Chapter Twelve: Joining the Alliance of the Two Clans

Yuanfeng confronted the Ancestral Dragon, speaking in human tongue and mercilessly questioning him. Though both Yuanfeng and the First Qilin were only at the early quasi-saint stage—one level below the Ancestral Dragon—they stood firm together, unafraid.

“Yuanfeng, First Qilin, I have no wish to become your enemy,” rumbled the Ancestral Dragon, his gaze fixed on Li Tian and Fuxi, who had both taken human form. “Let me take the lives of those two little thieves, and I will withdraw at once. Afterward, I shall send envoys to your doors to offer recompense.”

Li Tian and Fuxi felt a jolt of alarm at his words. Although it seemed unlikely, they could not help but worry that Yuanfeng and the First Qilin might decide to withdraw, since the two of them had no ties to their saviors. With this in mind, both secretly gathered their power, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

Fortunately, Yuanfeng and the First Qilin were not fools and had no such intentions, which brought the two men great relief.

“Ancestral Dragon, spare us your wicked schemes!” The First Qilin stomped a hoof, cracking the earth beneath him. He bellowed righteously, “Your dragon tribe has committed countless atrocities—everyone in the wilderness would see you destroyed. Yuanfeng and I are now allies, and before long, we will lay waste to your dragon clan and restore purity to the world!”

His voice, saturated with virtue, thundered across the land, stirring the blood of all who heard it. Yet Li Tian secretly rolled his eyes; it wasn’t as if the Qilin tribe were saints themselves. Not that he would ever dare say that aloud.

“My friend, let me return your treasures,” Fuxi said, now that the danger had passed. He released his ownership of the River Diagram and the Book of Luo, as well as the Cauldron of Heaven and Earth, handing them back to Li Tian.

Li Tian hesitated, accepting only the cauldron. He had long considered giving the River Diagram and Book of Luo to Fuxi, and now was the perfect opportunity.

“I still have use for the cauldron, but as for the River Diagram and Book of Luo, I gift them to you. I have little use for them, and they seem to suit your path quite well.”

“This… how can I accept?” Fuxi was astonished; the River Diagram and Book of Luo were among the ten great innate treasures, their value beyond compare. He never expected Li Tian to give them away.

“Please accept them,” Li Tian replied with a smile, then hinted, “After all, we’ll soon be family—no need to be so formal. If I ever need them, I’ll come to you.”

“In that case, I’ll accept. Should you need them in the future, I will gladly return them with both hands.”

Fuxi hesitated, but thinking of the recent closeness between Li Tian and Nuwa, he nodded. The treasures fit perfectly with his own path of the Eight Trigrams, and he could find no reason to refuse.

“Very well.” Li Tian nodded, smiling. He knew he would likely never have much use for them. The River Diagram and Book of Luo were mainly used for divining the workings of heaven, something he only half understood and had little interest in studying. That was why he had never refined them as his own.

On the other side, the Ancestral Dragon, having failed to negotiate, let out a final threat and turned to leave. Yuanfeng and the First Qilin made no move to stop him; with just the two of them, they could not have detained him anyway.

“Thank you both for your help,” Li Tian and Fuxi said, bowing as Yuanfeng and the First Qilin approached in human form. Without their intervention, the two of them might not have survived.

“No need for such courtesy; it was a mere trifle,” replied Yuanfeng, now a handsome young man in resplendent nine-colored robes. His long, pale green hair trailed to the floor, and he wore a kind smile.

“With only the strength of great golden immortals, you two managed to stand against the Ancestral Dragon for so long. That is no small feat,” the First Qilin said, approaching barefoot with a warm, hearty voice.

Li Tian humbly cupped his hands. “It was nothing, merely a reliance on the power of treasures.”

“Treasures are part of one’s strength,” the First Qilin said, smiling. Then he extended an olive branch. “Would either of you be interested in joining the Qilin tribe? I offer you the rank of guest elder.”

Li Tian and Fuxi exchanged a hesitant glance. After all, it was both Yuanfeng and the First Qilin who had saved them; if they both joined the Qilin tribe, it would surely displease Yuanfeng.

“That’s enough—don’t make things difficult for them,” Yuanfeng said, seeing their dilemma and feeling somewhat annoyed at the First Qilin’s shameless attempt to recruit them. “The Phoenix and Qilin tribes have already formed an alliance. Why not join our alliance as guardian elders?”

“Excellent!” Li Tian and Fuxi agreed immediately. This was the best possible outcome. Since they had already made enemies of the Dragon tribe, it would be unwise to offend the Phoenix and Qilin tribes as well. Otherwise, there would be nowhere left for them in the wilderness.

“Brother! Tian!” Nuwa, having heard the battle subside, flew back at once. Seeing that Li Tian and Fuxi were both unharmed, her eyes filled with tears.

Both men turned and smiled at her. As she ran over, Fuxi shared a look with Li Tian and quietly stepped back, so that when Nuwa arrived, she rushed straight into Li Tian’s arms.

Li Tian stood frozen, the soft warmth in his embrace stirring feelings within him. Recovering, he wrapped his arm around Nuwa’s slender waist and spoke soothingly. Inwardly, he gave Fuxi a silent thumbs-up. Truly, a model among brothers—well worth the gift of the River Diagram and Book of Luo.

At that moment, Nuwa realized what she was doing. Surrounded by Li Tian’s masculine scent, her cheeks flushed and her heart raced, but she simply buried her face in his chest like an ostrich.

“And who is this?” Yuanfeng asked curiously.

“This is my younger sister, Nuwa,” Fuxi replied.

Nuwa peeked out, her face rosy as she looked at Yuanfeng and the First Qilin, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

“So it is the Daoist Nuwa,” Yuanfeng said with a smile. Beautiful young women always inspired goodwill. “I am Yuanfeng, emperor of the Phoenix clan.”

...

The three followed Yuanfeng and the First Qilin to the Phoenix clan’s territory, where each was given a fine palace and several lovely attendants.

“Yuanfeng treats us well, doesn’t he?” Fuxi remarked as the three entered one of the palaces.

“He just wants us to fight and die against the Dragon tribe,” Li Tian replied, shaking his head. He fancied himself destined for kingship, yet here he was living under another’s roof—how could he not feel frustrated? “But we won’t be staying long. The great war among the three tribes will begin soon, and when it ends, none of them will have much strength left. They’ll be nothing to fear.”

Fuxi nodded in agreement.

After some small talk, the three each entered seclusion. Li Tian and Fuxi needed to restore their bodies and reflect on what they had gained from the battle with the Ancestral Dragon. As for Nuwa, feeling keenly her lack of strength, she resolved to cultivate diligently.

Li Tian, however, had little concern for Nuwa’s cultivation. No matter how hard she worked, her destiny as a sage was assured; there was no need to worry. It was himself and Fuxi who needed more attention.

After setting up a simple barrier outside his chamber, Li Tian calmed his mind and began to cultivate. Nearly ten thousand years had passed since his birth, yet his cultivation had remained stuck at the late golden immortal stage, never advancing further—a source of great frustration. Determined, he resolved to break through this time.

But fate was unkind. As soon as he began circulating his energy, he sensed something was amiss. Quieting his mind and probing carefully, his heart sank.