Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Descent of the Antarctic

Mount Buzhou was once a place revered and yearned for by all living beings, for its abundant spiritual energy nourished the entire mountain range. Yet today, it had become a land of terror. It was nothing less than a blood-soaked inferno.

The innate turbid qi drifting restlessly in the heavens tormented the terrified creatures fleeing below, toying with them until, bored with the game, it would devour their vitality, spirit, and essence. The panic was no longer confined to the tens of thousands of miles around Mount Buzhou; it spread rapidly in all directions. First, the collapse of the mountain had already sent the denizens into a frenzied flight. Second, the innate turbid qi, once suppressed deep beneath the mountain, had broken free due to the fall of Buzhou and now rampaged unchecked, stealing the life force from every living thing it encountered. This was far more devastating than the collapse itself—if you were lucky enough not to be crushed, you could count yourself blessed.

But the turbid qi was merciless, draining the very essence of all creatures, striking terror into the hearts of every beast and spirit, driving them to scatter in panic. Third, above all else, the Weak Water came cascading down through the gaping hole in the heavens—a true harbinger of disaster for all beings.

Those who had escaped the falling mountain and the predation of the turbid qi had no chance to rejoice, for now came their next calamity: the Weak Water.

At this moment, the black dragon’s eyes burned with hatred as it glared at the person who had shielded the Holy Mother Taiyuan from its attack—none other than Tongtian, who had just rushed over from the Palace of Purple Clouds.

Tongtian, seeing the Holy Mother Taiyuan gravely wounded, seethed with wrath. Once, he had called her elder sister, had spoken and laughed with her, but now she lay at death’s door. Even Tongtian, at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal of the Great Principle, could not save her.

He glanced down at the corrosive Weak Water and was startled by its potency. Without hesitation, he took up the Holy Mother Taiyuan and flew far away.

The black dragon merely watched as Tongtian took her, making no move to interfere. It knew the Holy Mother had little time left and, though it loathed Tongtian’s aura, it did not deem him worth its attention—there were more pressing matters at hand.

And so, by chance, Tongtian escaped disaster.

But the Holy Mother Taiyuan’s condition was dire. Her heart and dantian, along with her primordial soul, were utterly shattered; not even Ancestor Hongjun himself could have saved her.

Tongtian gently laid her on the ground, his eyes red with tears already streaming down his cheeks, his mouth twitching in pain. “How are you, Sister?” he asked, his voice trembling. Apart from his two elder brothers, she was the one who cared for him most deeply.

At that moment, the Supreme Lord Laozi and the Primordial Heavenly Lord hurried over to examine her wounds. The Three Pure Ones had their own secret arts, and upon seeing her state, Tongtian quickly called them to his side.

“How are you? Who did this? Tongtian, what happened?!” Primordial Heavenly Lord, seeing her lying there, eyes red and blazing with fury, shoved Tongtian aside and knelt by her.

Blood, dark and violet, flowed continuously from her lips—a sight that chilled the heart. In her chest was a gaping hole, straight through her body; another marred her dantian.

Seeing this, Primordial Heavenly Lord seized her hand, pouring his own power into her, but the black liquid on her wounds only increased, not lessened.

“Cough... Yuanshi, please, do not...” Each word she spoke cost her a mouthful of blood. Tongtian said, “Sister, don’t speak,” but she was unyielding. She knew her time was short; some things had to be said.

The Supreme Lord turned his head away, unable to meet her gaze, fearing his emotions would betray him. Yet tears still streamed from his eyes.

“If you have something to say, speak it now,” Primordial Heavenly Lord whispered, gripping her hand tightly.

“I am with child—your child—” she said, coughing violently. She lifted her robe to reveal skin as pale as jade. Beneath her abdomen, a round sphere pulsed with gentle movement.

Even the Supreme Lord was startled, and both Tongtian and Primordial Heavenly Lord were struck dumb by the revelation. This was the second generation of the Three Pure Ones—the hope of countless ages, realized at last, but at such a cost.

“To protect our child, I have given all my energy,” she said, her eyes dimming. Primordial Heavenly Lord, frantic, replied, “You are too foolish. A child lost can be conceived again, but if I lose you, where will I find you?” With his cultivation, to sire a child was no difficulty, but in his heart, there was only her.

“Don’t speak further, just let me finish. Mount Buzhou has collapsed, releasing the innate turbid qi, and Weak Water from the heavens now pours down. No matter what means you use, you must resolve these crises. Only then can I die without regret.” Her voice grew fainter, and Tongtian knew this was a dire omen.

“How can we restrain the turbid qi and mend the sky?” he asked urgently. In his past life, he knew how the sky was mended, but not how to suppress the turbid qi. Still, as a deity born of Pangu’s spirit, surely the Holy Mother would know the location of the Five-Colored Stones needed to repair the heavens.

She beckoned Tongtian closer and, understanding, he leaned in as she whispered the secrets to him.

Primordial Heavenly Lord was inconsolable, his beloved fading before his eyes, tearing at his heart. “Alright, alright, I promise you anything,” he babbled, his consciousness scattering, unable to accept her impending departure.

“In the future, you must love one another as brothers, and never turn upon each other!” With these words, Holy Mother Taiyuan released her final breath and departed from the Three Pure Ones.

“Taiyuan!” Primordial Heavenly Lord embraced her body, crying out in madness and grief, a wave of sorrow overwhelming the Three Pure Ones.

Tongtian knelt in agony, tears tracing paths down his cheeks. The Supreme Lord clenched his fists, a cold, resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

At that moment, the Holy Mother’s body began to dissolve, and from her lower abdomen a faint azure light emerged. Gradually, all her essence was absorbed by this glow, and soon a green radiance joined it, as countless strands of innate clear qi descended from the heavens to shield them.

This clear qi, conjured by the Supreme Lord and Tongtian, enveloped the nascent life. As for Primordial Heavenly Lord, he remained kneeling, clutching a lock of her hair, silent and unmoving.

The azure mass, worthy child of Primordial Heavenly Lord and the Holy Mother, quickly began to assume shape, absorbing the pure qi. Before long, it transformed into the form of an elderly man with white hair, ageless features, a benevolent countenance, and a lofty, protruding brow—the very image of a Daoist master.

He bowed deeply to the Supreme Lord and Tongtian. “Greetings, Grand Uncle and Third Uncle. May you enjoy boundless longevity.”

Tongtian was dumbfounded—could this truly be the Southern Polaris Elder? Such a thing defied all expectation.

He asked, “Is this not the form of the Southern Polaris Elder? Why do you appear so?”

The youth replied, “Southern Polaris Elder? Who is that? The name has a pleasant sound. May I call myself this, Third Uncle?”

Tongtian could only rub his temples in exasperation, already feeling a headache at being called “Third Uncle” by this little old man. He cast a helpless glance toward the Supreme Lord.

The Supreme Lord nodded. “So be it.”

With those two words, the name of the Southern Polaris Elder was thus confirmed. Tongtian could only sigh inwardly.

Then the Supreme Lord turned to Tongtian. “That green light—please, Brother Tongtian, look after it.” The bonds among the Three Pure Ones had long since frayed; their wounds would not heal so easily. Thus he addressed Tongtian as “Brother.”

Tongtian nodded and tucked the green light into his sleeve.

Introduction: Southern Polaris Elder

According to the Daoist scripture, “The Supreme Jade Book of the True King of Divine Thunder”—in ancient times, before the cosmos was formed and primal qi was born, the Primordial Heavenly King was the progenitor of the Great Brahman of the Vast Abyss, who, condensing spirit and forming the embryo, was named Chaos. When Chaos split, heaven and earth came into being. The primal qi within and without was then called the Great Void. The Primordial Heavenly King, setting the cosmos in motion, shone golden as the sun, his jade-like countenance radiant, nurturing wondrous essence and dividing heaven and earth. He descended from the Jade Capital Mountain and encountered the Grandmother of Ten Thousand Qi, the Supreme Jade Mother of the Nine Heavens, who, by practicing the mysterious union of the Three Pure Ones, bore him eight sons, the eldest being the Great Emperor of Longevity of the Southern Polaris, also known as the Jade King of Divine Thunder. The Supreme Emperor then commanded the True Lord of Myriad Blessings to transmit the secret methods of longevity and protection to the mortal realm.

Secondly, it is said the Primordial Heavenly King is the ninth son of the Primordial Heavenly Lord. According to the Daoist scripture, “The Supreme Jade Sutra of the Great Brahman of the Nine Heavens,” the ninth son holds the rank of the Jade King of Divine Thunder, Lord of Longevity, sovereign over the thirty-six heavens and their lords.