Chapter Ninety-Three: The Schemes of Heaven

Since the birth of Tongtian from the human race, he had never imagined that so many humans could be slaughtered right under his nose! This was intolerable—why? Gazing at the vast waters beneath his feet, the fury in Tongtian’s heart erupted uncontrollably.

At that moment, Xuandaozi, Fuxi, Nuwa, and Lady Nuwa arrived at Tongtian’s side. Tongtian stepped forward and delivered a slap to Xuandaozi’s face with a resounding “crack,” roaring, “Didn’t I tell you to protect the human race?”

Xuandaozi felt thoroughly aggrieved. At that time, he was striving to break through to the peak of the Great Golden Immortal, never expecting such a calamity to occur. Moreover, he had already emerged to rescue the humans, but suddenly found his magical power suppressed, leaving him frustrated and anxious.

It wasn’t just Xuandaozi who was bewildered—even Lady Nuwa and Fuxi couldn’t understand why their powers failed them when they tried to help. They recounted everything to Tongtian in detail. After hearing their words, Tongtian’s raging heart gradually settled.

Tongtian sensed there was more to this, so he promptly sat cross-legged, sending his soul into the long river of time to investigate. There, at the entrance to the river of time, an elderly Daoist sat serenely.

Tongtian approached and greeted him, “Master, what brings you here?” He had long suspected that Lady Nuwa’s powers were sealed, which surely had something to do with the Heavenly Way, but he wasn’t foolish enough to go to the Outer Heavens and question Ancestor Hongjun.

Seeing Hongjun Daoist here clarified everything for Tongtian.

“Have you come regarding the plight of the human race?” Ancestor Hongjun appeared rather “noble” at this moment, smiling gently at Tongtian.

“Disciple is here to learn how those humans perished.” After all, countless vibrant lives vanished before Tongtian’s eyes—how could he, a Sage, accept such loss?

As the saying goes: “Those who are not Sages are but ants.” This famous line is often quoted in later novels of the primordial world. Tongtian believed he had reached the pinnacle of the pyramid in the primordial world. Though he could easily destroy any species he wished, he found himself unable even to protect them, which left him deeply depressed.

“As Heaven’s chosen children, humans must endure tribulations. Moreover, this is the last catastrophe for humanity. From now on, you must diligently guide and teach them.” Ancestor Hongjun smiled, patted Tongtian’s shoulder, and turned into a breeze, disappearing into the river of time.

Only then did Tongtian grasp the Heavenly Way’s intentions—it was a show of force. The sacred land of humanity he had painstakingly built had seen billions of lives lost in the machinations of the Heavenly Way. The Heavenly Way was using this calamity to weaken Tongtian’s influence over the human race, thereby diminishing his control. Such was the plan.

“Does becoming a Sage mean one is no longer an ant? In the eyes of the Heavenly Way, I am merely an ant with some means of self-defense.” Tongtian finally realized his past mistakes—his greatest enemy still lurked, drawing closer as he grew stronger.

With a spell, Tongtian vanished from the entrance to the river of time.

Not long after, two faint points of light appeared in the river of time, manifesting only after Tongtian’s departure. They were none other than the Supreme Elder Lord and Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

“Let’s hope he understands,” the Supreme Elder Lord said before disappearing.

Primordial Heavenly Venerable watched coldly. Since the death of the Holy Mother Taiyuan, his character had changed drastically, causing even the Elder Lord to feel troubled. How wonderful it would be to return to the past, but such days had slipped far from the Three Pure Ones; reality was cruel.

Tongtian opened his eyes, swept his gaze across the crowd, then led his disciples away.

Everyone exchanged glances, realizing that even the Lord of Tongtian was powerless, so they could do nothing themselves. Lady Nuwa glanced at Fuxi and then at her own avatar, and departed riding a cloud of many colors.

Only a few dozen remained at the scene. Xuandaozi sighed softly, waved his sleeve to collect the primordial turbid qi and “Black Dragon Water.” The sacred land of humanity was no longer the bustling, prosperous place it once was—would its harmonious sounds ever return?

Just then, a thought flashed through Xuandaozi’s mind: was it under such circumstances that Fuxi and Nuwa married?

“Upon investigation, I discovered it is truly Fuxi’s destined time.” Xuandaozi now had Tongtian’s answer—it was indeed Fuxi’s fate, laying the foundation for the future development of the human race under the Heavenly Way.

“I am unsure what you mean, Holy Father.” Though Fuxi knew of his past life, he was no longer the demon race’s great sage Fuxi; now he was the Human Emperor, addressing Xuandaozi as “Holy Father.”

Xuandaozi seemed quite accustomed to Fuxi’s title, feeling no discomfort. He said to Fuxi, “You are to be wed.”

At this, Fuxi exclaimed in surprise, hastily glancing into Nuwa’s eyes and then at Xuandaozi and the Thunder God, receiving only affirmation.

“You are to marry Nuwa!” The words thundered in Fuxi and the others’ ears. Thunder God’s face was full of protest: “No! They are siblings, how can they marry?”

Tongtian, being of later generations, also felt resistance to such close kin marriages. Why? Because it’s bad for the offspring! But this was all arranged by the Heavenly Way, and none could defy it.

“As long as you unite, then use yellow earth (the Nine Heavens Resting Soil) to implement the plan of recreating humanity, those who lost their bodies may live again!” Xuandaozi announced to them.

These words calmed the group. Fuxi pondered seriously, willing to go all out for humanity.

Yet, to avoid regret and to show the masses that it was not his own idea but Heaven’s decree, Fuxi put forth two conditions.

First: “If I am to unite with Nuwa, let the clouds in the sky first unite.” No sooner had Fuxi spoken than Xuandaozi prepared to use magic to arrange such a scene. But upon looking up, all the clouds had already gathered together. Fuxi turned his gaze to Xuandaozi, who merely shrugged, indicating it was not his doing.

Second: Fuxi and Nuwa would each place a compass—crafted by Fuxi—on the eastern and western slopes of Kunlun Mountain, and let them roll toward each other. If they met, marriage would be permitted. Fuxi had barely finished speaking when his compass rolled down from the eastern peak, and Nuwa’s compass, after a slight delay, rolled down from the west.

And then, miraculously, the two compasses met!