Chapter Fifty-One: Ten Suns in the Sky

The Eastern Emperor Taiyi, full of excitement, accompanied Fuxi to the celestial palace hovering above Buzhou Mountain. Emperor Jun and the great powers of the demon clan gathered at the palace gates to welcome them. Yet at that very moment, myriad rays of light streamed down from the heavens, illuminating the surroundings so intensely that even Kunpeng, the Demon Master, and other primordial beings felt an unbearable heat.

As Emperor Jun and Taiyi gazed upward, they recognized with surprise the sight before them—their own children, ten little Golden Crows, frolicking in the sky. Emperor Jun was puzzled; hadn't he already instructed Xihe to take good care of these precious offspring? Why were they all playing freely in the heavens now?

After Emperor Jun and Taiyi departed, Xihe had lingered alone in the empty palace, lost in idle thought. In her solitude, she remembered her own children. The birth of the ten Golden Crows was a twist of fate; they emerged from Xihe's body by sheer chance. Xihe herself was born from innate pure yang energy, as was Emperor Jun. How could such beings bear children? At that time, humanity had yet to appear, and the propagation of humans relied on Heaven bestowing yin energy upon women and yang energy upon men; when yin and yang harmonized, living beings could be born. Only after all beings adopted the ways of humanity did offspring become more numerous.

The birth of the ten Golden Crows was truly unexpected. It happened when Xihe wanted to visit the scenery of the Lunar Star, the moon, and went with Emperor Jun to explore. Upon the Lunar Star, there was only a single laurel tree. Xihe, captivated by its beauty, touched it, unwittingly drawing all the pure yin energy of the moon into her body. Terrified, she called out for Emperor Jun.

Emperor Jun hurried to her side, using his powers to try to block the innate yin energy, but the pure yang energies of himself and Xihe, instead of neutralizing the intrusion, intertwined with the yin and entered Xihe's body. Realizing he could not solve the problem alone, Emperor Jun urgently summoned Taiyi for assistance.

The two worked tirelessly, exerting every ounce of their strength, and finally managed to isolate the yin energy from Xihe. They rushed her to the Solar Star and summoned Bai Ze to seek counsel. Bai Ze calmly announced, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The lady is with child."

Emperor Jun stood there grinning foolishly, as if in a dream. Had Taiyi not tugged at his sleeve, he might have lingered in his joy indefinitely. Both Emperor Jun and Taiyi were overjoyed; after all, the Golden Crow clan numbered only three, so the continuation of their lineage was a matter of utmost importance. Yet no matter how Emperor Jun tried, Xihe could never conceive—this had troubled him deeply.

So when he heard Xihe was pregnant, Emperor Jun lost all composure. But as time passed, Emperor Jun and Taiyi sensed something amiss within Xihe. Upon inspection, they found the culprit: the excessive yin energy. Though yin and yang had combined, the abundance of yin threatened the lives of the unborn Golden Crows.

Already the Golden Crow clan was small, just three members, and now there was hope for its future—yet disaster threatened. They quickly summoned Bai Ze to devise a solution. Bai Ze replied, "I am powerless to help, but Your Majesty and the Eastern Emperor possess the means."

Without further ceremony, Taiyi seized Bai Ze's hand and pressed, "What method?"

It was no wonder Taiyi reacted so urgently; the opportunity had come at last, and to lose it would be a crushing blow.

"To resolve this, simply have Your Majesty and the Eastern Emperor use their innate pure yang energy, combined with the solar fire of the Solar Star, to dispel the excess yin," Bai Ze explained calmly.

And so, the ten Golden Crows were born. To further their cultivation, Emperor Jun had them fly from the eastern shores to the wild western lands each day, practicing their mastery of their own powers. To aid their training, Emperor Jun broke off a branch from a mulberry tree and placed it on an island in the eastern sea, providing a place for them to rest.

Thinking of her children still at the eastern sea, Xihe soon went to retrieve them. The Solar Star once again moved under Xihe’s guidance, nourishing all living things of the primordial world.

"Mother, when will we truly get to see the world of the primordial wilderness?" the youngest of the ten asked, his voice full of curiosity. Not only he, but all the little Golden Crows were filled with wonder. Whenever they flew across the sky, gazing down at the creatures below, the vast world was filled with all manner of animals and plants. Even a brief pause would be delightful, but remembering their father’s admonitions, they comforted themselves and hurried westward.

Once, the mischievous youngest was on duty; he loved to play and lingered, watching the life unfolding below, forgetting the passage of time. The sun’s heat killed many plants and animals, and reports reached Emperor Jun. If not for Taiyi’s intervention, the youngest would surely have received a harsh punishment.

"When you are able to transform, you will finally see the world for yourselves," Xihe replied, though for reasons unknown, pain stirred in her heart. Noticing his mother's distress, the clever sixth child tried to cheer her, accompanying Xihe toward the palace.

The other Golden Crows were all troubled, unsure how to help.

"What troubles the princes?" A little demon approached to inquire.

Though the Golden Crows had not yet taken human form, their minds had awakened, and they could speak. "Just now, Mother was suddenly saddened, and so we too are forlorn," the eldest explained.

"Oh, is that all? That's easily solved. It's said that humans are a great supplement to our demon clan's cultivation. Why not present some to Her Majesty as a filial offering?" the little demon suggested, ingratiating himself.

"But don't humans have powerful guardians? It won't be easy to obtain them," replied the Golden Crows, not easily fooled. They had flown above the wilderness daily and knew a thing or two about humanity.

"There is a human settlement not far from the eastern sea. I saw it once while on patrol—if not for duty, I would have feasted already," the little demon said, his face full of longing, tempting the young Golden Crows, who had yet to experience much of the world.

"Let's go, then. We'll cheer up Mother when we return," the mischievous youngest declared, eager to act.

Nine of the Golden Crows memorized the location given by the little demon and flapped their wings, soaring toward the eastern shore. It was at this moment that Emperor Jun and his companions saw the Golden Crows flying out.