Chapter 1676: As If
In the past, when Li Qingshan first joined the Myriad sect, both his status and cultivation came nowhere close to Li Liehuo, except he refused to accept his great offer—obediently give up on the Xuanming dwelling. He would rather take on a punch from him and almost die.
Back then, Li Liehuo only thought he was a madman and a reckless fool, someone who would probably end up dead sooner or later.
Today, the situation had been reversed.
In terms of status, not only was Li Qingshan the lord of the Demon domain, presiding over the tremendous territory with even the twelve Demon Gods bowing down to him, but he had also become an honoured guest of the heavenly emperor. He had the opportunity to take a step further and establish his own heavenly palace, becoming an emperor himself.
In terms of cultivation, Li Qingshan had already become a True Immortal, and he was born for the tribulation, which offered him great opportunities. Merging the Void with the Dao was not beyond reach.
Meanwhile, Li Liehuo was merely a divine general of the heavenly palace. Any random monster that Li Qingshan summoned from the Demon domain could finish off a Human Immortal like him.
A tremendous difference already existed between their status and cultivation. Faced with a Li Qingshan like that, even Li Liehuo could not help but develop a hint of reverence. He completely relied on his familiarity with him to restrain the growth of this emotion.
However, Li Qingshan did not seem to realise he had changed like that. What he said today was something he would have said in the past. What he did today was also something he would have done in the past.
Even when Li Qingshan was enlisted to Black Cloud city, he was still bold enough to openly mock their captain, Li Liehuo, within the headquarters of the Scorching Fire army, even almost making him resign.
The wretched parts of this kid have never changed!
Li Liehuo vaguely understood why the soldiers in the army revered him so much. Being able to fight alongside this person is indeed one of the great joys of life!
The sudden thought even frightened himself, dismissing this crazy idea in a hurry. He was a mighty divine general of the heavenly palace. Why would he abandon such a great future and go off to die with Li Qingshan?
I have to work hard on cultivation and advance valiantly so that I become an existence that can threaten you! Li Liehuo thought before smiling wryly.
He wondered whether he was a little lowly in status. The heavenly emperor had not even looked at him, and he felt deeply oppressed and humiliated. Meanwhile, Li Qingshan openly mocked him and he instead felt spirited and invigorated.
At this moment, the Primordial World had already arrived before their eyes. The white clouds and oceans filled their vision.
Li Liehuo's great aspirations that had just taken shape turned into confusion again.
The world was so vast, yet also so tiny.
Trapped in a furnace, how could fire burn to its heart's content?
Yet as a divine general, probably his greatest hopes were to never appear before Li Qingshan! Otherwise, his "great future" would probably end then and there.
Everyone had their own schemes and calculations, obsessions and struggles. Even after earning the title of "immortal", they were unable to completely break free from them.
Li Qingshan had no idea that he had set off so many thoughts and emotions in Li Liehuo. He paid close attention to the terrain of the Primordial World, finding it familiar.
Suddenly, Li Qingshan thought of something and abruptly turned upside down. The Primordial World in his eyes was immediately turned around.
His eyes lit up as he realised something, but he felt extremely puzzled inside.
Because...
It's almost identical!
The Primordial World was composed of two continents. One of them was almost identical to the land he had lived in in his past life.
Whether it was the rough outline of the coast or the overall terrain of being raised in the west and flat in the east, it all brought him a very deep impression.
Perhaps that was merely a coincidence, but the rising and falling mountains, the raging rivers and the expanse of plans regularly matched up with the memories from his past life too. That could not be a coincidence.
There were even many places that he had visited in his past life.
However, there were many differences too.
For example, the 几-shaped river that almost crossed the entire continent was clearly visible even from such an altitude, so who knew how many times wider it actually was.
Compared to the Primordial World, the land he once lived on was like a shrunken version of it. And, it seemed to still be in the process of taking shape, carelessly excluding many details, such that only a rough outline remained.
It was like a familiar-looking stranger. It was truly extremely strange.
There must be an explanation for this! Li Qingshan thought inside.
At this moment, a head suddenly appeared beside him. He was startled, only to discover that the Elder of Heavenly Tomes had also turned upside down like him to observe the Primordial World.
Li Liehuo and Chao Tianjiao looked at each other. When Li Qingshan stood upside down, they were both puzzled and slightly tempted to try it. After all, they had just heard many secrets from him. Perhaps there was some meaning to standing upside down as well, allowing them to see something different.
Li Liehuo was even a little worried that standing upside down was required for entering the Primordial World. He was worried about breaking the rules of the heavens and making a fool out of himself for nothing again, earning the mockery of others.
However, the Elder of Heavenly Tomes was watching right on the side. The kid's behaviour had always been bizarre, so perhaps he was toying with them again, wanting to damage their prestige and image as divine generals of the heavenly palace. 24062
However, they did not expect the Elder of Heavenly Tomes to suddenly stand upside down as well.
Li Liehuo and Chao Tianjiao exchanged glances and immediately made up their minds, standing upside down as well. They furrowed their brows as they closely observed the flipped Primordial World, but they failed to find anything special.
The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance was focused on deducing the true history of the world, so in a daze, eight legs suddenly appeared beside him. His desire for knowledge impelled him, immediately standing upside down as well.
As a result, ten legs slowly flew towards the Primordial World on the colourful cloud.
"What are you doing?" Li Qingshan asked the Elder of Heavenly Tomes.
"What are you doing, little bro?" the Elder of Heavenly Tomes asked back.
"Observing," Li Qingshan said indifferently. He obviously refused to divulge his origins.
"Observing what?" the Elder of Heavenly Tomes then asked. Li Liehuo and the others all gave him their full attention.
"The Primordial World obviously, just from a different angle." Li Qingshan raised his hand and dug his ear with his little finger.
"How about this?" The Elder of Heavenly Tomes formed a seal with his fingers, and the colourful cloud immediately turned around.
In this wondrous world of darkness, there had never been any concept of up or down.
Li Qingshan smiled. "Who told you to do something so pointless?"
"Damn you!" Chao Tianjiao cursed and immediately stopped standing upside down. This kid was just out to toy with them. Li Liehuo let out a laugh and also stood up straight.
Only the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance continued to observe with his eyebrows furrowed like he was trying to deduce something.
The Elder of Heavenly Tomes supported himself with a hand as he stroked his beard gently. He said mysteriously, "Have you really never been to the heavens, little bro?"
Li Qingshan glanced at him deeply and replied seriously, "I haven't."
"Since you haven't, then I ought to live up to my role as the host." The Elder of Heavenly Tomes began to introduce while upside down, "It's said that the Primordial World was originally just a single continent. After experiencing what you called the Battle of Mending Heaven, it was split into four pieces, which were known as the four continents of the east, south, west, and north."
"They were Uttarakuru of the east, Jambudvipa of the south, Aparagodaniya of the west, and Purvavideha of the north. Afterwards, after many more crises and the lack of the two you spoke about to keep this world together, Jambudvipa of the south and Purvavideha of the north shattered and scattered beyond the heavens, turning into the trichiliocosm and the six realms of saṃsāra. Now, only Uttarakuru of the east and Aparagodaniya of the west remain."
Li Qingshan's heart was perturbed. His past and present life merged together, legends and history interwove, and reality and dreams melded together.
The Primordial World was here.