On Jianmu, Qing Ling's lips curved into a faint smile. Another him had already stepped into the perfect realm!
Qing Ling knew the Six Sages would sense it. After all, his chaotic self had entered Primordial World. One entry, one exit; even if hidden again, the passage of time could not be concealed.
Qing Ling had not witnessed the methods of other Sages. He had only seen the methods of Sage Nuwa. Exploring time, especially the past, was as easy as pie for her.
Therefore, Qing Ling was unconcerned that his chaotic self would be perceived by a Sage.
Because, next, it would be his Primordial World self.
From this moment onward, Qing Ling would no longer visit his chaotic self.
If he were to be cornered by a Sage, then he would truly be helpless!
He had to be present at the battle between the Witch and Demon tribes.
Without his presence, Houtu would not act, Nuwa would not support Houtu, and he would not achieve Hunyuan.
Houtu established the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The first three paths aligned with the Heavenly Way and the great momentum of heaven and earth. The latter three paths balanced various factions, walking a tightrope. Houtu possessed great compassion and great wisdom, but newly entering the Earthly Way, she would not, and would not easily dare to, do so.
However, within the Three Lives Stone lay Qing Ling's loyal words and his admonitions, allowing Houtu to glimpse a unique future, which emboldened her to transform into the extraordinary Six Paths.
The time for the great battle between the Witch and Demon tribes approached bit by bit. In the starry cosmos, Nuwa emerged from Wa Huang Palace and descended to the Demon Realm.
She arrived upon the Central Ancestral Star, the dwelling place of the Xi Mountain Serpent tribe.
Nuwa brought the Teng Snake lineage into the Demon Realm. The Serpent tribe was the ancestral tribe of the demon race. Whether from the perspective of evolutionary history, longevity, or the depth of their heritage, the Serpent tribe was the most suitable.
Zhan Mu, seeing Nuwa descend, suddenly harbored an ominous thought.
As expected, Nuwa, in front of the beings of the Demon Realm, declared directly, "Where is the First Ancestor of Xi Mountain?"
Zhan Mu stepped forward and bowed, "I am the First Ancestor of Xi Mountain."
Nuwa nodded and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Qing Ling once told me that you possess a chaotic spiritual root capable of converting the Four Images of Chaos into spiritual energy of heaven and earth. You are willing to use this wood to benefit the Demon Realm. Hearing this, my heart rejoiced.
Today, I shall help your chaotic spiritual root take root in the Demon Realm, establishing it on the Ancestral Star. Henceforth, the Ancestral Star shall be the place with the densest spiritual energy in the Demon Realm, belonging to the Serpent tribe."
Upon these words, myriad snakes prostrated, crying out in unison, "Empress Nuwa is merciful!"
Zhan Mu's face contorted with embarrassment, and he cursed Qing Ling internally for being utterly cunning. He had never imagined he would end up in a world like the Demon Realm, where spiritual energy was so sparse it was almost nonexistent! In such a world, without the aid of the chaotic spiritual root for cultivation, it would take him hundreds or thousands of eons to even begin to recover the cultivation of this physical body.
But Nuwa herself had come to him. This was a Sage! Refusing her would be to lose face before a Sage, and he feared he would no longer be able to stay in this Demon Realm. If he returned to Primordial World, his identity had already been exposed. Even if the Heavenly Way did not trouble him, those old immortals would surely seek him out.
The world was vast, yet there was no place for him to reside.
All his escape routes were blocked. He could only offer it with both hands, sharing his personal source of spiritual energy with an entire world.
Nuwa accepted the chaotic spiritual root and with a gesture, placed it in the center of the Ancestral Star. It merged with the illusory projection of the ancient tree that pierced the heavens. The ancient tree supported the sky, its roots reaching beyond the world, constantly absorbing the Qi of the Four Images of Chaos. Within the spiritual root, it was transformed into spiritual energy, which was then dispersed throughout the land by its luxuriant, sky-obscuring branches and leaves.
Nuwa smiled and said, "This chaotic spiritual root will also receive the merits of heaven and earth in the future, and it shall be the Ancestral Tree of the Demon Race."
Zhan Mu could only force a smile and agree, cursing incessantly in his heart.
Of course, he dared not curse a Sage, for Sages could even perceive thoughts. He could only curse Qing Ling.
On Jianmu, Qing Ling paid no mind to Zhan Mu's anger. He had already begun his meditation.
Qing Ling withdrew all his primordial spirit and consciousness, gathering them within his body.
Within him, the Great Luo Dao Treasure Realm was already a boundless world. Should Primordial World later divide into large and small planes, his Dao Treasure Realm could serve as a primary world, from which smaller and medium worlds would differentiate, nurturing endless beings.
Everything within the Dao Treasure Realm was an evolution of his realm. He was merely at the Half-step Hunyuan stage. If he were Hunyuan or a Sage, the worlds within their bodies would be comparable to the size of Primordial World itself!
Indeed, if they so wished, they could re-initiate the separation of wind, water, fire, and earth, and establish another Primordial World.
But alas, Primordial World was unique not merely due to its size, but because Pangu transformed into all things, because of the Three Thousand Great Daos, because of Hongjun's integration with the Dao, Houtu's integration with the Dao, and because of a complete world system. The entire Hongjun was singular.
Therefore, in Primordial World, all beings were, in essence, beings from higher planes. If, in the future, there were lower planes, a Great Luo in Primordial World would be comparable to a Sage in those lower planes. Yet in Primordial World, their abilities would only be that of a Great Luo!
Other lower planes might, by pooling all their resources, perhaps create a single Golden Immortal of Great Luo. However, Primordial World could produce thousands of Great Luo.
This was one of the manifestations of Primordial World being a supreme plane.
Within Qing Ling's body, besides the Great Luo Dao Treasure Realm which was a manifestation of his realm, there was also a continuously extending庆云 (Qing Yun) spanning billions of miles. This was an evolution of his immeasurable magical power.
Originating from the past, a solid and terrifying foundation of magical power forged since the Celestial Stairs, piled up like countless high mountains, rising from dust. Without the terrifying foundation of the Celestial Stairs in the past, the current Qing Ling, capable of encompassing the perfection of heaven and earth, would not exist.
Within his Celestial Spirit was the manifestation of his primordial spirit, a faint and unassuming primordial spirit, gathering all of Qing Ling's wood path insights; it was the culmination of all his wood path Dao fruits.
Also present was the Wood Path Zhou Shan, which he had entrusted to Ancestor Huang Long to be delivered to his chaotic self. This was the convergence of the wood path of all Primordial World.
If he achieved Hunyuan, the wood path of all creation would merge with Qing Ling's wood path. With the two becoming one, his primordial spirit would be flawless and complete, reaching perfection—this would be the Hunyuan Dao fruit!
The Jianmu beneath him represented Qing Ling himself, his Dao, and the manifestation of the Primordial World.
In addition to this, his primordial spirit was inscribed with divine runes.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit touched these divine runes, and one by one, they shed.
The first to go was the Divine Rune of the Spring God!
This was his deepest, most original divine rune.
"Chief Spring," "Assistant Spring"—three words, containing countless memories from Qing Ling's past years.
The primordial spirit manifested on the thirty-two layers of Jianmu. The primordial spirit encompassed his physical body. He gently traced the divine runes on his arm with his index finger and declared to heaven and earth, "Now, the Spring God, Qing Ling, the deity in charge of Spring, perceiving the completeness and perfection of the order of heaven and earth, hereby returns the authority of heaven and earth to heaven and earth!"
The primordial spirit, a multitude of white shadows, shimmering and illusory, endured the pain as it shed the divine personality and runes. The character "Spring" dissolved back into heaven and earth.
Qing Ling sighed. With one thought, a spring breeze was born; with one thought, grass and trees grew. The Spring God, Qing Ling, no longer existed.
Heaven and earth responded, and merits descended upon the summit of Jianmu. The "Divine Severing" blade emerged, as always monopolizing all the merits.
In the Heavenly Court above, the authority of heaven was profound. Henceforth, the position of Spring God would be conferred and proclaimed by the Heavenly Court, though it would be an honorary title, not wielding divine personality.
Many great beings felt confusion, shock, and envy.
In the Heavenly Court, Di Jun's eyes showed envy. "Hunyuan is within reach. The hopes of so many!"
Tai Yi remained silent. The character "Spring" brought vivid memories back to life. Moments shared with Qing Ling, life and death together, living in Xi Mountain... At that time, Jianmu had not yet existed in Dudou. He closed his eyes behind him, seeking the Dao. He closed his eyes, and he followed him, the sole one in the world.
On Jianmu, Qing Ling's primordial spirit once again proclaimed, "Now, the Summer God, Qing Ling, the deity in charge of Summer, perceiving the completeness and perfection of the order of heaven and earth, hereby returns the authority of heaven and earth to heaven and earth!"
His primordial spirit shed the Summer divine rune. The old friend of Fusang had long since passed. Mugong was dead, and Haomu had perished.
Heaven and earth responded, and more merits descended. Qing Ling's actions were not merely the exchange of authority with heaven and earth; they represented the complete withdrawal of ancient, innate deities from history.
From now on, there would be no innate deities, only divinely appointed ones.
Next were Autumn, and then Winter.
The four positions of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter were returned to heaven and earth. Heaven and earth bestowed merits four times. Although each instance was not substantial, their sum was considerable.
Qing Ling then declared, "Now, I, Qing Ling, the Star Lord of Red Kite, perceiving the completeness and perfection of the order of heaven and earth, hereby return the authority of heaven and earth to heaven and earth, to be managed by the successive Moon Elders!"
Merits again descended from the firmament. The Xuanhuang merits radiated a dazzling golden light, akin to gold ingots to the poor, stirring envy in countless great beings.
On Red Kite Star, the Moon Elder's Dharma body dispersed. This was merely a spiritual sense clone, lacking a physical body or magical power. The spiritual sense returned.
The Moon Elder's Dharma body, on behalf of Qing Ling, accepted the first registered grand-disciple, an elder of the human race named Chai Daohuang, who would succeed the Moon Elder.
Regarding the position of marriage, Qing Ling did not wish to entrust it to those who did not understand human hearts. For the concept of love, none could fully comprehend it. If someone were to use the Dao of marriage to plot against him, it would be impossible to guard against.
Moreover, this disciple also represented the prelude to his achievement of Hunyuan!
With the five divine positions dispersed, Qing Ling's primordial spirit became even purer, unblemished by any impurities.
In the sky above, the Eye of the Heavenly Way appeared, cold and impassive, gazing at Jianmu.
The might of heaven was vast, and winds and clouds swirled.
All the great beings were startled. They wondered if the Heavenly Way intended to seize this opportunity to destroy him, now that the East Barren Dao Master was returning his divine personality and lacked a binding constraint.
However, there were no rumbling heavenly tribulations, nor the heavenly Dao lightning tribulation.
On Jianmu, Qing Ling simply smiled. He knew what the Eye of the Heavenly Way was there for.
It was not there to destroy him, but to show goodwill.
This was what Qing Ling believed. In reality, the Heavenly Way merely manifested to demonstrate fairness.
But through Qing Ling's biased eyes, the Heavenly Way was there to show goodwill.
Qing Ling bowed to the indifferent Eye of the Heavenly Way and said, "Welcome, Heavenly Way. I invite you to settle your debt!"
As his voice fell, the Eye of the Heavenly Way rippled, and vast merits continuously poured down. The Xuanhuang illuminated heaven and earth, astonishing all the great beings.