Primordial Era: I, Hongyun, take charge of the literary path

In the vast wilderness, years are forgotten; in the blink of an eye, the ocean has become a vast expanse.

Since the emergence of great gods such as the Three Pure Ones and Zhen Yuanzi, the entire prehistoric world has become lively once again.

Powerful cultivators from all walks of life emerged, some occupying sacred mountains and blessed lands, others traveling the world, and still others visiting friends and discussing the Dao, all in an effort to attain a higher realm.

Among these many cultivators, Zhen Yuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain was also a renowned figure in the prehistoric world.

Zhen Yuanzi was born at the early stage of the Great Luo realm, possessing unfathomable magical power. During his travels, he would help those in need whenever he saw injustice, thus establishing a formidable reputation in the prehistoric world.

But few people know that Zhen Yuanzi was born with a top-grade innate spiritual root, the ginseng fruit tree.

Each time the ginseng fruit tree bears fruit, it takes three thousand years for it to flower, another three thousand years to bear fruit, and another three thousand years to mature. Each time it bears fruit, there are only thirty ginseng fruits.

The ginseng fruit is like a newborn baby, with all four limbs and five senses. The fruit falls when it encounters gold, withers when it encounters wood, dissolves when it encounters water, burns when it encounters fire, and enters the earth when it encounters soil. It must be contained in a special container.

The effects of ginseng fruit are extremely powerful. If an ordinary person is fortunate enough to smell the fruit, they can live for 360 years, and if they eat one, they can live for 47,000 years.

Zhen Yuanzi was of a detached nature. He usually cultivated himself in the Wuzhuang Temple on Wanshou Mountain. Occasionally, he would travel, but only to visit fellow Daoists and observe the creation of heaven and earth.

On this day, Zhen Yuanzi left Wuzhuang Temple and headed east. The vast and boundless primordial land was filled with mountains, rivers, strange peaks, and ravines, and was teeming with spiritual herbs and exotic beasts.

Zhen Yuanzi stood on auspicious clouds, a whisk draped over his arm. His beard and hair were all white, his face was ruddy, his Taoist robe fluttered, and a faint purple aura surrounded him. Wherever he passed, celestial birds greeted him, and auspicious beasts bowed their heads. He truly exuded the aura of a celestial being.

This time, Zhen Yuanzi left on a whim, without any specific purpose, simply following his heart.

That day, dark clouds suddenly gathered ahead, and a rumbling sound came from the sky, like muffled thunder rolling across the heavens.

Zhen Yuanzi frowned slightly, and after calculating with his fingers, he realized that there were evil spirits causing trouble and killing living beings to cultivate.

Zhen Yuanzi was not one to back down from trouble. With a flick of his whisk, the auspicious clouds continued their journey, crossing two great mountains. Suddenly, a vast wilderness opened up before them.

On that desolate wasteland, a group of demonic cultivators, exuding an eerie aura, were frantically slaughtering the creatures of the wasteland.

Among the group of demonic cultivators, the leader was a burly man, three zhang tall, with a full head of red hair, wielding a giant axe engulfed in black flames.

The red-haired giant possessed the cultivation level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and his entire body exuded a violent and ferocious aura.

Apart from the red-haired giant, most of the other demonic cultivators were Golden Immortals, and there were also three or five Taiyi Golden Immortals.

In the battle between the Dao and the Demon, after Rahu was defeated by Hongjun, the Demon Ancestor Rahu used the Demonic Path to supplement the Heavenly Path. As the Dao grew and the Demonic Path diminished, the Demonic Path rose and the Dao declined, and the remnants of the Demonic Path scattered throughout the prehistoric world.

But demonic cultivators are all a bunch of killers. It's fine for them to hide for a short time, but if it goes on for too long, they can't sit still. So some of them come out to hunt living beings for fun.

The Crimson Demon is one of them.

Unable to bear the loneliness, the Crimson Demon and his men took pleasure in killing, venting their pent-up rage.

Zhen Yuanzi was by nature chivalrous and righteous, and he was naturally unwilling to stand idly by when he saw injustice.

"You bald demon, stop!"

Zhen Yuanzi let out a sharp shout, his voice as loud as a bell, which shook the black mist around Chi Mingmo and caused it to disperse somewhat.

The Crimson Demon turned its head and looked over, a hint of surprise flashing in its scarlet eyes, before it grinned and laughed.

"Shut up, where did this old Taoist priest come from? Are you tired of living? I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother with you. If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

Zhen Yuanzi remained expressionless, lightly waved his whisk, and said in a deep voice, "You evil heretics, stop now and disperse, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Who do you think you are, daring to lecture me?"

The Crimson Demon laughed loudly, his voice shaking the surrounding area, and shouted fiercely, "I was once the Crimson Demon General under the Demon Ancestor, and no one has ever bothered with my affairs."

"Since you've gotten involved in this matter, then stay here. It's been a long time since I've killed a Grand Luo Golden Immortal."

With a roar, Chi Mingmo swung his black giant axe, unleashing a jet-black blade of energy that slashed towards Zhen Yuanzi.

Zhen Yuanzi frowned, swept his whisk, and a white light dissipated the sword energy, causing it to vanish without a trace.

Seeing this, the Crimson Demon's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked Zhen Yuanzi up and down and sneered, "You have some skill, but I'm even more excited."

Zhen Yuanzi sighed, knowing that there was no way to resolve this peacefully today. He held his whisk horizontally in front of him and said, "Since things have come to this, I have no choice but to learn from your superior skills."

"Hahaha, take another one of my axe blows!"

The Crimson Demon laughed wildly, said nothing more, and instantly rushed forward, his black giant axe slashing down fiercely.

This axe strike was powerful and heavy, carrying with it a cloud of black mist and demonic energy, and the blade was also burning with Netherworld Fire, so much so that even the air was scorched and sizzled.

Boom, rumble—

As the Crimson Demon attacked, Zhen Yuanzi stepped forward with his whisk. The whisk's three thousand silver threads transformed into a sky full of white light that collided with the black flames, producing a deafening roar.

After exchanging blows, Zhen Yuanzi realized just how powerful Chi Mingmo was; he truly lived up to his reputation as a veteran Grand Luo Golden Immortal.

Although Chi Mingmo is currently only at the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, the demonic arts he cultivates contain a corrosive power within their magic, making them extremely domineering and unpredictable.

In addition, the Crimson Demon had many underhanded tricks. During the battle, they frequently used evil spells, black mist filled the sky, ghosts howled and wolves howled, and a series of vicious attacks poured down like a rainstorm, making it difficult for Zhen Yuanzi to deal with them.

After several exchanges, Zhen Yuanzi let out a long roar, and a nine-zhang-long auspicious cloud appeared above his head, carrying a precious book of glittering gold: the Book of Earth (Mirror of Mountains and Rivers).

The Earth Book is one of the three books of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Legend has it that it was transformed from the membrane of the earth, or from the lotus leaf of the Chaos Green Lotus. It is a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. Its golden light cascades down like a waterfall, blocking all the attacks from the sky.

Upon seeing Zhen Yuanzi's magical artifact, the Earth Book, Chi Mingmo's eyes widened, a glint of greed flashing across his face.

"I never expected you to possess such a fine spiritual treasure! A top-grade innate spiritual treasure, it's mine now!"

The Crimson Demon sneered, swinging his giant axe even more fiercely. At the same time, he chanted a spell, and countless ghostly figures emerged from the black mist, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced on Zhen Yuanzi.

Just as Zhen Yuanzi was engaged in a fierce battle with the Chi Ming Demon, a lucky cloud suddenly drifted in from the heavens and earth.

The clouds were not ordinary white clouds, but rather had a faint red tinge, as radiant as the morning glow.

A tall man stood atop auspicious clouds, wearing a purple-gold crown, a crimson robe of shimmering gold, a white jade belt around his waist, and cloud-patterned shoes. He possessed a gentle and refined demeanor, exuding a free and unrestrained elegance.

The person who arrived was naturally Hongyun. When not making a move, Hongyun's demeanor was respected among the masters.

The red cloud appeared silently, as if it were meant to be there, rather than appearing suddenly.

Sensing someone approaching, the Crimson Demon turned to look at the Red Cloud, his pupils shrinking involuntarily.

Upon seeing the red cloud, the Crimson Demon instinctively probed it, only to find that he could not sense the depth of the red cloud at all. The other party was clearly standing in front of him, yet it seemed to be integrated with the world, and he could not discern the level of cultivation at all.

Who are you?

"I am a demon," Chi Ming asked in a deep voice, looking at Hong Yun with a wary gaze and a hint of apprehension in his tone.