Chapter 63: The Eight Spirits of Qi
Although the Heavenly Emperor Haotian defeated the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, he was also severely wounded.
Upon returning to the Hua-Xia Realm, the Heavenly Emperor Haotian ordered the ancient gods to move the Heavenly Principles Ziwei Enclosure into a secret realm world he had created in the North Sea.
Following this, Haotian disbanded the Divine Court, allowing his subordinates to seek their own paths, while he remained within the secret realm.
Haotian used the Taiyi Astral Instrument Formation to guard the secret realm world, and then expended his remaining divine power to repair and properly place all of his supreme treasures.
In the end, the Heavenly Empress Houtian and the Heavenly Consort witnessed with their own eyes as Haotian transformed into golden light particles and dissipated between heaven and earth.
Overwhelmed by grief, the Heavenly Empress Houtian departed for the Netherworld. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Consort remained within Haotian's legacy secret realm, guarding his heritage.
The secret realm world created by Haotian closed automatically, awaiting the time when the Myriad Origin Unification Cauldron would be filled with the stellar essence of the Central Pole Heavenly Star, which would mark the moment of its reopening.
With the fall of the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, the skies of the Hua-Xia Realm wept with a torrential downpour of golden light, mourning the demise of the realm's second-generation Heavenly Emperor.
None of the myriad spirits across heaven and earth had ever imagined that even the seemingly omnipotent Emperor Haotian would fall into a temporary slumber. Where, then, would the future of the Hua-Xia Realm lead?
At this moment, the surviving ancient gods in the Hua-Xia Realm shared a premonition: the era of their active dominance was coming to an end, and the realm was about to usher in an era dominated by new gods.
Consequently, among the ancient gods, some chose to live in seclusion, some chose to drift with the tide of transformation, and others sought to prolong the era of the ancient gods.
For instance, the Lord of the Netherworld, God Zongbu Shenyi, and the Queen of the Netherworld, the Goddess of Luo, chose seclusion, deciding to entrust the management of the Netherworld to the new gods of the future.
Another example was the Goddess of Punishment, Queen Mother of the West, who chose to flow with the changes, later becoming the Queen Mother of the West in the Taoist Heavenly Court.
Meanwhile, in the eastern region of Qi, an ancient god proclaimed himself the Heavenly Lord and established a divine court named "Tianqi" at Tianqiyuan.
---
---
---
After the Lord of the Netherworld, Zongbu Shenyi, and the Queen of the Netherworld, the Goddess of Luo, retreated into seclusion, the Heavenly Empress Houtian transformed into the cycle of reincarnation within the Netherworld and swore a solemn oath: Until the Heavenly Emperor returns, Houtian shall never emerge!
Concurrently, the Sanmiao tribe, descendants of Chiyou, seized this window of opportunity. Through sacrificial rituals invoking divine descent, members of the Sanmiao with thick Chiyou bloodlines successfully summoned Chiyou to possess their bodies.
Having successfully invoked the deity, Chiyou integrated the Sanmiao's power of faith in him, gaining recognition from the Primeval Ancestral Star and ascending to the rank of an ancient god.
As it happened, the Heavenly Lord of the eastern Qi region was in need of establishing a new divine court, so he recruited Chiyou and conferred upon him the title of Lord of Military.
The new divine court, "Tianqi," established by the Heavenly Lord, possessed a total of eight principal deities in office. Later, the myriad spirits of heaven and earth referred to this new divine court as the Eight Deities of Qi.
Tianqi, meaning "the navel of heaven," symbolized the central position of the heavens.
Unlike the Heavenly Emperor Dijun and the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, the Heavenly Lord—acting as the supreme god of heaven—was the "deity governing the life, death, and calamities of all spirits across heaven and earth." Consequently, he was revered by the myriad spirits of heaven and earth as the God of Mount Tai.
---
---
---
Aside from the Heavenly Lord, the other seven principal deities of Tianqi were the Lord of Earth, the Lord of Military, the Lord of Yin, the Lord of Yang, the Lord of Sun, the Lord of Moon, and the Lord of Four Seasons.
The Lord of Earth, the principal deity governing all things upon the vast earth.
The Lord of Military, namely Chiyou, the deity governing warfare.
The Lord of Yin, the primary deity governing the ultimate Yin qi.
The Lord of Yang, the primary deity governing the ultimate Yang qi.
The Lord of Sun, the solar deity governing sunrise and sunset.
The Lord of Moon, the lunar deity governing the phases of the moon.
The Lord of Four Seasons, the principal deity governing spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Following the curtain call of the Heavenly Principles Ziwei Enclosure under the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, these eight principal deities jointly established a new divine court to resist the impending era of immortal tales in the Hua-Xia Realm.
---
---
---
Mu Changge arrived at the Primeval Temple carrying the divine soul of the Lesser Siling, wishing to seek the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa to reshape a new divine body for her.
Upon hearing Mu Changge's request, the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa stated, "If you want this empress to act, show me your sincerity first."
Without hesitation, Mu Changge produced the supreme treasure of the demon race, the Demon-Calling Banner, and asked, "Mother Goddess, what do you think of this item?"
The Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa accepted the Banner. It was as large as a thread, stood four to five zhang tall, radiated five-colored brilliance, and reflected a thousand auspicious auras.
"Although this empress will only toss it aside to gather dust if I take it, I have been wondering lately what supreme treasure to gift to Youjiao. I might as well bestow this Demon-Calling Banner upon her."
The Youjiao mentioned by the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa was none of other than Youjiao Nüwa, the saint of the human race.
"Why does Mother Goddess wish to bestow a supreme treasure upon the human saint Nüwa?"
The Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa sighed softly. "The era of the ancient gods is drawing to a close, and it is time for this empress to withdraw into seclusion. Therefore, I wish to leave Youjiao a parting gift before I retire."
"After all, Youjiao is someone this empress has always favored."
Mu Changge remained silent. This was the decision of the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa, and he had no intention of interfering.
The Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa looked at Mu Changge and said, "Wait here for a moment while I use the Heaven-Refining Furnace to forge a divine body for the little girl you brought."
"My thanks to the Mother Goddess for your help," Mu Changge politely expressed his gratitude.
---
---
---
The Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa immediately headed to the palace housing the Heaven-Refining Furnace to fashion the divine body for the Lesser Siling.
After Mu Changge waited for a short while, the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa emerged.
She handed a clay figure imbued with mystical energy to Mu Changge. "Take it. This clay figure, infused with my divine power, can transform into a corresponding divine body according to your wishes."
"My thanks to the Mother Goddess!" Mu Changge gladly accepted the clay figure.
The Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa smiled and said, "We have known each other for quite some time now. I hold you in high regard, and perhaps you and I will meet again in the future."
Mu Changge chuckled. "Mother Goddess, is this a prophecy of yours, or a future you have determined?"
"That is this empress's secret, which cannot be divulged."
"Then I shall await the Mother Goddess in the future."
"Very well. I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer when that time comes."
Mu Changge paused for a moment before replying, "Mother Goddess overestimates me. As for where the future leads, I can only do my utmost."
"This empress has placed quite a few stakes on you. Do you still think I am overestimating you?"
Mu Changge helplessly spread his hands. "In that case, Mother Goddess, I shall accept your auspicious words."
Mu Changge and the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa smiled at each other.
If Athena were present here, she would undoubtedly be angry enough to give Mu Changge a kick.
After a few breaths, Mu Changge bid farewell to the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa and departed from the Primeval Temple.
Following Mu Changge's departure, the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa sent a voice transmission summoning the ten attendant deities stationed outside the secret realm world, opening the entrance to the secret realm.
She then proceeded to the Nüwa Palace to inform the Saint Nüwa of her impending seclusion and presented the demon race's supreme treasure, the Demon-Calling Banner, to her.
Saint Nüwa accepted the Banner and assured the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa that she would well look after the human race.
Afterward, the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa returned to the Primeval Temple and brought the ten attendant deities—the intestines of Nüwa—who had been active in the Liguang Wilderness, into the secret realm world.
From this day onward, the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa sealed the entrance of the secret realm, severing all ties between the Primeval Temple, herself, and the Hua-Xia Realm.