Sleeves fluttering, crown set straight upon his head, Rovi appeared in Tanggu beneath the shroud of wind and rain, stepping slowly through the accumulated water.
He gazed ahead at the ruined walls that had once been magnificent and, even now, still retained traces of splendor. He looked at the silent shadow seated upon the divine throne, and at the "phantom" standing to one side.
The nine-tailed fox was looking at him as well.
Her words had been meant for him. They were both a confession and, even more, a warning to Rovi...
The immortals and gods were still here.
And they remained terrifying.
Perhaps both you and I are pawns of those immortals and gods.
The nine-tailed fox wanted to test this immortal-god who was locked in a struggle with her over an "Authority," but testing had never been limited to force alone.
There were principles, too. Differences in thought could serve as a test.
Only after a moment of silence did Rovi answer, "To you, they are terrifying. But to me, what I see is their conviction."
"They drove out the Outer Gods of old, used those Outer Gods as stepping stones, and transcended the stars and the universe. Even now, they must still be fighting against the Old Gods beyond the universe, mustn't they?"
Though, in truth, he had only learned these things after hearing the nine-tailed fox speak of them.
But there was surprise in his heart, and even more, a measure of relief.
Beneath the Fusang Tree, when Yu Mei-ren had told him of the fall of the Xia dynasty, the girl's words had drawn the attention of an Outer God.
Yet that Outer God had only cast a sidelong glance.
At first, he had thought the Outer God still looked down on him and had not deigned to face his existence directly. After all, compared to a being that had transcended the universe, he truly was not yet qualified.
But looking at it now, the greater possibility was perhaps that they simply could not look directly at the Divine Land, and had no attention to spare for him.
They could only borrow the girl named Abigail, a girl blessed by an Outer God, to gaze upon his existence and observe the Divine Land.
Because the immortals and gods that filled the heavens had already entered the sea of stars, yet they were still watching over their homeland.
They were fighting against the Outer Gods.
Against those beings that coveted their home.
"What do you think, Nine-Tail?"
"Oh my. You know me?" The nine-tailed fox smiled with pursed lips, her nine fluffy tails swaying once. "A god from a foreign land knows me as well?"
"A foreign land? I'm not from any foreign land." Rovi smiled. "I am of orthodox Huaxia, a descendant of Yan and Huang."
"Otherwise, how could I have obtained the Divine Land's recognition?"
If Rovi had not considered himself a person of this land from beginning to end, if he had not held that conviction, then no matter how powerful he was, there was absolutely no way he could have become Donghua Dijun, presiding over the rising sun, the setting moon, and the three-realm water cycle.
The Divine Land valued orthodox legitimacy above all. Whether immortals or gods, all were the same. Only those who viewed themselves as part of this land could obtain a divine office and Authority here.
The nine-tailed fox's eyes narrowed slightly. "That is true. Still, I never expected someone of the Divine Land, of Huaxia, to advance to primordial outside its borders."
"I also never expected you to be the one behind all this," Rovi replied. There was genuine surprise in his words. After all, he had considered the possibility of meeting the nine-tailed fox, but had not expected to meet her here. "Mei Xi, Su Daji, Bao Si, Lady Huayang of Tianzhu... and you, the true body of the Nine-Tail—Tamamo-no-Mae."
Tamamo-no-Mae, a "fox demon" who should not yet have appeared in this era.
She had gathered her nine tails.
At the same time, from the dimension of time, she had taken back the name she would bear in the future, extending herself into that future and becoming a "primordial" in another sense.
A "future primordial."
And the moment he spoke the name "Tamamo-no-Mae," the nine-tailed fox's eyes suddenly became extremely dangerous.
Yet the smile she raised grew even brighter. "You even know that? How surprising... You investigated me so thoroughly. Could it be that you've fallen for me?"
She swayed her tails and stepped forward, slowly approaching Rovi. Though only a phantom was here, a projection of her true body in this place, for a primordial-rank projection, there was already little difference between illusion and reality.
She twisted her waist as she moved, her orange-red hair still rising freely in the rain, a pair of furry ears swaying left and right and setting off her exquisite face. Her neckline half-concealed the lovely curves beneath, her hanging cloud-sleeves drifted, and the sash around her waist wound downward before curling upward, subtly outlining her figure. As the hem of her long robe swayed from side to side, a pair of thighs extended from within, wrapped tightly in deep-blue silk that accentuated their rounded beauty.
The foxes of Qingqiu were ancient divine beasts, and also ancient demonic beasts. Their forms were graceful and seductive, existences that manifested the concepts of "fantasy" and "desire."
And in that moment, the nine-tailed fox whom Rovi called Tamamo-no-Mae drew close to him. A delicate fragrance brushed his face, and her beautiful body swayed before his eyes.
Tamamo-no-Mae bent slightly, giving him an even clearer view. "As expected, though you bear the name of an Emperor-Lord and immortal-god, you are rather special. You still possess a purely human shell..."
"So..." Her hand slowly reached out and pressed against Rovi's shoulder. Her fair, tender palm rubbed against him as Tamamo-no-Mae pressed her entire body to his, extending her other hand as well. "Would you care to oppose the immortals and gods together with me?"
She was trying to charm Rovi.
As a demonic beast who governed "desire," the instant Rovi appeared, she had sensed the "desires" he possessed as a pure human.
So she tried to stir them. Tried to tempt the person before her...
BOOOOOOM!
Lightning crashed down from the heavens, brushing past Rovi and directly tearing Tamamo-no-Mae's phantom apart.
Rovi shook out his sleeves. "What a strong fox stench."
"How long has it been since you last bathed?" He looked in disgust at the nine-tailed fox as her shadow re-formed not far away.
How long... since she last bathed?
The nine-tailed fox froze.
"Don't believe me? Smell yourself." Rovi frowned deeply. "With that, how exactly do you charm anyone?"
"Do they all have strange tastes?"
Seeing Rovi's serious expression, even the nine-tailed fox herself began to wonder whether she truly did have some strange odor.
She unconsciously raised her hand.
Then a stream of light swept past—the divine sword left its sheath!
The sword edge shone brilliantly. Tamamo-no-Mae's phantom was torn apart and crushed once more. Though she re-formed in the next instant, she was visibly much fainter and more illusory.
"You... are you toying with me?" Tamamo-no-Mae's brows knit tightly.
Rovi swept his long robe and sword-light. "Yes and no."
"Did you not notice? The rain is heavier now."
The patter of rain entered Tamamo-no-Mae's ears. The fox, her nine tails drifting behind her, froze. Then she abruptly raised her head and saw dark clouds gathering in the sky like a black whirlpool, dense cloud vapor condensing above.
Heavy rain poured down into Tanggu, stirring up layer after layer of mist.
Water fell from the clouds as rain. Rain gathered upon the ground and became "rivers." The rivers turned into water vapor and rose once more, condensing again into dark clouds.
Without anyone noticing, the water cycle of heaven, earth, and man had already formed here.
The "Taiyi"—or rather, the old ghost of the Six Heavens left behind by Taiyi—who had been sitting silently upon the divine throne all this time finally moved.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
A rhythm. A pounding. Like the vibration of invisible drums.
It opened its eyes.
Those eyes were pure black, and within them were endless eyes, nested layer upon layer without end. A single glance was enough to throw the mind into chaos and collapse the consciousness.
It opened its mouth and thrust out its tongue, but at the tip of that tongue, still more tongues split apart.
It let out a long howl, and even the air around it twisted.
A chaotic, indescribable form.
The name "ghost" in old ghost of the Six Heavens was truly deserved.
Tamamo-no-Mae froze. She snapped her gaze toward Rovi. "Have you gone mad? You actually undid the restraints I placed on it!?"
"If I did not, how could we fight with all we have?" Rovi laughed aloud.
The two times he had shattered Tamamo-no-Mae's phantom had been to weaken her power. Using the cycle of clouds, rain, and rivers to control this stretch of heaven and earth had been for precisely this purpose as well—to free the old ghost of the Six Heavens from the restrictions and restraints Tamamo-no-Mae had placed upon it.
To let it exert its power.
To let it fight Rovi with everything it had.
"Do not disappoint me, old ghost of the Six Heavens." Rovi rose with his sword. The old ghost of the Six Heavens let out a long howl, and the wind and rain filling the sky were scattered by it all at once.
Come on. Try to kill me!
The black sun in the sky swelled and expanded at the same time, pressing past layer upon layer of dark cloud as it descended toward Tanggu.
Tamamo-no-Mae, possessing only a phantom here, retreated again and again. She thought this man was insane. Even so, this development had not exceeded her expectations.
To observe his battle from close range and probe his true strength—if Rovi was killed outright by the old ghost of the Six Heavens, she would naturally save herself the effort. If he was not killed, Tamamo-no-Mae would learn more about his inner workings. As for the old ghost of the Six Heavens, in the end, it was merely an old ghost. It could not stir up any great storm.
"Donghua Dijun, Water Official Great Emperor..."
"I look forward to seeing what you can do."
Sword-light lifted a blazing wheel of sunlight, and as his long sleeves rolled, they carried endless, surging water vapor with them.
Water and fire, just like the rising sun and setting moon.
Rovi and "Taiyi" collided with the sky at the same time.
He did not know what realm the immortals and gods of the Divine Land had reached after transcending the stars and entering the universe, but the power displayed by this "Taiyi" before him was only about equal to his own, perhaps even slightly inferior.
Even so, it still had a chance to break through Rovi's defenses.
It still had a chance to kill Rovi.
Thunder roared in the sky. Vast water vapor from the East Sea spread across the lands of Chu for thousands of li. The mist in Tanggu remained thick, and Tamamo-no-Mae rose to the broken dome, propped up her chin, and watched the "suns" colliding in the heavens.
Longing surfaced in her eyes. Her crimson lips curved upward as she hoped they would wound each other to ruin.
And it was not only Tamamo-no-Mae.
As Rovi smashed one of the old ghosts of the Six Heavens into the sky, the struggle between a god and one of the Old Ones likewise drew the attention of everyone across the vast lands of Chu.
In Jingchu, along the banks of the Yangtze River.
Amid villages in the wilderness, bones piled up and wild beasts ran rampant. Evil thoughts surged within human hearts, and people turned blades against one another.
An old man huddled in a corner, staring in terror as neighbors who had been living peacefully together just moments ago suddenly began fighting to the death.
A young swordsman frowned deeply as he knocked out the villagers who had inexplicably attacked him with the hilt of his sword.
A hunter who had gone into the mountains to hunt looked in horror at the carcasses of beasts covering the mountain, at the beasts tearing one another apart all over the slopes.
The old ghost of the Six Heavens was the side of chaos and disorder that the god Taiyi had severed from itself.
Its existence was the symbol of "disorder."
It could guide the manifestation of the chaotic side within human hearts.
And it could absorb that "chaos" to make itself grow.
The lands of Chu were engulfed in constant strife, and the authorities had no attention to spare.
Rovi swept out his longsword and stared at the blazing pitch-black "sun" opposite him. His brows lowered slightly. He had long since noticed the miserable state of the earth below.
Then, in the next second, his brows relaxed.
Though this disaster had not begun because of him, it was, to some degree, connected to him. Rovi had come here for the sake of death to begin with. In that case—
"It is only natural that I expend my strength here to save people."
He raised his sword and let it hang in the air.
The "Taiyi" opposite him had long since fused with the black sun. Within that darkness were countless writhing tentacles, countless opened eyes, countless tongues thrusting out and splitting apart.
Twisted and uncanny. A chaotic monster.
The power it manifested blotted out the sky, and that black sun swallowed all heavenly light across Chu's vast lands for thousands of li.
Darkness veiled the hearts of everyone. Those people who had just returned from the East Sea were protected by the water vapor of the Water Official Great Emperor, warding off the gods and keeping them from falling into danger, but even their hearts were covered in a layer of dust.
Some woke with a start. Some wailed. Some sank into darkness...
"Your Highness, retreat! Please retreat—"
"I am the King of Chu! If I retreat, who will protect my people!?"
In the royal palace of Chu's capital, shouts echoed everywhere. The old King of Chu, his body bloated, panted for breath. "What monster is that...?"
"It is... Taiyi."
It was Taiyi, maddened and overturned.
It was the supreme god of Chu...
The King of Chu was stunned.
Was that truly Taiyi? He wanted very much to question it, but the one speaking to him was Xiang Yan, the renowned general of Chu and a great master of military strategy. He would not have mistaken it.
Then does my Chu... still have hope?
Does my Chu still have hope?
This was also the cry of countless Chu people, the question in their hearts.
If Chu did not perish in foreign war, but perished instead in civil strife... then what was Chu?
At that moment, those who had already regained their senses and those who had yet to awaken alike all felt grief rise instinctively within their hearts.
In that instant, countless people of Chu inexplicably shed tears.
Many began to sob.
Perhaps Chu would fall sooner or later, but they were unwilling for it to fall like this.
Unwilling. Unable to accept it...
Unwilling to die here. Unwilling to perish in an internal war.
Who will save us...
Who will save...
Who...
Their voices were hoarse, their strength exhausted, yet everything suddenly drew inward.
When...
A single sound rang out across the wilderness.
Like a great bell, it resounded among all living things.
At the same time, a humming rose, and in the dark sky, a ray of light shone.
That sword stretched across the heavens, drawing in endless light and heat.
That figure stood on high, cycling the waters of heaven and earth and guiding the misted workings of qi.
Everyone saw him, and at the same time, they knew that figure's identity.
"Donghua Dijun, Fusang Great Emperor, Water Official Great Emperor—he who presides over the rising sun and setting moon, and governs the cycle of the waters and marshes of the three realms."
The mad "Taiyi" was still brandishing its twisted body.
But Rovi drew the daylight down and pierced the darkness.
In the name of a god, with the honor of an immortal.
And with the body of a human.
He stood high in the sky, not hesitating to scatter his power and let it fall into the vast world below to drive away the cold.
...
In that year, the waters of the East Sea poured backward into Jingchu. Polar night and nightmares descended, and the hearts of the people were thrown into panic. A great bell pealed, blazing like fire, and heavenly light shook all living things into awe.
Through the boundless long night, he alone was the light.
—History of Chu.
...
With a thunderous roar, Rovi set himself ablaze for the sake of all people!
T/N: babahabahabhabhabahbah foxy lady
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