Planning the Kalpa of Calamity

Zhou Jun looked at Di Kun and said, "Now that Shen Ni has emerged, the northern races have formed an alliance and called on the great powers of the Primordial Wilderness to discuss countermeasures. But the most important thing is still Discussing the Dao."

A sharp light flashed in Zhou Jun's eyes. "After all, we Innate Gods and Demons were born already at the realm of the Zenith Heaven Dao Fruit. There are no lower realms beneath it, yet the road ahead is unclear. We can only comprehend the laws of Heaven and Earth. This discussion will likely establish the cultivation process for Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals and the realms below. Anyone who takes part will gain something."

Di Kun frowned as he pondered. "Even so, judging by the Primordial Wilderness novels of later generations, the final outcome will probably be calculated by Hongjun. Otherwise, how could he alone enjoy the title of Ancestor of the Dao in the end? He himself is the founder of the Immortal Dao—he could never let others contend with him for it."

Zhou Jun chuckled. "Immortal, Devil, Buddha, Demon, spirit—each and every one is a Dao! If he establishes the inheritance of the Immortal Dao, we can take part and claim a place for ourselves. Don't forget, Zhen Yuanzi is the Lord of Earth Immortals! The West even Rebelled Against Xuan and Established Fan, didn't it? We can split off a share of the Immortal Dao too!"

Di Kun shuddered from head to toe. "No, aren't we playing this far too big? I'm afraid we won't be able to carry it!"

Zhou Jun rolled his eyes. "What are you afraid of? We have the twelve-petaled World-Purifying White Lotus and the Primordial Measuring Ruler—can he still calculate us? Besides, as long as one of us remains alive, we can be considered an existence that neither dies nor perishes. With things like this, why not play bigger? What fun would there be in being such an underhanded schemer otherwise? And don't forget! If my plans for the West go right, are you still afraid he'll personally make a move? I'm only afraid he won't know how to repay this cause and effect when the time comes!"

Di Kun considered it, then nodded heavily. "Let's do it! The bold starve the timid, and the timid starve to death. If that's the case, then you hide away and keep being your underhanded schemer. Just don't die. I'll make some plans of my own too. If we're going to play, we play big!"

"For now, let's leave it at that! Give me the Measuring Ruler as a protective treasure. Then I'll head north, first linking up an Earth Vein along the way, so I won't be tracked by anyone. Once you've finished your plans in the West, come north afterward. The environment of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains in later generations is extremely harsh. If we can improve it, the Merit probably won't be little."

At this, Zhou Jun waved his hand and sent the Measuring Ruler before Di Kun. Only after Di Kun put it away did he say, "When the time comes, look around for the Earth Dragon Clan. Since we hold the identity of the First Innate Earth Dragon, we should be the Earth Dragon Clan's Clan Leaders no matter what. And we can't fight alone. The two of us probably can't handle all that much by ourselves. Some small schemes still require people, and a clan's Fortune will help us as well."

Upon hearing this, Di Kun seemed to think of something. He looked at Zhou Jun with a strange expression, and Zhou Jun understood as soon as he saw it. They were two sides of the same body. Though neither had actively shared memories, they were ultimately the same person. Once certain thoughts were mentioned, they could understand each other without prior agreement; only their personalities differed.

Di Kun hesitated, but in the end said nothing. He turned to head north, then suddenly stopped as though remembering something. Raising a hand toward the White Bamboo grove, he swept up several stalks of White Bamboo, then left without looking back.

Zhou Jun said nothing at the sight, nor did he dwell on it. He had matters of his own to attend to. His foremost task was dealing with the Western Land. Without another word, Zhou Jun connected with the Earth Veins and, in an instant, returned to the node closest to Mount Sumeru in the West.

"The Primordial Wilderness really is enormous. If I hadn't comprehended this divine ability, I probably couldn't have gotten here so quickly. Well, Mount Sumeru isn't far now. Work harder. Once I open up the Western Ancestral Vein's nodes, connecting the other directions of the West will be much faster. Then I'll open up the nodes deep within the Earth Veins. I refuse to believe that Luohu can still detonate the surface Earth Vein nodes of the West and cause the Qi of Earth Sha to erupt, destroying the entire West."

The thought left Zhou Jun exhilarated. If he succeeded, someone would owe him an enormous cause and effect. Ignoring everything else, Zhou Jun took out the Willow Whip and set off along the Earth Vein nodes. Whenever he met an obstruction, he used the Green Lotus Hoe to split mountains and shatter rocks, clearing the earth qi. Where the veins had broken, he dug up some unimportant mountains and Earth Veins from elsewhere to patch them. Once the primary Earth Vein nodes were connected, the land of the entire West would be strengthened, and those insignificant Earth Veins would slowly recover as well.

Time flowed on; the years flashed by. Day after day, year after year, Zhou Jun persisted without rest. At last, after countless days and nights of hard labor, he successfully cleared the Earth Veins all the way to Mount Sumeru.

Standing at the foot of Mount Sumeru and gazing upon that vast expanse of land, Zhou Jun could not help but feel an indescribable surge of emotion. This towering Mount Sumeru was not only where the Western Ancestral Vein lay, but also the first goal he had set since emerging into the world—the crystallization of his many years of effort.

He quietly stared at the mountain range before him, sensing the pulse of the earth, as if he could hear the Earth Veins flowing beneath the ground. The sound was like celestial music, intoxicating him until he could not pull himself free.

Zhou Jun recalled the hardships of his journey—the tireless work day and night, the perseverance and resolve he had shown before every difficulty. All of it was repaid in this moment. He could not help but sigh. Life was like clearing the Earth Veins: only through constant effort and sacrifice could one ultimately reach one's goal. At the moment he arrived at Mount Sumeru, Zhou Jun's state of mind broke through as well. No matter how much he had calculated before, he had never truly felt secure.

After all, he had been merely an acquired being from later generations. Even though several Kalpas of Calamity had passed since he came here, he had read too many Primordial Wilderness novels in his previous life and knew the world's upper limit. That was why he had made so many plans for himself. To put it plainly, he was afraid of death. Though he claimed that being two sides of one body allowed him to achieve a different kind of immortality, he still feared that once Hongjun became a saint, Hongjun could erase him in an instant.

Zhou Jun himself had no confidence that he could walk to the very end in this incomparably cruel world of the Primordial Wilderness. Legends were legends, myths were myths. Even though Reflecting All Heavens had given Zhou Jun, a man from later generations—or perhaps another world—a certain understanding, he had never truly experienced it. What if things differed from what he knew? Wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain?

Everything before had merely been a goal he set to comfort himself. Thus, when Zhou Jun arrived at the foot of Mount Sumeru and came back to his senses, seeing all that he had accomplished and feeling the land's joyful response to him finally settled his heart.

Mount Sumeru appeared especially magnificent beneath the sunlight, and Zhou Jun's heart brimmed with reverence and love for this land. He knew that this place was not only where his life's work lay, but also the habitat of countless living beings. He decided that he would use his own strength to protect this land, letting it forever retain its vitality and life.

Zhou Jun closed his eyes and slipped into the earth. As long as he remained within the ground, no one could detect him. The cultivation method he had created had originally been comprehended for the sake of preserving his life. Moreover, during all this time spent sorting out the Earth Vein nodes, he had comprehended many things, and a steady stream of Merit had descended upon him. Though he had not used it to raise his cultivation, it made comprehending the Dao easier.

Zhou Jun slowly approached Mount Sumeru from underground. Through the perception of his divine sight, he discovered a massive Barrier covering Mount Sumeru. If it had been anyone else, they would have been noticed the instant they stepped inside. But Zhou Jun had the Green Lotus Hoe, allowing him to enter without anyone noticing.

Zhou Jun took out the Green Lotus Hoe and dug toward an Earth Vein node ahead. As long as he could clear a path in and connect to that node, Zhou Jun would thereafter be able to come and go without a trace.

As he drew closer and closer to the node, Zhou Jun's heart pounded wildly. His intuition told him that connecting to Mount Sumeru would bring immense benefits. The feeling made him unable to resist quickening his pace. The instant he completed the connection with Mount Sumeru, Zhou Jun felt the entire West and Mount Sumeru tremble.

All the Innate Beings of the Western Land were alarmed. In their senses, the earth was cheering in joy. An even stronger wave of Innate Spiritual Energy than before erupted from the mountains, rivers, and land. The spiritual energy of the entire West rose by more than half.

An immense mass of Fortune and Merit descended from the heavens, flying toward Zhou Jun. Seeing the Merit plunging down from the skies, Zhou Jun was startled. This was no good place to linger. He immediately connected with the Earth Veins and returned to Wuyi Mountain. Zhou Jun had only just left when a member of the Devil Race from Mount Sumeru arrived and searched everywhere, only to find nothing in the end.

At this time, Luohu was on his way north when he suddenly sensed that the Fortune and origin of the Western Territory under his control had greatly increased in that instant. Luohu froze, then hurriedly found a place to enter seclusion and comprehend it. After all, Luohu was the master of Mount Sumeru and the current spokesman of the West. The strengthening of the Western Land's origin was beneficial to him as well.