Chapter 183: Phoenix Proof of Primal Unity

On the day of the grand wedding, heaven and earth rejoiced, and the sun and moon shone in unison.

In the Celestial Realm, amidst streams of colorful light, countless star lords, eight golden suns, and various celestial phenomena appeared, lasting for a full three months.

In this year, Emperor Qi married the Moon God, ascended as the Heavenly Emperor, established the Kaiyuan Heavenly Court, and set up a system of governance and order. This era was historically named: Year One of the Western Era.

Unlike the tyrannical and lawless ancient god Heavenly Court that preceded it, this Heavenly Emperor of the Wu Clan, after his ascension, held daily court sessions, summoning all gods and officials to jointly govern the land, meticulously managing even the daily rainfall in various regions.

He worked diligently and possessed great talent and vision, striving for the welfare of all beings.

Later generations held him in high regard:

"He overthrew the tyrannical and lawless ancient primordial gods, thereby ushering in a permanent era of governance by post-celestial beings, becoming the first Great Emperor of post-celestial beings!"

Year Twelve of the Kaiyuan Heavenly Court.

"The Human Ancestor bestowed great kindness upon post-celestial beings; a 'Compendium of Primordial Spirit True Scriptures' should be compiled to commemorate his achievements!"

The Heavenly Emperor's voice was calm from his throne.

The Heavenly Emperor commissioned the compilation of the "Xu Nian Hunyuan Sacred Scroll" over thirty years to commemorate Human Ancestor Xu Younian.

This sacred scroll, honoring the Human Ancestor, opened the path of cultivation for all post-celestial beings. It encompassed all cultivation methods of the great Ancestral Witches and Grand Witches, offering them without reservation for reference.

Among them was the supreme "Twelve Hunyuan Heavenly Sutras."

The Twelve Unique Heavenly and Earthly Primordial Spirits: Only one person could cultivate each at any given time. At this point, the Twelve Ancestral Witches had merged with the Heavenly Dao, becoming the sole Great Sages of Heaven and Earth, thus completing the cosmic order!

Additionally, there were the "Thirty-Six Yin-Yang Earth Sutras."

These governed important and powerful positions throughout Heaven and Earth, held by prominent figures in the Heavenly Court.

Year Twenty-One of the Kaiyuan Heavenly Court.

Heaven and Earth gradually recovered and regained vitality after the period of war.

From the Imperial Throne, a majestic voice resonated again:

"The entire land shall be divided into four regions, for four clans to reside in, each to recuperate, multiply, and prosper!"

During the reign of the Wu Clan Heavenly Emperor, equality among all beings was emphasized.

The Demon Clan, Human Clan, Wu Clan, and even the Ancient Clan were permitted to multiply.

The remaining descendants of the ancient gods were now referred to as the Ancient Clan. After all, apart from the thirteen primordial ancient gods, all were post-celestial beings, so the Ancient God Clan was also considered a post-celestial race.

Year Thirty-One of the Kaiyuan Heavenly Court.

From the Imperial Throne, the voice of the Wu Clan Great Emperor once again resounded throughout Heaven and Earth:

"The Heavenly Court shall only govern the Heavenly Dao! It shall operate the rules of the Heavenly Dao, maintain the world's order, and transcend beyond living beings! It shall not interfere with the mortal human realm; all clans of Heaven and Earth may multiply independently!"

The Heavenly Court understood that perpetual peace and harmony on Earth were unrealistic, and long-suppressed animosities would inevitably lead to great calamity. Therefore, it permitted mutual conflict, even allowing the enslavement of other races. Some races would flourish, while others would decline, in an era of great contention, but complete annihilation or extermination of any race was forbidden.

In fact, the Human and Wu Clans possessed inner spaces that could serve as transformed bodies for the Ancient and Demon Clans.

The Ancient and Demon Clans, as primordial spirits in the Sea of Consciousness, were also targets for hunting by the Human and Wu Clans.

Only through mutual hunting and completion could they embark on the path of cultivation.

Although the Wu Clan was the protagonist of Heaven and Earth, the Heavenly Emperor did not monopolize power, giving all mortal races an opportunity to rise. As the first Great Emperor of post-celestial beings, his breadth of vision was astonishing; even the Ancient Clan was allowed to rejoin celestial offices.

One Emperor, governing four clans.

Emperor Qi possessed immense magnanimity, encompassing Heaven and Earth, with a strategic genius unheard of in ancient times!

Even his identity as a post-celestial being won over the ancient primordial gods; the Moon God, a primordial ancient god born at the dawn of creation, was completely convinced and willing to marry a post-celestial being. His great achievements were beyond words.

He established a heart for Heaven and Earth: overthrowing the rule of the primordial gods, allowing post-celestial beings to govern the cosmic order.

He established a destiny for the populace: founding the Heavenly Court, acting on behalf of Heaven.

He perpetuated the lost wisdom of past sages: commemorating Human Ancestor Xu Younian by opening the "Xu Nian Hunyuan Sacred Scroll."

He ushered in peace for all generations: Heaven only maintained order, while the various clans on Earth enjoyed freedom, and anyone could strive for greatness in their era.

In the center of the great land, multicolored auspicious clouds hovered.

"Wu Clan."

A faint voice drifted from within Jianmu.

She looked at the creatures crawling on her, noticing a new batch of ants constantly coming and going. "Good heavens, I only went out to watch a movie for a short while, a day or two passed, I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and slept, and now I'm the only ancient being left from those who created the world? Have I become the oldest existence in this world? The last ancient being who sat on a futon and listened to the Dao Lord's sermon?"

"I'm just a young girl in my early twenties, yet I've become the longest-lived ancient primordial being in this world?"

She looked utterly bewildered.

Above Jianmu's crown, in the void, the Phoenix Dao Lord slowly opened her eyes, which glowed with multicolored light. "One destruction and one creation form a kalpa. With the destruction of this world, it is time for me to attain the Dao."

*Swish!*

She reached out and plucked a Dao fruit from the top of Jianmu.

Jianmu's trunk here had been isolated from her divine sense, so even Jianmu itself could not perceive anything above its crown.

After all, Jianmu's main body was heavily encased and immobile; its form was too vast for it to even sense its entire physical state.

For years, Jianmu had been under her control, functioning as a colossal formation rooted throughout Heaven and Earth.

*Swish.*

She placed the Dao fruit into her Sea of Consciousness, and her inner world vibrated intensely.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Streams of pure, wispy energy turned purple, permeating the space as if returning to primordial chaos.

Within the entire Sea of Consciousness space, the souls of the deceased from this world had converged in this confined area.

"It's all fallen into place naturally."

Her phoenix true form suddenly opened its eyes, radiating an ancient and profound aura. "All I lacked was energy; now, it has naturally led to a breakthrough."

"Is this what it means to attain the Hunyuan Dao?"

The phoenix felt her body surge with an indescribable power. Below the Hunyuan level, all were but ants!

No wonder Armin could instantly kill the Evil God with a single move back then.

She seemed to let out a clear cry, "An Eight-level mythical creature, I have finally become a god."

Outside her Sea of Consciousness, a beautiful woman murmured, "This state is still that of a demigod, but by paying a certain price, one can unleash the full power of the Hunyuan realm by activating the Dao fruit entrusted to the Void Heaven!"

She lightly leaped, descending into the mortal realm, and chuckled, "The work in this world is done. It's time for me to fully withdraw and continue exploring the path beyond the Eighth level."

There was nothing left in this world that held her back.

Power?

Glory?

None were worth lingering for.

Her mission was complete; she was an outsider, with no ties to this world.

Indeed, for her, this world she had created had become a cage.

She looked up at the sky and sighed softly, "Armin, you must also be searching for a higher path, aren't you? The Eighth level is mythical, one of the strongest in a world, but ultimately it is limited!"

"What about the Ninth level?"

"What kind of beautiful scenery awaits there?"

"Can one break free from the confines of a single world and roam across all the myriad heavens and realms, becoming an eagle soaring through countless worlds?"

"Perhaps that is the true freedom I yearn for! If I could traverse world after world, exploring between Heaven and Earth, and even find the birthplace of all things—the origin of worlds—to return to the side of the Creator God."

Having reached this level, the Phoenix felt there was nothing more at this stage to pursue.

But in her heart, she could never forget that day:

when she too was embraced by the Creator God, basking in that warm environment.

She had never felt warmth before; only in that moment did she feel the meaning of her own existence.

"Great Creator God, I want to break through to the Ninth level, to find that path, and come to your side!" The Dao Lord who had opened up Heaven and Earth had an unprecedented gentle expression. Recalling the warmth of that day and her conversation with the great Creator God, her face involuntarily overflowed with happiness.

But the next second, her expression gradually calmed. "I must fully withdraw and explore the path to the next realm within my inner world, thereby leaving this world. However, there are still some things to accomplish."

"Three or four hundred years have passed; you have suffered enough," she murmured as her form gradually vanished into the earth. "Now that my mortal affairs are concluded, it is time to set you free."

With a gentle wave of her hand, the flames that had sealed various primordial spiritual treasures gradually dissipated.