At this thought, Haotian walked out of the mountain gate and summoned the Myriad Heavens Auspicious Cloud. The auspicious cloud instantly expanded to over ten feet wide, steadily carrying him and Jade Pool.
The two sat atop the auspicious cloud and drifted slowly eastward.
Below them, the Primordial Wilderness unfurled like a painting. Mountain ranges formed from turbid qi rose and fell in endless succession.
Figures of Innate Beings occasionally flashed through the Cloud Sea formed from gathered clear qi. In the distance, the East Sea shimmered with waves, and Dragon Clan figures could vaguely be seen darting through the surf.
However, Haotian's thoughts were not on the scenery. Instead, he sank his consciousness inward and touched the Great Luo Gift Pack the system had left within his primordial spirit.
As the gift pack opened, item after item appeared before him, accompanied by the system's recorded message.
"Master, this is Tongtong's first gift pack for you. It contains Fragments of the Jade Plate of Creation, corresponding respectively to the Great Daos of time, space, karma, and destiny."
"There is also the Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Primordial Dao Comprehension Lamp, one extraordinary Chaos Dao Comprehension Flower, and a wisp of Heavenly Dao Origin."
"There is no need to explain the fragments. Master surely knows what they do."
"The Primordial Dao Comprehension Lamp is peerless in both offense and defense. Not only can it help Master comprehend the Dao, but the Primordial Divine Fire within it possesses the power to burn the heavens and boil the seas."
"The Chaos Dao Comprehension Flower can raise another person's Bloom Grade and, for a period of time, strengthen the user's comprehension of the Great Dao. It should be useful to Master as well."
"As for that wisp of Heavenly Dao Origin, although it is not much, it is enough to help Master cultivate smoothly all the way to the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm and deepen your understanding of laws."
"Tongtong looks forward to Master opening the second gift pack in the near future."
The recording ended there, but Haotian still felt warmth in his heart as he looked at the items the system had left behind.
Every single one of them would be of great help to him.
Even those he could not use could be given to Jade Pool, such as the Chaos Dao Comprehension Flower.
He knew clearly that Jade Pool's talent could not compare to that of the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti.
After all, all of them had achieved a Nine-Petal Bloom, while Grand Pure Laozi was even suspected to have reached ten petals. That was why they had become their master's direct disciples.
But things would be different with the Chaos Dao Comprehension Flower. It could completely raise Jade Pool's talent to the ninth grade.
That way, Jade Pool could also claim a place among the future direct disciples.
With that thought, Haotian took out the Chaos Dao Comprehension Flower and silently merged it into Jade Pool's body.
After all, the origins of some things could not be explained clearly for the time being. Since that was the case, it was better to merge it in secretly.
Jade Pool knew nothing of this. Instead, she leaned over the edge of the Myriad Heavens Auspicious Cloud, her eyes curiously scanning below. "Senior Brother, look at that mountain! There are so many glowing grasses on it!"
"That is Spiritual Grass Dao Comprehension Vine. Once it has grown long enough, it can aid in comprehending laws."
Haotian explained patiently, though his gaze had fallen on a place farther away.
A faint trace of Demonic Qi was brewing there. It seemed that Demon Ancestor Luohu's forces had already begun infiltrating the Primordial Wilderness.
He gripped the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler at his waist and thought, The Demon Ancestor's Rebellion, the Witch-Demon War, the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation... the calamities of the Primordial Wilderness are still to come.
Only by increasing my strength as quickly as possible can I protect myself and Jade Pool. Perhaps I can even reduce the harm done to the Primordial Wilderness as much as possible.
With that thought, Haotian sat down cross-legged, cultivating while enjoying the scenery.
That was one benefit of the Primordial Heart Sutra. It allowed him to spare a sliver of his consciousness to admire the scenery, though most of his focus remained on cultivation.
Seeing how diligently her senior brother cultivated, Jade Pool stopped admiring the scenery as well and imitated him by sitting cross-legged to cultivate.
For a time, spiritual qi gathered around the two of them.
The remaining auspicious cloud streaked across the sky toward the East Sea, and the figures of the young man and young woman gradually vanished into the depths of the Cloud Sea.
Within the palace on Jade Capital Mountain, Hongjun watched the direction in which the two had departed. Holding a faintly glowing Jade Disk of Creation in his hand, he murmured softly.
"Even the Jade Disk of Creation cannot deduce Haotian's fate..."
"The variable of the Primordial Wilderness may lie with this child."
With that, his figure flashed and transformed into a streak of light, disappearing from Jade Capital Mountain as he headed toward Chaos.
In the land of Chaos, there was neither sun nor moon, only rolling gray air currents surging without end.
There was no spiritual qi of the Primordial Wilderness here, only the most ancient and violent power of Chaos. An ordinary Golden Immortal would be torn to pieces the moment they entered.
An azure light tore through the Chaos Airflow, and Hongjun's figure slowly emerged.
He still looked like an immortal sage, with faint fluctuations of Heavenly Dao Law lingering around him. Even within Chaos, he walked as though on level ground.
"Hongjun, you arrived quickly enough."
A gentle voice rang out. From the Chaos Airflow not far away, a figure slowly emerged.
He wore a pale green Daoist robe, his eyebrows hanging to his shoulders like willow branches. Faint spatial ripples spread around him. It was Yang Mei.
Seeing Hongjun arrive, Yang Mei raised his willow-like brows slightly, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity.
Following after Yang Mei, two figures appeared one after another.
The man on the left wore an Earth-yellow Daoist Robe, dense Qiankun Qi circling around him. Every gesture seemed capable of bearing heaven and earth. He was Old Ancestor Qiankun.
The man on the right wore a black-and-white Daoist robe. Yin Yang Two Qi flowed endlessly around him, sometimes merging and sometimes separating. He was Old Ancestor Yin Yang.
Both of their auras had reached the peak of the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm. Though they lacked some of the transcendent air possessed by Hongjun and Yang Mei, they were still among the foremost great powers of the Primordial Wilderness.
Looking across the current Primordial Wilderness, apart from Luohu and the Three Clan Chiefs, only the four of them could reliably stand above the other Innate Deities.
"Yang Mei, Qiankun, Yin Yang, I invited you here because of Luohu. I believe you all already know that."
Hongjun first nodded in greeting, then looked at the others with a somewhat grave expression.
The moment his words fell, the smile on Yang Mei's face faded. Old Ancestor Qiankun frowned slightly, while the Yin Yang Two Qi around Old Ancestor Yin Yang instantly began to circulate faster.
That name was enough to make any great power of the Primordial Wilderness solemn, and enough to make them wary.
Seeing the grave expressions on their faces, Hongjun's tone became even more serious.
"I trust you have all learned more or less about Luohu's movements."
"For years, he has been amassing strength in the Western Land, with countless demonic soldiers under his command."
"He has also secretly subdued many Innate Beings with demonic natures. His ambitions are far from small; he intends to use the Primordial Wilderness as nourishment to strengthen the demonic path."
"If he truly succeeds, there may be no place left for us in this vast Primordial Wilderness."
"Indeed, it is as you say." Old Ancestor Yin Yang first voiced his agreement, but then a trace of helplessness entered his voice.
"However, Luohu's strength is comparable to yours and ours. In a one-on-one fight, none of us can be certain of defeating him."
"If we join forces, he can simply retreat to his lair. Yet that lair is hidden extremely well. Though we know it lies in the Western Land, even your Jade Disk of Creation cannot deduce its exact location. What can we do?"
At those words, Old Ancestor Qiankun beside him nodded as well.
"I once sent beings under my command to investigate the Western Land, but the moment they stepped into its far western reaches, they were swallowed by a strange Demonic Qi. Not even fragments of their primordial spirits returned."
"The demonic formation Luohu has set up is likely even more formidable than we imagined."
"Otherwise, those I sent would not have been erased without even managing to send back the slightest news."
Before you continue