Below the Sage, All Are Ants

Qing Huan immediately used his primordial spirit and divine sense to sweep through the great formation in meticulous detail.

Aside from the Immortal Apricot, which was an Innate Spiritual Root, there was actually another strange bamboo plant.

The golden bamboo was brilliant and dazzling, as if it had been formed by the condensed radiance of the scorching sun.

Each segment emitted a vast aura, and golden lightning circled and shuttled around it like agile dragons, emitting bursts of rumbling sounds.

This golden bamboo had eleven segments in total, as if it contained some kind of power from between heaven and earth.

Qing Huan flashed over and arrived instantly in front of the golden bamboo, unable to help but marvel:

"It is actually the Innate Spiritual Root, Evil-Warding Golden Bamboo. This bamboo is said to be able to cleave through all evil spirits, and the golden divine thunder circling it must be the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder."

A glimmer of sharpness flashed in his eyes as he pondered to himself:

"Heh, if I were to refine this Evil-Warding Golden Bamboo into a spiritual treasure, I fear another Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure would soon be born."

However, Qing Huan immediately shook his head:

"Forget it. Innate Spiritual Roots are hard to come by; how could I casually pluck an Innate Spiritual Root to refine a treasure? It is better to let it grow here properly!"

Afterward, Qing Huan cast his gaze toward an entrance at the top of the mountain.

Three large characters were carved above the entrance—

"Jade Pillar Cave".

The characters contained rich laws of heaven and earth, as if they were telling of the extraordinary nature of this cave dwelling.

"Tsk tsk, it is truly worthy of being a Blessed Land, though it is a pity that a Blessed Land can usually only support one Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root."

Qing Huan returned to the Immortal Apricot tree, plucked two Immortal Apricot fruits, and transformed into a stream of light to enter the cave.

Standing in the center of the cave, he saw the floor, which was condensed from stone marrow, flowing with cold light and emitting a mysterious aura.

At the entrance stood a pillar supporting the sky, over a thousand zhang tall, its entire body translucent and white like jade, as if carved by nature.

The pillar was covered in runes, and between the runes, patterns of dragons and snakes seemed to move.

The light from the pillar reflected onto the cave walls, scattering into ten thousand points of starlight, dreamlike and illusory.

The Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth inside the cave was so dense that it had already liquefied, forming a faint layer of water mist that drifted about like light gauze.

The cave itself formed a middle world, with countless Acquired Spiritual Roots on display.

"Haha, good. From now on, this shall be my dojo."

Having said that, Qing Huan directly offered up the Xuanhuang Seal.

The Xuanhuang Seal shone brilliantly, and he channeled his Magic Power to place it steadily at the core of the cave dwelling to suppress the Luck of Jade Pillar Cave.

One must know that any Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure can suppress the Luck of a Blessed Land; one should never underestimate a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Among the three thousand Innate Spiritual Treasures of the Primordial World, there are only a few dozen Top-grade spiritual treasures, and only one or two hundred High-grade ones; most of the rest are Mid-grade or Low-grade.

Refining any Innate Spiritual Treasure is extremely difficult, even for a Sage, unless one uses the Cauldron of Creation (the Qiankun Cauldron of Old Ancestor Qiankun) to reverse the acquired back into the innate.

However, this requires extracting one-tenth of one's own Luck to achieve.

It is precisely because of this that even the Sage Nuwa, who possesses the Cauldron of Creation, does not dare to easily refine Innate Spiritual Treasures for herself.

After all, if a Sage's Luck were to drop by one level, it would be tantamount to severing their own path.

Like the later Twelve Golden Immortals, their cave-suppressing treasures were merely High-grade or Mid-grade.

Unless it is a Blessed Land like Kunlun Mountain, Jin'ao Island, or Penglai Immortal Island, it must be suppressed by a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Of course, if one had an Innate Supreme Treasure, the Luck would be even more stable.

After Qing Huan simply arranged the cave dwelling, the two Immortal Apricots appeared in his palm.

Looking at these two apricots containing majestic power, Qing Huan pondered for a moment; now was the perfect time to absorb their effects.

Thus, he consumed both Immortal Apricots at once.

The moment they entered his mouth, a rich and mellow spiritual energy dispersed, as if the purest essence of heaven and earth had gathered together.

In an instant, the laws of wind and thunder surged through his body like a torrential flood.

Qing Huan hurriedly calmed his mind and quickly began to comprehend this power of the laws.

He was already a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal; consuming the Immortal Apricots was mainly to increase his Magic Power by tens of thousands of years and to comprehend the laws. He would not grow wind and thunder wings like the "noob" experts at the Heavenly Immortal level, but this was still a tremendous opportunity.

The effects of these two fruits were equivalent to tens of thousands of years of hard cultivation, though it was a pity that eating them again would not have such a significant effect.

Time passed leisurely, and in the blink of an eye, eight Huiyuan Eras had passed.

On this day, a pressure so powerful it was suffocating swept through every corner of the Primordial World like a mountain collapsing and the sea overturning.

Countless living beings were terrified and trembling under this pressure.

Qing Huan, who was in the middle of cultivation, instantly sensed this pressure. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly offered up the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Seven Symbols Treasure Umbrella. Braving the pressure, he transformed into a stream of light and quickly stood in the sky outside the great formation.

He speculated to himself:

"Could this be Dao Ancestor Hongjun becoming a Sage? It is just as the rumors say: beneath the Sage, all are ants. This saying is not false at all.

Those so-called combat powers comparable to Sages are simply high-level martial arts fantasies.

A Sage is a Sage; even if they have just become a Sage, how could a peak Quasi-Sage possibly challenge them?"

Even with an Innate Supreme Treasure in hand, it is absolutely impossible to emerge victorious.

Otherwise, the Witch Clan and the Demon Race would have simply joined forces to wipe out the Six Sages and divide the Luck between themselves; why would they need to fight each other to the death?

If Eastern Emperor Taiyi could easily manipulate a Sage just by holding the Chaos Bell, then in terms of combat power...

The Witch Clan is even more invincible in their Physical Body, comparable to a Spiritual Treasure.

If it weren't for the fact that both races were blessed with great Luck, they probably wouldn't even be enough for Zhunti to toy with alone.

It is not that the Sages cannot win, but rather that they fear the Heavenly Dao settling the Karma; which foolish Sage would personally take action to kill someone possessing great Luck and great Merit?

If a Sage were to release their pressure without any restraint, countless Quasi-Sages would be reduced to ashes in an instant...

As the pressure gradually dissipated, auspicious clouds spanning trillions upon trillions of miles surged and gathered in the sky, as if to fill the entire sky of the Primordial Earth.

Across the Primordial Earth, Golden Lotuses bloomed like stars, each one radiating a soft and holy light.

The Three Thousand Laws appeared like brilliant stars, weaving together into a vast and mysterious tapestry.

This scene shocked countless living beings of the Primordial Earth.

Just then, a grand and majestic voice resounded through every corner of the Primordial Earth:

High upon the nine clouds, I sit on my mat and realize the truth.

Beyond the heaven and earth, I shall be the master of the teachings.

Pangu gave birth to the Taiji, and the two forms and four symbols follow.

The leader of the Mysterious Gate, one breath transforms into Hongjun.

"I, Hongjun, have attained the Dao and become a Sage today. Ten thousand years from now, I will preach at the Purple Heaven Palace in the chaos beyond the Thirty-three Heavens. All those with affinity may come to listen."

As Hongjun finished his announcement, the world gradually returned to its former calm.

The living beings of the Primordial Earth were now filled with questions.

What exactly does it mean to become a Sage?

And would they be one of those with affinity?

After all, the Gale Wind in the chaos is terrifying, not to mention the many Demonic Beasts that run rampant there.

Without an Innate Spiritual Treasure for protection, I fear that one would have no chance at this great opportunity at the Purple Heaven Palace.