Chapter 76

The fox has never been a particularly brave animal, and even the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox is no exception. When Tushan saw Nüwa’s anger, he quickly knelt down and pleaded, “Your Majesty, I dare not, it was just a slip of the tongue. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me! I only hope that Your Majesty, considering the many pitiful demon races and their status as part of the primordial beings, will show some favor. If so, I would be willing to die!”

Nüwa laughed, “Why would I want your life? Could it possibly benefit me in any way? As for those demon races, haven’t you heard the saying that those who are pitiful must have something hateful about them? You’ve come to the wrong person. I am still focused on dealing with the human race, for they are my descendants!”

“Benefit?” Nüwa’s casual words reminded Tushan. Tushan looked around and said cautiously, “Your Majesty, would you consider trading a piece of information? This information concerns Hongjun—”

Nüwa didn’t care much at first. What value could a piece of information have, especially one that even a Sage doesn’t know? But when she heard the name Hongjun, she immediately cast a spell to seal the Lingxiao Hall. “Speak, let’s see the weight of the information. I’ll consider it!” The name Hongjun itself was a golden brand. Even a small matter concerning Hongjun was a big deal. Moreover, Nüwa held a considerable respect, or perhaps caution, for this First Sage.

“Does Your Majesty know why the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun has never shown himself? After all, the re-establishment of the Heavenly Court concerns the fate of the Xuanmen and the future direction of the primordial world. Why has the Daoist Ancestor never responded?”

“Isn’t he trying to merge with the Dao to become the Heavenly Dao? He might be in a deep meditation. How could he have time to care about external affairs!” Suddenly, Nüwa realized, her eyes sharp as swords, staring at Tushan, “Are you saying that Hongjun’s merging with the Dao has encountered some problems?”

Nüwa feared the Xuanmen, but more so the four Sages, with the First Sage being the foremost. A Sage is one who has achieved the Four Nines of Dao, reaching the pinnacle of heaven and earth, with an immortal heart and an eternal spirit, never dying or perishing, enduring through countless calamities.

But even a Sage who has achieved the Four Nines still has one line unfulfilled. After all, there are fifty great derivations, but one is hidden. This “one” is what Sages like Nüwa seek. Once they achieve it, they can transcend the primordial Heavenly Dao, create their own Heavenly Dao, and thus attain the Great Dao. This is the goal of many Sages.

That means creating a new world, forming a new Heavenly Dao, and thus ascending to the realm of the Heavenly Dao, achieving the fruit of the Great Dao. However, not even the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun, let alone the creator god Pangu, ever reached this level. Otherwise, Pangu wouldn’t have perished in the end.

But to be fair, as the First Sage, Hongjun is the closest to this realm. However, even so, there is still a significant gap. So, this pioneer came up with a clever method.

Since he couldn’t achieve perfection or transcend on his own, he decided to use external forces! The primordial Heavenly Dao is already an existing Heavenly Dao. By merging with it, he would naturally be in the realm of the Heavenly Dao, thus achieving the fruit of the Great Dao. And he could also control the primordial universe, wouldn’t that be a good thing?

“You’re right!” Tushan clenched his teeth and continued, “Your Majesty is also a Sage, and you should understand that the path of the Sage is the achievement of the Four Nines, but it is still not complete. Therefore, the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun merged with the Dao, hoping to reach the realm of the Heavenly Dao. However, the Daoist Ancestor underestimated the Heavenly Dao and is now deeply trapped in its constraints, unable to transcend. It won’t be long before he is completely assimilated by the Heavenly Dao. At that time, it won’t just be a matter of an eternal heart; even maintaining his will might be a problem!”

Without a will of his own, wouldn’t that mean he’s dead? Nüwa no longer had any thoughts of gloating over Hongjun’s misfortune. Looking at Tushan, she felt a surge of killing intent: Why are Sages revered? Isn’t it because they are immortal? Now, an unenlightened person is telling you that Sages can die in the future. How do you feel?

Nüwa suppressed her killing intent, “Sages transcend heaven and earth. Even when a great calamity comes, they might not suffer much. How could they be harmed by the Heavenly Dao? You’re overthinking it!”

“How do you compare yourself to the Heavenly Dao? When the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun created the ‘Heavenly Dao Cultivation Method,’ he divided the path from the initial breathing and cultivation to the ultimate Mixed Yuan Dao Fruit into forty-nine realms. But isn’t there a fiftieth realm, which is the Heavenly Dao? By forming the Heavenly Dao, one can achieve the supreme Dao Fruit. Although the primordial Heavenly Dao has no self-awareness, it is the highest realm of Dao, even the Mixed Yuan realm is—”

“Enough!” Nüwa directly interrupted Tushan.

Isn’t it also a step lower? Tushan was in high spirits, but seeing Nüwa’s grim face, he didn’t dare to continue, swallowing the rest of his words.

Nüwa subconsciously waved her fragrant fan, deep in thought. Actually, Tushan’s words made some sense.

Even Sages like Nüwa generally don’t go against the Heavenly Dao. Why? Isn’t it because they fear the backlash from the Heavenly Dao? Even Sages can’t withstand it, right? And isn’t luck and virtue also derived from the Heavenly Dao? If Nüwa and others could disdain the Heavenly Dao, they wouldn’t care about luck and virtue, or the power of heaven and earth. If they reached the realm of the Heavenly Dao and created their own Heavenly Dao, they could have anything they wanted, creating it themselves.

The power of the Heavenly Dao is fundamentally higher than the Mixed Yuan power of Sages. If Hongjun merged with the Dao and suffered the backlash from the Heavenly Dao, it’s not impossible that his immortal heart and spirit could be destroyed! However, Tushan is not a Sage and underestimates the power of Sages.

Observing the Heavenly Dao and following its path, isn’t this the rule that Sages abide by? Those who follow the Heavenly Dao are at ease, while those who go against it are burdened. Sages understand the power of the Heavenly Dao the most.

Moreover, if a Sage is pushed to the limit, they could abandon everything in the primordial world and recreate the elements of earth, fire, wind, and water in the chaos. The world they create might have some flaws based on their power, but it wouldn’t be a complete Heavenly Dao.

Strictly speaking, places like Hongjun’s Zixiao Palace and Nüwa’s Nuwa Palace are built in the void and chaos, not containing the laws of the primordial world, but created by Sages themselves to understand the laws and eventually create their own Heavenly Dao.

As the First Sage, wouldn’t Hongjun see this clearly? If Hongjun’s merging with the Dao had problems, Nüwa believes it. But to die for it, she doesn’t believe it. How could a Sage be so fragile? The virtue and luck of Hongjun are not just for show. The power that targets Hongjun comes from the primordial world, but the virtue and luck that protect him are also the power of the Heavenly Dao.

The left hand against the right hand, the Heavenly Dao, though without self-awareness, is a collection of laws. It wouldn’t do something so foolish.

The reality, though different from what Nüwa imagined, is not far off.

Hongjun is in an awkward situation. Merging with the Dao and controlling the Heavenly Dao seemed too good to be true. He greatly underestimated the power of the Heavenly Dao and overestimated his own power as a Sage.

However, Hongjun isn’t entirely wrong. Even if Pangu were reborn, he couldn’t completely control the current world as its creator. After Pangu, there were the Three Ancient Emperors, the division of the two realms, the establishment of the Heavenly Court and the cycle of reincarnation, all of which gradually perfected the world Pangu created. The laws of the Pangu universe have become increasingly complex, not like when Pangu first created it.

Hongjun’s awkwardness lies in the fact that he has taken one step, and the merging with the Dao is already halfway through, deeply entangled in the laws of the Heavenly Dao, but the other step can’t keep up. After all, in the cycle of reincarnation, Hou Tu is still there, and it’s not Hongjun’s to control. The Heavenly Court is dominated by the divine race, not the Xuanmen. Even the human race, created by Nüwa, doesn’t pay much attention to the Xuanmen.

Hongjun’s merging with the Dao. What Dao is he merging with? Where is the Dao for him to merge with? The Dao of heaven, earth, and humanity are all occupied. What to do?

If he takes a step, he will definitely step into a pit, leading to death. Although Sages don’t truly die, they will be trapped in eternal calamity, unable to escape the constraints of the Heavenly Dao.

But stepping back, though it’s said that stepping back opens up the sky, there must be a place to step back to. If Hongjun forcefully withdraws, he won’t get back the luck and virtue he has invested, and his foundation will be unstable, unable to progress for many great calamities. For a Sage devoted to cultivation, this is the greatest tragedy.

After all, Hongjun transformed from a deity to a deity, with a deep imprint of divinity. Influenced by the thoughts of the Three Ancient Emperors, he had the idea of controlling the Heavenly Dao. But seeing the tragic ends of the Three Emperors, he turned to the path of immortality, believing he surpassed the Three Emperors after becoming a Sage. Thus, he wanted to control the Heavenly Dao and was taken aback.

However, as the First Sage, he didn’t fake it. In this critical moment, Hongjun immediately came up with a solution. That is, to seize the Heavenly Court, directly using its laws to control the three realms, thus gaining the capital to continue merging with the Dao and the time to find a solution.

This is also why the Three Pure Ones are so eager to seize the Heavenly Court. They are fighting for their master.

Part of it is the bond between master and disciple, and part of it is karma. The master imparts knowledge and resolves doubts, and Hongjun taught the Three Pure Ones the Mixed Yuan Dao method, a debt that is hard to repay. Moreover, if the Xuanmen loses Hongjun, its luck will greatly decrease.

Fortunately, Hongjun once made a great vow, balancing the Heavenly Dao, earning boundless virtue, and buying time for the Three Pure Ones to take charge of the Heavenly Court.

Nüwa understood Hongjun’s current situation, knowing that he doesn’t pose an immediate threat. As for the Heavenly Court, the Three Pure Ones are even more eager than she is. Her mind relaxed, free of any burden.

Then, Nüwa looked at Tushan and smiled, “You know so much, have you thought about the consequences?”

Tushan smiled bitterly, “I hope Your Majesty will take care of the Qingqiu lineage in the future.”

“If it’s just the Qingqiu lineage, I am willing to take care of them. But the entire demon race is too much,” Nüwa shook her head. This information is important, but taking care of the entire demon race is too heavy a burden.

Tushan, seeing that he couldn’t persuade Nüwa, stepped forward, “Can Your Majesty summon Bai Ze and Gui Che? We are willing to sign a blood oath with Your Majesty!”

A blood oath? Nüwa was greatly moved. This is one of the highest oaths in the divine path, even a Sage like Nüwa can’t easily violate the power of a blood oath. This is the manifestation of the power of the Heavenly Dao. However, to make a blood oath, a sacrifice is required!

Nüwa looked at Tushan with pity, “Are you willing to sacrifice yourself as the offering?”

“I’ve said so much, I didn’t expect to leave the Lingxiao Hall alive! It’s better to make this blood oath, representing the demon race in a deal with Your Majesty. If Your Majesty is willing to protect the demon race, in the future, the luck of the demon race will be yours. If the blood oath is completed, Your Majesty can directly obtain a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s essence from the Heavenly Dao, which will greatly benefit Your Majesty’s cultivation!”

Why do Sages compete for luck and virtue? Isn’t it to understand the essence of the Heavenly Dao and eventually create their own Heavenly Dao? Now, there’s an opportunity, and Nüwa won’t let it go.

“Alright, you’ve convinced me!” Nüwa casually grabbed the remaining two demon Sages, Bai Ze and Gui Che, and brought them to the Lingxiao Hall.

Bai Ze and Gui Che are among the Ten Demon Sages, each holding a position in the Ten Heavenly Stems. Like Tushan, they are among the few remaining powerful beings of the demon race. However, they are not top-tier powers, and the demon race has many enemies, who will seek revenge in the future, which they can’t handle.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be looking for a protector. The one in the Northern Sea has a poor relationship with them, and they respectfully decline. After all, even the emperor of the demons, Di Jun, had many complaints about the Northern Sea demon master and suppressed him multiple times. Now, he doesn’t cause trouble for them, which is already a favor. To expect him to help them is out of the question.

Bai Ze and Gui Che, suddenly seized, were naturally on guard. But seeing Nüwa and Tushan, and the surroundings, they calmed down. If Nüwa acted, they couldn’t resist, especially with Tushan giving them signals.

Tushan stepped forward and said to the two demon Sages, “The two of you, I am prepared to use a blood oath to exchange for Nüwa’s protection of the demon race. What do you think?”

“Blood oath!” Both of them had the same expression. Gui Che urgently asked, “Prime Minister! What do you mean?”

Tushan waved his hand, “I don’t have much time left, and the demon race needs protection. Relying on the two of you alone won’t work! Nüwa, with her virtue, can naturally protect the demon race.”

“But we don’t need a blood oath!” Gui Che said.

“Do you think why would Nüwa protect the demon race for no reason?” It wasn’t Tushan but Bai Ze who spoke.

Bai Ze, being wise and eloquent, understanding the heavens and earth, and knowing the changes of the past and future, is one of the few strategists of the demon race. Bai Ze bowed to Tushan, “I have divined the future of the demon race, and it is a great star collapsing, followed by the birth of many stars, without any falling. This must refer to the Prime Minister!”

Tushan smiled and nodded, “With Nüwa’s protection, the demon race won’t be destroyed, but they must be cautious in the future! I entrust the future to the two of you!”

Tushan sat cross-legged, burning his power, and using his essence to write the blood oath. The divine script he used was the Dao script promoted by Feng Ye. The Dao script, derived from the laws of heaven and earth, is naturally favored by immortals and deities, and was accepted by the entire primordial cultivation world within a few hundred years.

With each blood character Tushan wrote, his face became paler, and by the end, his cheeks were gray, with no trace of blood. Despite this, Tushan continued to write the blood oath. Even Gui Che, who wanted to help, was stopped by Bai Ze.

Finally, Tushan fell to the ground, transforming into his original form, and the blood oath was completed. As soon as the blood oath was written, it immediately invoked the power of heaven and earth, a golden light descending from the Heavenly Dao, turning the blood oath into a crimson gold. It floated to Nüwa’s face. Bai Ze and Gui Che hurried to Tushan’s side, but as the offering, they had no chance of survival once the blood oath was completed.

Nüwa shook her head, not looking at Tushan, but focusing on the blood oath. According to the blood oath, Nüwa would protect the demon race, gaining the luck of the demon race. When the oath is completed, she would receive a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s essence and the power of the oath from the Heavenly Dao.

However, there are still some loopholes! Nüwa thought for a moment, stepped down from the Heavenly Emperor’s throne, and held the Demon Summoning Banner, making a vow to heaven, “I, Nüwa, make this vow. The demon race is leaderless and has many enemies. The newly born demon spirits are innocent. Without a leader, they will be ignorant and uneducated, posing a threat to the primordial world.

I, Nüwa, though unworthy, am willing to temporarily take charge of the demon race. Until the demon race finds another path or a true leader, they can reclaim their power from me. However, the demon race must not harm my interests, or I will immediately abandon my control over the demon race and no longer care about their fate!”

After saying this, the blood oath changed, and Nüwa’s vow was written on it.

After all, if Nüwa were to be bound to the demon race forever, even if her own interests were greatly harmed, she couldn’t violate the blood oath. That would make her a nanny to the demon race, without any rights. Therefore, Nüwa set a limit: when the demon race finds another path or a true leader, her vow would be fulfilled. Moreover, the demon race must not harm her interests, or she could break the blood oath at any time.

Bai Ze and Gui Che were naturally dissatisfied, but considering Nüwa’s status as a Sage, they couldn’t say much. Tushan, in his last moments, nodded in agreement.

Thus, the blood oath was agreed upon by both sides, and the next step was to sign it.

Nüwa looked at Tush