Chapter 613 – The Primordial Emperor - Part 1

What was happening now might be a once-in-tens-of-thousands-of-years event.

It only revealed itself when the

inner world

of chaos and the

surface world

were drawn close together, two realms brushing against each other for the briefest moment.

But once this surge of spiritual energy faded, the inner world would retreat again, and everything whether the mortal world or Eastern Sea’s Immortal Domain would return to normal.

When that happened, all the strangeness and abnormalities would be buried once more, deep beyond reach, hidden in places no one could ever find.

For Li Yuan, this moment was both dangerous and precious. It might be the only chance he’d ever get to truly glimpse the depths of this world.

“Cultivators have their abodes. Spirit towns are stable enough for training,” the little black crow chirped. “But demonic beasts? They’re stuck camping in puddles of spiritual energy, always at the mercy of luck. One moment they’re fine; the next, they’ve got to move again. And during all that moving around, they’re far more likely to bump into... strange things from the chaos.”

“Sis!” Meng Xingxian suddenly called out sweetly. Then she added, “So what you’re saying is that the Toad King probably stumbled upon something it never should’ve touched during a move. Lucky him, he leveled up and became a third rank beast. But unlucky him too, because the thing he touched came with consequences he can’t possibly handle.”

Her tone was gentle, even a little sugary. She’d fought with Sheng'er for decades, but in the grand scale of her long life, tens of thousands of years, that squabble was no more than a petty playground spat.

Now, with everyone on the same boat and no current clash of interests, Meng Xingxian was happy to let bygones be bygones. She acted like nothing had ever happened, calling the crow

Sis

as if they’d always been best friends.

The little black crow gave her a sideways glance but still answered, “Just a guess. Ping’an mentioned the Six Great Kings once. I got the sense that a bunch of them are...off. Chances are, the Toad King wasn’t the only one affected. That Ghost Gate King too, I’d bet on it. So whether we’re avoiding these beast kings or going after them...that’s up to Papa to decide.”

Silence settled over the carriage.

The wooden wheels creaked softly on the road.

Two horse-drawn carriages snaked along a misty moonlit path, one in front, one behind.

Zhu Ban and his disciples rode in the rear carriage. They were too weak to protect themselves, so Ping’an rode with them, along with the other Tree’ers.

Ping’an took the reins. He knew the road better than anyone.

The little crow perched quietly on top of the carriage.

Up ahead, Li Yuan’s carriage didn’t even need a driver. At this point in their journey, Meng Xingxian could guide the horses directly with her power, no need for a coachman.

Li Yuan sat quietly, attuned to his surroundings. The air was fresher here, a side effect of the spiritual energy permeating the land. But the wilderness had also grown louder, more howls and shrieks from roaming beasts, and above them, streaks of light occasionally cut through the sky, disciples from the various sects, riding or flying on their spiritual artifacts.

This scene was reminiscent of the Central Capital during the Human Emperor’s reign, same bustling streets, same majestic skyline. But there was one clear difference, the spirit of the martial cultivators.

Back in the Central Capital, the martial artists were suffused with a bitter edge, heavy with frustration. They had no future, no path forward, so they simmered in quiet rage.

But here, the martial artists seemed more composed. A calm detachment hung over many of them.

Of course, most of those calm faces belonged to fifth rank cultivators. The ones who truly understood how the world was changing, those in the know, were anything but calm. They were frantic.

When Sheng'er asked a question, Li Yuan turned his gaze toward the pale-faced Wolfmother and asked, “Han Feng, are you alright?”

The Wolfmother looked up blankly, eyes filled with fear as she stared at Li Yuan.

He understood instantly. Han Feng had retreated deep into the girl’s soul to recover. The one left behind was only her vessel, a young host.

This girl had been altered by the power of the Wolfmother Stele. She might possess the strength of a sixth rank cultivator, but she was still just a little girl. After regaining her memories, she was probably terrified beyond words.

Softening his tone, Li Yuan asked, “What’s your name?”

The girl recoiled slightly, fear rolling off her in waves. Her whole posture screamed one thing.

If he finds out I’ve recovered my memories, I’m dead.

But before she could come up with a lie, Li Yuan gently offered one of his own.

“I’ve been where you are,” he said. “Trapped. Hurting. Lost. But it passes.”

The girl looked down, flustered. Her delicate face stared at her tightly clasped knees while her hands fidgeted nervously.

Li Yuan reached over and lifted the curtain behind her with a wave of his hand. He pointed outside. “Look.”

She turned. A gentle breeze, a bright moon, stars scattered across the sky like a river of silver.

“It’s nicer than the Evernight, where there’s nothing but ice and snow, right?”

“Mhm...” She nodded.

“You’re not the same girl you were. You carry the power of the Wolfmother now, and a strength far beyond ordinary people. There’s no going back,” he said softly. Then he added warmly, “But you can still look ahead. You can walk forward with us, witness a journey like no other, something the world will never see again.”

Meng Xingxian, sitting nearby, rolled her eyes so hard she nearly pulled a muscle.

There he goes again. Old monster sweet-talking little girls...

Not that she had any right to judge, she’d pulled this move herself more than once. It was exactly how she’d managed to rope True Flame Sovereign into her orbit back in the day.

Still, this little girl wasn’t much to look at, and she was just Han Feng’s host anyway. Once her usefulness ran out, she’d be discarded. What was the point of flirting?

But Meng Xingxian kept all this snark in her head. No way she’d say it aloud in front of Li Yuan.

Meanwhile, the Wolfmother, now visibly calmer, murmured nervously, “Th-thank you...”

Then, in a small, fast voice, she added, “My name is Zhangsun Sanniang.”

Li Yuan smiled gently. “If there's a way back, I’ll take you with me. I won’t leave you behind.”

Zhangsun Sanniang nodded like a pecking chick, eyes full of gratitude and reverence as she looked at him.

Li Yuan leaned back against the wall of the carriage before finally answering Sheng'er’s earlier question.

“There’s no avoiding it,” he said. “We have to find those beast kings. It’s possible they’ve been touched by chaos, granted something strange and powerful. If that’s the case, they’ll carry traces, clues... Others might choose to steer clear, but we’re here to follow the trail. That’s the reason we came.”

“You’re right. But...” Meng Xingxian nodded in agreement. Her voice trailed off, and she gave him a helpless look. “Could we maybe find a place steeped in extreme Yin energy first? Somewhere Han Feng and I can restore our strength. If we recover our original cultivation realms, we’ll be of much greater help to you.”

“Sure.” Li Yuan gave her a slight nod.

Of course they would enter the ancient halls eventually, but there was no harm in sharpening the blade before chopping wood.

Meanwhile, the little black crow flapped down onto Zhangsun Sanniang’s shoulder and gently patted her head with a wing, its version of a comforting hug.

Li Yuan closed his eyes, hands resting on his knees. With a single thought, he slipped into meditation.

The spiritual energy here was rich. Both Yin and Yang flowed freely through the air, perfect conditions for cultivation. His Heaven, Earth, and Human Souls were nourished and balanced in this harmony.

The little crow chirped thoughtfully, “Papa’s going into cultivation mode. Let’s move to the other carriage.”

Meng Xingxian made a face. The idea of squeezing into a cramped carriage with all those smelly men was not her idea of a good time.

“Let the young master focus. The stronger he is, the safer we’ll all be.” Ying Zhuoyao chuckled. She added, “We can have Master Zhu’s disciples all move to the back of the carriage. If there’s not enough room, they can ride on the driver’s bench, or sit on the roof. There’s plenty of space. They’ll manage.”

“...” Li Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Meng Xingxian sighed. “Fine, fine.”

A short while later, the three women plus crow had relocated, and the carriage emptied out. The spoiled weaponsmiths of the Central Capital, used to a life of comfort, now clung to the sides of the carriage like laundry flapping in the wind. It was giving off strong

rural

commuter vibes from Li Yuan’s world prior to crossing over.

He said nothing, though he found the whole scene slightly ridiculous.

Now alone in the carriage pulled by two horses under Meng Xingxian’s remote control, Li Yuan shifted the secret art steles aside and sat cross-legged on the floor, completely focused.

With a single thought, a massive lotus throne with 138,800 petals bloomed beneath him.

Above him, a black imperial crown shimmered into existence, with tassels hanging down from its rim.

Around him, his skin turned pale as a corpse, eerily lifeless, his whole form the very image of a ghost.

Yin and Yang spun in a dance, like twin koi chasing each other’s tails in a circle.

Power surged through him from the Joyous Union, grinding slowly but steadily like an ancient millstone. A dry flame began to rise from his body, parched and seething.

Li Yuan guided the withered flame within him deliberately, step by step.

With every breath, that deathly pallor on his skin began to fade, replaced by the healthy flush of a living man.

The terrifying ghostly face softened, reshaped, until it became recognizably his once more.

And then, the figure seated on the lotus throne transformed into a compact, blazing golden body, a condensed vessel of flame.

The crown vanished.

The golden form now sat atop the black lotus.