Fierce Beast Tribulation

The Prehistoric Era kept no record of years. After Heaven-Opening, countless Chaos Demon Gods and the origins of living beings, thirty percent of the Sky-Opening Merit, and all of Pangu Origin became nourishment for the Prehistoric Era.

After six Chaos Tribulations—because the Prehistoric Era had sun, moon, and stars, a modern 365-day cycle could be counted as one prehistoric year—the Prehistoric Era had finally evolved to completion.

Countless Innate Spiritual Roots and Spiritual Treasures were born, and the Primordial Land flourished with vitality.

Countless wisps of Chaos Qi were absorbed by the Prehistoric Era and transformed into Innate Spiritual Qi. At this time, Heaven and Earth contained only Innate Spiritual Qi.

At the beginning of the seventh Measure Tribulation, an aura shot into the sky from Jade Capital Mountain, shaking the entire Prehistoric Era.

"High atop the Ninth Heaven, I recline; upon a prayer mat, I attain the true Dao. Beyond Heaven and Earth, Mysterious and Yellow, one breath transformed into Hongjun.

"I am Hongjun, the first Heaven and Earth Demon God of the Prehistoric Era. Today, I take form and enter the world, and announce it to the Prehistoric Era!"

Hongjun had taken form after the first wisp of Clear Qi between Heaven and Earth merged with Mysterious Yellow Qi and incubated for six Measure Tribulations.

His Companion Spiritual Treasures were the Innate Supreme Treasure Pangu Banner, fragments of the Jade Disc of Creation, the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, and the Eastern Green Lotus Treasure Banner.

They were all Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures and supreme treasures. He truly was the richest being in the Prehistoric Era.

Moreover, the Three Pure Ones had emerged from the Nine Sky-Opening Energies combined with Pangu's Primordial Spirit. Their fate was indeed extraordinary; this Karma ran far too deep.

Hongjun's emergence made him the first Demon God of the Prehistoric Heaven and Earth, claiming the Auspicious Qi of the first living being under Heaven and Earth.

His Path of Dao was obviously lofty. No wonder later records said Hongjun possessed countless Spiritual Treasures.

The fastest, most fortunate, and most calculating Demon God—who could possibly outdo him? Every scheme he made hit its mark.

Deep within Mount Sumeru, another consciousness slowly awakened.

"Hongjun, have you taken one step ahead of me? I shall surely surpass you and become the foremost Demon God of the Prehistoric Era."

Luohu murmured inwardly.

Luohu had taken form from the first wisp of Turbid Qi between Heaven and Earth combined with a portion of Slaughter Demon God's Origin. His Companion Spiritual Treasures were the Twelve-grade Black Lotus of World Destruction and the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure God-Slaying Spear.

(A portion of the Chaos Green Lotus's roots and stems combined with Slaughter Demon God's Origin to form the God-Slaying Spear. It had originally been an Innate Supreme Treasure, but because it contained too much Origin, it split in two.

The God-Slaying Spear carried away part of its Origin and brought it to Luohu, while the other part became the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Soul Devouring Spear.)

Along with the Heavenly Demon Pagoda, he was only a little inferior to Hongjun.

"I am Luohu, the second Heaven and Earth Demon God of the Prehistoric Era. Today, I take form and enter the world, announcing it to the Prehistoric Era."

Luohu was an extremely proud Demon God. Since Hongjun had stolen the spotlight, he naturally could not compose another grand entrance poem and could only keep it simple.

Soon after, Yin Yang, Qiankun, Five Elements, Ancestor Kunwu, Ancestor Hunkun, and other Heaven and Earth Demon Gods announced their emergence. The great tide of the Prehistoric Era began to turn.

At this time, within an abyss in the northern lands, two Demon Gods awakened one after another.

One was Shenni, formed from Slaughter Demon God's Obsession and resentment, with the Companion Spiritual Treasure Soul Devouring Spear and the Innate Supreme Treasure Heaven-Suppressing Coffin.

The other was formed from Reincarnation Demon God's Obsession and resentment, with the Companion Spiritual Treasure Six Paths Reincarnation Disc. Both were leaders of the Fierce Beasts.

(In later passages, people would often be used for smoother writing and reading. Here, "people" referred to all living beings of the Prehistoric Era.)

Within this abyss, countless Demon Gods' resentments surged into the sky. Obsessions and resentment intertwined, transforming into innumerable Fierce Beasts. As their leaders awakened, they all roared toward the heavens.

"I am Shenni. Today, I take form and enter the world."

Shenni declared his Great Dao Oath, but unfortunately, no Auspicious Qi descended upon him, because they should never have belonged to the Prehistoric Era. The Prehistoric Heaven and Earth rejected them.

Reincarnation did not announce his emergence. First, no Heaven and Earth Auspicious Qi would bless him; second, all beings of the Prehistoric Era were his enemies. He would hide himself as a trump card and deliver a ruthless blow to these Heaven and Earth Demon Gods of the Prehistoric Era!

Half a Chaos Tribulation later, countless Fierce Beasts emerged and began ravaging the Northern Lands. Countless places rich in spiritual qi became lands of death.

Resentment soared into the skies of the Northern Lands. Many of these Fierce Beasts possessed the cultivation of Mysterious Immortals.

Some were Golden Immortals, while the Four Fierce Beast Envoys had reached Golden Immortal Perfection. Shenni and Reincarnation had even broken through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Due to the suppression of Great Dao Laws and Pangu's Dao Resonance, the Heaven and Earth Demon Gods had only been Golden Immortals when they emerged. Many living beings of Heaven and Earth were merely Mysterious Immortals or True Immortals.

Such suppression also had its benefits: their foundations were deeper, their realms more complete, and they could directly comprehend the Great Dao.

It was unlike after the Heavenly Dao emerged, when it directly severed the Prehistoric Era's living beings' chance at Transcendence and controlled all beings.

Cultivation realms: Earth Immortal - Heavenly Immortal - True Immortal - Mysterious Immortal - Golden Immortal - Grand Unity Golden Immortal - Grand Luo Golden Immortal - Primordial Origin Golden Immortal - Primordial Grand Luo Golden Immortal (also called the Transcendence Realm by the Heaven and Earth Demon Gods).

At this time, the lifespan of Heaven and Earth in the Prehistoric Era was as long as Heaven and Earth itself. The Heavenly Dao had not emerged, the Earth Dao had not been born, and Reincarnation had not appeared.

Without the Heavenly Dao restricting the living beings of the Prehistoric Era, when they died, they merged back into Heaven and Earth and vanished completely.

At this time, the first batch of Heaven and Earth Demon Gods to emerge all sensed the abnormality in the Prehistoric Era. An intent of enmity toward all beings spread across the world. The war between the Prehistoric Era's living beings and Fierce Beasts was about to begin.

Hongjun began traveling throughout the Prehistoric Era, gathering countless Innate Spiritual Treasures, such as the Map of Mountains and Rivers, the Red Embroidered Ball, and the Coiled Dragon Crutch.

He also encountered Yang Mei, who had reincarnated within the Prehistoric Era. The two spoke pleasantly, discussed the Dao, traveled together, and spent nearly a thousand Kalpas together.

Countless Heaven and Earth Demon Gods also began gathering subordinates to deal with the Fierce Beasts. During this process, they discovered that gathering followers allowed them to collect Auspicious Qi. Countless Heaven and Earth Demon Gods used this Auspicious Qi to break through to the Perfected Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

When Ancestor Kunwu established an Imperial Dynasty to gather Auspicious Qi, he instantly used the opportunity to break through to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm. After that, things became unstoppable.

Countless Heaven and Earth Demon Gods rushed to imitate him, and Imperial Dynasties rose one after another.

Several Heaven and Earth Demon Gods broke through to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm. This shocked the Three Heavens in the Primordial Starry Sky: Azure Heaven, Yellow Heaven, and Cyan Heaven.

They too began gathering the Star Gods of the Primordial Stars, recruiting subordinates to establish a faction and break through to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm.

This caused their ambitions to swell rapidly. There were too few living beings in the Primordial Starry Sky, so they prepared to extend their reach into the Primordial Land.

Shenni also established the Fierce Beast Dynasty. Though he possessed no Auspicious Qi, it allowed him to command the Fierce Beasts more effectively and greatly increased their cohesion. He directly occupied the entire Northern Lands of the Prehistoric Era.

After one Chaos Tribulation, the Imperial Dynasties slaughtered one another in competition for Auspicious Qi. This caused the Fierce Beast faction's strength to grow greatly. Things could not continue like this.

Hongjun began moving among the various factions, persuading fellow Daoists from every side. Relying on his status as the first Heaven and Earth Demon God, he forged an alliance that united the Prehistoric Era's living beings and gathered forces to strike at the Fierce Beast Dynasty.

The Three Heavens, in particular, wished to settle in the Primordial Land, but every Imperial Dynasty rejected them. Disheartened, they decided to ally with the Fierce Beasts.

But Shenni unexpectedly used the alliance as an opportunity to kill the Three Heavens. They had never imagined Shenni would break the agreement.

They had not considered that the Fierce Beasts and the Prehistoric Era's living beings were locked in a struggle to the death. How could the Fierce Beasts possibly be used by them? In the end, they met a fate of death and Dao dissolution.

After their deaths, their Origin combined with the Mysterious Yellow Treasure Seal and flew into the Nine Heavens, leaving the Fierce Beast faction with nothing.

On the Prehistoric Era's side, Dragon, Feng, and the Qilin Three Races led numerous clans against the Fierce Beast army, while Hongjun and the other Heaven and Earth Demon Gods faced Shenni and the Fierce Beast Envoys.

They had thought victory was assured, but Reincarnation suddenly appeared and slew Ancestor Xuanhuang and Ancestor Hanbing.

The Six Paths Reincarnation Disc displayed terrifying power, but Reincarnation was also slain by Hongjun, Ancestor Kunwu, and the others. The Six Paths Reincarnation Disc absorbed Ancestor Reincarnation's Origin and flew into the depths of the Blood Sea.

Shenni also could not hold on and was annihilated by Luohu and the others. The Soul Devouring Spear fell into Luohu's hands, while the Heaven-Suppressing Coffin was taken by Ancestor Yang Mei with a spatial divine ability and later exchanged away by Hongjun.

Thus, the Fierce Beast Tribulation came to an end. Countless streams of Great Dao Merit descended upon the living beings who had contributed to exterminating the Fierce Beasts.

As the leader, Hongjun received thirty percent of the Merit.

Luohu also received ten percent, while the rest divided what remained. A portion merged into the Prehistoric Era, repairing the vitality of the land.

With the Fierce Beasts exterminated, only a few scattered remnants remained, incapable of amounting to anything. The Imperial Dynasties began waging even more frenzied wars, fighting to the death for Auspicious Qi.

All of them sought to gather Auspicious Qi, condense a Great Luo Dao Seed, break through to the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm, and contend for that chance at Transcendence.

After tens of thousands of Kalpas of warfare, countless beings died or were wounded, and innumerable Heaven and Earth Demon Gods fell. Their Origins either transformed into new lives awaiting emergence—though they would in truth be different living beings—or were annihilated.

Their Origins merged into the Prehistoric Era, becoming Blessed Lands, Spirit Mountains, and Spiritual Roots.

Ancestor Hunkun was slain. His Obsession flew to the North Sea and became the later Kunpeng. His Carefree Dao scattered throughout the Prehistoric Era, its whereabouts unknown. Ancestor Tianqiong's Origin merged into a heavenly coffin, becoming the later Ran Deng, awaiting incubation and emergence.

The Heaven and Earth Demon Gods either died or withdrew into seclusion. The Imperial Dynasty factions collapsed in an instant, and no Grand Luo Golden Immortals or above were seen again. (This chapter was a transition and moved at a relatively fast pace, going directly to the protagonist.)