C9 Houtu

The Heaven Opening Axe once accompanied Pangu in the monumental task of opening the heavens, earning a share of the Heaven Opening Merit for itself. With such an immense amount of Merit, it had the potential to soar into the skies, shedding its Artifact Spirit form to become a Saint of the Great Dao Merit, on par with Pangu himself!

Alas, opening the heavens was no simple feat.

When the Heaven Opening Axe was divided into three, the Pangu Banner, previously the Axe Blade, birthed the elements of water, fire, and wind. The Tai Chi diagram, once the Axe Back, separated into the pure and impure gases, while the Chaos Bell, formerly the Axe Hilt, suppressed the Chaos and solidified the primordial world.

Then came the fierce backlash of the Heaven Opening Great Dao. Pangu perished, and the Axe Spirit nearly met its end as well.

Its recent awakening was merely a flicker of light before the final extinguishing of its existence. The outlook was grim, with only a few remnants of the Dao Insight that contained the essence of the Dao Fruit surviving the Great Dao's ravaging backlash.

Yet, in this moment, as the Dao Laws infused the True Spirit, patterns of Dao Insight began to reemerge.

The Artifact Spirit was incredulous. If the Great Dao's backlash could be neutralized so effortlessly, then even the mighty Pangu would not have succumbed.

"Could it be this whetstone?!"

With a discerning eye, the Artifact Spirit finally detected a difference.

Each stroke of the Axe Blade against the whetstone sent sparks flying. Occasionally, some sparks would be absorbed into the Artifact Spirit's core.

These sparks, falling upon the patterns representing the Dao Fruit, acted like a refining process, using the Great Dao as the substance to gradually restore the Dao Insight.

"This is certainly no ordinary whetstone!"

The Artifact Spirit concluded that only a Chaos Extreme Treasure of equivalent stature, one that had suffered damage by the Great Dao, could possess the power to mend another Chaos Extreme Treasure.

Yet, the Artifact Spirit could not detect even the faintest hint of a kindred essence from the dark whetstone.

"Could this supreme treasure be devoid of a spirit?!"

The Heaven Opening Axe Spirit was astounded. Was it possible for a Chaos Extreme Treasure to exist without a spirit in this world?

...

Unbeknownst to the Artifact Spirit, now lost in contemplation, Houtu, who had just experienced a profound enlightenment of the Dao, had quietly approached Zhang Yan's side.

"It truly is a sudden realization of the Great Dao!"

Houtu confirmed, feeling a tinge of envy. The Wizard Clan, born from Pangu's flesh, possessed strength but lacked the power of the primordial spirit. Such moments of sudden enlightenment were beyond their reach.

Her cry of astonishment finally roused Zhang Yan from his reverie.

He halted mid-motion and instinctively looked up, only to find a woman with skin like creamy jade and finely arched eyebrows gazing at him with envy.

"Uh..."

Caught off guard, Zhang Yan was about to speak when he noticed the unseemly sight of himself clutching a battered axe and a whetstone. He casually tossed them aside into a corner.

The Artifact Spirit was delighting in the gradual restoration of the Dao Fruit when suddenly, it felt as if it had been flung into the air.

The shock nearly knocked it unconscious with rage.

"Hey! You, girl! How dare you interrupt the restoration of my axe! Once I'm restored, I will have it out with you!"

"And you, boy, to forsake two Chaos Extreme Treasures for a fleeting beauty? How do you expect to comprehend the Great Dao and achieve immortality?"

"Black Stone, am I right?"

"Why the silence?"

"…"

"May I assist you with something?"

Zhang Yan asked, taking a closer look at the young lady in the black dress.

Having been in the Primordial Era for several years now, he had found that it wasn't like the novels from his past life suggested, where beauties were scarce.

In the Primordial Era, it was the unattractive who were commonplace.

As for beauties, the first he had met was his sister, and now, the lady before him.

Both could be considered celestial beings, capable of captivating all who beheld them, each with their distinct charm.

Nuwa appeared more vivacious and spirited, her innocence unmistakable.

The woman before him, however, exuded a composed grace, every gesture reflecting the poise of a well-bred noblewoman.

"I... was just out for a stroll to clear my mind. I'm new here and didn't mean to interrupt your cultivation," Houtu said, her voice tinged with regret and a hint of fear as she bowed in apology.

To stumble upon an epiphany was a rare gift not to be taken lightly, and to disrupt one's path to enlightenment was to incur a vendetta that could only be resolved in death in the Primordial Era.

Zhang Yan paused briefly before waving his hand with a smile. "Just some household chores, hardly qualifies as cultivation."

"What's your name, if I may ask? And where do you live?"

Zhang Yan smoothly shifted the conversation.

It's not every day you encounter a beauty. It would be a disservice to himself not to seize the opportunity.

Houtu felt a flush of embarrassment under Zhang Yan's intense gaze. She was accustomed to the protection of the Ancestral Witches; such direct, fervent attention was new to her.

"I... I go by Ping Xin, and I reside near Buzhou Mountain." In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Houtu refrained from revealing her true name. Given the Wizard Clan's less-than-stellar reputation in these ancient times—synonymous with ferocity, belligerence, and rashness—she preferred not to bias the handsome young man before her.

"Oh," Zhang Yan responded with a slight nod. "Please, have a seat. My home is modest, and I don't have much to offer. However, I did pick some tea leaves a few days ago. Would you care for some?"

"Tea leaves?" Houtu inquired, intrigued.

Zhang Yan smacked his forehead, suddenly recalling that tea had yet to become a staple in this primeval world.

"It's understandable that you're not familiar with it, Miss Ping Xin. Let me brew some for you, and you'll understand after just one taste."

With that, Zhang Yan turned and headed inside to fetch the tea leaves, leaving the Heaven Opening Axe Spirit in the corner to lament his eagerness.

"You're now the wielder of this axe; how can you abandon all decorum?"

"A woman is but a fleeting beauty. Once this axe regains its former Dao Fruit, what kind of beauty couldn't I find?"

"…"

Shortly after, Zhang Yan returned with a tea set, the cups already steeped with leaves.

"Care to try?"

Houtu eyed the floating leaves in the water with a hint of hesitation. "This is tea?"

"Yes, it's quite aromatic."

Zhang Yan lifted a cup to his lips, savoring the tea's fragrance as he contentedly squinted his eyes.

Enticed by Zhang Yan, Houtu felt a swallow reflex and took a tentative sip. The distinctive aroma of the tea leaves mingled with the water in her mouth, and as she swallowed, she felt enveloped in the warmth of the sun.

"Hmm…" Houtu murmured involuntarily, the tea coursing through her like a fiery dragon, leaving her entire body feeling supple and languid.

After a moment, Houtu's eyes, brimming with moisture, fluttered open, and to her amazement, the familiar world around her was now awash with an array of extraordinary hues.

"What is this…?"

With a graceful wave of her hand, tiny sprites composed of these vibrant colors took flight, twirling in the air in a delightful dance.

"Spiritual Qi!"

Members of the Wizard Clan, lacking a primordial spirit, were unable to perceive the omnipresent Spiritual Qi. Houtu, who had often read about it with great longing, was filled with envy each time.

Yet, to her astonishment, today, after sipping that tea, she too could sense the presence of Spiritual Qi.