Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

As Lieshan grew older, Guangchengzi's teachings gradually came to an end.

During this time, Lieshan gradually became involved in tribal affairs. Although young, he managed the tribe with remarkable efficiency, earning the respect and respect of everyone in the tribe. Ten years later, Lieshan officially became the leader of the tribe. Everything was progressing in a positive direction.

However, new problems eventually arose.

Although Fuxi invented fishing nets and domesticated wild animals, which greatly supplemented the food sources of the human race, the food crisis re-emerged as the population continued to grow.

As the tribe grew larger and the population increased, the availability of prey and fish became limited, and the domesticated wild animals could not reproduce indefinitely.

The shadow of hunger once again loomed over humanity.

Lieshan was deeply troubled by this, losing his appetite and sleep.

One day, Lieshan was wandering outside his tribe, hoping to find a way to solve the food shortage among the human race. He walked aimlessly, his brow furrowed, his heart filled with anxiety.

Just then, a bird flew across the sky. Lieshan looked up sharply.

Perhaps startled, the bird flapped its wings in a panic and flew away into the distance, accidentally dropping the string of things it was carrying in its beak.

Lieshan went over to take a look and saw that it was a string of seeds from some kind of grass, each seed plump and golden in color.

Out of curiosity, he picked one up, squeezed it in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then put it in his mouth.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up—this thing actually tasted pretty good, with a fragrant aroma and a hint of sweetness when chewed.

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and his eyes snapped to the remaining granular objects, his heart pounding.

Since this stuff tastes good, could it be used as food? If humanity could find a type of food that could be grown on a large scale and yielded a stable harvest, wouldn't the food crisis be easily solved?

But Lieshan did not rush to conclusions. There were many precedents of humans losing their lives due to recklessly consuming herbs and wild fruits; he could not gamble with the lives of his people.

But he was unwilling to give up so easily. So he picked up everything that had fallen on the ground and brought it back to the tribe. He decided to try it himself first to see if there would be any adverse reactions after consuming it.

For several days, he took a few pills each day, carefully observing the changes in his body. His appetite was normal, his spirits were normal, and he experienced no discomfort. Only after several days, when he still did not notice any adverse reactions, did he feel relieved.

Lieshan was overjoyed and named this thing "grain". He mobilized his people to search for traces of this grain everywhere and brought all the collected grain back to the tribe.

After obtaining sufficient grain, Lieshan led his people to cut down trees and move rocks near the tribe, using simple wooden sticks and stones to loosen the soil and plant the grain.

With the grain, the tribe's food shortage was greatly alleviated.

But Lieshan did not relax. He knew that these grains alone were far from enough to meet the needs of the human race.

He then began searching far and wide, trying the fruits and seeds of various plants, tasting their flavors and observing their effects. Day after day, year after year, he found many edible crops, brought them all back, and planted them on the land cultivated by the tribe.

In no time, the reputation of the Lieshan clan spread among the various human tribes. Tribes within a radius of hundreds of miles all knew that a great sage had emerged from this place, solving the increasingly serious food problem of the human race.

At this time, Fuxi already sensed that his days were numbered.

Of course, "not much time left" doesn't mean he's going to die—with his cultivation foundation, living for several hundred more years wouldn't be a problem.

Rather, he had a premonition that he would have to leave the human tribe and could no longer protect this place.

The Three Sovereigns have each taken their place. The Heavenly Sovereign's mission is about to be completed, and it is time for the Earthly Sovereign to take the stage.

After learning about the deeds of Lieshan, Fuxi set off for the tribe where Lieshan lived.

When Fuxi saw Lieshan, he was stunned.

With his newfound memories of his past life, he could naturally see that the Lieshan clan before him was extraordinary—the air about him and the composure in his every move were qualities that no ordinary person could possess.

After careful investigation, Fuxi confirmed that Lieshan Clan indeed possessed genuine talent and learning.

So he took Lieshan with him and began to teach him how to govern the tribe and how to handle human affairs.

He wanted to personally hand over the throne to the most suitable successor.

Guang Chengzi's mission here was essentially complete. Lieshan had grown into a man, and he had been taught everything he needed to; the rest of the journey was up to him to walk. With nothing else to do, Guang Chengzi took his leave and returned to Kunlun Mountain.

On this day, Chen Qing was cultivating when the boy he had enlightened came to report that someone from the Witch Clan was requesting an audience.

Chen Qing frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in his mind. What did the Witch Clan want with him?

Although he and Pingxin had a good relationship, nothing major should have happened in the underworld yet. Even if Buddhism wanted to intervene in the underworld, that would be a matter for the future, not now.

His divine sense extended beyond the island, sweeping over the newcomer, and he was immediately taken aback—"Xing Tian?"

Chen Qing's expression immediately turned serious. Now that Pingxin had no longer failed as an Ancestral Witch, among the remaining Great Witches of the Witch Clan, Xing Tian had the highest cultivation and the strongest strength. The fact that he had personally come here indicated that something truly extraordinary had happened.

He waved his hand to activate the island's protective array, and his voice carried far: "Come in."

Xing Tian stood outside the island's protective formation. Although he appeared calm, the anxiety deep in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

He stepped onto the island and, without delay, hurriedly walked towards the interior.

"Xing Tian of the Wu Clan greets Fellow Daoist Chen Qing!" Xing Tian bowed deeply, his posture extremely humble. He had come to ask for a favor.

Chen Qing nodded, gesturing for him to sit down, and said, "You've come to see me now, has something major happened in the Netherworld? With Pingxin's cultivation level, even a saint in the Netherworld couldn't do anything to her, right?"

Xing Tian said bitterly, "But Lady Pingxin... is now seriously injured, and had no choice but to send Xing Tian to ask you for help."

"What? Pingxin is seriously injured?" Chen Qing exclaimed in surprise, his expression changing drastically.

It should be known that in the Netherworld, Pingxin can unleash power far exceeding that of an ordinary saint!

Unless several saints acted simultaneously, it would be impossible to harm her. However, he did not sense any fluctuations from the battle between saints coming from the direction of the underworld.

Chen Qing's mind raced. It seemed the primordial world was becoming increasingly interesting. Could it be that besides Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the six other saints, there were other saints?

He looked at Xing Tian, ​​who was filled with anxiety, suppressed his shock, and asked in a deep voice, "Who is the enemy? Do you know? And how is Ping Xin now?"

Xing Tian pondered for a moment before speaking: "Empress Pingxin suffered severe injuries and is currently recuperating in the Pangu Palace."

The enemy... was a group of people shrouded in black mist, and even with my current level of cultivation, I couldn't see their true faces.

Those people were extremely strange, seemingly unaffected by the laws of the underworld. It was their combined ambush that left Consort Pingxin severely injured.

After listening, Chen Qing didn't speak immediately. He slowly sat down, the shock and anxiety on his face gradually fading, replaced by calmness and tranquility. He simply looked at Xing Tian silently before him, without uttering a word.

Xing Tian felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze and hesitated before asking, "Fellow Daoist...should we set off for the Underworld immediately?"

Chen Qing nodded, smiled slightly, and then said, "We are going to the underworld. But that's for later. And—only I am going, not 'we'."

"Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by this?" Xing Tian's expression changed slightly. "Empress Pingxin is in imminent danger, and the Pangu Palace could be breached at any moment. We must go to her rescue immediately!"

Chen Qing smiled calmly, his gaze sharp as he looked directly into Xing Tian's eyes: "I think you haven't grasped the situation. Ping Xin is seriously injured and hiding in the Pangu Palace, afraid to come out. So the enemy must also be a Saint-level being."

"In that case, may I ask how you, a great shaman, managed to escape from the perilous underworld to seek help?"

He paused, looked Xing Tian up and down, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Moreover, your complexion is rosy, and your breathing is steady; you show no signs of disarray. Could it be that the Great Witch Xing Tian, ​​whom I haven't seen for a while, has now broken through to become a Saint?"

Xing Tian's expression changed drastically, but he quickly regained his anxious look.

He looked at Chen Qing in surprise and said urgently, "Fellow Daoist, what are you talking about? Let's hurry and go to the Underworld to rescue the Ancestral Witch Houtu!"

Before he finished speaking, a large hand reached out towards Chen Qing, its five fingers like hooks, carrying an irresistible force, as if it wanted to drag Chen Qing away directly.

Her anxious and urgent demeanor was so palpable that anyone unaware of the situation would truly believe Empress Pingxin was on the verge of death.

However, Chen Qing's face darkened in that instant.

He did not retreat or dodge, but instead clenched his fist and, with a whooshing sound, met Xing Tian's outstretched hand head-on.

"Bang—"

Their fists and claws clashed, producing a dull, loud thud.

Both seemed to have been prepared, and neither gave in. A powerful shockwave spread outwards from them.

Everything in the hall turned to dust in an instant, as if it had been crushed by an invisible giant hand.

The commotion instantly startled the entire Penglai Immortal Island. Two boys peeked out from a side hall, looking over in a panic.

They didn't know what was happening. They only saw smoke and dust filling the island lord's main hall and flashing spiritual light, and thought that some powerful enemy had attacked.

Just as a boy was about to step forward to inspect, Chen Qing's voice rang out, cold and steady: "Step back, do not approach."

The two boys exchanged a glance, then quickly shrank back, not daring to take another step forward.

Inside the main hall, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

Chen Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he stared at Xing Tian in front of him. Xing Tian took a half step back, his outstretched arm trembling slightly, clearly indicating that the punch he had just received had caused him considerable harm.

"Xingtian?" Chen Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of authority. "How long are you going to keep up this act?"

Xing Tian raised his head, his anxiety and fear on his face as if wiped away by an invisible hand, replaced by an eerie calm.

He looked at Chen Qing and suddenly laughed. The laugh was mocking and cold, completely different from the loyal and worried high shaman of the Wu tribe he had been before.

"Chen Qing Daoist truly lives up to his reputation." His voice had changed; it was no longer the rough and bold tone of Xing Tian, ​​but deep and hoarse, as if it came from the depths of hell. "Unfortunately, even if you see through it, what can you do?"