CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: LISTENING TO SHEN NONG TELL THE STORIES OF THE PAST~

Quality ingredients often require only simple cooking.

Wu Wang’s lips curved into an elegant smile as he constantly flipped the grill in front of him, from which the tender meat taken from the leg of a thousand-year-old beast sizzled lightly.

Sitting beside him with a grim expression, the Shennong elder turned his head to glance thousands of miles away at the elder and the woman in black, who were hung upside down within the barrier of Women Country.

"Had it not been for you stopping me just now, Wu Wang, I would have hurried back to the Human Domain tonight!" Shennong exclaimed. "How long has it been peaceful? They are so arrogant and despotic, and I even gave them special permission to eliminate demons and protect the Dao! As the saying goes, ’those above set an example for those below; one must teach by word and deed!’ I thought the Four Seas Pavilion wasn’t rotten to the core, but now I see how thorny this problem truly is!"

"Elder, please calm down," Wu Wang gently persuaded. "If action needs to be taken, it shouldn’t be you who has to take it."

The Shennong elder immediately cast an appreciative look his way.

Wu Wang instantly changed his tune. "You could simply arrange for a few Generals to be stationed in the Four Seas Pavilion, and that would solve the problem."

"Alas," the Shennong elder sighed. "There’s no need to go to such trouble. After I resolve the most pressing matters, I can return to the Human Domain to reorganize things."

"Elder, have you found what you were looking for?"

"I’ve only come across a few clues," the elder said, the firelight reflecting in his eyes as he smiled. "You know, the last time I sent you to Women Country, I was prepared to see you again only after you became an Immortal. I did not expect that you would stir up such a fuss in Women Country; it really came as a surprise. Becoming a God through faith, Women Country is indeed uniquely endowed... Wu Wang, how did you come up with such an idea in such a short time? Could it be that your mother Cang Xue had this intention long ago?"

... Wu Wang was momentarily speechless.

"Ah, right, I don’t know anything about becoming a God through collective faith; I just learned it from others."

The Shennong elder’s eyes crinkled into a knowing smile, but it quickly faded. He sighed again. "Is the Northern Wilderness also going to follow this path? Once they do, it will lead to blood and carnage. Who knows how much blood will be shed."

Wu Wang raised his eyebrows. The elder’s words seem to suggest that he wants me to ask a few questions. Could I ask? Considering my own experiences today, the tone in which those two Immortals from the Four Seas Pavilion spoke... Really, I swear on the Star God’s hair. After I go to the Human Domain, I will immediately conceal my identity, burrow into the ground, and create a perfect false identity. I’ll find a Sect with decent-looking members and a balanced number of male and female disciples, and earnestly learn the postures—pah, the knowledge—that I want to learn. Once I’ve learned everything, I’ll immediately return to the Northern Wilderness and hide! The more I talk with the elder now, the more trouble I’ll attract. If word gets out that I was soaking my feet, having my hair curled, eating meat, and drinking wine with the current Human Emperor, it might attract so much envy. What if they misunderstand and think I’m some successor to the Human Emperor? They might even attempt assassination.

Therefore, Wu Wang casually changed the subject. "The Queen of Women Country is truly beautiful. Such a pity."

"What’s a pity?"

The Shennong elder spoke earnestly. "In the future, she might also become a Deity. Although she may not have strong combat power, she could play a role at a critical moment. Speaking of becoming a God through collective faith, you should know that the Human Domain tried it many years ago."

It’s truly not easy deflecting the subject the elder wants to talk about, Wu Wang thought, only able to smile and shake his head.

"You speak, and I’ll listen."

"How many people in today’s Human Domain still remember the arduous efforts of the ancient sages in pioneering this world?"

The Shennong elder squinted slightly. A long sigh seemed to release layer upon layer of fog.

Wu Wang blinked. For a moment, it seemed as if a series of murals appeared behind the elder. He put down the grill and rubbed his eyes vigorously, only to see nothing there.

He then heard the elder say:

"In the ancient battles between Innate Gods, it was a chaotic war between the southern and northern camps of Innate Gods, lasting for tens of thousands of years. Nearly all the powerful beings from the Great Wilderness’s ancient times got involved. Our Human Race’s Holy Mother Nuwa was also drawn into this great calamity and eventually disappeared without a trace.

"At that time, the Human race had been living and multiplying in the world for a long time, rooting themselves in most areas of the Nine Wildernesses, and inevitably got involved as well.

"The outcome of that divine war was that most of the Innate Gods perished. The new dominator, Emperor Shun, triumphed over the ancient sovereign Candle Dragon. The latter led some Innate Gods away into obscurity, while Emperor Shun established the Heaven Palace and enfeoffed the Nine Wildernesses. Your Star God of the Northern Wilderness was one of the powerful beings in Emperor Shun’s camp. His strength was sufficient to contend with Emperor Shun himself, which is why he was able to exclusively occupy the Northern Wilderness despite his grievous wounds after the final battle.

"Look at the Western Wilderness, where dozens of Innate Gods exist, yet not a single one can fight. The level of mastery over Dao rules and the inherent power of the Dao rules themselves led to a quite severe polarization in the strength of the Innate Gods.

"Do you know who was the strongest under Emperor Shun’s command back in those days?"

Wu Wang thought for a while and said slowly, "The God who monopolized the South Wilderness?"

"Exactly. The God who monopolized the South Wilderness, the Ancient Fire God."

The Shennong Family elder paused his story. He took a clay xun from his sleeve and blew into it softly for a while.

The night breeze was gentle, and the world seemed to become incredibly cool.

When the meat by Wu Wang’s side was almost done, the elder took out two gourds. He tossed one to Wu Wang, and the two of them—the old man and the youth—ate and chatted.

"That really was a long, dark night... The people who passed away in the distant past, I wonder if they are at peace now. The Ancient Fire God was cruel and felt no kinship with living beings. If anything displeased him, he would rain down heavenly fire, sparing not a single beautiful creature. All living beings from the Hundred Races of the South Wilderness who fled across the sea were burnt alive. The first thing everyone had to do each day was to pray to him for a bit of mercy.

"Back then, people relied on gathering and hunting for a living. A small portion of beings mastered the Divine language, thus becoming spokespeople for the Gods, adding a second layer of oppression.

"Finally, disaster fell upon the Human race..."

In those times of the Great Wilderness, there was no firelight at night. To use fire, one could only wait for the Fire God’s blessing or occasionally find some natural fire source.

A young leader of a Human tribe discovered how to make fire by drilling wood and spread this method far and wide. Both the Human race and the Hundred Races of the South Wilderness quickly learned how to control flames. As a result, their fear of fire greatly diminished, and nights began to be accompanied by campfires, where they would dance incessantly around the flames.

This enraged the Fire God, who sent down rolling heavenly fires, destroying countless beings. In the end, having calmed his rage somewhat, the Fire God decided to execute the young Human tribal leader.

But the leader did not submit easily. He arranged everything and allowed his people to deliver him to the Fire God’s throne, and thereby the God spared his tribe. The Fire God demanded that the leader who had found the method to control fire admit his guilt. Instead, the leader declared war on the Divine Spirits. He was flicked away by a finger of the Ancient Fire God, who was seated in the volcano. Wrapped in flames mid-air, he eventually fell into the ocean.

Everyone thought he was dead; even the Fire God felt his soul had been extinguished. Yet, he survived just like that. No one knew what hardships he had endured afterward, nor did anyone know how many adversities he overcame.

Eventually, thousands of years later, when the Ancient Fire God once again sent down a skyful of great fires to vent the humiliation he suffered during a feast in the Heaven Palace, an old man stood up. He wore a straw raincoat and was barefoot. Walking on the mists of the great sea, he stood before the Fire God’s volcanic throne, looked up, and shouted loudly, "Fire God, please grant us a land to thrive and prosper!"

The Ancient Fire God stared at the old man, seeing those familiar eyes, and with a sneer, pushed a finger towards the somewhat slender figure. The old man stood firm, his long hair flowing, revealing the numerous scars on his cheeks. The finger, like a towering mountain, crashed down but stopped abruptly just before it reached the ground. Waves of fiery wind blew from the fingertip in all directions, causing the colors of heaven and earth to change instantly.

The Fire God was stunned. He felt a force erupt from his fingertip and spread throughout his body. He felt heaven and earth spinning; his gigantic body soared up, then fell heavily, creating numerous mountains upon impact. He sat up, bewildered and struggling. He looked at where his fingertip had just pointed. There stood the figure, calm and still, the straw coat having floated away. The figure leaped up, stirred Heaven and Earth, broke through the cosmos, and crashed into the forehead of that Fire God...

"A fierce battle ensued, lasting over a thousand days and nights."

The Shennong elder put down his wine gourd, took a gentle breath, and smiled. "Guess what happened?"

Do I even need to guess? The outcome is clear as day. Of course, I must pay attention to my tone and inflection, express tension and concern, and ask caringly, he thought.

"The Fire God was defeated?"

The Shennong Family elder smiled faintly and said slowly, "The Fire God was defeated. It’s really fortunate that he had such a bad temper and managed to offend all the Innate Gods he could. In the end, as he fell, all of heaven and earth only watched in amusement. And when the Ancient Fire God’s Divinity was shattered by the old man’s fist, many Innate Gods suddenly realized something."

Wu Wang uttered the phrase, "Slaughtered Gods."

"Yes, Slaughtered Gods." The corners of the Shennong Family’s eyebrows quirked up, and he seemed somewhat elated. "This is the first time a Postnatal Creature in the Great Wilderness has directly crushed a powerful Innate God. While the Innate Gods were still reeling, the old God-slayer devoured the Fire God’s Divinity, burst out in dazzling firelight, took control of the Dao of Fire, and stood tall in the sky of the South Wilderness. His name, Suiren."

The Gods fell into panic, launching attack after attack, but Suiren stood unyielding, on one hand comprehending the Dao of Fire, on the other fighting against the encircling Gods. The sky of the South Wilderness was filled with endless Divine Light, and several more Innate Gods fell within the boundless flames. Suiren roared, his long hair turning into a cloud of fire, single-handedly repelling the Gods.

The Heavenly Emperor was enraged, and his great army pressed in. But Suiren fought valiantly alone, gradually joined by more figures at his side. The battle raged on, cloaked in darkness. Figures beside Suiren continually passed away, yet new people continuously stepped forward, fighting their way out of the South Wilderness, advancing into Central Mountain, and pointing their swords at the Heaven Palace!

"That was when the Heavenly Emperor sent an envoy to negotiate peace." The Shennong Family’s eyes were full of emotion. He shook his wine gourd, tilted his head back for a drink, and then said slowly, "At that time, although Suiren was stronger than the Fire God, the prolonged battle had left him covered in wounds, barely sustained by a breath. The Heavenly Emperor, Emperor Shun, was the strongest of the Innate Gods, and Suiren had no chance of winning.

"To preserve the hard-earned spark of fire, Suiren did not meet with the Heavenly Emperor’s envoy but led his people out of Middle Continent and returned to the South Wilderness. After the fall of the Fire God, the South Wilderness had become a wasteland, with most of the Hundred Races scattered and fleeing.

"The predecessors then established the Human Domain there. Suiren, gravely injured beyond healing, handed over the Fire God’s Divinity, which he had snatched from the Fire God, to the successor he had chosen.

"And thus began the story of Fu Xi."

At this point in the tale, the old senior’s eyes were filled with yearning and aspiration. He looked at the campfire in front of him and said with a smile: "Wu Wang, you must remember, fire is something people took from dry wood with their hands, not a gift from Gods. Heaven and Earth should accommodate the survival of all races, not belong to the Gods. The wars of the Gods are merely struggles for territory, for believers, for plundering the power that makes them stronger and live longer. Our ancestors fought bravely forward, giving their heads and shedding their blood, so that we can stand tall and proud in the Great Wilderness, without groveling, without having to look to the Gods for favor. What are Gods anyway? They are just the strong who took hold of power early."

Wu Wang slowly nodded and asked, "In that case, is Cultivation to refine oneself?"

"Exactly. That is also the fundamental reason why Suiren was able to defeat the Fire God; essence, energy, and spirit—none can be discarded, and one must never forget oneself."

The Shennong Family said with a smile: "You’re still young. You must remember these things and pass them on to later generations. This is the root of the Human Domain, where we differ from the other races of the Great Wilderness, and it is the foundation of the current prosperity of the Human race."

Wu Wang said with a smile, "I am from the Northern Wilderness, senior."

"Ah, it’s all the same. Do you now understand what the Yan Emperor’s Command is?" The Shennong Family spoke slowly. "When I received it, it was called the Fire God’s Command. It’s a key that can lead you to master the Dao of Fire, condense the Fire Divinity, and inherit the position of the Human Emperor."

Are you perhaps a professional locksmith? Wu Wang wondered.

The Shennong Family stretched lazily and smiled. "Let’s stop here for today. Judging by the hour, it’s time for me to set off."

Wu Wang looked at the small pile of bones in front of him and asked softly, "Are you going to tell the story to the next possessor of the Yan Emperor’s Command?"

"Hahaha!" The Shennong Family laughed heartily, his laughter tinged with a trace of guilt. "You already know?"

Dark lines etched themselves onto Wu Wang’s forehead. So this thing isn’t unique to me after all! Deceptive, all so deceptive! This old senior is casting a wide net, cultivating many, inevitably hitting upon a big fish sooner or later!

Wu Wang let out a somber sigh, his surging emotions tinged with a slight sense of loss.

Shennong lifted the wine gourd in front of him and smiled. "The reason I came to see you is actually to ask for your help. And of course, there’ll be benefits for you. Here."

As he spoke, Shennong tossed over a small cloth bag. Wu Wang opened it to find a pitch-black medicinal cauldron inside.

"This is for you to practice alchemy with."

"Elder, I prefer crafting artifacts."

Shennong’s eyes widened.

Wu Wang immediately stowed the medicinal cauldron into his storage magic treasure, flashing a charming smile. "To perform their work well, craftsmen must first sharpen their tools. What I mean is, only by forging matching magic treasures can one produce better elixirs."

Shennong squinted his eyes with a smile. "This time you..."

"Elder, I have several questions I’d like to ask!"

"Speak your mind."

Wu Wang inquired, "If another bearer of the Yan Emperor’s Command reaches the ninth level before me, obtains the Dao of Fire, and manifests the Divinity of the Fire God, will there be any unusual occurrences on my side?"

"There won’t be any unusual occurrences," Shennong said gently. "The first eight levels of the Yan Emperor’s Command are for you to sequentially grasp the Dao of Fire. There can be only one Divinity on a Dao rule. If someone else reaches the ninth level first, then this Cultivation Technique will only be effective for you up to the eighth level. There won’t be any other effects."

Wu Wang nodded slowly, then asked, "If Innate Gods are immortal, why then do you have a lifespan limit, Elder?"

"The shackles of the Heavenly Emperor. You don’t need to know too much about this matter."

"Are there other powerful beings within the Human Domain that also have a lifespan limit?"

"There are. Those who surpass Heavenly Immortals can fight on par with Innate Gods, yet their lifespans are fixed," Shennong said with a smile. "But living for tens of thousands of years longer than those in the Northern Wilderness is already quite something."

Wu Wang nodded slowly, muttering, So it seems, there might be other paths to reach the power of the Human Emperor.

"Indeed, but it’s exceedingly difficult." Shennong waved his hand and continued, "Your recent journey to the Women Country was quite a surprise for me. Though I’m confident I can return in one piece from my search for Spirit Grass, I cannot guarantee success. I still have a wish unfulfilled, and if you were to go, perhaps you could help me achieve this wish. Then, I would have no more concerns. Didn’t you say last time, in return for me treating your strange illness, that you promised to lend me a hand?"

Wu Wang corrected, "I promised to exert effort regarding the matter of your lifespan, Elder."

"Oh, right, I had forgotten. Thank you for correcting me." Shennong said with a smile, "On our forthcoming trip to the Kunlun Hills, having you by my side might provide some valuable insights."

...The Kunlun Hills? Under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Emperor? That place is actually the garden of the Queen Mother of the West, one of the top Innate Gods of the Great Wilderness! Even Emperor Yan of Shennong dared only to speak of returning in one piece; what could I possibly do there?

"Elder, I will help you fulfill your wish! For me, duty commands it!"

"No, no," Shennong said, coming closer with a smile and pressing down on Wu Wang’s shoulder. "How could I take advantage of my position? Surely you wouldn’t go back on your word, young man?"

"I..." Wu Wang felt an urge to cry but had no tears to shed. "Your wish is more important, Elder! I won’t be of any help!"

Shennong smiled, his eyes crinkling. He took a half-step forward, and along with Wu Wang, vanished silently into thin air.

Only the campfire was left, continuing to burn through the lengthy night, as if pondering that sentiment:

Indeed, it was a long and dark night...

...