Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Reincarnation of Fuxi

The tale of Xing Tian’s assault upon Heaven sent shockwaves through the vast primordial world. How could the Celestial Court, seat of the gods, fail to withstand the attack of a mere Great Wu? The Heavenly Court was utterly disgraced. Some even claimed that discord between the Spirit Sect and the Supreme Emperor Hao Tian had led to this debacle, shattering the Court’s dignity. Such rumors abounded, awakening the powers of the primordial world to a sobering realization: every race harbors its own secrets, and to seek to annihilate another entirely is a perilous folly.

Thus, the once-calm primordial world was again thrown into turmoil. Yet, within the Empress Wa’s Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, all was silent. Seated atop a lofty dais, the Lady Nu Wa gazed into her palm where the faintest wisp of a soul flickered.

This was the soul of Fuxi, the Great Sage of the Demon Clan. During the cataclysmic battle between Wu and Demon at the Celestial Court, Lady Nu Wa intervened suddenly and spirited away Fuxi’s soul, preserving it from destruction. Now, she looked upon this fragile remnant, her eyes misty, recalling every detail of the days she once shared with the Great Sage Fuxi.

“Have you made up your mind, fellow Daoist?” At that moment, Supreme Lord Laozi, instead of remaining on his own Mount Shouyang, had come to the Empress Wa’s Palace, though for reasons unknown.

“Let him go,” Lady Nu Wa said suddenly, releasing her hold. The wisp of Fuxi’s soul drifted away, carried by ethereal currents to the underworld. There, the Ten Lords of Yama graciously opened the gates, and Fuxi was led directly to the Wheel of Reincarnation. Entering the path of humanity, he was reborn as a member of the human race.

By this time, humanity had become the dominant species of the primordial world, ruling over the vast land. The tribes rarely left their own domains, nor did they disturb the monsters and spirits lurking deep within the mountains. And even should such creatures arise, were there not guardians among humans to stand against them?

On the great primordial earth, humanity had now divided into five principal tribes: east, west, south, north, and center. Every decade, these tribes would voluntarily return to their place of origin to honor their ancestors.

Of these, the Huaxu Tribe of the east was the most powerful, and it was within this tribe that the Great Sage Fuxi was to be born.

The Huaxu Tribe was led by a chief whose daughter was renowned for her beauty, as radiant as a celestial maiden.

One day, this daughter of the Huaxu chief went to the riverside to play. There, she discovered an enormous, mysterious footprint. Her curiosity piqued, she approached to investigate.

This was the Lake of Thunder, the abode of a mighty deity known as the Thunder God—a guest of the Purple Cloud Palace in ancient days, whose powers were awe-inspiring.

As for his appearance, it was most peculiar—a dragon’s body with a human head. Though the Thunder God could assume the semblance of humanity at will, for reasons unknown, he chose to retain his original form. Truly, the primordial world was home to every manner of wondrous being.

Since helping Nu Wa mend the sky, the Thunder God had been despondent. Why? While others reaped abundant merit, he had gained nothing but injury. Upon returning to the Lake of Thunder, he left behind a single great footprint, uncertain even of when he might depart again. Thus, he resolved to leave behind some essence of himself.

Driven by irresistible curiosity, the maiden of the Huaxu Tribe stepped into the Thunder God’s immense footprint. At that moment, pain overwhelmed her, and she collapsed, fainting to the ground.

The commotion awakened the Thunder God from his cultivation. Overjoyed, he roared, for at last, he would leave behind an heir.

Hunters from the tribe found the unconscious maiden and carried her home. The chief, deeply concerned for his only child, urgently summoned the tribe’s healer.

Ever since Tongtian’s benevolent avatar assumed guardianship of humanity, he had introduced many modern arts, including medicine and education, to the cleverest of humankind. Thanks to generations of effort, every tribe now had its own healer.

“How is my daughter?” the chief asked anxiously. With no sons and only his precious daughter left to him in his old age, he doted on her as the apple of his eye. Now, seeing her unconscious, his heart was wracked with worry. Though there were wondrous elixirs, none could restore his waning vigor.

“This is most peculiar... I dare not say.” The healer, suspecting the truth, hesitated to speak out, for the tribe’s reputation was at stake—this was a burden too heavy to bear.

“Speak freely,” the chief urged, sensing that his daughter’s illness was not dire, yet perceiving the healer’s reluctance.

“She is with child,” the healer finally confessed, pressed by the chief’s insistence. It was indeed strange—her body bore no sign of violation, and yet she was pregnant. Could it be the work of some supernatural force?

The healer then recalled the legend of a great deity dwelling in the depths of the Lake of Thunder. Considering the circumstances, he shared all his suspicions with the chief. Shocked, the chief inquired exactly where his daughter had fallen. Regret gnawed at him—why had he not watched her more closely? His beloved daughter had been claimed by the strange being of the lake.

At that moment, a young man in Daoist robes appeared. The chief of the Huaxu Tribe instantly recognized him and fell to his knees: “Greetings, Holy Father!”

The newcomer was Xuan Daozi.

In truth, Xuan Daozi had not come to take Fuxi as his disciple, but merely to witness the birth of the future Great Sage, and to protect both him and the Huaxu Tribe.

“I am here because of your daughter,” Xuan Daozi said with a gentle smile.

“It was no one’s fault but hers—she was careless—” the chief began, eager to explain the matter, but Xuan Daozi interrupted him.

“I know all that has transpired. My purpose here is to protect mother and child.” In this tumultuous world, fraught with unpredictable change, a single misstep could offer advantage to others. For ordinary humans, the mighty spirits and demons could end a life with the flick of a finger.

He dared not entrust this task to others, lest they lack the strength. Thus, after much deliberation, Xuan Daozi resolved to take matters into his own hands.