Chapter Seven: The Calamity of the Ferocious Beasts Begins

In the northern reaches of the Primordial Wilds, the Ferocious Beast clan had, since their inception, set the destruction of the world as their ultimate goal. Many of their kind were born with celestial cultivation, and a rare few emerged into existence already possessing the profound power of the Golden Immortal of Taiyi. The Beast Emperor, Divine Reverse, had even reached the pinnacle of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Though the ferocious beasts wrought havoc daily, their devastation for now was confined to the north. Despite the barrenness of the region, from time to time, other beings would venture in groups to hunt these beasts, using them to forge magical artifacts.

On this particular day, Divine Reverse, the Beast God, was deep in cultivation when Qiongqi, leader of the Four Great Ferocious Beasts under his command, approached.

The Four Great Ferocious Beasts, aside from Divine Reverse himself, were the most powerful among their race, all having achieved the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. Qiongqi had advanced even further, reaching the late stage.

“Chief, lately many beings have been trespassing into our territory to hunt our young. Quite a few of our kind have been slain. What should we do?” Qiongqi asked, his face clouded.

“Hmph, there’s no need for haste. First, gather all the ferocious beasts together and refrain from acting for now. I am on the verge of breaking through. Once I ascend to the Quasi-Saint realm, that will be the time for us to storm the Primordial Wilds in force,” Divine Reverse replied, his voice brimming with murderous intent.

...

On the shores of the Eastern Sea in the Primordial Wilds, a strangely dressed young man wandered along the water’s edge. Were any denizens of Earth present, they would have been astonished to see his attire—it was nothing less than a modern tracksuit, commonplace on Earth. This young man was none other than Chen Xing.

Ever since sending Pangu to cultivate in the chaos, Chen Xing had found himself listless and restless. The idea of visiting the Primordial Wilds—a world that had fascinated him since childhood—began to take shape. He longed to witness, with his own eyes, the legendary deities of myth.

Even though he knew what events the future would bring, there was a certain pleasure in observing each and every tale of the Primordial Wilds unfold firsthand. For this irreverent soul, the great calamities of the era were little more than stories—a way to pass the time.

Unable to return to Earth, he decided to amuse himself in the Primordial Wilds, treating it as a journey to another world.

Chen Xing was well aware of his own lack of discipline and comparatively weak cultivation (the consciousness of the former Lord of Chaos had been completely severed; now, the twenty-year-old Chen Xing was the master of his own mind). Fearing that a careless mistake might lead to the destruction of the Primordial Wilds—or even the chaos itself—he sealed away his own immense power and will.

Nevertheless, recalling the numerous great calamities described in the Primordial Wilds novels he had read on Earth, and not wanting to be bullied, he granted himself the Dao Fruit of a Saint of the Great Dao. At the very least, within the Primordial Wilds, no one could threaten him.

...

At this time, myriad races flourished, but three stood out above the rest due to the depth of their origins.

The Ancestral Dragon was the first true dragon born between heaven and earth. At the moment of taking form, he had already reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm and led his people to dominate the Four Seas, establishing the Dragon Clan.

In the south, the first Phoenix, the Phoenix Ancestor, led her kind to dwell in the Undying Volcano, proclaiming themselves the Phoenix Clan.

At the foot of Buzhou Mountain, in the central region of the Primordial Wilds, the first Qilin, styling himself as the Qilin Ancestor, led his clan to rule the vast lands surrounding Buzhou Mountain for billions of miles.

These three clans were the mightiest among the hundreds of races in the Primordial Wilds. Their leaders' cultivation was evenly matched, each having reached the pinnacle of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. Because the three clans were still consolidating their power, no conflict had yet arisen among them, and so their relations remained harmonious. Unbeknownst to all the races of the Primordial Wilds, however, a great calamity was quietly brewing...

...

Chen Xing’s sole purpose in coming to the Eastern Sea was to find a temporary place to stay. After considering his options, he realized that most locations in the Primordial Wilds were entangled with karma. Although this mattered little to him, he preferred not to alter the course of the world overly much.

Upon reflection, he determined that there was only one famous place in the Primordial Wilds that would not affect anything—the island of Fangzhang, one of the three immortal islands formed from fragments of chaos: Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang. Though renowned, Fangzhang was destined never to appear in the mortal world.

When the fragments of chaos formed the three islands, each was protected by a natural array born of chaotic energy.

With the passage of countless eons, these protective formations would gradually lose their efficacy as the chaotic energy dissipated, and only then would Penglai and Yingzhou appear in the Primordial Wilds.

Strangely, however, Fangzhang Immortal Island had never manifested. If not for the fact that, in later ages, many beings who had transcended fate occasionally glimpsed it in the river of destiny, none would know of its existence. Many great powers sought it in vain. Chen Xing’s purpose in coming here was to find Fangzhang Island and make it his home in this world.

Some might wonder why he wanted a home rather than a Daoist sanctuary, as so many transmigrators to the Primordial Wilds had done before him. But for a young man from the twenty-first century, isolated for countless years from his family, what he missed most was home. His attire alone revealed this longing.

Besides, why would Chen Xing need to establish a sanctuary? He himself was the Lord of the Dao! For whom would he build a place of worship? The Great Dao? The Heavenly Dao? Or, like Zhenyuanzi in the future, to venerate Heaven and Earth? The thought amused him.

Arriving at the Eastern Sea, Chen Xing was about to fly toward the hidden location of Fangzhang Island when his divine sense detected a group of black-clad figures, shrouded in dark energy, conspiring tens of thousands of miles away.

“The master has spoken. The plan to lure the ferocious beasts into invading the Primordial Wilds must not be discovered by anyone,” said the apparent leader.

Another, with a sinister grin, replied, “This invasion by the ferocious beasts will unleash enough baleful energy to greatly strengthen our Demon Clan. When the time comes, our master will surely rule the Primordial Wilds.”

“Enough. Do what you must. If you delay the master’s great affairs, beware—you’ll be reduced to ashes,” the leader said coldly.

“Yes!” the black-clad figures chorused, rising and flying north.

Chen Xing’s lips twitched. Though he had sealed his power and could no longer hold all worlds in his heart, he still possessed the Dao Fruit of the Great Dao, and, recalling the Primordial Wilds novels of his past life, he immediately recognized these individuals.

The Demon Ancestor, Luohu—Heaven’s fated nemesis of Hongjun, and the future Lord of the Demon Realm. These were surely his subordinates.

He had never bothered to deduce with his Dao Fruit before, thinking that Luohu would only act from the shadows during the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, undermining the three clans. Unexpectedly, the Calamity of the Ferocious Beasts was also orchestrated by Luohu.

Shaking his head, Chen Xing dismissed the matter. After all, the ferocious beasts were the remnants and resentful spirits of the three thousand primordial gods and demons, abandoned by the Heavenly Dao. Any being who slew a ferocious beast would be rewarded with virtue, for the Heavenly Dao had already awakened—even if Hongjun had yet to merge with it and perfect its order, it was already watching over the world. Since the three thousand gods and demons had tried to stop Pangu from creating the world, it was only natural that the Heavenly Dao would abandon the ferocious beasts.

...

Chen Xing paid no further heed to the conspirators, teleporting deep into the Eastern Sea.

In a tranquil stretch of sea, where the surface was calm and undisturbed, a solitary figure suddenly appeared—it was Chen Xing.

Smiling faintly at the seemingly empty expanse before him, he extended a hand. At once, a surge of chaotic energy erupted from the sea, and amidst the mist, an island flickered in and out of sight. Chen Xing knew at once that this was Fangzhang Island, surrounded by a grand formation of chaotic energy: the Thirty-Six Star Chaos Gathering and Immortal-Slaying Array. Formed by the fusion of thirty-six primordial stars wrought from fragments of chaos, its offensive power surpassed even the Pangu Banner, which was once the handle of the Heaven-Opening Axe. These thirty-six primordial stars were not the stars of the present heavens, but naturally formed in the chaos before the world began. Not only was their power unrivaled, but their greatest trait was that they could transform any innate or acquired spiritual energy into chaotic energy, providing the island with an inexhaustible supply—this was why Fangzhang Island had never appeared in the world. Furthermore, protected by the chaotic energy and Pangu’s karma, even saints of the Heavenly Dao could not divine its whereabouts.

In a flash, Chen Xing entered the island. The great chaotic formation remained utterly undisturbed, as if oblivious to his presence.

The island was peaceful. Many creatures, yet untransformed, frolicked gleefully among lush spiritual plants. Animals played and chased one another, and intelligent plants, as animals passed by, would bow to brush dust from their fur. Witnessing such a scene, Chen Xing felt a surge of happiness. As someone who had grown up in the peaceful era of the twenty-first century, he cherished this kind of life.

Strolling toward the center of Fangzhang Island, he was met with curious glances from the animals, who showed no fear. A white fox even came up to nuzzle him. Delighted, Chen Xing knelt down and stroked its head. With a touch of his finger, a stream of light entered the fox’s mind, and a complete cultivation method appeared within—one that would allow the fox to progress from transformation all the way to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

The little fox, having developed intelligence, was much like the other creatures on the island—without a cultivation method, it spent its days merrily at play, its only progress coming from the spiritual energy that passively washed over it. Its transformation was a distant hope.

But with the cultivation method Chen Xing had bestowed, the fox immediately recognized this as a chance of a lifetime.

It affectionately rubbed its snout against Chen Xing’s face, then leapt away, bounding off in joy. Seeing how a simple, improvised cultivation method could bring such happiness, Chen Xing smiled softly.

Reaching the heart of the island, Chen Xing’s eyes lit up. There, a pond spanning dozens of meters shimmered with a translucent azure hue. Floating upon the water were nine blue lotuses—the central one with twelve petals in full bloom, flanked by two of nine petals, three of eight, and three of seven.

Overjoyed, Chen Xing recognized these as the Azure Creation Lotuses—twelve-petaled offshoots formed from the fragmentation of the thirty-six-petaled Creation Lotus, a companion treasure to Pangu at the dawn of the world.

He had long felt frustrated: ever since sealing his power and will, his primordial treasures could no longer be used in the Primordial Wilds. As a “Saint of the Great Dao,” he found it shameful to be without a worthy artifact. Without hesitation, he took the twelve-petaled Creation Lotus, his spirits lifted, and began to busy himself at the pond’s edge. For a native of Earth—and a son of China—having no home of one’s own was simply unacceptable.

...

While Chen Xing busied himself with his new home, an endless wave of baleful energy surged from the north across the Primordial Wilds. In an instant, all living beings felt an approaching crisis in their souls. Struggling to survive, conflict among the races intensified more than ever...