Aftermath of the Tribulation, Demonic Shadows Stir

The brutal final battle of the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation ended with the ancestors of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Kirin clans nearly perishing together. Their elite forces were decimated, and they were burdened by immense karma, marking their exit from the historical stage. The once-dominant overlords of the Primordial Era, who had commanded great influence, left behind only endless sorrow and a stark warning.

As the tribulation energy slowly dissipated, the lands of the Primordial Era were left ravaged. The Western lands were almost completely destroyed, their spiritual veins broken and their vitality dimmed, becoming a barren wasteland. The Central and Eastern lands were also affected, with mountains shifting and living beings suffering greatly. Wails of grief and resentment filled the air, causing many places to be perpetually shrouded in dark winds, devoid of sunlight.

Xuan Wazi had long since departed from that land of strife. He was currently in the depths of the East Sea, in a hidden water mansion he had casually created. The mansion was concealed by the aura of the Chaos Bead, forming its own small world, isolated from the outside, ensuring safety.

He sat cross-legged on a cloud bed, not rushing to cultivate, but instead eagerly inventorying his spoils from the "Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation."

First was his cultivation. He had firmly established himself at the Grand Perfection of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. His magic power was immense and boundless, his divine sense permeated heaven and earth. He was only a step away from the enlightenment needed to condense the Five Qi within his chest and worship the Three Flowers above his head, thus proving the Dao of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal, truly escaping the river of fate, and enjoying eternal freedom.

Next were the massive gains from "picking up scraps." He had acquired over a dozen low-grade and mid-grade Innate and Acquired Spiritual Treasures. Although most were slightly damaged, their materials and Dao charm remained intact, making them excellent for re-forging or dismantling for materials. Various Innate spiritual materials, divine beast blood essence, and origin fragments were piled high like mountains, enough for him to use for a long time.

Finally, and most importantly, were the three supreme treasures and fifteen drops of ancestral blood essence rewarded by the system!

His divine sense sank into the system space, first "looking" at the [Chaos Bead]. The bead was only the size of a pigeon's egg, with a chaotic luster, as if containing all the colors of the world, yet seemingly devoid of any color. As his divine sense probed slightly, he felt an infinite, ancient, and vast chaotic aura. Within it seemed to truly contain an unformed chaotic world! With this bead, not only were the effects of calculating heavenly secrets and concealing his own karma far superior to before, but it was also equivalent to carrying an infinitely large storage space and an absolutely safe sanctuary!

"A good treasure! Truly a good treasure!" Xuan Wazi exclaimed, unable to put it down. With this bead, causing trouble in the future... cough cough, traveling the Primordial Era, he would have even more confidence!

Next was the [Thirty-Six-Grade Creation Green Lotus]. It was not a physical entity, but more like a phantom image of Dao charm condensed from the origin of creation, a green lotus platform in full bloom, suspended in the system space, slowly rotating and scattering specks of light rain containing vitality and the aura of creation. Although it could not be directly used for combat, placing it nearby while cultivating could calm the mind, enhance comprehension, and slowly improve one's roots and physique. Its value was immeasurable! It was also the supreme foundation for potentially walking the path of "Dao of Worlds" in the future.

"It's a shame it's just a phantom image of Dao charm. If it were the complete Thirty-Six-Grade Creation Green Lotus..." Xuan Wazi smacked his lips, thinking with a touch of greed. However, he also knew that the complete Creation Green Lotus had long since been broken down into various Innate supreme treasures. To obtain its origin Dao charm was already a heaven-defying opportunity.

Finally, there were the fifteen drops of [Ancestral Blood Essence] exuding terrifying pressure. Five drops belonged to the Ancestral Dragon, dark gold in color, with faint dragon shadows swirling within, containing ultimate power and the will to dominate. Five drops belonged to the Primordial Phoenix, crimson like fire, with phoenix phantom shadows crying out within, containing inextinguishable flames and the true meaning of nirvana. Five drops belonged to the First Kirin, thick and earthy yellow, as if carrying the earth, containing endless vitality and the essence of Wutu.

"System, did you... really extract this blood essence from them?" Xuan Wazi couldn't help but complain again. "They all ended up like that, and you could still extract blood?"

[Hmph, host, you underestimate this system too much!] the system's wretched voice sounded. [As I said, it's from inventory! Do you understand inventory? Before Pangu created the heavens, this system... cough cough, anyway, the source is absolutely legitimate, you can use it with confidence!]

"I don't believe you!" Xuan Wazi rolled his eyes, but he couldn't be bothered to investigate further. As long as the benefits were obtained, that was enough. This blood essence, whether used for refining the body, making pills, or comprehending the laws contained within, was an supreme treasure.

After finishing his inventory, Xuan Wazi was filled with satisfaction. However, he was not blinded by victory. The end of the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation did not mean peace for the Primordial Era. On the contrary, the old order had collapsed, and new undercurrents were surging.

He cautiously extended his divine sense out of the water mansion, using the Chaos Bead's concealment to observe the Primordial Era after the tribulation.

The remnants of the three clans had completely retreated. The Dragon Clan had withdrawn to the Four Seas and closed their doors, but undercurrents were surging within the Four Seas, and some powerful aquatic creatures seemed to see an opportunity for rise. The Immortal Volcano, where the Phoenix Clan resided, had also become much quieter, losing its former liveliness. The Kirin Tribe had dispersed into countless small tribes, hiding in famous mountains and great rivers, unable to regain their former glory.

Meanwhile, some powerful beings who had been suppressed by the three clans began to emerge. For example, the Three Pure Ones on Kunlun Mountain, Zhen Yuanzi and Old Ancestor Hong Yun on Longevity Mountain, Di Jun and Tai Yi on the Solar Star, Xi He and Chang Xi on the Lunar Star, and Old Ancestor Ming He in the Netherworld Blood Sea, etc. Their auras became increasingly clear and active throughout the Primordial Era.

"Next, it should be the conflict between Dao and Demon, right?" Xuan Wazi stroked his chin, recalling the flow of the Primordial Era. Luohu, that guy, must have greatly increased his strength by borrowing the killings and resentment from this great tribulation.

As expected, his divine sense perceived that within the depths of the spiritual veins of the Western lands, which were already broken by the great battle, a hidden and powerful demonic energy was quietly gathering and growing. That demonic energy was filled with the will of slaughter, destruction, temptation, and chaos, completely opposite to the tranquility and inaction of the immortal path, which followed heaven and obeyed people.

"Luohu... it seems you also gained quite a lot." Xuan Wazi could feel that the core of that demonic energy had reached the realm of Quasi-Saint (Hunyuan Golden Immortal), and it was still constantly improving.

At the same time, he also sensed that in the direction of the Eastern Jade Capital Mountain, a profound and peaceful Xuanmen immortal energy, which secretly conformed to the Heavenly Dao, was also steadily improving, faintly forming a confrontation with the demonic energy in the West. That must be Old Ancestor Hongjun.

"Heh heh, while the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits." Xuan Wazi grinned. He had reaped significant benefits from the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation. How could he, Xuan Wazi, be absent from this Dao-Demon conflict?

However, he did not immediately rush to the West or Jade Capital Mountain to cause trouble. Both sides were still accumulating strength, and the time for the real decisive battle had not yet arrived. Moreover, after the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation, the malevolent energy of the Primordial Era had not completely subsided. To rashly get involved in a higher-level conflict at this time was too risky.

"I'll play it safe first, consolidate my cultivation, and by the way... see if I can gain some more benefits." Xuan Wazi made up his mind. He planned to use this time to refine some of the ancestral blood essence to further solidify his foundation, and at the same time, he needed to familiarize himself with the use of the Chaos Bead and the Dao charm of the Creation Green Lotus.

More importantly, he needed to contemplate his path to Grand Unity. At the Grand Perfection of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal, the next step was to condense the Five Qi within his chest. These Five Qi corresponded to the Five Elements and were crucial for building the foundation of his own Great Dao. He possessed the Primordial Dao Body and had all five elements, but how to balance them and how to highlight his own characteristic of "stubbornness" required careful consideration.

"Perhaps I can draw inspiration from the Dao of those ancestors?" he looked at the fifteen drops of blood essence, an idea forming in his mind. The power and control of the Ancestral Dragon, the destruction and rebirth of the Primordial Phoenix, the bearing and nurturing of the First Kirin, all contained profound Five Elements Dao and true meanings of laws.

Just as Xuan Wazi was preparing to enter seclusion for cultivation, the system's prompt sounded again. However, this time it was not a mission, but a warning.

[Warning: Detected that Demon Ancestor Luohu has initially refined the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, greatly increasing his killing power. Host must be extremely cautious if traveling to the West recently. It is recommended to prioritize improving survival capabilities.]

[Friendly Reminder: Host can attempt to roughly refine the Chaos Bead or comprehend the Dao韵 of the Creation Green Lotus, both of which greatly enhance concealment and defense.]

"Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation..." Xuan Wazi's gaze sharpened. A formidable formation that even the Four Saints could not break. Luohu's trump card.

"Understood, System Brother. Don't worry, I cherish my life dearly." Xuan Wazi took a deep breath, casting aside his distracting thoughts. "The urgent matter is to improve my strength. I am determined to wade into the murky waters of the Dao-Demon conflict, but I must have sufficient ability to be the fisherman!"

He waved his hand, setting up layers of restrictions, completely sealing the water mansion. His mind sank into his body, and he began to guide the power of one drop of Ancestral Dragon blood essence and one drop of First Kirin blood essence, slowly integrating them into his own blood, qi, and internal organs. At the same time, the Chaos Bead hovered above his head, emitting streams of chaotic energy that enveloped him. The phantom image of the Creation Green Lotus's Dao charm appeared behind him, scattering tranquil and auspicious light rain of creation.

A new round of precipitation and improvement began. Meanwhile, the undercurrents of the Primordial Era continued to surge silently.