CHAPTER 33: THE LOST PRIMEVAL ERA

Red Fox said, "Let us continue, now. Young man, do you have any questions? I can answer them for you."

All the surrounding beasts turned their eyes toward Red Fox. Many of them had always believed she relied solely on seduction to curry favor with powerful beasts and gain status. None of them had expected her to be that formidable.

"What exactly is this Dark Rebellion you speak of? Why isn't there any record of it in human history?"

Lu Chen furrowed his brows in confusion. In all the memories he had inherited from Feng Tiancheng, there was no mention of any rebellion; all he could find in them was a period of decline in the cultivation world. He wasn't sure what to believe.

Lu Chen reached out to the Wind Dragon through spiritual transmission, "Wind Dragon, have you ever heard of the Dark Rebellion before?"

Wind Dragon replied, "I am a being formed entirely of wind. This is the first time I'm hearing about it as well. I know the beast clans pass down their history through bloodline inheritance. And when it comes to those secrets, there's an unspoken rule among all beasts to never reveal them, not even in death.

"Humans, on the other hand, can only rely on written texts, books, or Memory Stones. These things eventually erode with time. These memories used to be taboo among them. I don't know why they're suddenly willing to tell you all this now."

Wind Dragon paused for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "Come to think of it, I remember Lord Beast King once came across some ancient texts while searching for lost beast clans. They were remnants from the primeval era. The written language and cultivation methods in them were completely different and far more powerful than anything we have now. Not long after that discovery, those beast clans approached him. I suspect they struck some kind of agreement."

Lu Chen said, "Wind Dragon, I don't know what to do right now. I want to hear the whole truth first, then I'll decide what action to take."

The moment Lu Chen finished speaking, a mysterious force within the Heavenly Pool took hold of him. It made him pick up the Hunyuan Greatsword, walk to the center of the group, swing it in a sweeping arc, and drive it firmly into the ground.

A divine light flared from his ankle as he stated, "The Innate is formed; I now embody Yin and Yang."

He stepped forward with his left foot, and a phantom of the Green Sovereign Divine Tree emerged at his side. It was the divine ability the face from earlier had gifted to him, and now it was responding to the thoughts within his heart.

Lu Chen dissolved into shimmering light, and a small world gradually formed around him. As the world took shape, the Innate Bagua Diagram radiated a crystal-blue glow, expanding outward with the Green Sovereign Divine Tree at its center. A crimson phoenix circled above the treetop.

Due to Lu Chen's limited strength, the diagram stretched to only ten zhang in diameter. Mountains, rivers, and skies formed beneath the divine tree. The newborn world gently enveloped everyone present.

Bai Ze suddenly dropped to his knees, staring intently at Lu Chen. "This... this scene... I wasn't mistaken... This is it. I've searched for this vision for thirty thousand years. He's the one... the one who can lead me back to the ancient era."

The scene before him was exactly the same as the vision from the first prophecy spell he cast thirty thousand years ago. That spell had revealed a man who would restore the lost primeval era, and now that man stood before him.

Bai Ze had searched for that image for thirty millennia. He had never imagined he'd encounter it in this form, nor that the man from the vision would one day appear before him.

Kui Bull plucked a leaf from the Green Sovereign Divine Tree and asked, "Bai Ze, what's going on? Is this... a real world?"

Bai Ze rose to his feet, eyes fixed on the tree. "Yes. This is the embryonic form of a new world. And now, I can say with certainty that Lu Chen is the one who will lead us back to the primeval era."

The leaf in Kui Bull's hand suddenly floated up into the air, transforming into a small mark that embedded itself into him.

"What is this... a mark? My body feels... bound."

At that moment, seventeen more leaves drifted down from the divine tree. One by one, they turned into marks and merged with the remaining beasts.

The Golden Dragon extended a claw to catch a falling leaf, his gaze trembling with emotion. "Yes... it's both a mark and a blessing, a gift from heaven and earth to us cultivators. We are the pioneers of this new world. I, too, can now confirm it. Lu Chen is the one."

Bai Ze stared at the dragon's claw, a strange white light flashing in his eyes, as if he had seen something deeper hidden beneath the surface.

Bang!

Lu Chen collapsed to the ground. His spirit qi was completely exhausted. The embryonic world shattered instantly, and the group was thrown back to the third floor of the Beast King Manor.

The Heaven-Devouring Mouse said in disbelief, "We're back? But the mark is still here... does this mean we truly are the pioneers of a new world?"

Kui Bull confirmed, "It's still here."

He touched the new mark on his brow and could feel an immense force restraining him. At the same time, he also sensed subtle changes taking place within his body.

"From this day on, I, Kui Bull, will acknowledge him as my new king."

***

"Huff... Where am I?"

Lu Chen slowly regained consciousness. He found himself lying on the central dragon throne, surrounded by a crowd of people staring straight at him.

Red Fox stepped forward and gently helped him to his feet. "My king, you're awake."

Lu Chen blinked. "What happened? What did I do?"

Wind Dragon replied, "Little Lu, they've already declared you their king. You've got more secrets in you than I imagined. I didn't expect you to form the embryonic form of a small world."

"What does that mean? I don't quite understand."

Lu Chen was confused. The last thing he remembered was plunging the Hunyuan Greatsword into the ground. By the time he came back to his senses, everyone was already calling him king.

"Ask them the rest of the things you wish answered. They're willing to tell you everything now. As for me, I need to rest. Call me again when you're about to enter the next floor."

With that, Wind Dragon returned to the sword and began resting inside Lu Chen's body.

Having become a weapon spirit, Wind Dragon no longer had much interest in ancient secrets. Besides, he had burned too much of his core power lately and could no longer hold out.

Seeing that Lu Chen's aura had stabilized, Bai Ze stepped forward. "My king, do you have any questions? We're ready to answer whatever you want to know."

"I want to understand what the Dark Rebellion you mentioned really is. And what exactly do you mean by the primeval era?"

"Your Majesty, we've already prepared everything. Once we activate the Restoration Spell, all will be revealed."

Bai Ze led Lu Chen to a massive formation that had been prepared in advance. The Golden Dragon and the others were already waiting there.

The Golden Dragon stepped forward to support Lu Chen. "You're finally here, my king."

Now bearing the mark of the blessing, the Golden Dragon had long since placed all hope for his race's revival on Lu Chen's shoulders.

The Golden Dragon urged, "Bai Ze, begin."

All eighteen gathered beasts transformed into their true forms and formed a circle around Bai Ze.

Among them were the Golden Dragon, the Nine-Cycle Heaven-Devouring Mouse, the Nine-Tailed Red Fox, the Kui Bull, and the Four-Winged Tiger—each one was powerful enough to reign over their own domain in the outside world.

Bai Ze said, "My king, we're about to begin. Watch closely."

He spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the heart of the formation, where the runes had already been carved. The other beasts followed suit, dripping their blood at various points along the outer rim. The blood flowed along the lines of the formation, slowly lighting it up.

Bai Ze chanted, "With Heaven and Earth as my force, with spellcraft to reverse fate—formation, rise!"

A thick mist rose from the formation, gradually coalescing into an illusory scene in front of Lu Chen.

His eyes remained fixed on the manifested scene, an unfamiliar sensation welling up in his chest. "What is this? I can feel... something stirring in my heart."

"Look closely, my king. This illusion contains the secret buried deep within the bloodline of beastkind."

***

The illusory scene revealed a realm of boundless void and primordial chaos. At its center, a colossal tree floated alone, radiating the only light in existence.

Lu Chen focused on the scene. He could feel time inside it flowing at an incomprehensible speed.

The cycle repeated. The tree continued to rise and fall with life. Another hundred thousand years flew by. The branches and leaves withered and regrew as the tree's height soared to thirty million zhang. Once more, leaves blanketed the earth, and this time, five fruits formed on the trunk.

The fallen branches transformed into towering mountain ranges, while the scattered leaves became spirit herbs and plants, flourishing across the land.

Another hundred thousand years passed. Two of the five fruits dropped from the tree.

The first fruit fell to the east and cracked open. From it emerged a humanoid beast, whose behavior brimmed with intelligence. It quickly took control of the eastern and northern lands, harvesting herbs, cultivating plants, and building dwellings.

The second fruit fell to the south, giving birth to a massive Fire Phoenix. It soared across the southern skies, then westward, before finally returning to the tree, curling up to sleep as it awaited the fall of the remaining fruits.

These two beasts didn't know their purpose in the vast chaos. All they could do was repeat the same actions every day.

A hundred thousand years later, a third fruit fell to the north. It carried an icy, chilling aura. From it emerged a serpent with a human face. As it opened its eyes, day and night began to alternate. The light and dark of the world started shifting under its control. This was the Candle Dragon.

The humanoid beast, the Fire Phoenix, and the Candle Dragon soon clashed for territory. The ground cracked and split, fire scorched the surface, and the plants were reduced to ash.

Another hundred thousand years passed. The fourth fruit dropped to the west. From it came a creature wreathed in void, bearing thunder and rain. Its energy seeped into the earth's fissures, and it joined the ongoing battle.

The four beasts didn't rely on technique or strategy. They fought purely by instinct, and from their bodies sprang others of their kind, forming tribes and races.

All four turned their eyes toward the last fruit hanging on the tree. They each desired it, hoping it would help them gain dominance over the land.

Boom...

After another hundred thousand years, the last fruit exploded. From it, a massive sword shot into the sky.

All four beasts soared upward, trying to seize it.

The humanoid beast was closest and reached it first. With one powerful slash, it struck the Fire Phoenix's wing, sending it crashing to the ground. The phoenix's blood scattered over the southern lands, some turning into blazing flames, others into new beast species.

Seizing the moment, the void creature attacked from behind. Lightning arced through the sky, striking the humanoid beast. The sword fell into its grasp. It spun and slashed down at Candle Dragon, slicing out both of its eyes.

The humanoid beast's blood essence spilled across the land, giving rise to human beings.

Candle Dragon's severed eyes fell beneath the giant tree, forming a black and white yin-yang symbol. From that moment on, the world's transitions between light and dark became orderly and distinct.

Among the four, only the void creature remained largely unharmed.

The humanoid beast, Fire Phoenix, and Candle Dragon joined forces. Relying solely on the strength of their physical bodies, they launched a furious assault on the void creature.