The Qing Huan Dao Field was as still as an ancient, solidified void, with only a wisp of Chaos Qi swirling around the fingertips, stagnant and indistinct.
His gaze fell, and a ripple stirred deep within his primordial spirit—a ripple that could not be smoothed over by Daoist magic or supernatural powers, but rather a cold echo of the laws of Heavenly Dao, like an invisible shackle hanging over the lifeblood of all beings in the Primordial Wilderness.
Qing Huan's gaze swept over the disciples below him.
Kong Xuan stood proudly, his five-colored tail feathers gleaming with divine light.
The Great Peng is sharp and powerful, its wings billowing with primordial Gale Wind.
The Four Unlike calm, and the earth's energy seemed to circulate where it stepped.
These three beings had already Transformation before Dao Ancestor Hongjun expounded the profound mysteries three times. They were born innately and, like mountains and rivers, were granted eternal existence by the Heavenly Dao. The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations were unrelated to them.
Qing Huan's gaze finally settled on Wudang and Gui Ling, a faint trace of worry passing through his heart.
They only managed to open the gate to Transformation after the third dissipation of the Daoist aura in the Purple Cloud Palace. From then on, they were marked with the acquired seal. Although they were also Innate Lifeform, not all innate beings were the same...
The severe tribulations of the laws of Heavenly Dao —the Three Calamities and Nine Disasters—are like an invisible guillotine hanging overhead, from which there is no escape.
It is not that Sage are powerless, but rather that the rules of Heavenly Dao are as strict as iron.
The Qing Huan Celestial Spirit had long since transcended the barriers of the Heavenly Dao, standing alone beyond the primordial chaos. Yet, this rule, like the spine of the Primordial Wilderness, supported the cycle of birth and death of all things, and even Sage could not directly shake it in the slightest.
To break this ironclad law of Heavenly Dao, one must likely attain the ethereal and boundless Hunyuan Limitless Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
The thought of the fate of the disciples of the Three Pure Ones in the "original trajectory"—whether they were reduced to ashes in the Thunder Tribulation, and thunder, or their True Spirit were imprisoned on the cold and ruthless Investiture of the Gods the Gods, becoming pawns in the operation of the Heavenly Dao —caused a chill to run through Qing Huan's heart.
Investiture of the Gods?
Qing Huan's lips pursed slightly, a fleeting, indifferent smile playing on his lips—how could his disciples have fallen to such a state?
Although the Heavenly Dao cannot be reversed, it can be guided and utilized.
Qing Huan's mind calmed slightly, and his clear Daoist thoughts, like the moon reflected in an ancient well, instantly brought him to a state of profound understanding:
"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself."
Under the glorious Heavenly Dao, only the immeasurable Merit that originates from the gratitude of all beings in Heaven and Earth and is born in accordance with the great trend of the Primordial Wilderness can eliminate disasters, resolve difficulties, and protect the Dao body!
As soon as this thought arose, it was as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. Qing Huan's mind was suddenly enlightened, and his gaze turned to the human tribes in the distance, who were struggling to survive on the wild land, eating raw meat and drinking blood.
In the beginning, humanity was as fragile as a candle in the wind, yet it contained boundless Luck and potential bestowed by the Great Dao, making it a fertile ground for accumulating Merit.
"Wudang, Gui Ling."
The sacred sound descended from the void, neither too high nor too low, yet like a morning bell or evening drum, it pierced through layers of spatial barriers, resonating precisely within the meditation Cave Mansion of the two female disciples, carrying an undeniable majesty and a hint of deep concern.
A flash of inspiration appeared deep within the Dao Field, and two female immortals stood respectfully before the steps.
The Saint Mother Wudang was tall and slender, with a pure and refreshing aura like the unmelting frost and snow on the Kunlun Mountain. Her eyes were sharp, containing a wisdom that could see through the ways of the world.
The Saint Mother Gui Ling appeared gentle and dignified, her steps carrying a steadiness originating from the earth. Her wide robe sleeves subtly displayed mysterious hexagrams and runes that flowed endlessly, representing the innate spiritual essence she carried.
"Disciple is here."
The two responded in unison, their voices clear and distinct. Qing Huan's gaze lingered on them for a moment, a gaze that seemed to pierce through the river of time, glimpsing the Heavenly Dao tribulations and Gale Wind they might face in the future. His voice was deep and profound:
"The cycle of destiny is like a wheel, and calamities arise spontaneously. To weather these calamities, there is no better way than to accumulate merit and virtue beforehand."
With a light tap of the fingertips, two dazzling streams of light condensed from the void, containing profound Daoist principles.
"Wudang, you should take this true meaning of the <Qing Yuan Sutra> and seek a place where the bloodline of the human race is prosperous to pass on the seed of the Dao."
"Gui Ling, take this Innate Eight Trigrams formation and choose a place where the human race has a strong foundation. Teach them how to set up the formation to protect their race."
The <Qing Yuan Sutra> transformed into a beam of Wudang light and entered Wudang's brow. Instantly, countless profound mysteries about guiding innate primordial energy and condensing the origin of life unfolded like a galaxy in her sea of consciousness, with its core pointing directly to the inherent Power of Creation of life.
Gui Ling sensed a powerful array intent merging into her primordial spirit. The direction of the earth's veins, the trajectory of the stars, and the principles of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint became incredibly clear, as if the earth itself was whispering beneath her feet. This was the wonderful method to protect the human settlement and isolate it from evil spirits.
The two suddenly felt their minds clear, and a ray of light appeared ahead. They bowed in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt gratitude and exhilaration:
"Disciple will humbly obey the Dharma's instructions! Thank you, Master, for your compassion!"
Before the words had even faded, Qing Huan's sleeve flicked gently, and a soft yet overwhelming force sent them out of the Blessed Land.
The vast and boundless aura of Primordial Wilderness primordial world instantly rushed towards them. Wudang and Gui Ling stood on the clouds, looking down at the boundless land below.
The mountains rose and fell like dragons and snakes, and the vast marshes were shrouded in mist, dotted with scattered human settlements.
These settlements were mostly built against mountains and near water, but they were extremely simple, just places of shelter barely constructed with rough wood, stones and animal hides. Against the backdrop of the vast and dangerous Primordial Wilderness, they were as insignificant as blades of grass swaying in the wind.
The roar of ferocious beasts, the hiss of poisonous insects, and even sudden changes in the weather could easily extinguish this fragile firework.
"Junior sister, look."
Gui Ling's voice carried a hint of heaviness. Following its direction, Wudang saw a riverside settlement in the distance shrouded in chaos and bloodshed.
A ferocious beast resembling a giant lizard with bony spurs on its back, known as "Zaochi," was frantically tearing apart a simple wooden and stone fence with its pair of sharp, curved tusks, sending shards of stone and wood flying like rain.
The people in the settlement cried out in terror, and the young and strong men, armed with sharpened wooden sticks and polished stone axes, rushed forward fearlessly, trying to use their flesh and blood to stop the behemoth.
However, when their weapons struck the Zaochi body covered in thick scales, they only sent up a few sparks and made a dull "bang" sound, like an ant trying to shake a tree.
With a sweep of its massive tail, the ferocious beast sent several men flying backwards like kites with broken strings, screaming as they crashed into the stone wall. Their bones were broken, and their blood instantly stained the yellow earth.
Even more shocking was the scene at the edge of the settlement, where a emaciated mother dressed in tattered rags was desperately shielding an equally small child beneath her.
The mother's body trembled violently, but her eyes revealed a desperate ferocity as she stared intently at the ferocious beast so close at hand, as if she wanted to use her frail body to build the last barrier for her child.
The child whimpered in her arms, a suppressed, animalistic sound, his little face contorted with fear.
This scene, like a red-hot branding iron, was fiercely seared into the hearts of Wudang and Gui Ling.
How similar was that mother's resolute stance in protecting her chicks to the protection she felt from her master in her memory?
An indescribable sense of compassion and responsibility surged within me like a tide.
The two exchanged a glance, and without a word, a tacit understanding arose.