The Primitive Age, Lament of an Immortal(A mythological xianxia story)

The eruption of conflict came fast. Extremely powerful entities needed only a moment to start clashing at full power.

Yet unlike the prior scene, where the Dao's of multiple individuals ordered the Chaos Sea into specified domains in the image of the cultivator. This time, the battle appeared to revert the local Chaos Sea into a unified void.

An Aten disk here in the present stood against the outreach of a Dao fruit so far away, that the distance could only be measured in infinities.

An Aten disk, and a Dao fruit, two concepts from two entirely different lineages of cultivation. Yet both exemplified the same thing. A representation of one's progress towards transcendence.

Unlike the lesser cultivators present, Zulong and Thoth had completed their respective Dao's a long time ago. Both had already been refined into absolute truths. Not a single doubt could degrade it apart anymore.

Thus, they seemed transient to the naked eye. Their concepts so vast and profound, that when displayed at their fullest, they completely ignored the forever changing tides of the Chaos Sea.

Instead, beginning to revert this world of clashing forces back to a more primal blank state. Even if it was an imitation, it was still blinding.

Heaven Sundering War God had the lowest attainment in the Dao. He lost consciousness on the spot. Even his physical body began suffering a form of decay.

Given enough time, he may even be refined into another aspect of either being's Daos. Propagation Emperor faired slightly better. Only Prime Origin Monarch was largely unaffected.

This battlefield was not like the Primitive World's Great Wilderness of old. Nothing kept things in a consistent shape, nor did anything maintain stability. These third order celestial lifeforms were left up to their own means to withstand these unfiltered aftershocks.

Though from Zulong's, or Thoth's perspectives, these people were not relevant at all. If they survived, then good for them. If they could not? Then that was it.

They were too busy being focused on combat.

In truth, physical blows were not being exchanged yet. Zulong was far more interested in probing the Aten. His own way of getting a feel for Thoth's attainments. It was insulting to the Ibis headed one.

"Treating me as a whetstone? How typical of a descendant of Taichu's lineage. All madmen." Thoth had known of the Chaos Godfiends for a long time.

He'd never interacted with them, seeing no need in getting involved in their own pursuits. The Ennead at the time, were more focused on themselves. In addition, the distance between the Du'at and the Primitive World was far too great.

In reality, Thoth was unaware of the Chaos Godfiends' near total demise at Pangu's hands. He assumed Zulong was also another lifeforms inducted into that civilization.

However, Zulong was definitely a far cry from any Chaos Godfiend. The dragon's attainment in the Dao was tremendously greater. If the actual Dao fruit was present, Thoth would quickly realize that it surpassed even Taichu.

Like Atum-Ra, the great progenitor Ra, and what Ra-Huti Thoth was trying to accomplish. Zulong had stepped into Wuji and begun the process of Dao birth.

Reflected in his attacks was the ability to propagate three thousand Daos with a thought. Even ones completely adverse to him could be deduced and replicated. In that regard, Zulong's Dao fruit was akin to a mythological cosmic egg.

And as such, even though they may appear to be clashing as equals. One could see that the ripples of the wooden dragon's Dao were far more mysterious and profound than the dim rays of Thoth's Aten crown.

"Strange, where are the signs of this so called truth?" Zulong's wooden avatar finally asked. He'd expected to smudge against it by now, yet the Aten didn't appear different then a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal's Dao fruit.

"Hmph." Thoth rolled his eyes. By now, he was very tempted to activate the book of the dead in his grasp.

"For a being who began spinning towards the limitless, aren't you a bit dull?" Thoth mockingly said. At the same time, he was taking steps back.

He had little desire to continue tangling with the dragon. His existence being exposed, and his subsequent necessity to retrieve his crown already displeased him.

There was little point in both fighting, or answering to Zulong. He still needed to repair his Aten before he could transition to the next step.

"Your Dao's radiance is a little dim today is it not?" Zulong replied with his own analysis. His elongated wooden body appeared lazy on his bed of clouds.

"For a Primal Zenith Dao fruit, for some deformities to appear. Careless combat then?"

"Sharp, I guess it's to be expected from a self styled king." Thoth gave praise where it's due. Even from his haughty eyes, he could see the posture of a royal.

"I am sovereign of all who are scaled…I see now, the energy from a nascent xiantian spiritual treasure fueled the disk's restoration."

Zulong nodded his to himself. Dao's that had reached completion cannot fall apart on its own. They could only be damaged by force from another entity. Yet damaged Dao fruits were also extremely rare.

The only scenario he could think of was the anti-devil war. A time where fighting was fierce, and Chaos Immortals died like dogs.

Thoth went silent at Zulong's words. He glanced at the book clutched beneath his armpit. He had indeed been in a fierce battle.

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And similar to Zulong's own experiences, he saw many who wore Aten disks die like dogs. Personally stood powerless as swarms of locusts ate away at the common people. Unable to prevent the tragedy when the holy ones obliterated the next generation before their very eyes.

Even a dignified Ra could only run in the end.

"I have had enough." Thoth had wanted to leave, but Zulong wouldn't let him off that easily.

Two similarly strengthed entities couldn't normally stop each other from escaping. But Zulong's avatar suddenly exploded in might.

A single roar erupted from his wooden lungs, shaking the foundation of everyone present.

Finding his body stiff and unwilling to obey him was not Thoth's expectations. Subsequently, clouds swarmed the arena, forming into city walls.

In the image of his imperial capital, born from memories of that city that had long been destroyed. "In The Image of the Origin Dragon City."

Crab generals, shrimp soldiers, vast amounts of sea life came alive. All blocking the path to escape. The clouds entrenched themselves so deep that Thoth's rays failed to penetrate.

Unwilling to be subjected any further, Thoth unleashed his hieroglyphic spells. As the progenitor of writing, he knew them all.

Zulong roared again. This time, he not only dampened many spells Thoth threw out, but outright shattered many more. As a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal, his innate divine abilities had grown to another level.

Even without being physically present. Even though his abilities were filtered through an avatar. He appeared overwhelming.

"I never expected a being like you could be produced from that brutish Taichu's lineage."

"What is so brutish about the Godfiends' endless pursuit for the Dao? You can see the results can't you? Now would you answer our question?"

Indeed, the foundations of both were entirely different. The foundational cultivation system of the Du'at focused entirely on splitting aspects of the spirit out of the body.

They progress further as mighty entities, ultimately rejoining on the other side of the barrier between second order and third order. Arising beyond the river of time as a third order celestial lifeform. Completely phasing out of the barrier.

In contrast, an immortal cultivated internal constructs to stabilize their qi, open their minds to the natural workings of the universe, and temper their flesh with the Dao. Perfecting the three splendours and forcefully pushing out of the second sphere with force.

Of course in the former, one could lose themselves on the journey, while the latter relies on numerous resources and opportunities.

Yet Zulong had a feeling that wasn't what Thoth meant. He dearly wished his opponent would speak more clearly. Perhaps if he were to force him into a truly desperate position.

"Even if we do not comprehend your words yet. You must still guide us the way to the answer. After all, a mere Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal shouldn't be able to touch upon it."

"Is that what you believe serpent? Anyone with a little brain can know the right question and reach the right answer. That you at your enlightenment have not, speaks of your own insufficiency.

"Day in and day out, mindlessly repeating the same god forsaken act in the name of practice. None of the beauty of creating. Taichu and his braindead method."

Zulong, having no relation to the founder of the godfiends civilization, had no real response to give. Instead, he continued to push, eventually encircling Thoth from all sides.

His personal cheerleader, Ten Thousand Ways Ancestor would only stand back and slander Thoth. It would seem the act of such were getting to him due to the mounting pressure.

Finally being frustrated into anger, Thoth unleashed his most powerful treasure. One of the few xiantian spiritual treasures that made it out of the Du'at, and the only one that did so fully in tact.

The book of the dead flared up, giving rise to a heavy pressure. It immediately made Zulong wearily, though only for a moment.

Because as the book activated its own means, Zulong's mind flashbacked to the immense Reincarnation Disk that was born at the end of the anti-devil war.

"Under my command, all living beings shall have their destinies ended. Ascendant or not, you are no different!" Thoth cried out.

The book of the dead recorded many things, chief among them was the way for the departed spirit to journey through the afterlife. It was said that once in an eon, this book could elevate any soul into the third sphere regardless of status.

In its combat form, Thoth began twisting the avatar of Zulong into a form he was more familiar with. The nine aspects of the soul that would fall, and be swallowed into death.

Beings like Zulong don't normally conform to any conventional meanings of death. Yet through the book, Thoth imagined it to be possible to force higher dimensional lifeforms into a deathly state.

"You forced me, you could've just walked away. This treasure was created and wielded by pharaohs more cultivated then I." A contentious smile emerged on Thoth's face.

"All this for such a simple answer. Even a moron could figure out the…"

"Hm." Inside the grim spell of the book of the dead, Zulong pondered. He didn't understand the sentence as a whole. But there was one particular word that stood out.

"Randomness?" He couldn't be sure if the at was right. But for a second, that was probably what he heard.

However, he had to quickly turn his attention away from pondering. This avatar of his was beginning to be sucked away.

It may not be a substantial loss, but there was still the face of a ruler to consider. For his own pride's sake, Zulong would not allow it to happen.

"Don't presume a damaged top grade xiantian spiritual treasure can stop me." Zulong funneled more of his Dao's power into the avatar.

Crevices became noticeable cracks on the wood dragon's body. His horns split apart as leakages of power occurred.

No Dao fruit manifested directly. Yet like a tunnel, one could see it through the wood dragon.

"Even the book cannot restrain him? If only it wasn't damaged by those abominations." Thoth gritted his teeth and pondered on his next plan.

Things were not good at all, none of his spells worked. Furthermore, his trump card treasure failed.

'He's breaking apart from the strain, should be weak enough to smash that body apart.'

In the Du'at, and in the flat disk world Atum created as the civilization's home base. Very few beings practiced physical body tempering. Strength could only go so far, and an enlightenment of the soul was paramount.

But there were certain experts in the field. The lord of the red desert, Seth came to mind. The darker side of Hathor was another example. Ra-Horakhty was the most renown one in later eras.

Thoth was none of the above. His strength was nothing special. But he would need to fall back on it. While his magic kept Zulong's cultivation at bay, he'd approach and smash the wood apart quickly.

He abandoned his fleeing post and stepped forward. Zulong raised a cracked brow in surprise.

Thoth's muscles bludged uncontrollably. His beak opened to gasp for breath. Yet he didn't stop his advance. Every step he took was getting heavier and heavier.

Then, a transformation occurred. His human looking feet, and normal proportioned arms both changed. Elongated and hunched over. Fur grew on him.

His crescent shaped beak was encased by bone and flesh. Teeth appeared, snarling at the dragon. The murderous appearance of a wild baboon had appeared.

Coursing with strength, he trampled on the shrimp soldiers and crab generals manifested by Zulong, then stepped into the auspicious cloud.

"A…monkey…" Zulong felt a degree of disgust at being reminded of another monkey from the anti-devil war.

"Even so, that measly strength is uncultivated and weak. What do you hope to accomplish?"

"Dont get confident." Thoth used his quill to draw out a dog headed shape. "I am knowledge. Record keeper of all things beneath the omnipotent sun.

"I remember the great gods of war. I assume their likeness!" The image of Seth roared, then entered Thoth. A spell that would overlay the likeness of a divine being famed for strength onto the scholar.

When the baboon Thoth roared, the kingdom of Zulong shook. The Aten disk on the monkey's head restrained its kind warmth, replaced by a chilling star. It was reminiscent of the Lunar Star.

Thoth did not hesitate to launch a punch, fully expecting to shatter wood.

"Competing with a dragon and in brute strength?" Zulong chuckled rather than being scared. "Even among all the post natal lifeforms of the Primitive World, a dragon's raw strength rules supreme. As their creator, ancestor, and sovereign."

A single dragon claw reached out, and grabbed hold of the baboon's punching arm by the wrist. The way he held Thoth made the baboon lose all his momentum.

"Huh?" Thoth pulled at his trapped arm, unwilling to believe how this creature caught him so easily. His spell was working fine, giving him the image of Seth's strength.

"Try eating my claw," Zulong said. His free claw was held high, nine digits sprawling. As he brought it down on Thoth's chest, he met little resistance.

PLANG!

The spell surrounding Thoth was shattered on the spot. Chips of wood and hieroglyphs flew in all directions.

The claw of the dragon tore into the baboon's furry chest. For a second, nothing happened. Then?

Thoth screamed in pain. His body was dissolving into nothingness from the force of the dragon's blow.

"Little friend," Zulong chuckled. "It seems we are fates after all."

His claw was also mangled from his own strength, yet he wasn't too concerned about trapping Thoth. The baboon had gotten too hasty, giving Zulong the perfect opportunity to land a critical blow.

He thought he was smart, turning to an unexpected option that no one other than the vastly weaker Heaven Sundering War God used. Yet he never expected that this would be Zulong's most basic area of expertise.

"Argh!" Thoth felt deep regret. All he wanted was to use some free resources to mend his Aten. Why was he so unlucky? Was he not cursed enough after warring against the Heavenly Host?

A single strike caused his entire divine body to start disintegrating. Denizens of the Du'at were never famed for their physical bodies, but wasn't this still a bit of much?

"Still a separation of essence, spirit, or qi. That makes you rather easy to grab," Zulong calmly said before a tendril of water like qi tore a ghostly looking figure out of the baboon.

Such an act would not have been possible for Zulong as a Golden Immortal merged everything as a perfect being upon ascendance.

"Fate? What fate? This is just bad luck," Thoth said in lament. "Hehehe. In the end, just another degree of entropy to fuck me over."

"…"

"Yes, predestiny was always a hoax. It's always someone else's grand design, or your own poor choices. That randomness…I guess it's all…"

Zulong stopped talking.

An immense distance away, a coiling dragon suddenly opened his eyes. The eyes of the true Zulong narrowed in confusion.

"Hm."