Dao and Buddha, Enemy Attack!

"Once you reach Grand Unity, the past, present, and future will all be within your sight. You'll discover that the Primordial Era is even more magnificent and vast."

"The river of time flows slowly. With every instant the Primordial world advances, it carves out parallel spacetime in the void, evolving cosmic projections... This is illusory, yet it is also real!"

"Dreamlike and hazy, immeasurable heavens... This is the true face of the Primordial Era!"

The Ancestral Witch Dijiang spoke leisurely, stirring Feng Xi's emotions uncontrollably.

What a magnificent world this is!

Of course.

As magnificent as it is, the beings active on this stage are just as ferocious.

Feng Xi thought of the legendary figures who clamored to destroy the world and re-establish the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind—ruthless characters like:

The Demon Ancestor Rahu. Lingbao Tianzun.

He silently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Thankfully, their world-destroying journeys were halted...

Justice triumphed over evil.

Reason triumphed over madness.

But besides these, what other grand spectacles could shake the entire Primordial Era?

The Witch-Demon War, the Star Array of the Heavens!

Gong Gong roared, shattering the pillars of heaven and earth with a single charge!

The passionate performances of peak powerhouses could endanger even the supreme universe, the Primordial world, which encompasses immeasurable heavens, pushing it to the brink of collapse!

So...

To what extent must they become powerful?

Feng Xi yearned for it, yet he was also somewhat bewildered—lacking a standard for comparison made it difficult to gauge.

Who can be provoked? Who cannot be provoked?

How can one venture out without a sense of security?

He pondered, then earnestly asked Dijiang, "The Primordial Era is so vast and magnificent, yet the Demon Ancestor Rahu from the previous epoch possessed the power to destroy the world... At what level was his realm?"

"The internal records of the Witch Clan clearly state that Grand Unity is the ultimate achievement of the Great Dao."

"But I've heard some unverified rumors—that above Grand Unity, there are also the levels of Quasi-Saint and Saint."

"What is this Primordial Violet Qi, and the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao... are they true or false?"

"Is Grand Unity truly the ultimate?"

"Also, the Orthodox Xuanmen and the Heterodox Paths... what is the difference between the orthodox and the heterodox?"

Feng Xi had many confusions.

And his confusions could perhaps only be clearly answered by peak powerhouses of the Primordial Era like the Ancestral Witches.

"Grand Unity is the ultimate of the Great Dao, there's no doubt about it," Dijiang said slowly. "Rahu was, in fact, merely a Grand Unity."

"Even Pangu was only a Grand Unity!"

"The limit of cultivation is Grand Unity, it's the endpoint."

"Grand Unity is the endpoint, and there are thousands upon thousands of paths leading to it—how vast is the Primordial world? Thousands of Innate Divine Beings were nurtured within it, not to mention the heroes and prodigies who emerged over the ages, possessing extraordinary talent and wisdom, each forging their own paths, building bridges to eternity."

"However, influenced by environment, region, and opportunities, the systems established under the guidance of cultivation philosophies have many differences, even their realm divisions vary greatly, which leads some to develop disputes over so-called orthodox and heterodox paths," Dijiang chuckled. "In reality, these are just troubles stirred up by those who fail to grasp the essence of cultivation."

"To create a reasonable and self-consistent cultivation system cannot come from nothing... it requires adapting to the local conditions and circumstances."

"After all, the auxiliary resources during the cultivation process must be gathered from the surroundings."

"If the system created doesn't fit the environment... the path will be very difficult."

Feng Xi listened and nodded repeatedly.

It was like being in an era of declining magic, handed a cultivation technique that consumed extreme resources, requiring millennia-old ginseng, ten-thousand-year-old spirit mushrooms, and abundant ten-million-year-old jade essence... but if there were no spirit herbs outside, what ghost could you cultivate?

Only by unlocking the potential of the human body and focusing on excavating the spiritual realm could one achieve great success.

Cultivation also requires adherence to fundamental principles!

Modeling oneself after heaven and earth, forging a path, will always be influenced by surrounding conditions.

"Your cultivation knowledge is solid, you should still remember the arrangement of the Five Directions and Five Elements, right?" Dijiang asked.

"Of course, I remember," Feng Xi replied. "East governs Wood, West governs Metal, South governs Fire, North governs Water, and Center governs Earth."

"The Eastern lands are most abundant in Wood energy; the Western lands are most abundant in Metal energy..."

"It's good that you remember," Dijiang nodded. "But merely remembering isn't enough, you must also learn to apply it."

"I'll use the differences between these two regions to explain a thing or two to you," he continued. "The eastern territories of the Primordial Era are mostly populated by Qi Refiners who accumulate magical power, research divine abilities, and hone their Primordial Spirits... Among them, the cultivation methods designed by the three Daoist Tianzuns of Kunlun Mountain are the most brilliant, becoming the mainstream here."

"Why?"

"Because the East of the Primordial Era is where the Wood element is most prosperous."

"If the Wood element is dominant, then vitality is strongest, and immortal herbs and spiritual medicines are most abundant. Cultivators will naturally focus their attention on this aspect."

"Gathering spiritual herbs, refining spiritual elixirs, swallowing them to refine qi, and accumulating vast magical power. In the four major realms of Body, Qi, Spirit, and Heart, Qi cultivation is particularly outstanding."

Feng Xi pondered this.

"Then what about the West?" Dijiang chuckled. "I suspect I know your impression – that the West is barren and sparsely populated... Am I right?"

Feng Xi awkwardly replied, "I heard that in the previous era, the Demon Ancestor Rahu ran rampant, and before he died, he self-destructed, destroying many plants and flowers in the West, leaving it impoverished... Is there something wrong with this?"

"Rahu's self-destruction..." Dijiang was speechless, his expression a little strange, as if recalling something amusing. "It's true that the Western lands are sparsely populated, but it's not because of Rahu."

"It's because the essence of that land leans towards the Metal element!"

"Metal represents killing and restraint, and it restrains the Wood element."

"Therefore, although it's not completely devoid of vegetation, the plant coverage is indeed much less than in the East... which in turn means it can support fewer living beings."

"From the perspective of many low-level cultivators in the East, the Western lands are indeed desolate and barren."

"But do you know?" Dijiang said playfully, "The Daoist lineages and sects in the West, like the Buddhist Sect founded by Jieyin and Zhunti... they are all swimming in wealth."

"Let's not even mention the 'Seven Treasures' doctrine that circulates there."

"Just look at those Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, their Golden Bodies are everywhere. Those Golden Bodies have numerous arms, each holding various Magic Treasures, as if armed to the teeth!"

"Tell me, is such a Buddhist Sect... poor?"

Feng Xi was speechless.

If they could produce the resources to equip hundreds of Magic Treasures, who would dare say they were poor!

Setting aside Innate Spiritual Treasures, which are impossible to equip low-level cultivators with, from other aspects, the Buddhist Sect could be considered very wealthy.

Feng Xi pondered Dijiang's words, re-evaluating his worldview and looking at the issue from an objective standpoint.

Suddenly, he had an epiphany. "I understand! The West is dominated by Metal, so there are mines underground!"

"Their output of spiritual herbs is low, but their output of Immortal Gold and Divine Iron is high!"

"That's how they can equip so many Magic Treasures – just like the elixir refining that is popular in the East."

"Exactly," Dijiang, the Ancestral Witch, affirmed Feng Xi's answer. "The East has elixirs, and the West has mines."

"The East, with its abundant Wood element vitality, developed the path of Qi refinement; the main cultivation systems in the West mostly borrow the convenience of the Metal element, explore the properties of metal, and emphasize tempering the physical body, pursuing a body as strong as metal!"

"Even if they walk the Qi path, they will eventually cultivate a Dharma Body Golden Form... the word 'Golden' says it all."

The East has elixirs, the West has mines!

If you're looking for immortal herbs and spiritual medicines, the East is the place to go; if you need Divine Iron and Immortal Gold to forge Magic Treasures, the West is the best choice.

Similarly, influenced by this environment, the low-level cultivators on both sides have embarked on different paths.

Of course, if a Qi Refiner cultivating the Primordial Spirit were to go to the West, they would inevitably complain about the scarcity of plants... but if the specialization is wrong, one can't blame the Western lands, right?

It's like going out to sea and complaining, "Why aren't there any plants on the surface of the sea?"

Completely barren, so poor, so poor!

The spirits and creatures in the sea – like the Dragon Clan – would likely look at them with the pity one reserves for the intellectually challenged.

Haven't you heard about the treasures in the Dragon Palace!

Every region of the Primordial Era has its own thematic characteristics.

Different lands and different people, different mountains and rivers and different Dao.

There is no single most powerful Dao, no so-called orthodoxy, only what is suitable.

"Of course, if you insist on calling one orthodox... then it depends on who has the biggest fist," Dijiang said. "Whoever has the biggest fist, the path they walk is the orthodox one!"

"Who dares to object? Who dares to defy!"

Object?

Come and fight me one-on-one!

I'll smash your head in!

Feng Xi's mouth twitched, unsure of what to say.

"The disputes over orthodoxy are really just like that..."

"As for the so-called Primordial Violet Qi?" Dijiang, the Ancestral Witch, shook his head. "You youngsters always have some strange ideas."

"You want to sneak into Zixiao Palace and occupy a cushion... Little do you know, the waters there are deep enough to drown many people."

"The titles of Quasi-Saint and Saint have deeper meanings within them, part of a supreme being's grand design."

"It's related to the authority of heaven and earth, not related to strength or realm."

"However, with greater authority comes an easier path to improving one's cultivation and becoming a more powerful Grand Unity. Dijiang glanced at Feng Xi. 'Know this, Grand Unity and Grand Unity are not the same; the difference in strength can be like heaven and earth. Some Grand Unity are like Pangu, while others are mere nobodies, not even worthy of mention.'"

"Therefore, some Grand Unity can create worlds and destroy them, while others—like the Three Thousand Demon Gods in the chaos—can only be slaughtered one-sidedly, with no one even caring about their names."

"Like now, there's a nobody using their own life to prove this point."

Dijiang, the Ancestral Witch, spoke with a calm tone.

"???"

"!!!"

Feng Xi was stunned at first, his mind unable to catch up.

Then, his expression changed drastically—he understood the meaning of the last sentence.

An enemy was attacking!

The moment this thought flashed through his mind, a shocking turn of events occurred.

"Whoosh!"

A strange wind howled, the dimensions of the void trembled, and the Ancestral Witch's traveling procession was suddenly ambushed.

"Roar!!"

"Screech!"

"Chirp!"

Countless fierce birds and monstrous beasts, forming a vast and mighty army, surged out from a rift torn open in the void, charging towards this place!

Without a doubt, this was an elite army of monsters, ambushing here and waiting for a long time!

These fierce birds and monstrous beasts, some as small as dust, moved stealthily, intending to kill the soldiers in formation; others were as massive as mountains and rivers, capable of stirring up the void with a sweep of their wings, exhaling gales, flames, and other innate divine abilities. With exquisite coordination and controlled by formations, their power was amplified several times, even tenfold, and they were about to engulf this place in an instant, destroying the Ancestral Witch's procession.

The strength of these monsters varied. The weak were merely at the True Immortal level. The powerful had even reached the Grand Unity level... In their movements, each one was like a real universe impacting, burning all they had, unleashing the stunning beauty of a universe's birth and the swan song of its demise!

The soldiers, like a suicide squad, launched a desperate charge at all costs!

One could imagine the devastating blow it would deliver to the morale of the entire Witch Clan and their subsequent diplomatic actions if any of this Witch Clan's contingent were killed or sacrificed, especially so soon after their diplomatic mission had begun...

The Witch Clan could not tolerate or accept this; they needed a complete victory.

"Form ranks to the north, command the Black Tortoise!"

A Great Witch, protecting Houtu's procession, gave a cold order. A battle banner was raised, and instantly, a hundred thousand elite lesser witches changed formation. Their blood-sha essence surged to the sky, communicating with the Black Tortoise constellation in the Northern Quadrant of the Heavens. They commanded the laws of the northern terrain, evolving the extreme cold of winter. In an instant, a colossal phantom of the Black Tortoise took shape, enveloping this area and forcefully withstanding all the divine ability attacks!

Countless beasts and demonic spirits charged, but all were repelled by a power that was both immensely strong and eerily cold, causing their bodies to explode, their flesh and blood turning into flying ice particles.

And this was not the end.

"Form ranks to the east, command the Azure Dragon!"

"Form ranks to the south, command the Vermilion Bird!"

"Form ranks to the west, command the White Tiger!"

Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise... The Four Symbols Battle Array swept through all directions!

The starlight shone down, and the cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter revolved within... The mysteries of time and space were enacted within. This was one of the killing formations created by the Ancestral Witch for the Witch Clan.

As soon as the formation was activated, it achieved its purpose. With forty thousand Golden Immortals forming ranks, even the charge of countless demonic spirits was crushed into powder!

Even Grand Unity monsters, trapped within the formation, could not break free... Those four battle banners were no ordinary items, and when combined into a formation, they were even more ferocious and terrifying!

The Great Witch experts didn't even need to act. These monsters were refined and killed alive, a fully automated process of skinning and dismembering. Their Dao fruits and primordial spirits were extracted onto the battle banners, and their flesh and blood were refined into pure essence, distributed to every Witch Clan soldier, enhancing their cultivation.

The Great Dao of killing, like leveling up in a game, made the Witch Clan's iron army stronger with every battle!

"Kill!"

The weapons flashed with cold light, slaying countless invaders, their corpses demonstrating the might of the Witch Clan!

Some monsters were terrified, frightened, and wanted to flee... Like that demonic bird, with a powerful flap of its wings, it tore through layers of void, attempting to escape into it.

But it was useless.

The army led by the Great Witch Yi, with its hundred thousand elite Witch Clan members communicating their energies, connected into one, manifesting a colossal phantom of a divine bow!

Sunlight, moonlight, starlight... Countless rays of light were condensed, forming an arrow of light, nocked onto the string.

Then—

Shoot!