Nuwa, the goddess of immortality, said that cultivating immortality does not require spiritual energ

Houtu Niangniang did not answer Qin Le immediately, but instead turned her gaze to the little clay figure, her tone unusually serious:

"Narcissist, did you clearly explain the consequences of your actions to him?"

"I didn't say anything~" The little clay figure Nuwa swayed her body, her tone light and slightly irritating: "But it doesn't matter whether I say it or not, anyway, life isn't of much use to him."

"you--!"

Houtu Niangniang felt a lump in her throat, and looking at Nuwa's nonchalant expression, she was at a loss for words.

Left with no other choice, she suppressed her anger, turned to Qin Le, and solemnly explained:

"Qin Le, think it through. Once you put this Immortal Seed into the Fountain of Life, it's equivalent to you voluntarily relinquishing and sacrificing all your understanding and qualifications regarding the 'Life' path to the Heavenly Dao. From then on, whether it's the Law of Life, the Immortal Path of Life, or the even more distant Great Dao of Life, you will have no chance with it anymore, and you will never be able to touch it in the slightest."

She spoke slowly, making sure Qin Le understood the seriousness of the situation.

By throwing the immortal seed that one has condensed into the spring of life created by the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao will completely devour and merge it, and determine that the sacrificer has voluntarily given up the qualification to climb this path.

This is a near-perpetual, rule-based form of deprivation.

Nuwa didn't even mention such terrible consequences!

Houtu Niangniang simply didn't know whether to say she was carefree or... she didn't take it seriously at all.

however……

To her further dismay, Qin Le, after hearing this explanation, showed no regret or struggle on his face, but instead remained completely calm.

"It doesn't matter," Qin Le even smiled, his tone relaxed. "Anyway, I don't need the Life Dao right now."

With that, he flicked his wrist, and the milky-white Seed of Life traced a gentle arc as it fell softly into the tranquil Spring of Life below.

puff.

A slight splashing sound was heard, and then, something unexpected happened!

The originally slightly dull, milky-white pool water seemed to be infused with the most primal vitality, suddenly shining with a warm and vibrant light.

The water level began to rise at a visible speed, with bubbling bubbles rising from the bottom of the pool. An intensely rich aura of life permeated the air, filling the entire space with vibrant vitality.

At this rate, the Fountain of Life will be fully replenished and restored to its peak in less than half an hour.

At the same time, the surging life force that Qin Le naturally exuded due to his enlightenment of the Immortal Path of Life receded rapidly like a tide, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye, as if it had never existed.

"You...don't you feel any regret at all?" Houtu Niangniang couldn't help but ask, looking at his indifferent profile.

Her original intention was simply to have Qin Le help her replenish her energy, but she never expected him to pay such a heavy price as severing his ties with a powerful force.

In comparison, the excessive bet that Nuwa proposed earlier seems... not so unacceptable after all.

Before Qin Le could answer, the little clay figure of Nuwa above his head chimed in with a grin, "Hey little Houtu, how can you not understand? For my little Lele, comprehending the Dao of Immortality is as easy as drinking water and eating. Losing one Dao of Life, do you think it will have much of an impact on him?"

"..."

The Goddess Houtu was speechless for a moment.

Although Nuwa's words sounded infuriating, she couldn't refute them.

Qin Le condensed the Seed of Immortal Life from nothing in just a few hours, a level of comprehension that is unparalleled throughout history.

For him, comprehending the Dao of Immortality might not be as difficult as ordinary people imagine. Since he could obtain it easily, he could also give it up relatively easily.

This is not because he doesn't cherish it, but because he has a confidence that ordinary people cannot reach.

Others may never even touch the threshold of the path to immortality in their entire lives, but once they are lucky enough to comprehend it, they will cherish it as their life and would never give it up easily.

But Qin Le... which of the four paths he comprehended—time, space, and creation—wasn't it the pinnacle of all?

In comparison, while the path to life is also top-notch, for him it might truly be just icing on the cake rather than a lifeline.

The reason why Houtu Niangniang cares so much is that she still subconsciously uses the standards for judging ordinary geniuses to view Qin Le.

Qin Le, however, has long since transcended this category.

"Um, Lady Houtu," Qin Le's voice pulled her back to reality, "the first test should be considered complete, right? Why don't you tell me what the next trial is?"

His tone was calm, and he truly had no regrets about the discarded Immortal Seed.

The Great Dao gives birth to the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao evolves into the Immortal Dao, and the Immortal Dao further divides into various laws.

This is a top-down, hierarchical system. What Qin Le truly comprehended and mastered was the Great Dao of Life, which Nuwa had sealed deep within his sea of ​​consciousness.

If he is willing and accumulates enough power of the Great Dao, theoretically he can indeed create more than one Seed of Immortal Life.

Houtu Niangniang was naturally unaware of this truth at the moment.

Nuwa, meanwhile, was eagerly anticipating the day when Houtu would learn the whole truth and what a fascinating expression would appear on her face.

Having figured out Qin Le's unconventional nature, Houtu Niangniang's regret and sense of indebtedness for him abandoning the path of immortality faded considerably.

She said no more, and with another gentle wave of her sleeve.

The surrounding scenery rippled and shifted like water. In the blink of an eye, the three of them had left the Fountain of Life and found themselves in another vast and solemn space.

Here, tens of thousands of bronze lamps are neatly displayed, each about one meter tall, with a simple and ancient shape that exudes a sense of the weight of time.

However, looking around, only a dozen or so bronze lamps still flickered with faint but tenacious flames, emitting different kinds of light.

The flames on the vast majority of the other lamps had long since gone out, leaving only the cold, dim lamp bodies standing silently, like countless silent tombstones.

Upon arriving at this place, a deep sorrow appeared in Houtu Niangniang's golden eyes.

Even the usually cheerful little clay figure of Nuwa fell silent. A complex and indescribable emotion seemed to flash across her clay face, a mixture of concern and a faint sense of self-reproach.

"The second test." Houtu Niangniang composed herself, her voice regaining its usual calmness, but with an added solemnity: "Light ten of the 'racial lamps' that have already been extinguished."

Race lights?

Qin Le's gaze swept over the vast yet lifeless sea of ​​lights, and a chilling thought suddenly rose in his mind. He subconsciously asked, "Goddess Houtu, these extinguished lights... could it mean...?"

"You guessed right." Houtu Niangniang's voice was deep, confirming the thought he dared not say aloud: "When the lights go out, it means that the fate of this race has ended, the bloodline has been severed, and its name and civilization no longer exist in these three realms."

In the past, the Three Realms were home to countless races, and civilizations shone like a galaxy of stars.

Now, only a dozen or so races can still light up this sea of ​​lights.

The remaining tens of thousands of lights have long since been swallowed up by the long passage of time and the relentless flames of war, and have gradually faded into eternal darkness.

Qin Le felt his throat go dry as he recalled the epic war that Nuwa had once described, a war that would sweep across the three realms.

His voice was slightly hoarse as he asked again, "Goddess Houtu, is the extinction of these races... related to the great war of antiquity?"

"Part of it is." Houtu sighed softly, her gaze sweeping over the endless extinguished lamps, her voice carrying the weight and helplessness of history: "Roughly speaking, the human race and the demon race... each have to bear half of the karma."

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

On the path of vying for living space and the power of heaven and earth, both the once-dominant demon race and the later-rising human race have wielded blood-stained weapons.

Half of the lights went out, extinguished by the conquests of the human race; the other half were extinguished even earlier during the demon race's rise to power.

The idea of ​​peaceful hegemony is simply a pipe dream in such a brutal struggle for survival.

Qin Le remained silent for a moment, then did not press for further details about the bloody incident.

History is already set in stone, and the cause and effect have already been determined; there is little point in lamenting at this moment.

He composed himself and turned to his most reliable support: "Mother Nuwa, what should I do next?"

With this big shot by his side, he doesn't need to rack his brains at all.

Moreover, he had already made up his mind to cling to this powerful patron, so if he didn't ask for help now, when would he?

"It's not difficult," Nuwa's voice rang out, regaining its usual ease. "Just use the 'fire' in your dantian. The fire is the flame of civilization's inheritance, and it has the power to revive broken lines and reignite hope."

"I understand." Qin Le nodded, suddenly realizing what was going on.

He always felt that the fire given to him by Suirenshi was of little use to him.

Unexpectedly, its true purpose was found here.

Perhaps, Suirenshi's famous saying about making good use of this fire foresaw today's situation.