Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

Chen Qing looked into Duobao's big, round eyes, which were full of anticipation, and couldn't help but smile.

That's alright. Although Duobao is Tongtian Shishu's disciple, he should at least call him Senior Brother, right? As a senior brother, he should act like one.

Chen Qing immediately nodded and returned the greeting with a smile, saying, "Junior Brother Duobao, this little trinket is for you to play with."

As he spoke, he took out a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure from his sleeve—a small mirror with a smooth, clean surface and a faint spiritual light flowing through it. It was one of the spiritual treasures he had obtained from the Treasure Dividing Rock, named the "Mirror of Illumination." It could see through concealment and recognize illusions. Although it wasn't particularly powerful, it was still a rare treasure for Duobao.

Duobao sensed the aura of the mid-grade innate spiritual treasure on it, and his eyes lit up immediately. He grabbed it and hugged it tightly in his arms, his chubby little hands clenching it tightly, as if afraid that someone would snatch it from him.

His eyes narrowed into slits with a smile: "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Looking at him like this, Chen Qing couldn't help but reach out and ruffle his hair. This chubby little guy is quite cute.

The Three Pure Ones above, watching this scene, all nodded slightly, their faces showing satisfaction. The disciples got along harmoniously and loved one another; naturally, they, as elders, were also pleased.

Laozi stroked his beard and said, "Chen Qing, Duobao, now that you two have joined my Sanqing sect, you should diligently cultivate without ceasing. The path of cultivation is long, and you cannot slack off for even a day. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Yuanshi nodded and added, "The key to cultivation lies in perseverance. Never be arrogant because of temporary gains, nor be discouraged because of temporary losses."

Tongtian didn't spout any grand principles; he simply looked at the two younger men with a smile, his eyes full of affection.

Afterwards, the Three Pure Ones answered some of their cultivation questions. From Golden Immortal to Great Luo Immortal, from understanding the laws to circulating magical power, the Three Pure Ones each had their own strengths, and their guidance was profound yet easy to understand, greatly benefiting Chen Qing and Duobao.

After answering their questions, the Three Pure Ones took out a lot of cultivation resources and distributed them to the two of them.

Of course, the vast majority were for Chen Qing—after all, the consumption of Chen Qing's cultivation technique was terrifying. With 840 million particles operating simultaneously, the spiritual energy required every day was an astronomical figure.

Although the Three Pure Ones didn't say it aloud, they all knew in their hearts that this disciple had embarked on an extremely difficult path, and they would help him if they could.

"Go on, each of you return and cultivate diligently." Lao Tzu waved his hand one last time.

Chen Qing and Duobao bowed respectfully and left the cave.

After leaving the cave, Duobao, clutching the Mirror of Illumination, skipped and hopped along behind Chen Qing, chattering incessantly: "Senior Brother, when will I be able to cultivate to the Taiyi level? Senior Brother, have you ever seen what the Dao Ancestor looks like? Senior Brother, I heard you stole a lot of treasures from Zixiao Palace, is that true?"

Chen Qing was annoyed by his noise and quickened her pace, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Duobao chased after him, panting heavily, his short legs moving incredibly fast, shouting as he ran, "Big Brother, wait for me!"

After returning to the valley, Chen Qing did not rush to study the newly acquired spiritual treasures. Instead, he simply refined the Eight Views Palace Lantern, Jade Void Glazed Lantern, Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Flag, Purple Lightning Hammer, and other treasures, then stored them in his body to nurture them before continuing his cultivation.

His goal was clear—to quickly recover to the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal, or even go further, break through to the level of Daluo Golden Immortal, and enter the ranks of true cultivators.

He knew that only by reaching the Great Luo Realm could he truly unleash the wondrous power of the Qiankun Cauldron. At that time, he could return those innate spiritual treasures to their original state, refine the purest fragments of laws, integrate them into himself, and rapidly improve his cultivation and understanding of the Great Dao.

Therefore, what he needs to do now is to cultivate diligently and raise his cultivation level.

A magic potion? Just swallow it.

Spiritual fruits? We'll accept any that come our way.

The pills given by my master? I'll eat them like candy!

Chen Qing sat cross-legged in the valley, his 840 million particles operating at full power, like an invisible giant beast, frantically devouring the surrounding spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy above the valley was stirred into a huge vortex and surged into his body.

Those spiritual herbs, fruits, and pills transformed into streams of pure energy, which he unceremoniously absorbed into his body, converting them into magical power to nourish every single particle.

His cultivation level is rising at a visible rate.

Late stage of Xuanxian, Peak stage of Xuanxian, Perfect stage of Xuanxian...

Just one step away from stepping back into the realm of the Golden Immortal.

Meanwhile, Duobao, the chubby little boy who had transformed from the treasure-hunting rat, was arranged by Chen Qing to cultivate on the other side of the valley. He was quite honest, meditating and refining his qi every day, and occasionally running to the island to look for spiritual herbs, living a comfortable and enjoyable life.

……

While Chen Qing was engrossed in his cultivation, the powerful beings who had returned from Zixiao Palace on the prehistoric land also remained quiet for a while.

After all, everyone needs time to digest and absorb the teachings and transform the Taoist teachings of the Taoist Ancestor into their own cultivation.

More importantly, they need to choose a path to sanctification.

The three paths to enlightenment—the path of the Three Corpses, the path of merit, and the path of power—are laid out before us, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Most people choose the relatively safe path of the Three Corpses.

After all, proving one's Dao through force is far too difficult; even the great god Pangu failed. Proving one's Dao through merit depends on opportunity and is something that cannot be sought but only encountered. Only by severing the three corpses is the most practical and feasible path at present.

Thus, on the primordial land, those powerful beings at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm went into seclusion, entrusting their obsessions with innate spiritual treasures, severing their good and evil corpses, and achieving the status of Quasi-Saints.

For a time, the primordial wilderness was calm and still, and all was silent.

However, this calm did not last long.

On this day, suddenly a bell rang out, resounding throughout the heavens and earth—

"clang--"

The deep, resonant sound of the bell pierced through layers of void, spreading to every corner of the primordial land. The sound seemed to come from the heavens above, or from the depths of the ancient wilderness, stirring the very soul.

Then, a second, a third... nine bells rang in succession, echoing endlessly throughout the entire primordial world.

After the nine tolls of the bell, two grand and majestic voices descended from the heavens, resounding throughout the eight directions and six realms—

"Now, we, the Lords of the Sun Star—Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi—feel that all the demons of heaven and earth have nowhere to rely on and nowhere to return, therefore we have established the Heavenly Court here to govern the primordial world, using the Hetu Luoshu and the Chaos Bell to suppress the destiny—the Heavenly Court is established!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a brilliant golden light shone in the sky, accompanied by the sound of Taoist chants. A golden auspicious cloud drifted in from the horizon and slowly descended above the Heavenly Court. The auspicious cloud contained immense power of merit, radiating countless rays of golden light and auspicious energy, illuminating the entire Heavenly Court as if it were daytime.

The power of merit transformed into a golden pillar of light, shooting straight down towards the Heavenly Court below. Of this, Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi each received four-tenths of the merit, while the remaining two-tenths were distributed among the demons who participated in establishing the court.

With the help of immense merit, Di Jun's aura surged, and he severed both his good and evil corpses, breaking through to the mid-stage of Quasi-Saint in one fell swoop!

Taiyi, on the other hand, followed the path of proving the Dao through force—the path of the Primordial Golden Immortal—and also broke through to the middle stage under the impetus of merit.

At this moment, the Heavenly Court was established, and the demon race prospered.

The entire primordial land was in an uproar.

Merit! That's real merit!

Who among the primordial beings doesn't know the benefits of merit? Merit can not only enhance one's cultivation and luck, but also protect oneself and avert disasters at crucial moments.

By establishing the Heavenly Court, Di Jun and Tai Yi not only rightfully claimed the noble title of "managing the prehistoric world," but also gained a great deal of merit for nothing. It was a win-win situation for them!

Countless cultivators felt a mixture of envy and jealousy, wishing they could establish their own organization and get a share of the profits.

However, while some are happy, others are sad.

Kunlun Mountain, Sanqing Cave.

Yuanshi and Tongtian, who had just emerged from the pass, both had somewhat dark complexions.

They had worked hard in seclusion to cultivate, and finally managed to sever their good and evil corpses and break through to the mid-stage of Quasi-Saint. Before they could even rejoice, they heard that Di Jun and Tai Yi had established a Heavenly Court, and they caught up with them directly through their merits!

How can we play like this?

"Hmph!" Yuanshi snorted coldly, his face displeased. "It's nothing but a trick. Merit may be good, but it's not earned through one's own efforts. Cultivation achieved through merit is unstable and will inevitably lead to hidden dangers in the future."

That being said, he knew in his heart that Di Jun and Tai Yi were indeed ahead of the curve in terms of the wondrous uses of merit. As for the talk of managing the prehistoric world, Yuan Shi didn't care at all. Cultivation was the foundation; without extraordinary cultivation, how could one talk about managing the prehistoric world?

Tongtian didn't say anything, but stroked his chin, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. He wasn't thinking about Dijun and Taiyi, but about something else—the Heavenly Court was established, and the demon race had a leader, but what about the witch race? With their violent nature, could they tolerate it?

……

In the ancestral land of the Wu tribe at Buzhou Mountain in the primordial era, there is a deep and secluded hall.

The hall was dimly lit, yet twelve powerful auras intertwined and swirled within, like twelve majestic mountains, making the air in the entire hall seem to solidify.

On either side of the main hall sat twelve tall figures. They were of different shapes and sizes; some were like yellow sacs, some like giant beasts, some had bird bodies and human faces, and some had python heads and human bodies. They were the twelve ancestral witches who were formed from the essence and blood of Pangu after his death, combined with the turbid energy of heaven and earth.

—Dijiang: Like a yellow sac, red like cinnabar fire, with six legs and four wings, a chaotic and faceless being, the ancestral shaman of space and speed.

— Jumang: Green as bamboo, with a bird's body and a human face, riding two dragons, the ancestral shaman of wood in the East.

—Zhurong: A beast-headed human with red scales, fire snakes piercing his ears, and fire dragons under his feet; the ancestral fire shaman of the south.

Ru Shou: A human-faced tiger with golden scales, wings on his shoulders, a snake through his left ear, and two dragons on his feet; the ancestral witch of the Western metal element.

Gonggong: A man with a python's head and a human body, covered in black scales, riding a black dragon, with a green python wrapped around his hand, the ancestral shaman of the northern waters.

Xuanming: A ferocious behemoth covered in bone spurs, the ancestral witch of rain.

Houtu: Human body with a snake tail, seven hands behind her back, two hands in front of her chest, holding a flying serpent in both hands, the ancestral witch of the central earth.

—Qiang Liang: He has a snake in his mouth and a snake in his hand. He has a tiger's head and a human body, four hooves and feet, long elbows, and is the ancestral witch of thunder.

—Zhu Jiuyin: A human-faced, snake-bodied, crimson-red, the ancestral witch of time.

—Tianwu: Eight-headed human face, tiger body and ten tails, the ancestral witch of the wind.

—Xi Zi: A human-faced bird with green snakes hanging from his ears and holding a red snake in his hand; the ancestral sorcerer of lightning.

——Shebi Shi: A human-faced beast with dog-like ears and green snakes hanging from them, the ancestral shaman of the weather.

At this moment, Zhu Rong, the most hot-tempered of the Fire Ancestral Witches, suddenly stood up, his eyes wide open, flames surging all over his body, and roared, "Two birdmen, how dare they say they want to rule the primordial world created by the Father God? What are they! Let me tear them apart!"

As he spoke, he strode towards the outside of the hall, flames rising beneath his feet, instantly raising the temperature of the entire hall.

"sit down!"

A loud shout came from the front, not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Zhu Rong paused, then abruptly turned her head to look at the figure sitting at the head of the table—the Space Ancestral Witch, Di Jiang.

"Brother!" Zhu Rong cried out indignantly, his voice booming like thunder, "Those bird-men are going too far! Even if they were to rule the primordial world, it's not their place! My Wu clan are the bloodline of Father God Pangu, and this primordial land rightfully belongs to my Wu clan!"

The other ancestral witches in the hall also showed their indignation. Some cursed in low voices, while others rubbed their fists together, clearly extremely dissatisfied with the establishment of the Heavenly Court by the demon race.

Dijiang, sitting at the head of the table, was also furious. He was the eldest brother, but he couldn't let his younger siblings run wild.

Dijiang's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said in a deep voice, "It is indeed an overreach for the demon race to establish a Heavenly Court. But have you considered that the demon race is now very powerful? Dijun and Taiyi are both quasi-saints, and they have tens of thousands of demon soldiers and generals under their command. Although my Wu race is not afraid of them, if we rashly start a war, we will both be severely injured, which will only benefit others."

Zhu Rong angrily retorted, "Are we just going to let this go? Where will that leave the dignity of my Wu tribe?!"

A fierce glint flashed in Dijiang's eyes as he slowly spoke, "Of course we can't let it go. If we just swallow our anger like this, people will think that my Wu clan is afraid of the demon clan."

He paused, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Aren't those two birds going to unify the demon race? Then we'll make sure they have no demons left to rule."

Upon hearing this, the ancestral witches in the hall were first taken aback, and then their eyes lit up.

There are no demons to rule over?

How can there be no demons to govern?

Dijiang offered no further explanation, but simply gazed coldly into the distance, as if he could see the lofty Heavenly Court through the walls of the main hall.

"Pass down the order: from this day forward, all tribes of the Wu tribe shall kill any demons they encounter without mercy."

"I'd like to see how much control Di Jun Taiyi can actually have."

At Dijiang's command, the massive war machine of the Wu tribe roared into action.

On the very day the news spread, the Wu tribes scattered throughout the prehistoric world received the order. The strong and spirited Wu warriors took up their weapons, left their tribes, and began to hunt down the demons in an organized and purposeful manner.

The Wu Clan and the Demon Clan have a long-standing feud. One is a bloodline formed from the essence of Pangu, while the other is cultivated from the creatures of heaven and earth. They have always disliked each other from the root. Moreover, the Wu Clan also feeds on the Demon Clan, and small-scale frictions have never stopped on a daily basis. It's just that neither side has broken off relations openly.

Now, Dijiang's order is like adding fuel to the fire, completely igniting the long-suppressed anger of the Wu tribe.

The first to be affected were the demon tribes scattered across the primordial land.

These tribes are mostly composed of minor demons, whose cultivation levels are no more than Celestial Immortal or Golden Immortal. They rely on their numerical advantage to barely survive in the prehistoric world.

In the past, the witch clan disdained to attack them, but they also couldn't be bothered with them. But now, everything is different.

Within ten days, dozens of demon tribes were uprooted by the witch tribe on the primordial land.

Those witch warriors were all physically powerful and incredibly strong. The spells of ordinary demons were like tickles to them. A single punch from a witch warrior could cause mountains to crumble and the earth to split; how could ordinary lesser demons withstand such power?

In an instant, the demon race shed blood like rivers on the primordial land, and cries of agony filled the air.

When the news reached the Heavenly Court, Emperor Jun was furious.

"The Witch Clan has gone too far!"

Inside the Heavenly Palace, Emperor Jun slammed his fist on the table, causing the entire hall to vibrate. His face was ashen, his eyes blazing with fury, and his aura surged so powerfully that the demons in the hall dared not even breathe.

Taiyi sat to the side, holding the Chaos Bell in his hands, his expression calmer than Dijun's. But a cold glint also flashed in his eyes.

"Brother, the Witch Clan's actions are clearly a declaration of war against our Demon Clan." Taiyi spoke slowly, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable killing intent. "Since they want to fight, then let them fight. Our Demon Clan has never feared war."

Upon hearing this, all the demons in the hall echoed his sentiments.

"Your Majesty! The Witch Clan has gone too far in bullying us. If we don't retaliate, what face will our Demon Clan have left!"

"Yeah! Hit him! Hit him!"

"Your subject is willing to lead troops into battle and utterly crush the witch tribe!"

In an instant, the crowd in the hall was filled with righteous indignation, and shouts of killing shook the heavens.

Di Jun glanced around and saw that the demons' morale was high, which reassured him somewhat. However, he was, after all, the ruler of the Heavenly Court and could not act impulsively like his subordinates. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said in a deep voice, "The Witch Clan is powerful, and all twelve Ancestral Witches have quasi-saint cultivation. We cannot underestimate them. This matter needs to be carefully considered."

Taiyi nodded: "Brother is right. The Witch Clan is no ordinary opponent. If we rashly start a war, our Demon Clan may not gain the upper hand. However, we cannot let them continue to slaughter like this. Otherwise, what will become of our Demon Clan's prestige?"

Di Jun pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over the demons in the hall, and said, "Send down the order to summon all the demon races in the primordial world to converge on the Heavenly Court. From this day forward, no demon race shall venture out alone; all must travel in groups. If attacked by the Witch Clan, fight back on the spot; do not retreat."

"Yes!" the demons replied in unison.

Di Jun added, "Also, send someone to Kunlun Mountain to pay a visit to the Three Pure Ones."

Taiyi was taken aback: "The Three Pure Ones? Brother, you mean..."

A glint flashed in Di Jun's eyes: "The Three Pure Ones are the transformations of Pangu's primordial spirit, and they have some connection with the Wu Clan. If we can win them over, it will greatly benefit our demon race. Even if we can't, we should at least keep them neutral and prevent them from interfering in the conflict between the Wu and demons."

Tai nodded in agreement.

However, the people sent to Kunlun Mountain returned quickly, but the news they brought back greatly disappointed Emperor Jun—the Three Pure Ones were in seclusion and were not receiving any visitors.