Tongtian left Kunlun Mountain. She couldn't stand the meandering demons outside of Kunlun Mountain. The demon envoys came bearing gifts, so she couldn’t declare war on the Heavenly Court. Plus, that would form karma between them, maybe even dragging the Three Purities into tribulation between the Titan Tribe and Heavenly Court.
If it had been on Earth, Tongtian would have long ordered a restraining order on Taiyi, but unfortunately, this was the Great Desolation. But she can still run away, can't she?
When she did so, Burning Lamp Daoist frowned and looked in the direction Tongtian had flown off to. He couldn't sense her, but he felt an intuition that something related to him was that way. After a moment of hesitation, Burning Lamp Daoist shook his head and continued to camp outside Kunlun Mountain.
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In Darknorth Palace within the Darknorth Sea of the North, Kunpeng stared at the two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine tablets lying on the ground in front of him. His eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in centuries.
In his hand was the three thousandth tablet. He used his fingers to carve the last stroke of the word. It was a language unrecognizable to the Great Desolation's sole writing system, Dao Script. Kunpeng's hand trembled, and the three thousandth tablet fell onto the ground with a clack.
After seeing Di Jun use merit to cut two Corpses, once during the establishment of Heavenly Court and during the heavenly marriage, Kunpeng brainstormed ideas to gain merit and cut his second Corpse.
After reviewing the three times merits have descended, Kungpeng discovered that merit was awarded for contribution to heaven and earth. Di Jun establishing Heavenly Court brought order, as did the Titan Tribe ruling the land. Heavenly marriage also brought order, a trend for others in the Great Desolation to follow.
He didn't have anything that could contribute to the Great Desolation, at least not yet. Bringing order made the sky and land prosperous, but what about heavenly marriage? It was for the lifeforms to follow, so benefiting all life would bring merit.
And which race had the most members? Demons.
After Di Jun brought the remnant lifeform and Hundred Clan together, ninety-nine percent of life became part of the Demon Clan. Kunpeng himself was no exception.
To increase the Demon Clan's prosperity, he created the Demon Script.
When Pangu formed heaven and earth, he also created Dao Script, and it was the language most of the congenital gods used to write, such as the words written on Violet Heaven Palace or Three Purity Mountain. However, Dao Script was too esoteric, and only Golden Immortals and above could understand it.
Demons at the Profound Immortal Realm and below made up most of the Demon Clan's population, but they couldn't use it. If he created Demon Script, wouldn't it benefit the Demon Clan?
And after thousands of years, Kunpeng finally created the last words of Demon Script. Tribulation clouds gathered above him, but he wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, he grew excited.
"The Way of Heaven above, I, Kunpeng, see that the Demon Clan is without its own words, so I created the three thousand words of the Demon Script to represent all things under heaven to benefit the Demon Clan!"
Tribulation lightning descended, but they weren't aimed at Kunpeng but at the three thousand tablets in front of him. Without Kunpeng's input, the three thousand tablets floated into the air.
The tribulation struck the three thousand tablets, shattering them, but the words persisted. They hovered in the air, formed from light, and continued to withstand the heavenly tribulation. With each lightning bolt they endured, their light glowed brighter, and so did wisdom behind them.
With the huge movement caused by Kunpeng, numerous major powers and forces directed their attention to it, including Heavenly Court. Logically speaking, as the leader of the Demon Clan and Heavenly Court, it should have been Di Jun, the demon emperors, the ten demon sages, or a member of Heavenly Court who created Demon Script. But it was Kunpeng, an unrelated demon, that succeeded.
In total, three thousand tribulation lightning descended. After the three thousandth strike, the tribulation cloud dispersed, and merits descended.
Kunpeng restrained his excitement as he watched sixty percent of the Karmic Merit merge with the Demon Script. Ten percent fell onto all the demons in the Great Desolation, and the last thirty percent fell on Kunpeng, allowing him to sever his second Corpse and become an intermediate Quasi-Saint.
He waved his hand, and the Three Thousand Demon Script floated above his palm. The text had become a top-grade acquired meritorious spiritual artifact, and the more demons who used his Demon Script the more merits he would obtain. The artifact didn't have any powerful offensive or defensive methods, but it could anchor his luck.
After creating the Demon Script, Kunpeng now sensed the existence of the Demon Clan's Karmic Luck. He felt it increase by at least ten percent. As long as he held the Three Thousand Demon Script in his hand, he would enjoy five percent of the Demon Clan's luck!
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In Eminence Heaven Palace, Di Jun frowned. He was the biggest one that hoped Kunpeng's Demon Script failed to survive the Heavenly Tribulation. This way, although the subsequent heavenly tribulation would become more difficult, he could allow someone from Heavenly Court to create the Demon Script.
With the recognition of the Demon Script by the Way of Heaven, Kunpeng's prestige among the Demon Clan would invariably rise. It wasn't enough to threaten his position as the Heavenly Emperor, but it would divide the Demon Clan in two.
Di Jun narrowed his eyes. He had planned to either recruit or kill Kunpeng if he rejected his offer, but now, he couldn't order Kunpeng's death. If he killed Kunpeng, his reputation would plummet among the Demon Clan. He might even receive a backlash because of the former’s contribution.
He immediately recalled the demon envoys that he had prepared for Kunpeng. Di Jun replaced them with one of the demon sages and increased their number by tenfold. When they left, Di Jun silently tapped the armrest of the Nine Dragon Throne. "Kunpeng, I hope you choose wisely and don't force me, or else..."
Di Jun's eyes drifted to the Demon Summoning Banner by his side.
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After the Demon Script passed the Heavenly Tribulation, Tongtian decided to travel north to the Darknorth Sea. She had already visited Buzhou Mountain and much of the East, but she hadn’t traveled to the North, West, or South yet.
Tongtian had some interest in the West, but not the current West. Specifically, she was interested in the West during the time of Journey in the West, when Buddhism had been created and reached its height. Well, that interest stemmed more from Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heavens, than anything really Buddha-related.
For now, Jieyin and Zhunti hadn't created Buddhism.
As for the South, it held equal attraction to the North for Tongtian. Kunpeng just so happened to create Demon Script, attracting more of her attention. If she had traveled south, her path would have intersected with Kong Xuan's and raised her guard against him.
Tongtian turned into a silver streak of light as she traveled north. The farther north she traveled, the colder it got. When she arrived at the Darknorth Sea, snow fell perpetually. Tongtian had never visited the arctic or Antarctica, but she knew that the temperature could never compare to the Great Desolation's North.
If a regular human, no matter what he wore, were to travel here, he would die of frostbite, no questions asked.
Yet, the black sea never froze, not even the surface. Tongtian flew near the surface and scooped up some water, and once it left, it instantly encased her hand in a layer of ice.
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"No wonder the North is the second most barren region after the West without anyone's self-destruction. Just this Frostnorth Truewater is enough to kill many Profound Immortals and lifeforms not suited to this environment," Tongtian muttered.
Frostnorth Truewater originated from the Onesource Masswater in the core of the Darknorth Sea. Even a single drop of Onesource Masswater was enough to crush a Sky Immortal to death.
Tongtian had another understanding of Kunpeng's strength. Before he gained the ability to transform into a great roc, he was a massive kun fish, and he lived in the core area Darknorth Sea. From this, it can be estimated that Kunpeng's fleshly body was likely only inferior to a titan’s.
She frowned when she discovered numerous Golden Immortals circling her.
"Hand over your treasures if you know what's good for you," the apparent leader said. He smiled confidently and even with a trace of ridicule as he stared at Tongtian's ice-encased hand.
Tongtian sighed and flicked her hand, shattering the ice. She formed a sword finger and poked the air in front of her. The Golden Immortals hadn't reacted to her breaking the ice, and several sword lights shot out from her fingertip. By the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late as they died with holes in their head.
This wasn't the first time rogue immortals had tried to rob her, and as usual, she killed them. Tongtian felt nothing as she watched their corpses fall into the sea and sink to the bottom. For her, their lives were the same as a blade of grass to her.
'Would the past me be horrified of the current me?' Tongtian briefly thought, but she shook her head and wandered in a random direction.
After three hundred years, Tongtian discovered a giant island, the first one in millions of li. It had little to no vegetation and a giant point atop, likely an underwater mountain that surfaced.
She had been flying nonstop for thousands of years. Tongtain thought it would be a good place to rest, so she flew down, looking for a cave to make her temporary home. To her surprise, she discovered that the land and mountain were made of some sort of green-black material.
Thinking that it might be a good material to refine a sword artifact with, Tongtian tried to carve a chunk out, but to her surprise, her sword qi only left a shallow mark. Now, more sure than ever that she had discovered a treasure, Tongtian unsheathed her Qingping sword and carved into the unknown material.
Moments later, trembling erupted underneath her feet. The seawater receded, revealing more land. When the ground rose halfway to the clouds, a furious roar echoed. "Who is it? Who dares to awaken this turtle?!"
Tongtian's eyes widened as she stared into the sky to see a giant turtle head. So large was it that Tongtian's whole body didn't even measure to the turtle's pupil.
"Was it you?"
Despite being in the Advance Quasi-Saint Realm, Tongtian found herself gulping when staring at the massive turtle. Judging by the size of its head, it should be around a hundred thousand li in size.
How could such a creature exist?
Seeing Tongtian not answer, the turtle opened its jaw and breathed out. It was just a simple breath, but it already easily reached the power of a peak Golden Immortal of the Great Firmament.
Tongtian was blown off into the distance. The blast made her regain her bearings. "Please wait a second! I thought it was just a simple mountain formed from unique materials, so I wanted to carve some out. I didn't realize it was your shell, I apologize!"
She held her breath as the giant turtle's eyes focused on her. Just as she thought the turtle would continue to attack, he said, "Okay, as long as you don't do it again."
'That's it?' Tongtian thought. Although she wanted to resolve their conflict, she never expected to do it so easily. "Excuse me, but who are you? Someone of your power should not be unknown."
The turtle opened its mouth and yawned, causing the surrounding ten thousand li to ripple from that single action. " I don't like going out, so it's normal you don't know about me. Oh, that fish that turned into that little bird knows of me, but after seeing me once, he fled."
'Fish that turned into a little bird, it should be Kunpeng, right?' Tongtian thought.
"I'm Xuangui. What about you?" the giant turtle asked.
Thunder rang in Tongtian's head. "Xuangui, the Profound Turtle whose legs became the four pillars supporting the sky after Buzhou Mountain shattered?'
"I'm Supreme Purity Tongtian," Tongtian answered.
"Oh, Supreme Purity Tongtian? That's a nice name," Xuangui said while nodding his head. "I apologize if you're someone famous. But, like I said, I like to stay here, so I don't know much about the rest of the world."
"That makes sense," Tongtian said. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd you reach the Peak Quasi-Saint Realm? I don't recall you attending the Dao Ancestor's sermons."
She hadn't noticed when Xuangui had been asleep, but once he was awake, she could feel the strong vitality and aura rolling off of it. She doubted she could defeat it even if she reached the same realm. Not even the addition of her two brothers would change the outcome. They wouldn't lose, but they wouldn't win either.
Xuangui shrugged, sending waves crashing. "I didn't do anything. I just slept and became like this. You went to the Dao Ancestor's sermon?"
Seeing the interest in Xuangui's eyes, Tongtian nodded.
"Then you must know why I can't transform. I've longed to transform and change my shape, but I never could. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me as to why I can't?" Xuangui asked.
"Sorry, I don't know," Tongtian said. "Most creatures undergo a heavenly tribulation and transform after reaching a certain level. I don't know why you can't."
"Oh, I see," Xuangie said with a sigh.
'Perhaps it's because he's the future pillar separating heaven and earth? But that wouldn't make sense. Why would the Way of Heaven know that Buzhou Mountain would be destroyed?' Tongtian thought. 'That's impossible, right?’
Ignoring the discomfort in her heart, Tongtian said, "Do you want me to relay what the Dao Ancestor said during his sermon? Maybe you can discover a method."
"Really?" Xuangui asked.
Tongtian nodded and sat in a lotus position in front of Xuangui, who settled down in a comfortable position to listen. She began to speak, and although she couldn't replicate the phenomenon of golden lotuses blooming, Phoenix's cries, and Dragon's roar, her words still carried a unique charm that immersed anyone who listened.
When she finished nine thousand years later, the aura on Xuangui had converged, no longer rolling off uncontrollably like before. But he still couldn't transform.
Xuangui sighed. "Thank you for your help."
Tongtian shook her head. "It's nothing. I didn't help you transform in the end."
"No, you still helped me. I don't have anything to help you, but I do have a connate spiritual root if you don't disdain it."
"How can I?" Tongtian said. "If I'd helped you transform, I could take it with peace of mind, but since I didn't, I shouldn't."
"Your sermon was helpful to me. Although I still can't transform, it brought me many benefits," Xuangui said. "You should take it, it's not useful to me. And if you don't, I plan to destroy it."
"Why?" Tongtian asked. "Connate spiritual roots are rare things. Why would you destroy it?"
"You'll know why when you see it," Xuangui said.
Her curiosity peaked, Tongtian followed Xuangui's instructions and flew to the mountain's peak. Or rather, the peak of the turtle's shell. There, she saw a tree with a bronze trunk and iron-colored leaves and had its root digging into the shell.
"It's really annoying," Xuangui said. "If you hadn't come, I would have tried to destroy it by now. However, I don't have anything else, and it should be a good gift. What do you think?"
"Then I'll thank Daoist Xuangui," Tongtian said as her eyes never left the tree. She never expected to discover one of the top ten spiritual roots growing atop the Profound Turtle's shell.
Allheaven Jianmu, that was the tree's name. It had no other features except for its strong vitality and exceptional height, and sturdiness when it matured. When it reached maturity, it would be likened to other World Trees like Yggdrasil or Ashvattha.
However, Tongtian didn't plan on putting it on display. She wanted to refine it into a sword once it reached maturity. It might even become a top-grade cardinal spiritual treasure if it was lucky, and no one ever thought they had too many treasures.
After Tongtian plucked the Allheaven Jianmu tree, Tongtian stayed with Xuangui for a bit longer. She pointed out some problems in his cultivation and guided him, becoming his mentor of sorts.
During this time, she discovered that Xuangui was mild-mannered and kind. Although he would retaliate lethally if someone attacked him, he wouldn't go looking for trouble or a fight. Xuangui was practically a pacifist in the Great Desolation.
One day, Tongtian frowned and stared toward the East. She flipped her hand, and the Immortal Gourd Vine appeared in her hand. She could feel it being drawn to something in the East. "Sorry, Daoist Xuangui, I'll need to leave now."