Shi Feiyang had come to Baiyang Mountain to find the Mo Zhui brothers.
Beneath Baiyang Mountain, in the crisscrossing ravines and valleys, lived a tribe of little people.
These little people, with a height of just about two feet and resembling dwarfs, had all their features proportionally reduced, so they didn't look strange. They dashed through the mountains, like plant spirits come to life.
These people, descendants of the Wa Emperor, were indistinguishable from ordinary humans tens of thousands of years ago. After they began farming and entered the patriarchal era, they established vast territories. With governance, martial arts, rites, and education, they flourished.
But as time went on, customs declined, human kindness waned, selfishness prevailed, and minds narrowed. Their stature grew progressively smaller; not only the once-common nine-foot frame but even seven-footers became rarities.
Later, as their stature shrank to less than three feet, they could no longer compete with larger nations and retreated into the deep mountains.
A thousand years ago, a wise ruler emerged, who decoded many mysteries and revitalized education and determination. He led the entire little people to reverse their fortunes, halting the trend of shrinking.
When they lost their nation and fled to the mountains, they established Restoration Day to remember their origins. On that day each year, they performed sacrifices to heaven and temples.
The wise ruler from a millennium ago divined something of the nation's destiny, leaving a prophecy that after a thousand years, they could grow once again, restoring the glorious culture and attire of their ancestors.
It was during this year's Restoration Day that the three small Mo Zhui brothers arrived here. They were also just over a foot tall, appearing similar to the little people, only more delicate and with different skin colors. Since they could fly and burrow through the earth, they were received with great honor, and even the little King treated them with immense respect, considering them the key foretold in the ancient prophecies.
Shi Feiyang arrived in the valley with Qiu Yuan and Lei Xun, where the little people had built a wall about a yard tall at the entrance of the valley. The small soldiers patrolled in beast hide armors and wielded bows and arrows.
Upon seeing Shi Feiyang descending from the sky, the little soldiers did not dare act out of turn, and a general-like figure came out upon hearing the news.
Shi Feiyang paid him no mind and simply called out to the Mo Zhui children inside.
After a short while, three streaks of light flew out and plunged straight into Shi Feiyang's arms—it was the Mo Zhui brothers.
"Daddy, why have you come?" they asked.
Shi Feiyang hugged and kissed each of them before smiling and saying, "Do you know that there are at least three hundred sword immortals from various sects looking for you all over the mountains within thousands of miles? If I didn't come, who knows what trouble you'd have caused?"
Mo Zhui chuckled, "Let them look. They can't find us anyway."
Mo Ying piped in, "Even if they found us, they couldn't defeat us!"
Shi Feiyang patted his head, "Even I don't dare to claim invincibility; facing multiple top masters together, I could at most escape unscathed. How much Dao Level do you have to be so conceited? If I hadn't come, your real trouble would have begun!"
Hearing this, Mo Zhui's expression turned serious, "Daddy, did you calculate something? My final tribulation has passed, what else could pose such danger?"
"Your final tribulation was just a hurdle destined in your life's growth and cultivation; overcoming it doesn't mean you're safe from trouble in the future. If you act recklessly, you will create many new crises. Not to mention the upcoming great calamity of heaven and earth!"
"We came here also to prepare for the last great calamity."
Shi Feiyang nodded, and Mo Zhui invited him further into the valley to discuss in detail.
The little King of the small nation, having heard from Mo Zhui about his father's arrival, was already making arrangements with his guards. On stage left and right, several little people played scaled-down instruments, blaring and drumming.
Numerous little women, dressed in colorful clothes, holding ceremonial items made of sticks and feathers, arranged in formations on the ground, singing and dancing to welcome him.
The houses where the little people lived inside the valley were tiny, similar to chicken coops in a rural area.
Deeper into the valley stood a relatively lavish palace, grander than the other buildings but still a squeeze for an average-sized person.
Shi Feiyang simply chose a high platform outside to sit and introduced Qiu Yuan to the three Mo Zhui brothers. Qiu Yuan and Lei Xun had never seen such interesting little people.
At first, they thought the three brothers were the same as the little people, but Shi Feiyang explained that all three were plant spirits, one of which was the thousand-year Queen Mother Grass everyone outside was searching for.
Lei Xun grew anxious, "Those outside are searching for the Queen Mother Grass; if the three of them leave, they might be captured!"
Mo Ying, holding onto Shi Feiyang's leg, defiantly said, "Let them come if they can, who captures whom is not yet certain!"
Shi Feiyang pinched Mo Xiang's little face and patted Mo Ying's head, "As long as I'm here, who can take them away!"
He asked the three boys what had made them come to this wild mountain forest.
Mo Zhui said, "After I overcame my final tribulation, I've been contemplating the Three Emperors Dao that daddy taught these years, gaining some insights. So, I wanted to establish a nation, fix the Heavenly Dao, establish the human way, align the Three Talents with the great Dao, and continue to advance in Dao Level.
"We are Plant Spirits, small in stature, and it was extremely difficult to find a group of uncivilized savages to enlighten, so forming a kingdom with other creatures was even more challenging. After some calculations, we felt that it could be achieved here.
We followed the direction deduced from the Gua Xiang and searched all the way here, arriving just in time for their day of supplication. They revered us as Immortals, and I figured it was my destiny to be here. I've already agreed to become the national master."
Shi Feiyang was very surprised after hearing this. He had taken seven or eight disciples—human and non-human, male and female—but he never imagined that of all people, it was Mo Zhui, the millennia-old Queen Mother Grass, who made the first breakthrough in Dao!
He picked up Mo Zhui and placed him on his knee, examining the little guy closely. The Nascent Soul within him was already very stable, with divine energy retracted inward.
His head was covered with fine silver-white hair, neatly tied with a White Jade Crown. A pair of eyes with green pupils shone brightly with intelligence.
"I really didn't expect this. I've neglected you all these years, and you've actually broken through the realm of Dao. Although you haven't yet Seen Dao, you're not far off! It seems that bringing you to Central Earth and letting you roam between heaven and earth was the right decision!"
Mo Zhui's original form was the millennia-old Queen Mother Grass, a heavenly treasure coveted by all.
Ordinary people who acquired it would definitely treasure it immensely, confining it at home, heavily guarded to prevent others from causing harm.
Shi Feiyang, however, did the opposite. He brought the four little ones to Central Earth and let them roam free on the Central Earth Continent, over mountains and rivers, thousands of miles, allowing them to travel freely.
Of course, Shi Feiyang wasn't just relying on luck; by the time he brought them out to roam, Shi Feiyang was already the Great Ming National Master, and the networks of Qingcheng Sect and Snow Mountain Sect were already established.
He had the power to maintain control of the situation, and he had also divined their general fortunes and misfortunes, so he had an idea of what to expect.
Most importantly, he gave them the Three Talents Clearing Circle, a treasured artifact that others would certainly consider a mountain treasure and never give away.
Shi Feiyang gave the Three Talents Clearing Circle to the three of them, equipping them with the ability to protect themselves.
And it was precisely because of such freedom that Mo Zhui was able to make a breakthrough on the path of Dao.
"That's wonderful!" Shi Feiyang complimented repeatedly.
Mo Zhui was capable of Cultivation on his own, understanding Dao on his own, and even figuring out how to establish a nation—truly a child that saved trouble!
Shi Feiyang asked Mo Zhui, "How do you plan to run it? Will all three of you become national masters?"
Mo Zhui had just nodded when Mo Ying, at his side, discontentedly said, "Why should big brother even be a national master? Why not just become the Emperor directly? The King is already prepared to abdicate, and he's brought it up more than once; it's only big brother who keeps declining."
Shi Feiyang told Mo Zhui, "Our Three Emperors Dao is different from those ascetic practices outside of the world. It's about establishing humanity under the Heavenly Dao and pioneering civilization among the wild and primordial beings.
All merit and virtue should be cultivated within humanity. If the King is truly sincere about abdicating, there's nothing wrong with you becoming the King. It's actually beneficial to your Cultivation."
Mo Zhui hesitated and said, "I'm not worried about that... I'm... afraid I won't do a good job."
"Foolish child! Are you planning to try it for a while and leave immediately if you find you can't do it well? This kind of timidity does not fit the style of our Three Emperors Dao!
Think about the ancient Three Emperors and Five Emperors, clearing thorns, driving out Poison Mists, slaying primordial Fierce Beasts, all requiring decisive and bold determination! If you can't do it well, you can abdicate to someone else later,
but you can't start by giving yourself a way out, probing tentatively while always being ready to beat a retreat. With that attitude, you'll never cultivate the Three Emperors Dao!"
Mo Zhui nodded, "Father's reprimand is just; I have learned my lesson. I'll go tell the King right away that I'll accept his abdication and become the King here. Don't worry, Father, I'll make sure to govern this place well and eventually lead them to grow and finally leave this vast mountain!"
Mo Ying said, "Brother, why be merely a King? You should become an Emperor!"
Shi Feiyang said, "Well, I have an idea. It's better for you to remain the King. I'll go send a Flying Sword Transmission to the Emperor of the Great Ming and request a royal title for you, to make you a rightful Prince. You can also borrow the fortune of the dynasty. Otherwise, your small nation is too meager—how many people do you even have?"
Mo Zhui replied, "I have already counted. The total population of the nation is twenty-three thousand eight hundred and forty-one people. There would have been more, but before I came, many Demon Beasts appeared in these mountains, honeybees as large as chicken eggs. After investigating, I discovered there was an ancient tomb nearby, heavy with Evil Qi,
harboring a Zombie about to revive. The Demon Beasts all came from there, so I led the two of them to the ancient tomb twice, exterminating the Demon Beasts and the Zombie. If we had not come here in a few more years, these little people would have all been eaten or killed by the Demon Beasts!"
Naturally, he was referring to the ancient tomb of the Wuhua Family, which had bred the Wuhua father and son and a Qiong Qi.
Ever since Deng Yin had that great battle with the Buddhist sect here and exterminated the three Demon Corpses, the place had become deserted.
However, the Feng Shui of this burial site was originally excellent, and after it was modified by the three Demon Corpses, it became filled with heavy Evil Qi, making it an ideal Corpse Nurturing Land, capable of breeding all sorts of Demon Beasts and Zombies.
Ordinary birds and beasts were already predators to the dwarfs; if it weren't for their ability to use fire and craft some bronze weapons, they would have been completely wiped out long ago.
Each of the Demon Beasts had its strengths, beyond the capabilities of the dwarfs to handle. Mo Zhui and his brothers used the Flying Sword Magical Treasure along with various marvelous Spells, easily killing all the Demon Beasts.
This was also the main reason the King was willing to abdicate.
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