Chapter 1 The Beginning

Hu~

A touch of divine will, as if breaking through a layer of film.

Countless images flowed through his mind like water, then froze.

An old house, ancient trees, a green lamp...

From far to near, from large to small, as if traversing a long period of time, An Qisheng's gaze fell upon this ancient house.

In the dim and flickering lamplight, an old man was writing furiously, occasionally accompanied by light coughs.

"...Humans and demons fight, war spreads, and people are plunged into misery... Alas, a lifetime of searching has failed to attain the Master's Dao, alas, a lifetime of bitter searching, unable to secure peace..."

"The Dao is free and unfettered, Buddhism cultivates the self, where then lies the path of our Confucianism? Master, your disciple is incompetent, unable to inherit your legacy, and even more tragically, it cannot be passed down, cannot be passed down..."

"...For tens of thousands of years, how much running about, how much persistence, how much resistance, will it all ultimately vanish like a dream? Gods and Buddhas are invincible, where lies the path for the common people? Where?"

"Pitiful, lamentable, hateful..."

Under the dim lamplight, the old man's aura flickered uncertainly like the lamp, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

He tried time and again to write down everything he knew and understood, but each attempt failed.

His heart held everything, yet he could not speak it, he wanted to leave a book, but he could not write it.

He wrote again and again, in blood, on stone tablets, in acrostics, word puzzles, character splitting... but after countless methods, he still could not leave any traces.

He knew, but it was no different from not knowing.

An Qisheng gazed intently, faintly able to empathize.

As his realm ascended, the Divine Power of Entering Dreams into the Great Thousand had transformed several times, and was no longer what it once was. With a thought, he could perceive everything that person could perceive.

Sorrow,

Resentment,

Sighing,

Compassion,

Worry... many emotions surged in his heart in an instant, this was the old man's melancholy.

At the same time, many memories of the old man floated into his mind.

This old man, named Zeng Yan, was a true Confucian sage, the great-great-grandson of Confucius's direct disciple, Zeng, and also the ancestor of Zeng Shen.

He lived in an era when the heavens were cut off, and the Confucian Dao was severed, and also the chaotic period when humans and demons truly slaughtered each other.

Because of his status, because of his inheritance, what he knew far exceeded Zeng Shen, but alas, he could not speak it.

"Will anyone hear? I do not know..."

After a long, long time, the old man seemed to give up completely. He walked out of the room, his figure thin and tall, just like Zeng Shen.

He stood under the old tree, facing the night and gazing at the starry sky, muttering to himself: "Perhaps it is futile, but even He cannot deprive history..."

He murmured in his heart, the light of his mind illuminating the courtyard like substance, then transforming into a brush in his palm.

Using the sky as paper, his heart as a brush, and his lifelong cultivation of Confucian Qi as ink, he began to write.

"...In the beginning, when chaos opened, the gods were born, this is the Age of Gods and Demons. The Age of Gods and Demons is honored by three supreme divine beasts,

One is Zhulong, the second is Shenlin, and the third is Fenghuang.

These are the ancestors of scaled armor, flying birds, and walking beasts. This age begins with the Fenghuang being born and dying, and ends with the attainment of the Dao by the Heavenly Saint and the Demonic Saint.

The Age of Heavenly Demons then begins.

The Two Saints descended, sweeping away the gods and demons of the heavens. After years of fighting, the Heavenly Saint ascended to the heavens to preach, and many great divine power wielders followed, gradually evolving into the prototype of the Imperial Court.

The Demonic Saint entered the earth, opened up the Demonic Abyss beneath the earth, and collected the Yin Sha and resentment Qi of the heavens and earth, gathering all the demons since the beginning of time, becoming the ancestor of the Demonic Abyss.

The two sides fought for many years, and many of the gods and demons born in the early days of heaven and earth fell. However, a race different from gods and demons was born on the bodies of gods and demons.

This is the beginning of the human race.

The end of the Age of Heavenly Demons is symbolized by the initial opening of the Imperial Court and the birth of the human race.

After the ages, the Primordial Era arrives.

In the Primordial Era, the gods and demons licked their wounds and silently accumulated strength. The Heavenly Saint and the Demonic Saint ceased fighting and cultivated in silence.

The nascent human race, in ignorance, ushered in the Primordial Era, fighting with fierce beasts, fighting with heaven and earth, gradually gaining a foothold.

The heavens and earth changed again. A great world came from nowhere, awakening the gods and demons of the heavens. A hegemon in that world was incomparably powerful.

Its master called himself the 'Old Man of Tianhuang', claiming that his race was Yao (demon). The Old Man of Tianhuang possessed the might of Zhulong, and his body was infinitely large.

The arrival of the Demon Realm triggered the riot and suppression of the gods and demons. The battle lasted countless years, and finally ended with the fall of the Old Man of Tianhuang and the Demon Realm being renamed 'Animal Path'.

In the Primordial Era, the gods and demons fought with the Yao, and the human race was also affected, almost exterminated, and struggled to survive.

..."

Zeng Yan wrote furiously in the night, his light vast, his Qi powerful and absolute. However, the words disappeared as they fell, and were lost as they were spoken. Even the many Confucian disciples who were disturbed by his movements had no idea what he was doing.

But he seemed unaware, simply leaving words in the sky, stroke by stroke. Only An Qisheng could feel the bitterness in his heart.

This was not his first attempt, but it was certainly his last.

For no other reason than that his lifespan was coming to an end.

Even if he did not know if it was feasible, he had no choice but to let go and do it.

"Age of Gods and Demons, Age of Heavenly Demons, Primordial Era..."

An Qisheng's mind sank. This was the first time he had seen the complete past of the Earthly Immortal Dao, or rather, the Emperor Heaven Realm.

Rumble!

At a certain moment, a muffled thunder resounded through the night, shaking the ancient city, though it was thousands upon thousands of miles away.

Screech~~~

Immediately, an extremely high-pitched cry resounded through the sky.

Under the night sky, a peacock with gorgeous wings, dazzling colors, and powerful Qi, came from the south, scattering endless divine light.

"The Peacock King!"

Someone in the ancient city exclaimed, someone was horrified, and some fled in terror, but more people approached the ancient house.

Pa~

Startled by the bird's cry, Zeng Yan's brush trembled, and disappeared after 'The Age of Imperial Strife'.

"Perhaps it is heaven's will that cannot be defied. I, Zeng Yan, am ultimately inferior to my ancestor..."

The old man sighed softly in his heart.

He looked up at the peacock coming from the south, its aura high and mighty, its expression proud and arrogant, and said loudly: "I wonder why the Peacock King has descended? What is the matter?"

"My brother was killed by your Confucian disciples!"

A sharp but not harsh cry resounded through the night, filled with a chilling intent: "Eighty cities should be swallowed, and Confucian disciples sent to appease my brother's spirit!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~

With the sound waves whistling, a strong wind suddenly arose between heaven and earth.

Thousands upon thousands of miles away, dust and sand flew across the earth. Under the rolling wind, countless dirt and sand rose into the sky.

Even the entire ancient city was shaking and rumbling, and the formations and restrictions laid outside seemed to have completely lost their effect.

Before his words had fallen, thousands upon thousands of people in the city broke through their houses and flew into the sky, as if to throw themselves into the peacock's mouth.

"How dare you?!"

Zeng Yan was furious, and with a long shout, a heavenly river seemed to manifest between heaven and earth.

The heavenly river shimmered with light, its shape majestic like a divine dragon, its Qi grand and righteous, as if illuminating the entire night sky. All the flying people were wrapped in the long river and returned to the city.

"The Confucian's River of Righteous Qi? Zeng Yan, with your incomplete and broken stream, you want to stop this King?!"

With a long cry, the Peacock King tore through hundreds of miles of void, and a hazy five-colored light appeared on his wings, about to sweep down the long river.

"Five-colored Divine Light..."

An Qisheng, who was watching this scene, could not help but move in his heart. Although this Five-colored Divine Light was still immature, with some missing essences, it was not much different from the Divine Light of Five Paths formed by his Five Qi Towards the Origin...

His previous guesses seemed to have been confirmed.

"Five-colored Divine Light?! The Peacock King actually mastered the Five-colored Divine Light?!"

"No, that's not right! This, this is the Lesser Five Elements Divine Light."

Some Confucian disciples were horrified.

Countless great divine powers appeared in the War of Heaven, but the Five-colored Divine Light was definitely one of the best. Although this divine light only had a fraction of the essence, it was already indescribably strong.

Those that could be compared to it, apart from the Confucian's River of Righteous Qi, were only the equally mysterious Yin-Yang Two Qi.

Some Confucian disciples were excited in their hearts, and were determined to win with the River of Righteous Qi.

However, contrary to everyone's expectations.

This sweep missed.

The River of Righteous Qi, when the five-colored light roared back and forth, actually disappeared directly.

"My ancestor and your ancestor were known as the Two Kongs, and once fought side by side. How can the River of Righteous Qi stand against the Five-colored Divine Light?"

Zeng Yan withdrew the River of Righteous Qi, and looked at the Peacock King, who was spreading his wings and crying, with a sigh in his heart.

Once upon a time, the human and demon races could still fight side by side. Although there were disharmonies, it was ultimately harmless.

The relationship between the Confucian school and the Peacock clan was not extremely good, but it had not reached the point of life and death as it was now.

"You dare to mention my ancestor?"

The Peacock King raised his neck and cried, as if extremely angry, shaking the sky: "A sour and rotten Confucian, what virtues and abilities does he have to compare with my ancestor? He even wants to be above my ancestor?"

Boom!

The wind raged, the city shook, and countless houses swayed and collapsed.

Many Confucian disciples were using their divine powers to protect the city, but upon hearing these words, they could not help but be furious: "Those with fur and horns are not worthy to be named with our Master!"

"You are courting death!"

The Peacock King jumped up and down like thunder, spreading his wings and setting off a heavenly frenzy. In the boundless lightning and thunder, he pounced down, about to destroy the entire city.

"Enough!"

Zeng Yan shouted coldly, suppressing the riot in the city. His whole person had already risen into the air, rushing towards the Peacock King with a speed that seemed slow but was actually fast.

Boom!

A shocking roar exploded.

Zeng Yan was clad in five-colored divine light, but he did not resist at all, allowing the five-colored divine light to engulf him.

"You?"

The Peacock King looked at the old man in shock.

"The Five-colored Divine Light is indeed a peerless divine power. Even the Lesser Five Elements Divine Light with only a fraction of the true meaning is already so remarkable..."

Surrounded by five colors, Zeng Yan felt the changes in his body, his expression calm and composed: "Your brother was killed by a Confucian disciple. As the master of the Confucian school, I will pay with my life. I think that should be enough."

His lifespan was coming to an end, and he had no time to explore what had happened, nor did he want to kill the Peacock King and increase the hatred between humans and demons.

"I only hope that the Peacock King will not kill indiscriminately, so as not to desecrate the past struggles of our ancestors..."

In the Peacock King's shocked gaze, he slowly closed his eyes, allowing the five-colored divine light to sweep him into it.

"Teacher!"

"Grand Uncle!"

"Senior Brother Zeng!"

.....

Screech~~~

Cries, exclamations, and cries resounded for a time.

Immediately, many images began to fade, and finally, like porcelain falling to the ground, they shattered completely, turning into countless streams of light.

They merged into An Qisheng's sea of ​​mind.

.........

This chapter is a background chapter.