Li Xingkong's physical body was in Flying Cloud Pass, so he couldn't get an answer to the Nether River's question.
But then he seemed to ponder for a moment, gritted his teeth, and paced back and forth a few times, as if he had made up his mind.
He pointed, and the endless seawater seemed to come alive, rushing in all directions and freezing the world that was already on the verge of annihilation.
But that parallel universe is ultimately a rootless source; although it is fixed in place, it is still slowly shrinking.
The Nether River then drew a talisman, and with a wave of its hand, sent the talisman into an unknown place.
Li Xingkong was watching the excitement when he suddenly realized that someone seemed to be watching him from behind.
The feeling was real, but when Li Xingkong looked around, only the old man and Liu Shinian were still chatting back and forth, and there was no one else. Li Xingkong felt a chill on his neck.
Then he saw a Daoist priest emerge from behind him, in the direction he was looking towards the Nether River.
"Hahahaha, it's our first meeting, but I never expected it to be here."
The Human Immortal, with a kind and benevolent face and a slender figure. His black and white Daoist robe fluttered without wind, and he held a whisk in his hand. Behind him, a mysterious light slowly rotated. Just by standing there, he exuded an aura of boundless mystery.
Li Xingkong only glanced at him before feeling all the cultivation methods within his body begin to operate on their own, even evolving towards a stronger and more perfect direction without his control.
This ability truly shocked Li Xingkong.
He could sense that not only his cultivation method was changing, but even the Dharma Aspect he had condensed during the Nascent Soul Stage had undergone a drastic transformation in just a few breaths.
With just one glance, the changes in Li Xingkong were so profound that if he were to ponder them on his own, it would take him at least several thousand years.
With such a commotion, even if Li Xingkong had never seen them before, he could guess who the person in front of him was.
If this is not Yuanshi Tianzun, who governs the concept of cultivation, then who could he be?
"Disciple pays respects to the Heavenly Venerable!"
Realizing the crucial point, Li Xingkong, despite being separated from the Celestial Venerable by an unknown distance, quickly bowed in respect.
"Not bad, not bad at all. This little disciple Seeking the Dao is indeed a seed for Seeking the Dao."
Li Xingkong was right; he had only guessed who it was when the Heavenly Venerable smiled.
Since this commotion concerns you as well, then come with me.
With a mere sweep of his dust, Yuanshi Tianzun noticed that Li Xingkong's true form had been "plucked" from the primordial Primordial World of the Era of Chaos and appeared before him.
"Don't worry, although this Nether River is unruly, he has a past with me and your master, so he won't fight you again."
"Just follow me."
With a flick of the Celestial Venerable's whisk, a Heavenly Gate appeared on the barrier of the parallel world created by the Thousand Mountains Method.
Then he walked slowly, and Li Xingkong unknowingly followed behind him.
The pace seemed leisurely, but after only three or five steps, they returned to the parallel world they had created.
" Nether River, you're still so impulsive when it comes to fighting. Do you regret it now?"
"What, it's you here! Oh well, whatever."
When Nether River saw that it was the Celestial Venerable, he muttered something and then glanced at Li Xingkong behind him.
"You brat, are you just going to vent your anger? You're about to die and you still won't introduce yourself, you're such a blockhead!"
Judging from his expression, there was not a trace of hostility, as if he were an elder seeing a good-for-nothing son.
"It's just a Thousand Mountains Body..."
Li Xingkong muttered something under his breath, but Nether River still heard it clearly.
"Hey, how did this girl Seeking the Dao giving you this thing? Heaven is so unfair! Truly unfair!"
He slapped his forehead, looking indignant.
"Alright, alright, this isn't the time for this nonsense. Yuanshi, stop just standing around and get started."
He pointed to the dissipating gaps in the world, which, despite being blocked by his Nether River, were still dissipating.
"No rush, no rush. Before we take action, we need to discuss the ownership of this world properly."
Yuanshi remained calm and unhurried.
Now it's this old bastard who's begging me.
"Pah! I knew you old codger weren't kind-hearted. How about we split it in half?"
Nether River stretched out his hand and drew a finger from the sky, a phantom that came from the horizon and went to the other side, splitting the entire world in two.
Yuanshi didn't open his eyes, but calmly shook his head.
"Not even half? Then I'm quitting!"
Nether River got angry just looking at this guy.
There are three people now, it won't do for just the two of us to share.
Seeing that the Nether River was losing patience, Yuanshi finally spoke calmly.
Li Xingkong suddenly felt as if the sky had fallen.
No, I just came to watch the fun, what business is it of his?
Nether River scratched his head with one hand, looked at Yuanshi, and then at Li Xingkong.
"Damn it! I knew it! With this Thousand Mountains Body, you could open up as many mountains as you wanted. Why did you have to fight me for this tiny piece of land!"
Li Xingkong didn't speak, or rather, he had no right to speak at that moment.
"The creation of this world has already disrupted the balance of the Era of Chaos. If it weren't for the principle of 'ignorance is no excuse,' my little apprentice would have been expelled long ago. How could I possibly create a new world now?"
Yuanshi smiled. Li Xingkong might not understand this, but how could Nether River not know?
When the Era of Chaos began, the total number of worlds was only one, which was the result of an agreement among many parties. If Li Xingkong hadn't stumbled upon this, the Era of Chaos would have had only this many worlds no matter how many years passed.
Although Li Xingkong has inadvertently broken the agreement, he is unaware of it, and even the bigwigs who made the agreement can't use it against him.
"Damn it, fine, fine, let's divide the world into three!"
Nether River clasped his hands together, and the world that was originally divided into two halves was directly split into three equal parts.
"Hurry up, or those old fogies from the other tribes will be here soon!"
"It's alright, it's alright, there's hope!"
Yuanshi drew a circle with his dust, and the circle of light expanded rapidly, filling the entire world in just a few breaths.
That radiant light was mysterious and profound; it swept over the world that was beginning to collapse, and immediately restored it to its original state.
It's like adding fuel to a candle that's about to go out.
He gave this world its true essence.
"It has to be you!"
Having witnessed the methods of the Yuanshi Beginning, the Nether River could not help but admire them, and then, carrying its Endless Sea, it went to a corner of the designated world.
Before leaving, he also turned back to look at Li Xingkong.
"Kid, come to the Nether River sometime, I'll give you a good welcome!"
Li Xingkong instinctively shrank back; he would never step out of the Jade Void Base before his cultivation had reached a high level.
"Very well, this third is yours!"
Seeing the Nether River depart, Yuanshi pointed in a direction and spoke to Li Xingkong.
"I will obey the Heavenly Venerable's orders!"
I dare not refuse the gift from the elder. Although Li Xingkong has no use for this territory of the Era of Chaos, it is better to have it than nothing.