In the northernmost part of the Primordial Wilderness, Autumn Water Tribe.
The once bustling tribe is now eerily silent.
Corpses lay scattered on the ground, their skin a strange bluish-black, their bodies festering, their deaths gruesome.
In this area, a five- or six-year-old boy knelt on the ground, his little hands constantly shaking the woman beside him.
"Mother, wake up, don't leave me..."
The boy's voice choked with sobs, and tears streamed down his dirty cheeks, dripping onto the woman's already cold hands.
The woman lay motionless on the ground, her body covered in festering sores, her skin bluish-black, and she had already stopped breathing.
"Mother, Qing'er promises to be obedient from now on and never be naughty again... Open your eyes and look at Qing'er..."
The boy's voice grew weaker and weaker as he shook his mother repeatedly, trying to wake her.
Just then, a staggering figure flew in from outside the tribe.
He was an elderly man with white hair and beard, covered in wounds, and with blood still clinging to the corner of his mouth.
He walked with difficulty to the boy's side, squatted down, and stroked the boy's hair with trembling hands.
"Qing, are you alright?"
The old man's voice was hoarse, filled with deep weariness.
The boy looked up at the old man with teary eyes. "Grandpa Chief, sob... Why can't my mother wake up? And why are all those uncles and elders lying on the ground and not getting up?"
He had just crawled out of the cellar inside the house; his mother had told him not to come out unless absolutely necessary.
That's how he escaped disaster.
The old man was Yao, the leader of the Autumn Water Tribe, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Looking at the young man before him, he felt an overwhelming sense of regret and self-reproach.
"It's Grandpa Yao's fault..." Yao's voice choked with sobs as he looked around at the dead members of his clan. "It's my fault... it's my fault..."
Just then, a beam of red light descended from the sky and landed beside the two of them.
As the light faded, a middle-aged man dressed in hemp clothing and with a resolute face was revealed.
He was surrounded by faint flame patterns, radiating a warm aura.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Yao was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Ancestor! You've finally arrived!"
He then lowered his head, his face full of shame, "I've let the tribe down..."
The visitor was none other than Sui Ren Shi, one of the Three Ancestors of the Human Race.
He surveyed the corpses scattered on the ground, his brow furrowed.
The air was filled with a nauseating stench of decay, and thick Black Qi lingered in the air for a long time.
"What happened? What's going on here?"
Sui Ren Shi asked in a deep voice, his hands clenched tightly, his voice filled with anger.
Yao immediately began to explain, her voice broken and intermittent, tinged with painful memories.
It turned out that when the tribesmen were hunting monsters in the nearby mountains, they accidentally stumbled into a secluded mountain peak and disturbed the seclusion of a cultivator who called himself the " Plague God ".
The Plague God was originally a Houtian Lifeform from the Primordial Wilderness. He accidentally obtained the original power left behind by the Innate Demon Gods Plague Demon and cultivated his plague path.
A dispute broke out between the two sides, and in a fit of rage, the Plague God killed the clansmen who had broken in.
Upon learning this, Yao led the people of the tribe to demand an explanation, but unexpectedly, the Plague God was already at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, while Yao was only at the peak of the Martial Soul Realm, and was no match for him at all.
The tribe suffered heavy casualties, and Yao herself was also seriously injured, but managed to escape.
"That Plague God god, unable to contain his anger, unleashed the plague..." Yao's voice trembled. "This plague spread extremely quickly; in just one day, the people of the tribe... except for me and another Martial Soul Realm expert who could barely suppress it, the rest of the tribesmen all..."
Sui Ren Shi's expression was solemn. " The Human Emperor sent me here precisely for this reason. Many places in the human race have been infected with this poison, and even using true energy cannot cure it."
Just as the two were talking, Qing suddenly clutched her stomach and curled up on the ground in pain.
"It hurts... Grandpa, Qing'er is in so much pain..."
Sui Ren Shi quickly bent down to examine the boy and saw that bluish-black spots were rapidly appearing on his body, and his skin had turned deathly pale, just like the symptoms on the corpses.
"Not good!" Sui Ren Shi immediately circulated his true energy, and a ball of flame appeared in his palm—the very first ball of fire he had created for humankind— the Indestructible Tinder.
He slowly channeled the Indestructible Tinder into Qing's body, attempting to dispel the strange plague.
Flames swirled within the boy's body, fiercely clashing with the Black Qi, but instead of being dispelled, the Black Qi spread even more rapidly.
"How so?"
Sui Ren Shi's expression changed drastically, and he increased the output of the flames.
However, all efforts were in vain.
Before long, Qing's body stopped struggling, and her eyes instantly lost their luster, becoming empty and lifeless.
A tiny life vanished right before their eyes.
"Why? Why is it still no use at all!" Sui Ren Shi roared, his eyes filled with anger and helplessness.
Just then, Yao also suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood, her face instantly turning ashen, clearly indicating that she too was nearing her end.
Suddenly, Sui Ren Shi realized something and hurriedly drew out a ball of golden light from his body—that was the Heavenly Dao Merit he had gained.
The golden light of merit entered Yao's body, fiercely confronting the Black Qi.
This time, the Black Qi was noticeably dispelled, and Yao's complexion improved slightly, but she was still seriously injured.
"Thank you... thank you very much, Ancestor," Yao said weakly.
Sui Ren Shi's expression was grave. "This plague is bizarre; even the Indestructible Tinder cannot dispel it. Only merit can cure it. But humanity's merit is limited, and it's impossible to save all those infected. We must find the Plague God and have him withdraw the plague."
"Ancestor, I'll take you there!"
The two immediately set off, flying in the direction Yao had indicated.
Before long, they arrived at the foot of a gloomy mountain.
The entire mountain was shrouded in a gray mist; the vegetation was withered, birds and beasts had vanished, and the atmosphere was deathly still.
Sui Ren Shi, carrying Yao, landed in front of a cave halfway up the mountain.
The cave entrance was pitch black, and a nauseating stench wafted from it.
" Sui Ren Shi member of the human race, has come to pay his respects to Plague God!" Sui Ren Shi announced loudly, his voice echoing through the cave.
As soon as he finished speaking, a cloud of black mist flew out of the cave and rushed straight at their faces.
Sui Ren Shi was prepared; the Indestructible Tinder surged from his palm, dispelling the black mist.
"Why be so impulsive, fellow Daoist?" Sui Ren Shi said in a deep voice, "Humanity has no intention of being your enemy, we only hope that you can provide an antidote to dispel the plague."
A cold snort echoed from the depths of the cave, "Humans have gone too far! Not only have they disturbed my seclusion, but they've also brought people here to provoke me. Do they really think I'm Plague God, easy to bully?"
Sui Ren Shi patiently explained, "The human race had no intention of offending you. On behalf of the human race, I apologize. It was all a misunderstanding."
"Hahaha!" A piercing laugh echoed from within the cave. "You humans multiply rapidly and expand endlessly. I guarantee you'll forget everything by tomorrow! I've cultivated diligently for ten thousand years, and I won't allow anyone to disturb me!"
"Then what will it take for you to take back the plague?" Sui Ren Shi suppressed his anger.
"Take it back? Too late!" The Plague God's voice carried a cruel sense of satisfaction. "Once this plague is released, it will spread and mutate on its own. Now even I can't completely control it. Since the human race dared to provoke me, they will pay the price!"
Upon hearing this, Sui Ren Shi's heart sank to the bottom.
"In that case, I'll have to offend you!"
A resolute look flashed in Sui Ren Shi's eyes, Indestructible Tinder erupted, transforming into a fire dragon that rushed into the cave.
He didn't believe the Plague God was unsolvable and decided to deal with Plague God first.