Chapter 1406: Heroic Journey

After Yao assumed the throne as emperor, the world fell into chaos. One of the calamities was the simultaneous appearance of ten suns, along with fierce deities like Yaoyu, Zaochi, Jiuying, Dafeng, Fengxi, and Xiuzhe..." The voice seemed lost in thought, recounting the events of that time.

Zu'an was startled. Dafeng?

He had a skill called Dafeng, and he wondered if it was related to the Dafeng the voice mentioned.

"The notorious Four Fiends — Qiongqi, Hundun, Taowu, and Taotie — also emerged during that period, specifically during his reign," the voice continued.

Yan, Yun, and Yu instinctively looked at Zu'an. The monster they had just encountered in Mount Yu, which he had also referred to as Taowu, could it be this one?

"Does the Taowu you're talking about look like a tiger, with fur several feet long, wild boar tusks in its mouth, and a tail many yards long...?" Zu'an briefly described the monster he had just seen.

"Exactly," the voice remarked. "I seemed to sense its presence again just now. It appears you have released it."

Zu'an and the others were taken aback. "We didn't do anything; it just appeared suddenly."

"Did you encounter a large rock resembling a giant turtle?" the voice inquired.

"Yes, we did. There were many bones inside, seemingly from some colossal creature," Zu'an nodded.

"That's it then. That was the seal suppressing Taowu. The fact that you could break this seal indicates your cultivation is far higher than I imagined." The voice sounded surprised, as if re-evaluating them.

Zu'an's expression was odd. "We didn't break that seal; it was done by someone who came in with us."

He hesitated before adding, "The person is a Golden Crow. I don't know if it's the same Golden Crow you just mentioned."

"The puppet curse on you was cast by him, wasn't it?" the voice stated. "That confirms it. That's a skill unique to the Golden Crow bloodline; others cannot imitate it."

Zu'an and the others exchanged glances. They never expected the history of the Demon Emperor to be connected to this unknown place. It felt surreal.

"By the way, now that we've released Taowu, one of the Four Fiends, it won't trigger the end of the world, will it?" Zu'an urgently asked, remembering how it always happened in movies.

"Just releasing Taowu alone won't be enough for that," the voice replied, its tone quite relaxed.

"From what you're saying, it sounds like releasing a few more would cause problems?" Yun Jianyue asked.

"That would indeed be a bit troublesome," the voice said evasively, then changed the subject. "Do you know why the Four Fiends are called the Four Fiends?"

"No," Zu'an replied, wondering if the Taotie he encountered earlier in the Yin Ruins secret realm was one of the Four Fiends mentioned by the voice.

"The beings I just mentioned — Yaoyu, Zaochi, Jiuying — were born as powerful fierce deities. But the Four Fiends were not originally fierce beasts; they were humans," the voice sighed.

"Humans?" Zu'an and the others were astonished. They pictured Taowu's ferocious appearance; how could it be related to humans in any way?

"Precisely. Hundun, in life, was named Huan Dou, the son of Zhuanxu. Qiongqi, in life, was named Gonggong, a descendant of the Flame Emperor. Taotie, in life, was named Chiyou, who was also from the Flame Emperor's lineage. Taowu, in life, was named Gun, also a descendant of Zhuanxu. All these individuals opposed Yao. However, after years of warfare, they were all defeated. Yao banished Gonggong to Youzhou, exiled Huan Dou to Mount Chong, drove the Sanmiao people to Sanwei, and executed Gun at Mount Yu. The resentment and indignation of these people after their deaths transformed into the legendary Four Fiends," the voice explained.

Yan, Yun, and Yu were completely bewildered. These names were too unfamiliar to them, as if they were listening to an incomprehensible scripture.

Zu'an, however, was deeply shaken. It felt as if he was hearing many things that defied common knowledge. He never expected Gonggong and Chiyou to be from the Flame Emperor's lineage.

In his previous life, the people of his country were known as the descendants of Yan and Huang, referring to how the two largest ancient tribes, led by the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor, united, grew, and multiplied, eventually forming the Huaxia civilization.

He couldn't help but ask, "Is the Gonggong you're referring to the one who angrily struck Mount Buzhou, causing the sky to collapse and a great flood to engulf the human world? And is Chiyou the demon god who fought a great war against the Yellow Emperor?"

Huan Dou and Gun were relatively unknown in history, though Gun was remembered by some as a negative example in Yu the Great's flood control efforts.

But compared to Gonggong and Chiyou, their fame paled by countless times.

One caused the sky to crack and the world to be submerged in a great flood, forcing the revered goddess Nüwa to mend the heavens.

Chiyou, on the other hand, fought a great war against the Yellow Emperor, pushing a formidable figure like the Yellow Emperor to the brink of defeat several times. It was only with external aid that the Yellow Emperor managed to turn the tide against this powerful warrior. In various films, TV series, and web novels from his previous life, Chiyou was undoubtedly one of the most popular major antagonists.

"Oh, you seem quite knowledgeable about the events of our era," the voice remarked, a hint of surprise in its tone, but it still explained, "The Gonggong you're referring to is not the same as the Gonggong I mentioned. Gonggong is a title, and each generation produces a new one. The one who angrily struck Mount Buzhou was the first Gonggong; he was defeated in his struggle for the throne against Emperor Zhuanxu, which is why he struck Mount Buzhou in his rage."

Yan, Yun, and Yu, conversely, found this easy to understand, just like with the demon race, where each leader is called the Demon Emperor, but the individuals are completely different.

The voice then continued, "The Gonggong I just referred to was the Gonggong from Emperor Yao's time, many years later. During the conflict between the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor, the Flame Emperor was defeated, but his lineage remained powerful and was always reluctant to submit to the Yellow Emperor's line. This led to several wars with the Yellow Emperor's clan."

"The most famous among them were the Battle of Banquan between the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor, the Battle of Zhuolu between Chiyou and the Yellow Emperor, and Gonggong's struggle against Emperor Zhuanxu."

"As for the Gonggong from Emperor Yao's time that I just mentioned, he was a later Gonggong. And that Chiyou was not the original Chiyou either; it was merely a title for the leader of the Sanmiao tribe."

"I see," Zu'an thought, wondering who this person was, to possess such extensive knowledge of ancient events long since lost to time, as if they had personally experienced them.

"At that time, the world was in great disorder, and Yao was overwhelmed. However, he was highly capable and skilled at identifying and appointing talented individuals. He promoted a large number of competent ministers and renowned generals, enabling Yi to slay Zaochi in the wilds of Chouhua, kill Jiuying above the fierce waters, hunt down Dafeng in the marshes of Qingqiu, shoot down the ten suns from the sky, and eliminate Yaoyu, sever Xiuzhe in Dongting, and capture Fengxi in Sanglin."

Zu'an was inwardly astonished, thinking that Yi was truly an unparalleled hero — capable of captivating Chang'e with his charm and slaying fierce deities with his martial prowess.

At this point, the voice continued, "The reason I'm explaining all this in such detail is that you need to retrace Yi's heroic journey from back then. Only by doing so can you gain the recognition of his divine artifacts and have a chance to confront that powerful entity."