Inside Eminence Heaven Palace, the transparent apparition of the River of Time appeared above Tongtian. After appointing the Twelve Zodiacs, Tongtian gained a clue on how to form her Present Incarnation.
To form her Present Incarnation, Tongtian would have to severe her current self—in essence, kill herself. Even if she did succeed in forming her Present Incarnation, that would result in her death, and her Past, Present, and Future Incarnations would all perish with her dead.
However, from another point of view, wasn't she already the Present Incarnation?
Expanding on this line of thought, Tongtian would abandon her present self and allow it to become her Present Incarnation. Then, using her three incarnations of past, present, and future, she would summon her true body without any interference from the River of Time, becoming a unique existence no matter how many Tongtians would exist, whether male or female.
Tongtian would become a singularity.
However, said process was easier said than done. The more Tongtian tried to summon her true body, the more the Way of Heaven attempted to suppress her. The apparition of the River of Time was the greatest example.
"Come!"
A cyan-robed man appeared in front of Tongtian. This was naturally Tongtian's Saint Corpse, the Heavenly Venerable of Numinous Treasure Lingbao!
Four swords appeared around Tongtian and Linbao. Then, a diagram appeared under their feet, causing the four Immortal Extermination Swords to swirl around the two. Next, a black lotus appeared above Tongtian's head. In conjunction, an illusionary black lotus exuding flashes of red shrouded the entire room.
"Arise, Immortal Extermination Sword Formation!"
Tongtian felt like some invisible and formless shackle loosened, allowing her to perceive her true body more easily. However, that feeling was fleeting as the apparition of the River of Time turned more solid, appearing translucent.
Two figures jumped out of Tongtian's body. One was a woman with untamed hair wearing gray fur robes, while the other was a delicate woman wearing all white with a shawl shrouding most of her figure. They were Tonggu, her Future Incarnation, and Shitian, her Past Incarnation. Including Tongtian herself, all three incarnations of the past, present, and future had gathered.
Together, the three formed a triangle between them. In the center of that triangle, a silver orb slowly materialized. The orb's form shifted until it vaguely resembled a humanoid.
At this time, the apparition of the River of Time completely condensed, turning from illusion to reality.
The faces of Tongtian, Shitian, Tonggu, and Lingbao became bloodless, and each felt a sweet and metallic taste creeping up their throats. Simultaneously, Tongtian felt all the Karmic Merit she had accumulated in her years diminishing at a frightening pace.
Tongtian felt her heart bleed. Even when she imbued her Saint Corpse with merit to consecrate him, she had not used this much. The amount she lost was enough to potentially form three top-grade meritorious spiritual artifacts!
Her Halo of Merit materialized behind her. It resembled an ornate ring engraved with magnolia flowers, nine-clawed golden dragons, swords, and silver rivers. Now, those details slowly erased themselves with each second past. The halo of merit, which once shone with endless radiance, dimmed.
She, her incarnations, and Lingbao all redoubled their efforts. If they failed, all of the Karmic Merits burned would be for nothing.
"Sever!"
"SEVER!!"
"SEVER!!!"
The River of Time released a blinding radiance that covered the entire Supreme Purity Palace and leaked into the lower heavens as well, causing all those to stare in confusion, horror, and fear.
Finally, a crack appeared on the miniature River of Time. Moments later, it shattered into an uncountable number of shards. Those shards clattered onto the white jade tiles of the throne hall, shattering into tiny motes of light that drifted away.
Tongtian—no, her Present Incarnation smiled at her true body, born out of the River of Time. It had cost her all her Karmic Merit and a small portion of her Heaven Opening Merit, but it was all worth it.
Her new main body sported the same red robes and features, except for her silver hair and argent eyes that exuded a timeless aura. The Qingping Sword and everything else transferred from her Present Incarnation to her new body.
Tongtian smiled as she felt liberated. She only knew freedom after experiencing it. All creatures were born from the River of Time, and even if they jumped out of it, they were still shackled. But not her, not anymore.
She released a peal of delighted laughter. Tongtian could sense it; she would soon comprehend the Law of Time in its entirety. Still, she had some miscellaneous matters to attend to.
"What should I call you now? Yutian?" Tongtian muttered as she stared at her Present Incarnation that resembled her new body but with black hair and eyes.
"No," she said. "Yutian means Jade Heavens, and that's Second Brother's specialty. Let's go with Shangtian, Supreme Heaven."
Shangtian, Tongtian's Present Incarnation, nodded. The hue of her robes shifted until it was violet, and a crown of stars adorned her head. She, along with Shitian, Tonggu, and Lingbao, all merged into Tongtian's body. She sat back on the Throne of Heaven, intent on comprehending the Law of Time.
She didn't sit down for long as she felt the Kongtong Seal thrum. Fuxi's reign would end soon, and he would be judged whether or not he completed his destiny. If he did, his strength would rise and ascend to his position of the heavenly sovereign.
If not, then humanity's Karmic Luck would plummet, and his soul would dissipate from the backlash. This was a scenario that Nuwa, Laozi, and Wutian would not allow to pass. Not that Tongtian thought Fuxi failed. On the contrary, she felt that he succeeded with spectacular results.
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Contrary to many major powers' expectations, Fuxi did not conduct the succession ceremony on Shouyang Mountain but on Mount Tai. On the peak, a grand altar had been constructed with sacrifices consisting of fish, beef, pork, chicken, and turtle shells.
Fuxi stood in front of the altar with incense sticks in hand. Nuwa and Shennong stood behind him, and Xuandu was nearby, but his feet never touched Mount Tai. At the base of the mountain, hundreds of millions of humans gathered to witness this historic moment.
He had prepared arduously for this day, undergoing ritual cleansing that consisted of fasting, washing himself using only the flowing water of streams, and clothing himself in sacred garments.
When the sun started to rise, the ceremony commenced.
"I am Fuxi! For one hundred and eight thousand years, I have done my best to lead humanity to prosperity!" Fuxi's voice wasn't loud, but it entered the ears of every member of humanity as if he was speaking right next to them.
"I first created fishing nets to solve the food crisis of humanity. After that, I spent hundreds of years cultivating under the guidance of my teacher, and when I descended the mountain, I taught humanity how to raise livestock!"
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Fuxi's voice never wavered. On the contrary, the majesty in his voice increased with each feat he listed. Humans started to kneel, one by one. Each kneel was accompanied by the recitation of Fuxi's name, and the more humans called out and expressed their faith in him, the stronger the violet glow he exuded.
"I established the custom of marriage and etiquette to humanity to balance their material needs with their spiritual needs." For hours, Fuxi listed all his accomplishments. With each feat announced, more and more of humanity knelt in reverence and surrendered to him, causing his momentum to increase.
Finally, Nuwa and Shennong also kneeled behind Fuxi right after he listed his last accomplishment. The violet glow and his momentum reached its peak.
At this moment, the heavens thundered, the earth violently shook, and the negative emotions of all humans assaulted Fuxi in the form of a bell ring. His momentum and violet glow started to dim. This was the Way of Heaven's test. If humanity's faith in Fuxi stayed firm, he would pass. But if their faith faltered, his soul would perish, never to reincarnate again.
After nine bell rings, half of Fuxi's majesty and violet glow vanished, but he succeeded. Endless clouds of merit appeared above Mount Tai, but to the spectator's confusion, they didn't descend.
Xuandu's brows pursed, wondering if something had gone wrong, but his worries disappeared as an immortal song spread through the lands. From the skies, purple clouds arrived, accompanied by brilliant rays of light and falling lotus petals.
The Saints of Heaven had arrived.
All human rulers had to undergo three tests. The first test was the acknowledgment of humanity. The second was the Way of Heaven's acknowledgment, and the third was the Saints' acknowledgment.
As the eldest senior brother of the Immortal Path and the founder of the Human Way, Laozi spoke first. "Everyone, do you think Fuxi accomplished his duty and fulfilled his destiny?"
"Yes," Nuwa said first. As Fuxi's brother, none hoped for him to succeed as much as she did.
"I concur," Tongtian said. Yuanshi agreed next, followed by Jieyin, Zhunti, and Redcloud Ancestor.
Laozi looked at Fuxi from high above. "Human Fuxi has brought humanity to greater heights, deepened their foundation, and paved the way for their future prosperity. He shall be acknowledged as the heavenly sovereign!"
After receiving the acknowledgment of all Saints of Heavens, the clouds of merit immediately descended. It split into two. Ten percent fell onto Xuandu, who condensed it into a Halo of Merit, while Fuxi absorbed ninety percent and caused him to float into the sky.
Fuxi's cultivation increased rapidly. It broke through the shackles of the Great Firmament Realm and into the Quasi-Saint Realm. No Corpse appeared from Fuxi's body, but his realm continued to rise.
Early Quasi-Saint Realm.
Intermediate Quasi-Saint Realm.
Advanced Quasi-Saint Realm.
Peak Quasi-Saint Realm.
All the major powers who witnessed this couldn't help but sigh. Fuxi had reached a level that they had all strived towards for eons. They recalled how weak and pitiful humanity had once been, slaughtered by demons, but now, it had reversed. They could already see the height of humanity's power once the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors became complete.
The moment Fuxi reached the Peak Quasi-Saint Realm, the Kongtong Seal in Tongtian's possession thrummed, causing her to frown. She felt a portion of the Purple Majesty Qi inside disappear. Chasing after it, she discovered that it had entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
Tongtian failed to trace where the Purple Majesty Qi disappeared after losing track in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, but it didn't take a genius to guess who committed the act. However, what she witnessed shocked her to the core.
Traveling the opposite direction was a strand of silver qi that reminded Tongtian of Grandmist Violet Qi. It flew out of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and entered Fuxi's body. Had she not detected the anomaly of the Kongtong Seal, she would not have noticed this secret process.
After the silver qi entered Fuxi's body, Tongtian noticed that the Karmic Luck of humanity gathered onto him, turning him into a living anchor for all of humanity. To a certain degree, Fuxi's state reminded her of a Saint of Heaven.
Regardless of the waves in Tongtian's heart, the myriad phenomena disappeared after Fuxi reached the Peak Quasi-Saint Realm. He suddenly raised both hands and shouted at the sky. "I am Fuxi!"
Nuwa smiled. Her brother had regained his memories. Her incarnation on Mount Tai dissolved into tiny motes of light.
Fuxi stared at Nuwa with a complicated expression as memories of them as siblings merged with their daily lives as husband and wife. Finally, he bowed and addressed her. "Mother Nuwa."
A sour yet slightly sweet emotion surged in Nuwa’s heart. Fuxi had regained his memories, but their relationship had been irrevocably changed. She sighed. "Let it remain in the past."
Like Fuxi, Nuwa raised her arms, but she shouted, "Sever!"
A figure with the exact same features as her incarnation emerged from her body. Her aura rose, and although she didn't break through to the next stage, she reached the peak of the Second Heavenly Layer. It would not take long for her to step into the Third Heavenly Layer.
Nuwa's Self Corpse flew down and stood next to Shennong, intent on remaining Fuxi's wife. After that was done, Nuwa turned and left without another glance, a melancholic expression upon her face.
Fuxi stared until Nuwa's figure completely vanished. He also sighed and flew back onto the peak of Mount Tai. As the sun began to dip into the horizon, Fuxi announced, "From henceforth, Shennong shall be the next ruler of humanity!"
No humans renounced the idea. Any voice of opposition was drowned out by the roars of approval.
With his final act as the heavenly sovereign accomplished, Fuxi entwined his fingers with Nuwa's Self Corpse, also called Nuwa. "Let's go."
He planned to follow after his sister into Wa Outer Heaven, but at this moment, Laozi stopped him. "Sovereign Fuxi, you are the lynchpin of humanity's luck. From now on, you are forbidden from entering the chaos and the chaotic boundary."
Fuxi paused, and his grip around Nuwa's hand tightened, but he still complied. "As the Saint commands."
However, Laozi wasn't done. "To prevent any accidents from occurring, you should stay in Shouyang Mountain and not leave unless a major crisis occurs."
At this, Nuwa's face also changed. Wasn't this imprisoning Fuxi? She and Fuxi wanted to refute Laozi's decree, but it didn't seem that the other Saints had any intention of helping him. Even if Nuwa's Saint self were present, she wouldn't be able to overrule six Saints.
For the Saints, the less influence the previous ruler had among humanity, the more conducive it was to spreading their sects' influence. The only one who didn't care was Tongtian, and she had no reason to help Fuxi.
Just as Fuxi was about to bite the bullet and agree, a voice shouted, "Please wait!"
Wutian, who had hidden himself among the crowd of humans, flew out and stood next to Fuxi. Fuxi stared at Wutian with a complicated gaze. When Fuxi was still Western Emperor Xi, Wutian was nothing more than a Golden Immortal, but now, this little Golden Immortal was a Quasi-Saint and his ancestor.
"Uncle-Master, instead of Shouyang Mountain, it would be more suitable for Sovereign Fuxi to stay at the core of humanity, the Human Temple," Wutian said with a salute.
Laozi's brows imperceptibly flickered. He turned to Tongtian and asked, "What does Third Sister think?"
"Huh?" Tongtian broke out of her thoughts and turned to Laozi. "Okay, sure."
Laozi's neck muscle tensed for a split second before it returned to normal. At this time, Yuanshi spoke out. "Third Sister's disciple is right. Sovereign Fuxi should reside at the Human Temple."
Upon seeing the perfect chance, Zhunti’s eyes lit up and supported Wutians decision, as did Jieyin. Redcloud Ancestor didn't care where Fuxi stayed, so he didn't voice agreement or rejection.
Seeing that the Saints all chose Wutian's suggestion, Laozi flicked his sleeve. "Since the matter has been decided, I should take my leave."
After Laozi flew away to Kunlun Mountain, the other Saints also took their leaves. Tongtian and Yuanshi flew toward the Heavenly Realm, Jieyin and Zhunti flew toward the west, and Redcloud Ancestor returned to Jin'ao Island.
"Come, let's go," Wutian said. "The other warriors of humanity wanted to meet you sooner, but since you were still in the process of fulfilling your destiny, they held themselves back."
"It would be my honor," Fuxi said. After regaining his memories, his temperament changed, and so did the dynamic between the two. In his past life, Wutian was just a junior, but in his current life, Wutian was the martial ancestor of humanity. Fuxi didn’t opt to treat Wutian as a junior or a senior, but as an equal.
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In the capital of the Underworld, Youdu, Empress Pingxin sat on the Throne of Nether within the Serene Darkness Palace. In her hand was a book with constant flipping pages. "Did she notice?"
The book was known as the Samsara Register, also known as the Book of Life and Death. It recorded the lives and deaths of all beings who had yet to jump out of the River of Time.
Empress Pingxin snapped the book shut and leaned back. "No matter. Even if she knew, it will not disrupt my plans."