A Century of Waiting

With the matter settled, Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun did not linger any longer.

The two rose to their feet and cupped their hands to Zhou Ming and Wu Ming in farewell.

"Daoist Friend Zhou Ming, Daoist Friend Wu Ming, we shall take our leave first," Zhen Yuanzi said.

Hong Yun followed with a salute. "Many thanks to you both for your aid today."

Wu Ming gave a slight nod. "Take care, Daoist Friends."

Zhou Ming said nothing more, merely watching as the two departed Pangu Hall.

Once those two figures had completely vanished beyond the hall, Zhou Ming withdrew his gaze, his Divine Sense stirring.

The next instant, twelve powerful auras appeared within the hall almost simultaneously.

They were the Twelve Ancestral Witches!

"Big Brother." Di Jiang was the first to speak, his voice steady.

The other Ancestral Witches also stepped forward to salute him.

Zhou Ming swept his gaze over his twelve younger brothers and sisters, then nodded.

"I have gathered you today to discuss an important matter."

"Di Jiang, Houtu."

Di Jiang and Houtu stepped forward.

"What are your orders, Big Brother?" Di Jiang asked.

"You two will accompany me to the Eastern Sea, in search of the two immortal isles, Fangzhang and Mount Yingzhou."

At those words, though the other Ancestral Witches said nothing, a flicker of anticipation flashed through their eyes.

They naturally knew their Big Brother's purpose in making this journey: the Pure World White Lotus.

Then Zhou Ming turned his gaze toward the other Ancestral Witches, excluding Zhu Jiuyin.

"The rest of you, from this moment onward, enter Seclusion with all your strength!"

"Break through as soon as possible and step into the Quasi-Sage Realm!"

"The inheritance Father God left behind is vast and boundless. Only upon entering the Quasi-Sage Realm can you truly begin to excavate its potential and command greater power."

"Once all of you have become Quasi-Sages, our Wu Clan will truly stand atop the Primordial Wilderness, unafraid of any storm!"

Hearing this, the Ancestral Witches grew solemn and answered in unison, "Yes, Big Brother! We will not fail the trust you have placed in us!"

Di Jiang pondered briefly before voicing the doubts in his heart. "Big Brother, the Eastern Sea is vast and boundless. The whereabouts of Fangzhang and Mount Yingzhou are elusive and uncertain. Even Daoist Friend Zhen Yuanzi said they were difficult to find with the aid of the Earth Book."

"Can we truly find them on this journey...?"

Zhou Ming looked at Di Jiang, his tone calm yet filled with powerful confidence.

"There is no need to worry. I have already communicated with Father God's Will."

"Father God has sensed that the time is right."

"This journey will surely succeed!"

"We understand!" All doubts vanished from Di Jiang's heart, and he immediately replied.

Zhou Ming nodded, then turned toward Wu Ming at his side.

"Daoist Friend."

Wu Ming bowed slightly. "What are your orders, Daoist Friend?"

"While I am away, I leave the affairs of the Wu Clan to you," Zhou Ming said solemnly.

Wu Ming nodded, his expression calm. "Rest assured, Daoist Friend. Wu Ming will not fail your trust."

With all arrangements made, Zhou Ming hesitated no longer.

"Di Jiang, Houtu, let us go!"

As his words fell, the three figures vanished from Pangu Hall in an instant, heading toward the endless ocean in the east.

Eastern Sea.

Misty waves stretched as far as the eye could see, sea and sky merging into one.

Unlike the inland's magnificent mountains and rivers, the sea possessed a boundless grandeur all its own.

Zhou Ming and the other two did not stop, heading straight into the depths of the Eastern Sea.

They found a barren little island with passable Spiritual Qi, yet unclaimed by any living creatures, and descended upon it.

Zhou Ming sat cross-legged atop a massive rock and spread the Earth Book before him.

Vast mana poured into it.

Buzz—!

The Earth Book trembled slightly. An earthen-yellow glow flowed across it, while countless intricate, profound patterns of earth veins emerged and shifted upon its pages.

Across the Primordial Land, mountains, rivers, and streams were all reflected within it.

The territories of the Four Seas, their islands and hidden reefs, were likewise displayed.

Yet the unique earth veins representing Mount Fangzhang and Mount Yingzhou stubbornly refused to appear.

Di Jiang and Houtu stood to either side, their expressions intent as they silently guarded Zhou Ming.

Time slowly slipped away amid the tedious wait.

One day, two days...

One year, two years...

Ten years, twenty years...

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years had passed.

To Great Powers such as themselves, a hundred years was no more than the flick of a finger.

Yet throughout those hundred years, the earth vein patterns on the Earth Book had shown no irregularities whatsoever.

The legendary Mount Fangzhang and Mount Yingzhou remained nowhere to be found.

Even Di Jiang and Houtu, steady as they were, could not help growing somewhat restless.

Only Zhou Ming remained calm as still water, continuously pouring his mana into the Earth Book as he carefully observed every minute change in its patterns.

At last.

At a certain instant in the hundredth year.

Without any warning, two extraordinarily unusual earth vein patterns that had never appeared before suddenly emerged out of thin air on the Earth Book!

The structures of these two earth vein patterns were bizarre, their Dao rhythm flowing through them; they were utterly unlike any earth vein anywhere on the Primordial Continent.

They appeared almost simultaneously!

Yet the distance between them was immense, scattered across different regions of the Eastern Sea.

"They've appeared!"

Zhou Ming's eyes snapped open.

He swiftly memorized the spatial coordinates represented by the two earth vein patterns.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Ming immediately made his decision.

"Di Jiang, Houtu!"

"You two go to the one in the west!"

"I'll take the one in the east!"

"Remember: once you find the Purifying World White Lotus, take it immediately. Do not delay in the slightest, then return here and rendezvous."

"Yes, Big Brother!" Di Jiang and Houtu answered at once, without a moment's hesitation.

"Go!"

Before Zhou Ming's words had even faded, the three had already transformed into three streaks of light and shot off in different directions, moving at the utmost speed!

Their speed far surpassed that of ordinary quasi-Sages!

Zhou Ming headed east, his figure continuously flickering and leaping through the void.

In mere moments, a stretch of sea shrouded in dense Innate Mist appeared before him.

Within the mist, the outline of an enormous island could vaguely be seen, immortal light swirling around it as auspicious vapors rose.

A powerful array fluctuation sealed off its interior from the outside.

"Innate Great Array..." Zhou Ming halted.

This array was so formidable that anyone below the quasi-Sage realm would find it difficult to enter.

Rather than forcefully breaking the array, Zhou Ming carefully sensed its nodes. With a flicker of his body, he silently passed through the great array and entered the island's interior.

The moment he entered the island, Innate Spiritual Qi so dense it seemed impossible to disperse rushed toward him. Exotic flowers and precious grasses carpeted the ground, while immortal birds and spiritual beasts could be seen everywhere—a scene of a top-tier blessed land in the Primordial Land.

At the center of the island stood a towering immortal mountain, bearing three ancient Dao characters—Mount Fangzhang!

So it really was here!

Zhou Ming's heart settled, and he did not dare waste even an instant.

His Divine Sense spread out in an instant, covering all of Mount Fangzhang as he carefully searched for the possible location of the Purifying World White Lotus.

At the same time, elsewhere.

At the same time.

In another distant sea region of the Eastern Sea.

Di Jiang and Houtu had also reached their destination.

It was likewise an immortal island shrouded by a powerful innate array, its spiritual qi no less abundant than that of Mount Fangzhang.

The Law of Space surged around Di Jiang, while the Law of Earth shielded Houtu. The two likewise pierced through the great array in an instant and stepped into the bounds of Mount Yingzhou.

At the heart of the island stood an immortal mountain. Above its Mountain Gate were the three grand characters: Mount Yingzhou.

"Split up and search!" Di Jiang said in a deep voice.

"Alright!" Houtu nodded.

Neither dared delay. They immediately split up, their Divine Sense spreading out with full force as they began searching every inch of this enormous Mount Yingzhou immortal island.

They had only one goal—the Purifying World White Lotus.

It was likewise a vast immortal island shrouded by an Innate Great Array.