Chapter Fifty-One: Shrouded in Mystery

The Xuanmo Sword was an innate demonic weapon, forged for slaughter, with a remarkably high grade. Once fully grown, it could rival the two innate slaughter swords of Patriarch Minghe: Yuantu and Abi. Now, having devoured three of the Four Ferocious Beasts—Chaos, Glutton, and Taowu—the Xuanmo Sword's power had grown more than tenfold, and its grade had improved considerably, likely surpassing Yuantu and Abi.

"Indeed, it is a supreme demonic treasure crafted by the primordial demonic path! If it truly evolves to its peak, it may even surpass the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords," Qingxu mused, awe filling his heart.

As Qingxu was lost in thought, a cautious voice sounded at his ear, "Immortal...!"

He turned toward the source and saw it was the middle-aged man among the humans. Upon seeing Qingxu’s gaze fall upon him, the man immediately knelt, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Thank you, Immortal, for ridding us humans of these ferocious beasts and demons. This grace shall never be forgotten by our kind. Please, Immortal, tell us your name, that we may worship and pay homage day and night."

"Please, Immortal, tell us your name!" Tens of thousands of humans prostrated themselves in gratitude, their hearts surging with excitement. They had suffered long under the Four Ferocious Beasts, and now, with Qingxu dispatching three in an instant, their joy overflowed. Relief radiated from their bodies, and faces long devoid of smiles now bloomed with color.

"Oh dear, should I tell them or not? What a headache! But really, if there’s benefit to be gained, how could I let it slip by?" Qingxu reasoned. He foresaw that once his name was revealed, these humans would surely worship him devoutly day and night, and the rest of humanity would follow suit. The power of faith and incense would not be insignificant. More importantly, he would seize a prestigious position in the hearts of humans, and with time, that status would be passed down, bringing countless advantages.

With a single hand raised in salute, he declared, "I am Qingxu, the eldest disciple under the Primordial Heaven Sovereign, Saint of Jade Purity and Mysterious Origin, in the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun. You need not dwell too much on today’s events. We cultivators are detached from worldly affairs, transcending the mundane, upholding the righteous path only to remain true to our hearts."

"Immortal, your kindness to our people is as vast as the heavens. We must build a temple to Jade Purity and worship both Pangu and you, Immortal."

"We can discuss these matters later. You mentioned the Youqiong tribe before—is it possible they are a branch of the Wu tribe?" Qingxu wished to avoid further entanglements. Accepting their gratitude too directly might backfire if these primitive ‘wild men’ truly believed it. The timing was just right; they would surely build a temple to Jade Purity, and his statue would certainly be placed within. He now sought clarification about the Youqiong tribe, having recalled Hou Yi's Youqiong Kingdom from his memories, naturally associating it with the Wu tribe.

"Wu tribe? Hmph! The hatred between our people and the Wu tribe cannot be washed away even with the waters of all the lakes and seas. How could we negotiate or unite with them?" the middle-aged man shouted, his face twisted with enmity toward the Wu tribe.

"Oh? Then what is the story with the Youqiong tribe?" Qingxu pressed, direct.

"Ah, it is actually an internal matter among us humans. Since the Sacred Mother created mankind, we have multiplied in the land of Wanqu, gradually adapting to life. Yet, the question of who should lead plagued us. Some advocated honoring the Sacred Mother, making the chieftain a woman, while others pointed out that among the myriad tribes of the wilderness, chieftains were almost always men. Though we were created by the Sacred Mother, the chieftain need not be female; the principle of Heaven and Earth is that the male is revered. This dispute raged for some time. In the end, most chose to honor the Sacred Mother, supporting Lady Wuwu as our first leader. Those few who wished to emulate the other tribes grew angry and left, splitting our people in two. Those who departed called themselves the Youqiong tribe, honoring the Youqiong clan as their leader..." The man’s face grew sorrowful as he spoke, clearly pained by the memory.

"I’d forgotten, in the earliest days, humans were a matriarchal society," Qingxu thought privately, then continued his questioning, "So what are your negotiations about this time?"

Hearing Qingxu’s inquiry, the middle-aged man collected himself, gratitude replacing sorrow. "Here, I must thank you, Immortal. This time, we were negotiating with the Youqiong clan for unity, so we could face the Four Ferocious Beasts together..."

After listening, Qingxu understood. In Wanqu, the human population numbered over eight hundred thousand, but their strength was weak, helpless against the Four Ferocious Beasts’ slaughter. By contrast, the Youqiong tribe numbered fewer than one hundred thousand, but all were robust and somehow had acquired Wu tribe cultivation methods, making them formidable. Among them, the brothers Youqiong and Youxin possessed the strength of earth immortals. Many humans, suffering in Wanqu, fled to join the Youqiong tribe, and at this rate, only the Youqiong tribe would remain. Lady Wuwu and the elders decided to negotiate for unity, willing to compromise if necessary—both to combine their power against the beasts and to preserve their matriarchal tradition.

"Every event faces resistance; it makes sense that a matriarchal society would encounter opposition from men," Qingxu mused.

"But now that we have you, Immortal, there’s no need to go to the Youqiong tribe. With your help, we could surpass ten, even a hundred Youqiong tribes!"

"No. All humans are the creation of the Sacred Mother Nuwa; how could we remain divided? I shall do my utmost to mediate, aiding you in uniting with the Youqiong tribe and honoring Lady Wuwu together," Qingxu resolved to help. After all, matriarchy was the trend at first—Nuwa created mankind, and honoring women was natural. Yet, with later teachings from the sages, matriarchy would wane and patriarchy would prevail.

"Ah! You’re willing to help us unite, Immortal? Wonderful! Truly wonderful! With your help, it will surely succeed! Sob, sob..." The middle-aged man wept with joy, joined by tens of thousands in tears.

"Lead the way!"

"Yes, please follow me, Immortal!"

................................................

After Qingxu and his party departed, a faint golden light appeared abruptly in the void. In the noon sun, it was easy to overlook, but as soon as everyone left, its brilliance blossomed, and within a few breaths, it formed a golden sphere several miles in diameter.

Boom!

About a quarter of an hour later, the sphere exploded, scattering golden particles across the sky, which faded midair. At the center, a beast several yards tall appeared, resembling the Glutton in form, though its size differed, and its entire body was golden.

"What a formidable demonic weapon! Lucky I acted quickly, or I would surely have died. Hmph, daring to disrupt the master’s plans—utter folly. I’ll report to the master and let him decide," the golden Glutton muttered, its aura a strange blend of benevolence and ferocity, contradictory yet harmonious.

"Now, there’s nowhere for you to go. Better behave yourself and stay here for a few days," came a sudden, cold laugh. The voice was hoarse and gloomy, half-human, half-beast, echoing from nowhere, hollow and chilling.

"Qiongqi?" The golden Glutton was startled. It immediately transformed into light, attempting to escape, but only managed to travel several miles before crashing back with a loud bang, the void rippling with transparent waves.

"Useless. Your cultivation is only at the early Gold Core stage; you’re barely stronger than an ant before me. If I didn’t wish to avoid attracting ‘his’ attention, you would have died a dozen times already," the cold, gloomy voice echoed again, still without a clear direction.

"Dare to betray the master? Aren’t you afraid of utter annihilation?" The golden Glutton knew well whom Qiongqi referred to, and was instantly furious, disbelief clouding its brow—even doubting its own ears.

"Betrayal? Hahaha, I never truly pledged loyalty, so there is no betrayal. As for utter annihilation, that’s not your concern. Your life lasts only a few days more. Who’d have thought that going out for a stroll with Taowu would yield such a harvest—splendid, simply splendid!" The manic, low laughter gradually faded away.

"Madness. Qiongqi has gone mad, truly unafraid of the master’s might?" The golden Glutton muttered, suddenly recalling something, and hurriedly sought a way to escape. Qiongqi’s earlier words were clear—he would return in a few days to kill it.