Listening to Shennong Tell Stories of the Past

The best ingredients often only need simple cooking.

Wu Wang smiled elegantly, continuously flipping the grill in front of him. The tender meat, taken from the leg of a thousand-year-old Fierce Beast, sizzled faintly.

Shennong, the elder, sat to the side with a grim expression. He glanced towards the elder and the woman in black, who were hanging upside down within the Barrier of the Women's Country several thousand miles away.

"If you hadn't stopped me earlier, Wu Wang, I would have returned to the Human Domain tonight!

How long has it been peaceful? They're already so arrogant and lawless. Do they think they have my special permission to eliminate demons and uphold righteousness!

The superiors set the example, and the inferiors follow.

I thought the Four Seas Pavilion wasn't rotten to the core, but now I see the problem is far more troublesome!"

"Senior, please calm down, calm down," Wu Wang gently persuaded. "If anyone were to act, it wouldn't be you."

Shennong immediately looked at him with relief.

Wu Wang instantly changed his tune, "Why don't you just assign a few Generals to station in the Four Seas Pavilion? That would solve it."

"Alas," Shennong sighed and continued, "There's no need to trouble yourself with this. Once I've dealt with the most pressing matter, I'll return to the Human Domain and sort out internal affairs."

"Did you find what you were looking for, Senior?"

"I've only found a few clues," the elder replied, the firelight reflecting in his eyes, and he chuckled. "Do you know, the last time I sent you to the Women's Country, I was prepared to see you only after you became an Immortal.

I never expected you to cause such a stir in the Women's Country. It truly is surprising.

To achieve divinity through faith, the conditions in the Women's Country are indeed unique... Wu Wang, how did you come up with such an idea in such a short time? Could it be that your mother, Cang Xue, had this in mind long ago?"

Wu Wang: ...

"Ah, yes, I don't understand anything about gathering faith to become a god. I just learned it."

Shennong's eyes crinkled into a smile, but it quickly faded, and he sighed again. "Is the Northern Plains also going down this path? If so, it will be a bloody storm, and who knows how much blood will be shed."

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow. The elder's words seemed to imply something, as if he wanted Wu Wang to ask further.

Could he ask?

Considering his own experiences today, and the tone of the two Immortals from the Four Seas Pavilion earlier...

Truly, Wu Wang swore by the hair of the Star Gods.

After he went to the Human Domain, he would immediately go into hiding, burrow into the earth, and create a perfect fake identity. Then, he'd find a sect with good-looking disciples and a balanced ratio of male and female students, and honestly learn the poses, cough, knowledge he wanted to acquire.

Once he finished learning, he'd immediately return to the Northern Plains and hide!

The more he talked with the elder now, the more trouble he would attract.

If the news of him soaking in a foot bath, getting a haircut, and eating meat and drinking with the current Human Emperor got out, it might attract many jealous individuals.

What if they misunderstood him as some successor to the Human Emperor and tried to assassinate him?

Therefore, Wu Wang calmly changed the subject. "The Sovereign of the Women's Country is truly beautiful. It's a shame."

"A shame about what?"

Shennong Shi said seriously, "She might become a deity in the future. While she might not have great combat power, she could play a role at a critical moment. Speaking of gathering faith to become a god, did you know the Human Domain also attempted this in the early years?"

Wu Wang could only smile and shake his head, muttering complaints inwardly—it was not easy to steer the elder away from what he wanted to say.

"Please, tell me, Senior. I'm listening."

"How many people in the current Human Domain still know how difficult it was for the ancient sages to pioneer the way."

Shennong Shi narrowed his eyes slightly, and a long sigh seemed to exhale layers of mist.

Wu Wang blinked, and in a daze, he saw scrolls appearing behind the elder. He put down the grill and rubbed his eyes hard, only to see nothing.

Then he heard the elder say:

"The great war of the Primordial Deities was a chaotic battle between the two major factions of Primordial Deities, lasting for tens of thousands of years. Nearly all the powerhouses of the Great Wilderness era were implicated.

Our Human race's Holy Mother, Empress Nuwa, was also caught in this immense calamity and eventually disappeared without a trace.

The Human race had already been multiplying and thriving in the world for a long time, taking root in most of the Nine Wilds, and was inevitably drawn into it.

The final outcome of that divine war was the demise of a large portion of the Primordial Deities. The new overlord, Di Jun, defeated the ancient overlord, Candle Dragon. The latter led some Primordial Deities and disappeared. Di Jun established the Heavenly Palace and enfeoffed the Nine Wilds.

The Star Gods of your Northern Plains were powerful figures in Di Jun's faction back then. Their strength was enough to contend with Di Jun, which is why they could occupy the Northern Plains alone, even while severely injured.

Look at the Western Plains; there are dozens of Primordial Deities, but not a single one is capable. The degree of mastery over the Great Dao and the intrinsic power of the Great Dao led to a severe polarization in the strength of Primordial Deities.

Do you know who was the strongest under Di Jun back then?"

Wu Wang pondered for a moment and said slowly, "The god who occupied the Southern Plains?"

"That's right, the Deity who occupied the Southern Plains, the ancient Fire God."

Shennong Shi paused his narration, took out an earthen ocarina from his sleeve, and blew a few notes into it.

A gentle night breeze blew, and the world seemed to become incredibly cool.

When the meat by Wu Wang's hand was almost roasted, the elder took out two gourds, threw one to Wu Wang, and the two, old and young, ate and talked.

"That was truly a long, dark night...

The people who perished in the distant past, I wonder if they have found peace by now.

The ancient Fire God was tyrannical and had no empathy for living beings. If displeased, he would unleash heavenly fire, sparing no beautiful creature.

Those from the Southern Wilds who fled across the sea were burned alive. The first thing all living beings had to do each day was pray to him, hoping for a sliver of mercy.

Back then, people survived by foraging and hunting. A small portion of beings mastered the Divine Language, becoming the gods' spokesmen and thus imposing a second layer of oppression.

Finally, disaster befell the Human Race..."

In the Great Wilderness of that era, there was no firelight at night. To use fire, one could only await the Fire God's blessing or occasionally find some natural fire seeds.

A young human tribal leader obtained fire by drilling wood and popularized the method. Humans and the hundred tribes of the Southern Wilds quickly learned to control flames.

Because of this, their fear of fire greatly diminished. Nights began to be spent around bonfires, dancing around the flames.

This enraged the Fire God, who unleashed rolling heavenly fire, destroying countless beings.

Finally, with his anger somewhat appeased, the Fire God intended to execute the young human tribal leader.

The leader did not bow easily. He arranged everything, having his tribesmen escort him to the Fire God's throne. The Fire God then spared his tribe.

The Fire God demanded the leader who found the method to control fire confess his guilt. Instead, he declared war on the deity. He was struck by a single finger from the ancient Fire God, who sat within a volcano, sent flying through the air engulfed in flames, and finally fell into the sea.

Everyone assumed he was dead, and the Fire God believed he had extinguished his soul.

Yet, he survived.

No one knows the hardships he endured afterward, nor the trials he overcame.

Finally, thousands of years later, when the ancient Fire God once again unleashed vast fires to vent the humiliation he suffered at a banquet in the Heavenly Palace, an old man stepped forward.

Clad in a straw cloak, barefoot, he strode across the misty sea and approached the volcanic throne where the Fire God sat. He looked up, gazing into the distance, and shouted:

"Fire God, grant us a land to flourish and multiply!"

The ancient Fire God stared at the old man, recognizing those familiar eyes. With a sinister grin, he pressed a finger toward the somewhat frail figure.

The old man stood firm, his long hair fluttering, revealing the numerous scars on his face.

The finger, like a mountain, descended, but stopped just before reaching the ground. Gusts of wind carrying fiery waves shot out from the fingertip in all directions, and the world's colors changed abruptly.

The Fire God paused, feeling a power erupt from his fingertip and spread throughout his entire body.

He felt the heavens and earth spinning. His massive body was sent soaring, then crashed down heavily, creating mountains.

He sat up in bewilderment and struggled, looking at the spot where his finger had just landed. The human figure stood there quietly. His straw cloak had fallen, and with a leap, he stirred the cosmos, tore through the heavens and earth, and slammed into the Fire God's forehead...

"A fierce battle raged for thousands of days and nights."

Shennong Shi put down his wine gourd, let out a soft sigh, and chuckled, "Guess what the outcome was?"

Did I even need to guess? The result was obvious.

Of course, I had to be mindful of my tone and inflection, emphasizing my own tension and worry, and ask with concern:

"The Fire God was defeated?"

Shennong Shi smiled slightly and said slowly:

"The Fire God was defeated.

And it was truly fortunate that he was so ill-tempered, offending every Innate God he could. By the time he fell, the eyes of the world were merely watching the spectacle.

And when the ancient Fire God's Divine Spark was shattered by the old man's punch, many Innate Gods suddenly realized something."

Wu Wang uttered three words: "He slaughtered a god."

"Yes, he slaughtered a god."

Shennong Shi's eyebrows shot up, and he became quite exhilarated. "This was the first time a Post-celestial being in the Great Wilderness had directly defeated a powerful Innate God.

Before the Innate Gods could even react, the god-slaughtering old man absorbed the Fire God's Divine Spark, erupting in brilliant firelight, mastering the Great Dao of Fire, and standing tall in the sky of the Southern Wilds.

His name was Suiren."

The gods fell into a panic, launching attacks. Suiren Shi stood unyielding, comprehending the Great Dao of Fire while battling the surrounding gods.

The sky of the Southern Wilds was filled with endless divine light. Several more Innate Gods perished in the boundless flames.

Suiren Shi roared, his long hair transforming into a fiery cloud, and with sheer power, he repelled all the gods.

The Heavenly Emperor was enraged and led his army. Suiren Shi fought alone, but gradually, figures appeared by his side.

The great battle continued in darkness. The figures around Suiren Shi constantly fell, only for new ones to step forward. They fought their way out of the Southern Wilds, invaded Zhongshan, and set their sights on the Heavenly Palace!

"It was then that the Heavenly Emperor sent envoys to negotiate peace."

Shennong Shi's eyes were filled with emotion. He shook his wine gourd, took a sip, and said slowly:

"At that time, although Suiren Shi had become stronger than the Fire God, the prolonged battle had left him covered in wounds, sustained only by a thread of life.

The Heavenly Emperor Di Jun was the most powerful Innate God, and Suiren Shi had no chance of victory.

To preserve the hard-won fire seeds, Suiren Shi did not meet the Heavenly Emperor's envoys and led his people to retreat from the Central Continent, returning to the Southern Wilds.

After the Fire God's demise, the Southern Wilds had become a desolate wasteland, and most of the hundred tribes had scattered."

The ancient sages established the Human Domain right there.

Suiren Shi, gravely wounded and beyond saving, passed the Fire God's Divine Spark, which he had seized from the Fire God, to his chosen successor.

And so, the story of Fuxi Shi began."

As the elder spoke, his eyes were filled with longing and yearning.

He looked at the bonfire before him and chuckled:

"Wuwang, you must remember, fire was taken from deadwood by human hands, not bestowed by the gods.

The world should be a place for all races to live, not belong to the gods.

The gods' wars are merely for territory, for followers, for the power that makes them stronger and live longer.

Our predecessors fought bravely, shedding blood and sacrificing their lives, so that we could live with our heads held high in the Great Wilderness, without groveling or having to curry favor with the gods.

What are the gods? They are merely powerful beings who mastered strength early on."

Wu Wang nodded slowly and asked, "So, Immortal Cultivation is about cultivating the self?"

"Precisely. That's also the fundamental reason Suiren Shi could defeat the Fire God. Essence, Qi, and Spirit – not one can be lost, and the self, even less so."

Shennong Shi chuckled:

"You are still young. You must remember these things and tell them to those who come after.

This is the root of the Human Domain, the source of our difference from the myriad races of the Great Wilderness, and the foundation upon which the Human Race has achieved its current prosperity."

Wu Wang smiled, "I am from the Northern Plains, senior."

"Ah, it's all much the same. Now, do you understand what the Flame Emperor Token is?"

Shennong Shi said slowly, "When I received it, it was called the Fire God Token. It is a key that can lead you to master the Great Dao of Fire, condense the Divine Spark of Fire, and inherit the position of Human Emperor."

Wu Wang: "Are you perhaps a professional locksmith?"

Shennong Shi stretched and chuckled, "That's all for today. Judging by the time, I should be on my way."

Wu Wang looked at the small pile of bones before him and whispered, "Are you going to tell stories to the next owner of the Flame Emperor Token?"

"Hahaha!"

Shennong Shi burst into hearty laughter, a hint of guilt in his voice, "You already know?"

Wu Wang's forehead was covered in black lines. This thing really wasn't unique to him!

It was all a lie, a complete fabrication!

This old senior was just casting a wide net, cultivating many, hoping to catch a big fish sooner or later!

Wu Wang sighed softly, his recently surging emotions now a little deflated.

Shennong Shi picked up the wine gourd before him and chuckled, "I came to find you this time because I wanted to ask for your help. There will naturally be plenty of benefits for you. Here."

As he spoke, Shennong Shi tossed a small cloth bundle. Wu Wang opened it and saw a jet-black medicine cauldron inside.

"This is for you to practice alchemy."

"Senior, I prefer artifact refining."

Shennong Shi's eyes widened.

Wu Wang immediately put the medicine cauldron into his storage treasure and flashed a charming smile, "A craftsman must have good tools to do his work well. What I mean is, only by refining the corresponding magical artifacts can I refine better pills."

Shennong Shi's eyes crinkled into a smile, "This time you..."

"Senior, I'd like to ask a few questions!"

"Go ahead."

Wu Wang asked, "If other holders of the Flame Emperor Token cultivate to the ninth level first and obtain the Great Dao of Fire, condensing the Divine Spark of Fire, what abnormalities will occur on my end?"

"There will be no abnormalities," Shennong Shi said gently. "The first eight levels of the Flame Emperor Token are for you to gradually comprehend the Great Dao of Fire. There can only be one Divine Spark on a single Dao.

If someone else reaches the ninth level first, then this cultivation method will only allow you to cultivate up to the eighth level at most. It will not have any other impact."

Wu Wang nodded slowly and then asked, "All Innate Gods can achieve immortality, so why do you have a lifespan limit?"

"The shackles of the Heavenly Emperor. You don't need to know too much about this matter."

"Do other powerhouses in the Human Domain have lifespan limits?"

"They do. Those who surpass Heavenly Immortals can fight against Innate Gods, but their lifespans are all locked. Shennong Shi chuckled, "But compared to the Northern Plains, they can live tens of thousands of years longer."

Wu Wang nodded slowly and muttered, "So, other paths might also be able to reach the strength of a Human Emperor."

"Yes, but it is exceptionally difficult."

Shennong Shi waved his hand and continued:

"Your trip to the Women's Country this time has truly given me quite a few surprises. I am going to search for spiritual herbs now. While I am confident I can retreat safely, I am not confident of complete success.

I still have one unfulfilled wish. If you were to go, perhaps you could help me fulfill it.

Then, I would have no lingering worries.

Didn't you say last time that you would help me in return for me treating your strange illness?"

Wu Wang corrected him, "It's about agreeing to lend a hand with your lifespan."

"Oh, right, I completely forgot. Thanks for the correction."

Shennong Shi chuckled, "If I bring you along to Kunlun Hill, you can offer me some advice too."

Wu Wang: ...

Kunlun Hill? Even below the Heavenly Emperor, it's practically the backyard of the Queen Mother of the West, one of the top Innate Gods of the Great Wilderness!

Even Shennong and Flame Emperor would only dare say they could retreat safely. What could he possibly do there?

"Senior, I will help you fulfill your wish! It's my duty as a junior!"

"No, no," Shennong Shi leaned in with a smile, placing a hand on Wu Wang's shoulder. "How could I possibly bully you with my power? You wouldn't go back on your word, would you, kid?"

"I..."

Wu Wang felt like crying.

"Your wish is more important, I can't help you, Senior!"

Shennong smiled, taking half a step forward and making Wu Wang disappear soundlessly with him.

All that was left was the bonfire burning in the long night, as if savoring the sigh:

That was truly a long night...

[PS: Myths originate from culture, and culture carries civilization. Never forget the wise martyrs of the Chinese civilization who forged ahead in the darkness, nor the border guardian war gods who never retreated half a step through wind, frost, rain, and snow.

Next chapter, Kunlun Hill... passing by.]