Breakdown

Tian Hai's words were filled with grief. The sudden surge of human empathy he felt for innate creatures bled over into his thoughts and his words. His anger was one which was displayed passionately upon his face, one which greatly confused Qiong Qi and Luohu.

The two godfiends were once again stunned. They both knew Tian Hai, if not personally then at least by reputation. They instantly recognized how out of character he seemed.

"Luohu! You are the caretaker of the West Continent are you not? Are you not responsible for the countless living beings who inhabits this side of the world? Are you really so callous as to not bring dangerous fighting elsewhere?"

"What?"

Luohu's smple response was one of complete and utter confusion. 'Is he trying to lecture me on moral ethics?' His brain tried to process what he just heard.

"Haha! Tian Hai, you make a good jokester," Qiong Qi chuckled. "But seriously get outta here. You may've been a big shot in the Chaos Sea but that was when you were a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. A mere Golden Immortal fresh out of reincarnation doesn't belong in this battle."

So what if a few innate creatures were killed? It didn't matter to the individualistic godfiends. These creatures were never members of their civilization anyway, just unrelated strangers. They had no reason to care for their wellbeing.

What Tian Hai failed to remember was that godfiends were amoral at best. They were connate lifeforms of the Chaos Sea to begin with and were whole at birth with no parents. They were innate gods with inborn knowledge who were indoctrinated by their senior godfiends as the next generation of Chaos Godfiends. They had no concept of things like love, procreation, nor anything remotely close to twenty first century common sense. Their society only valued the companionship of friends, resources in relation to cultivation, and the Dao itself. Anything else was only personal preference.

The only reason Tian Hai even had a semblance of that last fact was due to his memories of his human life. One which he remembered vividly, perhaps even more so than his time as a godfiend. The part of him which inherently possessed a set of common sense alien to the mentality of the godfiends.

"I am SERIOUS! You could've retreated to fight in the void and avoided sending the world into catastrophe. The current Primitive World cannot handle Chaos Immortals fighting! Countless living beings are dying thanks to you!"

"Why do you care? They are unrelated to you nor I." Luohu had his own theories. Perhaps Tian Hai was cultivating them for faith energy? Becoming an immortal divinity through faith was an unreliable method and not worth the hassle and responsibility. He could not understand why a battle maniac like Tian Hai would desire such a thing.

Unless it was something else entirely.

"This is wrong! So wrong! You can't just condone massacres like this without reason!"

'The things he's saying sounds. Could he have also…' Luohu shook his head. 'No, only Hongjun and I were there. And I rejected that possibility.'

"Are you out of your mind Tian Hai?" Qiong Qi's annoyed voice rang through the air like drums beating. "You expect me to care about food? About livestock?"

"Food?" Tian Hai realized the implications in a heartbeat. Of course, innate creatures were essentially demonic spirits of the earliest time periods. They were basically wild animals who had sentience and cultivated. But to the current him who regarded them as people, it sounded wrong.

"You are such a cruel monster!"

"Hmph! Cruel? It's just the way of the world. The strong do whatever they want and the weak can only obey. I want to eat, so what? I want to fight, their fault for getting in my way!" Qiong Qi swung his furry tail to the left.

THOOM!

A vertical wave of qi tore through the land splitting a large portion of the West Continent in a large gash. Incidentally, this allowed the ocean to leak through creating the beginnings of a new river. Luohu only chuckled at the engagement. He found Tian Hai to be hilarious.

Tian Hai gasped at the display of power in horror. But whatever reservations he had had was pushed down by his simmering rage. How dare Qiong Qi be so callous? How dare he not listen to his words? Who even was Qiong Qi? Just a small figure far below the Sea God Tian Hai's notice.

"My my. Has fellow daoist's mind been rotting?" Luohu mocked. "You are a fool who doesn't realize what he speaks. You have no power in this world and yet you dare criticize us? What a joke."

It wasn't that Luohu found Tian Hai's opinions pathetic. While Luohu did find his reasoning befuddling, it was his audacity to talk smack despite being so weak compared to the people he's facing. He simply did not posses the qualifications to try.

Godfiends respected strength. If you were not strong enough, their thoughts and desires were invalid. And right now, Tian Hai's words were invalid.

"You…how dare you? You'll pay for this! I'll teach you both a lesson myself you fuckers!" All semblance of self control was lost. Tian Hai swung his fist up at Qiong Qi and Luohu. Two mighty geyser of hot water rose up in the form of pythons. They stretched rapidly into the air and attempted a bite at the two.

"HISS!"

"What a joke." Qiong Qi didn't even need to move. Luohu swiped his hand and obliterated Tian Hai's attacks in an instant. The backlash of which whipped Tian Hai across the stomach tearing through his robes. His skin broke into shards of bluish scales and torn flesh and blood spilled out.

"GAH!"

Tian Hai flew back and slammed into a pillar of rock. He spat out gallons of blood and flopped helplessly to the floor. He barely managed to tilt his head up in a pool of his own gore.

The sight was completely and utterly pathetic. Talking big but unable to back it up.

"Hack!" Tian Hai coughed up more blood. His injuries were only physical and superficial as Luohu's strike was only physical force. But some of his internal constructs were rocked by the impact.

His three flower crowns dimmed significantly and his inner cosmos was in complete disarray. His immortal meridians resembling stars glowed faintly and moved about like drunken drivers. His flesh was a mess and segments of his scales scattered all over the lands.

"You bastards!" Tian Hai managed to utter out. He unsteadily got to his feet holding his stomach and glared up with a bloody face. Yet the look Luohu sent him sent shivers down his spine. A primal fear that froze him in place with no desire to run but one to accept death.

"Be silent worm." Luohu flicked with his middle finger.

Tian Hai's head snapped back.

A gigantic eight headed serpent crashed on his back thousands of kilometres away. The only semblance of life the serpent had were the slow movements of his chest.

"The arrogance of weaklings. I can't even…pathetic. And I didn't even hit you that hard. Hehehe!" Luohu held his hand over his oath barely suppressing hysterical laughter. Tian Hai's wining and pathetic performance only served as amusement for the godfiend.

But Qiong Qi did not find it funny. Instead he found it infuriating.

"Fucking pathetic! Is this what the Sea God Tian Hai is worth? No no no! This is wrong. You are a fraud!" The winged tiger roared. "What kind of mewling pathetic worm are you? Heavenly sea? You do not deserve your own name!"

"Consider my offer retracted insect," Qiong Qi said in disappointment. He opened his mouth and readied a ball of qi resembling a canon ball.

One of Tian Hai's heads bent over to see what the godfiend was doing. The horror in his eyes was a result of seeing his own death within Qiong Qi. 'Is this how I end? This can't be it right?'

Then and only then did Tian Hai fully realize what had just happened. The utter despair and fear he felt was nothing like what he'd ever experienced in all his history. Suffice to say, he was extremely unwilling to die in such a pathetic state. But what can a measly Tian Hai do?

"For fucks sake!"

Multi coloured clouds enveloped Tian Hai's serpentine body. The thick layer of clouds danced like flames and expanded even further. They grew large and formed the shape of a flat palm.

"Five Elements Harmony Sixth art: Mystic Stabilization!"

Huoyun's commanded his palm to guard Tian Hai. His exerted the full might of his Great Unity Golden Immortal cultivation base to its fullest drawing as much power as he can. However, the attack he was facing was still that of a Great Principle Chaos Immortal's.

Although one realm separated the, the difference in power was night and day. Huoyun could only count himself lucky that Qiong Qi's attack wasn't one of significant power.

An insect was all he saw Tian Hai as. As such, Qiong Qi's power had as an insulting amount of power as was necessary. But in this case, it allowed Huoyun to block the strike decisively.

BOOM!

The mass of clouds dispersed into particles. Huoyun huffed and puffed from where he stood in the sky. His right hand was raised and the palm was crooked. A trail of blood leaked from his mouth. All in all, Huoyun did not appear in a good state at all.

"Daoist Five Elements," Luohu greeted. "Oh how the mighty have fallen. You're not a character worthy of fighting me."

"I know," Huoyun responded with seriousness. He knew he needed to act fast. Pulling forth his mastery over fire and metal, Huoyun spread his arms out forming a titanic mirror. Through it, the image of a land appeared with a horizon meeting the night sky. But from the horizon, a star of pure yang rose.

"Five Elements Harmony Ninth Art: Manifestation of Creation's Dawn!"

A thick light stemming from the false sun shone through the mirror. Luohu narrowed his eyes through the light and Qiong Qi shut his own. This level of light was second only to the blinding light Lu Ya the Sun Demon God could pull off.

Even at a weaker level then what they were used to, the potent sunlight was still harsh enough to blind their sight. It was however unable to burn them as the spell's actual purposes was. Then again, Huoyun only used it as a distraction.

Luohu extended his index finger. Despite not seeing Huoyun, he could sense his energy signature and acted accordingly. Since he moved, he'll retaliate in kind. His own blow came in the form of a distorting slash of energy. His finger trailed across the sky shattering reality wherever it went.

Luohu didn't even deign to use a named technique. His intention was to be rid of the blinding light and not to cause harm. After all the Five Elements Daoist was still someone he respected and whose position in their society was exalted above many others. Out of past respect, he didn't try too hard.

Let Huoyun rescue Tian Hai, the snake was worthless to him anyway. Would one bother chasing after an ant?

Huoyun's clouds retreated immediately. It was urgent for him to escape as far away as possible. His feet moved in the fastest movement techniques he knew. With a blaze of fading light, Huoyun ran through towards the nearest rift.

"Come back here!" Qiong Qi roared. He attempted to run past Luohu to finish off the two fleeing innate gods. But while he was truly angered by Tian Hai, Luohu found his disregard for his presence insulting instead.

"Oi, do you think you have the right to ignore me little cat?" Luohu punched out towards Qiong Qi.

"Grrh!" Qiong Qi halted and moved his wings to block Luohu's blow. But he still did not give up on Huoyun. He opened his mouth and spat out an object. A treasure of the lowest xiantian grade.

The treasure resembled an arrow with a fletching that resembled Qiong Qi's own. Directed by Qiong Qi's thoughts, it shot like a comet blitzing through the sky directly towards Huoyun with full intentions to kill.

"Curses," Huoyun groaned looking back. "Guess I'm forced to unleash this already."

His hands shot down a straight beam of five coloured light shot out in the shape of a five pointed star. Luohu chuckled at Huoyun's actions and felt pity for Qiong Qi.

The most famous technique of the Five Element Daoist also known as the God of the Five Elements was well known. The Five Coloured Treasure Light had the ability to overpower any foes with its sheer power. But this was only secondary as its main function was the ability to disrupt the connection between an immortal and their refined treasure.

Qiong Qi's eyes widened as he remembered that tidbit as well. 'No he's just a Great Unity Golden Immortal right now. Surely he couldn't.' He felt his connection with his arrow sever.

The beam of light retracted and the arrow landed squarely on Huoyun's hands just in time for him to dive into the void between realms. Qiong Qi was left silent. Luohu openly laughed.

…

A hundred and fourteen years later, Huoyun fell out of a spatial rift above the skies of the East Continent. He tumbled out in a miserable state of disarray alongside a gargantuan eight headed serpent.

THUD!

Tian Hai's landing was rough and he crushed the lands beneath him into a dusty haze. Huoyun's own landing was much light but he nevertheless crashed into a crater.

The two took a long while to get their bearings together. Huoyun had endured a lot during the century long travel through the void. Constantly resisting the violent tides within the void was not ideal to once health. His current state while not life threatening, was an injured one.

"We…we made it outta there."

Tian Hai's eight heads starred up at the sky. The sky had already darkened into night and the three hundred and sixty five celestial bodies that were the stars revealed themselves. He couldn't help but be thankful that luck was on his side.

"Made it? We barely made it out alive," Huoyun grunted sitting up. His face was grim and there were open anger in his gaze.

A burst of light occurred as Tian Hai shrunk back to his human form. He sat up and touched his stomach. The injuries from Luohu's attack was gone. Huoyun's clouds had carried with them a medicinal affect and the result was the mending of his wounds.

"Thank you brother Huoyun. Thank you and I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you," Tian Hai said apologetically. He bowed his head shamefully at Huoyun.

Unlike numerous times prior where Huoyun would just laugh it off, this time his expression didn't change. He chuckled and scoffed at the situation they'd landed themselves in.

"By the heavens," he muttered. "You clearly…hai, I don't even know what to say to you."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

Huoyun found it hard to even look at Tian Hai without becoming frustrated. "Thousands of years spent trying to help you. Yet nothing has changed. You're still that naive boy I found washing blood off himself. Who the fuck charges into a battle of Chaos Immortals as a Golden Immortal?"

Huoyun ranted and raved. Frustrations boiled over from any years past. Tian Hai could only listen and be guilty over his actions.

He really hadn't accomplished anything hadn't he? All he's done is mooch off of Huoyun's kindness. Attaching himself to Huoyun's thigh like some sort of parasite, using his protection for his own gains.

It was unforgivable that he led Huoyun into extreme danger. Said a lot about Huoyun's own character that he followed through and rescued him. In the face of such situations, most godfiends would choose to flee.

"Yang Mei was right."

"Hm?"

"You really are not the same. There's not an once of Tian Hai in you."

"But I am Tian Hai."

Huoyun gave him a tired look. "You really aren't. I see none of his traits in you. You like a…a…an innate god born out of Tian Hai." He sighed and shook his head unsure if what he said was even correct.

Tian Hai had the exact same aura as Tian Hai to the point where it was indistinguishable. Yet the mannerisms, the personality. Huoyun didn't know what to call it. All he knew was that he was done.

"Enough is enough, you can't go on like this anymore," Huoyun told him. "You nearly got yourself killed. Nearly got me killed. You don't just run into a situation like what just happened in the west without proper information. One look, one look was all you needed to know to get outta there."

"I'm sorry."

"Tian Hai, I understand feeling sympathy for living beings. We're part of that category too. But helping each and every stranger just because they looked pitiful? You'll end up bringing yourself unnecessary calamities like what just happened now."

"I…"

"What's more, you don't have the power to do these things. You're only a Golden Immortal compared to Great Principle Chaos Immortals. You've made no progress in regaining your former strength but you think you can just interfere in those two's battle wantonly? Have you gone insane?"

Huoyun sucked in a breath and sighed. "Clearly you aren't ready to brave the outside world. Look, I'm still your brother and I love you. So I think it'll be for the best if you hide out for a while. Lay down and cultivate somewhere secret until everything blows over."

"What? So I'll…"

"I can't protect you either. I need to cultivate my strength further as well," Huoyun cut him off before he could finish. "The East Sea is isolated for the most part. The East Continent too if you wanna risk the territories of a few other godfiends. I can't be here, I need to go into seclusion and figure some stuff out as well."

Tian Hai was stunned. Did he just drive away his only source of protection? No that was wrong. Did he just drive away his only real friend?

"Tian Hai, anything west of the East Continent is getting more and more dangerous. I can feel it," Huoyun told him. "My way of divination isn't the greatest but even I can tell the world is trending towards a tribulation. In a normal Chaos World, these events are scary for its inhabitants. But for the Primitive World where innate gods could come into being? I dare not imagine what kind of disaster it'll be."

He turned to face Tian Hai. "Don't participate. Stay safe, hidden, and go into seclusion. And I'll…" he reached for Tian Hai's head.

"Wait no!"

"It's for your own good. I stunted your growth and that is my sin to bear," Huoyun pointed at Tian Hai's head.

"You don't know the unlearning pain! I couldn't decide on anything! I couldn't think."

"Your blockage from forming a unity also seems to stem for it. For the sake of your future, I cannot in good conscience let it remain." Huoyun's finger glowed. "Please just hide in the East Sea for now. That's the best course of action."

"Huoyun wait!"

A faint red light erupted from Huoyun's fingers. Tian Hai keeled over with his head in his hands and screamed.

"Sorry little brother," Huoyun said. "But please, take my advice to heart. If you return to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm or at least exhibit comparable strength then sure. But as you are now, just hide."

Huoyun departed from Tian Hai with a solemn feeling. Part of him felt guilty, but another part felt glad.