Chapter 171: The God Farmer's Planting the Five Grains
Kong Xuan returned to the Jiang Tribe with Lieshan after accepting the boy as his apprentice. He settled down inside the mountain close to the tribe and taught Lieshan the ways of cultivation with some preaching now and then. Under his guidance, the boy grew little by little and finally became known as the God Farmer.
Ever since the Human Tribe learned how to fish and hunt as well as the prohibition against incest from Fuxi, they had increasingly few casualties in their fight against the wild beasts. Their newborns also became stronger along with the increase of meat in their diet and more humans survived than ever before.
But another big question came up. That was their sustenance. Due to the increasing population, fishing and hunting weren't enough to meet everyone's needs anymore. The fowls and beasts that they could hunt also decreased in number and that food supply could no longer serve its purpose. The major challenge the Human Tribe now faced was solving the issue of their food.
Despite the achievements the God Farmer had made since becoming Kong Xuan's disciple, the wish he had made before had always haunted his mind. Now that he had grown up, it was the time to ask for a solution.
Kong Xuan stretched his hands and a Five Colored Nine Fringed Grain appeared on his palm. The God Farmer asked, "Master, is this the stuff that birds often feed on? Could this also be edible for my tribesmen?"
Kong Xuan smiled. "Yes. Plant this in the soil and irrigate with water until its maturity. Then it will be edible for humans." The God Farmer was overjoyed and thanked his master before hurrying back to his tribe. He found a piece of open space and planted the Five Colored Nine Fringed Grain in the soil. From that day on, he took care of it every day and night. He did what Kong Xuan told him to do and irrigated the seed with water.
Eventually, the seed grew. Seeing this, the God Farmer rubbed some of the grains and put them into his mouth. Fortunately, it tasted good. Therefore, he hastened to teach his tribesmen what he had learned. They didn't believe him in the beginning but all their doubts were quelled after following his instruction to plant some grains by themselves. They were overjoyed by the abundant harvest. Thus, more and more followed the God Farmer's lead to cut down trees, eliminate weeds, and open up wasteland for farming with their axes, hoes, and other tools. After all their hard work, they finally reaped the grains they sow.
The grain didn't meet all the needs of the Human Tribe. After all, it wasn't enough to actually solve the food problem for the tribe. The God Farmer naturally understood the situation.
After pondering on the issue, he was inspired by the grain. If there were more plants like the grain that could provide an endless food supply as long as they were planted annually, then their sustenance problem would naturally be solved.
No one could tell what was edible and what was not at that point in time because the Five Grains grew with weeds and the herbs with flowers. To resolve this problem, the God Farmer tasted and experimented with each of the plants. Often, he accidentally consumed poisonous plants in his research. If not for Kong Xuan, he would have already been dead.
After many trials, he finally found something edible out of those plants. He picked out rice, millet, grain, wheat, and beans as the Five Grains. That was why his descendants honored him as the Ancestor of Five Grains and the God of Agriculture.
The lives of his tribesmen improved after learning about the Five Grains. But the weather was beyond their control and the irrigation for the Five Grains became their biggest problem. Sometimes, natural disasters would ruin nearly all their crops.
So the God Farmer started to thinking about the solution to the lack of water. No idea came to him after much consideration, thus he was forced to ask for his master's advice. He relayed his troubles to Kong Xuan on their rendezvous and waited for an answer.
Kong Xuan noticed in the anxiety in his disciple's eyes and smiled. "Water doesn't only exist in rivers, lakes, and seas, but also underground." He then closed his eyes and went to cultivation again. His answer confused the God Farmer but decided to leave his master alone.
After returning to his tribe, he contemplated his master's words. Shortly after, he called several strong men and ordered them to start digging in an open ground. When the men dug about 17 meters beneath the ground, water suddenly gushed. The God Farmer was elated to see the gushing water and he introduced the method to his tribesmen. So he gradually strengthened his tribe by teaching his tribesmen to dig a well and irrigate the crops. The other tribes nearby theirs joined him, thus expanding the Jiang Tribe.
The God Farmer built his reputation by his deeds and his name became well-known in the Human Tribe. Over in Chen Du, Fuxi soon learned of his name and became very interested in him because he had unexpectedly solved the sustenance problem that had plagued Fuxi for so long. It seemed like the God Farmer was a real Great Sage.
By now, Fuxi had been the Human Sovereign of the Human Tribe for about half a century. He knew that his merit was fulfilled after creating the Eight Trigrams. This meant he didn't have much time left in the tribe, so he had begun looking for his successor.
Fuxi decided to meet the God Farmer to see if he was dedicated to the Human Tribe and if he had what it took to be the new Human Sovereign. He left Chen Du for the Jiang Tribe. Those in the Jiang Tribe heard of the sovereign's visit and couldn't hold back their excitement and sense of honor. Fuxi met the God Farmer and pulled him aside right after the former paid his respect. He asked the God Farmer questions about the administration of the Jiang Tribe and observed his behavior at the same time. His answers satisfied Fuxi and indicated that he was truly a Great Sage. Fuxi thought the God Farmer had a better understanding of administration than he did.
Fuxi said, "God Farmer, your comprehension of administrative affairs surprised me. Come to Chen Du with me. Having sat on the throne for almost a century, I'm now too old for all this work.After you familiarize yourself with the works of the Human Tribe, I'll pass the crown to you. I hope you'll lead the Human Tribe to a brilliant future."
God Farmer was astonished and hurried to say, "I'm no more than a farmer. How can I take the throne as the sovereign? My lord, please find a qualified person to carry such burden which I can't deal with."
Fuxi smiled. "Don't underestimate yourself, son! Solving the food problem has always been the cardinal task for us, which I have no idea how to cope in the past. Now, you've succeeded! What a contribution! You're capable of what I do. There's no need to decline my offer." The God Farmer was of reverence and awe to hear that from Fuxi. He determined that the sovereign had made his mind and eventually agreed to leave for Chen Du and succeed the crown after thinking over the situation.
Before he left, he thought of Kong Xuan and went to bid his master farewell with the sorrow of departure.
Kong Xuan noticed his sorrow and smiled. "Son, don't be sad. You can leave for Chen Du now. I'll meet you there someday." The God Farmer was delighted and his worries were expelled. He left with Fuxi upon returning to his tribe.
He went to Chen Du with Fuxi, but the abdication of the Human Sovereign wasn't a casual affair that could be done easily. Besides, he had yet to familiarize himself with the administrative affairs of the Human Tribe. So Fuxi made the God Farmer his assistant, paving the way for him to be the future Human Sovereign.
No one in the Human Tribe opposed Fuxi's decision to name the God Farmer as his successor. After all, they were only able to fend for themselves and eliminate starvation thanks to the God Farmer and his Five Grains. They thought it was a good idea to name the God Farmer as the sovereign.
Considering the God Farmer had been accepted by the chiefs of the other tribes and his solid reputation, Fuxi declared in public his decision to pass the crown to the God Farmer in three years. He then sent his men to invite the other chiefs of the Human Tribes to attend the ceremony.
The God Farmer felt the pressure on his shoulders once he was informed of Fuxi's declaration and became more diligent than ever. Fuxi was gratified by God Farmer's deeds and he was right about the God Farmer. He believed the Human Tribe would grow stronger under the God Farmer's leadership.
Chapter 172: Abdication and Accidents
Time passed by. A tower was erected on the vast plain. It was a sacrificial altar built for the abdication ceremony of the Human Tribe's sovereignty. The sacrificial altar was more than 30 meters high and square shaped. It had no fancy carvings on the surface, the altar had its own stateliness. It was the result of the concentration of the Human Tribe's will.
Many chiefs of the Human Tribe had gathered, surrounding the altar. They had galloped here as soon as they received the invitation to the ceremony. They were the chiefs of tribes in the Human Tribe. The abdication of the sovereignty was a top priority for the whole Human Tribe, so they had to attend the ceremony. There was a much bigger audience than last time when Fuxi had ascended the throne. It was striking evidence of the Human Tribe's prosperity.
When the right time came, Fuxi and God Farmer stepped onto the highest step of the altar. Their masters, Liu Er and Kong Xuan stood on the second step. Liu Er was quite sentimental. He knew everything about Fuxi's past. Today was the end of their master-apprentice relationship.
On top of the altar, Fuxi lit three incense sticks and inserted them into the censer. He was praying with incense, meant to be an invitation for the Sages. Inviting the Sages to the ceremony was the best thing to do since they were the supreme in the Untainted Land.
Shortly after the incense sticks were lit, several people came down from their mounts one after another. The first three people were Goddess Nv Wa on her Golden Phoenix, Lao Zi on his green Ox, and Minghe on his Blood Jade Kylin. They were followed by the Honored Lord of the Origin on his elaphure along with Tong Tian on his One Legged Ox.
Upon seeing these five people, the entire Human Tribe knelt down and said, "Salute to Sacred Lady, Sage Grand Pure, Sage Jade Pure, Sage Supreme Pure, and Ancestor Minghe." That the abdication ceremony could draw the attention of the five Sages was a major honor to the Human Tribe.
Suddenly, some sounds of Sanskrit came from the west. Golden flowers fell from the sky, such a marvelous view it was. It attracted many people from the Human Tribe to the point of obsession. Seeing this, the Sages snorted. The sounds and flowers disappeared immediately and so did the obsession of the people. Those who were deluded before now wondered what had happened to them because they had just lost control of their bodies.
After a while, there came two clouds from the west. One might be able to tell that they were Zhunti and Jieyin if he could take a close look. They came down after a moment. Now, the west had one of the Mentors of Human Sovereignty in its hand. They would not miss the abdication ceremony of the Human Tribe.
Of course, in addition to the Sages, there was more than one Almighty in isolation attending the ceremony, and Zhenyuanzi was one of them. He was not interested in the Human Sovereign; instead, he had come for his old friend Hong Yun. Earlier, Minghe had promised him the Fated Chance of the second Human Sovereignty after Hong Yun's reincarnation.
However, Zhenyuanzi frowned when he saw God Farmer. He found there was nothing left of Hong Yun in God Farmer. What he saw was just an ordinary human. Zhenyuanzi sensed something was off track, and he looked at Minghe, who was also frowning. Their eyes met, and he could not help but restrain the uneasiness in his mind. All he could do was wait to discuss it with Minghe after the ceremony. Naturally, Minghe discovered that God Farmer was not Hong Yun, because God Farmer did not have the Dragon Aura of Human Sovereign that had endowed the Purusa of Hong Yun. The Purusa of God Farmer was nothing more than an ordinary human Purusa, not like the incarnation of a Sage-to-be. If Hong Yun had not incarnated as God Farmer, where could he be?
Given the abdication ceremony of the Human Tribe, Minghe could do nothing to deduce where Hong Yun was. Whereas, he discovered that the secrets of Heaven were in Chaos like they had been intervened by someone deliberately. He could not locate where Hong Yun was.
Finding no clues, Minghe frowned again. Although he had no loss in Hong Yun's failure to become the Earthly Sovereign of Three Sovereigns for the Human Tribe, he wanted to know who had disrupted his plan. Minghe could not rest until he found out who had done this.
At that moment, a group of people from the Human Tribe flew in from the east. They were led by the Four Ancestors of Humanity. Everyone in the Human Tribe knelt and said, "Salute to the Ancestors of Humanity." The Four Ancestors of Humanity still had great influence over the Human Tribe, even though they had not stood before the public for a long time. Looking at the kneeling people before him, Suiren-Shi said, "Stand up, all of you. This time, we have just come for the ceremony. Now, get it started!" He had mixed feelings about seeing Fuxi on the altar.
Only a few people knew about Fuxi's past, including the three Ancestors. It was Mu Sen who had told them the truth. However, none of them opposed. It was a favor to Goddess Nvwa, and Fuxi had made an enormous contribution to the Human Tribe. Additionally, he had promised before his incarnation that he would be Fuxi of the Human Tribe in this life. Therefore, the other three Ancestors tacitly approved.
When everyone was in their position, the ceremony officially began. Fuxi stepped atop the altar, and loudly announced, "I, Fuxi of the Human Tribe, have been the sovereign of the Human Tribe for a century. Today, my merit is fulfilled by arousing all my efforts to make the country prosperous. Now I shall pass the crown as sovereign of the Human Tribe to a Great Sage, God Farmer. From this day on, God Farmer is the new sovereign of the Human Tribe."
At this point, Mu Sen pulled out his Kongtong Seal, and whispered, "Human Sovereign, rise." A dragon's roar came out of the Kongtong Seal, a streak of Dragon Aura of Human Sovereign soared abruptly and went into Fuxi's body. After that, Fuxi's whole body shone like a star in the night.
The people of the Human Tribe shouted the names "Fuxi" and "God Farmer" loudly. At that moment, a thick Golden Light of Merit shot from heaven. The ordinary people did not know what it was, they just stared at the Golden Light of Merit with puzzled faces.
Approaching the crowd, the Golden Light of Merit was divided into different parts. 80 percent of it was merged into Fuxi's body, 10 percent fell on Liu Er, 5 percent was integrated with the Kongtong Seal, and the rest went to the elders who had supported Fuxi, including the Water Kylin who had delivered food for him.
Fuxi closed his eyes as soon as the golden light merged into his body. The golden light was glowing from his body, which shocked everyone under the altar. After the Golden Light of Merit finally faded away, Fuxi opened his eyes. His gaze was full of vicissitude and joy. Loudly he proclaimed, "My name is Fuxi, I am Fuxi!"
An ancient Chinese zither came to him immediately. It was Fuxi's Eternal Spiritual Treasure, the Fuxi Zither. It had perceived the return of its owner and come back to him automatically.
Now, Fuxi had gained the position of the Heavenly Sovereign of Three Sovereigns of the Human Tribe. Thus, he reached the Peak Level of Sage-to-be. Although he was not as powerful as a Sage, he was an immortal who would not be afraid of any calamity, as long as the Human Tribe existed.
Liu Er gained 10 percent of the Human Sovereign merit. Instead of absorbing it right away, he preserved it. He knew it was not the right time to separate the Good separation. He would separate the Good separation with this Merit when he found one of the Four Monkeys of Destruction; it would only be a matter of time.
Needless to say, Goddess Nv Wa was the happiest about Fuxi's actualization. But when she thought about how Fuxi was a human now, she felt slightly frustrated. The good news was that Fuxi had recovered his memories from the previous life. No matter what species he was, he would still be her brother. It was an undeniable fact. Witnessing Fuxi's actualization, Lao Zi said, "My fellow Taoist, now that you have made your actualization, you should keep cultivating in the Fire Cloud Cave and protect the Luck rather than staying in the mortal world." What he had said irritated Goddess Nv Wa at once. She knew it was confinement disguised as well-meaning advice. She would never let that happened.
But before she could open her mouth, Mu Sen said, "Sage Grand Pure, Fuxi is the first Human Sovereign for the Human Tribe. We have already built the palaces for the Three Royals and Five Emperors in the Holy Land of the Human Tribe. Now that he has finished his actualization, he should go to the Holy Land of the Human Tribe. As for the protection of the Luck, the Holy Land of the Human Tribe will do the job."
After Mu Sen's words, the other three Ancestors said simultaneously, "Sage Grand Pure, you don't need to worry about the Human Tribe. We will contrive the future of the Human Sovereign. It would be reasonable for the Human Sovereign, Fuxi, to come to the Holy Land of the Human Tribe and protect our Luck."
While Lao Zi was unhappy with this answer, he restrained himself, and said in a calm voice, "It seems you have made up your minds, so I will let you be." Lao Zi had no excuse to oppose the decision made by the Four Ancestors of Humanity. Never mind that his Clan of Humanity had lost its dominant position in the Human Tribe.
Goddess Nvywa felt great relief after hearing their words. Protecting the Luck of the Human Tribe in the Holy Land of the Human Tribe was very different from doing so in the Fire Cloud Cave. In the Holy Land of the Human Tribe, at least, Fuxi would have his freedom. She could not help looking at Minghe with gratitude. She assumed it must have been Minghe who told Mu Sen what to say.
Chapter 173: God Farmer's Taste of Some Herbs
At this time, a chariot pulled by an Exotic Beast arrived. It was the one who had sent the River Chart and The Inscription of The Luo to Fuxi before.
Fuxi got in the chariot and said to God Farmer,
"Take care of the Human Tribe. I will wait for you in the Holy Land." Fuxi then returned to the Sacred Land of Spiritual Inheritance of the Human Tribe with the Four Ancestors of Humanity.
Fuxi was a master at the Peak Level of Sage-to-be now. Although he had restored his previous life's memory, he had not gained back his cultivation. He had been a demon in his previous life and now he was a human, so transformation exercises from the previous life could not be exerted. He was interested in the Martial Arts of the Human Tribe and he owned merits as the Human Sovereign, so it was suitable for him to cultivate a Golden Body of Martial Arts. After Fuxi left, the Human Tribe formally transformed from the age of Fuxi to the age of God Farmer. Since God Farmer had succeeded to the throne, he kept working hard and took clan affairs personally without any misconduct. As an old Chinese saying went, keeping is harder than winning. Seeing God Farmer's attitude, all the tribe leaders were relieved.
The first thing God Farmer did after taking the throne was to popularize the planting of the Five Grains. The Human Tribe had begun to plant them before, but it had been limited to God Farmer's tribe and other surrounding tribes. Planting was not common among all the tribes and many still knew little about growing the Five Grains.
In order to better popularize the planting methods, God Farmer called smart people from each tribe to teach. Outside Chen Du, he taught them the planting methods in person and explained problems they might meet in the planting process. In this way, the planting of the Five Grains caught on quickly and God Farmer's name became well-known in a short time.
With ample food, the Human Tribe witnessed another rapid development. The food shortage was not a restriction for its advancement anymore. Nevertheless, with an increasing number of wastelands being reclaimed and an ever-growing amount of food, food storage became a problem. As the grain would never cease to come, the storage time was not long enough.
God Farmer failed to come up with a method after meditating for a long time, so he went to his mentor Kong Xuan for advice. Kong Xuan did not have any feasible advice, but he remembered that Liu Er had once made wine with wild fruit. Could the Five Grains be used to make wine as well? Kong Xuan mentioned this casually, but God Farmer took it seriously.
God Farmer had once had a taste of the Monkey Liquor made by the martial elder uncle, Liu Er. The wine was full of Spiritual Air and one could feel the warmth all over his body after drinking it. If the Five Grains could be used to make similar wine, the wine could drive away the inner chill during cold days even if it had no Spiritual Air. Considering this, God Farmer hurried back to his city to commence trials.
Shortly afterward, "wine" came into the life of the Human Tribe and they began to make wine with the extra grain. Different raw materials and production methods could make various wines. It was this one idea from Kong Xuan that introduced wine to the Human Tribe before its time. Nevertheless, God Farmer knew that making wine could not completely solve the excess grain problem. As a result, he came up with an idea. People could exchange for things they needed with extra grains. This bartering system was the rudiment of trading and laid a primary foundation for the later commerce of the Human Tribe.
As trading and winemaking became popular in the Human Tribe, the grain problem was finally resolved. Gradually, God Farmer found other problems. When planting the Five Grains, people found there were some weeds. After ingesting certain species of weeds, people would get unpleasant symptoms or sometimes even die.
God Farmer instantly convened with wise people in the clan to discuss the matter, but they failed to come up with a solution after discussing it for a considerable amount of time. God Farmer had no other solution but to adopt the bluntest method, namely tasting every weed to distinguish toxic ones from medicinal ones. He then cataloged all his findings in brochures to be given out to all the tribes so that people would not die from eating the wrong herbs.
Although people in the clan tried to stop God Farmer from doing so, he had made up his mind to taste all the herbs. Before leaving, Kong Xuan called him to send some detoxifying elixirs just in case. God Farmer was delighted to get these elixirs with which he believed he was more probable to taste all herbs.
During his tour through the Untainted Land, he tasted all the herbs and flower buds he came into contact with. Although he was poisoned constantly, he was lucky to survive with the detoxifying elixirs given by Kong Xuan. He noted down after every single taste; thus he could catalog them into brochures to be given out to the Human Tribe and future generations.
The elixirs, however, were eventually used up. One day, God Farmer felt severe pain in his stomach after taking a type of herb. When he reached out for the elixirs, there was nothing left. Even when he was unconsciousness, he still thought about his dream of tasting all herbs in the world. He passed out with regret.
As God Farmer was on the edge of dying, multicolored clouds flashed and Kong Xuan appeared out of nowhere. Seeing God Farmer's condition, Kong Xuan took out a grain of elixir and poured it into God Farmer's mouth. After a while, God Farmer was free from stomachache and the poison from Heartbreak Grass was resolved. God Farmer regained consciousness. Noticing Kong Xuan at his side, he knew that he had been rescued by his mentor. He stood up and expressed his thanks, "Mentor. I was foolish to eat toxic herbs. Thank you for saving my life!"
Kong Xuan nodded, saying, "You are my disciple, naturally I will save you. Save the etiquette, get up." Kong Xuan continued asking, "God Farmer, are you aware that tasting herbs will bring you numerous pains and even kill you? There are innumerable herbs in Untainted Land, how can you taste them all?"
God Farmer replied seriously, "Mentor, I will never regret tasting herbs even if I may die from doing so. There are countless herbs, and I will taste each of them day by day. I will taste them all one day." He then knelt on the ground, saying, "I'm just worried that I will die before tasting all the herbs. I beg you to give me some assistance."
Seeing God Farmer with a sturdy expression, Kong Xuan smiled and helped him up. Kong Xuan then took out a treasure, saying, "This is Reddish Brown Whip refined from a body from the Dragon Tribe and numerous treasures by your grandmaster. This whip is used to identify drug properties by touching herbs. You may also use it to identify herbs." God Farmer was exultant to get the Reddish Brown Whip, holding it in hands. Kong Xuan laughed, saying, "Now you may continue your tasting journey. I am leaving." He gave more detoxifying elixirs to God Farmer, then rode the clouds away. God Farmer watched Kong Xuan in awe until he vanished in the clouds, then he came to himself.
Chapter 174: Hong Yun's Trace
Chapter 42 Hongyun's Trace
After Kong Xuan left, God Farmer continued his career, tasting a hundred herbs. His footprints were all over the steep mountains. Wherever exotic flowers and rare herbs grew, you could find God Farmer. After several years arduous journey, God Farmer returned to Chen Du with full gains.
He began a Closed Door Meditation so that he could process the experience he had obtained from tasting a hundred herbs. With the help of the Reddish Brown Whip, God Farmer not only identified whether herbs were poisonous or not but also wrote The Classics of Herbal Medicine to warn the Human Tribe. Henceforth, fewer people died from illness or eating poisonous herbs by mistake in the Human Tribe. The Human Tribe was flourishing.
...
After watching the Human Sovereign Abdication Ceremony, the Sages left Wuzhuang Taoist Temple. Minghe secretly came to the Temple. He had no option. Whether Hongyun became the Earthly Sovereign or not would have no effect on Minghe, but since there had been such a big accident, he needed to figure it out in reason or sentiment. Plus, it was related to Zhenyuanzi.
Since Zhenyuanzi established the Earth Immortal's Residence, we could say that his own Luck was booming. With the help of Luck, his cultivation naturally went smoothly. Though he had already been at the Peak Level of Sage-to-be, his strength had not reached the Sage-to-be limit. Certainly, he was some distance from the Realm of Origin.
But now Zhenyuanzi was not calm at all. Seeing Minghe, he asked anxiously, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, what exactly has happened to Fellow Taoist Hongyun? Why did the position of Earthly Sovereign go to another person? And where is Fellow Taoist Hongyun's Original Spirit?"
Minghe could understand Zhenyuanzi's anxiety. After all, Hongyun had been Zhenyuanzi's good friend for many years. Now Hongyun had disappeared, it was reasonable for him to feel anxious. Minghe said, "Fellow Taoist Zhenyuanzi, don't be too worried. Right now the secrets of heaven are in a mess. I can't figure out where Fellow Taoist Hongyun is." After a while, Minghe continued to say, "As for who did it, I can make a guess. It must be the Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu. Fellow Taoist Hongyun was sent into reincarnation by my own hand. Only Houtu can play tricks using the Six Paths of Reincarnation."
Zhenyuanzi was astonished at these words. "The Ancestor of Sorcery, Houtu? How can it be possible! Fellow Taoist Hongyun has nothing to do with her. Why would she play underhand tricks on him?" Hongyun was a rare good guy in Untainted Land. He had not injured the Wu Tribe in the least. Why would the Ancestor of Sorcery have reason to hurt him?
Minghe sighed. "It's my fault that I hadn't fully considered it. At first in Zixiao Palace, I promised Fellow Taoist Goddess Nv Wa that Fuxi would be the Human Sovereign, but then Fellow Taoist Hongyun was in an unexpected accident. What's more, at that time Hongyun had the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign. Now the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign is still in the Nether World, it must be Houtu who gets it."
Before coming to Wuzhuang Taoist Temple, Minghe had sent his Selfcentric Separation Mu Sen to use the Kongtong Seal to check where the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign that had been sent to Hongyun was. It turned out that the Supreme Aura had been in the Nether World and then disappeared. It provided the obvious answer as to who had done it.
Minghe finally understood partially why at first Hongjun had sent the Bell of Chaos, to Houtu. It was causing trouble for Minghe. It was said that strength was the mother of ambition. Houtu was a Sage at the Secondary Stage, but she was merely an Original Spirit with a weak human body. She did not have any powerful Magic Weapons. Her spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.
But now it was a different case. With the Bell of Chaos, several Sages could not surpass her. Now Houtu was stuck in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, but the Bell of Chaos was not. Using the power of a Sage to control the Bell of Chaos also had extreme power.
Houtu was the kindest and gentlest among the Twelve Ancestors of Sorcery, but that was only comparing her to the other Ancestors of Sorcery. Besides, Houtu had already been a Sage. Even if she was not ambitious, one could not forget the existence of the Wu Tribe behind her. Just like Goddess Nv Wa, she wholeheartedly wanted the Demon Tribe to revitalize. Now though Minghe was taking charge of the Nether World. The essential part of the Nether World was the Six Paths of Reincarnation which was controlled by Houtu. Even Minghe could not intervene. Minghe did not want to plot something by using the Nether World, but it would likely be easy for Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu to interpose into something like what had happened to Hongyun. Thinking about it, Minghe naturally felt uncomfortable.
Zhenyuanzi naturally did not know what Minghe was thinking about. The only thing he was concerned about was where Hongyun was. He said anxiously, "Now the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign is in the hands of the Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu. That means Fellow Taoist Hongyun must also be in her hands. I'll go to the Nether World immediately and ask her to give back his remaining spirit."
Minghe waved his hands and said, "Fellow Taoist Zhenyuanzi, don't be so hurried. Fellow Taoist Hongyun's remaining spirit may not be in the hand of Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu. Maybe she is trying to warn me that she is and always has been the ruler of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. She took the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign, but she may not have Fellow Taoist Hongyun's remaining spirit. Hmm, do you still have his Ninety- Ninth Spirit-killing Gourd?" Zhenyuanzi shook his hand, and then a big red gourd appeared. Minghe took the red gourd and made some incantation gestures. "Spirit of the soul... the root of origin...Back to basics...Go!" A streak of silver light entered the red gourd from Minghe's hand. The red gourd reacted immediately. It soared and then flew outside Wuzhuang Taoist Temple.
Minghe and Zhenyuanzi quickly followed it. They followed the Ninety-Nine Spirit-killing Gourd to a common tribe within the Human Tribe. It stopped over a grass hut. Inside the dwelling, a family was very happy because a baby had just been born.
As soon as Zhenyuanzi saw the baby, he became very happy. The baby was Hongyun's incarnated body. He said excitedly, "It is so good that Fellow Taoist Hongyun has finally incarnated. Now that the position of the Human Sovereign is gone, I'm going to lead him to Wuzhuang Taoist Temple, and teach him the rule of cultivation. Someday Fellow Taoist Hongyun will return to himself."
Hongyun had already lost the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign and the position of the Earthly Sovereign. It was impossible for him to regain his preexistent cultivation in the Human Tribe. It was surely best to follow Zhenyuanzi and go back to Wuzhuang Taoist Temple. However, seeing Hongyun's present look, Minghe smiled.
Minghe stopped Zhenyuanzi, who was about to call a cloud. He smiled and said, "Fellow Taoist Zhenyuanzi, don't rush. Though Fellow Taoist Hongyun has no chance for the position of the Human Sovereign, what goes around comes around. The Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu has delayed Fellow Taoist Hongyun's incarnation time and seized his Supreme Aura, but she has sent him another large Fated Chance."
Curious, Zhenyuanzi repeated, "Fated Chance? What's the Fated Chance?" Now Hongyun was just an ordinary baby in the Human Tribe. How could there be a large Fated Chance? But since Minghe had said it, he must be correct. Zhenyuanzi naturally needed to find out.
Minghe smiled and shook his head. "The secrets of heaven are something I can't divulge. If you're worried about it, you can leave one of the Three Separations to look after Fellow Taoist Hongyun and teach him some rules of cultivation. In days to come, the Fated Chance will arrive. At that time, he will incarnate and come back." Zhenyuanzi did not understand, but since Minghe had said it, continuing to wonder would just be flogging a dead horse. He sent the Good separation to look after Hongyun, and he went back to Wuzhuang Taoist Temple. Since there were so many things in the Earth Immortal's Residence waiting for him to handle, it was a bad idea for Zhenyuanzi to stay here for a long time.
Minghe looked at Hongyun's incarnated body again, smiling mysteriously. He mounted the clouds and went back to the Blood Sea. It was said that sweet are the uses of adversity. Hongyun had lost the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign, but he had gotten another aura and a new name.
The worrying about Hongyun ended, but Minghe was troubled by the Ancestor of Sorcery, Houtu. Such a powerful and ambitious person meant big trouble was coming near. As for the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign, Minghe mostly knew what she wanted to use it for.
It was like objects in a mirror or the moon upon the water. You could see it, but it was impossible to touch. Even with the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign, it could not be helped. Besides, now the Ancestor of Sorcery and Hongyun had Karma. If there was a day of Karma beginning, then the day of paying Karma back must also come someday. It was the circulation of the Way of Heaven, and even a Sage could not go against it.
Chapter 175: Jingbae's Disappearance
Minghe naturally kept his eyes peeled for the Nether World and the Wu Tribe after going back to the Blood Sea. Though he had not totally turned against Houtu, he still needed to watch her. He needed to know her every move as well as that of the Wu Tribe. He did not want this to happen again.
Houtu was now a Sage, but the large Wu Tribe was behind her. She needed to think first of the Tribe's benefits, just like Goddess Nvywa. Though such Houtu was mighty, she was not suitable to be Minghe's ally. No one knew when she would stab him in the back again.
...
In the Nether World, the Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu stared at the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign in her hand with a glare in her eyes. She naturally knew that she had caused offense to Minghe and Zhenyuanzi. But in light of the benefits, she did not care about it. With the Supreme Aura, one of her plans could be carried out.
As for displeasing Minghe and Zhenyuanzi, she did not take notice of it too much. Though Zhenyuanzi was the lord of the Earth Immortal's Residence, he was just a Sage-to-be. He posed no threat to her or the Wu Tribe. As for Minghe, though he had actualized earlier than her, and the Wu Tribe kind of owed him, Houtu's actual strength had already surpassed his.
When it came to the degree of the Origin, it was impossible to turn against each other casually. There were no permanent friends among the Sages, only permanent interests. Houtu believed that Minghe would not turn against her for such a trifle. Indeed, Minghe did not, he merely paid more attention to her and the Wu Tribe's movement. Houtu certainly knew it. What she did not know was that Minghe had given up on her as a potential ally.
...
In the Holy Land of the Human Tribe, Fuxi was already living in the Human Sovereign Palace. Even though Fuxi was now at the Peak Level of Sage-to-be, with the experience of preexistence, Fuxi naturally knew that one's cultivation was better when it was cultivated by oneself. Cultivation relying on merit would not produce his full strength. However, Fuxi did not cultivate the transformation exercises from his preexistence. After all, he was now a member of the Human Tribe, and his previous transformation exercises were not suitable for him. For Fuxi, who was good at Prediction, it was a piece of cake to predict a set of transformation exercises suiting this life. But Fuxi chose not to do that. Instead, he was very interested in the transformation exercises of Martial Arts.
Having developed so far, Martial Arts could be called the most powerful in the Human Tribe. In addition to the Four Ancestors of Humanity, the Holy Land of the Human Tribe had cultivated many Martial Arts masters at the Realm of Da Luo Golden Immortality in just ten thousand years. This gave a glimpse of the extraordinary Martial Arts. Since Fuxi needed to cultivate again, he wanted to try a new way of cultivation. Maybe it could help him to get rid of the barrier he had had in his preexistence cultivation.
In Musen's cultivation place, after Fuxi and God Farmer had peacefully finished the transfer of the position as sovereign in the Human Tribe, Musen felt at ease. At least instead of being stuck in the Fire Cloud Cave as mythology said, Fuxi had come to the Human Tribe's Sacred Land of Spiritual Inheritance. Now there was one more master at the Peak Level of Sage-to-be in the Human Tribe. It could be said that the Human Tribe's strength was booming. After the period of the Three Royals and Five Emperors, there would be eight Sage-to-be masters in the Human Tribe. At that time, not only would the Luck of the Human Tribe reach its peak, all clans in Untainted Land would be in awe of the inner strength of the Human Tribe. Except for the Four Ancestors of Humanity and the 12 Sage-to-be masters, it was likely that currently even in the Untainted Land, there were not many Sage-to-be masters.
With everything going so well, on the contrary, Musen felt somewhat uneasy. First, there was Lao Zi's reaction. Lao Zi had been unexpectedly compromised without much response when he had asked Fuxi to come to the Holy Land of Human Tribe. It left Musen slightly confused.
Musen meditated for a long time without coming up with any reasonable explanation. But there was nothing to be worried about. Since God Farmer had written The Classics of Herbal Medicine , the merit could be considered fulfilled. The emergence of the third Human Sovereign was coming. Presumably, there would not be any accident.
Wait… Musen counted his fingers, and suddenly his face changed. How could he forget! He quickly made some incantations on hand, and then some talisman light released sharply. At the same time, he immediately gathered the guardians and Elders in the Holy Land, sending them all out.
Musen had almost forgotten that God Farmer had a daughter called Jingbae. This Jingbae was quite famous in mythology. She would be the one to reclaim land in later days. Now Musen could remember it but still could not figure out where she was. Someone must have concealed the secrets of heaven.
Now the only ones who could stop him from predicting where Jingbae was must be Sages. As for exactly which one had done it, Musen was not clear. Every Sage was a possible suspect, but the possibility was different. Musen was not sure who had concealed the secrets of heaven.
Among the seven Sages, Goddess Nvywa was the least likely to have done it. Musen had just solved Fuxi's potential confinement problem. Plus, she was the Holy Mother of the Human Tribe. She had no reason to kidnap God Farmer's daughter. As for Houtu, she was also an unlikely suspect. Though she had just damaged Minghe's scheme, she would not continue to do bad things to Minghe. Otherwise, they would really turn against each other. Among the remaining five Sages, Tong Tian was rather impossible. Characteristically, Tong Tian could not plot against such a little girl like Jingbae. In the case of the other four Sages, it was hard for Musen to say.
Nowadays everyone in Untainted Land knew that God Farmer had been sent as an assistant by Minghe's second disciple Kong Xuan. Plotting against Jingbae naturally did harm to Minghe. In the future, God Farmer would successfully actualize the Human Sovereign, and Kong Xuan would probably not gain a good reputation within the Human Tribe. After all, he was the Human Sovereign's assistant. How could he qualify to be called the Mentor of Human Sovereign if he could not stop someone plotting against the Human Sovereign's daughter to death?
If that were to happen, it would only be other Sages who benefited from it. The third Human Sovereign was about to take up the position. At that time, all Sages would intentionally or otherwise weaken Minghe's influence in the Human Tribe. Using this as an excuse would naturally do more with less.
In fact, Musen felt puzzled. According to mythology, Jingbae was drowned by the Dragon Tribe in the East Sea. It was indeed unreal. How could Jingbae, a little girl from Chen Du set out to a far distant East Sea? How could no one go along with her? It really sounded doubtful.
Now if Jingbae was drowned by the Dragon Tribe in the East Sea, then the Holy Land of the Human Tribe would start a war against the East Sea again for God Farmer to demand an answer. It would be a huge war. The Human Tribe was not afraid of war, neither was Musen. However, he hated to be caught in someone else's trap.
Today's Dragon Tribe was not the same one that under the pressure of the Human Tribe. After many years of recuperating and building up strength, relying on the merit saved by suppressing the Four Seas and making clouds and bringing rain in Untainted Land, all the Karma had finally been paid off.
Without Karma, the Dragon Tribe's strength had also increased. With the convenience of the Four Seas and natural advantages, many of their tribesmen had achieved breakthroughs one after another. That was not the main point. What was most surprising was that there was a Sage-to-be master in the Dragon Tribe.
After the last Feast of Peaches, the Four Seas had been in upheaval again. Many in the Water tribe had rebelled. But no one could have guessed that this time the Dragon Tribe, instead of relying on the Heavenly Court, would come out with a Sage- to-be Ancestor, and then suppress the upheaval in the Four Seas. Since then, the Dragon Tribe had won a great reputation in the Untainted Land.
Musen was not afraid of the Dragon Tribe, but he did not want to let himself be used in this game. Musen sent a message to Kong Xuan and Liu er, who were still outside Chen Du, as well as Minghe about Jingbae. He also sent many masters in the Holy Land to search for her on the way from Chen Du to the East Sea. Musen wanted to see who was playing tricks.
...
In a forest outside Chen Du, Kong Xuan and Liu er sat on the ground, discussing Tao. Liu er had become more mature after his recent journey. Though he was the hand of the Mentor of Human Sovereign, he was in no hurry to go back to the Blood Sea. Instead, he went deep into the forest to discuss Tao with Kong Xuan.
They were immersed in discussing Tao when suddenly two pieces of Talisman fell on their hands. Liu er and Kong Xuan scanned it with Spiritual Thoughts, and their expression changed greatly. Liu er was angry and said, "How dare someone to plot the Human Sovereign's daughter and my younger brother! It's so hateful. Don't let me catch him or I'll pick his skin."
Kong Xuan also looked unhappy. His Spiritual Thoughts scanned Chen Du and found that Jingbae was surely not in the town. Kong Xuan was Jingbae's Grandmaster, and Jingbae was so cute. He liked her very much. Now she was missing. How could he not be angry?
Kong Xuan suppressed his anger, and said, "Brother, you and I will set off immediately. We must find Jingbae." Liu er nodded. "I have your back, my brother. I'll definitely help you to find Jingbae." He plucked a handful of monkey hair and then blew. Lots of Liu ers left riding the cloud. Kong Xuan and Liu er then rode the cloud and followed them.
Chapter 176: Wu Zhiqi's Appearance
In the Blood Sea, Minghe instantly flew into a fury after receiving Musen's talisman. He had been annoyed by Houtu since she trapped Hongyun and now she even tried to trick Minghe. Did she really regard Minghe as a man that could easily be bullied?
Thinking of this, the Clones of Blood God spread throughout the Untainted Land by Minghe, began to move, one after another. They shared a common goal, find the missing Jingbae. Finding Jingbae was indeed the first priority now.
Besides, Minghe decided to trace the person that had secretly kidnapped Jingbae from Chen Du. Chen Du was the capital of the whole Human Tribe. The whole Human Tribe regarded it as quite an important place, including the Four Ancestors of Humanity. Although no one dared to make trouble in the Human Tribe nowadays, the Holy Land of Human Tribe still sent out several Martial Artists and immortals with the cultivation of the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal to guard Chen Du, just in case.
Under such circumstances, someone could kidnap Jingbae successfully and no one had even noticed. It was obvious that he was among the very best of the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals. Besides, the Sage even helped him by covering the secrets of Heaven. What a fine plan!
Minghe's face revealed infinite Menace Intent. After finding out some secrets of the Chaos, he decided to give up some benefits in the Untainted Land. Now it seemed that somebody misunderstood his concession and regarded him as a coward. Houtu firstly trapped him, and now someone even trapped his disciple. It was time to make them realize once again, who on earth was the absolute dominator of Untainted Land, as he had used to do in the past.
The criminal himself had probably never thought that Minghe could take such quick action. Jingbae was soon found with the thorough chase. Minghe was shocked when he identified the criminal. He then sent out two talismans to notify Kong Xuan and Liu er, as the event ought to be settled by them.
...
In the Yellow River, a strange monkey was roaring down the waves and running towards the East Sea with a sleepy little girl curled up in his arms. The monkey was quite similar to Liu er, with white hair covering its whole body. He indeed had a close relation with Liu Er as the strange monkey was one of the Four Monkeys of Destruction, the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, also named Wu Zhiqi.
The Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey knew about Yin and Yang and mastered the affairs of Human Tribe. He was also good at traveling. What was more, he could even escape from death and extend lifespan. Additionally, as one of the Four Spiritual Monkeys, he was proficient at changing appearances. His power was comparable with the Nine Dragons. When it came to the skills of controlling water, the Water God Gonggong was by no means easily able to beat him.
At first, Wu Zhiqi served in the Demon Tribe of the Heavenly Court. After the Demon Tribe had declined, he left the Heavenly Court and went to Untainted Land. Depending on his Heaven Endowed Magic Skill, he was soon well known in the Demon Tribe in the Untainted Land. After all, in the present Untainted Land, Sacred Demons reaching the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal were few.
To be honest, he was extremely unwilling to kidnap Jingbae from Chen Du. Nowadays, the Human Tribe was so strong that a humble Sacred Demon like Wu Zhiqi could hardly be matched with. But Wu Zhiqi had no choice, he was ordered by the Sage. Though he didn't exactly know which Sage gave the order.
Wu Zhiqi only knew that he couldn't resist the Sage. Although the Sage had offered rich remuneration, he did not look forward to it at all. He could only escape from the serious situation only if he sent Jingbae back to the East Sea before the Human Tribe and Ancestor Minghe noticed.
However, as the East Sea came closer, his worries became heavier. Looking at the sleepy girl, Wu Zhiqi visibly struggled with the idea of whether he should give up or continue with the plan. Unfortunately, he had no more time.
"Stop! You bastard! Do you dare to fight with me?" A black golden stick smashed into the sky with thunder roaring. Before the stick struck the water, the Aura around the stick firstly cut into the Yellow River. It gave rise to roaring waves and seemed to split the whole river in half.
Wu Zhiqi was shocked. He instantly took out a long grey stick and waved it in a circle in order to intercept the attack. The unexpected attack carried overwhelming power. If he failed to intercept it, he would be badly injured. Or even worse, he would die.
"Hum... " With a great sound, the black golden stick was intercepted by Wu Zhiqi as he originally expected. But the power he absorbed from the infinite water was also shattered. Wu Zhiqi's whole arm was now numb. He finally discerned who his opponent was and found out that his opponent was also a monkey. Wu Zhiqi was in a really bad mood.
At that moment, a ray of the Divine Five Colored Light flickered and Wu Zhiqi felt the weight in his arms was lost. The girl who should have been sleeping in his arms was now in the hands of a young Taoist standing aside. Wu Zhiqi was in a complete despair.
They were exactly Liu er and Kong Xuan. Liu er pretended to attack Wu Zhiqi and Kong Xuan seized the chance to take the sleepy girl back using the Divine Five Colored Light, thus they had no more restraints. Wu Zhiqi was at the Peak Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. However, Kong Xuan was also at the Peak Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. What was more, Liu er was at the Secondary Stage of Sage-to-be. How could Wu Zhiqi alone fight the two masters together? Kong Xuan held Jingbae and examined her carefully. He made sure that she was fine and saw that she had only been cursed with a sleepy incantation. Kong Xuan gently touched her face and released the incantation. Jingbae gradually woke up and happily said, "Master Ancestor, will you play with me?"
Looking at the innocent and pure smiles on Jingbae's face, Kong Xuan's heart was filled with rage. If they came late, Jingbae would have been the Jingbae Bird as the mythology said. Kong Xuan furiously stared at Wu Zhiqi and restrain his killing intent.
After the attack, Wu Zhiqi and Liu er stood separately to face each other. Kong Xuan said to Liu er. "Brother, please look after Jingbae. I want to end the whole affair with the bastard." He then smiled and said to Jingbae. "Jingbae, you go and play with my brother, I have something else to deal with."
Looking at the little girl passed over by Kong Xuan, Liu er shook his head and said, "You look after her by yourself. I'll deal with the affairs." As Liu er spoke, he was fixing his eyes on Wu Zhiqi over the river. Wu Zhiqi was looking back in return as if there had somehow been deep hatred between them. Kong Xuan was confused but he still followed what Liu er said. He certainly felt the weird atmosphere between Liu er and Wu Zhiqi. But they were seeing each other for the first time, why did they behave like foes?
Liu er looked at Wu Zhiqi and said emotionlessly. "Red- Bottomed Horse Monkey, I've heard of all of your Magic Skills from my teacher. Now that you've kidnapped the daughter of the Human Sovereign, did you ever predict that you would die today?"
Kong Xuan immediately understood Liu er's words. Minghe once told him that there were Four Monkeys of Destruction in the world. Liu er was one of them, the Liu er Macaca Mula. The five-colored stone left in the mending of the Sky was formed into Wise Monkey. The Origin of the Wise Monkey had been carved out by Liu er. If Liu er wanted to carve out the other two separations, he must find the other two members of the Four Monkeys of Destruction. Now that the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey was standing right before Liu er, no doubt Liu er would stare at him like that.
Looking at Liu er for a quite long time, Wu Zhiqi finally replied coldly. "What a surprise, to think that the chief disciple of Ancestor Minghe was indeed one of the Four Monkeys of Destruction, the Liu er Macaca Mula. Or, should I call you the Taoist Liu er? It's really pitiable to meet you here today. Although I know what a serious situation I have been trapped in, I have no other choice, If you want to kill me, just do it."
Instead of killing, Liu er calmly asked, "Wu Zhiqi, who on earth has ordered you to kidnap the daughter of the Human Sovereign? If you tell me the truth, I promise to plead with my teacher not to kill you and help you get into the reincarnation incarnation. What about this idea?"
Wu Zhiqi shook his head and said, "Liu er, don't waste your time anymore. I truly have no idea of the person behind the scenes. There are only several Sages in whole Untainted Land. You can get the answer by yourself. I know I'm not your opponent. You can kill me as you like."
Liu er naturally understood Wu Zhiqi's words. The whole affair must have been arranged by a Sage. But it was hard to say which Sage would commit the crime. Even his teacher Minghe could not get the answer. It was pointless to ask Wu Zhiqi anymore. Liu er originally intended to take out the Origin of the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey. But he did not know how to take it out. Liu er decided to bring the Monkey back to the Blood Sea and asked Minghe for help. Liu er glanced at Kong Xuan and Kong Xuan perfectly understood him. A ray of the Divine Five Colored Light flickered. Wu Zhiqi was obedient to the arrest and was locked into Kong Xuan's five-colored space. They held Jingbae and rode the clouds towards the Blood Sea.
Chapter 177: The Birth of Xuanyuan
Above the Blood Sea, Jingbae was looking at the immense Sea below and kept asking, "Master Ancestor, why the Sea is red?" "Master Ancestor, what are the black ones doing below?" "Master Ancestor... " It seemed that she had hundreds of thousands of questions in her head. She couldn't be quiet for a single minute. Although Liu er was always a clamorous monkey, he now just couldn't bear the clamorous little girl.
When they returned to the Sacred Island, Liu er told his mount Water Kylin to play with Jingbae while he and Kong Xuan went for Minghe. As soon as a ray of the Divine Five Colored Light flickered in Kong Xuan's hands, Wu Zhiqi appeared. He bowed to Minghe and said, "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty Ancestor Minghe."
Minghe looked at Wu Zhiqi and slightly sighed in his heart. Among the Four Monkeys of Destruction, the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey was the cleverest. Depending on his Heaven Endowed Magic Skill, he had successfully escaped from the Cultivation Tribulation between the Sorcerer and Demon tribes and had been living freely till now.
However, he had risked his life to kidnap the daughter of the sovereign of the Human Tribe from Chen Du. Once the Human Tribe got the news, Wu Zhiqi would be exiled from Untainted Land forever. He had clearly known the consequences and still did it and so there must be some reason that he couldn't resist. In the whole Untainted Land, only the Sages could force him to do that.
The Four Monkeys of Destruction all came to a sticky end. Wu Zhiqi, the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, appeared first. When Yu the Great regulated rivers and watercourses, Wu Zhiqi raised winds and waves to prevent him. As a result, Wu Zhiqi was suppressed by Yu the Great, and although Wu Zhiqi lost his freedom, he survived in the end.
The Long-Armed Ape Monkey was next. In the Battle of Gods Investiture, he was trapped in the Mountain and River Map by Goddess Nvywa and then finally killed by Yang Jian. The third Monkey, Wise Monkey Sun Wu Kong became a tool of Buddhist dharma. He finally became a Buddha and lost all his disposition as a monkey. As for the fourth Monkey, Liu er Macaca Mula, he had an even worse end. He was subdued by the Tathagata and killed by Sun Wu Kong.
Looking at Wu Zhiqi, Minghe asked nothing. Even if he asked, he knew that Wu Zhiqi could not answer. It was more convenient and effective to investigate Wu Zhiqi's memory. As Minghe put out his hands, innumerable silver lights merged into Wu Zhiqi's Original Spirit.
Wu Zhiqi knelt and worshipped Minghe. He did not even dare move his fingers. He was defenseless when confronted by Liu er, let alone Minghe, a master of the Origin level. Anyway, his life now was not controlled by himself.
After a moment, Minghe took his hands back and sighed. The unknown Sage was so cautious that he had left no clues. There was no way to detect the truth. Although his ultimate aim was Minghe, the daughter of the Human Sovereign was also involved. If he had left some evidence behind, he and his religious section would never be tolerated by the Human Tribe.
Minghe looked at Wu Zhiqi and said lightly. "Wu Zhiqi, you'll be sentenced to death because you had kidnapped the daughter of the Human Sovereign. Besides, your Origin of the Red- Bottomed Horse Monkey is essential to Liu er's cultivation, so you're doomed to die. However, I'll give you a chance and help you get into the reincarnation cycle, what's more, I'll also give you a present. I hope you can conduct yourself well in the future." After these words, Minghe took out Wu Zhiqi's Original Spirit and sent a ray of black light into it and then sent the Original Spirit to the Nether World. As for Wu Zhiqi's human body, Minghe threw it into the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth. It was not long before the Origin of the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey was completely refined, Minghe picked up one piece of it and handed it to Liu er, who was standing aside with glowing eyes staring at it.
Liu er received the Origin of the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey and hurried into the Closed Door Meditation. Minghe told Kong Xuan to bring Jingbae back to Chen Du. God Farmer was about to fulfill his merit. Kong Xuan, as God Farmer's teacher, could not be absent. Furthermore, the daughter of the Human Sovereign had been missing for so long. Kong Xuan would bring Jingbae back and calm down the turbulence.
As for the mention of the unknown Sage, Minghe had no idea, but he would not let it go. The one who seized quite an appropriate chance to set the whole plan must be the Mentor of Human Sovereign. Minghe believed he would give himself away one day.
The disappearance of the daughter of the Human Sovereign gave rise to a great riot in the Untainted Land. Beyond all expectations, Minghe and the Holy Land of Human Tribe did not take revenge when Jingbae was finally found. All of the tribes in the Untainted Land were quite confused.
The Sages were also puzzled. It seemed that Minghe had greatly changed since he honored the Human Sovereign. He had sent out several positions of the Mentors of Human Sovereign at first and then kept quiet for a long time. All those things were quite out of Minghe's character. As Minghe became calmer, the Sages got more and more worried. The silence before the storm was always horrible.
...
In the Yuxu Palace, the Honoured Lord of the Origin summoned the Twelve Golden Immortals and the Dipamkara Taoist. He looked at them in satisfaction and then said to Guang Chengzi. "Guang Chengzi, now the Human Sovereign God Farmer is going to actualize, the next generation of the Human Sovereign is about to appear, you go and teach him. When the Human Sovereign actualizes, you'll get the merit as a reward."
Guang Chengzi was very happy. He stepped forward and quickly replied. "Yes, my lord. I'll sincerely follow your words and teach the Human Sovereign heartfully. I won't let you down, I promise." The Honoured Lord of the Origin nodded and said, "Fine. This is a very serious matter that you can never be too careful with."
Guang Chengzi immediately nodded and then delightedly stood aside.
Dipamkara Taoist was involuntarily angry with the Honoured Lord of the Origin's arrangements. He had been at the peak level of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal for thousands of years and never had the chance to make a Breakthrough. Although he was the Deputy Sect Leader of the Clan of Enlightenment, his actual identity was a complete embarrassment.
Till now, not one good thing in the Clan of Enlightenment had ever been assigned to him. Neither the Magic Weapon nor the merit. He could only maintain his position of the Deputy Sect Leader. Thinking of this, Dipamkara couldn't help hating the Honoured Lord of the Origin for his injustice. However, he was only a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal and couldn't match with the Origin, the Sage. He had no choice but to be tolerant.
Somewhere 100,000 meters away in the north of Chen Du, the capital of the Human Tribe, lay a middle-sized tribe of the Human Tribe named Youxiong. It was built along the Ji River. The king's name was Shaodian. He had two wives, one was Nvdeng, the other was Fubao. They were sisters.
One evening, Fubao witnessed a ray of lightning flashing around the alpha Ursae Majoris in the Big Dipper. In a while, the star fell down and Fubao was pregnant.
She had been pregnant for 24 months and then finally gave birth to a little baby. As soon as the baby was born, a Taoist arrived at the Youxiong tribe.
The guard naturally notified Shaodian about the Taoist. Shaodian got the news that a cultivator was waiting outside. He dared not to be arrogant. He instantly left the baby and hurried to the door to receive his visitor. Shaodian then saw a cultivator in a bluish white robe, with extraordinary looks. Shaodian hastily saluted the visitor with formal bows in welcome.
The Taoist was exactly Guang Chengzi. He followed the order of the Honoured Lord of the Origin and came here to teach the Human Sovereign. Many fellow apprentices were envious, especially Dipamkara. Guang Chengzi replied Shaodian's greetings and said, "I'm Guang Chengzi, the chief disciple of the Honoured Lord of the Origin, who was also honored as the Sage Jade Pure of Pangu. I come here today to teach your son. Take it easy and don't stand on ceremony."
Shaodian was extremely happy at what Guang Chengzi had said. He knew that the Honored Lord of the Origin was the Sage. If his son could be taught by the disciple of a Sage, his son would acquire great achievements in the future. Shaodian excitedly brought Guang Chengzi to the big tent at the center of the tribe.
In the tent, Shaodian arranged Guang Chengzi at the best seat. He himself sat in the lesser seat and ordered the tribesmen to bring the new-born baby.
Fubao soon came, holding a baby. Guang Chengzi, who was talking with Shaodian, spontaneously turned his gaze to the baby. He contently nodded and said, "He is gifted in cultivation. What a good boy!"
Fubao knew nothing about cultivation so she kept silent. Shaodian understood that the disciple of the Sage wanted to teach his son. He stepped forward in a hurry and said, "Your Majesty Immortal, please give a name to my new-born baby." Fubao was so clever, she heard the mention of 'Immortal' and realized that Guang Chengzi was an extraordinary master, so she stared at Guang Chengzi immediately and waited for an answer.
Guang Chengzi replied. "There is a destined bond between the baby and me. He was born in Xuanyuan Hill, so he shall be named Xuanyuan. I come here to recruit a disciple, and he shall be my direct disciple. Do you agree?" Guang Chengzi looked at Shaodian and Fubao patiently.
Shaodian was happy at first and then became anxious. He asked, "Your Majesty Immortal, this is a most welcome suggestion to me. I just wonder whether you'll bring my son back to the mountain for the cultivation?"
Guang Chengzi answered, "Don't worry. Xuanyuan is the successor of the tribe, I'll teach him cultivation right here instead of bringing him to the mountain outside."
Shaodian felt relieved at such words. After all, a father was always reluctant to separate from his new-born baby. Guang Chengzi then stayed in the Youxiong tribe and waited for Xuanyuan to grow up. In order to teach Xuanyuan in a most convenient way, he simply resided in the Youxiong tribe.
Chapter 178: Chi You's Rebirth
As time flew, Xuanyuan gradually grew up. He had been studying cultivation with Guang Chengzi from before he was 15. From then on, he began to help his father Shaodian manage the affairs of the tribe. Guang Chengzi knew about this and told Xuanyuan to deal with the clan's affairs in daytime and study cultivation at night.
Henceforth Xuanyuan kept all things in good order and helped the Youxiong tribe grow steadily. Seeing this, Shaodian resigned his sovereign authority to Xuanyuan under the disguise of senility.
The Youxiong tribe developed quite well under the leadership of Xuanyuan. People in nearby tribes heard that Xuanyuan was not only the disciple of immortals but also a man with the qualities of a Great Sage, so they joined Xuanyuan one by one. Youxiong tribe thus rapidly became one of the strongest tribes and Xuanyuan's name was widespread in the Human Tribe.
At that time, the land available for farming was infinite in the Human Tribe, but people in the tribe always quarreled about the territory. After thorough consideration, Xuanyuan decided to greatly develop the farming based on the God Farmer's achievements and to measure the field by feet in order to avoid quarrels. He then redistributed the land and coordinated the farming. As a result, the output of grain was sharply increased in the Youxiong tribe.
When the grain was sufficient, Xuanyuan began to fix his eyes on the military training. He ran the army strictly and helped increase the strength of the army by a large margin.
God Farmer was looking for a successor in Chen Du. He heard that Xuanyuan, the leader of the Youxiong tribe, was a gifted man. Under his leadership, the Xuanyuan tribe had developed vastly compared to the past. God Farmer couldn't help but think that Xuanyuan might be the one he had been seeking out for so long.
God Farmer instantly left Chen Du and hurried to the Xuanyuan tribe. Firstly, he wanted to see whether Xuanyuan was a Great Sage as the story went or not with his own eyes. Secondly, he wanted to witness the changes in the Youxiong tribe, as it was said.
When God Farmer finally arrived at the Youxiong tribe, travel-worn and weary, he found a very thriving scene. God Farmer knew at once that Xuanyuan
was equal to the reputation. He was looking forward to meeting Xuanyuan now.
When he entered the Youxiong tribe, God Farmer told the tribesmen who he was and demanded to see Xuanyuan. The tribesmen were all pleasantly surprised at his arrival. As it was well known that the God Farmer's prestige in the Human Tribe had completely surpassed that of the Heavenly Sovereign Fuxi.
Now the honorable man was present in the Youxiong tribe, how could the tribesmen not be surprised? God Farmer was welcomed to a room and waited for a minute. Xuanyuan then hurriedly came in.
God Farmer involuntarily looked Xuanyuan up and down. Xuanyuan was nine feet high, with dashing eyebrows and bright eyes, shining like the stars in the sky. He stood there quietly, surrounded by an aura of authority. His eyes revealed his sovereign position.
God Farmer looked at Xuanyuan and inwardly sighed. What an excellent guy! Xuanyuan was shocked at first when he got the news that the Sovereign of Human tribe, God Farmer, visited the tribe. He had no idea of God Farmer's purposes. So he hurriedly walked out and genuflected in front of the God Farmer. He said respectfully, "Your Majesty Sovereign, welcome to our tribe, I'm the leader of the Youxiong tribe, Xuanyuan."
Guang Chengzi came together with Xuanyuan and also saluted to God Farmer. He said, "Your Majesty Sovereign, I'm Guang Chengzi. It's my honor to meet you today." Since he was defeated by Liu er, Guang Chengzi's character had greatly changed. He would never think too much of himself again, though his pride somehow remained.
God Farmer laughed and held Xuanyuan up. He said, "Let's throw away unnecessary formalities. I've heard of you for a long time. It's said that you're a Great Sage of the Human Tribe. Now I see that you're indeed equal to your reputation." He then turned to Guang Chengzi and said, "Fellow Taoist, you should not take unnecessary formality neither."
Xuanyuan modestly replied. "Your Majesty Sovereign, you flatter me. I really don't deserve such an honor." God Farmer brought Xuanyuan into the room and began to discuss the problems in managing the tribe. Meanwhile, he observed Xuanyuan carefully. God Farmer discussed with Xuanyuan for a long time, he then absolutely believed that Xuanyuan was a Great Sage. But Xuanyuan's way of governance was not a completely kingly way. It was a combination of the kingly way and the hegemonic way. God Farmer hesitated about whether he should choose Xuanyuan as the successor or not.
After much deliberation, God Farmer considered the present situation in the Human Tribe and eventually decided to take Xuanyuan as the successor to inherit the sovereign of the Human Tribe. God Farmer made up his mind and called Xuanyuan over. He said, "Xuanyuan, pack your luggage and come back to Chen Du with me. I'll abdicate the position of the sovereign of the Human Tribe to you."
Xuanyuan was greatly shocked and cried out. "Your Majesty Sovereign! You can't do so. I'm too incompetent for the position as sovereign. Please withdraw your order!"
God Farmer sighed and said, "Xuanyuan, I know full well whether you're qualified or not. All right, no need to say anymore. Go and pack your luggage and then come to Chen Du with me. This is an order." Xuanyuan had no choice but to follow God Farmer's words. When God Farmer decided to bring Xuanyuan back to Chen Du, the clansmen of the Youxiong tribe were all excited. Guang Chengzi got the news at once and was overjoyed in his heart. Since God Farmer had made such a decision, it was obvious that Xuanyuan's work had received God Farmer's recognition. There was no doubt that the God Farmer would abdicate the position as sovereign to Xuanyuan. How could Guang Chengzi not be happy?
Under such circumstances, the position of the Human Sovereign was fixed to Xuanyuan. When Xuanyuan actualized the Human Sovereign, Guang Chengzi would naturally obtain much merit. Guang Chengzi was now at the Secondary Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal cultivation. Once he received much merit, his cultivation would be sharply promoted to be closer to the Sage-to-be Realm.
...
In the Untainted Land, the Human Tribe had nine big tribes in total. They were Quan tribe, Yu tribe, Square tribe, Huang tribe, Bai tribe, Chi tribe, Xuan tribe, Wind tribe and Yang tribe. They composed the nine Li tribes, or as they were also called the nine Yi tribes. There were nine different clans in each tribe, totaling 81 clans. The population was large and the strength of the tribes couldn't be underestimated.
Soon after Xuanyuan was born in the Youxiong tribe, the nine Li tribes also welcomed a baby that weighed 8.5 kilograms. He began to speak when he was seven years old and named himself Chi You. He was now 13 years old, with a height of two feet. He admired neither Heaven nor Earth. He also refused to worship the Sage or learn the way of Dao. He was born with superhuman strength and could easily tear beasts into pieces like child's play. With fierce Evil Spirit floating around, all Exotic Beasts in the Untainted Land dared not to provoke Chi You.
He was so distinguished that Li, the leader of the tribe, decided to pass the crown to Chi You. But people in the nine Li tribes didn't know the true origin of Chi You. When Chi You was seven years old, his veridical soul finally awaked. He remembered that he was exactly the incarnation of Ancestor Chi You, the thirteenth Ancestor of sorcerer.
Tribesmen of the Wu Tribe normally returned to Heaven and Earth when they died. However, for some unknown reasons, when Chi You was killed by the Wu-killing Sword, his resentments remained and carried his veridical soul along with them, wandering in the world together. When Xuanyuan was born, the veridical soul of Chi You was also reincarnated in the nine Li tribes. How dramatic the fate was.
Chi You's incarnation was a human body. When he was seven years old, his wisdom developed and he also remembered his previous incarnation. Chi You was a person unwilling to remain out of the limelight. He had succeeded the nine Li tribes with great effort, but he was not satisfied. Every time Chi You thought about the decline of the Wu Tribe, his heart was filled with regret.
Chi You thought over and over again and finally came up with an idea. He planned to summon the remainders of the Wu Tribe and strengthen the nine Li tribes. By then, they would be able to fight against the other tribes and unify the Human Tribe in Untainted Land. As a result, the Wu Tribe could also be prosperous. The tribesmen of the Wu Tribe could occupy a high position in the Human Tribe and he could even monopolize the position of the Human Sovereign. What a fine thing! So, Chi You bid farewell to Li with the excuse of finding masters to help the nine Li tribes. He then went to the Hall of Pangu in order to summon the remainders of the Wu Tribe.
After the final battle between the Wu Tribe and the Demon Tribe, most elites of the Wu Tribe were assembled in the Hall of Pangu, while others were gathered in the Nether World. The Hall of Pangu was guarded by the Great Sorcerer Xing Tian, Xiang Liu, Jiu Feng, He Shi, Yu Bo and so on. No one in the Untainted Land dared to invade it. Therefore, the Wu Tribe had lost the sovereign of the Untainted Land, though they could still live a tranquil life.
Chi You was quite familiar with the path to the Hall of Pangu, just like a duck to water. When he was nearly half a mile away from the Hall, a giant guy appeared that was almost 30 feet tall. His eyes were as big as a pair of brass gongs. He stared at Chi You and cried out. "My dear brother!"
Chi You laughed aloud and stepped forward. He said, "Although I've changed my appearances, you still recognize me, my dear brother." The Wu Tribe cultivated in the Original Spirit. They knew nothing about the way of Dao, but they had Inborn Sensitivity. It was an instinct of battle. When confronted with cognations of the Wu Tribe, they could be telepathic with each other. Chi You's body belonged to the Human Tribe, however, his veridical soul remained unchanged. So Xing Tian easily recognized him from far away.
Chapter 179: Houtu's Scheme
Xiang Tian exchanged a few courteous words with Chi You before leading him to the Zu Wu Palace, where the Great Sorcerers were all startled to see him. Xuan Ming, the Ancestor of Sorcery who governed the Hall of Pangu, cried in surprise, "My thirteenth brother, you must have the blessing of God the Father to get such a chance to live in the Untainted World. How's your life in the Human Tribe?"
Chi You replied, "Greetings to Sister Senior. You may not be aware of this but I currently command some authority in the Nine Li Tribe of the Human Tribe. I'll likely be its leader in the future." With only two women among the Twelve Ancestors of Sorcery, Xuan Ming, and Houtu, he addressed them Senior Sister and Junior Sister.
Xuan Ming laughed. "Blessings always follow misfortunes." The Wu Tribesmen became silent at the mention of the Human Tribe. They never thought that such a weak tribe would end up thriving in such a short time and even taking the coveted the position of the ruler of Heaven and Earth. Life was really capricious!
Chi You could sense their dejection and immediately added, "I'm sure you all know about our golden chance. The Human Tribe is choosing their Three Royals and Five Emperors and will soon be enthroning their third Human Sovereign. If you can help me get that position, I'll make sure our Wu Tribe will prosper again with the Luck of the Human Tribe even if we can't return to our heydays."
The eyes of the Wu tribesmen sparkled with hope. It was true they couldn't contend for the position, but Chi You, being a mixed-blood of both tribes, was naturally qualified to do so. If he truly succeeded, their tribe would likely thrive again.
But the decision was too grave for Xuan Ming to make alone. She must consult Houtu, the only Sage in their tribe, as it involved the competition among all the Sages. With Houtu trapped in the Nether Land, they would probably lose the fight against the other Sages even with Great Sorcerers like her and Xing Tian.
After careful consideration, she said, "This involves Sages, so I can't promise you right now. But what you said is right. It's indeed a heaven-sent opportunity for the Wu Tribe. Why don't I take you to the Nether World for a discussion with Houtu?" Chi You nodded. This truly needed Houtu's permission. If he had a Sage backing him up, he would be better grounded in contention for the position against other Sages.
He might be courageous and strong among humans but lacked strength compared to the ordinary Wu Tribesmen because he wasn't a pure-blooded Wu. He had just improved his Martial Arts cultivation to the level of Conversion Spirit into Emptiness. He could only give up cultivating the Nine Cycles Arcane Techniques of the Wu Tribe as it would take far too long for a mixed-blood like him.
Xuan Ming flew all the way to the Nether Land with Chi You, being discreet to prevent the Sages from noticing. Since the Sages were so preoccupied with the position of the Human Sovereign, they rarely paid any attention to the happenings inside the Wu Tribe. What she didn't know was that the minute Chi You recovered his memory, Minghe's Clone of Blood God had sent him the news. Naturally, he started focusing on the Wu Tribe.
When they arrived at the Nether World, Xuan Ming took Chi You to see Houtu. The latter was startled to see him and immediately put up a shield all around them to ward off eavesdroppers. When she heard about Chi You's plan, she became intrigued as well.
Houtu smiled when she saw how expectant Chi You's eyes looked. "We share the same thought. It's my plan to help enthrone a mixed-blood of the Human and Wu Tribes. When he becomes the Human Sovereign, we can at least some of his merit and use the Human Tribe's luck to rejuvenate or our own. With you here, it saves me the trouble of having to choose someone."
Chi You and Xuan Ming rejoiced to hear these words. "Second Sister, I'm now an adult and it won't be long until I'm made the leader of the nine Li tribes. If I have Xing Tian and the others supporting me, I'm sure to successfully unify the other tribes carrying the Wu blood in them. When that happens, it'll be an easy task to get the position of the Human Sovereign," Chi You said.
Houtu shook her head. "You're too naive, Chi You. The God Farmer has already decided on Xuanyuan of the Youxiong tribe as his successor. And Xuanyuan has the Primeval Lord of Heaven's support as well. It's impossible for you to fight for that position for you have neither the support nor credibility. Even if you have our Wu Tribe backing you up, you'll be hard-pressed to win Xuanyuan who has the Primeval Lord of Heaven. The Holy Land of the Human Tribe may even be supporting Xuanyuan. When that happens, your chances will be even lower."
Her words came as an especially harsh blow for Chi You. It was true that not even a united Wu Tribe would be able to match up to the Holy Land of the Human Tribe. Never mind the fact that Xuanyuan had the Primeval Lord of Heaven's support and Houtu was trapped in the Nether World. With such slim chances, it was unlikely Houtu would allow the Wu Tribe to participate in this power struggle.
Xuan Ming asked in confusion, "If you know our chances are slim, then why did you say you'd pick someone out of the mixed-bloods of the Wu and Demon Tribes and make him the Human Sovereign? Do you have a plan in mind?" Chi You's eyes looked hopeful again.
Houtu smiled without saying anything. With a simple wave of her hand, a gilded stream of golden air in the shape of a dragon appeared. They could faintly hear the sound of roaring. Chi You felt a weight pressing on his back, though he didn't know what it was. Unlike him, Xuan Ming recognized it to be what the Martial Ancestor of the Human Tribe used to get the Human Sovereign position when Fuxi was actualizing. She cried out in surprise, "The Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign! How did you get it? Did Minghe give it to our tribe?" Though it was much smaller than what Fuxi received, it was nevertheless a beyond priceless item.
Houtu's expression shifted and she said placidly, "You're right, but it's not from Minghe. I got it from Hongyun when Minghe sent her purusa to go through reincarnation. If Chi You has it, he'll have the right to fight for the position. There's nothing the Primeval Lord of Heaven can do about it but send his disciples to assist Xuanyuan. This way, the Holy Land of the Human Tribe also has no ground to favor Xuanyuan."
Though Xuan Ming was happy to hear that, she soon asked in deep concern, "For Hongyun to have that aura with her during reincarnation, then that must mean Minghe plans for her to be next Human Sovereign. Now that you've taken it from her, won't you be foiling Minghe's plans?"
"Minghe was indeed a friend before," Xuan Ming said indifferently, "but he allowed our nemesis, Fu Xi, to reincarnate as the Human Sovereign. Has he cared about our reaction? This time, my actions are a reminder to him that I'm the founder of the Six Path of Reincarnation and the Nether World he owns is the benefit he reaped from me. At the end of the day, the Sixth Path of Reincarnation is still the most crucial part of the Nether World. I'm only reminding him who's the true owner."
Naturally, she could sense her sister's fear and worries. After all, Minghe was the powerful Origin and defying him would bring no advantage to their tribe. She thought differently, however. It was something worth trying. She laughed and said, "Don't worry. I now have the power of a Sage at the Secondary Stage and the Bell of Chaos as well. Minghe is still in the early stage of the Origin; he's completely not my match. Don't overthink this. Minghe wouldn't fight me over this."
Xuan Ming nodded, though she still worried about it. Chi You, however, never turned his attention away from the Supreme Aura of Human Sovereign. Houtu smiled and pushed the aura directly into him. "Chi You, you're pure-blooded and your cultivation is still low. You may enter the Blood Pond in the Hall of Pangu to increase your blood flow. But remember to increase your blood to no more than half human, half Wu. Otherwise, even with that aura, you'll lose your right to fight for that position." Houtu then turned to Chi You. "Make arrangements accordingly besides sending Xing Tian to help Chi You. Though Xing Tian is a Great Sorcerer, he's also a Sage-to-be now. I suppose none of the Primeval Lord of Heaven's disciples have anything against Xing Tian and when that happens, he himself may step in. That'd be disastrous for us."
Xuan Ming nodded in agreement, knowing too well the severe consequences it might incur. It was hard for her to defeat Xing Tian with his complete set of Shields and Broadax, never mind those disciples of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. They were no more than the disciples of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, and if they were hurt during the fight, the bad- tempered Primeval Lord of Heaven would definitely kill Xing Tian.
Chapter 180: The God Farmer's Abdicating the Throne
Chi You was now well-qualified to compete with Xuanyuan for the Human Sovereign position after receiving the vital force of Human Sovereign. Though Xuanyuan had the God Farmer's recognition, he didn't have the aura. It was naturally impossible for ordinary humans to determine who was the real Human Sovereign. Power, therefore, became the sole determinant in selecting the Human Sovereign.
With Houtu's permission, Xuan Ming' took Chi You to a hidden room with a large Blood Pond inside the Hall of Pangu. Besides the Ancestors of Sorcery, it was where all the oldest Wu Tribesmen originated from.
However, the Wu Tribesmen now reproduced through fertility means. 10,000 years had passed and none of them were born from this pond anymore. If Chi You immersed himself in the pond to rebalance his mixed-blood, his cultivation would definitely see an improvement. By then, he could double his efficiency when cultivating the Nine Cycles Arcane Techniques and the transforming exercises of Martial Arts.
After 49 days, he emerged from the pond with half human and half Wu blood and the cultivation improved to the Peak Realm of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. His human body was comparable to that of Great Sorcerers, but the price for all his enhancements was the nearly dried Blood Pond.
He soon left his closed-door meditation and left the Hall of Pangu with Xiang Liu, Jiu Feng, He Shi, Yu Bo, and several other Great Sorcerers. Hundreds of the elite Wu Tribesmen also tagged along, eager to leave. They were naturally predisposed to war and had long become sick of the peace.
Chi You made it back to his tribes with more than 10 Great Sorcerers and a great number of Wu Tribesmen after a week. The Wu Tribesmen claimed to have been impressed by Chi You's bravery and courage and decided to follow him. Their presence came as a shock to the entire Nine Li tribes.
The first tribe in the Nine Li tribes shared the Wu blood, so they naturally welcomed the Wu Tribesmen with open arms.
From this, the leader of the Da Xing tribe was amazed by how Chi You subdued the Wu Tribesmen and thought he was the true leader of the Nine Li tribes. Within a year, he abdicated his throne and handed off all powers to Chi You. Chi You, by nature, wasn't fond of bloody battles but had developed quite the cunning mind after being reincarnated as a human for years.
For a time, the Martial Arts of Immortality pervaded in the Nine Li tribes. Like all the other tribes, the tribesmen worshipped the Holy Mother of Human Tribe, Goddess Nyuwa and other sages in the Human Clan. They also enshrined the gods of the Heavenly Court and the Four Ancestors of Humanity. It wasn't appropriate for Chi You to step in then.
Though Great Sorcerers were powerful, they were nevertheless outsiders. Even if they fought for power and succeeded, the Nine Li tribes would definitely suffer.
The roots of the Wu Tribesmen in his Nine Li tribes wasn't firm yet, so Chi You didn't rush to wage war against Xuanyuan. Instead, he continued to expand the Wu influence by getting more and more elite Wu Tribesmen to join them. In the meantime, he led his tribesmen to invade and occupy surrounding tribes.
The Great Sorcerers were frighteningly apt at fighting. Wherever they went, they would let those who surrender live and kill those who don't. They were like the autumn wind sweeping over fallen leaves. Thanks to them, the population of the Nine Li tribes increased rapidly. Many of the Wu Clansmen were also made to live with and marry humans. Their offsprings were called Wu human.
With so many feats and exploits, Chi You gradually improved the prestige of the Wu Clan. The Great Sorcerers gradually wrestled power from the 81 clans in the Nine Li tribes. Decades later, the Nine Li tribes continued to dominate through conquest and supplemented their growth with labor.
It occurred to Chi You that he didn't have a powerful weapon in hand. The Wu Tribesmen couldn't cultivate their Original Spirits; they could only make a blood sacrifice to their Spiritual Treasures and those treasures couldn't be used freely. Now that he was in a human body, he could cultivate his Original Spirit and decided to refine a Devil Knife.
So he ordered Xingtian and the other Great Sorcerers to assassinate the Taoists in the Nine Li tribes for their Blood of Essence. He used the blood, along with the many treasures in the heaven and earth, to refine the Devil Knife. After 49 days, the knife was finally complete and its birth eclipsed even the sun and moon. A flash of crimson light surged high into the sky, heralding its great power.
Chi You swung the knife towards the enemy territory, and over ten thousand miles of land was soon veiled in a bloody mist. The wind carried the smell of blood and whoever breathed it in would turn pale and fall. Even Veridical Immortals would become lost in the mist and lose sight. Once a person became tainted by the Bloody Fog, his treasures and Original Spirit would both be sucked into the knife, allowing the knife to grow in power. Chi You named it the Tiger Soul Knife.
...
After following the God Farmer back to Chen Du, Xuanyuan followed the same procedure as when the God Farmer became Fuxi's successor. He became his assistant and familiarize himself with the responsibilities of the Human Sovereign. In three years, he would be enthroned.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye. The same thing happened on the same platform outside Chen Du, though the God Farmer and Kongxuan had replaced Fuxi and Liu'er respectively. Underneath the platform, there were countless more humans who came to witness the crowning of the new Human Sovereign compared to when the God Farmer inherited the throne from Fuxi. Under the God Farmer's leadership, the Human Tribe had become larger and stronger. They were now indisputably the largest tribe in the Untainted Land.
After walking to the platform, the God Farmer nodded at Xuanyuan and they stepped forward and prayed. Myriads of golden petals fell down seconds later and seven silhouettes suddenly appeared in the sky.
It was the arrival of Minghe, Goddess Nyuwa, Laozi, Tongtian, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti. Following them was the group from the Holy Land of Human Clan led by the Four Ancestors of Humanity and Fuxi, the Heavenly Sovereign. As it was a ceremony held for the Human Sovereign, there was no way they wouldn't come.
Since everyone was here, the abdication ceremony officially began. The God Farmer walked to the platform and said loudly, "I'm the God Farmer who have planted the Five Grains and tasted various herbs. I've now fulfilled my merit and is no longer suitable to be the sovereign. Today I'll abdicate the throne formally to a Great Sage of the Human Clan. He's Xuanyuan, the leader of Youxiong tribe. From now on, he'll be the Human Sovereign, leading you to a brighter future."
Like what happened with Fuxi, the crowd began to chant the names of the God Farmer and Xuanyuan. A thick beam of Golden Light of Merit suddenly flashed, stronger than the one appearing at Fuxi's ceremony.
The merit was divided into two parts: 80 percent was for the God Farmer and the rest for Kongxuan. Instantly, both of them were enveloped by the Golden Light of Merit. The Way of Dao, which used to be blurry, was now crystal clear to Kongxuan.
A cloud of Blessings with billowing air and three blooming flowers appeared over Kongxuan's head. A burst of light flashed and out jumped a man, who said, "Congratulations on becoming a Sage-to-be. Achieving the Way of Dao is just a matter of time for you." Kongxuan smiled and replied, "We're both one and the same. We share the same joy." Smiling, the man transformed into a light and entered Kongxuan's body.
Next to Kongxuan was a surprised Minghe. Though his disciple had achieved the separation of his bodies, his cultivation only developed to the Early Stage of Sage-to-be. His three separations were also abnormal, with cultivations only at the Early Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. Evidently, he didn't use a primordial spiritual treasure to achieve the separation.
Minghe looked at his disciple with a smile. Kongxuan was indeed Kongxuan, with his own pride. His disciple knew he couldn't catch up to Liu'er if he tried to become a Sage-to-be using the Way of the Three Separations and it would also bring him limited achievements. Thus he created another way to complete the separation.
He had once come to Minghe to ask why he had to complete his three separations. Minghe laughed and said, "Silly boy, the Way of the Three Separations is Hongjun's Way of Dao, not yours. You can follow and learn from another person's Way of Dao, but not necessarily."
Minghe felt comforted to see Kongxuan's achievements. His disciple had finally discovered his own Way of Dao. The separation earlier wasn't any of the Three Separations, but the Golden separation of the Five Phases Separation using mid- grade primordial spiritual roots inside the space of Divine Five Colored Light. It was reasonable that his separation didn't have a high cultivation. The Sages also noticed the changes in Kongxuan's change after his separation, but it didn't concern them. Without Hong Meng Immortal Qi, Kongxuan had no chance of becoming a sage with merely Way of the Three Separations. He could only achieve The Origin through The Tao of Divine Law but that would take an indefinitely long time. Thus he posed no threat to the Sages.
However, two out of Minghe's three disciples were now Sages- to-be. That threatened the Humanity, Enlightenment, and Severity Tribes, as well as the Western Religious Sect. The best disciples had cultivation no higher than the peak stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. Even with all of their disciples united, they wouldn't be able to defeat Liu'er and Kongxuan. This shamed the Sages greatly and they all hoped their disciples would become a the Fruit of Sage-to-be someday.