Chapter 74: The Alien from Outer Space

The black-and-white radiance, centered around Divine Water City, continued to expand outward at an astonishing speed.

In the canopy above, an enormous Yin-Yang fish spun, its circumference growing by tens of millions of kilometers with each rotation.

Within the Water God Palace, Ye Ruoshui looked up towards the celestial dome. “A Primordial-grade spiritual awakening! In Divine Water City!”

Without hesitation, his body transformed into water, and in an instant, he appeared within Divine Water City. After a moment’s perception, he materialized before Qin Qing.

“The heavens and earth have lost their luster. There’s no doubt about it—a Primordial-grade spiritual awakening. Who is it?”

“Master!”

“Elder!”

“Jiejie!”

Qin Qing, Qin Shu, and Ye Ruobing called out one after another.

“It’s my younger brother, Qin Gui,” said Qin Qing.

Ye Ruoshui’s eyes twinkled like stars as he gazed upon Qin Gui, enveloped by the swirling black and white energy. He couldn’t help but sigh, “Such monumental karma, truly a wondrous destiny!”

In the very next instant, the heavens and earth quaked.

Above, the Yin-Yang fish split apart, creating a vast expanse of void.

Within that void, a colossal entity slowly emerged—a gargantuan tortoise whose massive body seemed to fill the entire sky, its four legs resembling immense pillars supporting the heavens.

Immense, infinitely immense.

Though the colossal form was fading from sight, its image was seared into the minds of all who beheld it.

“What was that?” Qin Qing murmured.

“That,” Ye Ruoshui replied, “was a spirit with protomixing-level spiritual energy—a spiritual soul of immense potential. It must have been the legendary Heaven-Spaning Giant Turtle. Do you understand what this signifies?”

Qin Qing shook her head, “This junior does not, master.”

Ye Ruoshui’s face filled with awe as he continued, “This means that your elder brother possesses the potential to achieve ‘Hearkening the Dao of Protomixing’—the pinnacle of power within our realm.”

Hearkening the Dao of Protomixing represented the zenith of individual power, corresponding to the Heavenly Way-level.

The Cyan Lotus Dao Seed, however, was of Grand Dao level, existing beyond even Protomixing.

As the Heaven-Spaning Giant Turtle descended, its vast form concealed Divine Water City completely, granting only glimpses of its true magnitude.

Yet, one could imagine its grandeur.

Before fusing with Qin Gui, several beams of white light flashed,materializing eighteen figures in Divine Water City’s central square.

To the east stood three men—an elder, a middle-aged, and a young.

To the west aligned eight individuals—two women and six men.

The south held four women.

And to the north were three men.

Ye Ruoshui’s body stiffened momentarily before he stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “Late-generation apprentice Ye Ruoshui greets all the Heavenly Venerables.”

The Heavenly Venerables—the esteemed title given to those who had realized the Dao of Primordial Chaos.

“Our true selves remain beyond the heavens; this is merely a projection. There’s no need for such formalities.”

They briefly glanced at the gathered crowd before turning their attention to Qin Gui.

The immense celestial tortoise slowly began to merge with him. As it drew nearer, it shrank in size, until it reached his forehead where it transformed into a beam of light, shooting into his sea of consciousness.

With his sea of consciousness now open, Qin Gui began to receive the legacy from the tortoise.

From the east, the young Daoist priest spoke up, “This child and I share a karmic connection. I intend to take him as my disciple. What say you all?”

“Lingdao-fellow, that’s not quite right,” countered a voice. “He has awakened a spiritual soul, which has little relevance to your Dao Alliance. It is I, Venerable Zhenwu of the luminous path, who should be his mentor.”

Among the eight figures from the west, a stern-looking man dressed in red stepped forward. He turned to address the black-robed figure beside him, saying, “Zhenwu-fellow, given the circumstances, you are indeed the most suitable among us for this task.”

“Xianwen guarantees his standing as this youngling’s master,” declared the Furnace Dragon Heavenly Venerable. “I earnestly request Daoist Lingbao to gracefully step aside.”

“Rules are rules,” said Venerable Zhenwu, maintaining a courteous tone. “The vital soul of this child shall return to the Daoist path, the spiritual soul to the mystical path, and as for the artifact god soul, it shall be contested fairly between you all.”

Among the four women from the south, a solemn woman wearing a bell on her left ear spoke up: “Since this child possesses a spiritual soul, he is destined for mystical artifacts. There’s no need for further contention, Daoist Friend Lingbao.”

“Xihe speaks well,” added another voice. “Everything should proceed according to established rules.” The southern quartet presented a united front.

The three northerners concurred, “That is as it should be.”

Venerable Lingbao countered, “But this child is truly fated for me. Fellow Daoists, why don’t you take a moment to consider our connection?”

“So what if he’s fated for you?” retorted the yellow-robed woman from the south. “Just because you’re the Lingbao Arts Venerable doesn’t mean your bond with him is stronger than mine! My spirit is the Black Tortoise, not yours!” She glared at Venerable Zhenwu, showing no sign of retreat.

“Don’t disrupt the rules,” warned the yellow-robed woman. Among the four southern women, she and Xihe held the greatest authority. “If you’re truly intent on breaking the rules, then you and your two brothers can face off against their eight.” Her words carried a clear challenge.

You wouldn’t believe it, but the Venerable Lingbao actually had this in mind.

He turned to his two companions and said, “Eldest Brother, Second Brother, with my Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, I can certainly handle those four. How about each of you take on two?”

“Don’t get too confident!” The old man nearly pulled out his beard in frustration. “Those four can form the Four Elephants Formation. It’s not something even I, your Eldest Brother, can face alone.”

“Zhulong wields time itself,” the middle-aged man shook his head. “He’s my weakness. If it was just him, I could manage, but adding another powerhouse of that level would be too much.”

“Three Daoist friends,” the White Tiger Heavenly Venerable interjected, his face brimming with battle intent as he addressed the three. “Are we fighting or not? Give us a word already!” He had already slung his giant axe over his shoulder, his expression that of eager anticipation.

“All this fighting and killing, so how will we all get along? Give my Leshan some face, let’s just drop it. What about you, Daoistic Venerable?”

The old man was none other than the Daoistic Venerable. Seeing an escape, he nodded and said, “Fine, we’ll do as Emperor Yan suggests.”

The White Tiger Heavenly Venerable looked crestfallen, missing out on what could have been a grand battle.

Qin Shu observed this scene from the stage, tempted to ask Ye Ruoshui about these influential figures but too wary to do so.

Qin Gui had recently inherited the legacy of the Heaven-Supporting Giant Turtle.

After regaining consciousness, he found himself facing eight individuals standing uniformly before him. The one closest was a man clad in black robes.

“Boy, I am the Venerable Zhenwu. My spiritual soul is the Black Tortoise, the northern divine beast, sharing a common origin with your Heaven-Supporting Giant Turtle. I wish to accept you as my disciple. What say you?”

Dazed, Qin Gui instinctively turned towards Qin Shu for guidance.

Qin Shu nodded decisively, signaling his approval.

The eighteen Heavenly Venerables couldn’t help but give Qin Shu a second look. With a cultivation nearing the first Golden Core transformation and only in his twenties, he was certainly impressive, though not exceptional.

As for spiritual souls, they were a taboo subject. Even for these Heavenly Venerables, delving into such matters was strictly avoided unless absolutely necessary.

However, Qin Shu sensed a particularly compassionate gaze lingering on him. Curious, he discreetly glanced back.

I am Nüwa.

The telepathic message was both clear and profound.

Qin Shu’s heart jolted—this was none other than the great goddess herself.

The great goddess of the ancient era, bearing the World Will of the God Soul Continent, had created the human race with her own hands - a celestial deity from the very beginning.

Later, as she mended the heavens, her physical body dissipated into the cosmos. Her divine soul then cycled back through reincarnation, aiming to achieve the grand unity realm once more in human form.

Her true self was her spiritual soul, possessing a serpent tail and wielding the power of fortune. It was this presence that immediately drew Qin Shu’s attention.

Nüwa’s voice transmission was impeccably hidden; none of the other grand unities detected it.

Seeing Qin Shu nod, Qin Gui turned towards the Venerable Zhenwu and bowed deeply. “Disciple greets his Shizun.”

“Hahaha, well said!” The Venerable Zhenwu responded with delight. Two streaks of black light appeared in his hands, forming a pair of Black Grand Unity Hammers.

“These are supreme innate spirit treasures, known as Grand Unity Hammers, forged from the essence of an Abyssal Supreme Being. Your master offers them to you as a token of our meeting.”

A venerable being attained the rank of grand unity, while a supreme being reached that of grand unity Supreme Ultimate Gold Immortal. Only by realizing the grand unity could one be titled a Heavenly Venerable, becoming a grand unity Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Offering a pair of supreme innate spirit treasures as a greeting gift was indeed an extraordinary gesture.

Qin Shu instinctively wanted to turn and glance at Ye Ruoshui but managed to suppress the urge.