Chapter 2222: External Demon

Later generations claimed that humans, as the spirits of all creation and favored by the destiny of heaven and earth, were therefore distinct from demonic creatures.

During the height of human prosperity, such a claim was naturally plausible. However, in ancient times, when humanity was weak, the unique celestial tribulation that set humans apart from other races became proof that humans were an anomaly, bringing disaster instead.

What Qin Sang found curious was that the 'gods' mentioned by Reverend Tong Shen were clearly different from the deities of the Daoist Court.

The deities of the Daoist Court were 'Talisman Gods,' imagined by cultivators who delved into the path of talismans; they were not true gods. From Reverend Tong Ling's tone, it seemed the ancient gods were genuinely real.

Where did these gods come from?

Were they enlightened ancients who, having achieved success in cultivation, proclaimed themselves gods, or did they have another origin?

"Some believe that humans were brought in by gods from outside, with the intention of testing the Heavenly Dao. Furthermore, some not only consider us humans as anomalies but even claim we are all 'outer demons' who infiltrated this realm from beyond, intending ill upon this world! In short, they argue that humans are not native to this realm, which is why we receive special treatment from its Heavenly Dao; otherwise, why would humans be so distinct from other races? This argument is utterly absurd; there is no difference in power between the blue tribulation lightning and the golden tribulation lightning! Yet, even races similar in appearance to us have been implicated, called 'Anomalous People,' and are heavily discriminated against..."

Anomalous People!

Could this be the origin of the Anomalous People?

Reverend Tong Ling's next words shocked Qin Sang.

He himself was a visitor from another realm, and he hadn't expected that in ancient times, the entire human race would be branded as 'outer demons'!

In Qin Sang's previous life, his world had no cultivators, or at least he had never seen any, so he didn't know what celestial tribulations were like there. He couldn't be certain if the 'humans' of that world shared the same origin as the 'humans' of this world, because here, racial distinctions were defined by the color of the tribulation lightning.

If humans from both worlds shared a common origin, proving that humans also thrived in the external world, then this theory wouldn't be baseless after all.

"With countless beings between heaven and earth, is our human race's celestial tribulation truly the most special?"

Qin Sang was puzzled.

He didn't know much about demonic races, but he was certain that the Witch race from the Storm Realm also experienced blue tribulation lightning.

Additionally, Spirit Insects experienced silver tribulation lightning, and they were even more unique than humans, having neither the 'Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation' nor the 'Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation,' but only a 'Realm-Breaking Tribulation'!

Just as Qin Sang thought, Reverend Tong Ling replied, "That's not entirely true. There is also the Spirit Insect race, which has a very special silver heavenly tribulation. However, one theory suggests this is because their divine abilities have a mysterious connection with the gods, or even that they are closer to the Heavenly Dao. Moreover, before achieving significant cultivation, Spirit Insects have low intelligence and single divine abilities, making them easy to subdue. Their threat to other races is far less than ours, so they are not deliberately targeted. However..."

Reverend Tong Ling paused, then shifted his tone, "No matter how close Spirit Insects are to the gods, they can't be closer than the gods' own descendants. The true reason is probably known only to the Heavenly Dao."

"Do gods also have descendants?"

Qin Sang pressed, suddenly recalling that in the current era, both the Witch race and the Anomalous People claimed to be descendants of gods!

"Precisely!"

Reverend Tong Ling nodded. These were common knowledge for aspiring cultivators, and though it was still a bit advanced for his disciple's current cultivation, since the disciple was eager to learn, he was naturally willing to explain.

"It is said that during the Age of Gods, gods existed in human form, dwelling high above. People could not communicate directly with them; only the shamans of the tribes could. They understood witchcraft, and through sacrifices, prayers, magical artifacts, incantations, and even sacred dances, they could commune with heaven and earth, acquire divine power, and listen to the gods' decrees, guiding mortals. Therefore, shamans held an extremely exalted status.

"Ancient texts record: 'Those whose knowledge can equate with justice above and below, whose sagacity can illuminate afar, whose wisdom can enlighten, and whose keenness can hear all, thus can divine beings descend upon them. Males are called 'Xi,' and females are called 'Wu.'

"In truth, the reason shamans could communicate with gods was that they possessed divine bloodlines. Gods consorted with mortals, giving birth to offspring. These descendants were extraordinary; some even possessed innate divine power, enabling them to become witches or shamans, ruling over the populace on behalf of the gods."

Could this be the origin of the later Witch race?

Qin Sang thought of the *Panhu True Scripture*, and the Witch race's inherent talents, divine abilities, and various legends.

He still remembered a legend Xin Sheng once mentioned: at the dawn of creation, primordial gods were born, the first beings after heaven and earth were formed. They were manifestations of the Heavenly Dao, born of the destiny of heaven and earth. The Witch race claimed to be descendants of these primordial gods.

The Witch race asserted they possessed divine bloodlines, were favored by heaven and earth from birth, and were known as 'Divinely Gifted by Nature,' knowing without learning, and understanding without being taught.

Witchcraft incantations were a manifestation of this ability.

Human cultivators practiced by seeking enlightenment, first gaining insights from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, understanding the 'why' before knowing the 'how,' thereby comprehending Daoist arts for their own use. The Witch race, conversely, seemed naturally attuned to the Dao; they could connect with heaven and earth through incantations and wield divine power without necessarily understanding the underlying principles or even the reasons behind them.

Therefore, the Witch race's cultivation differed greatly from that of humans. It was said that some Witchcraft incantations could curse and kill enemies from hundreds of millions of miles away, making them incredibly mysterious and unpredictable.

Reverend Tong Ling's words confirmed this very legend!

According to this legend, gods were born innately, conceived by the Great Dao at the dawn of creation, and only later did various other beings gradually appear.

"Surely gods wouldn't favor only humans; they must have left descendants among other races too?" Qin Sang conjectured.

"You are indeed teachable!"

Reverend Tong Ling stroked his beard with a smile. What pleased him most about this disciple wasn't his talent, but his quick wit and intelligence; no matter the question, he grasped it instantly and could make connections by analogy.

It was truly a comfort to have such a disciple!

"The gods were selfless and treated all races in the world equally, guiding beings to comprehend the Great Dao and embark on the path of cultivation and transcendence. They left their bloodlines among various races, leading them out of ignorance and establishing civilizations. Sadly, the myriad people have forgotten the gods' teachings. However, unlike our human race, those descendants of gods were not entirely innocent. When the gods were present, some of their descendants, relying on the gods' trust, seized power, wielded authority oppressively, and even acted recklessly, preying on the common folk. Once the gods disappeared, they lost their backing, and the accumulated resentment over the years naturally caused them to bear the brunt and suffer a backlash."

Reverend Tong Ling looked out towards the mountains. "I've heard that outside, human cultivators have already united with the descendants of gods to resist the oppression of other races and secured a place to reside. It's also because the Phoenix race holds itself in high regard, and the Golden Eagle race reveres the Phoenix, so they haven't yet acted tyrannically towards our human race. That young Eagle King is merely a glutton, not a tyrant. Otherwise, I might have already gone there to seek refuge, and you wouldn't have met me."

Hearing these secrets, Qin Sang realized he might have guessed wrong just now; this 'Anomalous People' was not that 'Anomalous People'!

The Anomalous People of the current era and the Witch race shared too many similarities, such as the legends about ancient times within both races, and the Winged People's war dances versus the Witch race's shamanic dances.

In ancient times, the Anomalous People were very likely the 'shamans' of various demonic races!

The Witch race was a combination of gods and humans, experiencing blue heavenly tribulations like humans. The Anomalous People were a combination of gods and demonic races, thus still experiencing golden heavenly tribulations, but as descendants of gods, they were equally disliked by the demonic races.

The Anomalous People's appearance was similar to humans, yet many tribes retained features of demonic beasts. They possessed both divine and demonic beast bloodlines, which resulted in their varied and peculiar appearances, and their unique divine abilities.

In ancient times, the Anomalous People were not called 'Anomalous People' but 'Descendants of Gods.' The 'Anomalous People' of ancient times should have referred to tribes like the Barbarians.

When Qin Sang was in Duizhou, he heard that between the northern Great Zhou and the Barbarian Wasteland, the Barbarian tribes resided, living in the cracks between human and demonic territories.

As time passed and circumstances changed, it was completely normal for racial names to evolve.

With the passage of time and the shift in circumstances, humanity was now powerful, and the positions of humans and demonic races had reversed. The title 'Anomalous People' no longer brought disaster; instead, it made them seem more closely related to humans.

Since those descendants of gods were once allies of humanity, jointly resisting the demonic races, it was logical that they later changed their name to the Anomalous People.

Based on Reverend Tong Ling's account, combined with Qin Sang's past observations and records from ancient texts, he could now outline the process of racial and power shifts in the Great Thousand World.

In ancient times, gods looked down upon the world, and countless beings and myriad races were born on earth.

Humanity might have appeared alongside other beings at this time, or perhaps they arrived in this realm later.

The gods possessed great power, enlightened sentient beings, and passed down their bloodlines, guiding them out of ignorance to understand the Great Dao. This era could be provisionally called the Age of Gods.

For unknown reasons, the gods suddenly disappeared, order collapsed, and myriad races rose, entering what later generations called the Demonic Court Era.

During this era, people seemingly knew nothing of the demonic realm. Humans were branded as 'outer demons,' and the Witch race and Anomalous People descendants, having lost the gods' support, could no longer rule over the populace. They suffered backlash, and the three races were forced to unite to resist the demonic races' oppression.

Clearly, they eventually succeeded. Led by the Jade Emperor, they overthrew the Demonic Court, drove the demonic races into the Barbarian Wasteland, and humanity prospered thereafter.

But what happened next?

Why did humanity engage in another great war with the Witch race? Why did the Anomalous People retreat far to the East Sea? What led to the Daoist Court's rise and fall? Why did the Grand Pure Dao Sect split? Why did the Buddhist sect journey to the Western Lands? And why did the Sword Pavilion, founded by Sword Venerable Ziwei, gradually become an enemy of the entire world? When exactly did the demonic realm's invasion begin?

Furthermore, what was the world like before the Age of Gods? Was it truly as legends described, with primordial gods being born at the dawn of creation, and the Great Thousand World not existing before then?

These questions remained muddled, and Qin Sang couldn't yet untangle them.

Of course, Qin Sang didn't entirely believe any of this, as he couldn't be sure if it was the true history of the Great Thousand World or a history conjured by the illusion.

However, considering that this illusion could even deceive the Jade Buddha and Ancestor Lei, it must be extraordinarily powerful, suggesting that the credibility of this information was likely quite high.

Unaware that his good disciple's mind was wandering far away, Reverend Tong Ling continued, "The general trend is difficult to change, and I don't know how long the Phoenix race and Golden Eagle race can hold on. Once the situation shifts, I will have no choice but to take you away from here."

Qin Sang mused internally, wondering how far the place where the descendants of gods and humans resided, as mentioned by Reverend Tong Ling, was from the Golden Eagle race's territory.

He suspected that Clan Leader Yuan Xiang and the others might have ended up there. Finding them might unlock the secret of this illusion.

For Qin Sang, this was a mix of joy and concern; the larger the illusion's scope, the harder it would be to find Liu Li.

"Are we leaving this place?"

Qin Sang feigned a worried expression, then as if suddenly remembering something, he quickly asked, "Master, the portraits posted at the city gate a few days ago, the people in them don't seem like ordinary mortals. Were those portraits brought by that young Eagle King?"

"At the time, I didn't want to stir up trouble, so I didn't cast any spells to observe, but they were likely brought by it. Those being hunted should also be our human Daoist brethren," Reverend Tong Shen nodded.

"Since these demons oppress our human race, those human seniors who are being hunted by the demons must be good people! Perhaps they were even hunted because they resisted the demons!"

Qin Sang clenched his fists, brimming with indignation, his face flushed with excitement. He looked up, his young face earnest, and eagerly asked, "Master, can we save them?"

Reverend Tong Shen's brow furrowed. He had intended to make his disciple more wary of those demons, but it seemed he had gone a bit too far.

"My child, remember, this is the demons' world now. What I've told you, keep it in your heart. When you're outside, never speak of it, not even to other humans! People of the same race don't always share the same intentions. Think of those two pairs of men and women under the young Eagle King; they have already come to see themselves as servants of the demons!"

Reverend Tong Shen spoke earnestly and patiently.

Qin Sang quickly calmed his anger and said clearly, "Master is right to instruct me; your disciple understands. I remember my teacher also taught us that important figures never show their emotions, and only by doing so can one achieve great things."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Reverend Tong Shen nodded repeatedly, his heart even more delighted.

"But," Qin Sang frowned, "your disciple still can't bear to see those seniors killed by demons. Father and Mother said that a single twig can be broken, but a bundle of twigs cannot. If we want to fight those demons, every bit of strength is incredibly valuable!"

"Hmm, my child speaks wisely."

Reverend Tong Shen couldn't bear to crush his disciple's sincere heart. After some thought, he said, "After we return to the mountain, I will contact a few friends and discuss this matter together."

Qin Sang said obediently, "Your disciple was just angry for a moment and didn't think it through completely. Please correct me, Master. If you act to save them, you will surely offend the Golden Eagle race. If it's too dangerous, Master, please don't do it. Your disciple doesn't want you to get hurt saving others."

Seeing the pure concern in his disciple's eyes, Reverend Tong Shen felt greatly comforted in his old age.

"Good disciple! I know what I'm doing!"

He glanced into the distance and said, "That young Eagle King has gone far away. We should continue our journey."

Reverend Tong Shen retracted the light barrier, summoned the clouds, and returned to the sky, speeding towards the mountain gate.

The cloud beneath their feet sped like lightning, traversing mountains and rivers. Qin Sang observed the ground, spotting several places resembling Feng City, indicating that a considerable number of humans resided within the Golden Eagle race's territory.

Afterward, Reverend Tong Shen led Qin Sang deep into the mountains, flying for a while through an uninhabited area of towering, bizarre peaks, then pointed ahead.

"Look, my child, we've reached the mountain gate. That's Yuan Jing Mountain ahead."