(This is my first time writing a Primordial Land novel. I hope all you esteemed readers will be understanding. May everything go smoothly for you, and may you find a partner soon!)
After the Fierce Beasts Tribulation was purged, the Primordial Land entered a period of recuperation. Gradually, the Primordial Land once again began to brim with life,
Spiritual treasures continuously emerged between Heaven and Earth, and living beings were born. The scene of vigorous life and all things striving to flourish remained vivid before their eyes.
The myriad races rose to prominence, with the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Tribes standing above the rest. The three tribes fought among themselves, while Demon Ancestor Rahu fanned the flames, stirred up trouble, and secretly struck from the shadows,
Karmic Tribulation Energy surged throughout Heaven and Earth...
After a bloody battle, the three clan leaders—Ancestor Dragon, Yuanfeng, and First Qilin—all fell. The three tribes had no choice but to withdraw from the struggle for supremacy in the Primordial Land.
The Dragon Clan guarded the Sea Eye, while Azure Dragon Saint Venerable constructed the Eastern Azure Dragon Realm and stationed himself at the easternmost edge of Heaven, securing a thread of survival for the Dragon Clan.
The Phoenix Clan guarded the Undying Volcano, while Vermilion Bird Saint Venerable constructed the southern Vermilion Bird Realm and stationed herself at the southernmost edge of Heaven, securing a thread of survival for the Phoenix Clan.
The Qilin Tribe was relatively unlucky. White Tiger Saint Venerable and Black Tortoise Saint Venerable had occupied the northernmost and westernmost edges of Heaven long ago,
They were a step too slow. With no other choice, they could only hide in the mountains and become "hermits."
With that, the Dragon-Han Tribulation also reached its end!
Above the East Sea
stood a divine mountain called Mount Fangzhang.
Atop the mist-shrouded mountain peak stood a crane, appearing and disappearing amid the clouds,
"No way~"
A modern-sounding cry of surprise shattered the tranquility. Shi Yu stared at his pure-white wings, his expression incredibly complicated. He could neither laugh nor cry.
"My graduation thesis isn't even half-written yet! What about my diploma? Could it really just fly away like this? I've been single for more than twenty years, never even held a girl's hand, and I don't even know what being in love feels like..."
He muttered to himself, but soon came around. "Forget it, forget it. Cultivation is the true path. What's a diploma worth? What girlfriend could compare to the thrill of cultivation?" As he spoke, he closed his eyes and began sensing his innate "instruction manual for surviving in the Primordial Land"—his inherited memories.
Before long, he understood the situation. He had actually transmigrated into the legendary Primordial Land.
He was currently standing on Mount Fangzhang in the East Sea, and he was an Innate Being—the Tai Xu Shui Yun He—who was close to the Great Dao of Taiji and the Great Dao of Water.
The phantom image of a colossal snow-white crane took shape over the immortal mountain. A few azure Dao patterns adorned its body, Taiji patterns gathered across its wings, and several azure ribbons wound around the feathers.
"Caw~~"
The phantom of the Tai Xu Shui Yun He raised its slender neck and let out a melodious, graceful cry.
That resounding cry attracted countless people searching for opportunities in the East Sea.
The two most powerful among them were rogue cultivators from the West, and they had come here for two reasons.
First, the ancestral vein of the West had been occupied by Luohu, so they could not return for the time being. Going back would only mean certain death; being taken in by Luohu as underlings would already count as a favorable outcome~
Second, all the Heavenly materials and earthly treasures in the West had been swept away by Luohu. Having heard that the East was prosperous, they had come especially to form some connections here—and perhaps visit relatives as well.
As the saying went, one came to visit relatives, and after visiting long enough, one became related. Drifting through the Primordial Land, it never hurt to have one more friend~
After all, while making one's way through the Primordial Land, one more friend meant one more path to survival. Perhaps one day, a friend might even help one rise to greatness.
"Senior Brother, with such a commotion, an Innate Spiritual Treasure is definitely about to emerge!" Daoist Zhunti's eyes widened as he excitedly tugged at Jieyin's sleeve. "The East really is wonderful. Opportunities are everywhere. We'll have to come here more often and make some connections."
"Let's go. This Innate Spiritual Treasure is definitely fated to be ours. Hahahaha." Zhunti grinned so widely that the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears.
A streak of yellow cloud suddenly rose beneath Jieyin and Zhunti's feet. It was so fast that the other cultivators could only stare blankly.
On the immortal mountain, the Tai Xu Shui Yun He flashed and transformed into the form of an Innate Dao Body. Shi Yu wore a white robe, stretched his arms and legs, and looked around.
"Hmm?! I'm an Innate Being, so no one should dare provoke me for the time being." He muttered to himself, "Right, all Innate Beings have a Companion Spiritual Treasure. Where's mine?"
As he thought this, three azure lights emerged and transformed into three spiritual treasures.
"The Cloud Void Water Fan!" "The Azure Water Spirit Pearl!" Shi Yu cheered.
The first two were his Companion Spiritual Treasures. The Cloud Void Water Fan was even a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, while the Azure Water Spirit Pearl was slightly inferior, ranking as a superior-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
But when he saw the third spiritual treasure, he froze completely. It was a milky-white jade stone with not the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy, looking just like an ordinary rock.
"Could this be an accompanying kidney stone?" Shi Yu's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Do Innate Beings get kidney stones too?" This strange stone distracted him so much that he even forgot about the top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
Just then, a yellow cloud slowly descended onto Mount Fangzhang. Zhunti and Jieyin had arrived.
"Wonderful, wonderful! What a blessed land overflowing with spiritual grace!"
"It must be fated to be with our Western Teachings!"
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Jieyin stared at the immortal mountain with shining eyes. This was a newly emerged Blessed Land, and it certainly contained a great opportunity!
"Senior Brother is right. This immortal mountain must be fated to be with our Western Teachings." Zhunti nodded, already calculating how to move the mountain away.
At this time, Hongjun was gathering forces in preparation for heading to the West to deal with Luohu. Jieyin and Zhunti thought that once Luohu was dealt with, they would be able to return to the West and rebuild their strength.
Well, it would count as returning home in glory! If they could bring back a few Innate Spiritual Treasures and powerful disciples, that would be even better,
But the West had been stripped bare by Luohu and was now so impoverished that it could barely scrape together a living, like a ruined household that had just been robbed. Still, its Spiritual Veins remained. At least the load-bearing walls of the house were intact, so there was still some hope. They would not be reduced to utter ruin.
The two hurried to the mountaintop and saw Shi Yu standing there in a daze. Their eyes went straight.
"What a fine disciple, and there are Innate Spiritual Treasures too! Our luck is overflowing!" Zhunti danced about excitedly.
"Junior Brother, Heaven must truly favor us. This trip to the East has been immensely profitable." Jieyin also smiled until he could hardly close his mouth.
One of them stared at Shi Yu, while the other stared at the spiritual treasures hanging in the air.
"Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, superior-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure..." Zhunti kept muttering. They had been driven mad by poverty; the West had long since been scraped clean by Luohu.
"Junior Brother, this White Jade Stone is rather strange. I can't see through it." Jieyin frowned, his face filled with doubt.
"Senior Brother, forget about that for now. Quickly take this kid as a disciple. The treasures and the disciple will all be ours." Zhunti adjusted his clothes, then shot forward with a "whoosh," appearing behind Shi Yu.
Shi Yu felt a chill down his back. When he turned around, he saw Zhunti smiling broadly. The smile looked worse than crying, like a wrinkled steamed bun.
Before Shi Yu could say anything, Zhunti began introducing himself. "This poor Daoist is Daoist Zhunti. Today, I saw that your roots and foundation are extraordinary and that you are fated to be with our Western Teachings. I have come especially to accept you as my disciple."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jieyin came over as well and introduced himself. The two of them looked just like con men from the streets.
Shi Yu was terribly conflicted. On one hand, he felt that these two would become future Saints and were quite formidable figures. On the other, the pair looked utterly unreliable. Thus, he tactfully refused:
"I appreciate your kindness, but we've only just met and aren't very familiar yet." He wondered whether their faces were truly as thick as the legends claimed.
Jieyin wore his trademark fake smile and said, "Young friend, our West is a wonderful place, filled with spiritual treasures and rare materials. If you become my disciple, I guarantee that you'll have hope of attaining the Great Dao. Your future will be bright, and your prospects limitless."
Although their own cultivation was not top-tier, their ability to paint a rosy picture was second to none.
Shi Yu merely smiled without speaking, while inwardly considering how to escape. Should he fly into the sky, dive into the sea, or dig a hole in the ground? This was truly a difficult question.
Seeing that Shi Yu remained silent, Jieyin thought he had wavered and secretly rejoiced. He's just a little kid. Taking him in should be effortless.
Thus, he and Zhunti took turns speaking, desperately painting Shi Yu a beautiful future in the West, hoping to trick him into going there with them.
But Shi Yu was like a wooden statue. No matter how beautifully they spoke, no matter how they described wondrous phenomena such as golden lotuses springing from the ground, he remained unmoved.
Become your disciple? Not a chance. Once you become Saints, you'll definitely be buried under a mountain of debt. If I followed you, wouldn't I end up with no merit and empty hands? I might even have to pay out of pocket!
Isn't your Western Teachings just a large-scale debt-processing center? The moment you enter, you become indebted. How is that any different from falling into a cesspit at the very start? Shi Yu complained inwardly.
Zhunti and Jieyin talked for a long time until their mouths were dry and their throats nearly smoked. Jieyin waved his hand, and a clear spring floated over. He wanted to drink some water before continuing his persuasion.
"I truly understand your kindness, but I have no master-disciple affinity with the two of you."
Shi Yu shook his head and began making things up. "My master is an incredibly powerful expert. He rides seven-colored clouds and is invincible beneath Heaven. You two definitely aren't my master."
Neither of them knew whether Shi Yu was telling the truth, but judging by his expression, he was probably bluffing. Still, they did not lose heart. Jieyin said, "That's fine. We'll wait here. Perhaps we'll even get to meet this powerful expert." The two of them clung to Shi Yu like strips of dog-skin plaster.
You little brat. I, Zhunti, have roamed the Primordial Land for so many years. How could I possibly be fooled by a little fellow like you~
Seeing the situation, Shi Yu knew he had to run. His eyes shifted, and he pointed at the sky.
"Look! My master has come to pick me up!" Then, with a "whoosh," he transformed into a Tai Xu Shui Yun He and flew desperately toward the horizon. His speed was simply beyond words.
Before you continue