NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 16: The Martial Ancestor’s Might
Under Fuxi's rule, humanity no longer had to worry about starvation and conducted themselves in an orderly manner. For the first time in a long time, the population started to grow once more. Consequently, humanity's Karmic Luck once again increased, which was felt by those intimately connected to them, like Saint Nuwa, Laozi, and Tongtian.
However, all was not well. Humanity still couldn't resist calamities like earthquakes and hurricanes. Wherever calamities occurred, massive amounts of humans died. Fuxi tried to dispatch the immortals under his command to guard the settlements, but there were too many humans and not enough immortals.
Fuxi wracked his brains, but he couldn't figure out a solution. Left with no choice, he sought Xuandu for advice.
"Teacher, please advise Student," Fuxi said as he bowed to Xuandu.
Xuandu sighed. He was still a Golden Immortal of the Great Unity, but Fuxi was already a Golden Immortal of the Great Firmament. Hundreds of years had passed since his marriage with Nuwa, more than enough time for Fuxi to step into the next realm.
"Your strength far surpasses mine now. There's no need to address me so respectfully anymore, I have nothing left to teach you," Xuandu said.
Fuxi disagreed. "Even if my strength surpasses Teacher, it does not erase the relationship and all the grace you have bestowed upon me."
"Since you even said that point, I have no choice but to help," Xuandu joked. "I don't want to trouble Master, so I can only trouble Ancestor."
"Ancestor?" Fuxi asked.
"Yes, the Martial Ancestor, humanity's strongest ancestor and the one who helped humanity survive during the demon's massacre," Xuandu said.
At this, Fuxi's heart gained a hint of excitement. Aside from Saint Nuwa, the Martial Ancestor was the immortal that Fuxi admired the most. Having grown up hearing his legends, Fuxi had always aspired to shield humanity as the Martial Ancestor had. Not even the Three Purities could elicit such a reaction from him.
Xuandu smiled. Although he was Laozi's disciple, as a human, he also admired the eldest senior brother of the Supreme Purity lineage very much. His figure merged with the air, and he disappeared. "Wait here."
"I bid Teacher a good trip," Fuxi said, not following.
After the end of the Titan-Demon Tribulation, Wutian led humanity back to their old nest near Shouyang Mountain and the East Sea. He had rebuilt their headquarters, and at the core was the Human Temple.
Inside the temple was a shrine where a statue of Nuwa was on the highest level. The level under it were three tablets inscribed in Dao Script with the names of humanity's three fallen ancestors. Below them were the numerous humans that contributed to their rise and survival.
Wutian sat on a prayer mat in front of them in a lotus position with his eyes closed. His aura flickered explosively, but it seemed ethereal, as if it was all just an illusion. He slowly opened his eyes. "Xuandu, did a problem occur with Fuxi?"
"Fuxi wants to prevent disaster from impacting humans, but he doesn't know what to do," Xuandu answered. "I seek advice from Senior Brother."
Wutian murmured something, but it was so low that Xuandu couldn't understand what was said. Wutian nodded. "I understand. Wait here."
He stood up and flew out of the Human Temple toward the North. His figure became like a shooting star as his speed increased with each passing second.
Finally, Wutian stopped in front of Darknorth Palace, the lair of Kunpeng. The sheer force of immediately stopping from his high speed released a sonic bomb that caused the wind and waves to surge.
"Human, you dare cause trouble in my territory?!" an angry voice roared as a hook-nosed man with narrow eyes appeared across from Wutian in the sky.
Wutian didn't say anything and just stared at Kunpeng. Among the Demon Clan's upper echelon, many of them had ill fate.
Demon Emperor Di Jun died during the final battle against the titans. His wife, Xihe, died before him. His brother, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, also sacrificed himself in the final war between the two species.
The then-Southern Emperor, Nuwa, didn't participate since she had already been consecrated. However, her brother Fuxi had met a similar fate to the brothers born of the Supreme Yang Star. The only reason he survived was that Nuwa saved a remnant of his soul, but even then, he had been forced to give up his body and identity as a demon to reincarnate as a human.
Of the Ten Demon Sages of the Demon Clan, only Bai Ze and Ji Meng remained alive. Bai Ze led the remaining Demon Clan and took shelter under Nuwa's wing. As for Ji Meng, he had submitted to become Tongtian's mount, thus giving the Deer Clan a chance to amend their Karmic Sins.
The last Wutian had heard, almost all their Karmic Sins had been offset with the merit earned working under the Heavenly Court. However, he didn't pay too much attention, or he wouldn’t be able to resist killing them. When the Demon Clan massacred humanity, the Deer Clan also participated.
And finally, Kunpeng. Only he survived instead of Di Jun, Taiyi, Fuxi, and the other demon sages because he ran away at a critical time. His departure might not have changed the outcome, but it still greatly impacted the Demon Clan's current state.
"Human, if you leave now, I can give Daoist Tongtian face and let you go free," Kunpeng said.
Wutian sneered. "You sure have a big mouth for a coward. Is my master's name something you can casually say?"
"You little," Kunpeng growled. "You're just a lucky fellow that didn't die thanks to your master. Do you really think you're some major power?"
"Lucky fellow?" Wutian repeated. "Perhaps, but if you're considered a major power, so am I. Enough, I don't want to waste words with you, hand the Celestial River Diagram over."
"Hand over my spiritual artifact? You sure dream big," Kunpeng sneered.
"Since when did the Celestial River Diagram belong to you? You're simply an opportunistic fowl," Wutian mocked. "Fuxi requires it to fulfill his destiny as the heavenly sovereign. I'm sure you know Fuxi's relationship with Saint Nuwa, don't you? Oh right, wasn't a strand of your truesoul stuck in the Demon Summoning Banner? And isn't it in Mother Nuwa's hands?"
Kunpeng's expression turned nasty. Of all the things that had happened to him, he regarded Di Jun forcibly recruiting him to be the most shameful period of his life.
Originally, Kunpeng had no plans to join the Demon Heavenly Court, but after attacking Redcloud Ancestor and injuring himself, he fell to Di Jun's sneak attack. To guarantee his loyalty, Di Jun forced him to leave a strand of his truesoul in the Demon Summoning Banner.
The Demon Summoning Banner was a high-grade cardinal spiritual artifact Nuwa had refined using a gourd from the Immortal Gourd Vine, one of the top ten connate spiritual roots, and the Demon Banner. It allowed the wielder to control any demon who left a strand of their truesoul inside. Conversely, any demon that left a strand of its truesoul that died could be revived. Unfortunately, Di Jun only used it to restrain Kunpeng and the weaker demons, not the upper echelons like Fuxi or the Ten Demon Sages.
"You’re seeking death!" Kunpeng shouted. His hands formed claws as an apparition of a giant roc appeared behind him.
Excitement flashed in Wutian's eyes. "Kunpeng, you brought this upon yourself!"
"Taste the hatred of humanity!" Wutian shouted. From his master, he learned that Kunpeng actively encouraged the demons to hunt down humans to refine their flesh and soul. He could tolerate Fuxi as the heavenly sovereign because he had attempted to stop the massacre. But Kunpeng was another story.
Wutian didn't exhibit any fancy techniques or summon astonishing phenomena. He simply raised his fist to meet Kunpeng's strike.
Fist and claws clashed.
Kunpeng's disdainful expression abruptly changed. Wutian's power was not one whit weaker than his own. The two stumbled back tens of steps before stabilizing. "Impossible!"
"Kunpeng, you aren't as mighty as you think! Did you think that just because you were one of Violet Heaven Palace's three thousand guests, no one could catch up to you?" Wutian mocked. "I'll tell you right now: if you stagnate, the new generation will surpass you!"
Wutian shifted into a martial arts stance and then charged at Kunpeng. Unwilling to show any cowardice and establish his prestige, Kunpeng also charged forward. The great roc apparition behind him condensed into a manifestation.
The two Quasi-Saints clashed again and again. As time passed, Kunpeng showed his superiority and suppressed Wutian, but Wutian just brought out a spear and regained his footing.
Kunpeng hissed as he failed to fully dodge Wutian's spear thrust, and the tip split open his skin. He eyed the spear with envy. Through the exchange of blows, he realized that the spear in Wutian's hand was a high-grade innate spiritual artifact. Furthermore, the robe Wutian wore was a meritorious spiritual artifact that diffused most of his attacks.
He no longer held back because of seniority and unleashed his Three Thousand Demon Script. The three thousand words formed a vast domain. Any demon within would have their powers increased while all other lifeforms would find themselves suppressed.
The battle between two Quasi-Saints alerted all the major powers of the Three Realms. On Mount Sumeru in the West, Zhunti watched the sphere displaying the battle and sighed. "Had I known that humanity would become the protagonist of heaven and earth, I should have accepted a few as a disciple when Nuwa first created them."
"Don't blame yourself," Jieyin consoled. "I'm afraid no one else knew of humanity's future status except for the Dao Ancestor. The current generation of humans, aside from the future rulers, cannot compare to the first generation. It's better to focus on our disciples."
Zhunti nodded. He looked down and glanced at the numerous disciples he and his senior brother accepted. Although the West was barren, the allure of becoming a disciple to a Saint of Heaven was still very attractive, but only three stood out among the thousands of disciples.
They were Maitreya, Ksitigarhba, and Dishitian. Sensing Zhunti's gaze, the three turned around and bowed.
"Master, I will do my best to reach the same height as the Martial Ancestor and Kunpeng Ancestor," Maitreya said.
Dishitian's eyes shone with ambition. "Master, I don't vow to reach their height but to surpass them!"
Unlike Maitreya or Dishitian, Ksitgarhba didn't say anything. It was as if he didn't care for external things, and endless compassion poured out of his eyes.
Zhunti smiled. He and Jieyin shared a look, and they both agreed on who to teach the western emperor.
On Jin'ao Island, Redcloud Ancestor sighed. He had to applaud Tongtian's insight when she accepted Wutian as a disciple. He glanced at his own disciples. From the initial few hundred, they have grown to several thousand. Still, most of them were only outer disciples, and he still had the same four inner disciples.
They were Daoist Duobao, Sacred Mother Jinling, Sacred Mother Wudang, and Sacred Mother Guiling. All four were still only Profound Immortals, but Duobao was the closest to reaching the Golden Immortal Realm. Their gazes held intense yearning, which Redcloud Ancestor approved. If you do not desire, what would motivate you to improve?
He turned his attention to the outer disciples. Although he didn't accept them as inner disciples, there were still a few standouts comparable to the four inner disciples.
The most outstanding was the group of four consisting of Zhao Gongming and the Ladies of Three Skies: Zhao Yunxiao, the Cloud Sky Lady; Zhao Qiongxiao, the Jade Sky Lady; and Zhao Bixiao, the Green Sky Lady. Like the inner disciples, all four were in the Profound Immortal Realm.
Redcloud Ancestor had chanced upon them on Threesky Island a few years after relocating the Interception Sect to Jin'ao Island. Before he came along, the four siblings had been isolated and only heard of the Saints of Heaven.
Furthermore, the Ladies of Three Skies possessed the Chaos Chalice, a top-grade innate spiritual artifact that allowed them to utilize a devastating array. Of course, it was useless against Redcloud Ancestor. After seeing his power and learning of his identity, the four became outer disciples of the Interception Sect. If he had met them first, the four inner disciples might have become the eight inner disciples.
On Longevity Mountain, Zhen Yuanzi's grip tightened around his whisk.
Like Kunpeng, Zhen Yuanzi was one of the three thousand guests at Violet Heaven Palace. His strength equaled Kunpeng's, and now, he saw a junior who had reached the same level of strength. Adding to his complicated feelings was Redcloud Ancestor's rise.
He felt happy for his bosom friend, he truly did, but Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but feel at a loss. The growing disparity of power between them had formed a fracture in their relationship. Redcloud Ancestor didn't treat him any differently, but Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help the wave of awe that would arise when the two interacted. If the power gap between the two widened, then the friendship would not last.
It wasn't like Zhen Yuanzi hadn't tried to improve his strength, but how could he simply improve just by willing it? He had severed his good and evil thoughts to form two Corpses, and now, only his obsession was preventing him from severing his third Corpse.
Zhen Yuanzi took out the Realmverse Atlas and started to contemplate. Not long later, his eyes exuded a resolute will. There would be no going back.
Kunpeng and Wutian gasped for breath. Wounds littered their bodies, and blood flowed freely into the Darknorth Sea, staining the black sea with a tinge of red. "Human, you should be proud for pushing me this far!"
He didn't waste another word, activating his other artifact, the Darknorth Palace. Although it was only an acquired spiritual artifact, the years Kunpeng poured into it resulted in it possessing power equal to a top-grade innate spiritual artifact.
Black light burst from the palace. It covered the sea and even the sky. "Darknorth Battle Array, arise!"
Wutian grunted as he felt the environment oppress him. Coupled with the suppression of the Three Thousand Demon Script, he could only utilize about sixty percent of his strength. At a battle of this level, it was an absolute disadvantage.
"Know regret, ancestor of humanity," Kunpeng said with a triumphant expression.
However, before it could last long, a sword formed of golden qi pierced through the sky, clouds, and space itself. It landed atop the Darknorth Battle Array. Before Kunpeng's array could even display his formation's power, it shattered into a million pieces.
"What right do you have to say my name?" a thunderous yet melodic voice echoed in the sky.
Kunpeng wanted to cry. ‘Why did you punish me now of all times?!’
Of course, he knew this was Tongtian showing her support for Wutian. Darknorth Palace shrunk into a fraction of its size, allowing Kunpeng to store it with a wave of his hands. Without another word, he turned and fled.
Unless they were a Saint, Kunpeng had confidence in his speed. If he claimed number two in speed, none would declare number one.
"You're not getting away!" Wutian shouted. "Zhengyi Robes, capture!"
Countless threads erupted from Wutian's robes. They covered the sky like a heavenly net. All those within had the illusion that they could not escape.
Kunpeng swung his arms, shattering countless threads, but for every one he broke, two would replace them. In a short few seconds, thousands of lines encased him. He roared, and his body returned to its original form, a great roc.
Wutian snorted and increased the number of threads. The thousands of threads that trapped Kunpeng soon numbered tens of thousands. Kunpeng's wrath echoed above the sea. "You forced me!"
Kunpeng's avian form shifted until it was an armored fish over a thousand li large. He faced Wutian and opened his jaws. Wutian’s inner energy, his body, and everything around him fly toward the peng fish.
This was Kunpeng's innate ability, Heaven Swallower. It allowed him to devour all things in the world that entered his mouth and convert it into energy for his use.
Now, it was Wutian's turn to resist. Despite his best efforts, his inner energy continually leaked from his pores, and blood started to fly out of his orifices and into the peng fish's maws.
"As long as human will perseveres, the flames of humanity is everlasting!" A warm ember shrouded Wutian's entire body and transformed into a raging inferno. The flame flickered, unaffected by Kunpeng's devouring as if it was an illusion, but it blocked the Demon Imperator's technique.
But Wutian wasn't done. "Taste my spear!"
A large amount of the fire covered the speartip. Its colors changed into a hot red, almost like blood. This was pure condensed Human Heartfire which Suiren had used his life to create for humanity.
Wutian charged forward, and Kunpeng panicked. He tried to increase the power of his devouring, but even if Wutian's blood, inner energy, and even his flesh entered his jaws, the Human Heartfire remained on the spear, unmoved by all.
"Hrahhh!" Wutian roared as his spear struck Kunpeng's fish form.
Searing pain engulfed Kunpeng's mind as the speartip gouged a hole into his body. Blood would have poured out and dyed the black seawater red, but the flames cauterized the wound which emitted a foul odor.
Kunpeng screamed and transformed back into his roc form. A portion of his torso was dyed red from Wutian's strike, but he didn't care as he fled into the distance. When he unleashed Heaven Devourer, he had already broken the imprisonment.
Wutian snorted but didn't give chase. His face was ashen, and his mind buzzed. When he unleashed the Human Heartfire, it consumed his thoughts as fuel. He might have fallen unconscious if he had used it for a few breaths longer.
Still, he had accomplished his primary goal. Wutian's eyes flickered to a ball of light. Inside was a book that exuded illusionary stars, the Celestial River Diagram. "Hmpf, I'll let you live a little longer."