Chapter 109

One after another small islands began to move on the Cloud Dream Marsh waters with a wondrous regularity; Qi looked on, somewhat surprised.

Now the formation bases are not all refined; only about seventy percent float on the marsh waters, and the few core bases are not yet refined at all.

Qi, however, discovered that these formation bases were moving on their own; at first he thought it was the marsh water flowing, carrying them to drift on the great marsh, but after careful observation he realized they were moving themselves and even driving the marsh water.

These movement tracks had nothing to do with the formation, yet they matched the corresponding stars, which made Qi very delighted, after all the motion of the stars itself secretly accords with the principle of heaven and earth.

Although within the marsh water the range is limited, causing the tracks to become abstract, still one can glimpse the leopard through a tube, seeing a bit of it.

Although the stellar tracks have changed from the six directions to a plane, losing much of their splendor, this nevertheless represents the possibility of refining a formation diagram.

Qi recorded these movement tracks; his intuition told him they would be useful somewhere in the future and would surely benefit him greatly.

His intuition did not deceive Qi, laying the foundation for him to eventually master the number-one formation diagram under heaven, and this harvest has always been of use to him.

Qi had also heard the sound of the Primordial Qilin's promotion earlier, but he had no intention of going to join the festivities.

Now he is waiting, waiting for the great calamity to begin, waiting for those old primordial divine beings to retreat into seclusion; only then can the vast primordial world have space for them to stretch.

「Then wait a little longer, waiting for the era's curtain to rise; only then will it be time for us to spread our wings and soar at Tian Ji。」

Qi thought to himself.

Among the three tribes, their strengths actually differ little, and none have yet reached their utmost development; each still has room for rapid progress, and although disputes between them will arise, they are not so intolerable.

Qi knew that the three tribes, while cooperating, were competing, each regarding its own development as the most important matter at present, yet at the same time they were cautiously guarding against possible enemies, to prevent anyone from joining again in sharing the spoils of the primordial world.

Qi merely watched silently; the great calamity was unavoidable, and he now had no need to participate—he only needed time to accumulate his life cultivation and temper himself.

Another formation base entered the water, stirring up waves incessantly, causing the mist shrouding the great marsh's surface to undulate continually.

Qi suddenly sensed something and hurried toward the place where clouds and mist gathered in the Cloud Dream Marsh.

All that could be seen was a stretch of water shrouded in thick mist, as if something were gestating within.

Qi opened his forehead eyes, divine light shooting from his gaze, yet he found he could not see through; he could barely make out the surroundings within ten-odd zhang, and a little farther away there was nothing but a blank white expanse.

Qi asked the Cloud Dream Marsh, but the reply he got was hesitant and vague, as if this heaven and earth were worried about his attitude.

This aroused Qi's curiosity; he had never imagined the Cloud Dream Marsh would react this way—what kind of matter could cause it to behave so?

Qi stepped into the mist, the will of the Cloud Dream Marsh seeming to want to stop him yet not daring to face him, only able to continually send out signals urging him to stay.

The thick mist opened a passage for Qi, but after he entered it the passage quickly vanished, being covered over by the mist.

The Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness surrounded Qi, not wanting him to move forward yet having emitted no blocking signal, as if it had done something sorry to Qi and lacked confidence.

Qi advanced slowly, wanting to see what the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness intended to do, but unexpectedly it let him walk all the way to the core, where the marsh's consciousness offered no obstruction.

It kept following at his side, as if worried he might take some drastic action.

At the heart of the thick mist a fine rain continually drifted; though Qi could not see it upon arriving, he could feel the fine rain drifting onto his body.

Scanning the surrounding mist, in Qi's sight it gradually thinned a little; though not distinct, it allowed him to vaguely see some things.

Qi's brows furrowed slightly as he scanned the surrounding mist again; this stretch of the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness seemed somewhat embarrassed, yet it still drove the mist apart a bit more.

This time Qi finally could see clearly, and he felt a sudden surge of delight.

All that could be seen was countless clouds and mist intertwining into a thick cocoon, within which countless vital essences coalesced, the Dao's movement permeating, the Cloud Mist Great Dao manifest.

Looking up, cloud layers piled in the sky, dim and sunless, with fine rain densely scattered and pouring down.

At this moment Qi's delight faded, replaced by a hint of doubt; such a phenomenon should not be the appearance of nurturing an innate spiritual treasure.

If it were nurturing an innate spiritual treasure, the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness should not be acting this way.

Qi suddenly froze, as if realizing something, and his gaze began to turn strange.

This seemed to be the Cloud Dream Marsh nurturing a second primordial divine being, leaving Qi somewhat at a loss and unsure how to express his complex feelings at the moment.

Seeing Qi's appearance, the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness involuntarily wrapped him up, adopting a comforting attitude while also affirming his thought.

Only then did Qi realize that the Cloud Dream Marsh seemed to be about to give birth to a second child!

Qi instinctively began to ponder whether his authority would be affected by the birth of the new deity, but then he stopped and started to carefully consider whether he truly still needed the post of Water God of the Cloud Dream Marsh.

The Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness sensed Qi's thought and hurriedly declared its stance: the position of Water God would forever belong to Qi.

Seeing the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness like this, Qi no longer worried about the divine post, after all, regardless, it was ultimately the Cloud Dream Marsh that had nurtured him, and the matter of the divine position should also be decided by the Cloud Dream Marsh.

Suddenly the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness grew anxious, as if feeling that Qi did not trust it, and the entire consciousness merged into Qi's body.

For the first time Qi sensed everything of the Cloud Dream Marsh: every splash of a water droplet, every fish swaying its body in the current.

At this moment he seemed to merge with the Cloud Dream Marsh, as if he had become the marsh itself, and countless sensations transmitted to his heart.

Qi's understanding of the water contained in the Cloud Dream Marsh, of purification and the Great Dao, leapt forward; the insights gained in a single breath surpassed those of an entire previous era.

Yet in less than ten-odd breaths Qi felt himself to be like the Cloud Dream Marsh—eternally unchanging, enduring regardless of how heaven and earth shift.

The Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness also quickly detached from Qi's body, continuing to surround him without ever leaving.

Only after ten thousand years did Qi slowly awaken; he opened his mouth but made no sound, his gaze like the flow of the Cloud Dream Marsh's waters—calm and without ripples.

This state persisted for a thousand years before Qi gradually regained his senses and returned to normal.

Gazing at the surrounding Cloud Dream Marsh consciousness, Qi gave a light chuckle and told it in his heart not to worry.

Only then did the Cloud Dream Marsh's consciousness dissipate, no longer manifesting.

Qi gazed at the before‑him Cloud Mist Grand Cocoon and suddenly realized he seemed to have discovered a genuine treasure.

He could directly observe the birth of a flawless Dao fruit, witnessing the entire process of a primordial divine being's birth, wherein the Great Dao manifested, allowing him to plainly behold it.

Then he united his Dao with the Cloud Dream Marsh for ten breaths, his understanding of the Dao surging—this truly is a fortuitous opportunity!

Qi was immensely excited, beyond words; the position of Water God no longer mattered—he now wanted to properly guard the birth of this 'brother'!

(End of chapter)