As the sun and moon turned and the years drifted by, more than a thousand Yuanhui had passed since the embers of the War of Dao and Demons dissipated throughout the Primordial World.
That great war, which had swept away the Chaos Demonic Qi and destroyed the Western Spirit Vein, had once left every living being in the Primordial Wilderness trembling with fear.
Now, only faint traces of Innate Sha Qi lingered among the mountains and rivers, reminding all of the horrors of the past.
The Three Clans—the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan, which had once occupied the heart of the Primordial Wilderness—had suffered devastating losses after the war among the Three Clans and the War of Dao and Demons.
In the end, they chose to hide within the Four Seas Abyss, Immortal Volcano, and Western Wasteland, fading from the mainstream of the Primordial Wilderness and leaving behind only scattered legends among living beings.
With the Three Clans no longer keeping one another in check, the Primordial Wilderness instead entered a rare period of peace.
Spiritual energy flowed slowly along the Earth Veins that had stabilized after their destruction.
Innate Spiritual Roots sprouted and spread their leaves in secluded valleys untouched by disturbance.
Unenlightened beings either hid in caves to cultivate or multiplied their clans across the plains.
Yet beneath this peace, undercurrents had long begun to stir. As the old powers withdrew, new experts were destined to fill the void.
The most eye-catching of them all was the Witch Clan. The Twelve Ancestral Witches, formed from Pangu's Essence Blood, were now among the foremost powers in the Primordial Wilderness.
Dijiang controlled space, his figure able to cross endless territories in an instant. Zhujiuyin wielded time, able to glimpse the past and future with the opening and closing of his eyes.
Zhurong was wreathed in Southern Bright Leaving Fire, reducing all vegetation in his path to ash. Gonggong was accompanied by towering waves, able to stir the tides of the Four Seas with a wave of his hand.
With a wave of Tianwu's hand, violent winds would rise. Wherever those gales passed, they left devastation behind.
Qiangliang commanded the power of lightning. A casual strike from him could erase countless yao beasts.
The remaining Ancestral Witches each possessed their own divine abilities, and their cultivation had all reached Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
Their physical bodies were incomparably powerful, and they could even invoke the Law Power left behind by Pangu. Ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals could scarcely breach even their physical defenses.
However, no clan in the world was truly invincible.
Some clans that sensed the threat posed by the Witch Clan had spontaneously formed an alliance, led by Dijun and Taiyi.
Within the Sun Star in the endless starry sky stood a great hall forged from Sun God Gold at its core.
The hall was warm and pleasant, without the slightest hint of scorching heat. It was the residence of Dijun and Taiyi, as well as the place where the clan alliance held its discussions.
Within the great hall, Dijun sat in the seat of honor. His golden robes were embroidered with the totem of the Three-legged Golden Crow, and his face was imposing while his gaze ran deep.
Taiyi stood to the left, dressed in robes as red as fire. The vertical eye between his brows was half-closed, while True Sun Fire faintly circulated around him.
Below them, a subordinate was bowing as he reported on the recent conflict with the Witch Clan.
"Reporting to the two leaders, the day before yesterday, our patrol encountered the Witch Clan's Rong Tribe at the East Sea Shore."
"They were utterly unreasonable and attacked without warning. We lost three clansmen at the early Taiyi stage. Though we seriously wounded two of them, we ultimately suffered the loss."
"How outrageous!" Taiyi abruptly opened the vertical eye between his brows, and the aura of True Sun Fire surged forth as the temperature inside the hall instantly rose.
"Do those Witch Clan brutes really think we are easy to bully?"
"Let me lead a group of clansmen to their territory and burn Kuafu's tribe to the ground. We'll let those brutes know what we're capable of!"
"You must not!" Bai Ze, the refined-looking strategist, hurriedly tried to dissuade him as he stepped forward.
"Leader Taiyi, please quell your anger. The Witch Clan possesses powerful physical bodies and is skilled in all kinds of laws. If we fight them head-on, we will gain no advantage."
"The alliance has only just been formed. Though the various clans are willing to submit, they have yet to truly unite as one."
"If we wage an all-out war against the Witch Clan now, it will only shake the alliance's foundation. Our foremost priority is to build up our strength, not to fight over a momentary grievance."
Dijun slowly nodded and raised a hand to suppress Taiyi's anger.
"Bai Ze is right. The Witch Clan is currently at the height of its power, and every one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches is at Peak Grand Unity."
"Though our alliance has the support of many clans, if we truly tear off all pretenses, I fear both sides will suffer grievously."
"For now, we must focus on integrating the clans and improving our cultivation."
Though Taiyi remained unwilling, he knew Dijun and Bai Ze were right. He could only snort heavily and withdraw his True Sun Fire.
"Fine! We'll spare them for now. But..." Taiyi changed the subject, and a note of confusion entered his voice.
"Big Brother, have you felt that after reaching Peak Grand Unity, trying to take another step forward feels as though an invisible barrier is blocking us?"
"We can clearly sense that there is another realm above this one, yet no matter what we do, we cannot find the path. Even our Law Comprehension has slowed during cultivation."
At his words, a trace of gravity flashed through Dijun's eyes. "You feel it too? I am the same."
"Ever since that Heaven and Earth Phenomenon suddenly appeared in the Primordial Wilderness more than a thousand Yuanhui ago, I have vaguely felt that something about the Primordial Wilderness is strange."
"The laws that were once within reach during cultivation now seem separated by a layer of mist. Even absorbing spiritual energy is no longer as smooth as before."
The two looked at each other, seeing helplessness in the other's eyes.
"Perhaps... things will change after we cultivate for a while longer?"
After pondering for some time, Dijun gave an answer that even he himself did not believe.
Taiyi sighed and could only nod. "Other than that, there is no other way."
After that, the two discussed several more matters concerning the alliance.
Only after discussing matters such as taking in new clans and dividing patrol territories did Taiyi leave with lingering frustration.
At the summit of Kunlun Mountain, the Three Pure Ones were discussing the same confusion.
Kunlun Mountain was rich in spiritual energy and shrouded in clouds and mist. Within Jade Void Palace, Laozi sat cross-legged on a cushion, lightly swaying a whisk in his hand, his expression calm.
Venerable Yuanshi stood before the palace, gazing at the Cloud Sea below the mountain with a slight furrow between his brows.
Sect Master Tongtian, meanwhile, was wielding the Qingping Sword within the hall. Sword Light flowed around it, yet it always carried a hint of sluggishness.
"Two Junior Brothers," Laozi said as he opened his eyes, his voice gentle yet tinged with gravity.
"Have you also noticed that after reaching Peak Grand Unity, it has become impossible to advance even an inch further?"
Venerable Yuanshi turned around and nodded slightly, surprise in his tone.
"Elder Brother, you feel it too? I tried to deduce the method of breaking through to Primordial Origin Golden Immortal, but I was always disrupted by an invisible force."
"No matter how I deduce it, all I see is a hazy expanse of Chaos."
Sect Master Tongtian sheathed his sword and stood still, his tone carrying a trace of impatience.
"In my view, we will have to wait until Master leaves seclusion and ask him for guidance before we can learn the reason."
"We possess Peak Grand Unity cultivation, yet cannot find the path to a breakthrough. If the Witch Clan or some other power comes looking for trouble in the future, I fear we will suffer."
Laozi nodded slightly. "That is all we can do. Master's understanding of the Great Dao of heaven and earth far surpasses ours. Once he leaves seclusion, he will surely have an answer."
What they did not know was that they were not alone. The other top experts of the Primordial Wilderness were also trapped by this bottleneck.
No matter how they cultivated, they could never touch the realm beyond Great Luo.
It was as though Great Luo was already the limit, and some people seemed to believe that feeling.
But even more people refused to believe it, yet had no good solution. For a time, many could only sigh in despair.
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