Primordial Chaos Transformation

  Xuanzang's body returned to the vast wilderness, pondering whether to return to Kunlun Mountain and report to his master Yuanshi Tianzun. Suddenly, he noticed a strange phenomenon in the sky, with auspicious clouds and misty aura intertwining, surrounded by a faint scent of incense and the sound of celestial music lingering in the air.

  Xun Daozi was in a state of confusion when a massive ball of golden aura descended from the sky and landed on him. The moment the aura touched his body, Xun Daozi understood: this was the reward given by Heaven to the cultivators who had protected the human tribe during the Great Calamity of the Witch and Demon Tribes. Now that the Witch and Demon Tribes have retreated from the main stage of the Hongyuan world, the human tribe has returned to reclaim their rightful place as the main protagonists, inheriting the mandate of Heaven. The cultivators who had protected the human tribe were all rewarded by Heaven with the golden aura.

  Xun Daozi's meritorious virtues and the mysterious yellow energy entered his body, but he had yet to feel anything, when suddenly the purple energy vortex of Shi Hai intercepted and seized it. Xun Daozi could only lament his misfortune.

  It turns out that the merits and virtues of Xuan Huang Qi obtained by Xun Daozi in the vast wilderness are not small. He unintentionally made a grand vow when worshiping Mount Zhou, and the merits and virtues of Xuan Huang Qi he obtained were not small. Nüwa created humans and got a share, protecting the newly born human tribe got another share, Hou Tu transformed the wheel of reincarnation in the underworld and also got a share, the great calamity of witchcraft and demons was settled, and borrowing the "Hunyuan Furnace" to refine stones to repair the sky obtained a share. Now, protecting the human tribe again gets a share. All these merits and virtues of Xuan Huang Qi add up to enough to allow a cultivator in the vast wilderness to cultivate and attain the Great Luo Golden Immortal Fruit position. However, all these merits and virtues of Xuan Huang Qi entered Xun Daozi's recognition sea purple gas vortex without showing any change, which really made Xun Daozi depressed.

  The human race moved from various sacred mountains and blessed lands to the Desolate Expanse, at this moment the total number of humans is not many, although they were sheltered and nurtured in various sacred mountains and blessed lands, but for some reason, after thousands of years, the population has not increased much, and now the total number is only a few million.

  This time, the human tribe re-entered the Desolate Expanse, but it was no longer like the first time they migrated from the vicinity of Kunlun Mountain to the Desolate Expanse. The heaven and earth of the Desolate Expanse had changed, and the broken land of the Desolate Expanse had been refined by many saints, making it much smaller overall. The original vast land of the Desolate Expanse was divided into four parts, with many fragments scattered across the four seas to form massive islands.

  At first, the five saints heavily refined the desolate land, but they also divided their work. The actual strength of the five saints' Taoism had a gap, and the treasures used to refine the desolate land were also different, resulting in the desolate land after re-refining showing a huge gap.

  At that time, among the Five Saints, Yuanshi Tianzun refined a large piece of land alone, called "Dongsheng Shen Zhou"; Taishang Laojun Laozi refined a large piece of land alone, called "Nan Zhan Bu Zhou"; Jieyin refined a large piece of land alone, called "Xi Niuhe Zhou", Zhunti refined a large piece of land alone, called "Bei Ju Lu Zhou"; and Tongtian alone refined the scattered fragments of the Honghuang in the four seas.

  After the most refined, the re-refined Honghuang Dadi showed a completely different appearance: Yuanshi Tianzun's Tao was the highest, with his own treasure furnace in hand, refining it with ease. During the refinement, some of the Honghuang Dongtian Fudi were moved to this 'Dongsheng Shen Zhou', and the earth veins and air were also sorted out, making this 'Dongsheng Shen Zhou' a sacred place with abundant spiritual energy and rich products throughout the Honghuang.

  Laozi refined the 'Nan Zhan Bu Zhou' just like his cultivation, 'not competing', because his own Taoist practice was extremely high, and he had the precious 'Bagua Furnace' in his hand for refining elixirs. Although this 'Nan Zhan Bu Zhou' is not like the 'Dong Sheng Shen Zhou' which was moved into a cave heaven blessed land, it also unblocked the earth's veins, preserved the original spiritual energy and earth's veins, making it an immortal mountain blessed land, and can be considered a place of abundance.

  The two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, were inferior to the three people of Yuanshi in terms of their cultivation level. Moreover, they did not possess any precious artifacts or magical instruments. From the very beginning, they were at a disadvantage. The roots of the two saints lay in the Western Realm, which coincidentally was within the "Xī Niú Hè Zhōu" (Western Cow Treasure Continent) that Jieyin had cultivated. Due to circumstances, the two saints had no choice but to relocate a significant amount of spiritual energy and terrestrial veins from the original "Běi Jù Lǔ Zhōu" (Northern Gathered Reed Continent) into the "Xī Niú Hè Zhōu". Even so, the "Xī Niú Hè Zhōu" was unable to become a land of abundance like the "Nán Zhān Bù Zhōu" (Southern Rosy Clouds Continent), let alone a sacred realm like the "Dōng Shèng Shén Zhōu" (Eastern Victory Divine Continent). Only the blessed mountains and auspicious lands retained an abundance of spiritual energy, while the rest of the continent was merely an ordinary dwelling place.

  After the refinement of Zhunti, 'Beijuzhou' became one of the most desolate places among the four major continents of Honghuang, with scarce spiritual energy, poor land veins, and a harsh cold climate.

  The Tianxu Jiaozhu refined the fragments of the Hongyuan scattered into the four seas. For him, who possessed the "Qiankun Ding", it was effortless. However, since his Dao field was located in the East Sea, he refined and placed the largest thirteen fragments of the Hongyuan in the vast sea of the East Sea, which were called the "Thirteen Islands Overseas". When he was in high spirits, he also refined five giant immortal mountains, letting them float on the surface of the East Sea. Each of these five mountains was tens of thousands of miles in circumference, with towering peaks, lush forests, abundant spiritual energy, and rich products. They were named: Taixu, Yuanyou, Fanghu, Yingzhou, and Penglai. After refining the fragments of the East Sea, Tianxu's enthusiasm had already gone halfway, and he hastily refined the remaining three seas, making do with the situation, resulting in few large islands in the other three seas besides the East Sea, and even fewer islands suitable for cultivation.

  It was this change that led to the return of humans to Honghuang, with most going to 'Nan Zhan Bu Zhou', and a small number entering 'Dong Sheng Shen Zhou'. In addition, after Honghuang's re-refining, the Wanshou Mountain of Zhenyuanzi and the Lingying Mountain of Rendlamp were both in 'Xi Niuhezhou', so the humans protected by these two sacred mountains entered 'Xi Niuhezhou'. As for 'Bei Ju Lu Zhou', there was simply no one who went.

  Although Xun Daozi did not get to enjoy the many benefits of the Gong De Xuan Huang Qi, he still learned a lot of information. The huge change in Honghuang this time also included a significant shortening of the lifespan of living beings themselves. The disappearance of the pre-heavenly spiritual energy made the living beings of Honghuang no longer have that long lifespan before heaven. Originally, the normal lifespan of Honghuang's living beings was 18,000 years, and even though the human race created by Nüwa had a weak body, they could live for hundreds of years. However, after this drastic change, the normal lifespan of humans in Honghuang is now only about 100 years. Moreover, there are many diseases that entangle them, causing most people to die within tens of years.

  Furthermore, the transformed body of the heteromorphic spirit no longer has the blessing of heaven and earth. It truly becomes a trial, and the tribulation of transforming the physical body is truly a matter of life and death. Those who pass through it will make great progress in their Taoist cultivation, while those who do not will mostly turn to dust and disappear into smoke. Only an extremely small number can retain a bit of true spirit to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

  The Primordial Chaos is gradually manifesting, greatly affecting the creatures of the Primordial World.

  This cataclysmic change had an especially huge impact on the human race that returned to the Desolate Expanse. Originally, they were protected in various sacred mountains and blessed lands, unaware of any difference from before the Great Calamity of the Sorcerers and Demons. However, once they left these sacred mountains and blessed lands, their bodily functions began to decline. Many people gradually aged at a much faster rate than before, children grew up much faster, and the cycle of birth, aging, illness, and death accelerated greatly, making it very difficult for humans who had just returned to the Desolate Expanse. Their numbers decreased significantly for a time.

  Fortunately, with the help of Xuanmen disciples who followed and protected them, they were able to receive proper assistance, which stabilized the situation, allowing humans to develop slowly.

  Xuanzang, who had sensed the changes in the vast wilderness, no longer hurried back to Xianxia Mountain, nor did he go to Kunlun Mountain to report to his master Yuanshi Tianzun. Instead, he took a step forward and walked on this vast wilderness that had already undergone changes.

  Xun Daozi wandered the earth, sometimes using his divine powers to move swiftly ahead, and sometimes proceeding as an ordinary person, walking calmly and freely; sometimes he would fish by a stream, and sometimes climb high to gaze afar; sometimes he would sit silently in spiritual contemplation, and sometimes look up at the starry universe; sometimes he would watch the tides by the sea, and sometimes search for ants under trees.

  Xun seeks the Dao in the vast and desolate wilderness, forgetting his responsibilities and cultivation, and instead focuses on deeply understanding the subtle changes of the wilderness.

  On this day, Xun Daozi was guarding a small green grass, silently watching it. He had been guarding this little grass for several months, and he had seen it squeeze out of a stone seam, growing continuously until now it became a lush, full of vitality and energy, jade-like green grass.

  Another day, Xun Daozi stood on the riverbank, silently watching the rushing river water, also watching the raindrops falling from the sky and merging into the river water, without even a ripple.

  Silently walking, silently watching, seeking the footprints of the Tao in the new vast wilderness.

  Later on, Xun Daozi had forgotten his identity as a cultivator, like an ordinary tourist, like a curious child, slowly wandering in this vast and desolate land after the great refinement.

  A bird's chirp, a beast's roar, would make him listen attentively and savor the subtleties; A gentle breeze through the forest, a wildfire burning down the woods, would also make him ponder for a long time; An anthill, a patch of green clouds, could evoke deep thought; A wisp of sunset glow, a withered blade of grass, would keep him lost in reverie.

  No purpose, no direction, walking with a carefree step, content with whatever one encounters. Like a foolish person who is muddle-headed and unaware of what is going on.

  Day after day, month after month, year after year, time slips away unnoticed.

  Xun Daozi is dazed and confused, unaware of where he came from or where he's going, like a wandering ghost drifting aimlessly on the vast earth.

  Until a golden bell lightly rang in Xun Daozi's mind, he finally woke up from his daze.

  Upon waking, the seeker's mind and spirit introspect and explore outwardly. With this exploration, a completely different feeling is obtained, as if the secrets of the entire universe are about to be revealed to oneself. Faintly, one can sense the joy and unknown delight that existed after the chaos was broken, in the primordial heavens and earth.

  Open your heart and mind, merge with the universe, and the universe will be like whispering to you, telling you its joy, telling you its excitement.

  Xun Daozi could feel it, but couldn't clearly express that mysterious and inexplicable feeling. He only vaguely sensed that the current Hong Huang seemed more delicate, its evolution more perfect, with a kind of thriving vitality, as if a young man who had been bound hand and foot had finally broken free from his restraints, and could do things according to his own will, building his own territory without being restricted by anything.

  This feeling is wonderful and mysterious, subtle and unpredictable, can't be grasped, can't be called out, just vaguely and faintly there; like a thin veil covering the face, like a sleeve of water hiding one's appearance. Like looking at flowers in the fog, like gazing at the moon in the water.

  Xun Daozi compared the current desolate and barren world to his own feelings and memories of the desolate and barren world before the Great Calamity of the Witching Hour.

  The world before the Great Calamity was like a rough and majestic, yet solemn and profound, slow-moving and stagnant, with a sense of dullness and silence, as if it were an old-fashioned and stubborn elder.

  At this moment, the vast and wild world is joyful, passionate, impulsive, unrestrained, yet meticulous, acting swiftly, evolving rapidly, just like a passionate and vibrant young man.

  Xun Daozi did not know why he had such a feeling, his thoughts were unclear and his mind was not bright.

  The seeker of the Way, who had been pondering for a long time without result, gave up the idea of continuing to think about it and flew up into the air, hurrying to Mount Kunlun in response to the summons of his master, Yuanshi Tianzun.

  PS: Thanks to Ah You for calling me Er Shao Ye's friend and rewarding me! Thank you!