Innate Great God is Born, Early Quasi-Saint

Time flew like an arrow; the sun and moon sped by like a shuttle.

Before they knew it, several epochs had quietly passed.

As the Heavenly Sha further dissipated, the spiritual qi of the primordial world grew ever richer, and all manner of Innate Spiritual Roots and Spiritual Treasures gradually began to reveal themselves to the world.

More importantly, those Innate Great Gods born bearing Heavenly Fortune emerged one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, ending their long gestation and secluded cultivation to begin stirring upon the primordial stage.

Above Kunlun Mountain, three streams of clear qi shot into the heavens, with faint Daoist chants permeating the air. They were the Three Pure Ones formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit—Grand Pure One Laozi, Yuqing Yuanshi, and Shangqing Tongtian—who had officially come into being.

Upon the Sun Star, Golden Crows cried out. Di Jun and Taiyi emerged bearing the River Diagram and Luo Shu and the Chaos Bell; demonic qi spread through the air, faintly carrying the momentum to sweep across heaven and earth.

Within Phoenix Nest Mountain, auspicious qi likewise permeated the air. Nuwa and Fuxi, sister and brother, emerged side by side—one peerless in creation, the other deducing Heavenly Secrets. Neither was ordinary.

On Mount Sumeru, there were also Jieyin and Zhunti. Though their faces often bore bitter expressions, they too displayed extraordinary foundations.

Within Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi held the Earth Book and formed a world of his own.

Within the Sea of Blood, Ancestor Minghe commanded the Twelve-grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus and the Yuantu and Abi Twin Swords. Murderous intent billowed around him; he too was an overlord of his domain.

One Innate Great God after another, born bearing Heavenly Fortune, began to make their names throughout the Primordial Land.

Some occupied famed mountains and great rivers, opening cave abodes and Dao Fields; some traveled in all directions in search of opportunities and Treasures; others discussed the Dao with one another, verifying what they had learned.

For a time, the Primordial Land became incomparably lively, though undercurrents also surged beneath the surface.

The Era of Great Contention had officially drawn back its curtain.

And during these years, the Ancestral Witches had not simply sat idle.

Other than Zhou Ming, who remained stationed in the Depths of Pangu Hall, the remaining twelve either cultivated in seclusion within the hall or, unable to restrain their temperaments any longer, had once again set foot upon the vast Primordial Land.

Their auras had improved greatly compared to before.

Their Physical Bodies had become even more tyrannical, their use of Law Power more refined, and their newly born Primordial Spirits had condensed considerably. The bewilderment in their eyes had completely faded, replaced by ever-growing steadiness and wisdom.

After awakening, remembering Big Brother Zhou Ming's instructions from back then, they had also traveled in groups of two or three out of Pangu Hall to explore the Primordial Land.

They remembered Zhou Ming's warning: prioritize gathering resources, avoid conflict, and if you can't win, run.

More importantly, ever since condensing their Primordial Spirits, their way of thinking had indeed changed imperceptibly.

They no longer relied solely on instinct and brute force in all things as they had in the past.

They thought more, and gave greater consideration to the consequences.

Though they remained hot-tempered and reckless, at the very least, they would no longer flip the table the moment a word displeased them.

When the Ancestral Witches encountered Great Gods whose auras were clearly formidable, they went around them whenever possible. If they truly could not avoid them, they merely snorted coldly instead of rolling up their sleeves and charging in as before.

"Humph, if Big Brother hadn't told us otherwise, I'd make you taste my flames!" Zhu Rong muttered upon spotting a certain Great God wreathed in immortal light from afar, but Di Jiang still dragged him away.

"Exactly! That fellow looks so frail, he wouldn't even withstand one punch from me!" Gong Gong craned his neck, yet obediently followed them away.

Over these several epochs of roaming outside, though the Ancestral Witches inevitably encountered some blind fools who provoked them, instances of truly erupting into large-scale conflict with those top-tier Innate Great Gods were indeed few and far between.

This was vastly different from Zhou Ming's memories, in which the Wu Clan had gone on campaigns everywhere as soon as they emerged, drawing the wrath and resentment of heaven and man.

"Big Brother really was right." After returning from one journey, Xuan Ming said to Houtu, "The waters of this Primordial Land run deep. Few of those Innate Great Gods are easy to deal with. We truly shouldn't clash head-on with them right now."

Houtu nodded in agreement. "Mm. Building up our strength first and unlocking the inheritance Father God left behind are what matter most."

Depths of Pangu Hall.

Zhou Ming still sat cross-legged, Dao rhythms circulating around him. The Dao Origin Divine Pearl floated above his head, emanating an unfathomable aura.

The Creation Jade Tablet fragment hovered silently before him, within it the phantoms of the Three Thousand Great Daos flickering in and out of view as Zhou Ming continuously analyzed and comprehended them.

After several epochs of arduous cultivation, aided by these two supreme treasures, Zhou Ming's understanding of the Law of Strength had long surpassed the scope of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

His accumulation was already sufficient.

He stood only one step away from the Quasi-Sage realm.

Yet that single step seemed to be separated by an insurmountable heavenly chasm.

In this age before Hongjun had preached the Dao and before the Three Corpses Slaying Method had emerged, the only paths to entering the Quasi-Sage realm were Prove Dao with Strength, Prove Dao with Laws, and Prove Dao with Merit.

Prove Dao with Strength was the path Great God Pangu had walked. How unimaginably difficult it was—Zhou Ming did not dare contemplate it for now.

As for Prove Dao with Merit, although he had accumulated considerable merit by sorting out the western earth veins before, he had no desire to use it now. Merit was a good thing, but cultivation raised through merit ultimately lacked the solid foundation of personally cultivating and comprehending laws.

The path he had chosen was Prove Dao with Laws! With his own comprehension of laws, he would forcefully break through the limits of the Grand Unity realm and enter the Quasi-Sage realm!

This path was equally difficult beyond measure, demanding exceptionally high levels of comprehension, accumulation, and foundation.

But Zhou Ming had the Dao Origin Divine Pearl and the Creation Jade Tablet fragment aiding his comprehension of laws, and he had taken form from Pangu's Essence Blood.

He had the confidence!

"Now!"

Zhou Ming's eyes abruptly flew open, divine light blazing within them!

The mana within his body surged wildly like a roaring, rushing river!

The True Spirit within his sea of consciousness shone with brilliant light, communicating with the Dao Origin Divine Pearl and the Creation Jade Tablet fragment with all its strength!

Countless insights into the laws surged into his mind like a rising tide, corroborating, merging with, and elevating the Dao he had cultivated!

BOOM!!!

An indescribably terrifying pressure suddenly erupted outward with Zhou Ming at its center!

This pressure surpassed the Great Luo, carrying a trace of the undying, imperishable aura of one looking down upon the river of time!

Within Pangu Hall, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, who had been cultivating separately, were abruptly jolted awake and stared in horror toward the depths of the Great Hall.

"It's Big Brother!"

"What terrifying pressure!"

"Big Brother... broke through?!"

They could clearly feel that Zhou Ming's aura had already surpassed the bounds of their comprehension, reaching an entirely new, higher realm!

It was a realm where one could seemingly begin to wield the mighty power of Heaven and Earth, where one's words became law!

Quasi-Saint!

Only after a long while did that terrifying pressure slowly recede, returning to calm.

Zhou Ming slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. Feeling the surging power within him and his clearer command over the laws of Heaven and Earth, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

Early Quasi-Saint!

At last, before Hongjun proved his Dao, he had taken this crucial step!

He had proven Dao with Laws and broken through to Quasi-Saint!

Though he was only at the early stage, its significance was extraordinary!

This meant he was no longer an ant who could only drift with the current amid the Great Calamity. He had initially gained the qualifications to resist danger—and even change the game board!

"Quasi-Saint... so this is what being a Quasi-Saint feels like?" Zhou Ming clenched his fist, sensing the power in every gesture that seemed capable of stirring the laws of Heaven and Earth into resonance. Heroic fervor surged within him.

But he quickly calmed down.

Early Quasi-Saint was still insufficient in the future era of Sages.

But at least he now had a higher starting point and more time to catch up.

Moreover, he had proven Dao with Laws, so his foundation was incomparably solid. His future potential was far beyond that of those Quasi-Saints who relied on Merit or severing their corpses.

"Ancestor Hongjun should be close to proving his Dao..."