Chi Creek’s gaze swept over Quinn, his pupils contracting sharply. Clearly, seeing Quinn reminded him of the Woodcutter Sage—and all the humiliations the Sage had once dealt him.
That time, when he ambushed the Woodcutter Sage, he was utterly crushed—the Sage directly tossed him into the Taehwang Demon Clan’s territory, and he’d barely escaped death.
If not for running into Ben Coates, the master of escape, he’d have died at the hands of the demon clan.
He tore his eyes away and looked at the First Ancestor, and suddenly his heart spasmed violently, as if some invisible weight pressed down on his chest.
It was the aura of the First Ancestor that gave him this illusion—a man standing alone between the collapse of heaven and earth, suffused with a profound loneliness and self-blame so deep that even Chi Creek felt its weight.
"Are you a god of the Kaihuang era, or from the Shanghuang era?" Chi Creek steadied himself and asked.
"Kaihuang," the First Ancestor replied.
The First Ancestor, a bit exasperated by Quinn’s curiosity, said softly, "The divine arts and paths of the Chiming Era were indeed outstanding and admirable. But, my friend, you must see by now that you cannot awaken your companions. Their souls have been lost for too long; they can’t come back."
Chi Creek’s eye twitched, his voice hoarse as he sneered, "So you’re the one who did this—who sabotaged my old friends?"
The First Ancestor frowned. It wasn’t just Chi Creek’s words that made him uncomfortable—Quinn, too, unsettled him. Quinn was already up close, examining and calculating the runes on those circular wheels, trying to deduce the secrets hidden in these creation divine arts.
From Chi Creek’s words, he could clearly sense hostility. For Quinn to approach at this moment showed perhaps too much faith in his own strength.
Quinn had complete confidence in him, but the First Ancestor himself was far less certain.
This was a divine city of the Chiming Era. Judging by the layout, it must be a palace of the Chiming Heavenly Court submerged beneath the South Sea. Chi Creek had struggled to return here, heading straight to this place—there had to be more than just the Creation God-Ring; surely, there were other powerful divine weapons hidden here as well!
The divine weapons the Chiming Heavenly Court used to guard its palaces must have been incredibly formidable—but who knew if Chi Creek had managed to obtain them?
"You misunderstand, my friend."
The First Ancestor’s expression remained calm. "I didn’t harm your companions. In the Chiming Era, you all excelled at cultivating the flesh, but your attainments in soul, Spirit Embryo, and Primordial Spirit were lacking. Your friends have spent too long transformed into strange forms—their souls and Primordial Spirits have mutated as well."
A fierce light flashed in Chi Creek’s eyes. He chuckled darkly, "So you claim mastery over creation divine arts?"
The First Ancestor replied, "Not mastery. But in the Kaihuang Heavenly Court, I met a true expert—his studies in fleshly creation arts were not as deep as those of the Chiming Era, but he specialized in the creation of soul, Spirit Embryo, and Primordial Spirit, and achieved extraordinary results. I learned a little from him."
Quinn’s heart stirred. "Could it be the Woodcutter Sage? The Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra contains Seven Creation Chapters, all about creation arts. The Woodcutter Sage must be a true master of this discipline!"
"In my view, perhaps in three to five years, some of your clansmen might awaken—but most will never return."