Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"Merit golden light," the middle-aged man murmured to himself. This was the term he had gleaned from the knowledge that had just entered his mind, and it seemed to be something many Divine Beings could not obtain.

At the same time, all the great powers of this era discovered the fact that merit was descending from heaven and began to calculate, but for some reason, Heaven's Secret was shrouded in Chaos, and it was impossible to deduce exactly who had received such an abundance of merit. They could only ascertain that the merit had fallen upon the human race.

"The human race, impossible, how could such an extremely weak race possibly have merit? Could they really be the race destined to replace us as the protagonists of heaven and earth?"

Atop a majestic mountain, there were countless caves, and within each cave, there was a dragon.

At the peak of the mountain sat a vast palace, filled with countless dazzling gemstones, where nine dragons of varied forms lay prostrate on piles of gemstones. At that moment, a ferocious blue dragon was roaring up at the sky.

As the strongest among the Dragon Clan, their decisions related to the life and death of their entire race. They had sensed the change in Heaven's Secret not long ago, a sign that the role of the protagonist of heaven and earth was about to shift.

For the Dragon Clan, which had long ruled the skies, the land, and the oceans, this was an unacceptable development. As a result, the Dragon Clan had become more domineering than ever, adopting an exterminate-all approach towards many powerful races. However, now that merit had descended from heaven, they were shocked to discover that the next protagonists of heaven and earth were such a frail race, so they found it hard to believe.

"The human race? Is that the race created by Nuwa?" The most superior among them was a pitch-black dragon with ferocious horns—the War Dragon King of the Dragon Clan.

"Impossible, the frailty of the human race is well-known. How can such a race shoulder the mandate of being the protagonists of heaven and earth?" a green dragon said in a crisp voice, clearly a female dragon.

"What's so impossible about it? The descent of merit, though Heaven's Secret is in Chaos, there's no mistake it has landed on the human race. This is a treatment reserved for the true protagonists of heaven and earth. It's better to take action and deal with them sooner rather than later," the Water Dragon King said cruelly. To him, anything that could threaten his race's status should be utterly destroyed, and the massacres happening on the earth at that moment were orchestrated by him.

"If the human race is indeed the destined next protagonist of heaven and earth, and we slaughter them, would that not be going against the will of heaven? Such actions could bring disaster upon us," the Earth Dragon King commented.

"Are you afraid? We, the Dragon Clan, have lived in this world since the beginning of heaven and earth, as the true protagonists. What merits or capabilities do humans have to replace us? Divine will? Even if it means defying heaven, should we just sit and wait for death?" the Water Dragon King said aggressively. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire

"Your murderous intent has risen, and with it, Heaven's Secret has changed. If a calamity descends, who will bear the responsibility?" retorted the Earth Dragon King.

"Coward! We are the proud Dragon Clan. If they want to take the protagonist position from us, it's simple—they must defeat us. If they don't have the strength, why should we yield?"

"Silence!" the War Dragon King seated at the highest point shouted loudly, stopping the argument between the two Dragon Kings.

"The human race may be weak, but behind them stand Nuwa and Fuxi, two Innate Divine Spirits. If we exterminate them, we inevitably have to confront both," the War Dragon King said softly, though his words already conveyed a decision.

"That won't be difficult. Fuxi is infatuated with music, often playing the zither by the banks of the Wei River. Just find a good opportunity to ambush him. Once he is dead, Nuwa alone will not be a match for us," he continued.

While the Dragon Kings were discussing, the matter of merit descending from heaven also captured the attention of the deities. Eastern Emperor Taiyi in the Nine Heavens opened his eyes, his golden gaze piercing through the earth, and he discerned the affair of the human race, understanding Heaven's Secret.

"Dong!" A sonorous sound of the Eastern Emperor Bell reverberated through heaven and earth—it was Eastern Emperor Taiyi ringing the bell to summon the gods to discuss the matter.

Before long, the ethereal Lord Yun, enigmatic Great Minister of Fate with his Lesser Minister, Lady Xiang wrapped in water's charm along with her consort, Lord Xiang, and Leize enveloped by the aura of Thunder, as well as Taishan Mansion Lord embodying death itself, arrived one by one.

These Divine Spirits were the most powerful in all of Primordial Chaos, wielding supreme authority, oppressing heaven and earth, and determining the life, death, and fate of all living beings.

"Heaven's Secret has changed, the Dragon Clan shall perish, the human race shall rise," Eastern Emperor's profound and booming voice echoed through the sky, causing the gods to turn their heads in response.

"The Dragon Clan has always been arrogant, showing not the slightest reverence for us deities; wielding their strength to run amok between heaven and earth, it's about time they were cleared away," Lady Xiang, a beautiful and dignified woman clad in a blue dress, stated while standing upon the clouds, surrounded by countless streams of water charm as if rivers themselves.

"This is the mandate of heaven," the Great Minister of Fate's voice, distant and echoic, emerged from within his dark cloak, as if noting the verdict of fate.

"If the human race is heaven's chosen protagonist, and since the Dragon Clan harbors the intent to kill, it is naturally their time to die," the Taishan Mansion Lord spoke out, his presence heavy with the essence of death.

"However, how did the human race come to master the use of fire so quickly? I've noticed a discord in fate," the Lesser Minister of Fate, a woman in a deep blue dress with her face veiled, spoke. Her eyes were invisible behind the veil, showing only an abyss of darkness.

The words of the Lesser Minister of Fate immediately drew the attention of all the gods. Surrounded by an aura of Thunder, Leize with blue hair couldn't help but say, "Lesser Minister of Fate, you and the Great Minister of Fate oversee destiny itself, yet even you can't locate this discord?"

"The closer one is to destiny, the more one realizes one's insignificance. In the river of fate, we are merely small fish crossing the current, allowed to glimpse but a fraction of fate's mysteries. This inconsistency vanished in an instant, and I can't locate it," the Lesser Minister of Fate said hauntingly.

Hearing this, Leize immediately furrowed his brow—a revelation that wasn't good news at all. Even the deities presiding over destiny couldn't identify it, which filled him with worry, sensing that tumultuous times were brewing, and the future was uncertain.

"Worry not, for destiny lies with me, and all shall be well," Eastern Emperor's voice sounded once more, steadying the somewhat anxious heart of Leize.

Lu Yu was oblivious that, due to his emergence, Heaven's Secret had shifted, and both the Dragon Clan and the Divine Spirits had begun their movements, with a cataclysm about to unfold.

Meanwhile, as the catalyst of the entire event, he walked contentedly through the mountains and forests. The spiritual charm of Primordial Chaos was abundant at this time, and the laws of heaven and earth were manifest, offering an excellent opportunity for cultivation.

As he measured the earth with his feet, he also sensed the mountains and rivers, carefully observing their circulation and composition of the Five Elements Qi, laying the groundwork for his Five Qi to the Yuan.