Chapter 41: Pangu
As Jiang Ping witnessed the Genesis' update, the chaotic world underwent momentous transformations. Time held no sway in the realm of Chaos, its origins veiled in mystery. Gradually, the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods emerged, maturing with each passing moment.
Among them, some possessed extraordinary forms—three heads, six arms, bodies that blended humans, animals, and serpents. Others took on peculiar shapes, square and devoid of heads or tails. These uncanny appearances defied the limits of imagination.
Yet, the most awe-inspiring entity among them stood tall at the heart of the chaotic maelstrom—a colossal hollow willow tree. Its majestic branches swayed, calming the turbulent currents of chaos and causing fissures to tear open in the fabric of space. The hollow willow found itself ensconced amidst fragments of void.
It is essential to grasp the enormity of this reality. In the realm of chaos, the power of space reigned unimaginably potent. Even the sages of future generations, armed with innate treasures, could scarcely create rifts within the fabric of space.
In this era, however, aside from Pangu, the sovereign of chaos, only the hollow willow possessed such an extraordinary ability. It had inherited one of the mightiest paths—the Path of Space.
Yet, within the nascent consciousness of the hollow willow, the world appeared less desolate. Deep within its soul, faded memories of a familiar pond lingered—a place where companions surrounded it, and lotus leaves swayed upon the water's surface, accompanied by blooming lotus flowers.
"Oh, I just want to see my home once again" the newborn Yang Liu expressed, his voice resonating with emotion.
Amidst the boundless chaos, a figure at the center stirred an inexplicable tremor within Yang Liu. Within his soul, a glimmer of familiarity flickered.
The hollow willow swayed gently, its perception of invincibility shattered by the aura exuded by the central deity. It stood on an entirely different plane, surpassing the hollow willow's comprehension.
Unbeknownst to it, the hollow willow gradually gravitated towards the chaos-infused emerald lotus at the center, driven by an insatiable curiosity.
Why did this strange entity, at the heart of chaos, evoke a sense of familiarity within me?
As the willow branches swayed, a rift in space materialized. Seizing the opportunity, the hollow willow leaped forward, embarking on a perilous journey in search of its long-lost homeland.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of chaos, another formidable Chaos Demon God came into existence.
Tick, tick! Its eyes abruptly opened, a clock symbolizing time incessantly turning within them. From the moment of its birth, the world became divided into fleeting moments and sweeping epochs. Roar!
A thunderous bellow reverberated through chaos as a colossal demon ape, towering ten thousand zhang tall, wielded a formidable magic staff. It appeared locked in a fierce battle against a formidable adversary.
This Chaos Demon Ape had been birthed by Genesis, fusing the human genes of the primordial realm with those of the indomitable Ant King. Its power was so immense that all who beheld it quivered with terror. No foe could contest its might. Furthermore, the fusion of the Unrivaled Ant King's genes bestowed upon it an insatiable bloodlust and an innate penchant for unbridled warfare, bereft of rationality.
One by one, mighty demon gods broke free from the chaotic matrix, each inheriting a unique law. Their awe-inspiring might reverberated through the heavens.
Among their ranks wriggled a minuscule earthworm, ceaseless in its movements. Its gray head extended upward, gradually tapering into a pointed tail, carving wormholes through the chaotic expanse.
Compared to the colossal demon gods, its form was pitifully diminutive, and its strength paled in comparison to those who had inherited the Dao. Nonetheless, it thrived amidst the chaos.
Its ashen skin greedily absorbed the chaotic energy as the minuscule earthworm tenaciously fought for survival in the darkness, its progress mirroring the gradual crawl of subterranean creatures.
Jiang Ping retrieved the Genesis, rising to his feet as he surveyed the chaotic world. "Yes, yes, the conception of Chaos Demon Gods follows a similar pattern, and the era of Pangu's emergence draws near," he remarked with a smile.
With a gentle tap, time within the chaotic world accelerated, akin to a movie fast-forwarded tenfold. The bizarre and diverse forms of the chaotic demon gods flickered before Jiang Ping's eyes.
Chaos, vast and boundless, housed three thousand demon gods, rendering them inconsequential amidst its expanse, even with Jiang Ping manipulating the flow of time.
No encounters transpired among the demon gods, nor did they collide. The space willow tree alone traversed time and space, cautiously approaching the demon of time, separated by vast expanses.
These two, second only to Pangu in strength, sensed each other's presence and begrudgingly harbored envy. Alas, fate never allowed them to cross paths.
"Curious... Why does my heart perpetually stir with restlessness? It seems that the very fabric of Chaos has grown increasingly agitated. Time appears to have undergone a transformation," contemplated Zou Mei, the Time Demon God. His acute sensitivity to the passage of time left him riddled with doubt.
Despite his meticulous investigation, he found no answers, only mounting uncertainties. As the god of time, he possessed an unmatched awareness of temporal fluctuations. Yet, even he remained oblivious to the events unfolding within the turbulent flow of chaotic time.
"How remarkable," Jiang Ping mused with a smile, observing the world from his vantage point. Accelerating the passage of time to such an extent, this was the first occasion on which denizens of the realm perceived this manipulation! The comprehension possessed by those who dwelled within Chaos, perceiving alterations in the flow of time, defied all expectations.
"With such acceleration, Pangu's imminent birth draws near!" Jiang Ping reflected, his tone tinged with sentimentality.
For the mightier the entity, the longer their incubation. In Jiang Ping's vision, an incomprehensibly colossal emerald lotus took root at the very heart of chaos, its movements engendering a swirling maelstrom within the realm.
Amidst the convergence of countless chaotic energies, even the Chaos Demon Gods found it impossible to maintain stability in this tumultuous realm. Far in the distance, a willow steadily made its way across the vast expanse of interstellar distance.
"Not an insignificant feat," Jiang Ping pondered with a touch of emotion as he observed the leaping willow tree. It had unexpectedly survived, hinting that its future achievements might rival those of the earthworms, perhaps even harboring the potential for another Lahil.
Thinking of Lahil, Jiang Ping picked up the green seeds from the table. This time, he refrained from casting them into the chaotic world, intending to plant them in the future when the opportunity arose. After all, no matter how formidable the Chaos Demon Gods may be, they merely served as fertilizer for Pangu's creation.
Within the core of the chaotic green lotus, a massive egg rose and fell, buffeted by turbulent currents, its occupants teetering on the brink of breaking free from its confining shell.
Under Jiang Ping's discerning gaze, Pangu within the egg underwent ceaseless transformations. One moment, a dragon-headed being; the next, a bull-headed dragon-bodied entity. Each day brought forth three thousand variations, never repeating.
Having merged all the genes into the egg, Jiang Ping himself bled profusely, resulting in Pan Gu's extraordinary metamorphosis. Were it not for the assistance of a multitude of origin points, the egg would have long since collapsed and detonated.
Finally, as Pangu settled into a human form within the colossal egg, Jiang Ping's eyes shimmered with satisfaction.
"It is complete!"
The gargantuan chaotic green lotus began to unfurl, its emerald petals parting slowly, casting an endless azure radiance upon the boundless chaos.
More than two thousand Chaos Demon Gods stood stupefied, their gazes fixed on the unprecedented light illuminating the realm of chaos.
Yang Liu, traversing through space, abruptly halted. "This...this is?" he uttered, astonished and disbelieving.
Before him, an immense green lotus bloomed in serene splendor.
With a resounding bang, the colossal egg within the lotus core burst open, revealing a towering figure wielding a mighty axe, a jade butterfly adorning his head.
"Zha!"
The colossal being bellowed furiously, announcing his emergence to the entirety of Chaos!
"I, Pangu, am born on this day. By the decree of the Dao, I shall rend asunder the chaos and forge a new world!"
With his purpose declared, the chaotic realm quaked violently as over two thousand other demon gods, their eyes filled with madness, surged toward the center of chaos.
In this moment, the harmony of the Dao waned, and the demon gods, catching sight of Pangu, sought to hinder his endeavor to open the sky.
Chaos resembled a tumultuous sea. As Pangu cleaved open the sky, the world expanded, and the waters surged forth relentlessly. The tiny fish dwelling within were destined to wither and perish!
Thus began the first cataclysm of chaos—the demon gods' obstruction of Pangu.
The demon gods charged forward in a frenzy from all directions, and even the small earthworm became engulfed in the maelstrom, propelled toward the heart of chaos.
Outside, Jiang Ping's smile broadened. "Pangu has been born, and a magnificent prehistoric world stands on the verge of materialization!"