Seeing that the newcomer was Nüwa Niangniang, Hong Ze instantly put away his angry expression and replaced it with utmost respect.
It was not because Nüwa Niangniang was a Saint that Hong Ze showed such deference.
Rather, it was because Nüwa Niangniang was the Holy Mother of the human race. Even Hong Ze's current life had been molded by her own hands.
Strictly speaking, it would not have been excessive for Hong Ze to call Nüwa Niangniang Mother.
Thus, Hong Ze not only wore a deeply respectful expression, but also knelt and bowed to Nüwa Niangniang.
At the same time, he said, "Hong Ze pays respects to the Holy Mother."
Hearing him address her as Holy Mother rather than Saint, Nüwa Niangniang nodded in satisfaction.
Hong Ze had been molded by her own hands, so naturally Nüwa Niangniang remembered him. Moreover, Hong Ze was so unusual.
Nüwa Niangniang had once considered keeping Hong Ze at her side, but Master Tongtian had later secretly taken him as a disciple.
Quite a few members of the Innate Human Race had entered the teachings of the Three Pure Ones. The most renowned among them was Grand Master Xuandu.
Unfortunately, unlike Hong Ze, whenever he met Nüwa Niangniang, he called her Saint rather than Holy Mother.
Though it sounded exceedingly respectful, it made Nüwa Niangniang feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After all, no mother wished to hear her own child call her Auntie.
Even if that mother had not been sufficiently responsible, she still would never want to hear such a form of address.
Now that Hong Ze called her Holy Mother, how could Nüwa Niangniang not be delighted?
She immediately waved her hand and helped Hong Ze to his feet.
At the same time, a trace of puzzlement appeared on her face. "You are of the Innate Human Race, created by this palace with Essence Blood. Why are you still only at the True Immortal realm?"
After all, Nüwa Niangniang clearly remembered that the Innate Human Race she had created with her Essence Blood had all possessed Heavenly Immortal cultivation at birth.
In other words, over tens of thousands of years, Hong Ze had only advanced by one major realm. How could that not surprise Nüwa Niangniang?
What was more, Hong Ze was Master Tongtian's direct eldest disciple and had access to all the cultivation resources of the Jie Sect.
When Nüwa Niangniang asked about his cultivation, Hong Ze spoke with a helpless expression.
"To be honest with you, Holy Mother, I only broke through to the True Immortal realm not long ago through a fortunate coincidence.
"In other words, ever since the Holy Mother created me, my cultivation had not improved by the slightest bit for tens of thousands of years.
"Even though my master exhausted every possible method and fed me countless heavenly spiritual fruits, it was all to no avail."
Nüwa Niangniang became even more puzzled. With a flash, she appeared directly before Hong Ze.
She reached out, grasped Hong Ze's wrist, and began examining his body.
"Your meridians are clear, and your innate bones are exceptional. From every perspective, you should be a cultivation genius.
"Yet the truth is completely the opposite. Not only are you not a genius, you are practically a hopeless waste.
"Unless something unknown happened during these tens of thousands of years, this result should be absolutely impossible."
At the same time, Hong Ze's mind raced as he considered how to draw Nüwa Niangniang onto his side.
The Investiture of the Gods calamity had been initiated by Nüwa Niangniang, yet she had merely been a pawn used by others and had inexplicably become entangled in the karma of the great calamity.
They said Saints did not concern themselves with karma, but was that really true?
Others might not know, but Hong Ze understood all too well. Of the Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Main Gods enshrined in the Investiture of the Gods, even the Plague Gods had temples built and statues erected for them.
Yet fewer and fewer people worshiped Nüwa Niangniang. It was even becoming harder and harder to find a Nüwa Temple.
Even if Nüwa Niangniang, as a Saint, was untouched by karma, how else could such an ending be explained?
By that measure, Nüwa Niangniang, like Master Tongtian, was a loser of the Investiture of the Gods calamity.
Moreover, if Nüwa Niangniang assisted them, then the Four Saints' attack on the Immortal Slaying Array might not truly happen.
At that time, Nüwa Niangniang would only need to hold back Daoist Zhunti. Without all four Saints present, breaking the Immortal Slaying Array would not be so easy.
Having made up his mind, Hong Ze directly said to Nüwa Niangniang, "Holy Mother, there is no need for you to trouble yourself over Hong Ze any longer.
"For me to have ended up like this, I can only blame myself for being too curious. I touched something I should never have touched."
Nüwa Niangniang found this even stranger and could hardly wait to learn what Hong Ze had touched.
They said curiosity killed the cat, but was a woman's curiosity any less than a cat's?
Seeing that Nüwa Niangniang had developed an urge to pry, Hong Ze knew that his plan had achieved its initial success.
He then continued misleading Nüwa Niangniang. "I remember that shortly after I entered my master's sect, I inadvertently came into contact with the River of Fate of the human race.
"Within the River of Fate of the human race lay everything concerning humanity's past, present, and future.
"This concerned the future course of the entire human race. Even Saints could not touch it lightly.
"Yet I unknowingly came into contact with it and obtained some information from within.
"Because of that, I was cursed by the Heavenly Dao. For my cultivation to advance, I must exert hundreds or even thousands of times the effort of ordinary cultivators."
Nüwa Niangniang nodded repeatedly as she listened, while continuing to press him for details.
"What exactly did you see in the River of Fate of the human race that caused the Heavenly Dao to curse you so severely?"
"Holy Mother, if I tell you these things that you were never meant to know, will you also suffer the Heavenly Dao's curse?"
Seeing the worried expression on Hong Ze's face, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Nüwa Niangniang's lips.
"This palace is now a lofty Saint, an existence that is deathless and indestructible. How could I possibly suffer the Heavenly Dao's curse? Just speak boldly and without concern."
Hearing Nüwa Niangniang say this, Hong Ze let out a long breath, as though the enormous stone weighing on his heart had finally fallen away.
"Since I will not drag the Holy Mother into this, I shall explain it properly to you today.
"I saw two things in the River of Fate of the human race. The first concerns you, Holy Mother.
"The other concerns the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race, all the way to humanity's final Human Emperor."
Hearing that this matter concerned herself, and that even her elder brother Fuxi, who had only just reincarnated, was connected to the information Hong Ze had obtained—
Nüwa Niangniang became even more impatient and directly said to Hong Ze.
"Explain it in greater detail. Do not miss a single detail."
Hong Ze nodded repeatedly. "Then I shall first explain the fate that will ultimately befall the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors..."
Hong Ze then embellished what he knew and recounted it to Nüwa Niangniang.
He described how the Three Sovereigns would be trapped in Fire Cloud Cave, and how the Five Emperors would not even have a chance to enter reincarnation, making it all sound vividly real.
Nüwa Niangniang listened with tightly furrowed brows and clenched fists.
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