The Primordial Starry Sky.
The Sun Star was one of the two supreme celestial bodies in the Primordial Starry Sky. It bore the destiny of utmost yang and was a land of supreme honor and nobility in the Primordial World.
The Fusang Tree's roots and branches sprawled in every direction, its limbs stretching across hundreds of millions of miles. Beneath its trunk, within the Daoist grounds, golden flames and lunar moonlight mingled and complemented each other. There was not the slightest trace of scorching heat—only tranquil serenity.
"Lone yin cannot grow, and lone yang cannot endure."
"When our auras mingle, yin and yang complement one another, and I can even refine my magic power and strengthen my Dao foundation! I have gained so much from these ten thousand years of discussing the Dao. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lingxiao, for your guidance!"
A voice cool as a moonlit stream rang out.
The woman wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved immortal dress. Her figure was graceful and slender, her features cool and breathtakingly beautiful. A faint, pure radiance from the Moon Laurel lingered around her, and her eyes were clear as a cold pool. As she looked at Lingxiao, a trace of unconcealed admiration lay in their depths.
—This was Xihe, an Innate Sacred Being nurtured by the Lunar Star.
On the cushion woven from tender branches of the Fusang Tree sat a man, legs crossed:
His Mysterious Gold Emperor Robe made his figure look as upright as a pine. His features were handsome and striking, and the natural majesty of the Sun Star Supreme radiated between his brows. His smile was gentle and faint, while the brilliant aura of the Great Sun surrounded him without the slightest hint of scorching heat.
—He was Lingxiao, the sole Great Sun Golden Crow nurtured by the Sun Star.
He was an anomaly in this Primordial World.
The Sun Star, formed from Pangu's left eye, had not given birth to Dijun or Taiyi. Instead, it had condensed the utmost yang origin accumulated over hundreds of millions of Yuanhui, the remnants of creation, and the destiny of the stars into a single golden egg, nurturing him as the one and only Great Sun Golden Crow. The name Lingxiao had been bestowed on him by the Heavenly Dao, moved on the day he broke out of his shell. From the moment he was born, he had already achieved Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and Five Qi Returning to the Origin, becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal and ranking among the Primordial World's most powerful Innate Sacred Beings.
"You and I were born bearing the destiny of supreme stars, linked by the same breath and branch. Why thank me?" Lingxiao smiled gently. "Besides, discussing the Dao is a matter of mutual benefit. This exchange has also greatly deepened my understanding of how yin and yang give rise to and complement each other."
As his words fell, his eyes flickered faintly, and a trace of melancholy passed through his heart.
Had he not transmigrated here, and known in advance of the Infinite Calamity that would one day come to this Primordial World, perhaps he, like the Dijun and Taiyi who should have been born here, would have used the destiny of the Sun Star to establish the Heavenly Court, command the myriad demons, and contend for the title of Heavenly Emperor of the Primordial World.
But he understood the unwritten rules of the Primordial World far too well.
Power could let one run rampant for a time, but only virtue and destiny could protect one through endless calamities!
Those who fought for supremacy were ultimately pieces on the Calamity's board, cannon fodder to fill its ranks. Even Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, and Primordial Qilin had met their ends with their strength exhausted, their lives extinguished, and their Dao destroyed.
What he sought had never been fleeting glory. He wanted eternal freedom—the ease to sit beneath the Fusang Tree and watch the stars turn, even when calamity came crashing down.
He would not fight over who was stronger for a time. He would pursue eternal freedom.
"Ah, big brother, Sister, you've been thanking each other back and forth so much that my ears are about to grow calluses!"
A bright, playful voice beside Xihe shattered the Daoist grounds' serenity.
The girl shared eight-tenths of Xihe's breathtaking beauty, but her brows and eyes held less cool reserve and more lively, sweet mischief. Her pale green immortal dress made her seem fresh and full of life.
She was Changxi, another Innate Sacred Being born from the Lunar Star.
She tugged on Xihe's sleeve and puffed out her cheeks. "We've known each other for thirteen Yuanhui already. We began discussing the Dao and cultivating together not long after we were born. We're closer than real siblings—why bother with all this empty courtesy?"
"You're still as lively as ever, without a trace of the dignity a Lunar Goddess ought to have." Xihe reached out a jade finger and gently tapped her younger sister's smooth forehead, smiling helplessly, though there was no reproach in her eyes.
"There's no need to be dignified!" Changxi stuck out her tongue adorably and turned her bright, sparkling eyes toward Lingxiao. "Sister is the one being too formal! Between us and Big Brother Lingxiao, why bother with all these empty rituals? Forget guidance in discussing the Dao—if Big Brother Lingxiao wanted our Lunar Star, my sister and I wouldn't hesitate to give it to him!"
At that, Xihe lowered her lashes and said nothing, but she did not object either.
Lingxiao shook his head with a laugh. His gaze swept over the sisters' lovely faces, and his expression turned faintly distant as a trace of remembrance passed through his eyes.
One Yuan was divided into twelve Hui, amounting to 129,600 years.
Thirteen Yuanhui was not a long time in the Primordial World, where years were counted in Yuanhui, but neither was it brief.
After he had broken out of his shell, the destiny of the Sun Star surged higher, drawing the two Jade Rabbits to investigate.
After they met, they had discussed the Dao and cultivated together, supporting one another as they watched the stars turn.
In this unfamiliar world, they were the people who had been with Lingxiao the longest.
"Fellow Daoist Changxi, don't joke about that again." Lingxiao looked at Changxi, his expression still gentle. "I already have the Lingxiao Palace on the Sun Star as my Daoist grounds. That's more than enough. The Lunar Star is the foundation of your sisters' destiny. You mustn't speak lightly of giving it away."
Before he could finish, Changxi eagerly cut him off. "Big Brother Lingxiao! Do you remember how the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans fought for supremacy all those years ago?"
"The Phoenix Clan relied on being the strongest of the Primordial World's flying beasts and proclaimed themselves the Emperor of all flying beasts. They were so full of themselves! Hmph! If you hadn't still been unborn back then, would they ever have dared to strut around in the skies of the Primordial World?"
The more she spoke, the more excited she became, her eyes shining like stars.
"In my opinion, they have two wings and one head, and so do you. If the Phoenix Clan can be the Emperor of flying beasts, why can't you? As the Great Sun Golden Crow who bears the destiny of the Sun Star, you're even better suited to it!"
At that, Lingxiao's mouth twitched hard.
No. I really couldn't. I had no desire to become cannon fodder for a Calamity!
"Why don't we travel through the Primordial Lands together?" Changxi's eyes rolled.
"Then Big Brother can become the Emperor of flying beasts and rule the skies of the Primordial World;"
"Sister is steady by nature, so she can become the Emperor of walking beasts and rule the Primordial Lands;"
"As for me, there aren't any positions left, so I'll take the short end of the stick and become a Water Rabbit, ruling the rivers and lakes across the Four Seas and Eight Desolations."
"Together, we'd rule sea, land, and sky. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Since taking human form, she had rarely left the Primordial Starry Sky. After meeting Lingxiao, she had only traveled between the Lingxiao Palace on the Sun Star and the Moon Palace on the Lunar Star to cultivate in seclusion.
Though they were top-tier Daoist grounds and blessed lands, more than ten Yuanhui of quiet had long since left her restless, her heart full of thoughts about going out to explore.
"Changxi, stop your nonsense!"
Xihe's expression suddenly darkened. The warmth in her face vanished, and her voice turned stern. Even the Lunar Moonlight around her took on a sharp edge.
"Though the Dragon-Han Calamity has ended, the Primordial Lands are vast beyond measure, and Great Supernatural Beings who live in seclusion are as numerous as fish crossing a river!"
"Even mighty figures like Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, and Primordial Qilin ended up with their strength exhausted, their lives extinguished, and their Dao destroyed in the Calamity!"
"Not to mention Demon Ancestor Luohu, who wreaked havoc across the Primordial World and blew up the Western Lands' spiritual ley lines. Countless Innate Sacred Beings couldn't even preserve their True Spirits intact."
She paused, her gaze heavy, her tone leaving no room for argument. "The waters of the Primordial World are too deep. The Calamity Qi hasn't dispersed, and it's far too dangerous. We were born in the starry sky and grew up there. We should hang in the heavens like the sun and moon, shining on the world for eternity. Why descend to the lands and become entangled in boundless karma and bloodshed?"
Her words were openly a scolding for Changxi, but they were also meant for Lingxiao.
She knew her younger sister's thoughts all too well. What was more, she feared Changxi might persuade Lingxiao to travel through the Primordial World and get caught in the lingering waves of the Calamity.
Even though all three of them were Daluo Golden Immortals, that was far from enough to guarantee their safety in this Primordial World.
"All right, all right. Sister, I was wrong. I won't go to the Primordial Lands, okay?"
Seeing that Xihe was truly angry, Changxi immediately shrank her neck and obediently admitted her mistake.
But her eyes rolled nimbly, and she still hadn't given up on going out. Tugging on Xihe's sleeve, she pleaded softly, "Then let's travel around the Primordial Starry Sky instead. Surely that's all right? The Sun Star and Lunar Star are the supreme stars of the starry sky, and Big Brother Lingxiao has the Chaos Bell, which can suppress the destiny of the stars. With it over our heads, we'll have an innate advantage and be invincible. Nothing dangerous could happen, right?"
Hearing this, Xihe ignored her younger sister's pleading and turned to Lingxiao. Her cool eyes held a trace of inquiry, but also a firm resolve.
"Fellow Daoist Lingxiao, Changxi may be a little mischievous, but there's some sense in what she says."
"If we could unify the Primordial Starry Sky and gather the destiny of the Heavenly Stellar Array, it would greatly aid your cultivation of the Great Dao."
"The Beast Calamity and the Dragon-Han Calamity were fought mainly in the Primordial Lands, and the starry sky was barely affected. If you're willing, my sister and I would help you unify the starry sky, establish the Heavenly Court, and make you its Heavenly Emperor."
She spoke with utmost seriousness.
To her, the position of Supreme and dominion over the starry sky were meaningless.
But if she could help Lingxiao strengthen his Dao foundation and protect him, she would not hesitate for a moment to risk her life fighting alongside him across the entire Primordial Starry Sky.
Hearing her, Lingxiao slowly shook his head.
He knew how glorious it would be to unify the starry sky. But he knew even better that the coming Witch-Demon Calamity would pit "demons ruling the heavens and witches ruling the lands" against each other. The Primordial Starry Sky was no sanctuary from calamity; instead, it would become a major battleground in the Calamity to come.
If he really established the Heavenly Court and ruled the starry sky, he would take the places of Dijun and Taiyi.
He would become the Calamity's first target, cannon fodder to fill its ranks.
Seeing Lingxiao shake his head, Xihe said no more. She turned to Changxi and spoke evenly, though there was no room for argument. "You heard him. Focus on cultivating in seclusion and comprehending the Dao. Don't keep thinking about running off."
Changxi's little face fell at once, and the light in her lively eyes dimmed. She muttered dejectedly, "So we still can't go out? But going back and forth between the Sun Star and Lunar Star every day is really boring..."
"It's not that we can't go out."
Lingxiao suddenly spoke, interrupting Changxi's muttering.
The sisters looked up at him at the same time, both startled.
Lingxiao smiled faintly and lightly tapped his fingertips against his knee. A glimmer of insight flashed through his eyes, and his voice was calm yet unwavering:
"We can put traveling off for now. However, there is indeed something I'd like to discuss with you two fellow Daoists."
"I'm planning to make a bid for some Merit."
"Make a bid for Merit?"
Xihe and Changxi exchanged glances, both stunned, their eyes filled with confusion.
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