Elven Civilization

Since Xiao Meng led the Elven Race to live in 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 life besides the elves.

The Elven Race had developed its own civilization. Over those ten thousand years, their population had grown to nearly a 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 edge of the Grotto-Heaven World lay the Black Sea. The city closest to the Black Sea was called Black Jade City.

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

Lifeforms contaminated by Chaos Qi became exceedingly brutal, devouring every lifeform they saw. 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 malicious 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 detect the Grotto-Heaven World at all.

Even so, the Chaos Qi unconsciously emitted 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 polluted its ordinary creatures.

The Elven Race was caught completely off guard by such a disaster for the first time. Fortunately, Xiao Meng, the artifact spirit of the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler, guided them as the elven queen.

The invading Fierce Beast was 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 the walls of Black Jade City. One was a boy who looked twelve or thirteen, and he asked the beautiful elf beside him anxiously, "Sister Skadi, the queen and the others will be all right, won't 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 discouraging things. Geo Archon Zhongli 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 the Profound Immortal Realm."

Jielü gave an awkward laugh, clearly realizing he had misspoken.

That was right. This boy named Jielü was the first weed Cheng Jue had created, a clump of Knotweed Grass. Jielü was currently in the Dao-Harmony Realm.

If Jielü were placed in some cultivation world, he would count as a mighty expert ruling one region. Unfortunately, this was the Primordial World, so he was nothing special here.

Skadi had also reached the peak of the Great Vehicle Realm. She needed only an opportunity to become an Earth Immortal.

"Forget it." Skadi shook her head and did not pursue the matter further when she saw Jielü like this.

"After so much time, according to the queen's rules, Lord Venti should soon tell us about the situation outside." Skadi looked at the world crystal wall above the Black Sea.

"Venti? That drunkard? He's completely unreliable." Jielü clearly did not care for Venti when he heard the name.

Skadi sighed helplessly. She did not know what conflict Jielü had with Lord Venti. Jielü got along quite well with the other two lords.

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

If lifeforms in the Grotto-Heaven World had not reached the Earth Immortal Realm, they would slowly turn into Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy upon leaving it.

The Primordial World had only just been born. The innate sacred beings familiar from the future had yet to appear, and no mighty experts had organized 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 too much to bear.

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

Which lifeform in the current Primordial World was not born with an Earth Immortal-level body?

Or possessed an Earth Immortal-level primordial spirit? Those were still the weakest lifeforms.

The lifeforms of the current era might even be stronger than the Earth Immortal Realm.

As Jielü pondered these matters,

a green wind swept over the distant sea. Skadi and Jielü, standing atop the city wall, saw a figure flying toward them over the Black Sea.

The newcomer wore Baroque-style clothing and a green cloak. A Cecilia Flower was pinned to the brim of his hat, and beneath it was the face of a young boy.

When Jielü saw him, he immediately jumped up and waved. "Venti!"

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

Skadi hurried 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 his hand.

Anemo Archon Barbatos was one of the seven elemental lifeforms Cheng Jue had created when he made the elves. As time passed, 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 asked me to return first and report that everyone is safe. A Fierce Beast with Golden Immortal strength was discovered outside." Venti spoke casually.

"What? A Fierce Beast with Golden Immortal strength? Doesn't that mean Her Majesty the Queen and the other lords are in great danger?" Skadi asked anxiously.

Venti waved his hand. "Mm, don't worry. Although the Fierce Beast has Golden Immortal strength, it has no intelligence at all. There's nothing to fear."

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

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

Let us shift our gaze beyond the Grotto-Heaven World. This place remained as barren as ever, exactly as it had been when Cheng Jue first arrived. If not for Cheng Jue's authority as the World Tree, which allowed him to create life,

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

On this boundless desert, an enormous Fierce Beast had been wandering nearby. The Chaos Qi constantly emitted from its body affected space and time, as though it wished to drag the Primordial World back into Chaos.

Before the Fierce Beast floated three figures. One of them was a beautiful elf with golden hair and golden armor, wielding a golden sword. With a grave expression, she directed the people beside her in attacking the Fierce Beast.

This 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 beside her, who was dressed in rosy orange, "Zhongli, I have a move that can subdue the Fierce Beast, but I need some time. Help me hold it back."

Geo Archon Zhongli nodded, signaling that there was no problem. He then looked toward Electro Archon Ei, his gaze asking for her response.

Raiden Ei had naturally heard the conversation between Hongmeng and Zhongli. She nodded, indicating that she had no objection.

Geo Archon Zhongli gripped his spear and made the first move.

Standing Cliffs.

Geo energy formed a protective barrier around everyone. As expected, shields came first before a fight.

"Engulfing Lightning, is eternity as well."

On the other side, Raiden Ei gripped Engulfing Lightning as lightning energy gathered within it. When her momentum reached its peak, she slashed at the Fierce Beast before her.

"Roar!" The Fierce Beast cried out in pain. A wound deep enough to expose bone appeared across its spine.

Though Raiden Ei had only reached the Earth Immortal Realm, it was already no small feat for her to leave such a horrifying wound on a Fierce Beast with Golden Immortal strength.

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

Screech! Like the clash of metal, the Fierce Beast's sharp claw instantly shattered the Geo energy shield Zhongli had created.

Fortunately, Raiden Ei borrowed the force of the shield's shattering to fly backward. Her breathing was somewhat unsteady, but she was otherwise unharmed.

"Was it still too much of a stretch?" Raiden Ei gripped Engulfing Lightning and stared solemnly 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. Just as he said, he and Ei were only at the Earth Immortal Realm. Being able to restrain a Golden Immortal-level Fierce Beast was already extraordinarily difficult.

Just as Zhongli and Raiden Ei faced their formidable enemy, a dazzling golden light burst forth 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 blade.

Both Zhongli and Raiden Ei could sense that the power of Merit had condensed into a tangible gale.

"Excalibur!"

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