Volume One: The Calamity of Liches Chapter 178: Nuwa Departs from the Heavenly Court, Blessed Lands of the Great Wilderness

As Emperor Jun finished speaking, Nuwa stepped forward and took out the red embroidered ball she had obtained at the Cliff of Treasures. With the power of the red embroidered ball, she directly assumed the role of chief officiant for the wedding of Emperor Jun and Xihe. Then, before countless guests, Emperor Jun and Xihe solemnly pledged themselves to the Heavenly Dao.

When the ceremony was complete, innumerable members of the demon race, along with the many powerful beings who had come to witness the event, all felt a sudden impulse to look skyward. There, a vast cloud of merit, covering nearly ten thousand acres, condensed out of thin air.

“There is actually merit to be gained!”

Countless onlookers were moved, yet they did not know the reason. It was simply because Emperor Jun and Xihe were destined by heaven to fulfill the celestial marriage, the fated union. With Nuwa’s red embroidered ball serving as the thread of their fate, the process was complete.

The merit divided into two parts: one portion merged into Nuwa’s red embroidered ball, transforming it into a merit treasure; the other split into two and fell upon Emperor Jun and Xihe. Empowered by this merit, Emperor Jun’s strength again surged, advancing further within the mid quasi-saint realm. Xihe too, with the aid of this merit, saw her power skyrocket, reaching the threshold of the mid quasi-saint realm. With a bit more cultivation and the aid of a spiritual treasure for severing her corpse, she would fully step into that stage.

All the mighty ones present took note and could not help but envy Emperor Jun. Not only had he gained such a beautiful wife, but her strength was formidable as well. Many realized that the Heavenly Court would surely rise swiftly from this day forth; hence, unless absolutely necessary, it would be unwise to oppose them.

Those with greater insight cast meaningful glances toward the Lord of the East, the head of male immortals appointed by the Dao Ancestor. The Lord of the East was so incensed by these glances that he was on the verge of confronting them, but considering the occasion and the inappropriateness of the time and place, he forced himself to endure.

Meanwhile, Nuwa gazed at the red embroidered ball suspended in her hand. She discovered that the merit which had just fallen upon this spiritual treasure had directly transformed it into a merit treasure. No longer did she feel any regret for the vast amount of merit expended; instead, she saw it as a tremendous opportunity.

Storing away the red embroidered ball, Nuwa approached Fuxi and stopped at his side. By now, nearly all the visiting and congratulating powers had departed from the Heavenly Court. Within the Lingxiao Palace, only important members of the demon race and some remnants left by the Wu tribe remained.

Suddenly, Nuwa turned to Fuxi. “Brother, I am preparing to return to Phoenix Perch Mountain to seclude myself in cultivation. Will you return with me, or do you wish to remain?”

After finishing her words, Nuwa looked calmly at Fuxi. Hearing this, Fuxi was filled with suspicion. “Is something amiss within the Heavenly Court? Or do you feel you’ve been neglected or wronged here?”

Nuwa shook her head and slowly explained her thoughts to Fuxi. As her cultivation deepened, she realized that being too entangled with the demon race was not beneficial—it would only constrain her. She advised Fuxi to return with her to Phoenix Perch Mountain to cultivate.

However, given the current prosperity of the Heavenly Court, Fuxi had no intention of leaving. To him, the future here was bright and full of promise.

Seeing this, Nuwa felt a faint sense of loss. She noticed that Fuxi seemed to have changed; he had become lax in cultivation, devoting himself instead to the affairs of the Heavenly Court and the demon race—something Nuwa could not comprehend.

In the end, Nuwa had no choice but to return alone, disappointed, to Phoenix Perch Mountain to cultivate in seclusion.

As for Nuwa’s change, Emperor Jun, newly wed, was too enraptured to pay much attention. He simply assumed Nuwa was pursuing normal cultivation or perhaps delving into some secret divine art. Only later would he realize that Nuwa’s connection to the Heavenly Court had become nothing like it once was.

Meanwhile, in the southern region at the Immortal Volcano, Zhenyuanzi, Qingxuan, and others were nearing the final stages of establishing a blessed land.

“It’s almost complete. After one hundred and twenty thousand years, it’s finally about to succeed!” Zhenyuanzi muttered as he looked at the nearly finished blessed land.

Qingxuan, seeing this, waved his hand, drawing forth a figure who appeared before them.

“Greetings, Father God!” she said upon arrival, bowing deeply to Qingxuan.

Indeed, the one who appeared was one of the twelve Ancestors of the Spirit Clan, created by Qingxuan. The moment she appeared, countless members of the Phoenix Clan sensed a familiar and intimate aura from her, yet it was clear she was not one of their own.

They turned to Qingxuan, seeking an explanation. “Dao Sovereign, who is she?”

Noticing their confusion, Qingxuan explained, “She is of a clan I created. She was nurtured from a branch of the Phoenix Tree and brought forth by supreme divine arts and methods. They are called the Spirit Clan—you should have heard of them before.”

Upon hearing this, the Phoenix Clan understood and ceased their questioning, turning their focus back to the ongoing creation of the blessed land.

As the Immortal Volcano was unique and vital to the Great Desolation, it could not simply be used as the blessed land itself. Instead, with combined effort and the assistance of the earth veins, they created another mountain, nearly identical to the Immortal Volcano, and began to develop the blessed land there.

Qingxuan now looked at the Spirit Clan woman. “You are of fire, created using the Phoenix Tree as your foundation. Today, I shall name you Yi Qiao. Do you accept?”

“Thank you, Father God! From now on, I will be called Yi Qiao!” she replied joyfully. Since Yi Jian had previously received a name from Qingxuan, the others had all hoped to be named by him as well. Now, at last, it was her turn.

“Very well,” said Qingxuan. “From this day forth, you shall guard this blessed land. The Phoenix Clan’s Immortal Volcano is crucial, and the Phoenix Tree cannot be moved lightly.”

Yi Qiao readily agreed, and Qingxuan, satisfied, said no more. As the crucial moment arrived, he called upon Yi Qiao to join in the effort. Together, they filled the blessed land with the laws of fiery Dao.

After countless years had passed, Zhenyuanzi, sensing the time was right, used the Earth Book to merge the new land with the Immortal Volcano. In that instant, the volcano trembled as if about to erupt. Qingxuan acted quickly to suppress it, then glanced at Yi Qiao.

Understanding his intent, Yi Qiao transformed into a streak of fire and entered the blessed land, swiftly rooting her own life-source spiritual plant within it. Only then did the agitation of the Immortal Volcano begin to subside, eventually calming completely, and the blessed land was successfully established.

At that moment, a dazzling golden light burst forth, spreading rapidly across the entire Great Desolation. The golden light linked up with the blessed lands Zhenyuanzi had previously established, and golden rays descended from the heavens, corresponding with them perfectly.