Chapter 355

At the conclusion of the Yuanhui, the Heavenly Court was filled with joy; the Heavenly Emperor's sons and daughters were finally born.

At their birth, the sky had ten suns and twelve moons, sun and moon in the same cycle, and heaven and earth celebrated.

The Emperor, out of affection, divided the heavenly cycles, taking a year as the period, and following the heavenly flow divided it into twelve months to show his favor.

The ten suns were all Golden Crows, and he conferred the position of crown prince upon them to show their nobility.

The Heavenly Court celebrated, holding a special banquet to invite all peoples; during it Nüwa and the Kunpeng Holy Person attended, and all beings then saw the might of the Heavenly Court.

Di Jun rose from the Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall, raised his wine cup high, and said: "I am delighted to have ten sons and twelve daughters; all beings of the Wasteland should celebrate together. To show the Heavenly Court's grace, from today I will enfeoff the myriad states."

"The Heavenly Court loftily stands above the heavenly realm; such glory I will not hoard alone. In the Wasteland, you may take all you wish. Thereafter, within your lands, the Heavenly Court will levy taxes but otherwise not interfere."

"You may establish your own laws, set up offices and appoint ministers, call yourselves monarchs, hereditary and unchanging, never to be altered. Affairs of the Wasteland shall be decided by its own peoples."

Just as the myriad peoples stared in astonishment, Di Jun called out: "Bai Ze, now convey the Heavenly Court's enfeoffment decree to the people; none of the attending guest tribes may be omitted."

Bai Ze smiled, rose, and said: "Your servant, I receive the command."

Between the myriad peoples and the Heavenly Court, things have long been entangled; you have me, I have you. Regarding the Heavenly Court's enfeoffment of the myriad states, we have long known.

Therefore, the peoples who came were all clan chiefs; they immediately rose and said: "We thank Your Majesty for your grace."

Although those present already knew where their own fiefdoms lay, they still listened attentively to Bai Ze's enfeoffment proceedings, daring not to miss a detail.

Bai Ze spoke continuously, and a vast map of the Wasteland's terrain appeared in the Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall, shifting colors as he spoke.

On the map, whenever a tract of land changed, it signified the birth of a state; some great tribes, due to differing affiliations, were even divided into more than ten states.

Their areas might be contiguous or exclaves, but under the Heavenly Court's division, the premier tribes of the Wasteland were essentially fragmented piecemeal, suffering considerable harm to their interests.

Fortunately they had long known of this, and the Heavenly Court had given prior notice; thereafter, unless someone violated heavenly law, the Court would no longer interfere with the Wasteland.

Thus those tribes reluctantly accepted it, for the lands now divided could later be reclaimed by force if desired.

The Heavenly Court had declared beforehand that on the Wasteland they would naturally have great leeway.

Moreover, the Wasteland never lacks clever people; the Heavenly Court deliberately adopted this enfeoffment scheme that harbors mischief, its purpose self-evident.

Within the East Sea's Sea Eye, the ancestral dragon now appeared miserably wretched, having long lost its draconic form; an ordinary person glancing briefly might mistake it for a skinned loach.

The ancestral dragon's eyes are now wholly white, without a trace of pupil, yet before it lies placed the Heavenly Court's map of the lands allotted to the myriad peoples.

"The Great Calamity is imminent; the Heavenly Court's actions are rather late, also ill‑timed. Even with the wisdom of those few, it seems they might truly let them substitute the Great Calamity."

The ancestral dragon gazed at the map before it; though its eyes had no pupils, they could still convey appreciation, and it sighed softly: "The Wasteland has only just revived to the splendor of spring and autumn, yet the Heavenly Court rushes to place its pieces; if given a little more time, the human calamity might be unavoidable."

The ancestral dragon found this headache‑inducing; enfeoffing the feudal states is a deeply scheming calculation—not to mention the myriad tribes' intense conflicts, even within a single tribe peace is impossible.

As for the Dragon Clan, he still fares well enough to bind them by the clan's name, but if the Four Seas were divided into four states, even he could not allow those rulers to damage his own interests to support other states.

Moreover, the Great Calamity is imminent; with the Heavenly Court's scale, it might well reduce the Wasteland to a barren wasteland.

But the Primeval Wasteland teems with countless beings; even after the Great Calamity, many remain. Heaven and Earth lie empty from the Great Calamity; how could those ambitious sorts stay put! Even Zu Long himself cannot stay still; at the thought that the Primeval Wasteland has lost the Heavenly Court, lacking that colossal suppressor, could the Dragon Clan's power possibly reunite the Myriad Nations again? "After one Great Calamity comes another; the turmoil of the human realm will hardly find peace, and moreover those two in the West who establish teachings by region are clearly far from the Mystic Gate."

"In the aftermath, there will likely be East-West conflict, Dao lineage disputes, plus the struggle of the Myriad Nations; this move by the Heavenly Court does great harm."

Although Zu Long voiced his disapproval of this matter, the smile curling at his lips showed he was actually quite pleased with the Heavenly Court's enfeoffment.

The Dragon Clan has recovered much of its vital energy; under the auspices of Ying Long's fortune, the newborns born with karmic burdens are gradually dwindling, and the young of the Dragon Clan are also beginning to grow.

Although its strength is less than a third of its peak, when placed within the Primeval Wasteland it is still enough to rank among the foremost.

Zu Long's eyes suddenly brightened; a pallid light shone in the dim sea eye, illuminating the surroundings, and he chuckled: "The Qilin Clan has long been reduced to rotting bones in the grave; though they still have some elites, the Primordial Qilin retains enough strength for a single battle, but in the grand scheme of the Primeval Wasteland they no longer hold any sway."

"Winning them over is not worth the loss; for the Dragon Clan it poses no great hindrance, so it seems this time we will have to abandon this old friend."

"The Phoenix Clan likely has also recovered much of its vital energy; the name Five-Colored Phoenix has resurfaced in the Primeval Wasteland, so it seems we must have Ying Long step forward and make a trip to the Undying Volcano."

"We remnants of the previous era, though we have grown rather quiet, ought to make our own voice heard."

"Relying solely on the strength of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, their momentum is inevitably too weak; perhaps the Black Tortoise Clan of the Northern Polar Region could fill in to make up the deficit."

"I do not believe they are all pure-hearted; there are bound to be a few ambitious individuals among them—once they emerge from that deadly land of the Northern Polar Region, I have my own ways to make them join."

"Within the Scale Armor Clan, the two old-timers, Ancestor Snake and Heaven Snake, also need to be met; the Snake Clan's power is now the foremost among the Scale Armor Clan."

"If the Dragon Clan wishes to seize the victory fruits produced by the union of the Phoenix Clan and the Black Tortoise Clan, their assistance is indispensable."

"In these tumultuous times, it is precisely our opportunity to stir up wind and waves; having stayed silent for too long, the Dragon Clan ought to have its voice heard in the Primeval Wasteland."

As his words fell, the map before Zu Long instantly shattered into countless fragments, washed clean by the surging water vapors within the sea eye.

At the Undying Volcano, Yuan Huang's eyes revealed fatigue as he gazed upon the various clan leaders of the Five-Colored Phoenix who had come seeking him, his voice carrying a hint of kindness:

"You haven't come to see me in a long time; today you are all gathered, though it's a pity that Qing Luan sacrificed too much for the clan."

Hong Hu stepped forward and said, "Sir, please look; this is a map sent by Qing Luan, concerning the Heavenly Court's enfeoffment of the myriad nations, in which our Phoenix Clan is also included." "In the entire Nan Fang continent, we occupy roughly one-third, though divided into five states, they are all linked together with the Undying Volcano as the core."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Huang lowered his gaze onto the map, remained silent for a long while, then said, "The Heavenly Court treats us quite benevolently, unlike the other states; it places all hazardous regions within the borders, yet opens many passages, making travel convenient for us."

Hong Hu, upon hearing Yuan Huang's words, felt a surge of excitement, but upon thinking of something, immediately suppressed it, merely gazing silently at Yuan Huang.

The hope in his eyes was almost tangible; seeing this, Yuan Huang, though reluctant, still spoke:

"Since the Heavenly Court has allotted the land, we shall guard it well; everyone ought to abide by their duties and not invite lifelong turmoil."

"The Phoenix Clan is no longer what it once was; I too have lost that former ambition. Do not forget the responsibility we bear—the Undying Volcano is the foundation of the Phoenix Clan today."

The crowd fell silent at once; Yuan Chu stepped forward and directly laid bare his heart: "Sir, the Phoenix Clan has long been self-imprisoned within the Undying Volcano; countless clansmen, from birth to death, have never once seen the outside world's light."

"From the moment they became aware of the world, all they have faced is the incessantly erupting volcanic fire, and all they have seen is the lava flowing across the land."

"Look at this bluish-white sky; how many of our clansmen have ever seen the colors of clouds? Do they know that above the fire and dust, the heavens are filled with rosy glows!"

"They have never seen the morning dew condense, hang upon the blades of grass, and drip into the dust."

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"They have never seen the vast mist that blankets the sky, obscuring the mountains and forests, making one unable to see their own hand before their face."

"They have never seen the clear spring trickle down, flowing between the rocks, producing the sound of jade pendants."

"They have never even seen what color the verdant mountains and clear waters truly are, not knowing that aside from a few wutong seeds, the world also offers edible bamboo shoots."

"Sir, we elders are the sinners of our clan, but those newly born children are not; they are merely implicated by our sins."

"Could we truly resign ourselves to remain thus silent, letting our descendants endlessly repeat the day‑to‑day suppression of the mountain fires?!"

"Look at your people now; they increasingly want to escape this prison. They ought to be soaring above the nine heavens, yet they are not!"

Yuan Huang grew ever more silent, while Yuan Chu's voice grew ever more impassioned; seeing it open its mouth and shout:

"My lord, look at your people! Their hearts yearning for freedom can no longer be restrained, beating wildly, wanting to break free of their bonds and go to a vaster world!"

"They no longer take pride in being phoenixes, nor do they still consider the phoenix the most noble bird in the primordial wilderness!"

"They envy the hawks and falcons soaring in the sky, the sparrows flitting in the forest! They yearn for freedom, even willing to sacrifice their splendid plumage!"

"Phoenixes should not be confined in a prison; it is the vast sky above the white clouds where they ought to dwell!"

"Upon the vast primordial continent, the colors brought by the phoenixes should not be lost, nor should the five elements and five colors be confined to mountain fires!"

Yuan Huang remained silent in response, and only after a long while spoke again: "As your leader, I ought to hear the voices of my people. You desire freedom, even if it means losing your lives and facing the annihilation of your clan, is that not so?"

The Five-Colored Phoenixes remained silent, but eventually stepped forward, all nodding and saying:

"Life and clan are extremely precious, yet compared to freedom they always seem too light; without freedom, these are too illusory and also too painful."

Yuan Huang nodded, then spoke again: "I understand; it seems this is your people's choice. Since you are willing to stake everything for freedom, then wait here in the Undying Volcano."

The Five-Colored Phoenixes all looked somewhat bewildered; Yuan Huang naturally understood their thoughts and explained:

"You want freedom, willing to stake everything for it—surely you cannot lack even this bit of patience?"

"Guard the Undying Volcano, wait for that old friend of old to arrive; this opportunity, he will surely not miss, his ambition as unextinguishable as the Undying Volcano itself."

"I know him all too well, just as he knows the phoenix; surely by now he has made up his mind, and the phoenix will be unable to restrain itself."

The Five-Colored Phoenixes were all at a loss, wanting to ask, but it was clear Yuan Huang had already lost patience, flapping his wings and charging once more into the Undying Volcano.

The five clan leaders exchanged glances, and the Hong Hu spoke: "Since the leader has promised, he will naturally not go back on his word; let us wait, believing the leader will not disappoint us. As for who that friend is, it really doesn't matter, right?"

Ji Jiang nodded, his former coquettish voice long gone, now only soft and gentle, murmuring:

"Yes, that doesn't matter; how long we still need to wait doesn't matter either, as long as we can see the hope of freedom, what's there to begrudge waiting a bit longer?"

"Moreover, what could compare to this continually erupting mountain fire in wearing down one's will? Now it's merely a matter of waiting."

As the words fell, Ji Jiang spread his wings and flew away; the others gradually dispersed as well—it was only a matter of time, they had already endured this long, enduring a little longer would hardly be intolerable.

"At least we can see hope before us, right? In the Qilin Realm, Shi Qilin also gazed upon the map drawn by the Heavenly Court, his whole heart seeming to blaze anew, and he laughed loudly:"

"Heaven and earth are merciful; my Qilin clan is not without a chance to flourish again—if we can muster the strength of the three clans, what difficulty would there be in once again sharing the world?"

"Enfeoffing the feudal lords—excellent! The Heavenly Court is also a source of endless calamity, but this is precisely what we like!"

Shi Qilin was now full of enthusiasm, beginning to incessantly study the map before him, while also hinting at some hesitation: "Given the nature of the Ancestral Dragon, he will surely not let this opportunity pass; he will undoubtedly find a way to gather the three clans' strength—should I, when the time comes, handle it deftly?"

"But this opportunity must not be missed; he also understands me, fearing the conditions he will give will leave little room for choice."

"In that case, it's difficult; given such a fine opportunity, if we don't extort a bit, when will the Qilin clan ever revive!" (End of chapter)