Elven Civilization

Ever since Xiao Meng had led the Elven Race to survive within the Grotto-Heaven World, ten thousand years had passed in the Primordial World.

Over those ten thousand years, Cheng Jue occasionally awoke from cultivation and created other forms of life besides the elves.

The Elven Race had already developed its own civilization. Over these ten thousand years, their population had neared one hundred million.

Perhaps civilization should not have appeared in the Primordial World at this time. The civilization known as the elves faced its own challenge.

At the border of the Grotto-Heaven World lay the Black Sea. The city closest to the Black Sea was called Black Jade City.

Roughly a thousand years ago, the Black Sea had not yet been called the Black Sea. Then one day, a trace of Chaos Qi seeped into the Grotto-Heaven World and contaminated the lifeforms within the sea.

Lifeforms contaminated by Chaos Qi became incomparably savage, devouring every living thing in sight. Wherever they went, the Chaos Qi disrupted the balance of the world within the Grotto-Heaven Pearl.

Later investigations revealed that the Chaos Qi had appeared because a Heavenly Immortal-level Fierce Beast had emerged near the Grotto-Heaven Pearl.

Fierce Beasts were formed from the flesh, blood, and evil thoughts of the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods when Pangu split open heaven and earth.

Fierce Beasts possessed no intelligence and relied on instinct to devour lifeforms.

Protected by the Grotto-Heaven Pearl, that Heavenly Immortal-level Fierce Beast could not discover the Grotto-Heaven World at all.

Even so, the Chaos Qi unconsciously radiating from the Fierce Beast still contaminated the surrounding Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy.

That contaminated Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy silently entered the Grotto-Heaven World and tainted the ordinary creatures within it.

The first appearance of such a disaster caught the Elven Race completely off guard. Fortunately, Xiao Meng, the artifact spirit of the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler, guided them as the Elven Queen.

The invading Fierce Beasts were driven into the Black Sea by the lifeforms of the Grotto-Heaven World, and Black Jade City was established as a result.

Two figures stood atop Black Jade City's walls. One was a handsome little boy of twelve or thirteen, who anxiously asked the beautiful elf beside him, "Sister Skadi, the Queen and the others won't be in trouble, will they?"

The other figure was Skadi, the first elf Cheng Jue had created.

Skadi frowned at his words and said unhappily, "Jielü, don't say such dispiriting things. The Geo Archon and the others broke through to the Earth Immortal Realm not long ago, not to mention Her Majesty the Queen, who already possesses the strength of a Profound Immortal."

Jielü gave an awkward laugh, clearly realizing that he had let his words slip.

That was right. This handsome little boy named Jielü was the first weed Cheng Jue had created, a stalk of Knotweed Grass. Jielü was currently in the Dao Integration Realm.

If Jielü were placed in certain cultivation worlds, he would count as a great power ruling one side. Unfortunately, this was the Primordial World, where he amounted to nothing.

Skadi had also reached the peak of the Mahayana Realm. All she needed was a single opportunity to become an Earth Immortal.

"Forget it." Skadi shook her head and did not pursue the matter further upon seeing Jielü like this.

"After so much time, according to the Queen's orders, Lord Venti should soon tell us about the situation outside." Skadi looked toward the crystalline wall of the world above the Black Sea.

"Venti? That drunkard? He's completely unreliable." At the mention of Venti's name, Jielü was thoroughly displeased.

Skadi sighed helplessly. She had no idea what grudge Jielü had against Lord Venti. He clearly got along very well with the other two lords.

Although Jielü disliked Venti, he still envied Venti's Earth Immortal strength, which allowed him to enter and leave the Grotto-Heaven World.

If lifeforms in the Grotto-Heaven World lacked the Earth Immortal Realm, they would gradually dissolve into Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy once they left the Grotto-Heaven World.

The Primordial World had only recently been born. The familiar Primordial Divine Saints of the future had not yet appeared, nor had any great power sorted out the spiritual veins of the Primordial World. To lifeforms that had not yet become immortals, the Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy of the current Primordial World was more than they could bear.

The Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy within immature lifeforms would unconsciously leak into the outside world, which was why lifeforms from the Grotto-Heaven World dissolved into Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy.

In the current Primordial World, what lifeform was not born with an Earth Immortal-level body?

Or possessed an Earth Immortal-level Primordial Spirit from birth. Those were still the weakest lifeforms.

It was also possible that the lifeforms of this era possessed strength beyond the Earth Immortal Realm.

Just as Jielü was pondering these matters.

A green wind blew over the distant sea. Standing atop the city tower, Skadi and Jielü saw a figure flying toward them over the Black Sea.

The newcomer wore Baroque-style clothing and a green cloak, with a Cecilia Flower pinned to the brim of his hat. Beneath that brim was the face of a young man.

Upon seeing him, Jielü hurriedly leaped up, waved, and shouted, "Venti!"

Skadi and Jielü only felt a light breeze pass by, and Venti appeared beside them.

Skadi hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. "Lord Anemo Archon, how is it outside?"

"Little Skadi, how many times must I say it? You can call me Barbatos or Venti." Venti waved a hand.

The Anemo Archon Barbatos was one of the seven elemental lifeforms Cheng Jue had created when creating the elves. As time shifted and ages changed, the former wind elemental elf had become one of the guardian gods of the Grotto-Heaven World. He was currently in the Earth Immortal Realm and could freely enter and leave the Grotto-Heaven World.

"Eh... the old man told me to come back first and report that everyone is safe. A Golden Immortal-level Fierce Beast has been discovered outside." Venti spoke without concern.

"A Golden Immortal-level Fierce Beast? Doesn't that mean the Queen and all the lords are in great danger?" Skadi asked nervously.

Venti waved his hand. "Mm, you don't need to worry. Though the Fierce Beast possesses the strength of a Golden Immortal, it has no intelligence whatsoever, so there is nothing to fear."

"Besides, although Her Majesty the Queen is only at the Profound Immortal Realm, she holds the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler in her hand. With such a supreme treasure, eliminating the Fierce Beast outside is merely a matter of time."

"Is that so?" Hearing Venti's explanation, Skadi finally relaxed.

Let us shift our gaze beyond the Grotto-Heaven World. This place was still a barren wasteland, exactly as it had been when Cheng Jue arrived. If not for Cheng Jue's authority as the World Tree, which could create life—

—the Grotto-Heaven World would likely still look exactly as it had ten thousand years ago.

Upon that boundless desert, a colossal Fierce Beast had been wandering nearby. The Chaos Qi constantly radiating from its body distorted space and time, as if it wished to drag the Primordial World back into Chaos.

Before the Fierce Beast, three figures floated in the air. Among them, a beautiful elf with golden hair and golden armor, holding a golden sword, wore a grave expression as she directed the people beside her to attack the Fierce Beast.

That beautiful elf was Hongmeng, the artifact spirit of the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler—Xiao Meng. She was also the Queen of the Elven Race.

Hongmeng asked the figure in crimson-orange beside her, "Zhongli, I have a move that can subdue the Fierce Beast, but I need some time. Help me hold it back."

The Geo Archon Zhongli nodded at her words, indicating that there was no problem. He then looked toward the Electro Archon Ei, silently asking with his gaze.

The Electro Archon Ei had naturally heard the conversation between Hongmeng and Zhongli. She nodded to show that she had no objection.

The Geo Archon Zhongli gripped a spear and made the first move.

"Standing Cliffs."

Geo energy formed a protective barrier around everyone. As the saying went, when a battle began, shields came first.

"The lightning's flash is eternity."

On the other side, Raiden Ei gripped Engulfing Lightning as electro energy condensed within the blade. When her momentum climbed to its peak, she slashed at the Fierce Beast before her.

"Roar!" The Fierce Beast howled in pain. A wound deep enough to reach the bone appeared across its back.

Though Raiden Ei was only in the Earth Immortal Realm, it was no easy feat for her to leave such a horrifying wound on a Golden Immortal-level Fierce Beast.

The Golden Immortal Fierce Beast's gaze grew increasingly vicious as it stretched out a foreclaw toward the ant that had just attacked it.

With a shriek like metal striking metal, the Fierce Beast's sharp claw instantly shattered the Geo energy shield Zhongli had just placed.

Fortunately, Raiden Ei borrowed the force of the shield's shattering to fly backward. Her breathing was merely a little unsteady; she had suffered no serious harm.

"Was it still too much of a stretch?" Raiden Ei gripped Engulfing Lightning and stared gravely at the Fierce Beast before her.

"Don't take it too much to heart. This was within our expectations, was it not?" Zhongli was not surprised by the situation. As he had said, he and Ei were only at the Earth Immortal Realm. Being able to hold back a Golden Immortal-level Fierce Beast was already no small feat.

Just as Zhongli and Raiden Ei faced a great enemy, a dazzling golden light burst forth from behind them.

Zhongli and Raiden Ei turned around together and saw Hongmeng holding the manifested Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler. Dense golden Merit light surged across the sword's blade.

Both Zhongli and Raiden Ei could feel the power of Merit, like a gale that had condensed into solid form.

"Excalibur!"

Hongmeng swung the manifested Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler forward, and a streak of golden light effortlessly cleaved the Fierce Beast before her in two.

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