Primordial Fire Spirit, Wangshu of Moon Toad Palace

"This was the two great calamities that had occurred since Pangu split open heaven and earth and the Primordial World came into being."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's eyes were full of grief as he sighed softly. "I saw with my own eyes how the heaven and earth of the Primordial World went from their perfect innate completeness to being battered step by step until they were riddled with holes. The Western Lands in particular had their spiritual veins shattered and their origin grievously damaged, making it impossible to restore their former innate splendor."

"Just as little friend said earlier—"

"Ordinary Calamities are merely the succession of living beings and the rise and fall of clans; they do not harm the foundation of heaven and earth."

"But if the slaughter karma accumulates to its limit, if the force of clan warfare breaks through the limits of what heaven and earth can bear, it will become an Infinite Calamity. Then, not only will living beings be exterminated, but even the Primordial World itself will be utterly shattered and return to Chaos. All life will perish, and even Saints who have attained the Dao may not emerge unscathed."

As Lingxiao looked at the undisguised compassion in Hongjun's eyes, enlightenment suddenly dawned on him.

Memories from another world abruptly flashed through his mind: apocalyptic scenes recorded in those end-of-the-world novels, zombies running rampant, nuclear wars... How many civilizations had risen to the pinnacle of prosperity, only to ultimately march toward self-destruction—extracting heaven and earth's resources without restraint, wantonly destroying the foundations of their own survival, and finally suffering heaven and earth's backlash, ending with their civilizations severed and all life extinguished.

Now that he thought about it, was the Primordial World's Calamity not governed by the same principle?

Ferocious beasts ran rampant, digging out spiritual veins until nothing remained and destroying the foundations of the Primordial World's vitality; the Three-Clan Hegemony slaughtered without restraint, draining the Primordial World's store of innate resources.

When the rate of consumption far exceeded the rate at which heaven and earth's spiritual vitality could recover, when the expansion of the clans had already filled the Primordial World to the very borders of its territory—

The outbreak of a Calamity had already become inevitable.

None of this had ever been the deliberate manipulation of the Heavenly Dao, much less Saints secretly moving pieces across a board. It was simply that living beings' greed knew no end; prosperity reached its zenith and declined, until they were ultimately devoured by the slaughter karma they had created with their own hands.

This explanation was instead far more real and reasonable than those later speculations about "the Heavenly Dao as a chessboard, all beings as its pieces."

Having understood this, Lingxiao looked at Dao Ancestor Hongjun and asked in a deep voice:

"Then, Dao Ancestor, by appointing Eastern King Lord and Queen Mother of the West as the leaders of male and female immortals and establishing the Immortal Dao Order, were you seeking to lay down rules for all beings, restrain needless slaughter, reduce the depletion of heaven and earth's origin, delay the outbreak of Calamities, and protect the heaven and earth of the Primordial World?"

He also sighed inwardly. Whether it was today's appointment of the immortal leaders or the later Heavenly Court's Investiture of the Gods, their original intention was likely to dispel Calamity Qi and stabilize the Primordial World.

Unfortunately, the great tide of heaven and earth was difficult to reverse. In the end, all those painstaking arrangements became part of the Calamity.

"Indeed."

At these words, a bitter smile appeared on Dao Ancestor Hongjun's face, and he let out a long sigh.

"All I can do is ease it somewhat."

"A Calamity is a natural law of heaven and earth, the trend of the greater tide. Where living beings have greed, there is conflict; where there is conflict, there is slaughter karma; when slaughter karma fills to the brim, a Calamity must descend. Even I, a Heavenly Dao Sage, can only follow the current and cannot forcibly reverse heaven and earth."

"My establishment of the Immortal Dao Order is merely to set rules for all beings, so that Rogue Cultivators have oversight and clans have restraints; so there may be less needless slaughter and less consumption of heaven and earth's spiritual vitality. If this heaven and earth of the Primordial World can enjoy even a fraction more peace, that fraction is worth having."

"Unfortunately, one tree cannot hold up a collapsing house. The path ahead, of Dao Integration to mend heaven, is incomparably difficult. If little friend had not previously established the Twelve Time Markers and repaired the Heavenly Dao's flaws, allowing me to find one who walked the same path, I would not have spoken these heartfelt words to little friend today."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun gently shook his head, a trace of indescribable melancholy flashing through his eyes.

He had long deduced that the Heavenly Dao was incomplete and required him to integrate himself with the Dao to make it whole.

Yet after Dao Integration, he himself would be assimilated by the rules of the Heavenly Dao, becoming absolutely calm, impartial and selfless, losing his original heart. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Dao itself would be tainted by his private thoughts, leaving heavenly laws biased and the Heavenly Dao unjust.

The two would influence each other; pull one hair, and the whole body would move.

After Dao Integration, even he, a Heavenly Dao Sage, found it difficult to fully deduce what path lay ahead for the Primordial World.

"Dao Ancestor's heart in protecting the Primordial World can be witnessed by heaven and earth, illuminated by sun and moon." Lingxiao was filled with complicated emotions upon hearing this.

Later generations all claimed that Dao Ancestor Hongjun had plotted against the Primordial World, controlled its Calamities, and treated all beings as chess pieces, thus bringing about the Primordial World's decline and the arrival of the Age of Dharma's End.

But only now, hearing it with his own ears and seeing it with his own eyes, did he realize that all this foremost Saint of the Primordial World had sought throughout his life was to protect this heaven and earth that had endured countless tribulations, to preserve the lingering blessings of Pangu's creation of heaven and earth.

Unfortunately, even Saints with heaven-piercing power could not defy the greater tide of heaven and earth.

Unless cultivation were forbidden to all beings, severing the root of greed and conflict—but how could that possibly happen?

Even if the Dao Ancestor were willing, the myriad Great Supernatural Beings of the Primordial World would never agree. It would only intensify the conflict, ending in all beings waging war against heaven and prematurely detonating the Calamity.

If a man does not act for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him; the hatred of one who blocks another's Dao is greater than heaven itself!

After this exchange of heartfelt words, Dao Ancestor Hongjun said no more. Lingxiao rose, bowed deeply, and prepared to take his leave.

He had long made his plans. Once he left Violet Firmament Palace, he would travel to the Eastern Land and ask Nuwa, who had taken form from Primordial Lunar-Yin Qi, to serve as the matchmaker for this marriage.

Although it was not yet time for Treasure-Dividing Crag to distribute treasures, and Nuwa had not yet obtained the Red Marriage Ball, the supreme treasure of matrimony, among the three thousand Violet Firmament Guests there was no one more suitable than Nuwa to be this matchmaker.

Just as Lingxiao turned around, Dao Ancestor Hongjun suddenly spoke. "Little friend, please wait."

Lingxiao halted, turned back, and bowed again. He then saw Dao Ancestor Hongjun sweep his sleeve, sending a stream of gilded fire flying from within. It hovered steadily before him.

It was an ancient, unadorned golden lamp. Its body had been forged from Primordial Nine-Yang Fire Jade, its wick was a wisp of Primordial Supreme-Yang Fire Spirit, and its bowl contained half a lampful of Solar Divine Water formed from Solar True Fire refined to the utmost. The instant it appeared, a warm glow spread outward, and the surrounding innate spiritual qi transformed into flowing fiery clouds.

"This treasure is named the Heaven-Burning Golden Lamp. It was formed when a Primordial Supreme-Yang Fire Spirit within the Sun Star failed to take shape, and it emerged in the same era as Fellow Daoist Wangshu of the Lunar Star."

"When this treasure first appeared, many fellow Daoists throughout the Primordial World competed for it. I was fortunate enough to be the more skilled and took it into my possession."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun explained slowly, "This lamp was formed from the origin of a Primordial Fire Spirit. Its lamp oil is the essence of Solar True Fire. Once its flame is lit, it can transform into a sea of fire spanning hundreds of millions of miles. It can burn away all Karmic Power, protect the Primordial Spirit and True Spirit, and incinerate powerful foes. Yin evils and ghostly fiends will all turn to ashes upon encountering it. It is one of the Primordial World's foremost fire-element spiritual treasures for protecting one's Dao."

"My Dao Integration is imminent, and this treasure is no longer of use to me. I shall give it to little friend, both to aid you in protecting yourself and to suppress the fortune of your Sun Star."

Lingxiao immediately understood. Dao Ancestor Hongjun was the Primordial World's first Saint, the earliest to be born and the deepest in cultivation. With the Creation Jade Slip suppressing his fortune, the depth of his blessings and destiny was unmatched by any second person in the Primordial World.

Earlier, he had bestowed two Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures upon Eastern King Lord and Queen Mother of the West without so much as blinking. Giving Lingxiao another Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure now was perfectly normal for someone of such means.

As for Wangshu...

During the Beast Calamity and the Dragon-Han Calamity, a Great Supernatural Being had indeed emerged from the Lunar Star. She had been the first Lunar Star Lord, seemingly a moon toad by nature, who established her Dao field, Moon Toad Palace, upon the Lunar Star.

Yet by the time Xihe and Changxi took form and were born, there was no longer any trace of this ancient Great Supernatural Being in the Primordial World.

Even during the Dao Ancestor's lecture this time, Wangshu had not appeared.

Most likely, she had quietly met with misfortune.

During that era, the Lunar Star had the moon toad Wangshu. The Sun Star should likewise have produced a Great Supernatural Being, but its transformation had failed, and it had become this Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, which Dao Ancestor Hongjun had obtained.

This treasure was truly the best fit for the Sun Star lineage.

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for this generous gift!" Suppressing the stray thoughts in his heart, Lingxiao bowed deeply in gratitude and raised a hand to store the Heaven-Burning Golden Lamp away.

He had already decided that once he returned to the Sun Star, he would hang this lamp in the main hall of Lingxiao Palace, where it would join the Fusang Divine Tree in suppressing the Sun Star Origin and its fortune.

Having expressed his thanks, Lingxiao bade farewell once more, turned, and left the main hall of Violet Firmament Palace.

Outside the hall, Xihe and Changxi had already emerged from the side hall. Seeing him come out, they hurried over to greet him.

With a smile, Lingxiao briefly recounted what had just occurred. Wrapping an arm around each woman's waist, he summoned a thousand-mile rainbow radiance, passed through the void of Chaos and the World Womb Membrane, and flew straight toward the Primordial Starry Sky.

After an unknown amount of time, the rainbow radiance cut through the starry sky and finally descended steadily toward the Eastern Land.