Chapter 141: Secrets of the Primordial Era

A black hand that blotted out the sky tore through the endless expanse of time and space, snatching a Daoist practitioner from the Blue Star and hurling him into the Primordial Continent—the supreme universe existing eons upon eons in the past. There, the Daoist was forced to possess Nan Luo, the Primordial God-Demon of Water, becoming the new Nan Luo.

From the moment he arrived through this possession, Nan Luo knew that his entire existence was under the sway of that sky-covering black hand. Whether it was breaking through the Gate of the Heavenly Dimensions, seizing the primordial treasure known as the Hall of Gods, or establishing the God Race and ascending as the God Emperor, Nan Luo understood that every success was inextricably linked to that mysterious force.

Yet, as Nan Luo grew according to the designs of that dark architect, the Chaos Gods and Demons who truly ruled the Primordial Continent during this archaic era naturally took notice of this visitor from beyond. These beings were the formidable survivors who had narrowly escaped the strike of Pangu’s Axe during the Great Cataclysm of Creation.

Pangu had perished from exhaustion after splitting the heavens, but the Primordial Continent did not vanish with him. It was the supreme fruit of Pangu’s Great Dao, the highest universe among infinite realms, bearing the ultimate laws of existence. How could those powerful Chaos Gods and Demons, having survived, abandon a continent stained with the blood of three thousand of their kind? How could they forsake the opportunity to attain the eternal fruit of immortality?

Since their true forms could not enter the Primordial Continent, these Chaos Gods and Demons manifested as Hunyuan Sages, quietly infiltrating the world to control all that transpired within. Of the five great imperial clans of the Primordial, only Nan Luo’s remained outside their influence; the other four were entirely under their thumb. Even the methods by which the four emperors attained the rank of "Half-Sage" were dictated to them by these Sages. Otherwise, in an era where the Great Laws were obscured, how could the Dragon, Phoenix, Qilin, and Ferocious Emperors have ever reached such heights without the guidance of those high and mighty Sages?

Nan Luo was different. He remembered the shattered pieces of the Creation Jade Butterfly he had discovered on Mount Buzhou. Originally a treasure of chaos, the Jade Butterfly carried the three thousand laws of the Great Dao, capable of guiding one to eternal immortality. Even in its fragmented state, it contained the path to sagehood. It was precisely through this item—likely gifted by the hidden hand—that Nan Luo successfully became a Half-Sage and discerned the path to true sainthood. Without it, he would have been forced to consider defecting to one of the Sages just to learn the way.

Of course, knowing the path did not guarantee success. If it were that simple, why would the five emperors be locked in a struggle for the infinite destiny of the Primordial world, seeking to harness its power to achieve the Saint’s path? It was said that the supreme hegemon who conquered the continent and unified its destiny could instantly prove the Saint’s path through sheer force. This was the only way the four emperors knew, and the simplest, fastest way known to Nan Luo.

The Sages who revealed this path to the four emperors were, naturally, not acting out of kindness. Their intent was to incite a war among the myriad races, leading them to slaughter one another so that they would remain forever subservient. The five emperors, however, were beings of peerless intellect and cunning; how could they fail to see the malicious intentions of the Sages? But as mere Half-Sages, how could they openly defy the Sages who stood high above? Refusing to be forever controlled, the five emperors began to lay their own secret plans for resistance.

"Since you high and mighty Sages want us to kill each other, we shall give you the slaughter you desire," they reasoned. First, they purged all powerful races weaker than the five great clans to ensure that no third party could reap the rewards while the emperors were weakened. With the tacit approval of the five, powerful groups such as the Titans and the White Tigers were sold to the Ferocious Emperor, whose beast kin wiped them out.

Second, the four emperors secretly aided Nan Luo in his ascent to Half-Sage. Originally, Nan Luo lacked the strength to conspire with them, but his supreme destiny as the "Lord of Heaven’s Will" aided him once more. After all, the Lord of Heaven’s Will was fated to be an invincible conqueror of an entire epoch. Though the four emperors doubted Nan Luo could defeat the Sages and claim the era, there was at least a glimmer of possibility. Clinging to that one-in-a-billion chance, the four emperors not only spared Nan Luo’s Northern Wilderness but secretly assisted him.

The hatred the four emperors felt toward the Sages could not be washed away by all the waters of the infinite seas. Each emperor was a peerless hero who had survived a thousand trials, possessing immense pride. While they admitted they could not defeat the Sages—not even with the combined strength of their races—they refused to be played like pawns forever. While bowing in feigned submission, they spent every waking moment plotting against their masters.

This Great Beast Cataclysm was their best opportunity for a counterattack. From the five emperors, a Saint Emperor must surely emerge. A Saint Emperor would resonate with heaven and earth, embody the will of all living beings, and possess omnipotence within the Primordial. The Sages knew this, which was why they provoked the war—to weaken the power of the world and its inhabitants. If the continent were shattered and its races decimated, what would they have to fear from a newly born Saint Emperor? Driven by the desire to escape their manipulation, the four emperors would rather see Nan Luo become the Saint Emperor than continue to dance to the Sages' tune.

When Nan Luo entered seclusion to break through to the Half-Sage realm, the Sages had their own schemes and lethal traps. When they sought to send an emperor to ambush him, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Emperors all made excuses to avoid the task, leaving the Ferocious Emperor to take it on. Fate and anti-fate clashed. The Ferocious Emperor’s ambush was unlikely to kill Nan Luo and might even inadvertently aid him. Conversely, had the others gone, they might have had a sixty-percent chance of killing Nan Luo and stealing his destiny. The Sages understood this well, but with the others refusing, they had no choice.

Only those above the rank of Half-Sage could enter the Hall of Gods, let alone kill Nan Luo. As the Sages expected, the ambush failed, and Nan Luo successfully ascended. This failure left the Sages wary, and they no longer fully trusted the four emperors. They knew that if Nan Luo failed to become the Saint Emperor, or if no such being emerged at all, the five emperors and their kin would be utterly annihilated, denied any hope of reincarnation.

Nan Luo sat quietly in the Bright Wave Pavilion, reflecting on everything since his arrival—all he had experienced, learned, and controlled—and contemplated his path to survival. "If this western expedition leads to a final confrontation, a winner will emerge. But can that winner truly achieve the status of Saint Emperor?" Nan Luo did not believe the Sages would allow it. "If the Sages intervene personally, how can I possibly resist?"

Anxiety gnawed at him. If he failed to become the Saint Emperor during this cataclysm, death was certain. He searched his mind for any leverage, even thinking of the black hand. Though he loathed being a puppet, he would gladly accept the strings if it meant securing the path to sainthood. That hand had torn through infinite time and space; its power was surely not inferior to the Chaos Gods and Demons. Yet, he had no identity for it, no way to reach it. Beyond that, he had no external aid. And internally, he knew the Hall of Gods alone was not enough to challenge the Sages.

His mounting anxiety clouded his mind. "Roar!" Nan Luo let out a low cry, using the light of his spirit to sever the feeling of agitation. "Sever!" In the momentary clarity that followed, he realized his growing panic was unnatural. To have felt such agitation three times in a single day was wrong. "The side effects of the Law of Heavenly Indifference are too potent," he muttered, beginning to circulate the technique once more.

As he did, he felt as if he were rising from a chaotic world into a crystal-clear sky. His mind grew lucid, his spirit cold and indifferent. Calm restored, he began to calculate his odds. Before long, in the depths of his cold, golden eyes, the figure of the Ghost Demon Emperor flickered. "Whatever your schemes may be," he stated coldly, "this is my only path to survival."