He was not alone; he was the Lord of Dugguang, and having received this land's fortune and blessings, he was bound to protect it. The four Guardian Emissaries and their followers were the forces that guarded Dugguang.
He was the ancestor of all snakes in the world, the Snake Ancestor of Xishan, his ancestral land. Sheltered by the luck of the snake clan, once he grew powerful, he would have to protect Xishan in return.
This principle was a manifestation of cause and effect, and everyone had to abide by it, whether they were beings born later or primordial deities.
Whether it was Qing Ling, or Nuwa and Fuxi. Nuwa was not a demon, but she was nurtured and raised by the Fengqi Tengshe clan. This was the cause; later, for her own Dao, or to repay the Tengshe clan, she would enter the demon race.
Qing Ling imparted his teachings to the four, not allowing them to hoard it, but to pass it on to their followers.
In Bei Xu's vast sea of Puxian flowers, a flower spirit was born, honoring her as its master.
In Hei Bao's Dongzhi Mountains, the Black Striped Leopard clan already had over a dozen Golden Immortals as venerables and hundreds of thousands of clan members.
In You's southern dense forests, there was a puppet army personally refined by him, though they had not yet awakened their sentience.
In Bai Fu's Western Chasm Gorges, countless bats lived in colonies, revering Bai Fu as their progenitor.
Once their tribes grew and became strong, they could naturally be dispatched by Qing Ling.
After receiving the methods, the four bowed respectfully, their hearts filled with ecstatic joy.
In this era where martial arts were only passed down through bloodlines, the opportunity to receive teachings from a powerful figure was almost nonexistent.
The four returned to their respective retreats and began cultivating with single-minded focus.
Qing Ling stood atop the Jianmu, unfurling his hand. The Four Seasons Chart slowly spread across the firmament, with spring, summer, autumn, and winter dividing Dugguang into four directions, enclosing the Jianmu's roots and the entire Dugguang within the chart.
As long as the Four Seasons Chart remained unbroken, no one could enter Dugguang.
Qing Ling descended from the Jianmu, caressing the wood with his palm. He could sense that every inch of the Jianmu's trunk bore an immense oppressive force, the weight of heaven pressing down upon the wood.
The Jianmu's growth was becoming slower and slower, for with each higher layer of heaven, an additional weight from that heaven was added. The higher the Jianmu grew, the higher his cultivation would be.
The faster the Jianmu grew, the faster his cultivation speed would be. The progress of great heavenly powers was measured in Yuanhui periods, and every step was arduous.
Qing Ling sighed to the wood, "It is you who suffers."
The Jianmu stood silently, supporting heaven and earth. A gentle breeze passed, and the world was silent, with no one answering him.
Having spirit but no soul, having divinity but no intelligence, the Jianmu, destined to bear the fortune of heaven and earth, could not develop sentience.
Qing Ling left Dugguang and headed north to Xishan.
In the wilderness of Dugguang, a few black leopards that had transformed into human form saw a divine chart suspended in the sky above the center of Dugguang. They quickly went to inform their clan elder and venerable.
"Venerable Shen, is that divine chart in the center of Dugguang the treasure of the Dao Master?"
A Golden Immortal black leopard said with a stern expression, "Do not speak carelessly. That is a treasure the Dao Master set up to protect us.
I once heard our ancestor mention that it is an extraordinary treasure of the Dao Master, called the Four Seasons Chart, and its divine abilities are immense."
...
Xishan, the ancestral land of all snakes in the world, a place cherished by countless snake cultivators.
Grandma Hua Geng stood before Qing Ling. One held a staff, the other with hands behind his back, they stood together on the peak of Mount Taichong.
"Grandma, in the past Yuanhui, has the number of clan members returning to the tribe increased or decreased?" Qing Ling asked, standing on the mountaintop and looking at the busy snake tribe below.
Grandma Hua Geng smiled and said, "Naturally, it is increasing. Our clan's reproductive ability is not weak, and with you, the Spring God of this generation, the number of snake tribes throughout the world is constantly growing."
"What about those few rebellious youngsters?" Qing Ling asked. "Those juniors who call themselves Serpent Kings."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Hua Geng's smile vanished, and she frowned. "These youngsters are all extraordinarily talented. If they hadn't rebelled, they might have even had a slight chance of achieving Daluo Golden Immortal.
Alas, it is destiny. Most of them have established themselves in the chaotic lands of the west and south. Since you became a great heavenly power, they have all disappeared."
Qing Ling sneered, "Without even this much courage, what great achievements can they make? Grandma, do not worry. I will go and apprehend these rebellious descendants myself."
Grandma Hua Geng expressed her concern, "But you are now a great heavenly power. If you take action against them again, it might attract the attention of the Qilin clan."
"It's fine. If Qing Ling does not act, let Daoist Qing Xuan do it." He chuckled softly.
"By the way, upon my return this time, I will leave fourteen inheritances in Xishan, all of which are Great Dao methods. In the future, clan members at the Golden Immortal and Taiyi realms can comprehend them."
Grandma Hua Geng smiled, "Good. I will naturally be diligent in matters that benefit the clan. After all, our clan currently has only two Daluo. If we add one more, I fear there will be eight Great Royal Clans in the future!"
Qing Ling laughed, "I am already a great heavenly power, has the Dragon Palace sent anyone to invite me yet?"
Grandma Hua Geng raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It's not that no one has come, it's that no one dares to. After all, who would dare to openly contend with the auxiliary god of the Ancestral Dragon?"
Qing Ling coughed slightly and said, "I am preparing to meet the Ancestral Dragon.
I have a premonition that the Eastern Wasteland may not remain peaceful for long."
Grandma Hua Geng sighed at this, "It is indeed difficult to find peace in the lands where the forces of the three tribes intersect. When you go to the Dragon clan, you can inquire about any unknown news."
"Naturally. However, Grandma, Xishan should also make preparations. I will need your help with this. This time, let Dugguang be the place of inheritance. With my Jianmu there, it will be much safer than Xishan." Qing Ling said with a somber tone.
Grandma Hua Geng nodded and sighed.
A place of inheritance is a preparation for the continuation of a tribe's life and death. If there is an irresistible force that destroys the tribe, then the place of inheritance is where the tribe can rise again.
Qing Ling left fourteen of his own scales in Xishan, as fourteen inheritance crystal walls. If a clan member at the Golden Immortal realm stepped into Taiyi, or rendered great service, they could enter one of them to observe. As for what method or Dao they could obtain, it would depend entirely on personal destiny.
Afterward, he entered the East Sea alone and arrived at the Green Dragon Divine Mountain.
Great heavenly powers travel to all directions with a single thought, and the vast Primordial World is but a moment away.
As soon as Qing Ling entered the hall, he saw the Ancestral Dragon facing away from him, wiping the Xun Tian Sword with some animal hide.
"Greetings, Main God."
"Hmm, you still remember to come and see me."
Qing Ling chuckled, "It was I who took a bit longer to consolidate my realm, causing the Main God to worry."
The Green Dragon turned around, his handsome profile reflected in the bright sword, the light in his eyes.
"What did Shi Tian say to you?"
Qing Ling's heart skipped a beat, but he still smiled and said, "So the Main God already knows. I have come precisely to inform the Main God of this matter."
Seeing this, the Green Dragon's brow, adorned with wood Daoist patterns, flashed, emitting a divine light that enveloped Qing Ling.
Qing Ling did not resist. He felt his body flicker, and he was in another world.
Before his eyes were tall, verdant ancient trees. Green forests stretched across the entire world, like a green ocean.
And at the center of the world was a magnificent giant tree shaped like a true dragon, akin to the World Tree, nurturing this realm.
"This is my internal Dao repository realm, which can shield heavenly secrets."