him to give up grew louder and louder. When they reached Kuafu's ears, he felt no comfort whatsoever; instead, they made his heart ache as if it were being torn apart.

The pervasive blood energy began to burn, and even the pores of Kuafu's body began to seep blood. His body, which was over 1,500 feet long, was now a giant stained with blood, powerful yet powerless.

Suddenly, Kuafu roared and spewed out countless blood mists from his body, scorching the surrounding air to boiling point, with faint blood flames burning on the bronze pillar.

Suddenly, someone below exclaimed:

"It's moving! Everyone look! That bronze pillar is moving! Kuafu, you have proven your bravery, stop it now!"

Countless people echoed his sentiments, their voices even carrying a hint of sobs, for Kuafu was already at his last gasp.

A hint of reluctance flashed in Da Yi's and the others' eyes, but they remained silent. Had the bronze pillar moved? They hoped it had.

Kuafu ignored the shouts of the crowd, but the blood flames burning on his body became even more intense, scorching and distorting the air, forcing the witches surrounding him to retreat.

"ah!!!"

Kuafu roared, but it was just a meaningless sound, not human at all. The blood flames swelled even more, and suddenly, under everyone's gaze, the bronze pillar really shook.

The amplitude was so small that even those in the audience felt as if they were seeing things.

It moved again, still so tiny, yet it was clearly seen by everyone.

The crowd roared in anger:

"Kuafu, that's enough! You've done it! The bronze pillar moved! It really moved! Everyone saw it!"

Among these people were a group of great shamans, including Yi the Archer, while Kuafu, who was under the bronze pillar, finally stopped and let out a hearty laugh.

Laughter resounded through the sky, filled with unrestrained joy and excitement. Countless people in the arena cheered, and the shimmering red star seemed to sway with its cheers.

The laughter abruptly stopped, and the giant collapsed with a crash, its tall body arching backward and shrinking as it fell.

By the time he hit the ground, Kuafu was less than ten feet tall, his body covered in blood, and his breath was like a candle flickering in the wind, as if he could be extinguished at any moment.

Da Yi and the others rushed over and used their own strength to maintain Kuafu's heart meridian, their fierce eyes fixed on the person who had previously provoked them.

However, they didn't have time to waste on this petty person. Kuafu's aura was weak, and they had to quickly take him back to the tribe to see if the ancestral shamans could help him.

The meeting on the hillside was interrupted, and countless people weaved through the crowd, trying to find the person who had spoken earlier.

The man tried to escape, but he was eventually discovered. Countless sorcerers rushed forward and beat him to death right under the bronze pillar!

Afterwards, some shamans tied the corpse to a copper pillar, hung it high, and exposed it to the sun and rain, where it was pecked at by birds.

After the many great shamans brought Kuafu back, they found Houtu, the ancestral shaman of the tribe. Before they could explain the reason, Houtu hurriedly brought him into the room.

Several days later, when the sun was high in the sky, Houtu finally emerged from her room, looking exhausted. Gazing at the assembled high priests, her eyes were filled with anger and sorrow as she spoke:

"Kua Fu has left, returned to the embrace of the Father God. His life force was exhausted, his bones were shattered, and his injuries were too severe for me to help."

"Now, can any of you tell me what happened? Weren't you all out having a party? Why did Kuafu turn out like this!"

The great shamans remained silent for a long time. Finally, Yi stepped forward and told Houtu the whole story.

The arena was deathly silent. Houtu lowered her head, making it impossible for anyone to see her expression. Suddenly, Houtu threw a punch, which landed directly on Da Yi.

With a deafening roar, Da Yi was sent flying backward, crashing through several mountain peaks before finally coming to a stop.

After throwing her punch, Houtu's expression was still unpleasant, but it was somewhat better than before. She glared fiercely at the assembled shamans and spoke:

"If you're not from the Houtu tribe, get back to your own tribe right now! You're not welcome here. Get out while I can still control myself!"

Nine Phoenixes, who was at the front, called out with considerable remorse:

"Lady Houtu, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, Houtu's sharp gaze fell upon Jiufeng, and she shouted:

"Didn't you hear what I said? Get out!"

The many high shamans had no choice but to retreat slowly and return to their own tribes.

Months later, Da Yi, covered in wounds, finally limped back to his tribe. Hou Tu's punch had almost shattered half of his bones, and he still hadn't recovered.

Da Yi lay in the shattered mountain for two months, during which time he was completely unable to move.

Only when his injuries began to heal did he regain the strength to move and drag his wounded body back to the tribe step by step.

During this time, Houtu's anger subsided somewhat, and upon seeing Da Yi, she did not attack again, but simply said:

"If you don't die, come with me to the main hall for a meeting. Other ancestral witches have arrived, and they need to inquire about what happened that night."

"Don't hide anything about what happened that night; don't omit any details."

Da Yi nodded and replied:

"Yes."

The two then headed towards the main hall of the Houtu tribe's witch clan, where the four ancestral witches, Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, Zhurong, and Gonggong, were already waiting.

As Houtu took her seat, Dijiang, who was at the head of the group, ignored Da Yi's disheveled appearance and spoke first:

"Do you remember the person who instigated this incident that day? Is there anything unusual about it? Was it a spontaneous act by the tribe, or was it possibly orchestrated by outsiders?"

After thinking for a moment, Da Yi immediately replied:

"Reporting to Lord Dijiang, that person was indeed a shaman. I remember his appearance; he should be from the Gonggong tribe."

"As for his name, I don't know, but I saw him enter with Gonggongbu before the gathering started."

"As for the abnormality, I'm sorry I didn't notice it. Ever since Kuafu failed in his first attempt to pull out the copper pillar, his environment in the tribe has never been very friendly."

"As for the attempt to pull out the bronze pillar, it was initially just some drunk tribesmen having fun by themselves."

"Later, somehow, more and more people started trying it, and then it got to us."

"We know the importance of the bronze pillar to the Heavenly Court, but we were put in this position by our clansmen, and someone had no choice but to go and try."

"At the time, I thought that since Kuafu had already tried it before, even if he failed again, it shouldn't have any impact. Everyone present can testify to this."

"Everything was going as expected, but then suddenly someone appeared, his words full of mockery of Kuafu."

"In front of so many of his people, Kuafu was pushed off a cliff. I don't know how to resolve that situation."

"As you all know, the final result was as well. As for the person who jumped out to mock Kuafu, we were busy taking Kuafu back to the tribe at the time, so we didn't pay any attention to him."

Dijiang nodded and said:

"That person is dead. He was beaten to death by the enraged tribesmen. His body is still hanging on that bronze pillar. There were too many people involved, so we don't know who did it."

"Whether there was outsider involvement is still unclear to everyone. You are quite seriously injured, so I will ask you one last question, and you must answer truthfully."

"After you answer, you can go back and recover from your injuries. As for how the tribe will punish you afterward, that is Houtu's business, and we have no right to interfere."

"I ask you, did you really see that bronze pillar move with your own eyes? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong, or that it was just a joke you made to make Kuafu stop?"

"This matter is of utmost importance, and there is no room for the slightest lie, falsehood, or sentimentality! You must tell the truth."

Upon hearing this, Da Yi's eyes turned bloodshot. He never imagined that his good brother Kua Fu, who had proven his bravery at the cost of his life, would now be doubted!

Seeing that Yi was agitated, Houtu immediately rebuked him:

"Da Yi!"

Hearing Houtu's words, Da Yi could only force himself to endure, gritting his teeth as he spoke:

"Reporting to Lord Dijiang, I swear on my life that Kuafu did indeed shake the bronze pillar; I saw it with my own eyes! There is no falsehood whatsoever!"

Dijiang nodded, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, making him feel much more relaxed.

Looking at the extremely excited Da Yi before him, Di Jiang finally spoke to comfort him:

"Alright, I believe you, and you must believe that Kuafu's sacrifice was not meaningless. He not only proved his bravery, but also reconnected with the backbone of the shaman."

"He will be a hero, a hero of the witch clan, and his death will be the death of a hero, that much is certain."

Da Yi's expression softened, having received Di Jiang's approval. At least Kua Fu's sacrifice wasn't insignificant; it had some meaning!

"I understand, Lady Houtu. Please forgive my severe injuries, I will take my leave now."

Houtu nodded without saying anything, and Da Yi could only leave dejectedly.

Only after the five Ancestral Witches remained in the arena did Zhu Jiuyang speak:

"Kua Fu's strength should rank among the top ten among the great shamans of the Wu clan, but he is still slightly behind the top ones."

"Since even he can shake the bronze pillar, then surely the clan now has the ability to eliminate him!"

"After removing the twelve of us, there are still six bronze pillars left. Let's discuss who we can put together when it's time to remove them."

After thinking for a moment, Dijiang spoke:

"Xingtian, Da Yi, Chi You, Feng Bo, Yu Shi, Xiang Liu, and Jiu Feng are the seven most powerful shamans in the Wu clan today."

"And the candidates can only be chosen from among them. The others are not even as good as Kuafu. Kuafu could only shake the enemy, but the others had no chance."

Zhu Rong did not speak. His tribe did not have any powerful shamans, nor did any of them appear on the list, so he naturally did not need to worry about it.

Gonggong was the first to speak:

"Xiang Liu is no good. Compared to strength, Xiang Liu is more skilled in the power of laws, and his own venom is also exceptional, but he is much weaker in terms of strength."

Houtu also spoke:

"My Houtu tribe has already lost Kuafu, and Da Yi cannot join in, otherwise how can there be any fairness?"

Upon hearing this, Dijiang frowned and said:

"What do you mean by this? This matter concerns the entire Witch Clan; how can we tolerate selfish motives! This is a matter of great importance to the entire race, unrelated to individual tribes, losses, or fairness!"

The arena immediately erupted into a commotion. While each department had no shortage of powerful shamans, they lacked one like the person in the arena, a powerful shaman who had the potential to become an ancestral shaman.

These people are the tribe's true treasures, the key to ensuring the tribe's long-term prosperity. How could they easily let them go now?

Seeing the chaotic situation, Zhu Jiuyin chuckled sinisterly:

"This kind of noise is damaging to the brotherhood. Why don't we hold a competition within the Witch Clan and let them all come out and practice?"

"For the sake of our race, let's select the six strongest individuals to pull out the bronze pillar. Of course, to ensure fairness, neither of us can leave this place; we can only communicate by sending a message, how about that?"

Houtu's face immediately darkened. She knew Da Yi's strength all too well. Apart from Xing Tian, ​​who was somewhat formidable, the others posed no threat to him whatsoever.

Zhu Jiuyin's suggestion was clearly aimed at Houtu's tribe! However, before Houtu could voice her opposition, Dijiang and the others readily agreed:

"agree."

"agree."

"agree."

Houtu looked at the people in the hall, snorted angrily, and said:

"Great! Excellent!"

Having said that, he immediately closed his eyes and stopped speaking. The other ancestral witches looked at each other, but did not offer any advice. They already had their own thoughts, so why would they take the initiative to comfort him?

In the Heavenly Court, within the Lingxiao Palace, Emperor Jun and Fuxi sat playing chess. Emperor Jun chuckled and spoke:

"The Witch Clan is quite interesting. Before we've even made a move, they've already pushed a powerful Witch with great potential toward a precipice of certain death."

"If we had waited a few more cycles, and waited for us to actively reduce the fortune on the bronze pillar, perhaps that person wouldn't have died. I don't know what they're thinking, being so impatient."

Di Jun's smile carried a hint of mockery and a touch of confusion. There were intelligent people among the Wu Clan, who knew that if they waited quietly, they would eventually rise up.

Yet, a great shaman, almost comparable to the Hunyuan Dao, was pushed to the guillotine by a group of people whose strength was comparable to that of ants.

Di Jun was puzzled, but Fu Xi also smiled and said:

"The people of the Wu tribe do not have a primordial spirit. They specialize in cultivating the power of bloodline and physical body laws. Although they are no less powerful than immortals and gods in combat, their thinking is no different from that of mortals."

"After all, if one cannot cultivate the Great Dao, one cannot be like an immortal or god, maintaining a heart unmoved by external things, and will not undergo trials and tribulations."

"Being obsessed with emotions and attached to honor and bravery, even if one lives a long life, one is still just a mortal."

"There is a saying that a shameful blade cannot be sheathed, and the strong are killed by the weak. If you don't believe me, in the world of immortals, how could these people possibly get close, let alone utter any provocative words?"

As he spoke, Fuxi placed a piece on the board. Above the western continent, countless clouds rolled, and a bolt of lightning struck down, penetrating into the eighteen bronze pillars.

Fuxi laughed at this.

"Since they have such ambitions and are unwilling to wait for the opportune moment, then I will give them a little surprise to show my gratitude to Heaven."

"After all, whether it's thunder or rain, it's all a blessing from Heaven. Whether they like it or not, I will receive it all."

Di Jun glanced at Fu Xi with considerable surprise, seemingly not expecting that he could be so domineering. However, it was only a little bit of thunder, so let him be.

Inspired by the story of Kuafu shaking the bronze pillars, countless shamans are now happily heading to the locations of the various bronze pillars.

Little did they know that what awaited them was not the unyielding pillar of the past, but a fate where they either had to pull out the bronze pillar or die.

In contrast, the Heavenly Court was filled with joy and celebration. The day of the earthly marriage was approaching, and the entire Heavenly Court was looking forward to it and excited about it.

After all, such a grand event means that the countless spiritual objects accumulated in the Heavenly Treasury will finally see the light of day again.

The gains from this conference almost saved them ten thousand years of cultivation. With such a wonderful thing, how could they not be excited?

As for the beings in the primordial world, they were completely ignorant about this and were still painstakingly studying how to prevent the Heavenly Demon.

But at this very moment, news suddenly spread throughout the primordial world: those who join the Heavenly Court will be protected by its fortune, consume golden pills and peaches of immortality, and will be undisturbed by the Heavenly Demons.

The entire prehistoric world was in an uproar once again, with everyone scheming to join the Heavenly Court. Unfortunately, due to the lack of warfare, the Heavenly Court hardly recruited any people from the prehistoric world.

Amidst the peaceful expanse of the primordial world, the grand ceremony of the Earthly Marriage finally commenced as the new era began. (End of Chapter)