Worried for Hongyun, Li Yu and Zhen Yuanzi Set Out Together

Within the Earth-Society Landscape Scroll, with Taiqing and Li Yu working together to heal him, Fuxi's remaining divine soul finally stabilized.

"His injuries are too severe. This is all that can be done!" Taiqing sighed as he looked at Fuxi's divine soul.

After the two emerged from the Earth-Society Landscape Scroll, Nüwa thanked them. "Many thanks to Senior Brother Taiqing and Fellow Daoist Li. Only then did my brother gain a sliver of hope for survival."

"Though Fuxi's last remaining divine soul has been preserved from dispersing, reincarnation and cultivation anew are now his only path. And after reincarnation, the Fuxi of that time will likely no longer be the same living being as the Fuxi of today." Taiqing spoke with slight regret.

"There will always be some karma linking them. Besides, the future has yet to be set in stone. Man proposes, and man can bring things about!"

Seeing the sorrow on Nüwa's face after hearing Taiqing's words, Li Yu offered a few words of comfort from the side.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Li!"

After hearing Li Yu's words, Nüwa felt somewhat better and asked, "Regarding my brother's reincarnation, do Senior Brother Taiqing and Fellow Daoist Li have any arrangements? My mind is unsettled at present, and I truly have no clear plan."

Taiqing said nothing, merely turning his gaze toward Li Yu.

Under Taiqing's gaze, Li Yu could only slowly say, "There is no need to rush this matter. We are presently in the midst of the Witch-Demon Calamity, and the secrets of Heaven have become increasingly obscure and unpredictable. It would be better to wait a while."

"But can my elder brother's divine soul wait?" Nüwa asked.

"Junior Sister, set your mind at ease. Fellow Daoist Fuxi's divine soul is unharmed. My thoughts are the same as Fellow Daoist Li's—let us wait and see," Taiqing said.

"Since that is so, I shall follow Senior Brother Taiqing's and Fellow Daoist Li's arrangements. Moreover, Nüwa cannot offer nothing in return for the grace of saving my brother. Yet all I can bring out are the spiritual treasures bestowed by our teacher. I hope Senior Brother Taiqing and Fellow Daoist Li will not refuse!"

With that, Nüwa lightly flicked her sleeve, and several dozen innate spiritual treasures appeared before Taiqing and Li Yu.

She was clearly telling Taiqing and Li Yu to pick whatever they pleased!

Taiqing gently shook his head. "Junior Sister Nüwa, I have no need for these. The karma between you and me will have its own means of resolution in the future; there is no need to hurry now."

Nüwa naturally knew how profound Taiqing's cultivation was. Seeing him speak thus, he must have divined something, so she simply followed his wishes and then turned her gaze toward Li Yu.

Faced with innate spiritual treasures that were practically within arm's reach, Li Yu was truly tempted. Yet he shook his head and drew a tortoiseshell split in two from his sleeve.

"Fellow Daoist Nüwa, this was a gift Fellow Daoist Fuxi gave me when we first met. Now that he has met with disaster, it is only right that I lend my aid. If I were to accept Fellow Daoist Nüwa's gift as well, how could I face Fellow Daoist Fuxi? And what would become of the friendship we have shared for so many years?"

Looking at the tortoiseshell in Li Yu's hand, Nüwa was reminded of its owner. Her eyes reddened at once, and she forced back her tears. "I was rash in this matter. I should not have brought out such worldly possessions."

With that, Nüwa put away the many innate spiritual treasures and continued, "Fellow Daoist Li, Nüwa will remember the favor of this day."

A favor owed by a future Saint was far better than any innate spiritual treasure. At the same time, he had thoroughly boosted his goodwill in Nüwa's eyes.

"Let us not speak of this."

Li Yu changed the subject. "Fellow Daoist Fuxi's calamity was truly strange beyond measure. But the Demon Court is powerful at present. I hope Fellow Daoist Nüwa will endure for now and not clash head-on with the Demon Race."

"Thank you for the advice, Fellow Daoist Li. Over these years, I have calmed down as well. Naturally, I will not again do what I did when I blocked the Demon Court. But neither will I let them have an easy time. I have my own arrangements for this matter!" Nüwa said.

Seeing that Nüwa had already made up her mind, Li Yu said no more. After all, she was destined to become a Saint; there was no need for him to prattle endlessly at her side.

Nüwa thanked Taiqing and Li Yu once more before leaving Mount Kunlun. After Nüwa departed, Li Yu also bid farewell to the Three Pure Ones and hurried toward Wuzhuang Temple. Fuxi's situation could not help but make Li Yu worry about Hongyun, for Hongyun's fate had been equally tragic.

Though Hongyun's destined course had shifted somewhat due to Li Yu's deliberate interference, he still did not dare guarantee that one day the Heavenly Dao would not make a correction and shift Hongyun's fate back again. If that happened, everything he had done would lose its meaning.

The reason he went to Wuzhuang Temple first was to bring Zhen Yuanzi along. Should something happen to Hongyun, the two of them would certainly be better than Li Yu facing it alone.

After arriving at Wuzhuang Temple, Li Yu met with Zhen Yuanzi and spoke of Fuxi's affairs.

"Now the Demon Race insists that the Wu Clan secretly plotted against Fuxi. Naturally, the Wu Clan refuses to admit it, and the two sides have begun fighting again. Over these years, their slaughter has only grown fiercer," Zhen Yuanzi said.

Li Yu knew the overall course of events between the Wu Clan and Demon Race, but Zhen Yuanzi knew the specific details far better than he did.

Li Yu did not wish to say much on this matter, so he said, "Brother Daoist has no need to enter seclusion recently. Why not accompany me to visit Brother Daoist Hongyun? Last time, we merely sent congratulatory gifts, which seemed somewhat lacking in sincerity. This time, let us go in person, see Brother Daoist Hongyun's child, and also that woman who made him abandon his old love for a new one."

"With nothing to do, since Brother Daoist Li is interested, there is no harm in making the trip!"

With that, the two immediately departed Wuzhuang Temple and headed toward Hongyun's cave abode.

The three were friends, and the karmic ties between them ran deep. Following the unseen threads of karma, Li Yu and Zhen Yuanzi found Hongyun's cave abode without much effort.

Hongyun's cave abode was built against a mountain, with verdant peaks behind it and a mirror-like lake before it. It could be considered a scenic paradise secluded from the world.

"Come, let us go down and take a look!"

Li Yu and Zhen Yuanzi descended from the clouds and appeared outside Hongyun's cave abode.

"Who are you? What have you come here for?"

The moment Li Yu and Zhen Yuanzi appeared, someone questioned them. Turning around, they saw a young man whose features bore some resemblance to Hongyun's.

At once, the two became fairly certain of the young man's identity.

"Is your father Fellow Daoist Hongyun?" Zhen Yuanzi asked.

"You know my father?" the young man asked in surprise.

"Hehe, we are old friends of your father's. The Ginseng Fruit he brought back last time was gifted by this very Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi," Li Yu said with a smile.

Suddenly thinking of another question, he asked Zhen Yuanzi, "Between you and Brother Daoist Hongyun, who took form first? In any case, I came after both of you. This child ought to call me Uncle."

"Could you be Uncle Zhen Yuanzi and Third Uncle Li Yu?"

Seeing Zhen Yuanzi and Li Yu nod, the young man hurriedly bowed. "Your nephew Red Boy greets Uncle and Third Uncle!"

Red Boy?

Was that not the name of Bull Devil King and Princess Iron Mountain's child? How did Hongyun's child bear that name too?

Hongyun, Red Boy—it did not seem wrong when put together like that.

All that could be said was that Hongyun had named his child far too casually. He had not put any thought into it at all!

"Rise!"

Zhen Yuanzi, on the other hand, had no such thoughts. As he spoke, he gave Red Boy several little trinkets he had prepared beforehand.

They were treasures the two had hastily refined along the road before coming, and could only be considered acquired spiritual treasures. After all, neither of them was as wealthy as the Three Pure Ones or Nüwa, who could casually give away an innate spiritual treasure. They could only use acquired treasures to keep up appearances.