Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

The illusory images of stars poured down like a torrential rain, endlessly.

Each star that struck the creation light screen of the Qiankun Cauldron caused a violent tremor. The light screen rippled outwards like the surface of a lake after a stone has been thrown in, the ripples spreading outwards and lingering for a long time.

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi, with a solemn expression, held the Earth Book in his hand and continuously poured his magical power into the great formation to relieve Chen Qing's pressure.

Chen Qing's main body stood beneath the Qiankun Cauldron, surrounded by 840 million avatars. All the power of the world converged into a single beam and poured into the cauldron.

Fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and his face was slightly pale—not because he couldn't hold on, but because the feeling of being suppressed and beaten was really unbearable.

Taiyi stood atop the array's core, the Chaos Bell in his hand shaking incessantly, its tolling rising in waves. He looked down at Chen Qing, his eyes filled with killing intent and arrogance.

"Chen Qing, so what if you have eight hundred million avatars? In front of the Chaos Bell and the Zhou Tian Star Array, you're nothing but a sitting duck!"

Chen Qing did not answer.

He truly had no way to retaliate—while the Qiankun Cauldron's defense was strong, it couldn't withstand the suppression of the Chaos Bell. The Apricot Yellow Banner, the Purple Lightning Hammer, and the two divine lamps—these top-grade innate spiritual treasures were utterly insignificant compared to the supreme treasure. All he could do was endure, hold out until Taiyi couldn't hold on any longer.

Taiyi is a Primordial Golden Immortal with profound magical power. Moreover, the Zhou Tian Star Array continuously provides him with the power of stars. How easy would it be to exhaust his magical power?

Chen Qing quickly considered countermeasures in his mind.

Just then, a cold snort came from afar, as loud as thunder, causing the Zhou Tian Star Array to tremble slightly.

"Taiyi, you really are increasingly disregarding the Three Pure Ones."

As the words fell, a streak of azure sword light slashed down from the horizon, its sword intent sharp and its edge fully revealed. Wherever the sword light passed, the illusory images of stars shattered, starlight scattered, and a crack appeared in the Zhou Tian Star Array.

The Tongtian Sect Leader, wielding the Qingping Sword and with the Four Swords of Zhuxian hovering behind him, moved with lightning speed, arriving above the battlefield in the blink of an eye. His expression was cold and stern, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed directly on Taiyi.

Following closely behind, Yuanshi Tianzun also arrived. Above his head was the Pangu Banner, its banner fluttering in the wind, each shadow of the banner carrying the power of creation, sweeping away the surrounding illusory stars.

Two powerful beings in the late stage of Quasi-Saint arrived with supreme treasures, their aura overwhelming.

Taiyi's face instantly turned ugly.

He may disregard Chen Qing, but he cannot disregard the Three Pure Ones.

Laozi alone was already enough of a headache for him. Now that Yuanshi and Tongtian have arrived together, if the Three Pure Ones join forces, let alone Taiyi, even if they add Dijun and the entire Heavenly Court, they might not be able to gain any advantage.

"Yuanshi, Tongtian, do you also want to be enemies with the demon race?" Taiyi said in a deep voice.

Tongtian sneered, "Make enemies of the demon race? Taiyi, you've dared to bully my nephew. As his uncle, how can I just sit idly by?"

Yuanshi didn't speak, but simply shook the Pangu Banner gently. The banner trembled, and a power powerful enough to tear the heavens and earth was gathering strength, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.

Taiyi gritted his teeth.

Although Lao Tzu has not yet arrived, no one can guarantee that he won't appear at any moment. The Three Pure Ones are one; if one moves, the three move.

Just then, a golden light flew from the direction of the Heavenly Court and entered Taiyi's ears. It was Dijun's voice transmission.

"Taiyi, come back. We have enough human souls to forge the Witch-Slaying Sword. Also, there are unusual movements from the Witch Clan, so it's not advisable to start a full-scale war now."

Taiyi remained silent for a moment, then slowly put away the Chaos Bell.

He gave Chen Qing a deep look, then glanced at Yuanshi and Tongtian, and said coldly, "This matter ends here."

With that, he waved his sleeve, and the Zhou Tian Star Array slowly dissipated. The demon army retreated like the receding tide, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

The sky above Wuzhuang Temple has finally returned to calm.

Chen Qing exhaled a long breath of turbid air, put away the Qiankun Cauldron, and the 840 million transformations turned into a sky full of starlight, disappearing back into his body.

"Thank you for your help, my two senior uncles." Chen Qing bowed solemnly to Yuanshi and Tongtian.

Tongtian waved his hand and laughed, "Why are you being so polite with me? Besides, even if we hadn't come, with Taiyi's abilities, we wouldn't have been able to break through your tortoise shell. At most, it would just have taken a little longer."

Yuanshi frowned, looked Chen Qing up and down, and said in a deep voice, "Chen Qing, your transformation technique is indeed remarkable, but this time you have exposed all your trump cards. You need to be more cautious in your future actions. The demon race is vengeful, and Taiyi will not let this go."

"Understood, disciple," Chen Qing replied. However, he didn't take it too seriously. With the great battle against the fox demons imminent, there was no time to worry about him.

Tongtian patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, don't think too much about it. Let's go see how that old bastard Zhen Yuanzi is doing." With that, he took the lead and headed towards Wuzhuang Temple.

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi had already dismantled the great formation and stood wearily in the courtyard. The leaves of the ginseng fruit tree beside him had turned yellow and withered, clearly indicating that it had suffered a great loss of vitality.

Upon seeing Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Chen Qing enter, Zhen Yuanzi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you all for your help. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid my Wuzhuang Temple would not have survived."

Tongtian laughed and said, "Zhen Yuanzi, you almost lost everything this time."

Zhen Yuanzi shook his head, looked at the humans who had survived the calamity and were kneeling and kowtowing in the courtyard, and sighed: "I also couldn't bear it. These humans are unarmed and have suffered this calamity. If I can save even one or two of them, it will be a good deed."

Chen Qing walked up to Zhen Yuanzi, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior Zhen Yuanzi, you are truly virtuous. I intend to take these humans back to the ancestral land of humanity. What is your opinion, Senior?"

Zhen Yuanzi pondered for a moment, then nodded: "That's good. After this battle, I believe the demon race will not dare to offend us lightly. You take them with you."

Chen Qing thanked Zhen Yuanzi, waved his hand to collect the humans in Wuzhuang Temple, and then said to Yuanshi and Tongtian, "My two senior uncles, I'm going back to the ancestral land of the human race first. Master is still in seclusion there."

"Oh, right, there are a few more things I'd like to ask my third martial uncle."

Tongtian was taken aback: "What is it?"

Chen Qing smiled: "An array."

Tongtian glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips: "What's wrong? Did you get hurt by the Zhou Tian Star Array this time?"

Chen Qing smiled bitterly: "It's not so much pain, it's just frustrating. Having eight hundred million avatars, yet only able to passively take the beating. If I could condense the power of these avatars into an array, how could I be in this situation?"

Tongtian nodded, his joking expression fading, and said seriously, "The way of formations is profound and complex. If you want to learn, I will naturally teach you everything I know. But you must remember, formations are static, but people are dynamic. Even the most powerful formation needs sufficient power to support it."

Chen Qing solemnly replied, "This disciple understands."

Tongtian took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to him: "These are my notes on studying formations over the years, from the basics to the advanced. You can study them first, and feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."

Chen Qing bid farewell to his two senior uncles, Yuanshi and Tongtian, as well as Zhen Yuanzi, and embarked on his journey home alone.

Before long, the ancestral land of the human race on the shore of the East China Sea came into view.

Chen Qing stood on a cloud, raised his hand and waved it, releasing all the humans he had collected.

Suiren, Youchao, and Ziyi were leading their people to settle the survivors who had fled from various places in their ancestral land.

After the demon race's surprise attack, the human race suffered heavy casualties, but fortunately Chen Qing and his avatar arrived in time, and although many tribes were severely damaged, they were not completely wiped out.

Inside and outside the ancestral land, busy figures could be seen everywhere. Some were moving wood and stones to rebuild houses, some were bandaging wounds, and some were silently sorting and organizing the belongings of the deceased. There were no cries, no wails, only a strength gathering in silence.

"The Immortal Master has returned!"

Someone shouted.

Suirenshi was startled as he saw Chen Qing release the human figures.

Suirenshi's eyes instantly reddened.

He strode forward, knelt down before Chen Qing with a thud, and said in a choked voice, "The Suiren clan of the human race thanks the immortal for saving my life!"

Behind him, the Youchao clan, the Ziyi clan, and all the humans present knelt down, forming a dark mass that stretched from the foot of the mountain all the way to the distant riverbank.

"Humans bow in gratitude to the immortal for saving their lives!"

The roar was deafening, filled with gratitude that ran deep in their bones.

Chen Qing quickly stepped forward, helped Suirenshi up with both hands, and then looked around and raised his voice, saying, "Please rise, everyone! Chen Qing has only done his bit and is unworthy of such a great honor."

But as soon as he helped one person up, the others knelt down again. He helped up a group, and even more people bowed down.

Suirenshi grasped Chen Qing's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face: "Immortal Master, please do not refuse. Since our human race was created by the Goddess Nuwa, it was you who brought us to the East Sea and found us a place to settle down. It was you who protected us for many years and taught us how to make fire, build nests, and sew clothes."

Now, the demon race is slaughtering my people, and it is you who, risking your life, have saved countless human lives from the demon's blade. This kindness and virtue will never be forgotten by humankind for generations to come!

He turned to face the crowd, his voice resounding: "Today, I, Suiren, in the name of the three ancestors of humanity, propose that Chen Qingxian be honored as the Holy Teacher of our human race—a title witnessed by Heaven and Earth, and to be upheld for eternity!"

"Greetings, Holy Master!"

"Greetings, Holy Master!"

Tens of thousands of humans shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the land.

Standing in the center of the crowd, Chen Qing looked at those simple and sincere faces, at those resolute eyes that had survived the ordeal, and a surge of emotion welled up inside him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat felt as if something was blocking it.

He wanted to say, "What merit does Chen Qing have?" but looking at those expectant eyes, he swallowed the words back.

At that moment of silence, a vast and warm power descended from the sky, silently blessing him.

It wasn't merit, nor magical power, but something far more mysterious—luck. The luck of the entire human race, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, surged towards him.

Chen Qing felt a sudden clarity in his mind, as if an invisible hand had gently lifted the thin fog covering his eyes. The laws governing the world became exceptionally clear, and those mysteries that he had struggled to understand before suddenly became clear.

He took a deep breath and finally spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of everyone present: "In that case, Chen Qing... is unworthy of such praise."

Suirenshi was overjoyed and kowtowed again.

The cheers from the surrounding humans were like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing.

The human race suffered heavy losses in this massacre by the demon race.

Of the billions of people, only tens of millions remained. Less than one in ten survived. Inside and outside the ancestral land, there were orphans and widows who had lost their loved ones, and wounds that had not yet healed.

But the survivors did not wallow in grief. They buried their hatred in their hearts, swallowed their tears, and silently gathered up the ruins and rebuilt their homes.

Men felled trees and piled stones, women sewed and farmed, and the elderly led children to gather herbs in the mountains. No one complained, no one cried; everyone was desperately trying to survive, as if to prove with their resilience that the human race was not weak.

Suirenshi stood on a high place, looking down at the busy crowd below, and murmured, "One day, the human race will make its voice heard. At that time, no one will dare to look down on us."

Chen Qing stood beside him without saying a word.

He looked into the distance—the direction of Mount Buzhou, and also the direction of the Lich Wars.

He knew that this calamity was far from over. Once the three-thousand-year truce ended, the full-scale war between the Lich King and the Demon King would inevitably erupt.

That was when the real tragedy began, but only after the great war did humanity have the chance to truly rise again.