Volume One: The Lich's Calamity Chapter 204: Fuxi Returns to Fengqi, Summoning the Demon Banner to Seal the Primordial Spirit

“Since that is the case, I shall no longer persuade you!” Nuwa then turned her gaze to Fuxi.

“Brother, what brings you here this time? Is there something you wish to discuss?” she asked.

“My sister, the number of demons is growing by the day. This is not necessarily a good thing. You know Emperor Jun’s intentions. If we do not resolve this now, he may become restless,” Fuxi said, looking directly at Nuwa.

Nuwa understood what Fuxi meant. Indeed, the demon population was increasing rapidly, but their quality was uneven. On the surface, it seemed the demon clan in the Heavenly Court was growing stronger, yet more problems kept arising.

Upon hearing Fuxi’s words, Nuwa realized he had a plan. Long ago, atop Mount Buzhou, several of them divided seven gourds among themselves. Taiyi had taken the purple-white gourd; although Nuwa did not know its ultimate purpose, she had never seen it used. Perhaps it was a trump card reserved for a special moment, or perhaps it held no real power.

Nuwa had received the purple-blue gourd, and as Fuxi’s closest confidante, he naturally understood its effects.

“So, brother, you came for that artifact!” Nuwa suddenly said, casually glancing at Fuxi.

Indeed, after she spoke, a trace of guilt flickered in Fuxi’s eyes.

“That treasure is crucial to me as well! It is absolutely impossible to give it away. Brother, just tell Emperor Jun not to covet it,” Nuwa declared, her aura suddenly erupting, startling Fuxi.

Having been secluded for a long time, Nuwa had begun to glimpse the path to sainthood. Though she still did not know exactly how to become a saint, she was certain the time was near.

“Sister, you are after all the Demon Clan’s Empress Nuwa. That is an undeniable fact,” Fuxi quickly reminded her.

“Very well! Since that is so, I shall accompany you to the Heavenly Court and resolve this matter promptly,” Nuwa sighed before replying.

Thus, the two set off for the Heavenly Court.

In the Linxiao Palace of the Heavenly Court, as Nuwa and Fuxi arrived, Emperor Jun and others immediately turned their gaze to Nuwa.

Emperor Jun noticed that Nuwa’s aura had grown immensely stronger. Even her slightest gesture seemed to affect those around her, and her expression was calm and composed.

“Approaching Perfected Saint!” Emperor Jun was startled. He himself had just entered the late stage of the Perfected Saint realm. After destroying the Immortal Court, he felt he was close to severing his third corpse—a legendary milestone.

Yet he found himself unable to meet Nuwa’s gaze.

What he did not know was that Nuwa’s spirit had begun to merge with the primordial purple energy of chaos within her soul. Though she still could not sever her third corpse, her mastery over the laws of fate had become increasingly skillful. This was all thanks to the primordial energy, which carried a trace of heavenly might beyond Emperor Jun’s comprehension.

“Your Majesty, if you desire me to lend that artifact, it is not impossible. But I must make it clear that it is a loan to the Heavenly Court. Furthermore, I feel ever closer to sainthood and will no longer involve myself in the mortal affairs of the demon clan,” Nuwa stated plainly.

Her meaning was clear: she would lend the treasure but never give it away, and she would no longer cooperate with the demon clan’s mundane matters. What she would do thereafter was uncertain.

The top demon beings present were shocked and confused by her words.

“Empress Nuwa, I understand that you are about to become a saint and cannot be distracted. But... I must refuse your terms!” Emperor Jun’s commanding presence flared.

Nuwa met his gaze indifferently.

“This is my bottom line. If you do not agree, then find another way,” she said, preparing to leave.

“Empress Nuwa, Your Majesty, please calm yourselves,” Bai Ze suddenly stepped forward to mediate.

The demon clan was at a loss; if Nuwa’s terms were unacceptable, truly no other solution remained.

Emperor Jun’s anger gradually subsided upon hearing Bai Ze’s words. He closed his eyes, took a long breath, and finally consented.

“Very well, so be it,” he said.

Nuwa then produced the Summoning Banner and addressed everyone in the hall.

“In that case, every member of the demon clan must leave a trace of their spiritual essence on this artifact.”

At once, the expressions of the demon lords and saints changed drastically.

If they truly did this, it would be as if they handed their fates completely into Nuwa’s hands!

“Fear not. I shall swear an oath before the Heavenly Dao here and now: as long as no one acts against the interests of the demon clan, I will never misuse these spiritual essence imprints,” Nuwa assured them.

Many found this hard to accept, but some sighed in relief, finding it tolerable.

Kunpeng, in particular, was flooded with thoughts upon hearing this.

Yet moments later, he saw several demon lords and saints imprint their spiritual essence on the banner. Those unwilling had no choice but to follow suit, including the reluctant Kunpeng.

When all the imprints were complete, Nuwa lightly touched the Summoning Banner, and an identical artifact flew from her hand, landing before Emperor Jun.

“This will allow the Heavenly Emperor to control all the spiritual essence imprints on it,” Nuwa explained and then fell silent.

Emperor Jun looked at the Summoning Banner in his hands and breathed easier. Even if he could not obtain the original artifact, this was sufficient.

After accomplishing this, Nuwa left the Heavenly Court and returned to Mount Fengqi.

As the moment of sainthood drew nearer, Nuwa grew restless from her inability to sever the third corpse.

She could only hope that before long, she would sever that final corpse.

She had not forgotten what Hongjun had said in the Purple Cloud Palace.

The Supreme One once asked Hongjun if there were differences in the methods of attaining the Dao.

Hongjun’s reply was:

“There are three methods, in my view. The first is to attain the Dao through strength, as the great Pangu once did. But now this path is closed.

“The second is the method of severing the three corpses, by which I myself attained sainthood.

“The third is to attain the Dao through merit.

“Among these, the path of strength is best, severing the three corpses comes next, and the path of merit is last.”

Nuwa, still unable to comprehend how to sever the third corpse, might only have the first and third paths left.

Considering Hongjun said the path of strength was now blocked, and that she had great merit to accomplish in the future, though clueless now, she might have no choice but to follow the path of merit.

This was a heavy burden she could not shake off.

Though a saint of merit was still a saint, she could not bear to give up so easily.

Yet, was it truly so easy for her to change her fate?