Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Death of Taiyuan

Just as Tongtian was still puzzled about why the heavenly water had not poured down onto the earth, his gaze shifted downward; his eyes narrowed unconsciously, and his brows knitted in concern. Regardless, he had to go and see for himself. Tongtian vanished from the Purple Cloud Palace.

Beside him, Primordial Lord of Heaven and Supreme Elder glanced at each other, then quietly closed their eyes, only to open them again moments later before disappearing from the palace as well.

Even Nuwa, seated nearby, along with the Western Sages, were astounded. What could possibly cause the Three Pure Ones to move together?

Nuwa sensed that with the collapse of Buzhou Mountain, she might encounter a great opportunity, so she bade farewell to the Western Sages and flew toward Buzhou Mountain.

The Western Sages, naturally unwilling to miss this chance to vie for fortune, likewise headed toward Buzhou Mountain.

As for what Tongtian saw—he witnessed his elder sister, the Holy Mother of Primordial Origin, hastening in the direction of Buzhou Mountain.

Buzhou Mountain was far from a safe place now. It had collapsed, and thick primordial turbid qi suffused the area. Some of this turbid qi, possessing consciousness, wandered around, while others soared into the clouds, their motives unknown.

At that moment, the Holy Mother of Primordial Origin approached and preached to the drifting spirits of turbid qi: “The great catastrophe has ended. You should return to the depths of Buzhou Mountain and cultivate. Why create such karma?”

From the vast darkness emerged the vague form of a dragon, absorbing and assimilating the primordial turbid qi, then addressing the Holy Mother: “You meddle too much. Don’t think that being a guardian entitles you to rebuke us. If not for your war between the witches and demons, why would we have emerged?”

“Even so, you must not sow chaos in the primordial world!” The Holy Mother was infuriated by the black dragon, believing that as a member of this world, she had every right to worry about its safety.

“If you say so, why hasn’t Hongjun come? Why send you to die instead?” The black dragon rolled among the clouds, absorbing both primordial turbid qi and the baleful energy of fallen souls, while taunting the Holy Mother.

“Don’t think I don’t see through your schemes!” The Holy Mother’s voice rose, confronting the dragon loudly.

“Hmph! In that case, it’s best to erase you!” The black dragon unleashed dense primordial turbid qi, forming droplets that attacked the Holy Mother.

These “droplets” were refined from pure primordial turbid qi, each possessing formidable corrosive and offensive power. The turbid qi was the filthiest substance in existence; any who suffered its corrosion would become a puppet, their cultivation and energy surrendered. It was indeed a terrifying weapon.

Knowing the danger, the Holy Mother dodged frantically. The scene was reminiscent of someone wielding a Gatling gun, firing relentlessly as she evaded, desperate not to let the droplets touch her.

Realizing she was no match for the black dragon, she sent a distress signal to the Three Pure Ones. As their kin, she naturally possessed tokens for communication.

Suddenly, the black dragon halted its attack and looked upward toward Buzhou Mountain.

In the earliest days, when the primordial world had just formed, the great Pangu, to protect it from external threats, set a grand formation above the nine heavens to safeguard all beings. The heart of this formation was Buzhou Mountain. Though the mountain had collapsed, the weak water above—known as the water of the Nine Springs—was somehow sustained by mysterious powers, shoring up the world where Buzhou Mountain once stood.

The one responsible for patching the gap left by the fallen mountain, preventing the Nine Springs from pouring down, was none other than the Holy Mother of Primordial Origin.

Why was she able to “patch the heavens”?

The answer lay in her origins. She was the mysterious great egg that nurtured Pangu himself. She witnessed Pangu’s growth and the birth of the primordial world. As Pangu neared his transformation into the world itself, he infused the egg with a portion of his essence, knowing his time was short. He instructed her in the secrets of the grand formation and hastened her transformation, urging her to protect the world’s creatures.

Even this was not enough, so Pangu shattered most of the eggshell, dispersing its essence above the world, leaving a small part to transform. Even with Buzhou Mountain gone, the Holy Mother had ways to shield the living beings of the world. They were kin; none were strangers to each other.

The black dragon watched as the weak water above gathered toward the place where Buzhou Mountain once supported heaven and earth. Meanwhile, the Holy Mother, exhausted, continued to channel her power, sitting paralyzed to prevent the water from penetrating her barrier. She hoped the Three Pure Ones would arrive in time to thwart the dragon’s plot.

This weak water was actually the water of the Nine Springs from the underworld. When in the underworld, it absorbed the power of the six paths to purify souls, but once it returned to the nine heavens, it absorbed the power of the stars, becoming a force of terrible corrosion.

The black dragon observed coldly, waiting to see how long she could endure. If the water of the Nine Heavens were to fall, it would spell true disaster for the primordial world. Its corrosive and assimilative power was unmatched; no life could escape it unscathed.

Combined with the primordial turbid qi, only the Wheel of Heaven or the Dao Ancestor descending could hope to stop the black dragon’s assault.

The black dragon floated quietly, watching the struggling Holy Mother below. “You still have time to withdraw. Otherwise, prepare for your demise and the dissolution of your Dao!”

In his heart, he thought: This is the path you chose—it has nothing to do with me.

If any other cultivator saw their grand endeavor hindered by an unavoidable obstacle, they would simply obliterate it without so much unnecessary talk. But the black dragon spoke—there was reason behind it.

As the egg that nurtured Pangu, it never interacted with primordial turbid or clear qi during the process, for they all originated from the same place—the Primal Lotus of Chaos. Because of this, the black dragon allowed the Holy Mother to reconsider.

“You should return. This place is not for you. Otherwise, you will regret it!” The Holy Mother, drenched in sweat and powerless, could no longer sustain the broken gap.

“Then let me fulfill your fate!” The black dragon raised its hand, summoning a torrent of black vapor, which it directed at the Holy Mother.

“Ah!” With no power left to defend, the corrosive turbid qi instantly destroyed both her dantian and heart.

The Holy Mother was on the brink of death!

The black dragon was startled, “Hm?” What was happening? Why did she not use her last strength to protect her soul and dantian, but instead gather it all in her belly?

Shaking its head, the dragon thought: Whatever the reason, today you must die!

Another attack struck the Holy Mother. She slowly closed her eyes, no longer gasping for breath, her heart utterly calm. Her mind was filled with joyful voices: “Little sister—Primordial—Elder sister!”

Memories of beauty flashed through her mind, and a sorrowful smile appeared on her face.

Death approached step by step. Could the Holy Mother escape this calamity?