Chapter 329: with translation of chapter title

329. Chapter 329: The primordial qilin revived, the life of immortals and gods.

「The Heavenly Dao above, I am the primordial heavenly demon; today I open the demon realm, independent beyond the wilderness, evolve heavenly demons to test cultivators' resolve in seeking the Dao。」

「If one passes the heavenly demon tribulation, the Dao heart naturally becomes clear; the two feed off each other, I hope the Heavenly Dao will observe。」

As the primordial heavenly demon's voice echoed across the wilderness, purple clouds gathered in the heavens and earth; many cultivators beneath these clouds felt uneasy, as if a heavenly tribulation were coming.

Immediately, a golden light pierced the purple clouds, shining upon the beings of the wilderness, calming them somewhat.

And the purple clouds, bathed in the golden light, glittered, gradually changing color into clouds of merit gold, heading straight for the Heavenly Court and beyond Chaos.

In the sight of all beings, a world unfolded like a scroll, revealing heavenly maidens dancing, white apes offering fruit, and myriad gods singing in reverence.

As most of the merit-gold clouds fell into it, the figures in the scrolls became vivid and lifelike, as if real people, inspiring longing.

The remaining merit-gold clouds flowed into the Heavenly Court, transforming into several streams of light, most of which entered Rahu and Ketu.

The remaining small portion went respectively to Qi and Di Jun, etc.; the beings witnessed this, their hope in the Heavenly Court cooled, yet they too participated!

All the gods felt something about the opening of the demon realm; gazing at the great thousand-world adjacent to the wilderness, their hearts were inevitably stirred.

Yet thinking of the abundance of the wilderness, they could only set this aside, but also kept a thread in mind, as a retreat for their clan and themselves.

As for the beings of the wilderness, although they knew the opening of the demon realm was not friendly to them, they presently noticed nothing unusual and gradually forgot it.

Only later did word spread: some failed their breakthrough, dying and disappearing; others became like withered bones, foundations shattered, unable to cultivate; or went mad, plagued by inner demons—only then did they grasp the terror of the heavenly demon.

Yet their panic did not affect those who could resolve this; indeed, the gods actually welcomed the appearance of the heavenly demon.

At this time, Qi still lay in slumber, unaware of the demon realm's opening, wholly immersed in dream.

But while beings panicked and the cultivation atmosphere slumped, the Heavenly Court suddenly issued hundreds of charts detailing cultivation methods, reviving the wilderness anew.

Among them, several charts stood out: one depicting the Golden Crow's solar cycle, representing the Heavenly Emperor and the sun; another the Ancestral Dragon soaring through clouds, representing scaled armor.

The chart of the phoenix soaring, representing flying creatures; the chart of the qilin crying over mountains, representing beasts; the chart of tumultuous calm waters, representing all waters under heaven; and the chart of the Supreme Heaven of Divine Heavens, representing the Heavenly Court.

Besides these, there were charts of the Yin Moon Jade Rabbit, the Kunpeng spreading its wings, various constellations, landscapes, and so on—many kinds, which suddenly spread throughout the wilderness, gaining a fixed name: Contemplation Charts.

Their source invariably pointed to the Heavenly Court, eventually landing in the hands of the great clans, who took them as models and gradually developed contemplation charts tailored to each clan.

Such as the Tiger Roaring in Forest chart, the Heavenly Serpent chart, the Mighty Ox Shaking Mountains chart, and so on; until contemplation practice spread widely across the wilderness, becoming the prevailing cultivation method, even threatening to replace the traditional external elixir approach.

In the Heavenly Court, Nüwa sensed the gathering of vital energy, her heart filling with boundless anticipation for the imminent descent of merit.

Unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao gave no indication, seeming to wait until all dust settled before bestowing praise.

During this period, Nüwa also solemnized the heavenly marriage of Di Jun and Xi He Chang Xi, yet Qi remained asleep and did not partake in this grand event.

Qi felt himself walking in darkness, seeing no glimmer of light, yet it made him feel at ease and relaxed, as if the darkness before him were his very self.

Until a white light rose in the distance, Qi slowly awoke from his slumber; the sky of the heavenly realm remained as before, with azure clouds.

Calculating on his fingers, Qi realized he had slept for an entire yuan hui; upon waking, he felt refreshed and invigorated, a slight movement making his bones and joints emit crisp cracks.

「Now that I have awakened, it is time to attend to proper business! 」

Qi muttered to himself, yet his gaze had fallen into the starry sky, where countless stars still turned in that wondrous manner from the beginning; he gazed long, but still could not comprehend.

Finally, Qi grew weary of watching, rose, and headed for the Lingxiao Treasure Hall; the formations in the starry sky could not be abandoned, so naturally he sought a simpler answer.

What Rahu had said back then, Qi had not forgotten; after all, since Dou Mu Yuanjun set up this formation, he must have left a clue.

And since it could keep the Chaos Bell with Taiyi, the River Chart and Luo Book in Di Jun's hand were certainly not ordinary, far more complex than previously thought.

Although Rahu did not state it outright, most guessed that the personal treasure of Dou Mu Yuanjun from back then was precisely this object.

After all, one skilled in formation deduction would not discard such a treasure as the River Chart and Luo Book; Qi's journey this time intended to make use of it.

As Qi walked, the horizon suddenly resonated with Daoic sounds, countless heavenly flowers scattering; even in the heavenly realm, it was exceedingly beautiful.

Seeing this, Qi felt moved and knew that Nüwa had completed the development of contemplation practice, which was now spreading widely across the wilderness.

Rolling golden clouds gathered; the merit-gold clouds filling the sky astonished even Qi, and the gods alike sighed endlessly, regretting not having taken part.

After the Daoic sounds gradually faded, the merit-gold clouds filling the sky were divided into six portions: two larger portions accounting for about sixty percent, the remaining four portions equal.

The two larger portions drifted toward the heavenly realm, respectively landing on Qi and Nüwa, causing the merit-gold wheel behind Qi to become ever more complete and expansive.

Of the remaining four portions, three fell respectively into the sea eye of the Eastern Sea, the qilin cave within Mount Kunlun, and the undying volcano of the Nan Fang continent.

The final portion turned into a golden rain that fell across the sky, granted to those in the wilderness who created and propagated contemplation practice; even Di Jun and the Kunpeng received a share.

On Mount Kunlun, the Three Pure Ones gazed upon the qilin cliff before them, their eyes full of solemnity, the enormous qilin head swaying continuously until it finally stilled.

Footsteps echoed from the qilin's mouth; the Three Pure Ones felt as if facing a great foe, yet saw a golden little qilin emerge, almost forged from merit.

The little qilin stood no taller than four feet, but the arrogance and disdain in its gaze made the Three Pure Ones instantly rally, and the two sides gradually came to a standoff.

After a long while, the little qilin finally spoke:

「I have transformed into mountain stone to suppress the wilderness's veins; for the wilderness, this is also a great deed, yet you ignore the wilderness's living beings and secretly kill—does that count as the righteous path? 」

「By my bloodline's sensing, qilin are rare in Mount Kunlun, yet within this eastern Kunlun they are distributed in your Dao Chang—how is this? 」

「Originally I wished to expound the Dao and glorify Kunlun's name, hoping you three Pure Ones would be neighbors on Mount Kunlun; with my clan's former might, I personally sent invitations to discuss the Dao together. 」

「This benefits both sides and could also vindicate you; even if you are unwilling, my cultivation surpasses yours, so at least you should return a letter. 」

「You neglect etiquette, act as if unheard, so reckless; I merely gave a minor punishment, causing no fundamental harm, and afterward never pursued the matter. 」

「But when my clan suffered disaster, you treated them thus—killing my person is bad enough, yet you visited the original shame upon your descendants, enslaving them; such narrow-mindedness, where is any trace of innate divine nobility? 」

The little qilin's aura swelled ever more, vaguely resembling the aspect of the great calamity of years past, only a hair's breadth from attaining the Dao.

The Three Pure Ones' vital energies blended into one force, directly colliding with the little qilin; instantly thunder boomed across Mount Kunlun, drawing countless gazes.

Facing the little qilin's reproach, Yuan Shi spoke first: 「You speak so eloquently, but your words are merely slander and frame‑up; back then we three brothers were merely Luo Tianzun Gods, far inferior to you. 」

「If we truly had received an invitation, how could we not come? Though we are lofty, we are not foolish, and having wandered the wilderness long, who would say we lack propriety? 」

「Back then we three brothers cultivated in seclusion within your Dao Chang, causing no trouble in the wilderness; yet you suddenly arrived, seized our pure reputation, and exalted your qilin clan's might. 」

「Yet upon arrival you accused us of insufficient cultivation, allowing no room for explanation; suffering those events, our three brothers' faces were dragged in the dirt—how is this? 」

「To suffer a calamity out of nowhere, is it not right to behead you? Though you spoke no targeting, you provoked your qilin clan; in Mount Kunlun, how are we to conduct ourselves? 」

「Your offspring, relying on your prestige, have offended us repeatedly; were it not so, I would not have acted to cast you into a well and crush you with stones. 」

The evil cause of the past forged today's evil fruit; you were strong then, but today is different!

The two faced off against each other; although they already understood the trickery therein, the grievances suffered by the Three Pure Ones had become fact, and the retaliation suffered by the Qilin clan could not be changed, so there was no yielding whatsoever between them.

Their auras grew ever more unrestrained, countless thunderbolts spreading across Kunlun Mountain, but just as they were about to strike, they saw myriad auspicious clouds, thousands of auspicious vapors, strange fragrances assailing them, and a Daoist arrived, holding a bamboo staff.

He chanted a verse:

"Reclining high above the ninefold clouds, on a reed mat I have realized the Dao's truth. Beyond the profound yellow of heaven and earth, I shall be the honored master of the teaching. Pangu gave birth to the Great Ultimate; the two modalities and four symbols follow in order. The leader of all Xuanmen, one qi transforms into Hongjun."

The arrival was none other than Hongjun himself, and the aura in the field paused accordingly; the Three Pure Ones and the young Qilin all performed a salute, saying:

"I pay my respects to the Great God Hongjun (Teacher)."

Hongjun gazed at the four, only feeling a headache; this matter arose because of him, yet he never imagined it would come to this today.

Even when the contemplation method began to spread widely in the wilderness, Hongjun already felt uneasy in his heart, but compared to the external elixir method, the contemplation method indeed had progressive aspects, so he naturally would not impede its propagation.

He never expected that such merit would descend, giving the Primordial Qilin, which had not died completely, a glimmer of life. After all, the Primordial Qilin originally chose to become stone to atone for its own fault, guarding the earth veins of the wilderness; since the wilderness's earth veins never cease, in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao it is not considered dead until it has repaid the karmic debt of heaven and earth.

If Yuanshi had not intervened, the Primordial Qilin would likely never be freed for the rest of its existence; at least, with the merit of the contemplation method, it would absolutely be unable to achieve the complete liberation sought, to escape from the stone.

But Yuanshi did intervene, severing the Primordial Qilin's head, appearing to slay it and destroy its chance of escape, yet in fact it brought about its present state.

With the descent of merit, the Primordial Qilin's fleshly body had already split in two, its body thoroughly becoming part of the wilderness's earth veins, leaving only a skull retaining a thread of life.

Unsealing the entire fleshly body versus merely unsealing a single skull differ vastly in the karmic debt to be repaid and the merit to be consumed.

It can be said that the Primordial Qilin's ability to escape confinement today is thanks to Yuanshi's intervention; otherwise, without his action, its liberation would remain indefinitely distant.

Before the Primordial Qilin could speak, Yuanshi promptly asked: "I do not know why the Teacher has come this time; is there something to be instructed?"

Hongjun did not answer Yuanshi's question, merely gazing at the four and saying: "Indeed, the Primordial Qilin Daoist had sent out invitations, but you indeed did not receive them; someone else schemed behind this."

"Primordial Qilin Daoist, you were indeed slain by Yuanshi, and your people also suffered enslavement, yet precisely because of this you are now able to escape predicament, and the Qilin clan has thereby preserved a thread of its bloodline, flowing amidst the wilderness."

"The karmic entanglements here have long been inextricable; if we continue to involve ourselves, both sides will suffer loss and attain no good result."

"Rather than let me, a humble Daoist, serve as witness here, let both sides turn weapons into silk and jade, thereby clearing the karmic ledger; the Primordial Qilin Daoist would cease pursuit and lead his people away—how does that sound?"

"The Three Pure Ones also should not cling stubbornly; in this affair, the Primordial Qilin Daoist likewise invited scheming."

"You have taken in the Qilin clan for many years, its people long reduced to mounts, and you have also severed the Primordial Qilin Daoist's fleshly body; the ill will in your hearts has long been expended, so you might as well let it go—what do you think?"

The four present fell silent; the Moral Daoist and the Numinous Treasure Daoist fixed their gazes on Yuanshi the Daoist, and after a long while, Yuanshi finally spoke:

"In this matter, everything is up to the Teacher; I, the disciple, have no objections."

The Primordial Qilin stared fixedly at Hongjun, the meaning in his gaze inscrutable, yet he ultimately conceded, saying:

"Since Daoist Hongjun has spoken, I will naturally not continue to entangle myself; merely from today onward, there shall be no karmic force between the Qilin clan and the wilderness."

Hongjun nodded without hesitation to show agreement, then added: "Daoist, by relinquishing the fleshly body, and the Qilin clan having suffered great calamity, you can naturally repay past faults; I too congratulate you, Daoist, for now you are finally at ease."

The Primordial Qilin said nothing more, merely turning to Yuanshi and saying: "Since our entanglements are cleared, I will naturally not quibble further; I will summon my clansmen and take them all away."

Yuanshi merely snorted coldly in response, then said: "As you wish."

The Primordial Qilin immediately turned and departed without the slightest delay; with a long howl, countless streams of light flew out into Kunlun Mountain, closely following the Primordial Qilin's departure.

During the ensuing period, the Primordial Qilin led his clan in running about the wilderness, gathering each and every Qilin, then heading toward Chaos.

The Heavenly Court took no notice of this matter; since Dao Ancestor Hongjun had decreed that there was no further karma between them and the wilderness, Qi and the others naturally would not add obstruction, lest they become needless evildoers.

However, before departing, the Primordial Qilin specially made a trip to the Heavenly Court, both to face reality and to see those whom he had once saved and with whom he had jointly discussed the Dao, to see what state they now occupied.

After witnessing the Heavenly Court's strength, the Primordial Qilin realized he had no chance, so he lingered no longer, declaring that he had no intention of reemerging and honoring the Heavenly Court as his superior.

He also informed the Qilin clan that they would open up a great thousand-world realm in Chaos as a subsequent place to rest and recuperate, and at the same time would open a convenient gate for the Heavenly Court, always welcoming Qi and the others to come as guests.

Qi, together with Di Jun and Fuxi, naturally expressed support; after all, for beings of these three clans, if they cannot be used by the Heavenly Court, they would rather they stay far from the wilderness.

As for whether Hongjun, who acceded to the Primordial Qilin's request, regrets it, only he himself knows.

In a single word, he cleared the karma owed by the Qilin clan; the karmic obstacles therein still need him to bear them himself, and the invitation he once intercepted for the Three Pure Ones now also requires him to bear the evil consequences it brought.

Thus the way of karma is truly marvelous and extraordinary; even sages sometimes cannot free themselves from it.

As for slaying the Primordial Qilin to clear karma, Hongjun never once considered it; if the Primordial Qilin died, the Qilin clan's karmic obstacles would not disappear either, and he would still have to bear them.

If so, why should Hongjun needlessly create killing calamity? Moreover, it would be better to let the Qilin clan depart, which would also be more at ease.

And the Qilin clan's freedom undoubtedly gives the Phoenix and Dragon clans a glimmer of hope; the Ancestral Dragon and the Primal Phoenix likewise can be seen as catching a glimpse of dawn amidst their bitter endurance.

The primordial catastrophe arose from the three clans; now that the Qilin clan has escaped predicament, the karmic burdens they bear ought naturally to be the same as the Qilin's.

Heaven and earth are utterly just; all things are treated equally. Perhaps after the next great calamity concludes, the three clans may truly break free from their cages.

Upon the wilderness's vast earth, a Kunpeng walked beside an unnamed river; the surrounding land was relatively flat, with many mundane tribes built along the water.

The Kunpeng watched them use animal heads in sacrifice, worshipping the river and great mountains that nurtured them; their movements bore a hint of shamanic intent, and his heart could not help but be filled with astonishment.

Approaching the tribal chief who was leading the sacrifice ahead, the Kunpeng stepped forward and asked: "Old sir, you sacrifice to heaven, earth, mountains, and waters; your words and deeds are quite strange, you employ no trace of mana, offering three livestock—does it truly work?"

The tribal chief was an old man; faced with Kunpeng's inquiry, he was also ignorant and bewildered, but after hesitating he still spoke to explain:

"I don't know, but our ancestors generation after generation have done it this way; whether it works or not, I am merely a mortal and cannot explain this principle."

"Since our ancestors passed it down this way, I cannot well change it; besides, it's merely three animal heads, and the mountain god old sir cannot eat them, so in the end they still fall into the old man's mouth."

"Anyway, there's no loss, and it can boost the tribe's morale; taken as an activity it's not bad, at least letting everyone be glad for a moment."

"As for whether it works, who knows? Anyway, the old man sees no effect; but if it were effective, it would at least afford some comfort."

The Kunpeng was suddenly astonished; this sacrifice, which concerns an entire tribe, is such that even the person presiding over it does not know its efficacy or origin.

This phenomenon left the Kunpeng utterly perplexed; since he harbored doubts, he naturally would not conceal them from a mortal, and directly asked: "Do you worship the god of these mountains and waters? Such irreverence—are you not afraid the mountain god will mete out punishment?"

The old man, quite perplexed, asked: "What business is this of yours? Mountains are mountains, waters are waters; we and our ancestors have lived here all along—could it be that the forebears failed to pass down the existence of gods?"

"Moreover, with so many immortals about, if there truly were a god in this mountain, it would likely be some bored immortals coming out to deceive the old man."

"But I suppose they wouldn't do that, after all those immortals are exalted above; who would have the idle leisure to run to this mountain hollow and amuse us mundane folk?"

The Kunpeng was utterly speechless, feeling this was improper, yet the old man's words held some reason; after all, whether a mountain god exists or not seems to have no impact on their livelihood.

The Kunpeng did not speak, but the old man, as if he rarely saw outsiders, could not stop talking, and invited the Kunpeng:

"Judging by your appearance, you are likely a wealthy person from a big town or city; coming to our tribe is quite far, and after walking so long you must be hungry."

I suppose you haven't tried our rough mountain food; if you don't mind, you can have a simple meal at my place before you go.

Kunpeng hesitated a moment, then agreed; Yu Qiang's words still echoed in his ears. He had been far from the Primordial Wasteland for too long, and now was the time to join humanity.

Kunpeng followed the old man into a mountain cave, where several logging left tree stumps remained at the entrance; it seemed the old man's family usually rested here.

Although they said they would serve a meal, Kunpeng only saw the food at dusk: some wild vegetables mixed with meat of an unknown animal, boiled in water with salt.

The tribe's members all have leopard tails and leopard bodies, but only their hands, feet, and heads are human; yet they have sharp teeth and claws, making it effortless for them to rip apart large chunks of hide and flesh.

Seeing this, Kunpeng hesitated a bit, but then placed the meat the old man had given him on a leaf, took out a short knife, and slowly chopped it up.

Only after the old man's clansmen had finished eating did Kunpeng finally take a bite; the taste was unexpectedly decent— the meat was salty and fragrant, with a good chew.

After the old man finished eating, he and his family quietly watched Kunpeng, observing his careful chewing and slow swallowing, without any urge to hurry him.

Kunpeng felt extremely embarrassed under their gaze, and couldn't help asking: "Why are you staring at me like this? Have I eaten too much?"

The old man merely smiled and said:

"It's fine; I just find your careful chewing and slow swallowing unusual—I've hardly seen such a way of eating before, it's quite pleasant to watch. Just eat slowly."

"If it's not enough, just tell the old man; although our tribe isn't wealthy, we certainly don't lack food—there are vast stretches of wild beasts in the mountains and huge schools of fish in the rivers, how wonderful."

"I suppose even the heavenly immortals live much like this—at most they wear slightly better clothes and live in slightly nicer houses."

"You don't need to go out hunting every day; in the deep winter, staying in a warm fire‑room, gnawing on meat bones, just thinking about it feels carefree."

Kunpeng remained silent on this, having no intention to explain; perhaps the life of immortals isn't as interesting as he described.

Furthermore, if he were to let them know, those who understand the gap—how could they let this tribe continue so carefree? PS: 6000‑word major chapter (end of chapter).