129 The Primitive Age

In the mystical boundaries of the primitive world, beyond the void fabric that separates the boundless infinite void and the chaos sea. In this colourless colourful world of infinite possibilities, a battle raged on.

Where once an orderly disorder permeated harmony stood, only dysfunctional pieces of constant changing energies remained, torn asunder by the shockwaves of two clashing majesties.

It was as if an uncountable amount to apocalypses were occurring at once. Entire illusionary worlds blurred into existence only to disappear like the fleeting wind. Mirages showing what could or could not be, destined events and uncertain paths were formed and discarded as quickly as one would blink.

And among the destructive chaos, a gargantuan ten thousand kilometre long golden dragon twirled. This creature, glittering with the power of a fully completed Dao, swam in an ocean of watery starlight. An ocean composed of the vast expanse that mortals would see upon looking at the night sky.

Each droplet of water was like a fleeting galaxy. Expanding spots of starlight that contained enough power to end great worlds. Yet the dragon swam with no difficulties, his majestic snout roared differently, chomping down upon tendrils of starlight, ripping them apart as if they were nothing but annoyances.

His golden scales were so strong that the extremely dense seawater could do nothing but bounce off of him. His claws so sharp that they effortlessly tore through incoming comments and spiralling bands of land.

With a thunderous cry, the Dragon Sovereign, Zulong roared into the vast chaos. The shockwave along pulverised an oncoming circular tsunami as if it were nothing.

With a swipe of his claw, draconic energy elongated like blades. They slammed down, meeting the metallic end of a short sword. Zulong grunted at the result, he flexed his nine digit claws and pulled them back.

"Take this!"

Executing his famed Nine Clawed Killing technique, Zulong attacked his monstrous foe, his own master, Da Hai.

His full power was exerted. Zulong attacked ferociously. He cut through the very chaotic energies surrounding him like butter reaching for the sword wielding serpent before him.

Da Hai, manifesting in his eight headed true form. Eight pairs of eyes gazed at the dragon intensely. He held the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword in the grip of his webbed front claw and roared. Swinging the sword down, the energy that originally shattered the chaos bore down at Zulong's blackened claws.

CHINK!

Shards of scales flew off and Zulong was rebounded. He withdrew his claws and grimaced. Seeing this, Da Hai pierced with an execution of his Eight Heads Killing.

The inspiration of Zulong's own move caught him on the back foot. Seeing no other option, the serpentine dragon coiled around himself to withstand the attack head on.

Around his golden body, black and yellow lights covered him in a manifestation of the dragon's head. It breathed out a smokescreen, trying to decide the impact of the attack.

KROOM!

Zulng bit into his lower lip. Da Hai's offensive power were incredibly high, even with his defences, he was able to consecutively burn away at his outer layer. Yet the dragon held on and survived with little real injuries.

"You'll have to do a lot better than that to hurt me," Zulong boasted.

Da Hai's heads smiled, pulling back his scaly lips to reveal deadly fangs. His eight monstrous heads pulled together to fire streams of cosmic fire. They expanded into millions of rays travelling in all directions, zigzagging to reach Zulong.

Although in response to this, Zulong bent space. He distorted the reality and trajectory of the assault but still they managed to track him. Narrowing his eyes, Zulong began kiting the attacks, flying away at top speed.

Two of Da Hai's heads pulled back and lunged for the dragon. His spongey yellow mane twirled menacingly as Da Hai's fangs elongated like knives. One of them, the closer one to Zulong was fast enough to reach the sovereign quickly. It opened its maw to bite at the exposed body of the dragon.

Undaunted, Zulong pulled back his tail. With one move, he slapped his master's face with the appendage causing the snake to recoil. His body quickly morphed a state of Pellucid Divine water, fading into a dimension of his own making and phased harmlessly through another head of Da Hai's.

"Damned brat!"

Da Hai roared and summoned forth a colossal wave of sea water. It was an ocean filled with blinding spots, resembling the night sky. They faded in and out of sight, forming an elusive illusionary appearance. Together, this ocean became a giant claw.

Da Hai attacked Zulong in all layers of reality. Da Hai's own Pellucid Divine Water counteracted Zulong's, jumping into his own layer of reality. But Zulong was prepared.

From below his feet, Zulogn summoned his own treasure. Twenty four blinding universal lights shimmered into existence as twenty four ever expanding worlds. They together formed into one singular gargantuan blackhole that swallowed Da Hai.

A new set of divine laws bore down on the sea god. A new level of space formed outside Da Hai and consumed his own, trapping him within. But as Da Hai's Pellucid Divine Water shifted him into different layers of reality, even forming its own universe, this new universe changed within. This forced him out of his illusionary state and into a new reality.

Coming to himself in a new environment, Da Hai scoffed. As quickly as he was trapped, Da Hai tore himself out. He bit into the fabric of the universe and pulled. With a hole forming, he plunged his blade into the soft membrane of this universe and cut open a gashing wound.

Zulong looked up in surprise. Da Hai tore his way out of Zulong's trap far earlier than expected. Feeling exposed, Zulong opened his mouth and spat out his other treasure. The Dragon Pearl flew through the chaos sea like a bullet towards the newly emerged Da Hai.

Da Hai snorted, he slashed down with the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. His clash with the Dragon Pearl created a storm of multi coloured lightning. Tendrils of electricity cut through the very origin of creation leaving behind burn marks, scars on the chaos sea.

Da Hai grunted feeling the muscles on his arm tense. Despite excepting his full strength and then some, he struggled to beat back the pearl. Even so, he was pushing the damn thing back.

His other arm retracted and pulled. From out of his own dimension Da Hai retrieved the Ocean Swallowing Jug. Holding onto the handle tightly, its inner contents filled themselves with universes worth of ocean. Da Hai proceeded to swing the clay jug down, smashing the Dragon Pearl away.

In ages past, the Ocean Swallowing Jug was merely a high grade xiantian spiritual treasure. But ever since journeying into the Chaos Sea, Da Hai had refined it even more. It was his first weapon and the one he cherished the most, even above the 12 Petals White Lotus.

With external aid, Da Hai bonded with the jug allowing it to become his own natal treasure. It merged with his very being and became his closest companion. Da Hai's progress was its progress.

Through this, the Ocean Swallowing Jug evolved beyond its original rank. In conjunction with Da Hai's understanding into Wuji, it transcended what a mere xiantian spiritual treasure could define.

As it was now, it was a chaos ranked spiritual treasure.

It could never be stolen, it could never be used by others, it will only obey Da Hai. But the draw back was that any damage on the jug was a damage reflected on Da Hai's own person. As both were one and the same, changes in one reflected on the other. Should it break off from Da Hai, the Ocean Swallowing Jug will devolve back into its previous state.

With this treasure, Da Hai swapped it to between his teeth. He tipped it over unleashing waves of swords made of water. This single action would've brought any Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal to trembling fear.

But Zulong could only smile.

'So I finally forced you into using it huh? Not bad.'

"Prepare yourself master!"

Zulogn roared, his draconic cry forming an army millions strong. All of them were titanic dragons. Creatures of such majesty that the chaos sea shook as both sides clashed again and again.

Within several moments, Da Hai and Zulong flew at each other, exchanging more then thirty five thousand blows against each other.

To those spectating at the side, Qinglong, Yinglong, Yi Fei'e and their fellow disciples. This was a heart pounding scene.

Zulong coiled around himself with a maddened grin. Chanting began and cries from an infinite amount of dragons harmonised around him.

"I am the dragon ancestor, I peregrinated the dragon race."

"I am not a simple beast born within the ten thousand clans."

"Formed beneath the seabed."

"Arising from the ocean."

"Parting the waves."

"Ascending the heavens."

"Soaring above the clouds."

Heavenly Dragon Rising

Da Hai widened his eyes. Before him, the formation of a dragon the size of a chaos world manifested. A terrifying creature the likes of which none had ever seen.

It possessed terrifying might, one which could easily kill and shatter the forms of even Hongyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortals with terrifying ease.

If Zulong was born during the chaos period where the three thousand chaos godfiends still roamed, he could easily be ranked top five.

'No, he'd surpass even old man Destiny Demon God.'

Da Hai ended his musing when he chose to clash head on against Zulong. Da Hai's own body grew and grew. It grew to match the ascending dragon with a fiendish body of his own.

Dragon and eight headed serpent smashed into each other. The force of this one clash shattered the chaos around them with terrifying ease. Like clash, fragments of reality and whatever Dao materials were tossed on the wayside.

Qinglong and Yinglong nodded to each other. They held their arms out before the rest of their disciples and family. Their conjoined power manifested a world around them, one adorned with a wall of scales.

Yi Fei'e stepped up beside them and held out her own hand. Her personal treasure, the Pearl of Great Brilliance flew out and transformed into a chain of stars.

"You help out as well," she called out to the trembling phoenix she stood on.

"What? Are you insane? We should get outta here before we're caught up in their battle!"

Cinnabar Flame phoenix all but screamed as rays of cosmic radiance flashed at their side.

Zulong's and Yinglong's children who were present, Ao Guang, Ao Run, Qiu Niu, Chi Wen, Chao Feng, and Suanni all snorted at this reaction. "Uncle and aunty are more then capable of defending you."

"Incredible," Qinglong and Yinglong both mused. Neither they nor Yi Fei'e were really paying attention to the younger folks.

"Eldest senior brother," Yi Fei'e murmured in astonishment. "You don't spend much time cultivating comparatively, yet you still made so much progress."

When the dust settled, a storm of chaos already flooded the area. It was a cosmic event that would kill even Great Unity Golden Immortals if they wandered too close. Yet it was harmless for the two men who stood within.

Zulong stood tall and proud like the emperor he was. Yet he didn't wear his crown. Shrunken to his human form, Zulong appeared as a middle aged man well into his fifties with a long beard.

It was Da Hai who appeared the younger of the two. Unlike ten yuanhui ago, Da Hai physically appeared younger, healthier. The sea god appeared to only be in his late thirties, clean shaven and shoulder length hair.

"Well done disciple, you've given this old man a shock of his lifetime," Da Hai complimented.

"Small matter, disciple still has much to learn," Zulong denied humbly.

"On the contrary, you've long surpassed what I could teach. In the cultivation world, we are fellow daoists."

"That may be so, but once a master, always a master. None but you can ever claim that title."

The two complimented each other having ended their spar. It was pointless to continue for longer. Both sides had been going for a long time. Battling for nearly a hundred years.

Da Hai could overpower Zulong, he was stronger and could utilise far more powerful moves, could even overwhelm Zulong. Yet it wasn't strong enough that Zulong couldn't shrug them off. Not strong enough that the dragon couldn't counter.

His offence simply was not enough to pierce Zulong's natural defence.

But Zulong was also not strong enough to hurt Da Hai. For all his power, he could only manage a stalemate where he could not defeat his master. Conversely, Da Hai could not defeat Zulogn quickly either.

Perhaps in ten thousand years, Da Hai could trap and seal Zulong. But to kill Zulong would be nigh impossible. What's more, even if Da Hai came with the intent to kill, it was still within Zulong's ability to get away.

If Zulong was an outsider, one who had never trained in Da Hai's techniques, this wouldn't have been the case. But it was and hence Da Hai had no real means to trap the dragon.

"Master/grandmaster, elder brother/father/uncle," the others greeted.

"Fei'e, don't think I didn't notice," Da Hai immediately said before anything else. "Your laziness will not be tolerated next time."

"Ah?"

Yi Fei'e flinched having been caught flatfooted. She scratched the back of her head in shame.

Previously, this was not a sparring match between Zulong and Da Hai. It was a sparing match with all his disciples. Seven moth fairies and three dragons vs Da Hai.

But as one would expect, fairies two through seven were knocked out early. Yinglong couldn't last very long and eventually, Qinglong was knocked out too. Yi Fei'e hung on for a little longer but exited the fight as well right after Qinglong.

"But master, I didn't want to get between you and senior brother," she wined.

"Check brat," Da Hai scoffed.

In reality, Yi Fei'e could've lasted of a lot longer. She was his strongest disciple right after Zulong. Qinglong came right after and it was debatable who could win between her and the Azure dragon.

"That is enough for today," Da Hai announced. "I suspect you all have gained a little from this experience?" He addressed the third generation.

"Yes grandmaster," Suanni boasted. "I can feel my flames surging. I just a little time to consolidate it."

"I too desire to go into secluded cultivation," Chao Feng said.

"Good, you may use Yingzhou as your staging ground. I wouldn't mind," Da Hai said.

"Thank you grandmaster."

The sea god nodded in satisfaction. He looked around, everyone here was at least at the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. None of Zulong's children had disappointed, having long reached Primal Origin Immortal. It's just that Yinglong's children fell behind.

His four sons were Great PrincipleImmortals as well. But they were only average among them. The stronger one is, the more esoteric their nature. The more esoteric their nature, the harder it is to procreate. Yinglong only had the four sons. Zulong's virility was an anomaly.

With their business concluded, Da Hai began the journey to return to the primitive world. Though he could not enter it properly, he could still remain partially within by staying on Yingzhou.

The journey was brief. They hadn't ventured far from the primitive world, only far enough that they could fight to their hearts content.

Touching down on the Great Plains Heaven beneath the Fusang tree. Da Hai sent the others away until it was just him and his core disciples.

"You're leaving soon aren't you?" Qinglong said breaking the silence.

"I owe the Dao Ancestor Shiva a favour. Wangshu and I have already agreed to meet him. It will not be my first foray into the chaos sea, I can make my way back," Da Hai assured them.

"You say that but you got lost for over two Yuanhui last time," Qinglong said. "Gave big brother and junior sister here a scare"

"That was a miscalculation," Da Hai retorted.

"Master," Yi Fei'e called out.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed it, being cut off from the Heavenly Dao and all. But there was a shift in the world recently."

"Zulong has already made me aware," Da Hai said. "But I have done my measurements and I've even received news from my sources. The tribulation is not coming anytime soon, the buildup of negative karma is nowhere near enough."

"Then what was that shift?" Yi Fei'e asked. Zulong leaned over as well in curiosity. They've reported it before but Da Hai had yet to properly inform them. At the time Da Hai could only make guesses and it took some time to confirm them.

"I've already told you of these people," Da Hai said.

"Master, you don't mean?" Zulong's eyes widened. "But you said they only appeared after my fall."

"If Zulong was not as he was, they would've appeared after the tribulation. But given how good Zulong is, they started showing up now. It's not that they're early, it's that you're still here."

Da Hai explained. "I'm sure Qinglong here is aware of fellow disciples in Wangshu's lineage?"

"Of course, didn't get their names though, was in a little hurry," the azure dragon nodded in confirmation. "Oh, now I see."

"Indeed, Wangshu notified me not long ago about Xihe and Changxi's birth and subsequent acceptance into her tutelage."

Da Hai looked up at the distant sun with an expecting look. "The third and final generation of innate gods are here."

…

Deep within the Solar Star, the cry of a pair of crows compounded around the Pure Yang Sun Fire. Two massive golden grows each boasting three legs flew around playing tag.

…

On the Lunar Star, beneath the Supreme Laurel Tree, Wangshu sat crossed legged lecturing two young woman with her. The younger of the two listened intently. But the older of the two appeared a little confused and unsure.

…

Deep within the recesses of Mt Buzhou, a pair of siblings played. They were half man half snake with the lower part of a serpent and the upper torso of a human. The older one, a male in his teens with black hair and brown eyes. He played diligently on his qin instrument creating a wondrous tune.

A tune his sister, a topless woman with waist length hair danced to. The two were at peace within their own little hideout completely cut off from the rest of the world.

…

In a distant part of the ocean, hidden beneath a thick veil of mist. On an immortal island not dissimilar to Yingzhou, a cloud of Qi condensed forming into the image of a man. This was in fact the first cloud of Yang Qi in the world.

On Mt Penglei, it formed a divine figure ready to tour the world

…

In connection with that event, on the slopes of west Kunlun, the first cloud of Yin Qi had already formed. A beautiful woman with a jade tiara who held a mirror looked east. The scent of her counterpart were already memorised.

…

Beneath Mt Buzhou, the Pangu temple slept. Around it, twelve pools of blood bubbled. Suddenly, from the largest pool, a thick muscular arm reached out. Grading the edge, it pulled a fat blubbery body with four wings and six legs.

Around him, eleven other hideous figures made themselves known, dragging themselves out of their own pools. With them forming a circle, a formation formed around them into the faint image of a giant wearing a loincloth holding an axe. Formed from the purest blood essence of the father god, a race of primordial deities had been born.

…

Away from others, on the far off northern ocean. Far away from the prying eyes of the north sea denizens. A giant fish leapt out of the ocean. As it did so, its scaled form transformed. From where once a fish jumped, a bird flew.

…

Within a cave on Mt Kunlun, three clouds of Qi condensed atop three prayer mats. The first appeared at the centre, a complete being harmonised in the constant changes between Yin and Yang. He was an old man patiently cultivating.

On his right was a middle aged man who also cultivated. This one had a dignified face and long black beard with a natural air of pride. If one looked at him they would immediately think him a noble lord

The third figure which was the last to form though, this one was most peculiar. Both men gazed to it as the slim figure of a woman came out of the mist. Both were slightly confused, they were expecting a brother.

Unknown to both, the severed arm of a certain goddess that fell to this exact location injected its own power into the Qi cloud. An imbalance was reached and the destined god became goddess.

The two shrugged as the woman appeared. It didn't matter anyway, sister was still family all the same.

…

In the far west continent, a kind looking man with a squarish faced and snail shell curls shaped hair sat. Although the land he was in was hostile to non conformists, he'd done well for himself. Cultivating silently, he did so below an infamous bodhi tree, beneath the light of another infamous lamp.

…

At the borders of continents, at the place where east met centre. A young man wearing a star hat was busying himself constructing a temple. The building was one which covered a massive ginseng tree. Said tree was already bearing fruit, though theses fruits resembled the form of human infants.

…

Deep beneath the known world, on the reverse side of the flat earth. In a dark and twisted nether storm, a coffin lay. This coffin had drifted here aeons ago, drifted here from one of the few openings this underworld had to the great wilderness.

Slowly but surely, this coffin that lay in a land of darkness opened. A gangly corpse like hand emerged, grasping the lid and flipped it open freeing its contents.

…

Not far from the coffin, a putrid sea of red lay. Under the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, a qilin stood by and watched as gunk and muck from the corpses of all dead primordial beasts in the world gathered. The pile of corpses of living malice melted and fused into the sea of blood.

Qi An watched with barely concealed disgust. He turned around and walked away, unconcerned for a dual sword wielding naked man who emerged atop a red lotus.

…

Atop a mountain in the middle of nowhere, a massive thunderstorm was occurring. Storm and rain, thunder and lightning. The storm continued nonstop until a figure emerged. The most brutal storm in the world gave way to a divinity, a man with a bird for a head.

With a single cry, his voice rumbled through the nine heavens.

…

…

Within the dark confines of a cave deep within a valley Da Hai was intently familiar with. Five coloured energies converged. Though it had long lost its lustre, having degraded from the phoenix's last visit, it still preserved. The first cloud that had drifted here long ago finally transformed.

From out of it, a young man in red appeared. If Da Hai were here, he'd be shocked. The young man here had the same face as his first friend, Huoyun.

…

"Senior brother! What are you doing?" A cute childish girl asked the boy standing at the eastern edge of Mt Yujing's cliff. The boy she was talking to was only a child in form for he'd existed for far longer.

The boy was dressed in white and holding a pair of binoculars. He ignored the girl.

"Come on Haotian, tell me what's going on?" She wined stomping her feet.

"Nothing, just looking for…you know what, it's not important," Haotian said. He had a distant look in his eye, one with a sense of longing.

"Well master told me to get you, it's time for our daily lesson," she said walking away. Haotian nodded, he put the binoculars down and followed after.

…

In the middle of nowhere, in a secluded location where not many wondered. A pile of dead monkeys lay.

Sitting atop the pile was a small macaque holding a stick. With an arrogant look on his animalistic face, he spat on the corpses.

"Heh, you think I'm so easy to bully? WRONG."

"In journey to the west, in the primitive world, Liu Er is a loser. He was pathetic and couldn't even listen to Hongjun's lecture. In the end, he suffered a tragic death under the hands of a puppet."

"But I am not that Liu Er. I am Liu Cheng, the new six eared divine monkey. I swear to never be a slave and to fight for my true destiny. I shall roam and rule supreme in the primitive world."

The macaque proclaimed proudly with a maniacal expression. The soul tossed in by an uncaring god of a realm beyond finally gestated to completion. In another world and another time, this man would've just been another NEET living in their mother's basement.

But here in this world, he was god.