Zhunti Cried! Finally Reaching Buzhou Mountain

Hong Yun's stopping caused some color to return to Zhunti's numb eyes.

He raised his head and stared at Hong Yun with dead-fish eyes as he asked numbly, "Why did you stop? Keep hitting me!"

Hong Yun shook his somewhat numb arm, shook his head, and sighed. "I'm not fighting anymore, I'm not fighting anymore. This poor Daoist is a little tired and is preparing to leave this place!"

Hearing this, the lifeless look in Zhunti's eyes slowly regained its vitality.

He glared fixedly at Hong Yun.

His bruised eye sockets grew slightly moist and red, and a glistening tear slowly slid down his swollen, bruised cheek.

Those were tears of regret!

If the Great Dao gave him another chance, he would turn and run the moment he saw Hong Yun, without a second word.

"Bastard, how can you stop? Keep hitting me! Just beat this poor Daoist to death! This poor Daoist doesn't want to live anymore!"

Daoist Zhunti roared, as if trying to vent all the pent-up frustration in his heart.

Slowly, he shakily stood up from the deep pit, then rapidly charged toward Hong Yun, who was standing above him.

Hong Yun's heart jolted. He thought the other party wanted to kill him in a counterattack, but then he realized there was no Mana fluctuation from him, so he merely used Mana to protect his body.

As Zhunti drew near, he suddenly grabbed Hong Yun's hand and slammed it against his own face.

"Smack, smack, smack..."

Clear slaps rang out!

Oh no! Did I beat Zhunti stupid?

Hong Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he grew somewhat frightened.

Yet Zhunti continued grabbing Hong Yun's hand and striking his own cheeks with it.

"Wuwuwu!"

He sobbed as he hit himself, crying like a child. He nearly had snot running from his nose.

"Hit... hit me... ah... wu..."

His cries came in broken stretches. Gradually, even his sobs grew quieter.

Choking back sobs, Zhunti's hand finally drooped weakly from Hong Yun's grasp.

Even with a heart as hard as iron, Hong Yun couldn't help feeling awkward and embarrassed at this sight.

"Damn! Did this poor Daoist hit him too hard? Did I shatter his Dao Heart?"

"That shouldn't be! Zhunti, you're one of the only two Great Powers in the West, a Saint ordained by Heaven in the future, a bitter cultivator with a firm Dao Heart and great perseverance. How could you give up after only a hundred years?"

If Zhunti knew what Hong Yun was thinking, he would surely have spat him to death.

How noble of you, how impressive. Why don't you try it yourself?!

Being brutally beaten while having to endure humiliation at the same time...

A hundred years—more than a hundred years!

Zhunti had only transformed into human form a little over a thousand years ago. The fact that his Dao Heart had not collapsed already meant he was a steadfast cultivator.

This was Zhunti just after transforming and leaving the mountains. His Dao Heart had not yet been stained by too much worldly dust, and his temperament was not as powerful as it would be in later generations.

If this had happened when he became a Saint, even if Hong Yun tormented him a thousand times, he could still greet him with a smile, so long as it benefited the West.

"Fellow Daoist Zhunti, why don't we settle the Karma between us here and now?"

Afraid Zhunti might go mad, Hong Yun proposed this carefully.

The two of them did not have a life-or-death enmity, after all.

Although Zhunti had shouted fiercely before, he had merely coveted the spiritual root Hong Yun had taken out. When Zhunti attacked him, Hong Yun had sensed no killing intent from him.

That made sense, too.

If Zhunti were truly the sort of person who slaughtered innocents for spiritual treasures, then even if Hongjun owed the West Karma, he probably would not have given Zhunti a Saint position.

Zhunti was a Saint ordained by Heaven and bore great Karma. Even though the Heavenly Dao was still unclear at this time, Hong Yun did not dare kill him on his own authority.

Besides, keeping a target praised by the system around would make it convenient for Hong Yun to fleece rewards from him in the future.

"You beat this poor Daoist for more than a hundred years. Why should we settle the Karma so simply? Do you think cultivators of the West are easy to bully?"

Zhunti glared at Hong Yun with bloodshot eyes, breathing heavily through his nose.

"Otherwise, what do you suggest? Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. Do you want me to kill you, Fellow Daoist Zhunti?"

Hong Yun spread his hands, speaking in the gentlest tone while uttering the most brutal words.

In the Primordial Wilderness, there were generally only two ways to settle Karma. One was to repay it; the other was for the party owed Karma to die, wiping out both the debt and the debtor.

In the original timeline, Old Ancestor Hong Yun had probably incurred a tremendous Karma of attaining Sainthood by yielding his seat to the Two Sages of the West, and was thus schemed against until he died miserably.

"You..."

Zhunti nearly failed to catch his breath.

This was too much bullying!

After a long while, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, we'll do as you say, Fellow Daoist. From this day forth, the Karma between us is settled."

There was nothing he could do about Hong Yun.

Although he did not know why Hong Yun had not killed him, the other party surpassed him by more than a single level, whether in cultivation or methods.

"That is excellent! Fellow Daoist Zhunti is truly sensible and righteous. You are certain to have hope of attaining the Dao in the future!"

[Ding! You praised Zhunti. Congratulations, Host. You have randomly obtained a reward: Bodhi Seed ×1.]

The system's notification made Hong Yun's heart leap with joy. He habitually raised his fist, nearly losing control and striking Zhunti from behind again.

"What are you trying to do?"

Zhunti instinctively stumbled two steps back and warily looked at Hong Yun.

Hong Yun awkwardly lowered his fist, then said to Zhunti with burning eyes, "Fellow Daoist Zhunti, you and I can be said to have become acquainted through fighting. This poor Daoist intends to travel to Buzhou Mountain to pay respects to Great God Pangu. Why don't we travel together?"

Upon hearing this, Zhunti retreated even farther!

"There's no need. This poor Daoist is returning to the West. Thank you for your kind offer!"

What kind of joke is this? I'm not a masochist. Who would travel with a calamity like you?

Having escaped one calamity, Zhunti planned to return to the West immediately.

He had parted from his Senior Brother, Daoist Jieyin, and come alone to the fertile East, originally intending to take advantage of the place.

Who could have expected him to encounter Hong Yun, that shameless calamity, who had nearly shattered his Dao Heart?

Zhunti had to hurry back to repair his Dao Heart, and while he was at it, complain to his Senior Brother and try to reclaim some dignity from Hong Yun the next time he came to the East.

"Is that so? What a pity!"

"What a pity my foot. This poor Daoist is leaving!"

Hong Yun sighed. He had intended to try to persuade him to stay, but Zhunti spat at him, then circulated his Mana and hurriedly turned around to ride the clouds before shooting into the sky.

He did not look back, and his departing figure appeared extremely wretched.

"Leaving is fine, but why the hurry? This poor Daoist was hoping to fleece you for a few more days!"

Hong Yun grumbled a few times, then silently circulated his Mana and used the Law of Earth to fill in the deep pit in the ground.

Protecting the Primordial Wilderness was everyone's responsibility!

Afterward, he too slowly left this valley, which was filled with humiliation for Zhunti.

At the beginning of the Primordial Wilderness, years were not recorded.

Hong Yun did not know how long he had traveled. Perhaps a thousand years, perhaps five thousand years, perhaps ten thousand years.

The wandering Hong Yun was too lazy to keep track deliberately. He simply continued toward Buzhou Mountain.

Ever since parting from Zhunti, he had not encountered even half a decent target for the system's praise rewards, which made him secretly regret letting Zhunti go.

Praising himself every day was his greatest harvest.

Unfortunately, his cultivation was still at the mid-stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Although these Great Powers with the roots of top-tier Innate Demon Gods were powerful, reaching the early stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm upon transformation, their cultivation advanced extremely slowly.

At this time, Hongjun had yet to preach or merge with the Dao. The Heavenly Dao was obscure and unclear, making it difficult to comprehend.

For cultivators, whether comprehending the Dao or increasing their cultivation, everything was exceptionally difficult.

Compared with later generations, when a single Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir could allow one to achieve the Grand Unity Golden Immortal fruit position, this speed was truly unbearably slow.

However, this also had its advantages.

Only by advancing one step at a time could one establish a solid foundation, completely sort out one's own Great Dao, and lay a firm foundation for attaining the Dao in the future.

Finally, after Hong Yun's tireless efforts of crossing mountains and rivers, he saw Buzhou Mountain, known as the foremost mountain in the Primordial Wilderness.

Buzhou Mountain towered into the clouds like a long spear spanning Heaven and Earth, piercing through the vast, boundless firmament.

Looking up at this magnificent, mysterious pillar supporting the heavens, Hong Yun once again marveled at the might of Great God Pangu.

"His body transformed into all things, and his spine supported the heavens. Great God Pangu was merciful. Praise your boundless might!"

After speaking, Hong Yun stared intently at Buzhou Mountain before him, anticipation rising in his heart.

How utterly shameless. He won't even spare the fallen Pangu!

To his disappointment, the system gave no reaction at all.

Very well, Hong Yun's hope of fleecing Great God Pangu had completely fallen through.

"It seems Great God Pangu really did perish. Otherwise, the system should have reacted!"

Hong Yun was not particularly disappointed. He had merely developed the habit of fleecing rewards.

If the system had reacted, he would have been utterly horrified.

If the system gave him a reward, wouldn't that prove Great God Pangu had not perished?

And if he had not perished, then the waters of the Primordial Wilderness would be far too deep.

"Fine, up the mountain. Time to search for treasures!"

Hong Yun gave a cheerful cry, then slowly began climbing this highest peak of the Primordial Wilderness from its foot.

It was not that Hong Yun did not want to ride the clouds up, but Buzhou Mountain was filled with profound restrictions. Anyone who wished to climb it had to take one step at a time.

This could also be considered a different kind of respect from all living beings toward Great God Pangu!