Encountering Houtu

Haku followed Holy Mother Wudang into the mountain range, eventually arriving at the edge of a cliff overlooking rolling clouds.

Haku respectfully asked, "Senior Sister, do you have any instructions for me?"

Holy Mother Wudang patted Haku's shoulder and chided, "We're fellow disciples, why be so formal? If you keep this up, Senior Sister will get angry!"

Haku scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "Okay."

Holy Mother Wudang sat down on a blue stone and said, "I remember your old home was also like this, nestled amidst the sea of clouds."

Haku blinked. That was the Azure White Crane from before, what does it have to do with me, Haku?

Haku sat beside her and curiously asked, "Senior Sister, why do you think Master took me as a disciple? My aptitude isn't good, and I'm worlds apart from my two senior brothers and sisters. I was just an Outer Sect Disciple when I joined. I'm just wondering, why did Master take me in then?"

Holy Mother Wudang looked at Haku with a strange expression and asked, "You don't know?"

Haku shook his head.

Holy Mother Wudang suppressed a smile and said, "Master's initial plan when he took you in was for you to be a mount."

Haku exclaimed in shock, "What? A mount?"

Holy Mother Wudang nodded. "That was the original plan, but later Master said the white crane wasn't steady or imposing enough."

Haku quickly asked, "Senior Sister, does Master still have that plan now?"

Holy Mother Wudang smiled and said, "I don't know about that."

Haku immediately got up and flew away.

Holy Mother Wudang quickly called out, "Junior Brother, where are you going?"

"To find a mount for Master," Haku's voice echoed from afar. It's already embarrassing enough for a transmigrator to be a registered disciple. If I end up as a mount too, what face will I have left as a transmigrator?

I've decided, the first thing I must do when I go out this time is to find a mount for Master. No, I should include my two Martial Uncles too. What if Martial Uncles also fancy me? An Azure White Crane as handsome as myself is rare in the Great Desolation.

The world was vast and boundless, teeming with life. In the Great Desolation, there was the Nine Heavens Demon Court above and the Wu Clan roaming below. The demons ruled the heavens, the Wu ruled the earth, and war was incessant.

Haku, dressed in a green robe, walked through the wild, vast world. Trees were lush, and strange beasts roamed. Slap~ He casually swatted a mosquito the size of a sparrow and looked around, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Haku had made detailed plans before leaving. The Great Desolation was rich in Innate Spiritual Treasures since its creation, most of which were already claimed. However, Haku remembered a place where an Innate Spiritual Treasure was hidden, and it was at a location he knew might have one: the Treasure-Dropping Coin of Mount Wuyi. It would shine brightly in the future Battle of the Investiture of the Gods. With the Treasure-Dropping Coin in hand, he wouldn't have to worry about lacking treasures later!

Haku's main purpose for coming out this time was to scheme for the Treasure-Dropping Coin, and also to find the Big Red Robe Mother Tree on Mount Wuyi. Then, he would impress Master and his Martial Uncles with his tea-making skills. Master might not care, but First Martial Uncle definitely would. Then, when the Battle of the Investiture of the Gods arrived, First Martial Uncle would show him leniency. The depth of his planning was astonishing, achieving two goals with one trip, killing two birds with one stone. He couldn't help but feel delighted at the thought.

However, after leaving Mount Kunlun and wandering around the vast world, Haku discovered a very important problem: he seemed to be lost!

Haku walked through the forest, his mind in a daze. Where was Mount Wuyi again?! His calculations had been flawless, even accounting for potential interception by the Wu and Yao tribes. But as soon as he left the mountain, before he could even implement his subsequent plans, he completely lost his bearings.

He could only walk in one direction, flying over mountains and crossing rivers, traversing clouds and chasing the moon. He walked for a month. Time in the Great Desolation was different from his previous life. A day in the Great Desolation was equivalent to four thousand three hundred and eighty hours in his previous life, and a month was equivalent to thirty years. All life here was born divine, so it was not unusual.

In the darkness, Haku stood on a mountaintop, looking at the specks of firelight illuminating the mountain range below. He said happily, "There's fire, could there be people?" He immediately swooped down. If only I could meet a kind Great Power, then I could ask for directions. As for minor demons and monsters, I've traveled more roads than I've eaten rice.

Beside a river, a bonfire blazed, with a beast leg roasting over it. Sitting by the bonfire was a woman in a yellow immortal robe, looking elegant and noble.

Haku descended from the sky, his daoist robe fluttering. Judging by his appearance alone, he exuded an extraordinary presence. He cupped his fists and bowed, "Haku of Mount Kunlun greets fellow Daoist."

The woman looked up at Haku and chuckled gently, "Mount Kunlun, if I recall correctly, is where the Three Pure Ones cultivate. What is your relationship with them?"

Haku's heart leaped. She knows my Master? This will be easy. He immediately said, "My Master's daoist name is Tongtian."

The woman smiled and said, "So you are his disciple. Come, sit!"

"Thank you, Senior."

Haku walked over and sat opposite her, asking, "May I know how Senior is addressed?"

The woman looked at Haku and said, "Houtu!"

Whoosh~ Haku abruptly stood up, his eyes widening. Hou... Houtu? Is my luck too good or too bad? He quickly bowed respectfully, "Greetings, compassionate Empress Houtu~"

A hint of surprise flashed in Houtu's eyes. She smiled and said, "Compassionate? You're the first to bestow that title upon me. Don't people usually remember the warlike Ancestor Witch Houtu?"

Haku respectfully replied, "Ancestor Witch Houtu's combat power is unparalleled in the Great Desolation, but what truly impresses me is Your Majesty's compassionate heart."

Houtu revealed a faint smile. "An interesting young fellow. Sit down!"

"Yes~" Haku obediently sat down opposite Houtu.

After a moment of silence, Haku curiously asked, "Empress Houtu, is this the location of a Wu Clan tribe?"

"No."

"Then why are you here, Your Majesty?"

Houtu revealed a gentle smile. "This is the world created by Father God. I wanted to take a good look." Her expression shifted slightly as she said, "Little one, what do you think of this world?"

Haku couldn't resist being a little cheeky. "I look at it with my eyes!"

Houtu paused for a moment, then chuckled, "An interesting little rascal!"

She picked up a branch and poked the bonfire. "The world created by Father God has vast oceans and beautiful mountains and rivers. I've traveled through most of it, and I feel a subtle stirring in my heart. Everything seems perfect, yet somehow not quite right. But I can't pinpoint what's wrong."

She's already sensed that the world is incomplete? Haku opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing. He was still a nobody. He could go with the flow, but if he prematurely revealed the matter of reincarnation and caused any major changes, it wouldn't be something this little shrimp could handle.