The outline of Buzhou Mountain gradually faded into the distance behind him. Ao Xuan turned around and smiled, memories of days gone by vivid in his mind.
From the moment he'd crossed over and stumbled into Pangu's Creation of the World—barely escaping death—to hiding in Buzhou Mountain and encountering the three-headed lizard, every time he'd broken through a predicament, there had been a measure of luck involved.
But more than that, it had been his unrelenting struggle and refusal to give up. Finally, he'd taken human form, received the blessing of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and step by step, he'd at last reached where he was now.
Treading on cyan-gold mist, he advanced slowly toward the East Sea. Along the way, he admired the scenery of the Primordial World.
At this time, the Primordial World was not yet fully stable; the residual power of Pangu's Creation still lingered between heaven and earth. From time to time, dark purple chaotic turbulence would tear through the void, crash into the innate mountain ranges along the way, and unleash deafening booms.
When such turbulence appeared before him, Ao Xuan would dispel it with a casual wave of his hand.
In the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, innate spiritual plants grew densely everywhere, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was as thick as syrup. Ao Xuan couldn't help but sigh—compared to the Dharma-Ending Age of his past life, where spiritual energy had been depleted, the Primordial World was truly a paradise.
Yet soon after, a question arose in his mind: The Primordial World's spiritual energy seemed inexhaustible, so why had it become so barren in later generations? Could it really be only because of Emperor Zhuanxu's "Severing the Connection Between Heaven and Earth"?
Emperor Zhuanxu was merely an acquired being; even as one of the Five Emperors of Antiquity, could he—even with the help of Sages—have such tremendous power? Ao Xuan pondered this endlessly, his brows furrowed.
Ao Xuan didn't move quickly. While organizing the newly stabilized Wood and Water Dao principles within his body, he also sensed the meridians of the Primordial World's land.
When he scanned with his dragon eyes, he could clearly see the crisscrossing spiritual veins beneath the earth, like the blood vessels of the land. Among them, the cyan Wood spiritual veins and azure Water spiritual veins were the most vigorous, weaving into a network across the eastern land—no wonder the region was so full of life, with underground water veins extending in all directions.
"At this speed, I'll reach the shores of the East Sea in three more days," Ao Xuan calculated silently.
Unconsciously, he condensed a wisp of pale cyan Wood spiritual energy at his fingertip; with a light flick, the energy drifted toward a young innate ganoderma by the roadside—one that hadn't yet matured.
The moment the spiritual energy entered its body, the ganoderma's originally small cap suddenly burst with vitality, growing more than three inches in the blink of an eye. A glistening drop of spiritual liquid even condensed along the edge of its cap.
Ao Xuan had no intention of picking it; he'd only been testing the efficacy of his Wood spiritual energy. Seeing such remarkable results, he nodded with a faint smile.
Just then, a violent surge of energy suddenly emanated from a thousand li ahead, interrupting Ao Xuan's thoughts.
Mixed within that surge were the richness of Wood spiritual energy, the malevolence of demonic qi, and the shrill howl of magical treasures clashing—clearly, someone was engaged in a battle.
Ao Xuan paused in his steps, his brows lifting slightly.
In the early days of the Primordial World, innate gods and chaotic fierce beasts fought constantly; snatching treasures and killing were common occurrences. But this Wood spiritual energy was unusually pure—unlike that of ordinary innate beings.
It was more like… the aura of an Innate Wood Spirit? He hesitated for a moment, not daring to approach recklessly.
He had only just taken human form; though his foundation was solid, the Primordial World was full of hidden talents and powerful beings. If he encountered an innate god as strong as a Chaos Demon God, rushing into the fight would be unwise.
Ao Xuan restrained the Dao aura around his body, condensing his presence within himself. He left only a thin layer of mist to wrap around his form, making him look like an ordinary wandering cultivator as he stealthily darted toward the source of the energy surge.
The closer he got, the clearer the aftershocks of the battle became. The ground was covered with cracks several zhang deep, and black demonic qi lingered in those cracks, corroding the surrounding spiritual soil into a charred black.
Several sturdy spiritual trees that had been thriving were snapped in half, and black mist coiled around their broken ends—obviously damaged by chaotic demonic qi.
The air was filled with a pungent stench, mixed with the fresh fragrance of Wood spiritual energy, creating an eerie odor.
Ao Xuan formed a hand seal with one hand, extending his spiritual sense to investigate carefully. The traces of the battle were still fresh—clearly, the fight had ended only moments ago—but there was not a single figure in sight, only a scene of desolation.
"That's strange. Did both sides leave already?" Ao Xuan wondered.
Just then, he sensed a faint wisp of Wood spiritual energy coming from a pile of rubble not far ahead. The energy was as weak as a candle flame in the wind, yet it clung on stubbornly.
Even so, at this rate, it would vanish entirely in just a few breaths.
He walked over quickly, brushing aside the broken wood and stones scattered on the ground with a casual wave.
The sight before him made him pause—at the center of the rubble lay a woman.
Her upper body was bare, her skin smooth and radiant. The line of her shoulders and neck was as graceful as a willow branch, and her chest curved softly, rising and falling gently with her weak breaths. Wood spiritual energy circulated beneath her skin.
Where her waist and abdomen should have been—where soft curves should have continued—there was nothing but a clean, severed edge. The wound at the stump was charred black, and black demonic qi was still creeping upward, trying to snuff out her life entirely.
Only a wisp of pure Wood spiritual energy held on tightly, keeping her from dying on the spot.
A woman who had lost half her body? Ao Xuan frowned. He thought to himself: He still knew nothing about the Primordial World. Since he'd encountered her, he could ask her about the state of the world here.
Just as he was about to reach out to save her, the woman's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
They were a pair of emerald-green eyes, glistening with moisture, now filled with pain and reluctance. When her gaze fell on Ao Xuan's face, it paused for a moment.
"Y-you… who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Speaking seemed to strain her wounds; she couldn't help but furrow her brows, and her chest rose and fell slightly again. A trickle of dark green blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Ao Xuan softened his tone, condensing a wisp of Wood spiritual energy at his fingertip and tapping it into her body. "My name is Ao Xuan. I passed by here just now and saw you severely injured, so I came to check on you. This is innate Azure Wood Essence—it can temporarily counteract the demonic poison in your body."
The moment the essence entered her body, a glimmer of light flashed in the woman's eyes. Her tense body relaxed, and her chest rose and fell more noticeably. Her gaze toward Ao Xuan also gained a touch of gratitude.
Seeing that the Wood essence was effective, Ao Xuan formed hand seals with both hands. As the seals changed, the Wood spiritual energy between heaven and earth began to converge toward him, forming a cyan vortex of spiritual energy.
Countless tiny Wood Dao runes flickered within the vortex. He deliberately slowed the speed at which the spiritual energy poured in, fearing that overly violent energy would harm her fragile body.
She closed her eyes comfortably, letting out a soft sigh.
The spiritual energy seeped into the woman's body like spring rain nourishing the earth. Ao Xuan could clearly "see" the demonic qi in her body fading rapidly, and the cracks in her body—once on the verge of collapse—healing at a visible rate.
The demonic qi at the stump of her waist and abdomen was completely purged. Green light flickered: the woman was an Innate Wood Spirit by nature, with an extraordinary ability to regenerate.
As long as the demonic qi on her wound was removed, she could regrow her limbs. With Ao Xuan's help, her lost lower body began to extend downward rapidly.
Ao Xuan felt his face heat up—he saw a slender waist, rounded hips, and straight, slender legs… In no time at all, a completely naked, breathtakingly beautiful woman lay on the ground, her legs crossed.
Half an hour later, Ao Xuan withdrew his hands, and the cyan spiritual energy vortex gradually dissipated. His gaze fixed on her face; he really felt it inappropriate to look anywhere else.
By now, her complexion had become much rosier, and her jade-like skin glowed with a healthy luster. Her chest rose and fell steadily.
After a few breaths, the woman flicked her fingers, and a long cyan-green dress covered her body.
She stood up slowly, then bowed deeply to Ao Xuan, her head lowered as she spoke. "Thank you, Immortal, for saving my life! My name is Qinghe—I was formed from an innate spiritual tree."
"I was cultivating here today when I was suddenly attacked by a villain. He not only stole my natal magical treasure but also injured me like this…" Her voice trembled with anger toward the end, and her chest rose and fell slightly.
"That villain wore a black Daoist robe, surrounded by demonic qi—he was probably a Demon General of some kind. He held a black long sword with seven sharp fangs on it, and he attacked me from behind. One strike, and he severed my body."
"If I hadn't fought to hold on to my life, I would have long since scattered into soul and spirit!"
Ao Xuan nodded. It made sense—As an innate being, Qinghe was by no means a helpless weakling. But being ambushed from behind by the man in black, it was no wonder she'd been defeated.
"I can't repay the Immortal's kindness right now," Qinghe said. "But once I catch up to that black-robed Demon General and retrieve my treasure, I will come to serve under you and repay this debt!"
Ao Xuan thought for a moment, then spoke. "Fellow Daoist Qinghe, calm your anger for now. Your physical body has only just been restored—your strength is surely insufficient."
"If you go after that villain now to take revenge, it will be like throwing an egg at a boulder. You won't just fail to retrieve your treasure; you'll lose your life in the process."
At Ao Xuan's words, the anger in Qinghe's eyes faded, replaced by a look of dejection. "Immortal, please just call me Qinghe… That Green Wood Staff is my natal magical treasure. If I don't get it back, I…" Her voice trailed off.
But she suddenly lifted her eyes to look at Ao Xuan, a hint of cunning flashing in her gaze. She leaned forward slightly, drawing as close to him as she could.
"What the Immortal says is true," she murmured. "But right now, I have no family, no home… not even a place to stay."
Her warm body seemed to brush lightly against Ao Xuan, causing his entire body to stiffen. In his past life, he'd been nothing but an overworked office drone—when had he ever encountered a woman so forward, so devastatingly beautiful?
Her fingertips gently brushed the sleeve of his robe that hung down, and a flush spread across her neck. Her voice dropped even lower.
"If… if the Immortal doesn't mind me," Qinghe said, "I am willing to stay by your side and serve you—combing your spiritual meridians at dawn, accompanying you in comprehending the Dao's principles at night, and when you cultivate, I can even use my own wood spiritual energy to protect your cultivation."
"Even if it's just tending to the candle flames in your cave, I would do it willingly."
As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly. Her emerald-green eyes glistened with moisture, her long eyelashes fluttering gently.
Her rounded chest rose and fell with each breath, and that soft patch of whiteness swayed before Ao Xuan's eyes, stirring restlessness in his heart.
Good heavens… that's… that's a bit too much…