Chapter Fifty-One: Returning to Jiuyi, Stirring Startled Faces (2)

Let us speak of Hao Dan and Su Moran.

At this moment, the Feathered Wind God Fan descended silently from the heavens. Hao Dan leapt lightly to the ground, while Su Moran stepped down as though treading upon air. Were there an immortal of the heavens present, they would immediately discern Su Moran’s profound cultivation; this art of walking on air can only be achieved after countless failed attempts, finally condensing the cyclones beneath his feet to resist the void and thus realize the technique. Surely, in his youth, Su Moran was diligent and eager to learn, apprenticed to an elder from distant isles, and indeed he was the sole disciple of that venerable one. All the master’s teachings and legacy were bestowed upon him; hence, Su Moran’s strength was not to be underestimated.

Fortunately, this land was not as perilous and rugged as Lingyue Peak. Under Su Moran’s guidance, the two quickly entered the secret realm. Here as well, a formation protected the place, rendering it undetectable to outsiders.

Along the way, Hao Dan was startled to discover that these spiritual mountains were blessed, brimming with energy, and the birds and beasts moved in an extraordinary peace. Their eyes glimmered with an intelligence almost akin to wisdom. They showed no fear, only a calm composure. Hao Dan thought this would be the perfect place for seclusion and cultivation; if he could borrow the spiritual essence of this region, he would surely attain supreme divine powers, master the mysteries of the arcane, and perhaps even awaken the innate might of the Eastern Emperor.

To return to the main thread: before the two men stood a towering, ancient mountain, its summit piercing the clouds, veiled in celestial mist, presenting a scene of divine realms and immortal splendor. If Su Moran had not signaled Hao Dan to dismount his treasure, Hao Dan might never have noticed that such a sky-piercing peak lay hidden beneath their feet.

This peak was known as Nine Yi Peak. The people of the Nine Yi Tribe called it:

“Nine veins rooted near the heavens, Heaven and earth’s nine bends, Nine Yi Peak.”

The Azure Hill Range stretched far, with nine peaks forming a single line. There was an ancient legend that this place was once where the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Dragons, the Candle Dragon, attained the Dao. In the distant past, the Ancestor of Dragons roamed the world with unmatched renown, leaving countless legends across all lands, rivaling even the Eastern Emperor Taiyi in might and fame. It is said that over twenty thousand years ago, Taiyi and the Dragon Ancestor fought a great battle in the Western Divine Sea. Their powers were so great that they could destroy heaven and earth; in the end, their clash caused Atlantis, the continent beneath the Western Divine Sea, to sink into the abyss. Soon after, the waters of the Divine Sea poured forth, floods swept across the world, and as the Candle Dragon’s life faded, he could not bear to see all living things perish. Thus, at his fall, he transformed his body into the veins and ravines of the land and the Nine Yi Peaks, merging his spirit with the world itself. His immense, sky-covering form became the Azure Hill Range, and his boundless divine energy nurtured generation after generation of life here, enduring through eternity.

Thus, ever since, this place has been where the Ancestors of Nine Yi would enter seclusion and seek the Dao. As a sacred land of the demon race, the spirits, monsters, and beasts here are unlike those of the mundane world. They possess extraordinary spirituality—even the tiniest spider weaves webs of unusual design, which from afar resemble the Taiji and Two Forms, and up close evoke the patterns of the River Diagram and the Luo Book. Their webs encompass all things, wondrous beyond compare.

Luckily, this region was not as hazardous and treacherous as Lingyue Peak in the Illusory Spirit Realm. Guided by Su Moran, the two quickly entered the secret domain, which was likewise protected by a hidden formation, utterly imperceptible to outsiders.

This formation was known as the Ninefold Heaven and Earth Array! It was jointly composed and set by the nine great demon saints of old, who maintained it for nearly a thousand years.

This array, in fact, was the creation of the ancient sage, the Human Sovereign Fuxi, who taught it to Nuwa, the sacred one of the demon race. It was then passed down through the descendants of the demon clan for ten thousand years, never once lost—a supreme art through the ages!

Parting the mists, the two stepped into the clouds and entered the Ninefold Heaven and Earth Array. The mist before their eyes gradually dispersed, and suddenly a breeze blew, gently sweeping aside the clouds to reveal an ancient, unadorned temple. Its walls were streaked with white and red, the red dye peeling away with age, leaving the temple both weathered and yet radiant, solemn and sacred. Above the threshold hung a golden plaque, the words “Worthy of Heaven and Earth” shining brilliantly in golden light.

In front of the threshold, Su Moran suddenly halted, pausing for a moment in silence. Then he turned solemnly to Hao Dan and said, “As a descendant of the demon race, before entering this holy land, I must recount to Your Majesty an episode from our past. Would Your Majesty care to hear it?”

“Oh? I am all ears. I, too, wish to know all there is of the demon race’s history. Though I know now that I am the reincarnation of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, my unawakened memories deny me recollection of our former glory. I am curious—how did such a magnificent race as ours fall to its present state?”

Naturally, Hao Dan was eager to learn of the demon race’s past. In the Illusory Spirit Realm, Lord Lu Ya had never finished his stories—always stopping at the climax, always shrouded in mystery, claiming secrets could not be revealed, to Hao Dan’s great frustration. At that time, he dared not complain.

In short, Hao Dan had heard scattered tales of the past while in the Illusory Spirit Realm, but much still eluded him. It was not that Lord Lu Ya was deliberately withholding; rather, even he did not know everything, and of course there were secrets he could not disclose.

Seeing Hao Dan’s keen interest, Su Moran gracefully raised his right hand, and, with a wave of his sleeve, a breeze scattered the clouds. In an instant, a pair of stone tables and seats appeared outside the ancient temple. Su Moran stepped forward, then stood aside in invitation, gesturing courteously for Hao Dan to be seated.

“Please.”

Hao Dan returned the courtesy and replied, “Please.”

Tales of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s might were legendary to Su Moran. With lingering trepidation in his heart, he chose to keep a certain distance from Hao Dan—should Hao Dan awaken his past memories and power, there would inevitably be a rift between them. Su Moran’s foresight was prudent.

Once the two were seated, Su Moran gazed toward the temple gates and began his tale. “I recall, when I was but a child, I once came here to play, not knowing this was the mountain where the Ancestor secluded himself. The Ancestor, whose spirit was wandering his home of old, returned and happened upon me. At the time, I did not realize he was manifesting, and so I boldly began to chat with him.”

“To be secluded in cultivation, yet have one’s spirit roam—such a tale is new to me!” Hao Dan interrupted instinctively, sensing the gravity of the moment. He quieted himself, and Su Moran, unbothered, gestured with courtesy for him to listen, then continued.

“The Ancestor’s appearance was plain, so much so that others would only take him for an old hermit of the mountains. But I, being perceptive, sensed his extraordinary nature and dared to speak freely with him.”

“He was gentle and amiable, like a breeze in spring. I recall he asked which mountain I hailed from—back then, I was not as I am now, but innocent and lively. I answered truthfully, and upon hearing my reply, the Ancestor smiled and began to recount the history of the demon race. He also foretold the rise and fall of our people, prophesying that we would face a tempestuous calamity that would determine the survival of all three races: humans, demons, and immortals. Should they fail to withstand this tribulation, all living beings would cease to exist! Your Majesty, you can surely sense the gravity of what is to come.”

“With the current Nine Yi uprising, it seems the Ancestor’s prophecy is beginning to be fulfilled. The world’s affairs grow ever more tangled, and all three races are now ensnared in this crisis. Your Majesty’s timely reincarnation within this century is no coincidence. I am certain that, within our lifetimes, the calamity foretold by the Ancestor will come as predicted. The fate of the three races is truly unpredictable!”

At this, Hao Dan seemed to awaken to understanding. Signs from before now suggested that a mighty, unseen hand was manipulating the world from the shadows. Unwittingly, he had already become a piece in the great game. Lord Lu Ya had warned him in the Illusory Spirit Realm not to reveal himself too soon, but even with utmost caution, Hao Dan felt he could not escape the web.

“Could it be the work of the Wu Tribe?” Hao Dan wondered, though he could not be certain. Yet the witch of the Seven Stars Tower in Yudu, capital of the Great Xia, was surely the most suspicious.

“It seems Your Majesty has already guessed. Then allow me to continue. A thousand years ago, the great war between the Wu and Demon Tribes erupted. As the sacred one of the demon race, Nuwa perished while repairing the sky after Buzhou Mountain collapsed, the Heavenly River pouring down upon the mortal world. She fell into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The Human Sovereign Fuxi likewise died in the conflict between Zhu Rong, the Fire God, and Gonggong, the Water God. With their demise, the two demon saints and two ancestral witches all entered the cycle of rebirth. That calamity was the first Great Cataclysm of the Dao, the beginning of the Primal Chaos Tribulation. The loss of the two innate demon saints was a mortal blow to our people. Yet, within a century, another Primal Chaos Tribulation was brought about—and it was because of you, Your Majesty!”

Shock gripped Hao Dan’s heart—how could he, with no memory, recall the causes of a thousand years past?

“Do not be alarmed, Your Majesty. Allow me to explain in detail.” At this moment, Su Moran seemed a different person; perhaps only in telling the old tales of his people did he reveal his truest self.

For in all things, man or demon, there are always two faces—one for the world, one for oneself. This is nothing strange.

“In those days, Your Majesty’s ten golden-crow sons committed a great disaster, repeatedly oppressing the Wu Tribe and eventually slaying the great witch Kuafu by mistake, thus awakening the Wu Tribe’s long-held resentment. Yet this was not the true cause of war. The Nine Phoenixes of the Wu, wife of Kuafu, repeatedly petitioned the ancient Celestial Court and yourself, but was driven from the Jade Palace. Nursing her hatred, she joined with the great witch Houyi to ambush your ten golden-crow sons. In that ambush, Houyi and Nine Phoenixes succeeded in shooting down the ten sons of the heavens. That massacre ignited the war between the Wu and Demon Tribes!”

Just then—

A sudden sound cut through the clouds, a swish as someone strode boldly out from the mist. It was the mysterious man who had appeared at the Marquis of Wu’s estate in Shangqiu—Li by name.

“Who goes there?”