Chapter 140

Time passed, and Qi faintly felt that he could touch the boundary of the primordial unity.

Beyond the boundary, there seemed to be an infinitely long road awaiting him, clear yet utterly out of reach.

But this pass is too high and too wide, leaving Qi unsure how to cross it.

Qi lived alone in the Pond Court Pavilion, gazing at the fully restored Yunmze Marsh, and finally felt some relief in his heart.

Suddenly, a golden swan streaked across the horizon from the sky's edge, heading straight for the Yunmze Marsh; Qi jerked his head up, and the sense of loneliness that had lingered for hundreds of aeons dissipated.

Turning into boundless excitement, Qi gazed hopefully into the sky.

"Qi!"

Before the startled swan on the horizon arrived, Taiyi's figure had already appeared beside Qi.

"Welcome back, Taiyi!"

Nüwa also sensed the disturbance, quickly rushing to the Pond Heart Pavilion; although she did not see her own brother, feeling a bit disappointed, she still smiled and said:

"Welcome back, Taiyi."

Taiyi gave the two a fierce hug, then said:

"Now that the starry skies are pacified, I see I can't be of much help, so I thought I'd go ahead and return to the Yunmze Marsh early."

"I expect that before long, my elder brother and Fuxi will return."

"You don't know, but there are actually so many star deities in the starry skies; now, aside from lacking the primordial unity, we feel our strength even surpasses that of the Three Clans."

Taiyi's words revealed a hint of pride, for throughout this long span of time they had never ceased.

At present they command over a hundred Luo Heavenly Revered Gods, and even Xihe and Changxi, with whom they had once briefly met, have now joined their ranks.

"I believe that not long after my elder brother and the others return, we will need to discuss a name for our faction with you."

Taiyi's words startled Qi and Nüwa somewhat; they had never imagined that the starry skies could possess such depth, with over a hundred Luo Heavenly Revered Gods, such strength that perhaps only the ancient Three Sovereigns could have gathered.

Qi gave a slight smile and also announced to everyone his gains during this period.

"I too have touched the threshold of the Primordial Unity Dao, though I lack a way to cross it; yet I believe that even by piling up my cultivation with my life, I could break through within a hundred aeons."

Qi's voice sounded extremely confident; now, with the starry skies' fortune irrigating, his cultivation progress is also rapid.

Experiencing such growth, Qi finally understood why the gods would fight fiercely for fortune; such a treasure, not to mention others, even he himself could not let go.

Suddenly, the Chaos Bell flew up into the sky on its own, startling everyone, who turned their gaze to Taiyi.

Taiyi was equally bewildered; as the bell rang, a faint ripple spread rapidly throughout the primordial wilderness.

In his heart, Qi seemed to hear the toll of the Chaos Bell as well; this toll seemed to tell him that the great calamity had begun.

The faces of Qi, Taiyi, and Nüwa changed abruptly, not knowing why the great calamity had suddenly erupted.

At that moment, a lowing of an ox also sounded from the Yunmze Marsh, countless thunderclaps exploded, drawing the gazes of Qi, Taiyi, and Nüwa.

They saw a three-tailed white ox lift its head from the marsh water, its aura pervasive; it was Bai Ling breaking through to the Golden Immortal of the Great Luo, emerging from seclusion.

Seeing this scene, Qi couldn't help but laugh and said:

"Today good things come in pairs: Taiyi has returned, Bai Ling has emerged from seclusion; although the great calamity has arrived, we shall not forsake our joy—let us set out wine and feast, and we shall not return until drunk."

Bai Ling was somewhat dazed; just as his ox head broke the water surface and he let out an excited bellow, he saw his master and the two great gods Taiyi and Nüwa staring at him, which frightened him so much that the excitement of his recent breakthrough withdrew.

Had he not heard his master's laughter, he would have drawn his head back into the water; after all, being gazed upon by these three top-tier great gods was still quite pressurizing.

Nevertheless, although he had just emerged from seclusion, Bai Ling still remembered his duties; he hastily assumed a humanoid form, walked up to the three, and said:

"My lord and the two great gods, please be seated; this little ox will go prepare the banquet, and will surely not dampen your enthusiasm."

Before Qi could even speak, he saw Bai Ling rush off in a hurry, and the words he had intended to say could only be swallowed.

"This ox calf, already a Golden Immortal of the Great Luo, is still so clumsy and honest—truly unchanged from his original nature."

Nüwa sighed somewhat.

Taiyi also slightly nodded in agreement with Nüwa's words; after all, a Golden Immortal of the Great Luo, when viewed across the primordial wilderness, is counted among the top tier.

Yet Bai Ling being able to behave in such a manner is also exceedingly rare in the world.

Qi could only helplessly lament over this:

"Perhaps this ox calf's mindset has not yet changed; after the affair, let him take his seat, for having reached the rank of Golden Immortal of the Great Luo, he too deserves his freedom."

Taiyi and Nüwa slightly nodded, also finding this quite agreeable; after all, he is a Great Luo Immortal, and no matter how he is used as a mount, it would still be somewhat inappropriate.

At this moment, Bai Ling, eagerly heading to the market, did not realize that having merely stepped out the door, he was about to turn from a domestic ox into a wild one.

"??? Where is this? How long have I been in seclusion? How did the Yunmze Marsh become like this!"

Bai Ling looked at the market before him, seeing nothing reminiscent of the past; only then did he turn his gaze backward to the Yunmze Marsh and discover that the many lakes of old had now merged into a single expanse, turning into a vast ocean.

Just now, traveling at his current speed, the time it took him to reach the market was actually no different from before, and he had not yet reacted.

Only upon careful reflection did he realize that time had changed.

Bai Ling stood rooted in place, dazed for a long while, before slowly speaking:

"Is this what cultivation is? Seeking the Dao is truly arduous!"

The seas have turned to mulberry fields, times have shifted; those friends of his past now no longer know where they are, and as Bai Ling gazed at the market before him, he felt a strange estrangement toward the Yunmze Marsh where he had lived for so long.

Having regained his composure, Bai Ling set aside his thoughts, continually telling himself, 'You still have a mission, Bai Ling; stay alert.'

Relying on his past experience, he visited several tribes, and Bai Ling finally regained a sense of familiarity.

After all, although those original tribes are gone, their successors still remember Bai Ling, which allowed his originally tumultuous state of mind to calm somewhat.

Leading several dance troupes as he flew toward the Dao Chang, gazing upon the dreamlike Yunmze Marsh before him, Bai Ling's heart suddenly swelled with a feeling of sharing in its glory.

After arranging the music and dance, he then busied himself checking his vegetable garden, discovering that its appearance had greatly changed and its scope had expanded considerably.

Every floating island on the water's surface, though the celestial herbs growing upon it were disordered, nevertheless thrived vigorously.

"Indeed, the master has not forgotten me; though the herb garden is a little messy, its growth momentum is still good, and the master, despite not understanding the situation, has already done his best."

Bai Ling was moved to tears, wailing, but he did not know that these celestial herbs were actually grown by himself later on, while the original herbs had long since become part of the array's foundation islands.

As for tending to it, Qi had never even thought about it; if Bai Ling had not emerged from seclusion, Qi would have almost forgotten him altogether.

After all, a mount that hasn't been used many times has also been in seclusion, disappearing for so long—Qi indeed hasn't left much of an impression.

Still working overtime; I'll try to release the final chapter before 12:00.

(End of chapter)