Chapter 101: An Oath Broken and a Mother’s Visit

Annihilation had once suspected this individual was a Main Soul, for only a Main Soul could possess such an extraordinarily potent and abnormal divine soul.

“Will you release my master?” Ji Lingguang demanded, her gaze fixed on Annihilation. “If you don’t, I’ll detonate myself right here for you to witness!”

“Alright, alright,” Annihilation conceded. “I’ll spare your sect members.”

Annihilation, however, deemed it prudent to placate her for now, knowing that once inside the Spirit Coffin Lamp, she would inevitably become its wick.

“I don’t believe you,” Ji Lingguang retorted. “You must swear an oath!”

Ji Lingguang, however, was far too shrewd to fall for her empty words.

“Very well,” Annihilation declared, “I, Annihilation, swear that I will not touch the Peach Blossom Pavilion.”

Annihilation made the vow with an air of utter indifference.

“Good,” Ji Lingguang affirmed. “This Heavenly Dao oath has been made; I’m not afraid of you going back on your word!”

Watching Ji Lingguang’s victorious demeanor, Annihilation found herself utterly amused.

‘Did she truly believe a Heavenly Dao oath would bind a Chaos Demon God like me?’ Annihilation mused. ‘Was my Great Dao of Destruction nothing more than a mere ornament?’

‘The Heavenly Dao was but one of many Great Daos,’ she thought. ‘Would I, a wielder of a Great Dao myself, truly be intimidated by a paltry Heavenly Dao oath?’

‘Most ludicrous of all,’ she inwardly scoffed, ‘this was happening within the Spirit Coffin Lamp, which could directly sever all ties to the outside world, rendering any oath utterly powerless.’

****

On a small island nestled within the Heavenly Gate Archipelago, a woman of breathtaking beauty sat upon the earth. A gentle breeze caressed her long hair, causing her dark black *ruqun* to ripple softly. Her eyes, clear and luminous, seemed to pierce through all worldly illusions, while her flawless figure possessed a captivating allure capable of driving male cultivators to utter frenzy.

With her eyes closed, her body trembled almost imperceptibly, as though she were lost in deep contemplation of some profound matter.

Within the confines of her mind, the scene unfolding inside the Spirit Coffin Lamp played out before her. A faint smile touched her lips as she envisioned Annihilation and Ji Lingguang.

This exquisite woman was none other than Liu Ruyan, the Lesser Saint of the Human Race, and Annihilation’s revival had been orchestrated entirely by her.

Liu Ruyan opened her eyes, a knowing smile gracing her lips as she observed the willow tree in the courtyard swaying ever so gently.

With a graceful sweep of her sleeve, Liu Ruyan conjured a zitan wood tea table, which materialized upon the stone table in the small courtyard. A pot of exquisitely fragrant immortal tea settled gently upon it.

With a gentle smile, she addressed the seemingly empty courtyard, her voice an inviting whisper: “Instead of remaining peacefully on your Kunlun Mountain, why do you skulk about here? Would it not be more pleasant to reveal yourself and share a cup of tea?”

“It appears I still couldn’t escape your notice,” a voice responded.

A melodious voice resonated through the air, immediately followed by a subtle ripple in space.

From the rippling space, a woman slowly emerged, her figure tall and graceful, her countenance radiating a quiet serenity.

She was clad in a light green, waist-length *jiao ling ruqun*, its hem swaying gracefully with the breeze, rising and falling like a gentle undulation. Her eyes, as profound as the deepest ocean, conveyed both wisdom and boundless compassion, emanating an infinitely tender and comforting aura that evoked an inexplicable sense of familiarity in all who beheld her.

The *ruqun* she wore, named ‘Flower Feather,’ was, like Liu Ruyan’s ‘Dreamlike Rainbow Robe,’ a Heavenly-grade magic treasure. Indeed, anyone who could casually don such a powerful artifact as clothing surely possessed an extraordinary and formidable background.

The stunning woman approached the stone table, took a seat, and, lifting a teacup, gracefully took a small sip.

In that instant, a profound sense of clarity permeated her entire being, washing over her with an exquisite comfort.

“This Enlightenment Tea is truly exceptional,” she remarked.

“It is, after all, a Primordial Chaos Spirit Root,” Liu Ruyan replied. “It could hardly be anything less than excellent.”

“You’re being far too ostentatious,” the woman chided playfully.

“Even if I am, I can’t possibly compare to you, the revered Mother of Humanity.”

“And how, precisely, am I being ostentatious?”

“Nuwa,” Liu Ruyan challenged, “hand over the Creation Ephemeral Flower you’re holding, and then you can claim you’re not being ostentatious.”

“I refuse,” Nuwa declared.

Nuwa chuckled, her gaze playful as she looked at Liu Ruyan. “You, too, are a child of humanity. Quickly, offer tea to your mother!”

Liu Ruyan slowly set down her teacup. “In that case,” she mused, “you certainly have a great many children.”

“To think that the venerable Saint Liu of the Human Race would disrespect me, the Holy Mother of Humanity,” Nuwa lamented, feigning tears, “it truly breaks my heart.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” Liu Ruyan countered, “I can choose to disrespect you. Regarding the incident with the Demon Suppressing Sword back then, why did you not intervene?”

“For that particular matter,” Nuwa explained, “Tai Feng and Yuan Qilin directly besieged my dwelling. It wasn’t that I chose not to intervene.”

“In other words,” Liu Ruyan retorted, “if you’re weak, then train harder.”

As Liu Ruyan and Nuwa sat in the tranquil courtyard, a soft breeze drifted by, carrying crystal-clear dew drops from the morning trees that gently settled upon them.

Nuwa sat poised opposite Liu Ruyan, a glint of mischief in her eyes as she regarded her, a broad smile gracing her lips. “Yan’er,” she began, “don’t forget, if I hadn’t allowed you to comprehend the Creation Ephemeral Flower, you might not have been able to create the ‘Red Dust Art’ and the ‘Six Spirits True Body Art.’ In a sense, I contributed significantly to the Human-Dragon Tribulation.”

“I have already repaid that portion of karma,” Liu Ruyan stated. “Otherwise, from where would the Human Dao’s destiny on your person have originated?”

Liu Ruyan offered a faint smile. “What exactly is it you wish to discuss with me?”

“Can I not simply come to visit my own child?” Nuwa replied with a playful pout.

“Be serious!” Liu Ruyan chided gently. “You are the Holy Mother of Humanity.”

“I don’t care,” Nuwa insisted. “You are simply my most exceptional child.”

“The Human Race has more than just me as a Lesser Saint,” Liu Ruyan pointed out. “Isn’t that fellow Feng Ling also one?”

“But only you truly understand my heart’s intentions,” Nuwa said softly.

“Enough with the pleasantries,” Liu Ruyan urged. “Let’s get to the main topic.”

“Alas,” Nuwa sighed dramatically, “my child has grown up and no longer heeds her old mother’s words.”

“Hey!” Liu Ruyan exclaimed. “I am not your daughter!”

“I’m not listening, I’m not listening,” Nuwa sang, “it’s like a tortoise chanting sutras.”

“Ugh…” Liu Ruyan uttered, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

Liu Ruyan, utterly speechless, gazed at Nuwa. “Does Fuxi know you behave like this?” she asked.

“Didn’t you arrange for my brother to suppress the Human Dao’s destiny in the Fire Cloud Cave in the Eastern Sea?” Nuwa retorted.

Nuwa cast a resentful glance at Liu Ruyan. She and her brother were among the rare primordial gods who had endured and survived the Heaven and Earth Tribulation. Yet, after the Human-Dragon Tribulation concluded, Liu Ruyan, in concert with Feng Ling, had opened the Fire Cloud Cave somewhere in the Eastern Sea, dispatching Nuwa’s brother, the Human Emperor, to suppress the Human Dao’s destiny within.

“This matter also serves your benefit,” Liu Ruyan explained, “enabling you to become a Human Dao Saint.”

“I have no desire to become a Human Dao Saint,” Nuwa declared, a hint of disdain in her voice. “Being controlled by the Human Dao is hardly a comfortable prospect.”

Nuwa held a profound disdain for Human Dao Saints. Her path was that of the Great Dao of Creation, and achieving sainthood through one’s own Great Dao was infinitely more powerful than merely becoming a Saint by leveraging the power of the Three Daos.

Even Saints were categorized into various ranks. The weakest were the Merit Saints, whose Dao Fruit resided within the Three Daos. The second type achieved sainthood through their physical bodies, becoming Saints purely through their flesh and divine soul without cultivating a Great Dao. While not controlled by the Three Daos, they lacked an independent Great Dao, and their combat prowess was utterly incomparable to that of a Great Dao Saint.

“It’s enough simply to become a Saint,” Liu Ruyan stated.

“Heh,” Nuwa scoffed, rolling her eyes at Liu Ruyan. “Then why didn’t you choose to become a Merit Saint or a Body-Achieved Saint? Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know the true purpose behind the Human-Dragon Tribulation. If you truly wished to become one of those Saints, you would have agreed to the Heavenly Dao back then, rather than rebelling against it.”

“Alright, I can’t argue with you,” Liu Ruyan conceded, draining her teacup in a single gulp. “I’ve already sent Annihilation to Ji Lingguang’s side, to act as a protector.”

“Yan’er, what exactly are you planning?”

Nuwa couldn’t quite grasp Liu Ruyan’s reasoning, as Liu Ruyan, like herself, would never choose the path of a Merit Saint. Why then, this intricate scheme?

“The Human Dao found me,” Liu Ruyan revealed. “The Heavenly Dao’s scheme for the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden’s contention has made the Human Dao desperate. This time, the Human Dao will fight with all its might to prevent the Heavenly Dao from succeeding. Otherwise, why would it choose to reincarnate as Ji Lingguang?”

“Furthermore, I refuse to see the Heavenly Dao consolidate the hearts of the Eastern Sea’s populace. This damned Tribulation of Red Dust.”