Not long after, terrifying changes occurred in the heavens and the earth, as if the sky and earth were collapsing. A powerful destructive force swept across the entire Great Desolation Continent.
Zhou Yan had a general understanding that this was likely the ongoing war between the Wu and Yao tribes, and it was after this great war that humanity began to have hope for rising.
This war lasted for a very long time, nearly tearing the entire Great Desolation Continent apart.
However, no matter how fiercely the Wu and Yao tribes ravaged the land, the Fuxi tribe remained unharmed, not affected in the slightest.
"Boom!"
After an unknown amount of time, a deafening roar echoed through the heavens and the earth, like the collapse of mountains and the cracking of the sky. Everyone emerged to witness the spectacle and discovered that Buzhou Mountain, which connected heaven and earth, was actually collapsing.
"This is bad, there's a hole in the sky!"
Everyone was horrified, for the collapse of Buzhou Mountain had caused a rift in the sky. This rift grew larger with time.
If this continued, the entire Great Desolation world might cease to exist.
"We must find a way, or all living beings in the Great Desolation will be annihilated!" Fuxi said to Nuwa.
"Let's go to Buzhou Mountain and take a look," Zhou Yan suggested.
The entire tribe set off towards the foot of Buzhou Mountain. Along the way, they witnessed scenes of utter devastation. Even the spiritual energy between heaven and earth had diminished by a hundredfold, incomparable to what it was before.
Countless powerful fierce beasts lay dead on the Great Desolation Continent, many of them ancient and exotic species. No one had expected even such powerful beasts to perish.
The Great Desolation Continent erupted in various disasters: volcanic eruptions, floods, rivers changing course, and countless forests consumed by fire.
They soon arrived at the foot of Buzhou Mountain. Although the peak connecting heaven and earth had collapsed, it still towered into the clouds.
"What should we do? The crack in the sky is getting bigger. We need to find a solution quickly," Fuxi and Nuwa said with great urgency.
Zhou Yan noticed stones of various colors emitting a radiant glow at the foot of Buzhou Mountain and said, "Pick up these stones and refine them!"
"I seem to have seen these five-colored divine stones before. They possess immense power, capable of altering heaven and earth. Perhaps they can truly stop the sky's cracks from expanding," Nuwa exclaimed as she looked at the five-colored divine stones, a realization dawning on her.
"Everyone, pick them up together! We must be quick!" Zhou Yan urged.
The people of the Wind tribe began to search for these stones emitting multi-colored light. They did not know what these stones were for, only that they had to pick them up.
Only Zhou Yan knew that these were treasures of immense power.
They soon gathered a considerable number of five-colored divine stones. Then, Zhou Yan shouted to the sky, "Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, come quickly!"
A phoenix cry resounded through the nine heavens, and the Vermilion Bird emanated beautiful divine fire.
A dragon's roar, and the Azure Dragon, riding the clouds and mist, descended from high above.
A tiger's roar, and the White Tiger, majestic and imposing, galloped forth.
The Black Tortoise arrived, carrying a body of water.
The Four Sacred Beasts, now several meters in size, appeared before them.
"Vermilion Bird, use your divine fire to refine these five-colored divine stones. Be quick!" Zhou Yan instructed.
The Vermilion Bird nodded and spat a stream of divine fire from its mouth, refining the five-colored divine stones on the ground.
Subsequently, Zhou Yan ordered the other three Sacred Beasts to guard the refined five-colored divine stones, forming a circular energy barrier that enveloped them.
Soon, the five-colored divine stones were completely refined, transforming into a radiant five-colored aurora.
"They must be sent to the sky," Zhou Yan declared.
"Let me do it," Fuxi and Nuwa stepped forward simultaneously.
Zhou Yan said, "This task must be undertaken by Nuwa. Only she can succeed; no one else can achieve it."
"Alright," Nuwa agreed.
"You four Sacred Beasts will escort the five-colored divine stones and Nuwa to the sky."
The Four Sacred Beasts nodded and flew up. Nuwa, seated on the head of the Azure Dragon, headed towards the hole in the sky.
However, the space in the sky was extremely unstable, and the air currents were violent. The Four Sacred Beasts encountered significant resistance as they ascended.
Nuwa had no choice but to have the Four Sacred Beasts remain mid-air. She then manifested a divine light, shrouding the aurora formed by the five-colored divine stones, and proceeded towards the celestial rift alone.
"Nuwa!"
Fuxi cried out in despair, reaching out towards Nuwa's direction as if to pull her back. But he could do nothing but watch helplessly as Nuwa disappeared into the sky's rift.
"Farewell, my kinsmen, friends, my love."
Nuwa and the five-colored aurora erupted with a powerful radiance that enveloped the entire fractured sky. The celestial rift rapidly healed. She had successfully mended the sky.
The hole in the sky was completely restored.
Yet, the entire tribe was consumed by grief, tears welling in everyone's eyes.
"Sister Nuwa!"
Empress Nu cried sorrowfully, eventually collapsing into Zhou Yan's embrace, weeping.
Though he had anticipated this outcome, Zhou Yan could not help but shed tears as well.
Nuwa had always taken good care of him, like an elder sister.
Nuwa had sacrificed herself for the entire Great Desolation, but she would not truly die.
Still, Zhou Yan felt a pang of sadness, as Nuwa and Fuxi would now be separated.
Indeed, in the next moment, a divine force enveloped the sky, and Nuwa's ethereal soul appeared above.
The heavens and earth became serene, and beams of divine light descended. Wherever the light passed, the Great Desolation Continent, ravaged by the Wu-Yao war, regained its former splendor.
The land reformed, rivers flowed back to the seas and lakes, and the fires in the forests were extinguished. However, the fallen Buzhou Mountain could never be restored.
"Heavenly auspiciousness, Nuwa has attained sainthood!" Fuxi exclaimed in surprise.
"But she has ultimately left me," Fuxi understood that his marital bond with Nuwa had ended.
Nuwa, having attained sainthood, vanished into the heavens and the earth.
But her deeds for the Great Desolation would be remembered by all future generations.
The Four Sacred Beasts also received great merit and fortune, becoming the Four Sacred Beasts of heaven and earth.
Though not saints, their status was supreme, each guarding a region of the Great Desolation.
As they departed, Zhou Yan glanced towards a certain direction. A five-colored light descended from the sky and landed on a mountain in the Great Desolation.
He smiled at this, not interfering.
For he himself still held a five-colored divine stone, the only one remaining from Buzhou Mountain.
"Will Sister Nuwa ever return?" Empress Nu asked Zhou Yan.
"She is always in our hearts," Zhou Yan could only reply.
"Sister Nuwa has left. Please don't leave me, okay?"
Empress Nu tightly grasped Zhou Yan's hand, her eyes filled with anticipation. This left Zhou Yan speechless.
He could not make a promise and could only remain silent.
He repeatedly questioned himself, was this truly just an illusory space?
Was this merely a trial?
Was this truly the place where he was to receive his inheritance?
He did not know how to answer Empress Nu and could only remain silent.
Upon returning to the tribe, Fuxi regained his former vitality and continued to lead the tribe in its development and growth.
However, in this era, the spiritual energy was no longer as abundant as before the Wu-Yao war, and their cultivation had slowed down immensely.
But through Nuwa's attainment of sainthood, Fuxi seemed to have become even more intelligent. Without Zhou Yan's help, he was able to perfect many things, some of which even astonished Zhou Yan.
The ancient scroll of cultivation techniques in his mind also became increasingly complete, seemingly just one step away from completion.
Indeed, those chosen by heaven would shine in their era, even without external aid.
Zhou Yan witnessed the scene of a founding ancestor striving for humanity.
Zhou Yan remained by Fuxi's side, working and striving alongside him for the entire human tribe, seemingly forgetting the purpose of his arrival.
He had already begun to see himself as a member of this place.
Until one day, several months later.
Fuxi asked Zhou Yan and Empress Nu to gather a large number of tortoise shells and bring them to his room. He then began to carve the entire process of Nuwa mending the sky onto the tortoise shells.
The process of their joint assistance was also meticulously carved onto the shells, concluding with the depiction of the Four Sacred Beasts escorting the five-colored divine stones and Nuwa mending the sky.
In an instant, a brilliant, dazzling light erupted from Zhou Yan's mind, from his ancient scroll, enveloping his entire being.
He received a notification: he had completed the inheritance trial. A long time had passed from the beginning until now, and he had finally finished.
But for some reason, Zhou Yan felt a deep sense of reluctance as he looked at the two people before him.
"You are leaving, aren't you?" Fuxi looked at Zhou Yan calmly, as if he had known this outcome for a long time.
"Brother Fuxi, I..."
"There's no need to say more, I understand. In fact, I've benefited greatly from you these past days."
Fuxi smiled at Zhou Yan, like an elder caring for and doting on him.
"Brother Fuxi, is Zhou Yan really leaving? Just like Sister Nuwa, will I never see him again?"
Empress Nu's eyes turned red, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.
"Empress Nu, I'm sorry. I am, after all, not a person of this era. Please... forget me!"
Zhou Yan's heart ached. He was also reluctant to leave Empress Nu, this clingy little sprite who always asked so many questions, often came to his room at night to sleep beside him, and... there were too many beautiful memories.
"No, I don't want to. I don't want you to leave..."
Empress Nu wept profusely. The two most cherished people had left her, and she was heartbroken.
"I told you, it is both real and illusory. How do you know that all of this is just a dream?" Fuxi looked at the two of them and said, "You will eventually meet again. Although it may take a long time, fate's bridge brought you here, and it will not easily break."
"Brother Fuxi, are you saying we can meet again? This place is not an illusion." Zhou Yan looked at him in surprise, the light emanating from him growing stronger.
"Remember, you must forever pass on the future of humanity. Humanity relies on you to protect it... We will meet again in the future..."
The light dissipated, and Zhou Yan finally disappeared, leaving the trial grounds and returning to the bridge in the inheritance hall.