The woman in black gauze above paused. She recalled the Great Elder's warning: that peerless supreme being who had once stood above all heavens, their clan could not be taken lightly.
Grandmother Hua Geng slowly produced a black token from her hand. It was entirely black, without markings or Dao脉, only possessing a profound coldness that could freeze all things, seal the great expanse, turning spring into winter.
"Third-generation successor of Supreme Tai Geng, Hua Geng, holding this token, I implore your aid for my clan!" Grandmother Hua Geng clasped her hands tightly, raising the token to the sky, bowing deeply across myriad mountains and rivers.
The woman in black gauze looked surprised, gazing at the peculiar token. Her divine sense swept across the nine heavens and ten earths, scanning the billions of miles of the Eastern Wilderness, yet she found no trace of abnormality.
She narrowed her beautiful eyes, looking at Hua Geng, and said, "Clan Leader Hua Geng, if you dare to trifle with me..."
Grandmother Hua Geng's gaze was calm and composed, meeting the woman in black gauze's gaze steadily. "Supreme, please test me."
A strange feeling arose in the woman in black gauze's heart. However, as a Great Luo Golden Immortal, there were few beings in heaven and earth that could threaten her. She found it hard to believe that a race that had lost its Great Luo existence could still possess any power.
With a slight raise of her hand, the Black Rhinoceros Profound Net, which she had subtly set up during their conversation, materialized. The continuous black divine net enveloped the entire Xishan, spanning over 3.5 million miles, trapping heaven and earth, allowing no escape.
With only one person, a woman in black gauze, she brought immense fear to the hundreds of millions of clan members in Xishan.
Qing Ling, behind Grandmother Hua Geng, looked at the sky. That boundless black net, his Mi Tian Suo could also achieve, and it was even of a higher grade than this innate spiritual treasure. But his master was too weak; there was no comparison.
Behind Grandmother Hua Geng, the Golden Immortal Venerables all shifted to stand behind her. No one took a step back, their gazes firm, fear in their eyes, but also an unyielding spirit.
Some might fear death, for seeking advantage and avoiding harm is the nature of beasts. But they would not retreat, for behind them lay Xishan.
Below, the Heavenly rank clan members drew their magical treasures, or revealed sharp teeth, their eyes gleaming fiercely. They did not know how terrifying the figure in the sky was, they only knew they had to protect their home.
Because they were ants, their vision was short-sighted, they were ignorant of the terror of a Great Luo Supreme, and thus they were fearless!
Xishan was filled with countless snakes and pythons. Under the gaze of their vertical pupils, the woman in black gauze's eyes remained as placid as ever. Ants had the courage of ants, but great beings possessed the majesty of great beings. No matter how many ants there were, no matter how shocking the weak, they could not move her.
The woman in black gauze reached out a hand, and the Black Rhinoceros Profound Net slowly descended, sinking with endless darkness.
Du, Shu, Chi Li, Chi, Ke, Xi – the Dao intent of the Golden Immortal Venerables rose from their bodies. Unlike the clan members below, they knew they faced a Great Luo Golden Immortal, a desperate struggle with no hope. Yet, they still possessed immense courage to confront the despair of an inevitable end, much like a warrior who, knowing a tiger lies ahead, still heads into its den.
At this moment, Qing Ling was enveloped by the spirit of a clan, courage that defied death.
The woman in black gauze above snorted lightly. All her immense pressure bore down on Grandmother Hua Geng, like endless mountains pressing down.
Grandmother Hua Geng's waist instantly bent, as if struck by lightning. But her aged face remained unyielding. She used her hands to support the Ten Thousand Snakes Profound Staff, bearing the immense pressure, and slowly rose again, straightening her spine.
Qing Ling rushed forward, wanting to share the burden with Grandmother Hua Geng. He clearly felt that every inch of Hua Geng's body was reaching its limit, as if it would explode at any moment.
Grandmother Hua Geng looked at Qing Ling. A golden light flashed on her body, pushing him away. Her eyes were filled with tenderness as she slowly said, "Qing'er, when you face danger alone, you can freely kneel and beg for your life. You need not have dignity; no one will blame you.
But when you bear the dignity of countless clan members, the dignity on your body is no longer your own."
With every sentence Grandmother Hua Geng spoke, the golden light and aura around her grew stronger, and her spine straightened further.
The woman in black gauze's eyes grew colder. She truly felt a strange gaze, yet could not locate its source. She pointed again, and another wave of immense pressure descended, forcing the just-straightened Hua Geng down once more.
Grandmother Hua Geng's aged face suddenly flushed red, and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Everyone panicked.
Hua Geng waved her hand backward, stopping those who rushed forward, and once again summoned all her strength to straighten her spine. Then she said to Qing Ling, "For your dignity, for the dignity of countless clan members, you cannot continue to compromise and beg for mercy, do you understand?"
Qing Ling looked at the aged yet immortal, bent yet unyielding elder before him. A surge of emotion welled up within him. "Qing'er understands."
Grandmother Hua Geng raised the token in her hand and waved it again. Her fingers, exerting too much force, were cut, and streaks of blood flowed onto the black token.
A cold, ancient voice emanated from the token: "For what do you petition?"
Grandmother Hua Geng's eyes flashed with a cold light. She looked at the woman in black gauze and said, word by word, in a chilling voice, "I ask you to kill this Great Luo!"
The black, extremely cold token faced the woman in black gauze. Instantly, an icy chill descended upon her, piercing through to her primordial spirit. Ever since she had broken through to Great Luo, she had never felt such coldness.
The woman in black gauze grew more apprehensive. She dared not casually destroy Hua Geng, for she did not know what other stratagems she might possess. But this apprehension grew heavier.
Although Grandmother Hua Geng was pressed down so hard that she could barely straighten up, she remained calm and said, "I hope Your Excellency will remain here."
As the words fell, to the north of heaven and earth, across an infinite distance, a colossal figure suddenly appeared.
The woman in black gauze's body stiffened instantly. She seemed to disbelieve, slowly turning her head, twisting her neck to look towards the distant north.
A bitter wind howled, and billions of mountains and rivers froze. Amidst the roaring wind and snow, a world of pure ice and snow spread infinitely from north to south, a frozen, desolate land, turning heaven and earth white, as vast and immeasurable as the Northern Dipper in the profound darkness.
Countless great beings in heaven and earth were stirred. On Mount Yujing, a grey-robed Daoist swept away the wind and snow from a mountain with a flick of his sleeve, murmuring, "This is the second time it has emerged from the Northern Underworld."
Amidst the vast wind and snow, the ice and snow soldiers halted at the edge of Xishan. An old man with a ferocious visage on the Eight Profound Divine Mountains to the north was now hiding in the mountains, daring not to show anger. He was quick-tempered, but not truly foolish; he knew clearly who could be provoked and who could not.
The woman in black gauze stared stiffly at the gigantic beast's body facing her and murmured, "Who are you?"
"I am forgotten, but I know that all living beings in the world worship me as the God of Winter, Xuanwu."
The woman in black gauze's heart trembled. With her strength as a Great Luo Golden Immortal at the second level, she could not see through the giant beast before her at all. It was at least a Great Luo Golden Immortal at the twentieth level.
Grandmother Hua Geng immediately bowed deeply, "Third-generation clansman of Supreme Tai Geng, I pay homage to the Lord of Winter."
The Golden Immortal Venerables behind her all bowed, and countless spirit snakes followed suit.
In the endless wind and snow, the silhouette of the colossal beast emerged. A massive tortoise shell became visible, and a ferocious beast's head protruded. Coiled upon the giant tortoise shell was a colossal blue python. The snake and the tortoise appeared as an inseparable union.
"Oh? Has Xishan fallen to such a state? Even the Xishan Grotto-Heaven is so dilapidated?" the Xuanwu's giant tortoise head asked faintly.
Grandmother Hua Geng replied with a sigh, "You make me ashamed." She omitted the fact that Xishan no longer even had a Grotto-Heaven before, which would have been even more embarrassing.
Qing Ling was inwardly shocked. So the Lord of Winter was actually Xuanwu. A Xuanwu with such power in heaven and earth, it was likely the divine beast Xuanwu that suppressed the chaos of heaven and earth!
The blue divine python on the tortoise shell extended its head and asked, "Shall I kill this Black Lizard?"
The Black Lizard, being stared at by the giant python, instantly felt a chill throughout her body. As an immortal and undying being, a Great Luo, she had only felt such fear once before, when she ascended to Great Luo and met the ancestor of the Dragon Clan.
Grandmother Hua Geng nodded in agreement.
The blue giant python let out a beastly laugh, "Good!"
But the tortoise head beneath said, "Wait."
"What? Old Turtle, you want to make a move? Then you do it."
"Not so. I am considering the Tai Geng clan. Erasing this Great Luo's true spirit is easy, but protecting Xishan is difficult, as we cannot guard Xishan at all times."
At this moment, black light flashed in the east, and an old man with a face full of black markings appeared. He hurriedly said, "Supreme Xuanwu, please quell your anger. Clan Leader Hua Geng, please quell your anger."
The blue giant python said, "It has been a long time since anyone has addressed me by my name."
"Indeed, in the Primordial Era, it was the age of the Ten Great Supremes," the giant tortoise reminisced leisurely.
Tens of billions of miles away, two figures sitting cross-legged on the Nine Heavens looked towards Xishan.
A blue-robed youth murmured, "What is that?"
The grey-robed youth facing him sneered, "After all, it is a clan with shallow foundations. You still don't know. Brother Chao Sheng, your two Great Luo seem to have provoked an unspeakable existence."
"What do you mean?" the blue-robed youth Chao Sheng asked confusedly.
The grey-robed youth said with a smile filled with pride, "Your Black Lizard clan, though it has risen, has shallow foundations. You do not know the profound secrets of the Primordial Era. My Giant Crocodile clan has stood for five thousand Yuan Hui in the Primordial World. Our foundations are not comparable to your clan of a few hundred Yuan Hui."
After mocking the other party, the grey-robed youth continued, "You stand in the Eastern Wilderness, have you not discovered that Xishan is located at the very center of the Eastern Wilderness? Such a crucial location, such a spiritual脉, surrounded by the aura of innate spiritual treasures, and yet without a Great Luo Golden Immortal guarding it. Do you think the few Golden Immortal snakes and pythons of Xishan can defend it?"
"The Mountain River Giant Ape clan is so close to Xishan, yet they have not touched it in hundreds of Yuan Hui. My Giant Crocodile clan has lingered in the Eastern Wilderness for countless Yuan Hui, yet we have not made a move on Xishan. Other ancient, established sea clans have also not coveted Xishan.
Only newly rising clans like yours dare to provoke Xishan. Do you know what kind of existence the ancestor of Xishan, Old Ancestor Tai Geng, was?"
Chao Sheng frowned. Although he was extremely displeased with the other party's condescending demeanor, his heart was filled with confusion and worry for the safety of his two fellow clansmen, so he endured it and asked, "Isn't this Old Ancestor Tai Geng just a Great Luo Golden Immortal? Is there some deeper mystery? Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist."
"Heh heh, if that were truly the case, Xishan would have been annihilated ten thousand times over," the grey-robed youth sneered. "In the Primordial Era, gods and demons warred, fierce beasts numbered in the trillions, and all ten directions were filled with slaughter. Even Great Luo Golden Immortals could not protect the beings among the myriad fierce beasts.
At that time, there were only ten places in the entire Primordial World that could be considered havens for living beings. And Xishan, where Old Ancestor Tai Geng resided, was one of them."
The blue-robed youth asked somewhat doubtfully, "Was this Old Ancestor Tai Geng so powerful?"
"Heh, know this: the Dragon Clan, with the strength of their entire clan, could only protect the Myriad Dragon Ancestral Cave. The Phoenix and Qilin clans were the same.
Yet Xishan, solely relying on Old Ancestor Tai Geng, stood at the center of the Eastern Wilderness, towering over the Primordial land.
The masters of these ten places were revered as the Ten Great Primordial Supremes. Even the patriarchs of the Three Clans back then were inferior to this Xishan resident by three parts. Only the Demon Lord of the Extreme West, the Immortal Dao on Mount Yujing, the Xuanwu of the Northern Sea, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes, the Qiankun of the Southwest, the Xuan Gui of the Northern Territory, the Tiger Ancestor of the Northwest, and Old Ancestor Tai Geng of Xishan – these ten.
In the Primordial Era, they were revered as unspeakable existences. Anyone in the ten directions who uttered their names was perceived. These ten formed the known era of the Primordial World."
Chao Sheng's mind trembled, and he murmured, "Then how did Old Ancestor Tai Geng perish?"
"Perish? How could beings like them, whose existence was so close to transcendence and eternal life, possibly perish? Even when the Divine King and Fierce Beast Emperor Shen Ni, during the final battle, tried to drag Old Ancestor Tai Geng to an equal death, they only destroyed Old Ancestor Tai Geng's physical body, scattered his true spirit, and plunged him into the River of Destiny for a time. When that supreme being who shook the Primordial Era returns one day, he will emerge from the River of Destiny!"
Chao Sheng's heart trembled. Beings as powerful as they were, who were almost equivalent to heaven itself, if they truly returned... He could not even imagine it. Even though everyone knew that this return would take a long time, or perhaps even until the destruction of heaven and earth, those Great Luo who had experienced the Primordial Era would certainly not easily attack Xishan.
Moreover, Old Ancestor Tai Geng had created Xuanwu, another equally powerful Primordial Supreme. Xuanwu, having received the grace of rebirth, would certainly protect Xishan, which had lost Old Ancestor Tai Geng. Merely for this reason, they would not attack Xishan.
And yet, the Black Lizard clan had shallow foundations and was too ignorant, becoming the first to attack Xishan and seek to destroy the bloodline of Supreme Tai Geng after countless Yuan Hui!
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