The old man was ancient, his frame stooped, yet he moved with incredible lightness, stirring only a wisp of ripple in the primordial chaos.
He stopped beneath the World Tree, observing, his ancient gaze sweeping across all worlds, then he shook his head and sighed, "Only form, no spirit."
No sooner had the old man spoken than a colossal serpent's head emerged from the World Tree, its verdant body coiling around the trunk, like a dragon, like a serpent.
Upon seeing the immense green serpent, the old man’s brow twitched. "I have only ever seen the forms of primordial gods and demons. Aside from Pangu's true form, dragons were the most revered. How is it that after such prolonged cultivation, you have reached this realm yet have not transformed into a dragon?"
The green serpent, coiled around the World Tree, lifted its head and replied, "If I possessed Pangu's power, would not dragons then revere serpents?"
The old man chuckled softly, "But you cannot possess Pangu's power. To have ambition is good, but arrogance is self-destruction of the Great Dao."
The vertical pupils of the green serpent rippled, holding only the cold indifference of a beast, and it offered no reply to the old man.
The chaos then fell silent.
Amidst the swirling chaos of mingled colors, worlds hung suspended from the colossal, majestic tree. A giant python coiled around its trunk, like a coiled dragon. With a mere tilt of its head, the worlds lay beneath it.
The old man's expression softened slightly. "I am Yang Mei, and I greet you, fellow Daoist."
Qing Ling, in its true form as a green python, nodded in return. "Primordial World, Qing Ling, greets you, fellow Daoist."
"Fellow Daoist uses wood to manifest worlds, while my true form is the wood of chaos, and I am the master of the Dao of Space. Sensing wood in the chaos, I came to observe. I have a question to ask of you, fellow Daoist."
Qing Ling's serpentine body coiled around the tree once, then glided through the void. It looked at Yang Mei and said, "I will do my best to answer your question. Please, speak."
"Space is the Dao, willow is the root. Wood carries the Dao, yet the Dao is not compatible with wood. Why?"
Qing Ling remained silent for a long while. It thought of Hongjun, the Heavenly Dao, the Great Dao, and Pangu's creation of the heavens.
"Perhaps it is rotten wood?"
"Rotten wood?" Yang Mei chuckled, "This is quite novel. I have questioned three thousand primordial gods and demons, even Pangu, and they spoke of profound mysteries, the ultimate principles of the Great Dao, and brilliant insights. Yet you say my wood is rotten?"
Qing Ling also smiled and said, "Hongjun came first, then the heavens. Yang Mei preceded even Hongjun! Willows are hollow, time is boundless. Yet, the succession of epochs falls upon the willow. Pangu created the heavens, and a new epoch began. Hongjun shed his primordial body to become the new Xuan Qi. The willow grows old, a relic of the previous epoch. How can it bear the Heavenly Dao of the new epoch?"
Yang Mei nodded upon hearing this. "Indeed, according to your words, it is so. Yet, I have traversed the chaos and cannot find where the "new" opportunity lies."
Qing Ling sighed, "I am also a seeker of the Dao now. How would I know these things? If it is not within the Heavenly Dao's Primordial World, perhaps fellow Daoist can search in the Great Dao's Primordial Chaos. There might be an opportunity."
"Yang Mei nodded. "I am about to embark on a long journey. Since the Dao does not grant me understanding, I will go to the Great Dao itself and ask why it prevents me from becoming one with the Dao. However, when I return, perhaps much will have changed. Fellow Daoist, if you can live to see my return, perhaps the struggle between the Great Dao and the Heavenly Dao will depend on you to some extent."
Qing Ling's heart jolted. "Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps going to bring back those primordial gods and demons?"
"Yes, but it is the Great Dao that sends me. The Heavenly Dao cannot impede me either. The day the primordial gods and demons return will be the day the Heavenly Dao and the Great Dao contend for supremacy, determining their very existence."
Qing Ling's serpent head stilled. "But what of the beings of the Primordial World?"
"The beings of the Primordial World, in the end, are ultimately formed from Pangu. When all beings received life, they incurred a debt to Pangu. When I return, with three thousand primordial gods and demons, a great tribulation will befall all beings. I will shed my ego and remain true to the primordial gods and demons."
The old man cupped his hands in a salute, turned, and departed. His retreating figure vanished into the chaotic expanse, as if the boundless chaos itself was bidding him farewell. He was the remnant of the three thousand primordial gods and demons, the only one who bore the mark of the gods and demons. His original intent, passed through the eons of the Primordial Chaos, remained unchanged, loyal to the gods and demons, and true to himself. Whether it was Hongjun, who yearned for the Heavenly Dao and shed his primordial body, or Tai Li, who preferred to cling to existence within the heavens and earth, or other primordial gods and demons who had forgotten their past and engaged in the struggle for the Primordial World's destiny, they could only claim to have once been primordial gods and demons.
Qing Ling watched the old man depart from within the chaos, bidding him farewell. In the future, it would wait here for the old man's return.
As the old man departed, the World Tree continued to grow, worlds unfurled, branches forked and branched again, and worlds were born, and born again. With the old man's departure, the chaos was left without a master of space, without a sovereign of the Great Dao of Space. As the old man left, cultivators in the Primordial World who practiced the Great Dao of Space all discovered that the Dao had broadened, that the path ahead revealed further paths, that space was boundless, and that the Dao could be pursued.
The elements of earth, wind, water, and fire merged with the World Tree. The chaos was boundless, and so the World Tree did not cease its growth. World after world was born, proliferated, and strengthened.
Qing Ling's Wood Dao continuously grew as the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire were transformed into wood power. The more worlds there were on the World Tree, the stronger Qing Ling's Wood Dao became! Within the Primordial World, Jian Mu's Wood Dao represented its realm of Wood Dao within the Heavenly Dao. In the chaos, the World Tree was its Great Dao of Wood in the chaos.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit merged into each world. Each world devoured the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, strengthening itself and feeding back into its primordial spirit. The primordial spirit rejoined itself and then divided again, the authority of the Wood Dao was transferred, and the heavens and earth trembled. Within the Primordial World, the Wood Dao violently shook, causing panic among countless cultivators. On Penglai Island, Dong Wanggong fell silent. He could no longer see through his mortal enemy.
Beneath the primordial chaos's green wood, beneath the World Tree, the green serpent slithered down the tree and transformed into human form. Within the Primordial World, Jian Mu trembled, and all wood was drawn to Qing Ling. Outside the Primordial World, the World Tree vibrated, drawing Qing Ling.
A hum echoed through the chaos, and in a single breath, ninety thousand years had passed within the Primordial World! Qing Ling’s body split into two beings. One Qing Ling became two Qing Lings; they were neither clones nor manifestations, but both Qing Lings were Qing Ling! One went to the Primordial World, returning to Jian Mu. One remained in the chaos, returning to the World Tree. The moment Qing Ling’s primordial spirit split, the Heavenly Court of the Nine Heavens trembled, and all demons knelt!
"Congratulations to the Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Empress, eternal companions, until the end of time, may your affection endure forever!"
"Congratulations to the Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Empress, eternal companions, until the end of time, may your affection endure forever!"
Across the entirety of existence, auspicious rays of light swept through the heavens. Myriad demons bowed in worship, a sage acted as matchmaker, seven-colored auspicious clouds descended, the celestial gates opened wide, and the sun and moon shone together! The celestial wedding was consummated, the first divine wedding, bestowing heaven-sent merit. Di Jun, Chang Xi, and Nu Wa received Xuan Huang merit. Qing Xuan also received a wisp of merit, as he lent the Red Embroidered Ball to facilitate the joyous union of the Sun God and the Moon God, a union of bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to the sun and moon, and bowing to their Dao companions. Nu Wa, accumulating merit from the Empress of the Demon Race over several epochs, combined with the merit from the celestial wedding, achieved great merit. With the power of merit, she severed two of her three corpses, becoming the second Quasi-Saint with two severed corpses in heaven and earth. The greatest merit came not from the Demon Race, as they were newly established and their merit was limited. The greatest merit stemmed from her creation of the Nine Heavens Realm, establishing it as the foundation of the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court was not just the Heavenly Court of the Demon Race, but the Heavenly Court of the Primordial World! This merit would not only be for the present but for all future generations! Having severed her first corpse with the great wisdom gained from countless years of cultivating the Great Dao of Creation, and now having severed her second corpse with great merit, she only lacked her final corpse. With immense willpower and great creation, she could sever it and achieve the venerable status of a Hunyuan Saint!
Above the Heavenly Court, within the Wa Huang Palace, a profound light surged, blocking out the sun and sky. The innate Great Dao manifested, and a gourd exploded. Nu Wa extended her hand, beckoned, and commanded, "Come!" From the profound light, an object flew out and landed in the hands of the revered Nu Wa. Nu Wa’s voice echoed through heaven and earth, declaring, "Now, with my profound Creation Merit, I have forged a treasure, named the 'Demon Summoning Banner.' All beings of my Demon Race, please offer a drop of blood and let it fall upon this banner. Even if you die and your Dao perishes, your true spirit will be protected by my Demon Dao! Demon Summoning Banner, gather!" As her voice faded, she raised the Demon Summoning Banner. The heavens and earth darkened, and a profound light of demonic energy arched across the firmament. All demons offered a drop of their essence blood, converging upon the Demon Summoning Banner. The divine light of the myriad demon banner intensified, serving as a repository for the myriad demons and an object to suppress the destiny of the Demon Dao!
At this moment, Qing Ling returned to Jian Mu. His future and past selves felt a connection, looking towards Jian Mu, and then towards the direction beyond the heavens. Huang Long, the Ancestor, transmitted his voice. "Why is this so? Otherwise, upon your return, you would have already reached the thirty-third heaven, or even be a half-step Hunyuan!"
Jian Mu Qing Ling smiled and said, "The Wood Dao of the Primordial World is constrained by the Heavenly Dao. How difficult is it to achieve enlightenment? However, in the chaos, there is no Heavenly Dao oppression. With the boundless elements of earth, wind, water, and fire as its foundation, Hunyuan power is merely a matter of time!"
Qing Xuan, beneath the Demon Summoning Banner in the Heavenly Court, dared not transmit his voice, listening quietly.
"Hunyuan power? Not the Hunyuan realm?" Huang Long Ancestor frowned and asked.
Qing Ling nodded. "In the future, I in the chaos will possess Hunyuan strength but not the Hunyuan realm. It can only be considered combat power, incomparable to the eternal indestructibility and independent destiny of a Hunyuan. Therefore, I have returned to the Primordial World to seek Hunyuan!"
Huang Long Ancestor questioned, "Then who will control our three lives?"
"We are in the Primordial World, so naturally, we belong under my control," Qing Ling said with a smile. "Moreover, I in the chaos cultivate only magical power and do not undergo heart tribulations, thus possessing no emotions. One of us shall rule the Primordial World, and the other the chaos. Jian Mu Qing Ling is the Dao Master of Qing Xuan, the Lord of the Earthly Dao, the Serpent Ancestor, and the Demon Ancestor. World Tree Qing Ling is the supreme deity of all worlds on the World Tree, the Creator God."
Huang Long Ancestor nodded. "This is excellent! The era of Saints is approaching. Without the power to protect ourselves, we will likely fall into the Saints' game and become pawns. However, what is the current strength of the World Tree?"
Qing Ling smiled and said, "I am founded upon the boundless elements of earth, wind, water, and fire in the chaos. After Yang Mei, the master of the space Dao, departed, I have taken advantage of the chaos. With unending elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, and indestructible worlds, I possess boundless magical power in the chaos. However, it is limited by the distribution of power across the myriad worlds. Currently, my strength is comparable to a Quasi-Saint who has just severed their first corpse."
"Then is there still time?"
"Naturally, there is time. Currently, among the six Saints, Nu Wa is the first, having severed her second corpse. If a second Saint were to descend upon heaven and earth, it would take at least a hundred epochs. And I in the chaos have no realm limitations, no bottlenecks in the Dao. In a hundred epochs, I should possess the legendary Hunyuan magical power of the chaos!"
Qing Ling smiled and looked towards the East Sea, continuing, "Currently, I am still at the twenty-seventh heaven realm in the Primordial World. It is time to seek another opportunity!"
Hearing this, Huang Long Ancestor's voice became excited. "It is time to sever the karmic ties with the ancients!"
Qing Ling extended his hand and summoned the four Realm Guardians. The races of the four Realm Guardians were also summoned. Ten million beings bowed and respectfully said, "Greetings, Dao Master!"
Qing Ling stood up, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, yet he stood as firm as a mountain. He glanced towards the East Sea and said, "Let us go, follow me to the Heavenly Court!"