Rising Stars

Ancestor Qilin's voice suddenly rang out in the pavilion, carrying a hint of feigned anger but no reproach whatsoever. "Look how badly you frightened the three little ones. Hurry up and give them something to calm their nerves." His skill at extortion had clearly reached perfection.

Luohu?! Lin Yan's heart shook violently. So the person within the Black Mist was Luohu. This was the future Demon Ancestor, one of the future central figures of the Dao-Demon Conflict, an unparalleled being capable of contending with Hongjun.

However, although Luohu was currently surrounded by demonic qi and possessed a strange, terrifying aura, it was clear that the Prehistoric World had not yet come to regard demons as ominous beings, nor had it yet regarded Luohu as a traitor to the righteous path.

At present, the greatest enemies of the living beings of the Prehistoric World were still the ferocious beasts, not the demon race that had yet to gain momentum. Otherwise, Luohu could not have sat here so peacefully, drinking tea and discussing the Dao with these Great Beings. Even when he had acted to test these juniors, no one had stopped him.

Luohu within the Black Mist seemed unconcerned by Ancestor Qilin's extortion, or perhaps he had long since grown used to it. He merely flicked a finger again, sending three streaks of dark-red light flying toward Lin Yan and the other two before they entered their bodies.

"These three strands of Intent of Slaughter and Battle shall be your reward. Reflect upon and refine them well. They will bring you unexpected benefits in breaking through to the True Immortal Realm and tempering your combat techniques and divine abilities. Especially you." His gaze fell upon Lin Yan once more. "For an ordinary Earth Dragon like you to possess such cultivation and temperament is truly rare. Work hard. I think highly of you." His final sentence seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

As the red light entered his body, Lin Yan felt an icy, murderous yet incomparably pure and condensed intent appear within him. It nestled near his Dantian, clearly distinct from his own mana yet not in conflict with it, merely faintly exuding a sharp aura. He quickly bowed. "Thank you, Senior Luohu." Anything produced by Luohu could not be ordinary. Though he did not yet know the true use of this Intent of Slaughter and Battle, it was likely no worse than an ordinary Spirit Treasure.

Mo Xuan and Ao Ye hurriedly thanked him as well. Although both had been somewhat frightened just now, the "reward" they had received was more than enough to make up for that shock.

But it was not over yet. Hongjun swept his sleeve, and three more points of spiritual light flew toward Lin Yan, Mo Xuan, and Ao Ye. "These are lotus seeds from the Pure and Tranquil Dao Comprehension Lotus. They can calm the mind and soothe the spirit, resist Inner Demons, and greatly benefit Dao comprehension and cultivation. I shall give them to you."

As though specifically meant to restrain Luohu's Intent of Slaughter and Battle, the lotus seeds Old Daoist Hongjun offered had entirely different effects from Luohu's gift. Luohu merely frowned slightly, however, and said nothing.

Lin Yan and the other two quickly accepted them. The lotus seeds felt warm and smooth in their hands, while a cool sensation pierced straight into their Seas of Consciousness. The Battle Intent left over from their recent fight immediately settled into calm. The three knew these must be extraordinary treasures and hurriedly thanked him in unison. "Thank you, Senior Hongjun, for granting us these treasures!"

Old Daoist Hongjun smiled and nodded, then added to Lin Yan, "Little Friend Lin Yan, although you have already understood the Dao you cultivate and your cultivation has advanced rapidly, you must still guard against arrogance and impatience. Do not greedily seek quick success. The Prehistoric World is vast and full of wonders, and among its countless living beings are innumerable outstanding talents. Yet the Dao path is perilous. Those who can walk to the end and attain the Great Luo Freedom Realm are few indeed."

"This junior will remember Senior's teachings. Thank you, Senior Hongjun, for your guidance." Lin Yan lowered his head and humbly accepted Old Daoist Hongjun's kind reminder.

Seeing that the juniors had gained quite a bit this time, Ancestor Qilin nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand. "All right, all right. You three little ones, go wait to the side. Cultivate well in the future and strive to break through soon, so that you may soon become the exceptional talents Fellow Daoist Hongjun spoke of."

The three hurriedly retreated to one side and stood properly beside the group. Everyone here was a major figure, so naturally there were no seats for them.

At this moment, Daoist Qiankun suddenly clapped his hands and laughed. "Fellow Daoist Hongjun just mentioned the Rising Stars of the Prehistoric World. During my travels through the Prehistoric World over the years, I have indeed encountered several exceptionally gifted individuals."

"Oh? Fellow Daoist, why not tell us about them?" Ancestor Qilin said.

"Several Ten Thousand Years ago, two Three-legged Golden Crows were nurtured within the Sun Star. They called themselves Di Jun and Taiyi. Both possessed the True Sun Fire, one of the Ten Great Innate True Fires, and each had an accompanying Innate Spiritual Treasure. Di Jun was meticulous in thought and harbored great ambitions. Taiyi was loyal and righteous, bold and uninhibited. Both have deep foundations and exceptional talent. Given time, they will surely become figures who shake the Prehistoric World."

Ancestor Yin Yang slowly interjected, "Speaking of which, when This Seat traveled at the foot of Buzhou Mountain many years ago, I encountered a pair of siblings as well. They had Human Heads and Snake Bodies, born from the union of Innate Yin Yang Qi and Innate Breathing Soil through the Dao of Creation. The brother was named Fuxi and possessed extraordinary talent in deducing heavenly secrets and regulating Earth Veins. The sister was named Nuwa, naturally gifted and uniquely insightful in the Dao of Creation. These two also possess profound fortune and extraordinary foundations. Sooner or later, they will achieve greatness."

"Oh? A pair of siblings? This Old Daoist once discovered several promising talents atop Kunlun Mountain. However, they are not siblings, but three brothers. The three were transformed from three streams of pure qi and called themselves Taishang, Yuanshi, and Tongtian. They spend every day meditating and cultivating on Kunlun Mountain and rarely set foot in the Prehistoric World. Yet their Dao rhythms are naturally complete, and the depth of their foundations is unmatched in the Prehistoric World," Old Daoist Hongjun added.

"Hmph. What kind of exceptional talent is someone who shuts himself away to comprehend the Dao all day?" Luohu seemed deliberately intent on opposing Hongjun and utterly dismissed the people Hongjun had mentioned. "This Seat once saw a small tribe deep within Buzhou Mountain. There were only twelve barbarians within it. According to them, they were formed from Pangu's Essence Blood mixed with the Muddied Qi of the Great Earth, and they called themselves the Witch Clan. They do not cultivate their Primordial Spirits, focusing only on tempering their Physical Bodies. Every one of them possesses unique skills and formidable combat power. Among those of the same realm, they have almost no equals.

"Additionally, someone named Minghe was nurtured within the Netherworld Blood Sea. The Dao he cultivates suits This Seat's temperament quite well, but he remains cooped up within the Blood Sea all day and is unwilling to take even a single step outside. This displeases This Seat greatly."

"Hahaha..." Ancestor Qilin suddenly laughed at Luohu. "You demon, you dislike others shutting themselves away to comprehend the Dao, yet you also dislike people staying hidden at home. But you cover your face in demonic qi all day and hide your head and tail—why do you not mention that? Still, I know a Little Friend transformed from the Bodhi Tree, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, who loves traveling everywhere. Perhaps he would suit your tastes."

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa and Fuxi, Di Jun and Taiyi, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Minghe, and even Zhunti... these future Saints and Great Beings have already begun to reveal themselves. Lin Yan's heart jolted as he listened to one familiar name after another.

Hearing of these beings destined to shine brilliantly in the Primordial World, who were currently spoken of by these Great Beings as nothing more than junior "Rising Stars," Lin Yan could not help feeling that it was somewhat strange.

These people were either legacies of Chaos Demon Gods, Pangu's true descendants, transformed Spirit Roots, or innate creations... Every one of them possessed deep foundations, had been born and nurtured by heaven and earth, and held unparalleled potential. It was hardly surprising that they would later grow into the foremost figures of the Primordial World.

And he, an ordinary Earth Dragon, was actually being compared by these Great Beings to these future peak figures. It truly made him feel... deeply honored.

Seeing that Lin Yan showed no dejection upon hearing of the outstanding juniors they had mentioned and instead seemed rather eager, Daoist Hongjun privately thought that this child's temperament was not bad. Still, he spoke, "Although these juniors are indeed extraordinary, and their future achievements are immeasurable, this Old Daoist believes that living beings like Little Friend Lin Yan—whose foundations may be ordinary, but who temper their Dao hearts without cease and seize every opportunity with supreme perseverance, ultimately walking their own path—are even more rare and precious."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Only Luohu gave a cold snort, but he did not speak further, which counted as tacit acceptance of Hongjun's words.

"Now that the Heavenly Dao is gradually becoming complete, All Spirits Flourish Together is the great trend of the Heavenly Dao. The Primordial World producing outstanding talents in abundance is only natural. Yet the ferocious beasts still ravage all directions, leaving the living beings of the Primordial World suffering, causing Earth Vein Collapse, and destroying everything in their wake. If this continues, the life force of the Prehistoric World will be completely eroded away!" Daoist Qiankun suddenly began speaking of the Great Desolation Trend.