Chapter 132: Innate Primordial Unified Qi

“Just the one I was waiting for!” Ji Feichen laughed heartily, summoning the Yin-Yang Dragon Whiskers as his treasured sword transformed into a divine dragon that lunged toward the Jade Whale.

The divine dragon was vividly lifelike; every scale bore the yin-yang pattern, inscribed with the essence of the Great Dao. This was the imprint of divine power left by Pavilion Master Fang, his ultimate interpretation of the “Yin-Yang Dragon Whiskers” art.

The majestic dragon attacked the Jade Whale fiercely, subduing it within a few rounds.

Watching the divine dragon formed by the fusion of yin and yang qi, the Immortal Maiden and Ji Feichen both sighed in admiration. “Our understanding of the 'Yin-Yang Dragon Whiskers' hasn’t yet reached the divine power realm. But seeing the Patriarch’s display, it’s clear this is effortless and perfectly natural divine power of the Great Dao.”

The dragon tore the Jade Whale apart in a matter of moments and seized the true form of the Old Monster of the Moon Palace from within its body.

Seeing the corpse of the Jade Whale, the Immortal Maiden’s expression darkened. Silently, she took the body away, intending to give it a proper burial later.

The demon was caught by the divine dragon, his expression a mixture of shock and fear. When Cao Yu left behind his second primordial spirit, he had already planned to use it as a life raft. His intention was to escape when the Yunxiao Pavilion came to refine demons, using the Jade Whale’s power to shatter the Taiji Diagram and flee.

However, the forbidden law left by Pavilion Master Fang was too comprehensive. A simple “Taiji Talisman” had been left behind, but instead, there was a Dragon Whisker Sword. Not only could he not resist it now, even at his peak he would have no chance against it.

“The Dragon Whisker Sword… Now that I think about it, Senior Sister gave a sword to Junior Disciple Fu back then. Seems this truly is a family heirloom technique,” Ji Feichen said, standing in the air with his hands behind his back, exchanging light-hearted remarks with Immortal Jade Zhi.

The demon, caught in the grasp of the divine dragon, could no longer escape.

Then, the giant dragon formed from the sword merged with the forbidden law. One by one, Taiji runes merged into the dragon, which then transformed back into a thousand-zhang divine sword. The sword tip pierced the seabed, while the hilt remained on the surface.

Boom—

The sword plunged down, stabbing the Old Monster of the Moon Palace into a sea of flames. Toxic fire spread across his body, igniting him alive.

Below, agonized screams echoed endlessly, yet the demon-refining forbidden law had not dissipated. The Taiji Talisman in the Immortal Maiden’s hand detached by itself and merged with Ji Feichen’s sword. Together they formed a towering pillar of black and white light that enveloped the fiery sea beneath.

Under the splendid and grand Yin-Yang divine light, the fiery sea below gradually turned into white vapor, surging upward along the beam and bursting out of the ocean.

“This is the Innate Primordial Mixed Qi! The foundation of all things in heaven and earth!”

The seabed rumbled as surges of primordial energy rose, agitating the seawater and shredding the flames. Eventually, the energy burst through the surface, forming a white mist above the ocean.

Immortal Jade Zhi stared intently at the beam of qi, and Ji Feichen’s face lit with joy.

Legend has it that the world’s creation began with the Innate Primordial Mixed Qi. The methods by which Earth Immortals create spiritual realms involve this same qi—first generating the dualities, then establishing the Way, followed by the Four Symbols and Five Elements, ultimately carving out mountains, rivers, and the world.

“The Innate Mixed Qi transforms all things—it is also the foundation of our qi cultivators’ practice,” Ji Feichen mused. When he turned to cultivate as a qi cultivator, the Tushan Sect guided him in refining the Primordial Mixed Qi.

If one views heaven and earth as a whole, then all plants, mountains, rivers, and creatures are born from the Innate Primordial Mixed Qi. Every living being carries it within.

According to the operation of heaven and earth, mortals live but a fleeting century. After death, their mixed qi disperses into the world, nurturing new life or becoming the earth’s nutrients. But some defy this natural cycle—whether demons or immortals, they only absorb but never release, stealing the world’s vitality to strengthen themselves. Thus, the burden on heaven and earth steadily grows. A single human immortal consumes the mixed qi of a hundred mortals daily, and Earth Immortals consume even more.

Over time, immortals proliferate while mortals dwindle. Eventually, mortals vanish entirely, and the daily generated vitality is drained by immortals, resulting in a lifeless world devoid of new life.

Hence the saying: “Return the qi to heaven and earth.”

The Immortal Maiden said, “By transforming the terrestrial fire and ice mountains into primordial mixed qi, we have both done great service to heaven and earth. This is following the natural order, the way of calming the heavens—a great creation indeed.”

Gazing at the dissipating fiery sea below, Ji Feichen smiled with satisfaction.

Although all things—including fire, wind, and water—originate from the mixed qi, some existences disrupt the natural order, becoming malignant tumors in the world, like the toxic fire just now.

If the world were a body, then the terrestrial lung-toxic fire would be a disease, continuously siphoning the mixed qi and converting it into poison fire, ultimately boiling seas and burning lands, destroying everything. Harmonizing the fire qi, preventing dryness and flame, is akin to healing the world’s illness, producing more mixed qi to replenish the heavens and earth—truly a great merit.

As the white mist filled the sky, a swirl of black and yellow qi gathered into clouds.

The luminous clouds expanded steadily until they covered an area the size of an acre.

Now, the merit of recreating the Primordial Mixed Qi was more than ten times greater than that of alleviating the previous drought.

With a swift sound, the meritorious black-yellow qi fell from the clouds. Thirty percent was absorbed by Immortal Jade Zhi, another thirty percent into the Dragon Whisker Fan, thirty percent sealed into the Bichao Pearl by Ji Feichen, and the last ten percent descended into the extinguished toxic fire below, wrapped around a true spirit that disappeared without a trace.

“Heaven and earth are impartial. This old monster suppressed the toxic fire here for thousands of years, unknowingly accumulating some merit,” the Immortal Maiden calculated and suddenly exclaimed, “Heaven and earth have no feelings or intelligence and thus do not know he was suppressed here willingly or unwillingly. But indeed, he restrained the fire for millennia, so the heavens have favored him, allowing him to reincarnate and cultivate anew.”

Ji Feichen’s gaze flickered as he silently released a drop of the Three Luminaries Divine Water into that true spirit. “Although reincarnation wipes clean cause and effect, that’s just a joke. If he reincarnates and finds trouble with us, it won’t be good. Besides, he has merit; if he joins Yunxiao Pavilion, it will strengthen our Taoist fortune.” What Ji Feichen didn’t say was that even if he couldn’t be brought into Yunxiao Pavilion, he could still be guided back to the righteous path within the demon sect as a future disciple.

After making a few arrangements, Ji Feichen focused his attention entirely on the Bichao Pearl.

Under the nurturing of the meritorious black-yellow qi, the Bichao Pearl transformed completely into a treasure of merit. Its five-colored radiance shone brilliantly, containing the essence of the Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—while surrounded by the mysterious black-yellow qi of heaven and earth. Now, not only was it comparable to ordinary precious artifacts, but its spiritual nature rivaled that of Earth Immortal treasures.

However, the only flaw was the poor quality of the pearl’s material.

“A few hundred years of clam spirit pearls, but the quality is lacking. Using meritorious black-yellow qi to refine the material is a waste—too costly. It would be better to reforge it with the Moon Spirit Pearl.”

He had recently acquired several Moon Spirit Pearls in the Taiji Immortal Realm. It should not be too difficult to gather a complete set later.

While Ji Feichen pondered, Immortal Jade Zhi noticed the change in destiny and showed a mixture of surprise and joy. “Thousands of years of terrestrial fire poison transformed into primordial energy—our Yunxiao Pavilion has finally received a shred of heavenly fate.”

The meritorious black-yellow qi within the Dragon Whisker Fan transformed into blue qi, spreading out and subtly granting the world’s recognition to the heavenly secret behind Yunxiao Pavilion’s resurgence.

With this shift in destiny, all cultivators across the land felt it deeply.

Within the Taiyuan Palace, many Earth Immortals gained sudden enlightenment.

“The revival of Yunxiao Pavilion—that’s fate. We can’t stop them stirring trouble abroad. But if they intend to challenge Taiyuan Palace’s position, forget it!” The immortals sneered, clearly looking down on Yunxiao Pavilion’s ambitions.

Taiyuan Palace was busy preparing for the impending Calamity of Slaughter, an ordeal independently managed by Taiyuan Palace. They had already coordinated with various sects and solitary immortals to organize the sequence and fixed outcomes of the calamity.

Certain disciples were to acquire specific treasures at certain locations thirty-six years hence, undertake trials, assist particular immortals, and slay designated demons—all meticulously arranged.

These events unfolded as causal lines in the hands of Earth Immortals, eventually weaving into a long ribbon of fate.

Immortals were indeed devoted to quiet cultivation, but they would not easily leave their fate to heaven or the unknown. Hence their methods of divining heavenly secrets.

To seize fate in their own hands and understand the evolution of destiny is the ultimate dominance of immortals.

Now, Taiyuan Palace had arranged the fates of all their disciples and allied sects and solitary cultivators. According to their plan, barring accidents, all demonic cultivators could be exterminated without losing a single immortal.

Indeed, not one immortal would perish. Even those solitary immortals, and those from Supreme Palace and Supreme Sky Palace—no one would die. Only the demons would fall.

Of course, this was an optimistic hope. Taiyuan Palace protected the pure immortal path, but the demon sect naturally had its own countermeasures, introducing various unexpected variables. This mutual rivalry and magical combat was the very essence of the Calamity of Slaughter.

Regardless of which side suffered losses, upon death their spiritual power returned to the Taiji Diagram in the firmament. The diagram would transform the energy, regenerating primordial mixed qi to return to heaven and earth.

“Our Clear-Turbid Taiji Diagram is a creation of the Great Dao, capable of transforming clear and turbid energies. When the Calamity ends, the accumulated merit will surpass even that of your Yunxiao Pavilion.”

Compared to the vast Taiji Diagram covering the continent, the demon-refining Taiji Diagram over the Black Sea was but a fraction of its size.

Thus, Taiyuan Palace currently paid no heed to these two minor cultivators of Yunxiao Pavilion.

Other Supreme Sects, upon observing the heavenly fate favoring Yunxiao Pavilion’s revival, breathed a sigh of relief.

A successor of Supreme Palace was strolling above the East Sea. Suddenly sensing something, he looked toward the Black Sea. “With this shred of heavenly fate, I have reason to lend aid in the future. Not bad, really not bad.” Standing upon the waves, imbued with the essence of water virtue, he smiled faintly before vanishing once more.

Only the Moon Palace in the northern lands was deeply angered by Yunxiao Pavilion’s resurgence.

The Moon Palace, located deep in the snowy plains, had established a Dead Demon Domain, a place covered year-round in ice and snow, rarely visited by humans.

In this white expanse, the most prominent symbol of the Moon Palace was the five glaciers at its entrance. These five ice mountains suppressed the sect’s fate and symbolized the five Earth Immortals of the Moon Palace. The glaciers acted like five fingers pressing down the earth’s veins, intercepting the extreme northern cold currents for the Moon Palace’s use.

Suddenly, one glacier at the Moon Palace entrance collapsed.

A distant disciple guarding the site was astonished: “This glacier has stood for thousands of years—how could it fall?”

With the fall of this glacier, a layer of the spiritual cloud of fate above the Moon Palace dissipated.

Master Qiushui and Feng Qianli withdrew, and the four Earth Immortals gathered. “The third elder has finally died.”

“With his death, one of the five glaciers has crumbled. The Moon Palace’s fate is now in jeopardy.”

As the northern branch of the ancient Four Directions Sect, the Moon Palace was the weakest among them. Having lost one member, the coming calamity would be harder to withstand.

“Hmph! Yunxiao Pavilion, just who do they think they are! Their revival is one thing, but why must they use us as stepping stones?” The Earth Immortals scowled with resentment.

A portion of the fate that once belonged to them had now been intercepted by Yunxiao Pavilion.

“Over the years, the heavenly fate has become clearer—‘the Dao flourishes, demons perish’ is nearly settled. This minor Calamity of Slaughter, although initiated by Taiyuan Palace, is also our final counterattack. If we can corrupt heaven and earth with demons, turning this world into a demonic domain, suppressing the immortal way’s momentum, the heavenly fate can still be changed.”

As the Dao flourishes and the immortal path grows strong, demons will eventually disappear, becoming no threat.

The leading elder slowly opened his eyes, his deep blue pupils fixed on his three companions. “This time, we want no part of the primordial energy world, nor a union of clear and turbid. We desire a world completely shrouded by our turbid evil qi—a world utterly devoid of immortals.”

“It’s too early to say such things. The Blood Sea isn’t ready yet. For now, the immediate priority is suppressing the sect’s fate. With one gone, who do we promote?”

The four elders, unwilling to share their rights with another after their companion had been suppressed for millennia, now faced the harsh reality of losing him entirely. The Moon Palace’s fate had suffered, leaving them no choice but to support a new successor.

For the Daoist sect, promotion to Earth Immortal must be steady and methodical, avoiding shortcuts. But the demon sect’s methods were myriad, some offering rapid advancement. Moreover, the four elders had long anticipated this situation and prepared accordingly. The question now was whose disciple would become the successor, and how much benefit they would bring—matters requiring careful thought and negotiation.