If that valiant general atop the city gates could fall and perish on the battlefield, what regrets were there to speak of even if he could not be conferred nobility? Yet in the end, he became lost, leaving behind everlasting regrets.

  As Li Qingshan had said, the scariest thing was being unable to fight on the battlefield, letting down his promises, as well as letting down himself.

  “As a result, if the spirit reverend is trying to frighten me with a horrible death, that’s just like trying to beat up a dog by throwing meat buns at it. You’ll just feed me. Ah fuck that, you know what I mean. I’m definitely going to Ruin’s End, even if I die!”


  The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance was slightly moved, but he recovered his abyss-like depth and calmness very soon. “Humans.” It was as if he was silently contemplating the meaning of that word.

  He suddenly asked, “Have you heard of God Wa?”


  Li Qingshan was puzzled. “A frog god? A toad daemon?”


  “Also known as Sovereign Wa.” The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance stopped worrying slightly. If he knew about Nüwa, he definitely would not insult her with something like that. As it seemed, the poem was merely a coincidence. It was probably just an incorrectly-spread rumour!

  TL: The word frog (蛙, wā) and the “wa” in Nüwa share the same tone in Chinese. As a matter of fact, “frog” is the word most commonly used for that tone, so Li Qingshan misheard it as a reference to a frog god. Nüwa is the creator of humanity in Chinese mythology. She created teng snakes which are modelled after herself. When Li Qingshan mentions how even they’ll die in the end, he is unintentionally implying that Nüwa will die, which is an insult.

  “A toad Daemon Sovereign? Hold on, don’t tell me you’re talking about Nüwa!”


  Li Qingshan was very unhappy.

  “So you do know.” The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance was solemn.

  Li Qingshan was basically furious now. “Nüwa mending the heavens. Who doesn’t know that? Nüwa even created humanity!”


  The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s expression changed, wanting to plug his mouth, but it was already too late.

  Devastation!

  With a great rumble, a bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere, actually piercing the defensive formation around Myriad city and striking an eave on the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes, smashing it to pieces and sending it flying.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! It smashed over another dozen eaves. Many of the fragments fell on the square, which threw the celebrating people into a flurry. They were all dumbfounded.

  Everyone looked at the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes. What had happened? Were there enemies attacking? But throughout the entire Human realm, just which sect was bold enough to face the wrath of the Myriad sect?

  Li Qingshan was tongue-tied. The might of the bolt of lightning was completely unheard of, and the eave that had been struck first was the one closest to him.

  “This lightning… didn’t come for me, right?”


  He gulped and composed himself. “Nüwa… created…”


  “Shut your mouth!” The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s eyes flashed. Despite living for so long, he had never seen someone who tempted death so much.

  “Erm… ahh…” Li Qingshan’s tongue was frozen. He did not utter the last word. No matter how unreliable and disappointing he was, he could also sense that he seemed to have touched on something major.

  “‘He’ even told you about something so ancient?” The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance sighed heavily. “This is the greatest secret of the path of cultivation! You will be punished by the heavens if you mention it recklessly! Fortunately, the will of the heavens is almost non-existent in the Human realm. If we were somewhere else, the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes probably would not be standing anymore!”


  Li Qingshan shivered. The Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes was the centre of the entire Myriad city. In terms of defences, even ten overlapping Formations of Black Clouds and Roaring Thunder came nowhere close. If the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes were destroyed, he would probably face death as well.

  Normally, only the “truth” needed to be hidden. He moved his tongue around, warming it up again. He stifled his voice and said, “You mean humans didn’t evolve from monkeys?” He quickly glanced outside. The sky was clear, without a single cloud in sight. There was no lightning.

  “What kind of nonsense are you on about? Humans were born from the world, so how could they evolve from monkeys? Apes just have the easiest time when it comes to cultivation because they’re closest to human form. All other species will eventually take a human form as long as they cultivate for long enough. That is why humans are the paragon of creatures.”


  The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance demonstrated a hint of undisguised disdain. If humans were the paragon of creatures, then what were spirit turtles? What were phoenixes?

  Li Qingshan came to a realisation and slapped his knee. “Are these the mainstream beliefs?”


  “Yes, mainstream.”


  “Then are there any other censored phrases? I’m afraid that I…”


  Li Qingshan was a little frantic, as well as a little angry. He loved rambling nonsense. If he was not allowed to do that, it was basically even more painful than dying. If he just rambled and rambled, only to be suddenly struck by a great bolt of lightning, that would be far too unfortunate.

  “Censored phrases?” It took the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance a thought before he understood what he meant. He smiled. “You sure know how to invent words! In my knowledge, that’s the only one. However, there are still some names that you shouldn’t mention carelessly. After all, the gazes of gods are no different from lightning!”


  “I don’t have to worry then. But why though?”


  Li Qingshan had always possessed this doubt ever since he transmigrated. This world and his previous life possessed all sorts of connections, like the hundred schools of thought, like the nine provinces. As it seemed, the myth of Nüwa creating humanity was also true now. He had no idea about the reason. Was this really all just a dream?

  He shook his head. He could probably only get all the answers once he ventured beyond the Nine Heavens and saw brother ox again.

  “Hey, I’m asking about Ruin’s End. Why are you talking about empress Nüwa instead?”


  “The ancestor of my race, the primordial spirit turtle, turned into Ruin’s End.”


  Li Qingshan suddenly recalled the full description regarding Nüwa mending the heavens that he had heard in his previous life.

  In ancient times, the four pillars crumbled, and the nine provinces shattered. The heavens collapsed, and the earth could no longer bear the burden of life. Flames razed the land unceasingly, and floods continued to flow even through the ocean. Beasts preyed on the people as birds fed off the elderly and feeble. Hence Nüwa melted down the colourful rocks to patch the heavens, lopping off the giant ao’s four limbs for the four pillars, slaying the black dragon to provide relief to the Ji province, and controlling the floods through the amassed ash from burning reeds.

  One of the most important steps she had taken was lopping off the giant ao’s four limbs for the four pillars.

  The creature called an ao was a giant turtle! Similar to the black dragon that followed, they both seemed to be antagonistic.

  “In the Battle of Mending the Heavens, the teng serpents were reduced to dust, and the divine turtle was slain. Nüwa turned the shell into Ruin’s End and used it to gather all the water across the world. That is the origins of all water flows to Ruin’s End.”


  “The Battle of Mending the Heavens!” Li Qingshan was entranced. “Against who? Don’t tell me it’s against that unfortunate primordial spirit turtle! It doesn’t seem like it’s a particularly worthy opponent.”


  The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance said after some silence, “This has nothing to do with Ruin’s End.”


  Li Qingshan then said in surprise, “Aren’t spirit turtles most skilled in divination and self-preservation? How did it end up like this? Did it make a miscalculation or something?”


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  “The primordial spirit turtle is unlike you humans. It was truly born from the world, so its will does not perish. It rejects all foreign entities apart from spirit turtles, especially humans!”


  Li Qingshan said, “So I’m walking to my death if I visit Ruin’s End!”


  Since the myth of Nüwa mending the heavens was true, she was the “great mother god” of humanity. No matter how the floods raged, they probably could not even touch a hair on her. She must have done so to save the “people”, or in other words, the foolish and kindhearted common people.

  As a result, it made perfect sense for the primordial spirit turtle to be hostile towards humans. They had to take responsibility for this. However, being opposed by an entire world probably would not be too great.

  “Yes.”


  “Then can’t I just transform into a spirit turtle?” Li Qingshan swung his elbows around, imitating a turtle swimming.

  The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance choked up. “With how despicable and shameless you are, you truly are an elite among humans!”


  Li Qingshan laughed. “Thank you for your praise!”


  “But you are unable to hide your nature as a human before the primordial spirit turtle.”


  “Perhaps, perhaps not. In short, I need to give it a try. Tell me how to get there, or I’ll keep yelling those three words until the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes blows up!”


  A vein popped on the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s forehead. Anger rose up inside him. This damned bastard seemed to have been born knowing how to provoke people.