Dense black mist hung silently in the air. Through it, those scarlet eyes stared fixedly at the slip of paper in Li Wuyang's hand, which radiated pure Primordial Dao Rhyme.
The air froze like ice that had endured for billions of years.
Li Wuyang felt as though his heart was about to leap out of his throat. His limbs had gone cold, and only the faintly burning Great Dao Imprint in his sea of consciousness kept him from collapsing. He frantically complained inwardly: Primordial Father, my dear father! Your note is powerful enough, but isn't the after-sales service a little too terrible? If this Demon Lord suddenly attacks, your son is really going to reincarnate... There is reincarnation in the primordial world now, right?
Just as Li Wuyang thought he was about to be crushed to death in the next second—
"Heh..."
An extremely soft chuckle, carrying indescribably complicated emotions, drifted out from the black mist.
There was absurdity in that laughter, amusement, surprise, and even a trace of... extremely rare interest that had been piqued?
"Primordial... Great Dao..." Demon Ancestor Luohu spoke again. Beneath his careless laziness was a hint of solemnity that was difficult to detect. "It... actually leaves notes?"
He seemed to be talking to himself, yet also seemed to be seeking confirmation from Li Wuyang.
Li Wuyang hurriedly nodded like a pecking chicken, trying his best to make his gaze look even more innocent. "Y-Yes, Demon Ancestor. My father... sleeps rather deeply. He can't be woken up. He told me to play on my own first and get familiar with the surroundings..."
As he spoke, he cautiously extended the note a little farther forward, as though it were some invincible protective talisman.
The black mist fell silent again for a moment. The destructive aura slowly receded like a tide. It was still enough to make one's heart palpitate, but it no longer carried the overwhelming pressure of imminent heaven-and-earth collapse.
The spread of withered land came to a halt, though the charred traces remained shocking.
"Play on your own..." Luohu repeated those three words. Light flickered in his scarlet eyes, as though he were deducing something—or perhaps simply finding it immensely amusing. "Interesting. The Primordial Great Dao actually found such a... weak vessel to nurture a Primordial Dao Child. And it even told you to play on your own?"
His gaze swept over Li Wuyang again, this time with far greater scrutiny, as though he wanted to see through him inside and out.
Li Wuyang's scalp prickled beneath that stare. He forced himself to say, "I-I'm not that weak... My father said my fortune is quite good..." As he spoke, he instinctively hefted the battered axe in his hand.
Luohu's gaze naturally fell upon the axe as well.
"A replica of Pangu's Sky-Opening Axe... incomplete..." His tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "You picked it up while walking?"
Li Wuyang honestly nodded. "I tripped over it, so... so I picked it up."
"..."
The black mist seemed to ripple again.
Even Demon Ancestor Luohu, with all his knowledge and experience from roaming the Chaos Primordial World, was somewhat thrown off by this absurd stroke of luck and that even more absurd "father."
He had traversed the ages and schemed against countless beings, yet this was the first time he had encountered such a contradictory combination: someone completely outside his plans, with origins impossible to calculate, a terrifyingly powerful backer, pitiful personal strength, and luck so outrageous it defied reason.
Should he forcefully make a move? Was it worth gambling on enraging the unfathomable Primordial Great Dao, which seemed to be in some special state, just to kill a little fellow who looked like he could be slapped to death? Besides, the Dao Rhyme on this brat could not be faked, and the aura on that note was supreme beyond compare. It was absolutely not forged.
Take him as a disciple? Looking at the brat's bewildered expression that practically said, "My father told me to play by myself, so don't disturb me," that would probably be difficult too.
After a moment of silence, Luohu seemed to have reached a decision.
"Forget it." His lazy voice carried a trace of barely perceptible boredom mixed with interest. "Since you are a Primordial Dao Child newly arrived in the primordial world, I shall give the Primordial Great Dao some face."
Hearing that, Li Wuyang was overjoyed. He nearly failed to suppress a cheer. He had made it! The bluff had worked!
But Luohu's next words sent his heart shooting back into his throat.
"Junior." Scarlet eyes carried a hint of teasing. "The waters of the primordial world run deep indeed. Don't... play yourself into trouble."
As his words fell, the dense black mist began to fade and disperse without warning, just as it had appeared. Along with the vague, terrifying figure within it and those heart-palpitating red eyes, it merged into the void as though it had never existed.
Only the surrounding land, devastated and stripped of all life, proved that the brief but soul-stirring confrontation had truly taken place.
The terrifying pressure vanished completely.
Li Wuyang's legs gave out, and he dropped onto the ground on his backside, gasping for breath. Only then did cold sweat pour down him in streams, soaking through his violet robe.
"I... I survived..." he muttered, filled with the weak-kneed relief and lingering fear of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
Lying face-to-face to Demon Ancestor Luohu... that was ten thousand times more thrilling than defending his graduation thesis back then!
After resting for quite some time, he finally shakily climbed to his feet. He carefully tucked the Primordial Violet Qi note back into the innermost part of his clothes like a precious treasure, then tightly gripped the battered axe again.
With these two items, plus the title of "Primordial Dao Child," could he now swagger through the primordial world?
The moment that thought arose, a thunderous growl came from his stomach.
A powerful wave of hunger struck him.
Li Wuyang: "..."
Fine, even immortals had to eat... At least at his current level, he was still far from living off wind and dew.
Primordial Father had only given him a title and passive skills, not a Grain-Avoidance Pill!
Looking at the barren, desolate surroundings, there was not even a blade of grass to chew on. Li Wuyang sighed and resigned himself to picking a random direction, trudging forward one deep step and one shallow step at a time.
He had to find something to eat first. Then... he needed to find somewhere safe and figure out how exactly this "Immunity to All Magic" and "Destined by Fate" worked.
After walking for about half a day and crossing a bare mountain ridge, the sight before him finally changed.
A somewhat sparse forest, but at least one with a little greenery, appeared ahead. Clear birdsong—perhaps from some kind of Spirit Bird?—drifted from among the trees.
Li Wuyang perked up and quickened his pace.
He had only taken a few steps into the forest when a rustling suddenly came from the grass beside him.
Li Wuyang immediately raised his axe nervously and held his breath.
The grass parted, and a small beast that looked like a deer emerged. However, faint lightning flickered from its antlers. It stared at him curiously with watery eyes, a purple Lingzhi Mushroom brimming with spiritual energy and looking utterly delicious clamped in its mouth.
Man and beast stared at each other.
Li Wuyang looked at the Lingzhi Mushroom, and his stomach growled even louder.
The Lightning Deer seemed frightened by his gaze. It took a step back, let out a threatening low growl, and lightning flickered over its antlers.
Li Wuyang instinctively waved the battered axe in his hand, trying to scare it away. "Go on, go! This Lingzhi Mushroom... is destined for me!"
Strangely, the axe had merely been waved casually, without any dazzling effects. Yet the Lightning Deer seemed to sense some terrifying aura. Its entire body instantly stiffened, and the purple Lingzhi Mushroom in its mouth dropped to the ground with a plop. Then it turned and fled, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Li Wuyang: "???"
He lowered his head to look at the axe, then at the intact Lingzhi Mushroom on the ground, which emitted an enticing fragrance and spiritual glow.
"This... counts as good fortune too?" He swallowed and carefully picked up the Lingzhi Mushroom, brushing off the dirt.
After hesitating for a moment, he tried taking a small bite.
At once, a clear, sweet juice flowed down his throat and transformed into a gentle warm current that spread through all four limbs and every bone in his body. His hunger vanished instantly, and he felt full of energy. Even his vision seemed much clearer.
"Good stuff!" Li Wuyang's eyes lit up. In a few quick bites, he devoured the Lingzhi Mushroom completely, still wanting more.
Having eaten and regained his strength, he was in high spirits. Carrying the axe over his shoulder, he continued wandering through the forest, hoping to find something else that was "destined" for him.
He had not gone far when he suddenly heard a strange "huaihuai" sound from nearby, filled with pain and weakness.
Following the sound, he found a... uh, a horse? A creature? A small colt entirely covered in snow-white fur, with a single horn on its forehead and faint clouds swirling around its four hooves.
Its hind leg appeared to be tangled in some kind of thorny vines, leaving it unable to break free. Blood and mud stained its white fur, making it look quite bedraggled. When it saw Li Wuyang approach, it warily tried to retreat, but being trapped, it could not move. It could only let out helpless "huaihuai" cries, its large eyes full of panic.
Li Wuyang looked at its appearance, which resembled the legendary unicorn, then at the clouds beneath its hooves.
"A mount?" A thought emerged in his mind.
He cautiously moved closer, putting on what he believed was a friendly smile. "Don't be scared. Don't be scared. I'll help free you."
Li Wuyang carefully used an axe to cut through the tough thorns. Strangely enough, the moment the thorns touched the axe blade, they immediately withered and snapped, without the slightest effort.
Li Wuyang carefully used the axe to cut through the tough thorny vines. Strangely enough, the thorns withered and snapped the instant they touched the axe blade, offering no resistance at all.
Very quickly, the little white horse's hind leg was free. It timidly glanced at Li Wuyang and tried to stand, but its injured hind leg gave way, and it nearly fell again.
Li Wuyang instinctively reached out and steadied it.
The instant his palm touched the soft fur on the little white horse's neck, the Great Dao Imprint in his sea of consciousness rippled ever so slightly again.
A wonderful sense of connection formed between man and horse.
The little white horse's body stiffened slightly. The panic in its large eyes rapidly faded, replaced by affection and obedience. It even rubbed its head against Li Wuyang's palm, letting out a gentle "huaihuai" sound.
Li Wuyang: "???"
It was tamed just like that? All he had to do was touch it? Was this "Destined by Fate" some kind of forced max-level favorability, Primordial Father?!
He looked at the extraordinary little white horse before him, with its own cloud effects, then at the battered axe that cut thorny vines like vegetables, and finally touched the life-saving note tucked against his chest.
Playing on his own... actually did seem pretty fun?
He grinned and patted the little white horse's neck. "All right, you can follow me from now on! Since you cry 'huaihuai,' I'll call you Huaihuai!"
Li Wuyang mounted—uh, since Huaihuai wasn't very tall, it was more like he straddled it. Huaihuai neighed, and the clouds beneath its four hooves grew slightly denser, supporting it and Li Wuyang as they rose steadily to their feet.
Li Wuyang swung himself onto its back... well, since Huaihuai was not very large, it was more like he straddled it. Huaihuai let out a neigh, and the clouds beneath its hooves thickened slightly, steadily supporting both it and Li Wuyang as it rose to its feet.
"Giddyup! No... go! Huaihuai, let's find some water to drink!" Li Wuyang pointed ahead with high spirits.
Huaihuai gave a cheerful cry, spread its hooves, and began traveling upon the clouds. Its speed was surprisingly fast.
Feeling the breeze rush past his ears as he sat atop the steady "cloud carriage," Li Wuyang was in excellent spirits.
It seemed this primordial world really was a place where he could have some fun!
Just as he was happily thinking that, Huaihuai suddenly let out a terrified neigh and abruptly stopped. It even uneasily backed up two steps.
"What's wrong, Huaihuai?" Li Wuyang raised his head in confusion.
At the end of the forest ahead, the view suddenly opened up. It was an enormous, boundless swamp. Multicolored poisonous miasma hung over it, while huge bubbles occasionally rose from the muddy pools and burst, releasing a nauseating stench of rot. Large piles of bleached beast bones lay by the water's edge, some skeletons astonishingly huge.
And from deep within the swamp came a faint, low, hungry... hissing sound?
The smile on Li Wuyang's face froze.
"You've got to be kidding... I just escaped the wolf's den, and now I'm entering a poison pit?! Primordial Father! Isn't this map's difficulty ramping up a little too fast?!"
Before you continue