In ancient times, there was a passage that connected Heaven and Earth. The gods could freely descend to the mortal realm, and humans could ascend to Heaven. This means that both gods and humans had the freedom to travel between the realms. In the beginning, there were few humans, and their presence in Heaven was insignificant, posing little problem for the gods. However, as the human population grew, they frequently traveled to Heaven, and their behavior began to lack the awe and respect once reserved for the gods. This created great trouble for the divine administrators. To restore reverence and prevent people from constantly visiting Heaven, Emperor Zhuanxu decided to sever the connection between Heaven and Earth.
The decision to sever the connection came after Zhuanxu personally experienced a grave event caused by a wicked god, Chi You. Chi You secretly descended to the mortal realm and incited the southern Miao people to rebel. Initially, the Miao people resisted his persuasion, but Chi You used cruel tortures to break their spirits and coerce them into joining his cause. Over time, the Miao people became increasingly vicious, surpassing even Chi You’s own cruelty. They began to aid Chi You in his ambitions to seize the throne of the Heavenly Emperor.
As the rebellion spread, innocent people were tortured and killed, and their spirits went to the Yellow Emperor to seek justice. The Yellow Emperor was enraged by this, and he immediately dispatched a force led by Zhuanxu to quell the rebellion. After several years of intense battles, Chi You was eventually defeated, and the rebellious Miao people were exterminated. The remaining traitors were unable to continue their insurgency.
Once Zhuanxu became the Heavenly Emperor, he decided to separate the realms of humans and gods to prevent another rogue god like Chi You from stirring rebellion. After careful consideration, Zhuanxu entrusted the task of severing the connection to his grandsons, Chong and Li.
Zhuanxu summoned Chong and Li and explained his plan to them. Both were eager to support the task and took up the responsibility with determination. Chong was assigned the task of propping up Heaven, while Li was tasked with pressing down the Earth. With great strength, the two worked tirelessly, and the distance between Heaven and Earth grew wider. Finally, after the realms were sufficiently separated to prevent travel between them, Chong and Li ceased their efforts.
After completing the task, the two no longer had the freedom to travel between Heaven and Earth. Chong became the guardian of Heaven, while Li became the guardian of Earth. Li, upon settling on Earth, had a son named “Ye.” Ye had a human face but no arms, and his feet were placed on his head in an odd posture. He resided at the “Sun-Moon Mountain” at the westernmost edge of the Great Wilderness, where he assisted his father in managing the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, becoming the god of time.
Over time, Zhuanxu observed the benefits of the separation: the realms of gods and humans were now distinct, and the natural order was restored. The gods in Heaven lived in peace, and humans on Earth thrived. While humans could no longer ascend to Heaven, the gods occasionally descended to the mortal realm, leading to stories of gods and mortals falling in love. However, most of the time, the gods remained in Heaven, living carefree lives, enjoying the worship and offerings of the people.