"If Ao Xu heard this, he would definitely rebuke you, 'How dare a mere divine son mention my name?'" Jing Tian said.
"Then I'll beat him up again," said Nu Ba.
The two were just teasing Ao Xu; Nu Ba could not be considered a divine child.
The god-supremacist Ao Xu discriminates against those who are not worthy of being called divine children of the gods, referring to the offspring born from the procreation of the gods.
The divine power is so pure that when it unites with another, it will produce a child.
This is not just directed at the mother.
If both parents are gods, they will both wither and die as the child grows up.
Having twins, or even triplets or more, is fine, but having only one means exchanging a young god with divine power who needs time to hone his skills for two mature warriors from the divine race.
Moreover, the divine child grows slowly, making it difficult to continue in the short term.
"I regret it." Nu Ba's smile stopped. "I was too attached to everything in the human world and didn't want to leave, while ignoring that as long as I exist, the water around me will evaporate and turn into a barren wasteland."
Of the five gods who descended to the mortal realm, only she survived, but there were reasons for her being sealed away.
Because she did not harm humans, she simply did not want to return to heaven, nor did she want to go back to the cold, indifferent realm of gods.
Yet its mere existence would bring harm to the human world.
"You want to go back to the realm of gods? That's not a good idea," Jing Tian said.
"No, of course not the stagnant realm of gods. I want to go to the demon realm," said Nu Ba. "That is the true home for a god like me who yearns for freedom."
The Demon Realm is an anti-world that exists underground, parallel to the God Realm, and is completely opposed to the God Realm.
Demons exist within this realm, without order, without purpose, without desire yet embracing all desires. They are without thought, without desire, without birth, without death, and without order.
It represents absolute freedom.
"The Demon Realm," Jing Tian sighed.
He thought of Kui Yu.
He and Xi Yao rescued her when she Fruit of the Divine Tree from the ancient ferocious bird Danghu, and he radiated divine light to soothe her soul, thus beginning their bond.
Before he was banished into reincarnation, he never imagined that Kui Yu, Fuxi's favorite daughter, would also be infatuated with him.
This led to the splitting of the Well of Gods and Demons, allowing him to lead a group of followers into the Demon Realm and establish the Heavenly Demon Race.
And he created Long Kui to accompany his reincarnated body.
Now, Fuxi has erased the memories of Kui Yu from all those of divine bloodline. Only the old gods can remember Kui Yu.
"Why do you sigh? Judging from your spiritual power, you are no longer a god and can walk freely on this Dadi in a human body." Nu Ba asked in confusion, "Unlike me, I can only stay in this small bead and watch everything outside."
In the eyes of an ancient god like her, there is no concept of immortals and demons; no matter how powerful one is, one is still a human or a beast.
She also didn't believe that Jing Tian could break Nuwa's seal and rescue her.
Therefore, her doubts were tinged with a hint of jealousy.
In the last thousand years, she has grown weary even of the only pleasure of peeking into the outside world, and now only closes her eyes to reminisce about the past.
"Observe my spiritual power?" Jing Tian chuckled. "If you truly understood the whole picture, you wouldn't have said such a thing."
"What did you say—" Nu Ba was about to ask when she realized that she was being held in the mouth of a giant beast, along with the [Earth Spirit Pearl]. The extreme feeling of being enveloped and squeezed made her feel numb all over in this small world she had created, and she was unable to move.
She met Jing Tian's eyes, one blue and one red, as if reflecting the eyes of the world shaped by wind and fire.
She then realized that this was not a giant beast, but Fei Peng, who was forcibly taking possession of her and the [Earth Spirit Pearl] she was in.
Its spiritual power is so vast that it even surpasses the combination of her and the Earth Spirit Pearl.
"The power of the Fire Demon Beast, what are you doing? This will get you killed, Fei Peng!"
The power of the five ancient demonic beasts is poisonous. Their spiritual power contains demonic nature and turbid Turbid Qi, which is a deadly poison that would cause the gods' divine bodies to collapse and end their immortality.
"You think you're one of the Three Sovereigns?"
"Even so, you still care about me." Jing Tian flashed to the center of the hall and touched Nu Ba's crystal-clear cheek.
"I just don't want to lose an old friend," Nu Ba said, but she didn't turn her face away from Jing Tian's hand, as if she was powerless to struggle.
Then, she quickly began to struggle.
"No, you're crazy!"
"Your soul is still divine in essence, and if that's the case, you will die because of our child."
The Nu Ba's clothes were extremely luxurious, with a soft, smoky blue silk base and a long, wide-sleeved robe of moon-white silk gauze over it. Two strings of Azure Jade Anklet from her waist, their tinkling sound like a mountain spring knocking on a rock.
However, the barely visible body beneath the clothing and the straight legs raised high were even more beautiful.
A three-finger-wide black brocade ribbon flutters down.
Only the continuous, melodious sound remained in the main hall.
"You've really put me through a lot," Jing Tian sighed.
He had only intended to cultivate both spiritual and divine abilities, but unexpectedly, Nu Ba fell in love with him. During their spiritual union, he was unable to control himself and was taken over by Nu Ba, losing his primordial yang.
"I don't have any children?" Nu Ba, somewhat disappointed.
Now all she has left is the purple shawl from the tomb, its edges burned with cracked gold, as if a piece of twilight smoke had been cut off.
Such an exquisite work of art can only serve as an embellishment.
Even Jing Tian, who is now focused on the Dao and has not yet harmed Xue Jian, Long Kui, Zi Xuan, was momentarily Jing Tian.
"Naturally," Jing Tian said, regaining his senses. "You and I are only physically coupled; the fusion of our spirits is what truly matters."
"Is this your spiritual power?" The Nu Ba, regaining her senses, was surprised. A wisp of blue whirlwind lingered at her fingertips.
Her zodiac sign is Earth, and Wind overcomes Earth, so she should never have been able to directly control the power of Wind.
"You also obtained the Fire Demon Beast through the fusion of spirits and gods."
Nu Ba knew that the Fire Demon Beast was female.
She pulled her shawl tighter, forgetting that she only needed one magic spell to change her clothes.
"Only spiritual energy exchange," Jing Tian's face darkened. What did they take him for? "The Fire Demon Beast is different from you. Its mind is chaotic, and it doesn't need my soul to reside in it. Its spiritual energy is enough for me to use."
"Really?" Nu Ba's brows relaxed, and she finally remembered to use magic to change her clothes.
After this battle, Jing Tian finally achieved the integration of the three spirits.
Nu Ba gained her freedom and, together with Jing Tian's innate earth spirit, which had been perfected and manifested as earth virtue, they went to the demon realm.
"Wind, fire, earth," Jing Tian pushed open the window, accompanied by the crowing of a rooster, "And only water and thunder remain."
Looking towards Zi Xuan's room, he hesitated for the first time since regaining his memories.
He does not want a repeat of the situation with Nu Ba.
He was so charming that when his spirit was in control and his physical body was controlled by another acquired consciousness, he was bound to lose his virginity.
"Unfortunately, neither Nu Ba nor Xuanyuan were created by Fuxi."
He was somewhat disappointed that he could not glimpse the Pangu's Essence from Nu Ba.
There are three types of gods in the divine realm.
Like Fuxi, they were both innate gods born with heaven and earth. Fuxi created powerful and rare ancient gods with his divine essence, while Fuxi created more new gods with the Fruit of the Divine Tree, but most of them were of lower status and younger.
However, the innate gods and the ancient gods are essentially the same. The latter are just younger and have not yet taken form after the world was created. Fuxi's divine power only played a catalytic role.
That is why ancient gods are so rare.
There are not many primordial gods in the Six Realms.
Xuanyuan is an ancient god.
He was very powerful, not because of Fuxi's divine essence, but because of the combination of his Qianyang essence and the copper from Shoushan.
The sun is its father, the first mountain is its mother, Fuxi is merely a nutritionist and midwife.
The portion of Fuxi's Nu Ba was almost nonexistent; what she gained was less than the amount she received from his whispered intimacy with Xue Jian during this period.
"My benefactor." Wan Yuzhi came out of the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts.
They didn't stay with Wan Yuzhi for long.
After leaving Anning Village, they headed northwest.
Not far ahead lies the plank road leading up Mount Shu.
The plank road leading up Mount Shu is divided into three levels.
The first level is blocked by a large boulder and a trap door. The second level requires climbing vines that reach straight into the Cloud Top, just like in the Jack and the Beanstalk story. The third level consists of floating platforms that do not touch each other. For ordinary martial arts practitioners, this is indeed a formidable obstacle.
No wonder the people in Anning Village said they were crazy when they learned they were going to Mount Shu.
But this was not difficult for Jing Tian and the others.
Soon, they arrived at the legendary Heart of Pangu, Mount Shu.
"How beautiful!" Xue Jian exclaimed.
The seventy-two peaks of Mount Shu hang upside down in the sky, and the jade steps float in the flowing clouds.
As the tip of the Demon Locking Tower pierced the dawn, the copper bells on the eaves rippled through the ninth layer of mist.
The eternal Rune Fire on the Black Crystal Pillar, burning for millennia, illuminated the stone walls, revealing veins resembling Kunlun Jade Marrow.
With a slight downward tilt of the head, one can see the flowing golden patterns of the Mountain Protection Array, resembling the scales left behind by Nuwa Mends the Heavens.
"Something's not right." Zi Xuan frowned. "The aura around Mount Shu is different from usual. Everyone be careful! Let's go check out Wuji Pavilion first!"
There were far fewer Shu Mountain disciples here, their robes fluttering in Gale Force wind as they walked; only a few were patrolling.
Zi Xuan was very familiar with this place. They should not have been discovered by the patrolling disciples and should have successfully arrived at the Wuji Pavilion, where the Shu Mountain Five Elders were located.
However.
"Demonic Aura!" a disciple of Mount Shu suddenly shouted.
The Dotty, cold stars gathered above his head, forming countless Flying Swords.
Afterwards, the patrolling disciples rode with him on swords, each of them wielding four or five swords.
"It's you!" The leader of the Shu Mountain disciples' faces showed undisguised contempt. "Don't think that just because Senior Brother Changqing has rejoined the Shu Mountain sect, it means that Master has accepted you, a Miao girl!"
"Your existence is merely an obstacle to Senior Brother Changqing's good deeds and his path to immortality!"
"Unfortunately, many disciples don't understand, especially those female disciples who shouldn't exist!"
Although he said this, he and the Shushan disciples who followed him all withdrew their Flying Sword.
"It's you, Chang Hao." Zi Xuan sighed.
"I thought you couldn't stand Sister Zi Xuan, but it turns out you can't stand women. That makes sense, you're so ordinary-looking, you must have a rough love life and no one likes you." Xue Jian mocked. "But don't forget, your mother is a woman too."
"Love is just an obstacle." Chang Hao's expression remained unchanged. "I'm sorry, I can't let you pass."
His followers seemed to share the same idea.
Only one patrolling disciple, whose face still had baby fat, was drawn by the commotion and said, "Uncle-Master Changqing has also gone up the mountain, and he's with the sect leader. They're heading to the Wuji Pavilion."
"Ming Qing! You—" Chang Hao shouted.
"Uncle-Master Chang Hao, I'm not like my third senior brother. His fiancée is the second young lady of the Lin family in Suzhou. She's not only famous in the martial arts world, but she's also incredibly beautiful. She traveled all the way to Mount Shu to stop him from becoming a monk and gave him a token of their love, but he remained unmoved," Ming Qing sighed. "I miss A Qing. Qing, Qing. If Uncle-Master Changqing can get what he wants, maybe I can too."
"Uncle-Master Chang Hao, please move aside. If you don't, I will tell Uncle-Master Changqing."
"Master is confused!" Chang Hao was about to angrily step aside when his gaze suddenly fell on Jing Jing. "Haha, demon! If you want to pass, you must hand over this Monkey Demon!"
"Yes! Hand it over!" The disciples behind him shouted in unison.
One after another, Flying Sword were drawn from their sheaths!
"You Miao girl, we've turned a blind eye to your raising of Gu poison, but you dare to raise demons!" Chang Hao made a sword gesture with his hand. "As expected of a different race, you don't know that humans and demons are irreconcilable, raising aliens to harm the human world."
"You damned Daoist priest! I, the Jing Jing King Jingjing—" The little monkey tried to swell into a giant ape, but Jing Tian pressed him down on his shoulder, preventing him from circulating his Demonic Aura. He was extremely disappointed. "Boss, you—"
Jing Tian stepped forward. "If we're talking about harming humanity and raising evil creatures, it should be you who do it."
"Zi Xuan, we're too late."
Chang Hao was about to raise a question.
Rumble!
"The Demon Locking Tower - Demon Locking Tower has collapsed!"
A patrolling disciple shouted from a distance.
Everyone looked towards the Demon Locking Tower.
The muffled sound of the dragon bone breaking first came from the depths of the Earth Vein.
The Demon-Binding Lock shattered into three thousand pieces of crimson gold meteors, the peeling talismans burned into purple flames in mid-air, and the blood-red Demon Transformation Water evaporated into a red mist, as if the sky was weeping blood.
"Changqing!" followed by a mournful roar from an old man, "You Evil Demon!"
"Wuji Pavilion! Master!" Chang Hao turned his head quickly.
Sage Aura Wuji Pavilion, which used to be ethereal and refreshing, with its glazed tiles gleaming in the sea of clouds, resembling Immortal Realm, has now undergone a dramatic transformation.
The black iron pillar was driven diagonally into the cracked jade brick, and the remaining talisman paper was soaked in thick black mist. The star map on the dome was eaten away by blood-red rust, and from the sect leader's seal that was split in two, a gurgling, ink-like Evil Qi was seeping out.
This place is now just ruins, a place haunted by Evil Qi.
"Qing Wei, it is you who shaped me."
A sound that seemed like the clash of thousands of metals, or the roar of thousands of evil spirits, resounded throughout the entire Shu Mountain.
"I am you."
"It's delicious. Your anger, your sorrow, your Killing Intent. They are all the source of my power."
From the source of the sound, amidst the inky, Evil Qi, an old man in green robes appeared. He turned his head, revealing a face that was extremely familiar to everyone in the Shu Mountains.
The head of the Shu Mountain Sect— Qing Wei.
"Ah, Chang Hao, I didn't want to kill Chang Qing either, but he really had a way to eliminate me."
"The Three Sovereigns Divine Artifacts —this is the first time I've ever heard of them, even though I possess the memories of Qing Wei and the other three."
"They actually exist."
He caught a glimpse of Jing Tian out of the corner of his eye. "Tsk, troublesome people have arrived. Perfect timing, there's no Demon Suppressing Sword in the Demon Locking Tower, and there aren't even any demons left."
"Well then, goodbye, five of you. See you next time."
The old man in green robes transformed into a wisp of Evil Qi and dissipated into the vast clouds.
"He's the evil creature we've been raising, the one you're talking about? And you're the troublesome person he's been referring to?" Chang Hao stared at Jing Tian, his eyes bloodshot. "Why didn't you stop him!"
Jing Tian helped the unconscious Zi Xuan and placed her in Xue Jian's arms.
"Kid." He stepped forward, and a yellowish-brown halo spread out.
The immense pressure caused Chang Hao to kneel down instantly, his knees breaking through the Azure Jade Steps.
"You're the one who stopped us, you're the one who killed Xu Changqing, what does it have to do with us?"