Although Yunxiao was an innate being who had taken form after Hongjun preached the Dao, and her cultivation and fortune fell somewhat short of innate beings such as Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun, the fact that she had cultivated step by step to her current realm was no small feat.
Hearing Li Yu speak thus, even the ever-composed Yunxiao revealed a smile.
Without reaching the Golden Immortal Realm, it was still rather dangerous to establish oneself in the Primordial World. Moreover, she had Qiongxiao and Bixiao, her two younger sisters, to protect.
Before long, Bixiao returned with an assortment of fruits and fine wines. The group sampled immortal delicacies as they chatted leisurely.
"That day, my sisters and I were idling away our time on the island much as we are today. We never expected a streak of clear light to fall from the sky, landing less than a hundred li to the southwest. When we rushed over to investigate, we found a spiritual treasure—the Heart-Piercing Lock."
She was speaking of how Bixiao had chanced upon the Heart-Piercing Lock. However, the other spiritual treasure, the Golden Flood Dragon Scissors, had yet to fall into the Three Xiao Sisters' hands. It seemed that the Golden Flood Dragon Scissors should currently be with Tongtian, awaiting its destined moment.
"Brother Li, we three sisters have always known your cultivation is profound. Might you offer us some guidance on the path of cultivation, so that we may avoid taking unnecessary detours?"
It was Bixiao who spoke. Though she was the youngest of the Three Xiao Sisters, she had merely taken form a little later than her sisters. Yet her cultivation now lagged far behind those of her two elder sisters, so she could not help feeling anxious.
Such ambition was naturally a good thing, but it caught Li Yu off guard.
The Three Xiao Sisters would one day become Tongtian's disciples and would certainly receive his earnest instruction. Thus, Li Yu had never considered involving himself in such matters during his dealings with them.
Seeing that Yunxiao and Qiongxiao seemed to share that wish, Li Yu found it difficult to refuse.
"Since that is the case, I shall explain to you how to attain the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit," Li Yu said.
With Li Yu's Quasi-Saint cultivation, guiding those below the Golden Immortal Realm would not lead to any mistakes. Better to do no harm than seek merit. As for their future cultivation, that would naturally be Tongtian's concern. They were his disciples, after all, and it was only right that he worry over them.
Compared with Hongjun, Li Yu's scene of instructing the Three Xiao Sisters in cultivation was far more modest. Fortunately, all three were intelligent and grasped things at once. By the end of this lecture, each of them had gained something.
This was precisely the time to strike while the iron was hot and enter seclusion to cultivate. Li Yu took the opportunity to depart and travel across the Wild Continent.
At this time, living beings covered the Primordial Wilderness, but among them, the demon race and the Wu Clan were by far the strongest.
The demon race had two Demon Emperors, along with ancient great demons led by Kunpeng. The Wu Clan had the twelve Ancestral Shamans, as well as formidable great shamans such as Kua Fu and Hou Yi.
As Li Yu traveled through the Primordial World, he often witnessed conflicts between the Wu Clan and the demon race.
"After the Purple Cloud Palace's third preaching, the conflict between the Wu Clan and demon race will reach a fever pitch. Nüwa will become a saint, and the Human Race will arise in response to fate. That will mark the beginning of the decline of both races. They likely do not have many days left."
Li Yu held no particular feelings toward either the Wu Clan or the demon race. He merely watched coldly as they rose and fell.
Demon Court.
Inside Kunpeng's palace.
"This is what you wanted. I have found it for you. Whether you dare to do it depends on your own courage."
Kunpeng looked at the person before him. Though the figure was concealed within a mass of Chaos, that was merely to prevent others from discovering his identity. Kunpeng naturally knew this person's origins perfectly well.
It was none other than the Western Daoist Zhunti.
Kunpeng accepted the Pure Jade Bottle Zhunti had tossed over, glanced at what was inside, and asked, "How did you get this?"
"The essence of the Styx Blood Sea and the bloodline of the Wu Clan. It even contains the blood of the Ancestral Shamans Gonggong and Zhurong. Refined together, it is enough for you to cast your curse. I am leaving. Do not disappoint me!"
After saying this, Zhunti vanished from Kunpeng's palace.
Watching this, Kunpeng gave an unhappy snort. "One day, I will devour you!"
For now,
the demon race was at the height of its power. Di Jun and Taiyi, the two Demon Emperors, stood foremost, followed by Kunpeng and Fuxi. Yet Kunpeng resented being ranked alongside Fuxi and had therefore been plotting in secret all along. Ever since Fuxi disregarded Nüwa's objections and insisted on joining the Demon Court, he had left Phoenix Perch Mountain.
At first, he had thought he would merely be an idle wanderer in the Demon Court. Yet the two Demon Emperors repeatedly came to seek his help, asking him to use divination and calculation to devise strategies and suppress the Wu Clan.
As time passed, Fuxi became ever more deeply entangled in the War Between Witches and Demons. By now, it was too late for him to extricate himself.
Within Fuxi's palace, the gloomy Fuxi could only play the zither and drink wine to ease the sorrow in his heart. He looked somewhat weary.
Recalling his past days of cultivation on Phoenix Perch Mountain, Fuxi was filled with regret. He resented his former stubbornness, his refusal to heed his sister Nüwa's advice, which had led him into his current dilemma.
Pfft!
As Fuxi played the zither, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the strings crimson.
Fuxi's expression changed drastically. He felt a foul force in the unseen depths seize fate by the throat, eroding and stripping away his vitality.
Yet when he calculated, he discovered only that the heavenly secrets were shrouded in Chaos and utter disorder. He could not deduce who was harming him, much less how to break this sinister technique.
"Is this Heaven's will?"
Fuxi looked at his now gray-white hair and his hands covered in wrinkles. Using his last strength, he stood and gazed toward Mount Buzhou. He uttered only one word—"Nüwa"—before his life force vanished and he turned into specks of dust.
The first to bear the brunt of Fuxi's death was Nüwa.
Nüwa, who had been quietly cultivating in Wa Palace, opened her eyes. Tears flowed from her wrathful gaze, after which she transformed into a streak of radiant light and flew toward the Demon Court.
Li Yu, who was traveling through the Primordial World, suddenly stopped. With a turn of his sleeve, he took out the tortoiseshell Fuxi had once given him to foretell fortune and misfortune. Yet it had now split into two halves, lost its spirituality, and become an ordinary object.
After making a calculation with his fingers, Li Yu sighed mournfully. Fuxi had already fallen, meeting his destined tribulation amid the great calamity.
"But there is something strange about this. Nüwa has yet to become a saint, yet Fuxi has already fallen. This is an unforeseen change. I wonder whether Nüwa can still protect the last trace of Fuxi's primordial spirit?"
Though the Human Race had not yet been born, Li Yu was already considering its future development and fortune. Fuxi was one of the Three Sovereigns and was of vital importance to the Human Race. Yet something had gone wrong at this very moment, leaving Li Yu unable to help but think further.
Li Yu no longer intended to continue traveling through the Primordial World. Instead, he transformed into a streak of radiant light and headed for the Demon Court. Before he even arrived, he saw treasure light flickering within the Demon Court, radiating power capable of destroying heaven and earth. There was no need to say more. Nüwa must have blamed the demon race for Fuxi's death and come to demand an explanation.
"Di Jun, Taiyi, if you cannot give me an explanation for my brother's death, I will never let this matter rest!"
Facing Nüwa's extreme fury and killing intent, Di Jun and Taiyi, the two most honored emperors of the demon race, could only suffer in silence.
They did not know the cause of Fuxi's death either. How could they give Nüwa an explanation?
Had he died in battle, it would have been one thing. But Fuxi had died for no clear reason in his own palace within the Demon Court. Trying to clear themselves of suspicion was simply wishful thinking!
Before you continue