infodatos Chapter 1 The Only Golden Crow, Fellow Daoists Xihe and Changxi
Chapter 1 The Only Golden Crow, Fellow Daoists Xihe and Changxi
The primordial starry sky.
The Sun Star is one of the two supreme stars in the primordial starry sky. It receives the ultimate Yang energy and is the most supreme and noble place of Yang in the primordial world.
……
The hibiscus tree has intertwined roots and branches that stretch for hundreds of millions of miles. Beneath its trunk, within the sacred space, golden flames and moonlight mingle and harmonize, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere without any sign of heat.
"A single yin cannot last long, nor can a single yang."
"The fusion of energies and the complementarity of yin and yang can actually condense magical power and solidify one's foundation! This discussion of the Dao over ten thousand years has been immensely beneficial to me. Thank you for your guidance, Brother Lingxiao!"
A clear, cool voice, like a flowing spring under the moon, fell.
The woman was dressed in a moon-white, wide-sleeved fairy dress. Her figure was slender and graceful, and her face was cool and stunning. She was surrounded by a faint moonlight. Her eyes were clear as a cold pool. When she looked at Ling Xiao, there was an undisguised respect in her eyes.
—This is Xihe, the innate deity nurtured by the moon.
On a cushion woven from tender hibiscus branches opposite, a man sat cross-legged.
The dark gold imperial robe accentuated his upright and sturdy figure, his handsome and spirited face, and the natural majesty of the supreme sun between his brows. His smile was gentle and light, and although he was surrounded by the aura of the great sun, there was not a trace of scorching heat.
—It is the only great sun crow born from the sun star, Lingxiao.
He is an anomaly in this vast wilderness.
The sun, which was formed from Pangu's left eye, did not give birth to Dijun or Taiyi. Instead, it condensed the ultimate Yang essence, the remaining blessings of creation, and the stellar fortune of billions of universes into a golden egg, nurturing him, the only Great Sun Golden Crow. The name Lingxiao was bestowed upon him by the Heavenly Dao on the day he hatched. Upon birth, he was already a Great Luo Golden Immortal with the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top and the Five Qi Converging at the Origin, ranking among the most supreme innate deities in the primordial world.
"We were born under the influence of the supreme star's destiny, and we are of the same spirit, so there is no need for thanks." Ling Xiao smiled slightly, his voice gentle. "Moreover, discussions on the Dao are inherently complementary. Through this exchange, I have also greatly benefited from the principle of the mutual generation and complementarity of Yin and Yang."
As he finished speaking, his eyes flickered slightly, and a trace of melancholy swept through his heart.
If he hadn't transmigrated here and already known the immeasurable calamities to come in this primordial world, he might have been like Di Jun and Tai Yi, who were supposed to be born, carrying the fortune of the sun star to establish the Heavenly Court, command all demons, and vie for the position of the Primordial Heavenly Emperor.
But he knew all too well the unspoken rules of the primordial world.
Power may prevail for a time, but only virtue and fortune can ensure eternal protection!
Those who contend for supremacy are ultimately just pawns in the grand scheme of things, cannon fodder to fill the void. Even the mighty Ancestral Dragon, Yuan Phoenix, and Shi Qilin eventually met their end, their life extinguished and their spirits extinguished.
What he sought was not temporary glory, but eternal freedom, the ease to sit under the Fusang tree and watch the Milky Way flow even when a great calamity befell him.
Do not strive for short-term gains, but aim for lasting peace and freedom.
"Oh dear, big brother, big sister, you've been thanking me so much, I'm getting tired of it!"
Beside Xihe, a delicate and lively voice broke the tranquility of the Taoist temple.
The girl's stunning beauty bore an eight-tenths resemblance to Xihe, but her eyes lacked the aloofness and reserve, instead possessing a charming naiveté and liveliness. Her light green fairy dress accentuated her lively and vibrant spirit.
It was Changxi, another innate deity born from the Taiyin star.
She shook Xihe's sleeve, puffed out her cheeks, and said, "We've known each other for thirteen lifetimes, and we've been discussing the Dao and cultivating together since we were born. We're closer than real siblings, so why bother with these formalities?"
"You, you're still as impulsive as ever, lacking even a trace of the dignity one would expect from a goddess of the moon." Xihe extended her jade finger and gently tapped her sister's smooth forehead, smiling helplessly, but without a hint of reproach in her eyes.
"There's no need to be so dignified!" Chang Xi stuck out her tongue cutely, her bright eyes looking at Ling Xiao. "It's just that you're being too formal, sister! Between us and Brother Ling Xiao, there's no need for all this empty formality. Let alone discussing Daoist principles and giving guidance, even if Brother Ling Xiao wanted our Taiyin Star, we two sisters wouldn't hesitate to give it up in the slightest!"
Upon hearing this, Xihe lowered her eyelashes, neither replying nor offering any rebuttal.
Ling Xiao chuckled and shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the two sisters' pretty faces. His expression was slightly dazed, and a trace of reminiscence flashed in his eyes.
One yuan can be divided into twelve hui, totaling 129,600 years.
Thirteen cycles of time, though not a long time in the ancient times when years were often recorded in cycles, are by no means short either.
Since he hatched, the fortune of the Sun Star has surged and attracted the Jade Rabbit sisters to come and investigate.
After getting to know each other, they discussed the Tao and practiced cultivation together, supported each other, and watched the stars and rivers turn.
They were the people who accompanied Ling Xiao the longest in this unfamiliar world.
"Fellow Daoist Changxi, please stop joking." Lingxiao looked at Changxi, his eyes still gentle. "I have the Lingxiao Palace on the Sun Star as my Daoist temple, which is enough. The Moon Star is the foundation of your fortune, and it cannot be easily given away."
Before he could finish speaking, Chang Xixing interrupted him abruptly: "Brother Lingxiao! Do you still remember the scene of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans vying for supremacy a few years ago?"
"The Phoenix Clan, relying on being the strongest among the primordial birds, calls themselves the King of Primordial Birds, acting incredibly arrogant! Hmph, if you hadn't been born before, brother, how could they have been so arrogant in this primordial sky?"
She became more and more animated as she spoke, her eyes shining like stars:
"In my opinion, they all have two wings and one head. If the Phoenix Clan can be the King of Birds, why can't you, Brother? This Great Sun Golden Crow, who inherits the fortune of the Sun Star, can certainly be one!"
Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao's lips twitched violently.
No, I really can't do that. I don't want to be cannon fodder in the Great Tribulation!
"Why don't we travel together to the primordial land?" Chang Xi's eyes darted around.
"When the time comes, you, brother, will be the king of birds, ruling over this vast and boundless sky;"
"My sister has a steady temperament; she should become the King of Beasts and rule over the primordial land."
"As for me, I have no other position, so I'll just take the loss and be a water rabbit, taking care of all the rivers, lakes and seas in the world."
"Wouldn't it be wonderful to jointly control the sea, land, and air?"
Since she took human form, she has rarely left the primordial starry sky. After meeting Ling Xiao, she only traveled between the Ling Xiao Palace on the Sun Star and the Guang Han Palace on the Moon Star for seclusion.
Although it is a top-notch Taoist temple and blessed land, after more than ten Yuanhui, he had long been restless and his mind was full of thoughts of going out to travel.
"Changxi, stop fooling around!"
Xihe's expression suddenly darkened, all her previous gentleness vanished, her voice became stern, and the yin light emanating from her body took on a sharp edge.
"Although the Dragon-Han Calamity has ended, the vast and boundless primordial land is teeming with reclusive masters of extraordinary abilities!"
"Even top-tier beings like the Ancestral Dragon, the Primordial Phoenix, and the Primordial Qilin met their end in the Great Tribulation, their lives extinguished and their cultivation dissipated?"
"Not to mention that the Demon Ancestor Rahu wreaked havoc in the prehistoric world, destroying the spiritual veins of the western land, and countless innate saints did not even leave behind their complete true spirits."
She paused, her gaze deep, her tone unwavering: "The waters of the primordial world are too deep, the calamity's aura lingers, it's far too dangerous. We are born of the stars, we grow up in the stars, we should be like the sun and moon, eternally illuminating the world, why should we fall to earth and be tainted by that boundless karma of cause and effect?"
These words were ostensibly a reprimand to Chang Xi, but in reality, they were also meant for Ling Xiao.
She understood her sister's thoughts all too well, and was even more afraid that Ling Xiao would be persuaded to travel through the prehistoric world and be tainted by the lingering aftershocks of the great calamity.
Even if all three of them were Great Luo Golden Immortals, in this primordial world, they would still be far from being completely foolproof.
"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I won't go to the prehistoric land."
Seeing that Xihe was truly angry, Changxi immediately shrank back and obediently admitted his mistake.
But her eyes darted around, and she still hadn't given up on going out. She tugged at Xihe's sleeve and said softly, "Then let's travel through the primordial starry sky, okay? The Taiyin and Taiyang are the supreme stars in the sky, and Brother Lingxiao has the Chaos Bell that suppresses the fortune of the starry sky. With it on his head, he'll be invincible from the start. There shouldn't be any danger, right?"
Upon hearing this, Xihe ignored her sister's coquettishness and turned to look at Lingxiao, her cool gaze carrying a hint of inquiry and determination.
"Brother Lingxiao, although Changxi is a bit mischievous, there is some truth to what he said."
"If you can unify the primordial starry sky and gather the celestial energy of the universe, it will greatly help your cultivation of the Great Dao."
"The main battlefields of the Great Calamity of Ferocious Beasts and the Great Calamity of Dragon Han were both in the Primordial Land, and the starry sky was not greatly affected. If you are willing, my sister and I are willing to help you unify the starry sky, establish a Heavenly Court, and become the Heavenly Emperor of this Primordial Starry Sky."
She said this with extreme seriousness.
For her, the supreme position and the dominance of the stars were all meaningless.
However, if it could help Ling Xiao solidify his Dao foundation and protect him, Xi He would not hesitate to risk her life to fight alongside him in the entire prehistoric starry sky.
Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao slowly shook his head.
He naturally knew the glory of unifying the starry sky, but he was even more aware that the upcoming Lich Calamity was a struggle between heaven and earth where "demons rule the heavens and witches rule the earth." This primordial starry sky was never a pure land to avoid calamity; on the contrary, it was the main battlefield of the future calamity.
If he truly establishes the Heavenly Court and unifies the starry sky, he will replace the positions of Di Jun and Tai Yi.
They became the primary targets of the great calamity, the cannon fodder used to fill the void.
Seeing Ling Xiao shake his head, Xi He said no more. She turned to Chang Xi and said in a calm but irrefutable tone, "Did you hear that? Focus on your seclusion and enlightenment. Don't think about running around anymore."
Chang Xi's face instantly fell, and her bright eyes dimmed. She muttered listlessly, "Still can't we go out? But going around between the Sun Star and the Moon Star every day is so boring..."
"It's not that you can't go out."
Ling Xiao suddenly spoke, interrupting Chang Xi's mutterings.
The two sisters looked up at him at the same time, and were both taken aback.
Ling Xiao smiled slightly, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his tone was calm yet carried an undeniable certainty:
"The travel can be postponed for now, but I do have something I need to discuss with you two."
"I am preparing to plan a good deed."
"Planning for meritorious deeds?"
Xihe and Changxi exchanged a glance, both stunned, their eyes filled with confusion.