Dad is tired and going to sleep first, son, play by yourself?

Thick, ink-like black mist floated silently. A pair of scarlet eyes peered through the fog, fixated on the slip of paper in Li Wuyang's hand, which radiated pure Primordial Dao Rhyme.

The air solidified like ice that had been frozen for a billion years.

Li Wuyang felt his heart about to leap out of his throat. His hands and feet turned cold, and he only managed to stay on his feet thanks to the slightly warm Great Dao Imprint in his sea of consciousness. He cursed inwardly, Primordial Father, my dear father! Your note is powerful, but the after-sales service is terrible! If this Demon Lord goes berserk, your son will truly be heading for Reincarnation... Reincarnation still exists in the Primordial World now, right?

Just as Li Wuyang thought he was about to be crushed in the next second—

"Heh..."

An almost imperceptible chuckle, carrying an indescribable complexity of emotions, escaped from the black mist.

Within the laughter, there was absurdity, amusement, surprise, and even a trace of... an extremely rare, piqued interest?

"Primordial... Great Dao..." Demon Ancestor Luohu's voice echoed again. Beneath the casual languor, there was a hint of undetectable solemnity. "He... actually leaves notes?"

He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps confirming with Li Wuyang.

Li Wuyang nodded frantically, doing his best to appear pure and innocent. "Yes... yes, Great Demon Ancestor, my father... he sleeps very deeply and can't be woken up. He just told me to play by myself first and get familiar with the environment..."

As he spoke, he cautiously extended the note further forward, as if it were an invincible protective charm.

The black mist fell silent again for a moment. The destructive aura slowly receded like a tide. While still heart-pounding, it was no longer the extreme pressure that threatened to shatter the world in the next second.

The withered land stopped spreading, but the scorched marks remained shocking.

"Play by yourself..." Luohu repeated the words, his scarlet eyes flickering as if deducing something, or perhaps finding it incredibly amusing. "Interesting. The Primordial Great Dao is nurturing a Dao Child through such a... weak vessel. And letting you play by yourself?"

His gaze swept over Li Wuyang again, this time with more scrutiny, as if trying to see through him completely.

Li Wuyang felt a chill crawl up his spine and forced himself to say, "I... I'm not that weak... My father said my fortune is quite good..." As he spoke, he subconsciously hefted the broken axe in his hand.

Luohu's gaze naturally fell on the axe.

"A replica of Pangu's Sky-Opening Axe... incomplete..." he said calmly, his tone revealing no emotion. "Picked it up while walking?"

Li Wuyang honestly nodded. "I tripped, and... I just picked it up."

"..." The black mist seemed to ripple again.

Even the well-traveled Demon Ancestor Luohu, who had roamed the Chaos Primordial World, was somewhat taken aback by this outrageous luck and the even more outrageous "father."

He had schemed for countless ages, but this was the first time he had encountered such a contradictory being: completely outside his plans, his origins unknowable, yet with an intimidatingly powerful backer, pitifully weak in himself, and explosively lucky.

Should he act by force? Was it worth gambling on provoking the unfathomable Primordial Great Dao, which seemed to be in a special state, just for a seemingly fragile little guy who could be squashed with one hand? Moreover, the Dao Rhyme on this kid was undeniable, and the aura from the note was supreme, by no means fake.

Take him as a disciple? Looking at the kid's naive appearance, as if saying, "My dad told me to play by myself, don't bother me," it seemed unlikely.

After a moment of silence, Luohu seemed to make a decision.

"Forget it," his languid voice carried a hint of weary amusement. "Since he is a Primordial Dao Child, newly arrived in the Primordial World, this ancestor will give the Primordial Great Dao some face."

Upon hearing this, Li Wuyang was overjoyed and almost couldn't help but cheer. He held on! The tiger skin trick worked!

But Luohu's next sentence sent his heart leaping into his throat again.

"Young one," his scarlet eyes held a hint of playful mockery, "the Primordial World is indeed very deep. Don't... play yourself out."

As his voice faded, the thick black mist began to thin and dissipate as abruptly as it had appeared, along with the terrifying, blurred figure and those heart-stopping red eyes, merging into the void as if they had never been there.

Only the surrounding mess, the desolate and lifeless land, testified to the brief but thrilling confrontation.

The terrifying pressure vanished completely.

Li Wuyang's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Cold sweat, belatedly, began to pour down, soaking through his purple cloth robe.

"I... I survived..." he muttered, feeling a sense of hollow relief and lingering fear.

Lying to Demon Ancestor Luohu's face... the thrill of that was ten thousand times greater than his undergraduate thesis defense!

After resting for a while, he shakily got up and, like a treasure, tucked the Primordial Purple Qi note back into the innermost pocket of his clothes. He then tightly gripped the broken axe.

With these two items, plus the title of "Primordial Dao Child," could he now walk sideways in the Primordial World?

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, his stomach rumbled loudly.

A fierce hunger struck.

Li Wuyang: "..."

Well, even immortals need to eat... At least at his current level, he was far from being able to live on air and dew.

Primordial Father only gave him a title and passive skills, not a Grain-Avoidance Pill!

Looking at the barren and withered landscape around him, where not even a blade of grass could be found to gnaw on, Li Wuyang sighed and resigned himself to fate. He randomly chose a direction and began to trudge along, his steps sinking deep into the ground.

He had to find something to eat first, and then... find a safe place to study how to use this "Immunity to All Magic" and "Destined by Fate."

After walking for about half a day, he crossed a barren mountain peak, and the scenery ahead finally changed.

A slightly sparse, but at least somewhat green forest appeared before him, with crisp bird songs (perhaps some kind of Spirit Bird?) echoing from within.

Li Wuyang's spirits lifted, and he quickened his pace.

Just a few steps into the woods, a rustling sound suddenly came from the grass beside him.

Li Wuyang immediately raised his axe nervously, holding his breath.

The grass parted, and a small beast that looked like a deer, but with faint electrical sparks flashing around its antlers, emerged. It looked at him with a pair of large, moist eyes, a purple Lingzhi Mushroom radiating spiritual energy, which looked incredibly delicious, held in its mouth.

One person and one beast, staring at each other with wide eyes.

Li Wuyang looked at the Lingzhi mushroom, his stomach rumbling even louder.

The Lightning Deer seemed startled by his gaze, taking a step back, emitting a threatening low growl from its throat, sparks flashing on its antlers.

Li Wuyang subconsciously waved the broken axe in his hand, trying to scare it away: "Go, go, go! This Lingzhi... it's destined for me!"

Strangely, the axe was swung casually, without any special effects or radiance, but the Lightning Deer seemed to sense an extremely terrifying aura. It instantly stiffened, the purple Lingzhi mushroom in its mouth dropped to the ground with a pat, and then it turned and fled, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Li Wuyang: "???"

He looked down at the axe, then at the intact Lingzhi mushroom on the ground, which was emitting an alluring fragrance and spiritual light.

"Is this... also good fortune?" He swallowed, carefully picked up the Lingzhi mushroom, and wiped off the dirt.

After a moment of hesitation, he tried taking a small bite.

Instantly, a sweet and pure juice flowed down his throat, turning into a gentle warmth that spread throughout his limbs and bones. The hunger vanished immediately, and he felt invigorated, even his eyesight seemed to have sharpened.

"This is good stuff!" Li Wuyang's eyes lit up, and he quickly devoured the Lingzhi mushroom, still wanting more.

Having eaten and regained his strength, his mood greatly improved. He carried the axe and continued to wander through the forest, hoping to "destine" something else.

He hadn't walked far when he suddenly heard a strange "huai huai" sound nearby, filled with pain and weakness.

He followed the sound and found, behind a bush, a... uh, a horse? Or a creature? Entirely snow-white, but with a single horn on its forehead, and faint wisps of clouds swirling around its hooves... a foal?

It seemed to have its hind leg tangled by some thorns and couldn't break free. Its snow-white fur was stained with blood and mud, making it look quite disheveled. Seeing Li Wuyang approach, it tried to retreat cautiously, but because it was entangled, it couldn't move and could only let out helpless "huai huai" sounds, its large eyes filled with panic.

Li Wuyang looked at its appearance, which closely resembled the legendary unicorn, and then at the clouds beneath its hooves.

"A mount?" A thought popped into his head.

He cautiously approached, showing what he thought was a friendly smile: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'll help you untangle it."

The little white horse (he decided to call it that for now) remained wary, but since it couldn't move, it could only let Li Wuyang get close.

Li Wuyang carefully used the axe to cut through the tough thorns. Strangely, as soon as the thorns touched the axe blade, they withered and broke effortlessly.

Soon, the little white horse's hind leg was free. It glanced timidly at Li Wuyang and tried to stand up, but its hind leg was injured, and it almost fell again.

Li Wuyang instinctively reached out to steady it.

The moment his palm touched the soft fur on the little white horse's neck, the Great Dao Imprint in his sea of consciousness vibrated again, very subtly.

A wondrous sense of connection was established between the man and the horse.

The little white horse's body stiffened slightly, the panic in its large eyes quickly faded, replaced by affection and obedience. It even nuzzled Li Wuyang's palm with its head, letting out a gentle "huai huai" sound.

Li Wuyang: "???"

It was... tamed just like that? By a touch? Is this "Destined by Fate" a forced max affinity stat, Primordial Father?!

He looked at the extraordinary little white horse before him, complete with its cloud effects, then at the broken axe in his hand that cut through thorns like vegetables, and then felt the life-saving note in his pocket.

It seems... playing by myself... is actually quite fun?

He grinned, patted the little white horse's neck, "Alright, you'll follow me from now on! Since you make a 'huai huai' sound, let's call you Huaihuai!"

Huaihuai seemed pleased with the name and nuzzled him affectionately again.

Li Wuyang climbed onto... uh, since Huaihuai wasn't very tall, he more like straddled it. Huaihuai neighed, the clouds beneath its hooves thickened slightly, lifting it and Li Wuyang, allowing it to stand steadily.

"Giddy up! No... Go! Huaihuai, let's go find some water!" Li Wuyang pointed ahead with high spirits.

Huaihuai let out a joyful neigh, took a step, and trotted on the clouds, surprisingly fast.

Feeling the breeze blowing past his ears, sitting on the stable "cloud mount," Li Wuyang felt incredibly content.

It seems this Primordial World is indeed a place to roam!

Just as he was happily thinking this, Huaihuai beneath him suddenly let out a startled neigh, stopped abruptly, and even took two uneasy steps back.

"What's wrong, Huaihuai?" Li Wuyang looked up in confusion.

Ahead, at the edge of the forest, the scenery suddenly opened up to reveal a vast, boundless swamp. Colorful miasma filled the air above the swamp, large bubbles occasionally rose from the muddy pools, bursting and releasing a nauseating stench of decay. Piles of pale white beast bones were scattered along the edges of the pools, some of the skeletons being astonishingly large.

And from the depths of the swamp, a low, hungry... hissing sound could be faintly heard?

The smile on Li Wuyang's face froze.

"No way... Out of the frying pan and into the fire?! Primordial Father! Isn't the difficulty of this map jumping a bit too fast?!"