Honghuang: My understanding is against the sky, I use the Gu Dao to prove the origin of the universe
Chapter 21 - The Mysteries of Acupoints, Phoenix Spirit's Return

Chapter 21  The Mysteries of Acupoints, Phoenix Spirit’s Return

Calming his mind, Chu Yuan withdrew all his Gu corpses into his body’s acupoints for nurturing. The profundity of the Xuanhuang Immortal Body was far beyond its unparalleled defense.

Gu was the foundation of Chu Yuan’s path to ascension. All his remaining techniques revolved around the Way of Gu.

When comprehending the Xuanhuang Immortal Body, how could Chu Yuan not have considered this?

Within his body, the 108,000 acupoints glowed brilliantly—viewed through inner sight, they resembled a sky full of stars. These were special acupoints he had developed solely for nurturing Gu corpses.

They perfectly embodied the principle.

“Use the strength of all beings to make up for one’s own shortcomings!”

Ordinarily, these acupoints could immediately nourish the Gu corpses. In turn, the Gu corpses would enhance his physical body, strengthening his Dharma body.

It was truly a mutually reinforcing, profoundly intricate system. As he stepped out of the restriction, Nuwa, who had been waiting for a long time, eagerly rushed over.

“Brother, you’ve finished your retreat!”

“Congratulations on your great advancement!”

After spending several thousand years training and living together, Nuwa was no longer the naive young girl she once was. She had grown ever more graceful and spiritually vibrant. With Chu Yuan’s guidance and the nurturing environment of Buzhou Mountain, her cultivation had advanced rapidly.

She was now only half a step away from becoming a Great Luo Golden Immortal, on the verge of manifesting her true form and achieving the complete legacy of a Primordial Demon God.

“Mhm,” Chu Yuan smiled, rubbing her head gently. “Now that this is done, it’s time for us to descend the mountain.”

With a thought, Chu Yuan released a figure from within the Tower of Creation. It was Phoenix Spirit. After cultivating for thousands of years within the Tower of Creation—with its abundant spiritual energy and assistance from various spiritual roots—though she lacked the tempering of Pangu’s divine pressure, her peaceful cultivation had finally borne fruit. She had broken through her bottleneck and reached the peak of Golden Immortal!

“Greetings, my lord!”

The moment Phoenix Spirit appeared and sensed the vast, ocean-deep aura emanating from Chu Yuan—far beyond what it once was—as well as the pure, innate demon-god Dao aura radiating from Nuwa beside him, she was shaken to the core and immediately bowed respectfully.

“There’s no need for formalities.”

Chu Yuan nodded slightly.

“The matter of Mount Buzhou is settled. I will leave soon, and the karma between us can be considered resolved.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Ling was moved but still insisted, “Master, your grace in saving my life and granting me rebirth is something I will never forget. In this life, I am willing to follow you wherever you go.”

Chu Yuan glanced at Feng Ling. She had reached the peak of the Golden Immortal realm from the early stage in just a few thousand years. He already had his suspicions.

Seeing her speak with such sincerity, he didn’t say much more.

“So be it. Since you wish to follow me, you may serve by my side as an attendant. In the future, I may grant you a great fortune.”

“Thank you, Master!”

After a brief exchange, the three wasted no more time. They determined their direction and turned into streaks of light, flying down from Mount Buzhou.

As they descended, the terrifying pressure of Pangu gradually weakened. When they finally stepped out of the range of Mount Buzhou and once again set foot on the vast land of the Great Desolation,

Chu Yuan, Nüwa, and Feng Ling all felt a sense of disconnection, as if a lifetime had passed. The journey to Mount Buzhou had taken thousands of years. For Chu Yuan, it was a tremendous leap from the late Golden Immortal stage to the early Taiyi Golden Immortal stage, along with gaining unimaginable treasures and trump cards.

For Nüwa, it was a growth from an ignorant newborn to someone on the verge of taking full form. For Feng Ling, it was a breakthrough from the early to the peak of the Golden Immortal realm.

Looking back, that divine mountain propping up the heavens still stood tall—ancient and vast. Chu Yuan took a deep breath. Although the spiritual energy of the Great Desolation wasn’t as rich as that of Mount Buzhou, it was freer and broader.

Just as Chu Yuan was preparing to use the Art of Yellow Escape Light to quickly leave this troublesome place,  a scorching, violent, furious, and murderous aura surged from the distant sky like a volcanic eruption, instantly locking onto the three of them!

The aura was overwhelmingly powerful—far beyond that of the Yun Qilin Chu Yuan had slain before. It was a true Da Luo Golden Immortal!

Chu Yuan’s expression remained calm. He halted his escape light, shielding Nüwa and Feng Ling behind him, and looked in the direction from which the aura came.

There, in the distant sky, a crimson fire cloud was sweeping towards them at an astonishing speed, distorting and warping the void as it passed.

In the midst of the blazing clouds, a towering qilin figure—over a thousand zhang tall and exuding awe-inspiring might—could be vaguely seen!

This qilin was engulfed in divine flames, its mane flowing like molten red gold, its hooves stepping on fire. Its eyes blazed like twin burning suns, filled with ferocity and majesty!

It was none other than one of the few top experts beneath the Prime Qilin among the qilin race—one of the Five Virtue Qilins, the Fire Qilin!

“How dare you! You killed my clansman, stole our sacred treasure, and still dare to show yourself before me!”

Even before the Fire Qilin fully approached, a thunderous roar filled with boundless fury exploded forth, shaking the winds and clouds for a million li around!

The terrifying pressure of a Da Luo Golden Immortal descended like a tangible force, crushing down. Feng Ling’s face instantly turned pale, struggling even to breathe.

“Fire Qilin!”

Feng Ling recognized the newcomer. Her eyes were full of terror as she quickly sent a sound transmission to Chu Yuan.

“Master, be careful! That’s the Great Elder of the Qilin Clan—the Fire Qilin, son of the Prime Qilin. He’s a powerful early-stage Da Luo Golden Immortal, with a hot temper and tremendous battle strength!”

Chu Yuan understood immediately.

It seemed the killing of the Cloud Qilin back then had finally provoked the Qilin Clan’s revenge—and they had sent a Da Luo Golden Immortal right off the bat!

With a thunderous crash, the Fire Qilin’s massive body landed not far in front of Chu Yuan. The scorching waves of heat melted the ground into lava.

Given that the Honghuang (Great Desolation) setting spans incredibly long timeframes—thousands or even tens of thousands of years—it’s natural for the story to feel more drawn out.