The sky was ten thousand zhang high, the earth ten thousand zhang deep, and the heavens and earth were immeasurably vast.
The Buzhou Mountain was formed from Pangu's spine. When Pangu was alive, the sky was one zhang high, the earth was one zhang thick, and he was one zhang tall.
Even after death, it remained so in its transformation into Buzhou.
However, the higher Buzhou became, the more Pangu's oppressive aura dispersed and weakened, and the restricted zone of Buzhou gradually shrunk.
Without Pangu's oppressive aura to protect it, Buzhou would become merely a divine mountain. Though nine ren high and vast, it would not be unshakeable.
The higher the heavens and earth, if Buzhou were to break, the thirty-three layers of heaven would collapse, and its might would be even greater!
Yet, the higher the heavens and earth, the vaster the Primordial World, the greater the myriad paths, and the stronger the power of the Great Dao!
Qing Ling did not dwell on how the heavens might collapse. The Primordial World where he resided would, after all, be different.
At the apex of the Jian Mu tree, the heavenly and earthly vital energy of the twenty-first heaven poured endlessly into Qing Ling's dantian, transforming his Da Luo Dao Collection Realm into a Great Thousand World.
Three thousand years later, Qing Ling descended from the Jian Mu tree.
Now, the Jian Mu tree was no longer accessible to just anyone.
Even a Da Luo Golden Immortal would find it difficult to ascend beyond the eleventh heaven.
And after the Jian Mu tree stabilized the twenty-first heaven, its growth slowed astonishingly.
South of Dudou, amidst the dense forest, Kui Lei You led his followers and prostrated themselves.
"We pay respects to the Dao Master!"
Among the countless puppets, only a few dozen had developed sentience, and could thus be called the Kui tribe.
Qing Ling waved his hand, and a vast ethereal force lifted them.
"Purple Nether Lotus, I fear I can no longer cultivate souls for your tribe in the future."
All the spirits and puppets present were shaken. Without the nourishment of the Purple Nether Lotus for their souls, their Kui tribe might struggle to birth even one member in a hundred thousand years.
Though puppets numbered in the tens of thousands, sentient puppets were one in ten million.
However, You's expression trembled, and he still bowed, "Dao Master, please give your command. My Kui tribe owes its existence to your blessings.
Regardless of the changes in heaven and earth, my Kui tribe will forever honor you as our master."
Qing Ling nodded faintly, "In the future, I will find another supreme treasure to nourish your tribe's souls."
Now, as a peak mighty being, with a mere call, countless tribes among heaven and earth would willingly serve him. To be a subordinate tribe of a peak mighty being was itself a great fortune!
Qing Ling walked to the side of the Purple Water River. Purple qi wafted, and purple lotuses bloomed. The river water was purple, and a faint mist hung in the air, with myriad purple lotuses surrounding one central figure.
This was the Purple Nether Lotus from days of yore!
Qing Ling sighed, "Purple Nether, you once coexisted with my Red Leaf Camellia. I promised to treat you well.
A promise made is a promise kept.
However, now I need to use you. But do not worry.
I know your sentience is difficult to nurture. I have three strands of a forefather's remnant soul, wishing to use you as a vessel to reforge a physical body.
Though I will use your body, the remnant soul is broken. She will co-exist with your will. You will become her, and she will become you.
Furthermore, she will help your sentience become complete, escape fate's decree, break the shackles of heaven and earth, transform from grass and wood, and cultivate the Great Dao!
If you are willing, let your lotus bloom nine leaves. If not, draw all nine leaves back!"
The leaves of the Purple Nether Lotus swayed in the wind, as if its heart was torn.
After waiting for a long time, perhaps the Purple Nether Lotus had made up its mind. All nine leaves unfurled. It yearned to tread the Great Dao, to control its own destiny, no longer fearing being refined into a spiritual treasure, no longer placing its fate in the hands of others.
Qing Ling felt a slight relief in his heart and smiled, "Good!"
As his voice fell, he threw out a broken golden flower, to which a strand of ethereal soul was attached.
This strand of soul was Granny Hua Geng's unyielding obsession for her tribe and for Xi Mountain.
Qing Ling then released a bronze lamp, representing Granny Hua Geng's longing and watchfulness for her clan.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit sensed the aura of the Innate Spring God, which reached out to the eight desolate lands and ten directions.
His primordial spirit roamed every corner of heaven and earth, searching for that strand of Granny Hua Geng's true self!
Granny Hua Geng had once borrowed Qing Ling's innate breath to break through. It was this strand of innate breath that allowed his primordial spirit to sense her, even across the vast Primordial World.
Qing Ling shook the Tai Xu Divine Bell, his primordial spirit emitting soul-wave ripples.
"Return! Return!
Though heaven and earth are vast, the homeland is but one.
Soul, return!"
The voice of his primordial spirit spread across mountains and rivers, summoning the distant soul.
A strand of ethereal soul responded and drifted towards the Eastern Wasteland.
Qing Ling pointed at the three ethereal souls, and they merged into the body of the Purple Nether Lotus.
The Purple Nether Lotus's nine petals closed, its hundred blossoms retracted, and it fell into a deep slumber.
The Dao divine pattern flickered on Qing Ling's brow. He forcefully extracted a ray of light from the Three Lives Stone and shone it onto the Purple Nether Lotus.
Henceforth, every thousand years, Qing Ling would activate the Three Lives Stone to emit a ray of light, the light of the Earthly Dao's origin.
After nine thousand years, the purple lotus exuded a trace of the Earthly Dao's soul intent.
Qing Ling then irrigated the Underworld River water for nine thousand years, letting the waters of the River of Oblivion flow for nine thousand years.
He also infused the Purple Nether Lotus with the power of the Wood Dao's origin, enhancing its vitality.
Within the Purple Nether Lotus, the will of the purple lotus merged with the three strands of Granny Hua Geng's true soul.
The three strands of true soul were too few to reform a primordial spirit.
Only by merging with a heavenly spiritual object like the Purple Nether Lotus, which had incomplete sentience and a gentle nature, could it find peace.
Although the Purple Nether Lotus was not a top-grade spiritual root, even a top-grade spiritual root could not achieve the same level of compatibility as the Purple Nether Lotus!
Qing Ling labored diligently for tens of thousands of years and left the bank of the Purple Water River.
From now on, the Purple Nether Lotus would undergo a long period of fusion before it could birth a complete primordial spirit and take form.
However, by then, she would only be considered half of Granny Hua Geng.
But it was far better than disappearing completely from heaven and earth.
He was not a benevolent being, but he was a man of clear debts and credits.
If there was resentment, it would be avenged, and all nine generations of the enemy's clan would be exterminated to eliminate future trouble.
If there was kindness, it would be repaid. Even if the benefactor had died and the karmic ties had disappeared, the karma in his heart had yet to be repaid.
If his Dao heart had too many flaws, it would affect the Great Dao.
Qing Ling entered Xi Mountain. Granny Hua Geng had passed away, and he would take her place, ensuring the clan's generations would prosper and pass on the torch!
Qing Ling returned to his clan. Within the clan, there were only three or four Golden Immortals and several dozen Heavenly ranks. Everything had returned to its origin.
The Snake Tribe had once risen with the great tide of the Dragon Tribe's era. Now that the Dragons were gone, everything would revert.
If that was the case, he would create his own era, riding the waves he stirred, as the great tide surged.
Qing Ling ascended to the altar atop the Tai Chong Peak, holding the Myriad Snake Profound Staff. He sat down, his robes spreading.
Over a hundred transformed clan members prostrated themselves respectfully, "We pay respects to the Ancestral Patriarch!"
Qing Ling nodded faintly, "Rise."
The hundred snakes rose, their respect profound.
Qing Ling scanned the snakes. These were all seeds intentionally left behind by Granny Hua Geng, each extraordinary.
Though their cultivation was low, their origins were exceptional.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit whirled, deducing the myriad worlds. The lives and circumstances of these hundred clan members, their convergence with heaven and earth, all appeared before his eyes.
After a long while, a brilliant light shone in his eyes.
Qing Ling proclaimed, "Our Xi Mountain is the ancestral land of all snakes in the world. The Snake Tribe has declined. The Teng Snake lineage has separated, and the Sea Snake royal family was annihilated. Only our Xi Mountain lineage remains.
As the Ancestral Patriarch of the Snake Tribe, I will not allow our tribe to decline! Nor will our ancestors who fought and sacrificed their lives.
From this day forward, I have decided to revitalize our clan and restore the glory of our Tai Geng Ancestral Patriarch's era!"
In the past, Tai Geng was a peak mighty being, possessing a realm of around twenty-eight heavens. However, it was a chaotic era at the beginning of heaven and earth, with numerous peak beings, making it difficult to exert his full power.
Now, although Qing Ling was not as powerful as Tai Geng, the era he inhabited was even less powerful than Tai Geng's.
With Qing Ling's determination, the Snake Tribe would surely not remain unknown among the myriad races of heaven and earth.
Qing Ling transmitted his voice, "Tian Gou!"
Below, a fierce-looking youth's heart surged with surprise. To think that even his name was known to the Ancestral Patriarch.
Immediately, his face flushed with pride, his heart bursting with exhilaration. He stepped forward, "Your descendant Tian Gou is here!"
If only the youth knew that the Ancestral Patriarch knew precisely how many black spots he had on his body, one could only imagine his reaction.
Qing Ling said, "Today, I shall impart to you the Ten Absolute Battle Formations, great and small combat divine abilities, and bestow upon you the Tian Gou body. Once you have cultivated it to perfection, you will be able to hook mountains and rivers for ten thousand li. I hope you cultivate diligently, to spread the name of our Snake Tribe! I establish you as the leader of the Gou Snake lineage!"
The youth was utterly shocked, as if he had stumbled upon an Innate Spiritual Treasure, or dreamt of becoming a Golden Immortal and then actually becoming one. The shock and joy were immeasurable!
His eyes turned red, and he bowed nine times, his voice hoarse, "I respectfully accept the Ancestral Patriarch's sacred grace. The Gou Snake will serve death without complaint!"
Qing Ling nodded and said, "Hui!"
A young man with an effeminate appearance and a gloomy aura also stepped forward, trembling with excitement, "Your descendant Hui pays respects to the Ancestral Patriarch!"
Qing Ling's heart stirred slightly, "Hui Snake, today I shall impart to you the Poison Dao divine ability, which belongs to the same poison as my original body. It is a poison of vitality, one that will not cease until life ends, will not wither until decay ceases, will not be extinguished until destruction is complete. I hope that in the future, when our tribe is oppressed, you will repay them a hundredfold! I establish you as the leader of the Hui Snake lineage!"
Hui also prostrated himself nine times, overwhelmed with emotion.
"Ming, I shall impart to you the Great Dao of Sound. It is born from the Phoenix's cry, transforming your Dao body into four wings. With a single cry, the Ming Snake's sound will be known throughout the land, no longer known as the Ming Snake! I establish you as the leader of the Ming Snake lineage!"
"Hua Shui, I shall impart to you the Great Dao of Water. Like a dragon traversing water, you will control all the waters of the world. Floods and disasters will be insignificant compared to your might. I establish you as the leader of the Hua Snake lineage!"
"Da Xiu, I shall impart to you the Blood Dao divine ability, to awaken the Ba Snake bloodline. You can become a giant serpent of heaven and earth, swallowing mountains and diverting rivers, consuming all things! I establish you as the leader of the Ba Snake lineage!"
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