Chapter 19: Speculation

Outside the Youxiong Tribe.

Mu Changge was in the middle of his morning run, while Athena followed along, seated upon her owl. Once Mu Changge reached his planned goal, he and Athena headed back toward the Youxiong Tribe together. On the way, they chatted to pass the time.

"Teacher Athena, what do you think of Qiongqi, one of the Four Perils?"

"Very powerful! Truly a renowned vicious beast, possessing a terrifying strength that matches its reputation. If Qiongqi were to appear in your era and I were to face it again, regardless of the outcome, the battle would inevitably cause the entire Eurasian continent to sink."

"Is there such a massive difference between the Primordial Ancestral Star of the present and that of the future?" Mu Changge was stunned.

"It is only natural. In the era of ancient myths, the laws of heaven and earth were extremely stable due to the activities of many gods, which was reflected in the abundance of spiritual energy."

"Then why did the Age of Myth come to an end?"

"......You will know in time, but it is not yet the moment."

Mu Changge nodded, choosing not to press further. If Athena was not ready to speak, she likely had her reasons.

In her heart, Athena thought silently: *Mu Changge, in truth... you have already seen one of the objects that caused the depletion of China's spiritual energy. If one day you return to the future and defeat the Beast of the End, what choice will you make? The Beast of the End is not the finale; it is merely......*

"Teacher Athena, you should be fully recovered now, right?"

"Yes, I have long since recovered completely. Even if I were to encounter Qiongqi again now, I could perform even better than in our last battle!"

"By the way, Teacher Athena, where do you think Qiongqi would rank if it were in Greek mythology?"

"Hmm... perhaps on the same level as Typhon."

"Typhon? That nemesis of Zeus?"

Athena remained silent for a few moments. "Typhon is not worthy of being my father's nemesis. To put it plainly, he is nothing more than an experience pack."

"Is he that weak?"

"Why would you think Typhon is comparable to my father?"

"Isn't Typhon the strongest monster in Greek mythology?"

"Isn't Qiongqi one of the Four Perils of Chinese mythology? Yet, is it not merely at the level of an ordinary divine general in the Kunlun Imperial Capital?"

"Does that mean there are at least twelve beings as strong as, or even far surpassing, Qiongqi in the Kunlun Imperial Capital?"

"That is normal. Otherwise, how could they be chosen by the Celestial Emperor as divine generals?"

"I was clearly ill-informed."

"You must understand that true counterparts capable of rivaling a Supreme God are very rare. For instance, Mara is merely a stepping stone intended to demonstrate the great power of the Buddha Sakyamuni; the likes of Wutian from television dramas are only equal in strength because the plot requires it. Similarly, Satan, the adversary of the Lord of Holy Light, is just an experience pack used to show how formidable Michael is. The dark serpent god Apep is constantly being trampled by the Sun God Ra. The only one who truly qualifies as an adversary to a Supreme God is Angra Mainyu. Of course, there is one exception: Nidhogg, the World-Ending Black Dragon."

"When you put it that way, it is normal that the Four Perils are not worth mentioning before the Kunlun Imperial Capital."

"Has the Celestial Emperor not already organized a campaign for the twelve divine generals to exterminate the vicious beasts? Just watch and see if the Four Perils dare to show their faces."

"Speaking of which, who among the human race is secretly colluding with the vicious beasts?"

"Are you curious?"

"Of course! The time we encountered Qiongqi, someone must have leaked the information on purpose. The timing and location of their ambush were far too precise."

"Hmm. Do you have any suspects?"

"Teacher Athena, I think it's Chiyou."

"Your reason?"

"Chiyou ended up dead."

"......"

"Haha, I'm joking. I've thought it over: the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan is out of the question; he has no reason to act against us, and our presence serves him well as a cover. As for the young Flame Emperor Yugang, I don't believe he could collude with beasts under the nose of the Flame Emperor Shennong. Excluding those two, doesn't that leave only Chiyou? Of course, it could also be those who support him."

"Have you considered that since you and I are working for the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan—and doing so before he ascends as the Emperor of Humanity—it is possible we have altered the course of history?"

Mu Changge pondered for a moment. "Even so, there must be a more logical foundation to support that theory."

"What if the vicious beasts desire to become divine beasts?"

"Eh?"

"Have you not realized? The greatest difference between the ancient gods and the vicious beasts in Chinese mythology is their identity! Those who care for all things in heaven and earth and harbor great love are the ancient gods. Those who only think of doing evil, who have no bottom line and act as they please, are the vicious beasts."

"So it is a distinction based on behavior? In a sense, the ancient gods and the vicious beasts are one and the same?"

"Are they not all beings born on the Primordial Ancestral Star?"

"If that is the case, if the vicious beasts were willing to submit and adopt the identity of ancient gods... that is quite terrifying."

"There is nothing to fear; it is not that simple. The mindset of an ancient god and that of a vicious beast are entirely different."

"If someone really wanted to tame the beasts, wouldn't they fear the beasts breaking their promises?"

"For a vicious beast, being able to transform into a divine beast or become an ancient god is the greatest reward! After all, it allows them to shed an ignoble identity. Aside from extreme cases, the temptation of being vindicated and remembered as a legend is immense."

"That sounds a bit like one of the Four Great Classical Novels of the Dragon Kingdom."

"It is somewhat similar. After all, the human race in Chinese mythology believes that one must have noble character to be worthy of becoming a god, not that one has noble character because they are a god."

"I believe that, too. How can one be called a god if their character is too poor?"

"Therefore, for a beast, is it not better to wash away their sins, become a divine or auspicious beast, and live without the constant fear of being hunted by the Celestial Emperor? If someone were to offer such terms, they might truly succeed in their deception."

"But if all the beasts submitted to the human race, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"There are countless beasts between heaven and earth; where would one find enough positions for ancient gods to accommodate them all? An ancient god must commune with the Primordial Ancestral Star and receive its recognition to ascend. With so many beasts, some would certainly be discarded."

"Wait, Teacher Athena, by that logic, the reason there are fewer ancient gods than immortals is because becoming an ancient god is difficult?"

"It is very difficult. Under the same conditions, the success rate for becoming an immortal is absurdly high. Look at the human tribes—compare the tribal leaders to the powerful warriors of the tribes; is the disparity in strength not terrifying?"

Mu Changge nodded. Leaders like the young Flame Emperor Yugang, the Jiuli leader Chiyou, and the Youxiong leader Xuanyuan were not even pseudo-gods, yet the leader of the human tribal alliance possessed the realm of an Ancestral God, and was even on the verge of becoming the Celestial Emperor! The gap between them spanned several galaxies—it was, quite literally, a massive distance.