Chapter Forty-Four: The Way of Heaven

“What does any of this have to do with me being the Plume Seer?” Leng Bingyan asked, bewildered by the enigmatic tale.

Mo Wuxie chuckled softly. “Of course it’s related—don’t be impatient. Now, listen: The Great Dao holds three thousand paths; fifty belong to Heaven’s law, all born of primordial chaos. When Heaven’s law first formed, the gods divided their dominions. The demon race was ruled by two emperors—Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Western Emperor Dijun—who together established the Demon Court of the Primordial Era, while the Twelve Ancestral Witches founded the Hall of Ancestors, dividing the authority of Heaven and Earth.

The Three Pure Ones schemed against both the demons and witches, leading to a cataclysmic war. During this war, Fuxi, brother to Nuwa of the demon clan, perished. His primordial spirit later reincarnated as a human, and eventually attained the title of Heavenly Emperor, his rank equal to that of a saint, alongside Earthly Emperor Shennong and Human Emperor Xuanyuan. Together, they established the Nine Provinces Dragon Cauldron, and long resided within the Palace of Primal Chaos and Heavenly Fire, never to emerge, so as to safeguard the dragon vein of the ancient Nine Provinces, ensuring its vitality would endure.

Of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Houtu completed the cycle of reincarnation left unfinished by Pangu, transforming into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Thus, a matured Heaven’s law was finally born.”

Leng Bingyan steadied himself, his heart pounding—these were ancient secrets, and to hear them today revealed the extraordinary identity of this Grandpa Mo.

“The Sea of Blood, born from the turbid essence of Pangu, nurtured the Ancestor Minghe, who created the Asura and Death Spirits clan. For balance, the Great Dao imposed checks on Heaven’s law and established the Path of Death and Demons within it. When primordial chaos shattered at the dawn of time, the gathered spiritual energy of the four directions birthed two primal spirits: the elder, Light and Chaos, dwelled beyond the nine heavens—he became the Father of Gods, Pangu. The younger, Darkness and Chaos, resided in the Abyss of the Nine Netherworlds—he became the Progenitor of Demons. After Pangu’s passing, the Progenitor of Demons unified both the Asura Death Spirits of Ancestor Minghe and the Demon Path under Heaven’s law, creating the Nine Nether Demon God Realm, which governed the Realm of Spirits and Ghosts, standing as a peer to the Divine Realm. And I am that very Progenitor of Demons!”

Shocked, Leng Bingyan was utterly stunned by “I am that very Progenitor of Demons.” What kind of being was that? The younger brother of Pangu! Though not as transcendent as the Heavenly Dao’s Hongjun, still, the gap was not so great. No wonder he couldn’t withstand even a few moves from Grandpa Mo—it was a difference in realms.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Weren’t demons inherently evil? Especially the Progenitor of Demons? But Grandpa Mo seemed so kind and amiable.

In fact, this was a misunderstanding. Whether god or demon, in the end, they walked different paths to the same destination. Just as a weapon is neither righteous nor evil, it all depends on who wields it.

Apparently satisfied with Bingyan’s reaction, Mo Wuxie squinted with a smile. “What’s wrong, do I not look the part?”

Leng Bingyan shook his head. “Not at all.”

Mo Wuxie laughed heartily, then reined in his amusement. “Let’s continue—where were we?”

“You just said you’re the Progenitor of Demons.” Leng Bingyan was at a loss for words.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. The Progenitor of Demons may be awe-inspiring, but is still subject to Heaven’s law.” How could Mo Wuxie, who seemed nothing like a demon—let alone the leader of all demons—be so at ease? He went on, “Do you know why my elder brother Pangu perished?”

“To create the world!”

Mo Wuxie nodded, then snorted, “To open the heavens, to benefit all living things—a truly selfless feat! But why did he have to die? Allow me to explain: ‘The innocent man gets into trouble for possessing a treasure.’ Pangu’s power slightly surpassed mine, nearing the level of Heaven’s law, capable of proving the Dao by force, breaking Heaven’s law, and attaining the Supreme Dao. Yet, as he was born of primordial purple qi, he was bound by Heaven’s law. By opening the heavens, Pangu had accumulated immense merit—Heaven’s law could not erase him, lest the impartial Dao punish Heaven itself. Hence, to protect itself, Heaven’s law split Pangu’s primordial spirit into the Three Pure Ones, his bloodline into the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and transformed the one sage who proved the Dao by force into three sages who attained the Dao by dividing themselves, dispersing his merit.”

Leng Bingyan opened his mouth, but could not find words.

“And tell me, why are the innate treasures of the Primordial Era no longer seen?” Mo Wuxie asked, though he knew Bingyan could not answer. He continued, “As I said, some supreme treasures were divided or shattered, leaving only a few innate treasures: the Mountains and Rivers Diagram, the Immortal Slaying Four Swords, the Tai Chi Diagram, Pangu Banner, Chaos Bell, and the Twelve-Petal Lotuses of gold, black, red, and purple. They did not survive to this day because they were merged. Together, these treasures contained seventeen strands of primordial purple qi. Adding the one strand that drifted away with the evolution of the Great Dao, two that vanished with the shattering of the World-Creating Axe, and one lost with the fall of Hongyun, there were twenty-one in all. Using the postnatal treasure, the Exquisite Pagoda of Heaven and Earth, as a sheath, they eventually transformed into the Plume Crown.”

He looked at Leng Bingyan with a teasing smile. “Surprising, isn’t it? The Plume Crown is deeply connected to your Plume Body! All treasures ultimately became the Plume Crown—that is the will of the Great Dao, beyond even Heaven’s law. The Plume Crown is now sealed in the sacred ground of the Han family, descendants of the gods. The so-called Plume Seers are candidates to possess it. In this light, your Han family is indeed favored by the Great Dao. As for the Plume Purple Qi, it is actually primordial purple qi!”

“According to the laws of the Great Dao, the Plume Crown was born by its will. Whoever is recognized by the Plume Crown is deemed the successor by the Great Dao—the Feathered Emperor!”

“And from your current situation, your chances are quite good!” Mo Wuxie, for once, made a rare jest, leaving Bingyan at a loss for how to respond.

“Is it possible? We’re talking about the Great Dao! How could the Great Dao possibly choose me?” Leng Bingyan stared wide-eyed, full of disbelief.

Mo Wuxie chuckled. “Don’t underestimate yourself. You are qualified. Do you think anyone can enter the Trial Forest? That forest exists specifically to hone the future Feathered Emperor. Didn’t you find it a little too easy to acquire several elemental sources? Do you believe every Plume Seer gains the Moon Star Wheel’s approval? And that purple sword—that is the personal sword of the Feathered Emperor, created by the Great Dao itself!”

Seeing that Leng Bingyan was already dumbfounded, Mo Wuxie shook his head helplessly—his state of mind still needed tempering.

※※※ Feathered ※※※ Emperor ※※※

In the days that followed, Leng Bingyan trained harder than ever; after all, he couldn’t afford to lose face as the prospective Feathered Emperor.

He also came to understand certain secrets known to very few, such as the divisions and duties of the various realms.

In the Primordial Era, Heaven and Earth were separated into three realms: Human, Divine, and Saint. Later, as more cultivators ascended, intermediate worlds formed between the Human and Divine Realms: the Immortal Realm, Demon Realm, Monster Realm, Buddhist Realm, and Spirit-Ghost Realm.

The Immortal, Demon, Monster, and Buddhist realms served as transitional stages for cultivators ascending to the Divine Realm, with the ultimate destination being the Divine Realm itself. The Spirit-Ghost Realm was unique—it was subordinate to the Nine Nether Demon God Realm, and was the domain where non-cultivators’ souls entered reincarnation after death. As for those cultivators who transcended the three realms and five elements, if they died, their souls were annihilated, ceasing to exist in the three realms. However, there was a place to receive them: the Nine Nether Demon God Realm.

Legend tells that at the end of the Primordial Era, the gods waged a great war at the Cliff of Sentiment Severed, resulting in countless deaths among gods and demons. During that time, the Progenitor of Demons simply watched, though none knew of his presence.

Leng Bingyan once asked him: Why didn’t you stop the slaughter?

Mo Wuxie replied: Business was tough! The Spirit-Ghost Realm was thriving—mortals live barely a hundred years before heading to reincarnation, so it was a booming place! But the Nine Nether Demon God Realm? The gods were all immortal, living for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years, never reporting to the Nine Nether Demon God Realm, making that vast domain desolate and empty. Their war was a blessing—it brought much-needed new blood to the Nine Nether Demon God Realm.

At that, Leng Bingyan was left utterly speechless…