A Hundred Thousand Whys

Immortal Light sped swiftly, weaving through seas of clouds and rosy mists.

Below, the boundless Prehistoric World spread out like a vast painted scroll, slowly unfolding and then rushing past.

The gale winds were biting,

yet they were completely blocked outside the Barrier,

keeping Su Miao safely protected within.

Only cool currents brushed against her face, stirring the soft, naturally curled strands of hair at her forehead.

Tongtian looked at the Little One in his arms and found her soft and squishy, carrying the fragrance of lotus flowers.

She was like an exquisite doll carved from Warm Jade, or a well-behaved, docile little cub tucked against him.

She felt so good in his arms that he could hardly bear to let go.

Su Miao had no idea her Master was treating her like a novel toy.

She was busy taking in the magnificent sight before her,

trying to match the knowledge from the Heavenly Dao inheritance with reality.

The vast East Sea gradually fell behind them. At times, endless ancient forests swept beneath them, lush and green, permeated by an untamed prehistoric aura;

at other times, mountain ranges coiled and rose like gigantic beasts, Spiritual Qi winding around their peaks like ribbons.

Now and then, she could even glimpse enormous strange birds, their wings like clouds hanging from the heavens as they cast vast shadows below.

Her two eyes were nearly not enough.

Compared with her Fangzhang Immortal Island, this was the true main continent of the Prehistoric World—primitive, wild, and magnificent beyond measure.

So this was the real Prehistoric World...

It was ten thousand times more breathtaking than movie special effects!

This map was way too huge!

How long would they have to fly?

Good thing I found someone powerful to rely on.

Otherwise, with these little short legs of mine, I'd probably be eaten as a snack before I even made it out of the East Sea...

She instinctively raised her head and looked at the Three Pure Ones beside her.

Her Three Masters possessed three entirely different temperaments and bearing, yet all were equally young, handsome, and peerlessly elegant.

Su Miao silently assigned each of them a label in her heart:

Lively wandering hero, cold noble young master, serene philosopher.

Tongtian watched her little head turn this way and that, her large eyes filled with curiosity and a touch of timid investigation.

Unable to resist, he reached out and rubbed the soft, naturally curled top of her head again. It felt so good that he did not want to take his hand away.

"Little One, dazzled by the sight? The Prehistoric World is magnificent, isn't it?"

His voice was clear and hearty, carrying a smile.

Her head swayed from his rubbing, and Su Miao obediently nodded.

"Mm! It's so big! So beautiful!"

She paused. Unable to suppress the curiosity in her heart any longer, she began her journey of questions.

"Master Tongtian."

She asked the first question she had held in for a long time.

"How much longer do we have to fly before we reach Kunlun Mountain?"

Tongtian laughed heartily and bounced the Little One in his arms.

"The Prehistoric World is vast and boundless. From the East Sea to Kunlun, one must cross countless trillions of miles of mountains and rivers.

Even for us, it will take some time.

Hmm... roughly several tens of thousands of years."

"Several... several tens of thousands of years?!"

Su Miao's little mouth fell open in shock, and her eyes widened even further.

Good grief! Even interstellar travel in novels didn't take that long!

Transportation in the Prehistoric World basically relied on flying? That was way too primitive!

Were time units really this extravagant?

Couldn't they make something like a Teleportation Array?

"What, you already think that's too long?

For cultivators like us, tens of thousands of years pass in the flick of a finger.

Perfect. We can teach you some things along the way."

A clear, steady voice came from beside them, carrying a faint hint of correction.

"To be precise, it is more than thirty-seven thousand six hundred years.

If we include stops along the way for explanations and time spent guiding you to comprehend the Dao rhythms of the mountains and rivers, it may take even longer."

Su Miao turned to look at Yuanshi, who had spoken.

"Oh... got it, Yuanshi Master."

Su Miao nodded obediently, though inwardly she marveled at the enormous difference in their concepts of time.

Just the fractional amount of time he had mentioned was enough for her to be reincarnated at least seven or eight times.

"Second Brother, you're being far too particular. Close enough is good enough."

Tongtian cheerfully cut in, then lowered his head and said to Su Miao,

"Don't be afraid. Master will play with you along the way and tell you all about the fun things in the Prehistoric World! I guarantee you won't be bored!"

Laozi stood silently to one side, a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.

Listening to Tongtian and his Little Disciple converse was like listening to a natural melody of breeze and flowing springs.

At the start of their journey, Su Miao's questions mostly revolved around what she saw and heard.

"Master, look! That huge bird down there! Its wings are so big! What is it? Is it tasty?"

It really was huge, dozens of times larger than an airplane!

But was it that Kunpeng that needed two barbecue grills—one with special seasoning, and one mildly spicy?

She pointed at a Golden Feathered Giant Eagle below, its wingspan stretching a full thousand zhang.

Tongtian said, "That is a Primordial Variant, a Golden Feathered Eagle. It has a ferocious temperament, and its claws and beak can tear apart mountains...

Uh, I don't know whether it tastes good. I've never tried it.

But its demonic power is mixed and impure. Eating it would probably give you a stomachache."

Yuanshi's brows faintly furrowed at this.

"Prehistoric strange beasts cannot be casually spoken of as food.

One should observe their forms, sense their Dao rhythms, and comprehend the wonders of nature's creation."

Oh, so it couldn't be eaten.

Got it. Protected animal.

"What about that glowing river! It's so pretty! Can the water be drunk?"

"That is Weak Water. Not even a feather can float upon it, and even immortals and gods struggle to cross it. Touch it, and you sink. You want to drink it?"

Tongtian raised a brow.

Su Miao fiercely shook her head, her chubby little hand gripping Tongtian's robe tightly.

No, no. This water definitely wouldn't pass inspection.

"Why is that mountain red? And why is it smoking?"

"That is Flame Soul Mountain, formed by the year-round eruptions of Earth Fire and lava.

It is rich in fire-element Spiritual Qi, but also exceptionally violent. Ordinary living beings cannot approach it."

Tongtian explained.

"Oh..."

Su Miao blinked.

"Then can we roast meat on it? Wouldn't it cook faster?"

Tongtian: "..."

Yuanshi: "..."

The smile at the corner of Laozi's mouth deepened slightly.

Tongtian could not help pinching her soft little cheek.

"What on earth is going on in that little head of yours?"

Practical environmentalism!

Otherwise, it would be such a waste of energy.

She pointed again toward a vast Valley below, filled with dense miasma and looking desolate and deathly still.

"What happened there? It looks so quiet."

Tongtian glanced at it and answered casually.

"Oh, that is an Ancient Battlefield Ruins from the Dragon-Han Primordial Tribulation.

The Calamity Fiend's Malevolent Qi settled there and polluted the Earth Veins, cutting off all Vitality.

The Prehistoric World is vast. There are many such places, so there is no need to mind it."

"It was polluted... Can't it be treated?"

Su Miao tilted her head, recalling her ability to purify things. Could this be her job in the future?

"I think I can make that place a little better?"

At some point, Laozi's half-closed eyes had opened into a narrow slit.

He glanced at Su Miao, then slowly closed them again, the corner of his mouth seeming to curve upward.

A flicker passed through Yuanshi's eyes. He spoke again, his tone still calm but carrying a little more explanation.

"The Calamity Fiend was born from a great tribulation of heaven and earth and is deeply entangled with karma. Ordinary methods cannot resolve it.

Though you possess the power of purification, it would still be difficult for you to cleanse such vast Malevolent Qi.

It requires the passage of long years, or for heaven and earth to sort it out on their own."

"Oh..."

Su Miao only half understood, but she vaguely felt that this seemed to have a lot to do with her future efforts to earn Merit and become a saint.

The scope of the project was a little large...

"Master, Master, do Golden Crows really live on the Sun Star? Don't they find it hot?"

She looked toward the sun in the Celestial Vault, which radiated endless light and heat.

Tongtian said, "Di Jun and Tai Yi are Innate Divine Beings born from the Sun Star.

Their true forms are three-legged Golden Crows, and they command the Solar True Fire.

To them, the Sun Star is home. How could they find it scorching?"

Yuanshi said, "All things in heaven and earth have their own nature and their own Dao."

"Oh..."

Su Miao only half understood, but continued asking questions.

"What about the Moon Star? Are there Fairy Maidens there? Rabbits?"

Did Sister Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit exist at this time?

"The Moon Star is cold and solitary. Though there are living beings there, they are not the Fairy Maidens or Jade Rabbits you imagine."

Yuanshi took over, his tone calm.

"It is the goddess Wangshu who drives the moon chariot across the heavens, and there are things such as the Moon Laurel Spirit Root. Do not believe distorted rumors."

All right, it seemed Chang'e had not been born yet.

After a long while, her little brows faintly furrowed as she asked a more fundamental question.

"Master, what exactly is Spiritual Qi?

Why does absorbing it make you stronger? Is it unlimited?"