Primordial East

Jade

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At the shore of the East Sea, the waves roared without end. The ceaseless sound of the surf could not wash away someone's sorrow.

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Zhunti's brows were tightly furrowed, his face filled with anguish. He let out a heart-wrenching sigh:

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"Senior Brother, my heart aches so badly. That disciple—the one who came with a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure—was actually fated not to be ours."

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Jieyin's heart also hurt as if it had been twisted by a knife, but he forced himself to remain calm. Putting on the airs of a senior brother, he consoled him:

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"Junior Brother, there are countless disciples in the world. Why cling to a single crane?"

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But in truth, he was merely putting on a brave front while feeling envious and jealous inside. A disciple who came with a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure and Blessed Lands, too!

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A moment later, the Primordial world suddenly underwent a tremendous change. Thunderclouds rolled, obscuring the sun and stars. The laws fell into disorder, and Killing Intent spread everywhere.

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A powerful shockwave surged forth like raging waves, sweeping recklessly across the land and making the entire Primordial tremble.

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The mighty figures of the Primordial turned their gazes toward the far west.

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The Four Symbols manifested their true forms.

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In the north, the Black Tortoise let out a long roar, summoning monstrous waves.

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In the south, the Vermilion Bird soared high, filling the sky with flames.

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In the east, the Azure Dragon coiled through the air, its dragon cries echoing again and again.

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In the west, the White Tiger roared, shaking the earth and mountains.

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Working together, the Four Symbols finally brought the turbulent Primordial to a semblance of stability. Yet the strange phenomena had not ceased.

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The source of the disaster was Mount Sumeru in the Western Ancestral Land. This place had just endured a brutal battle, and several forces of law crisscrossed one another, wreaking wanton destruction.

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Demon Ancestor Rahu fell to the ground like a kite with its string cut, coughing up blood. His body was feeble, and his demonic aura was dissipating.

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Hongjun brought out the Jade Disk of Creation, intending to suppress him. Seeing this, Rahu glared furiously and cursed:

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"Hongjun, you dog of a thing! What a sinister scheme! The decline of the Three Clans and the destruction of the Demonic Path were all because of you!"

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Though the Four Swords of Zhu Xian and the Zhu Xian Formation Diagram resisted with all their might, Rahu was grievously wounded and could not withstand the might of the Jade Disk of Creation.

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Rahu glared furiously. "Hongjun, our grudge began in Chaos and will continue for an Immeasurable Kalpa! Today, I establish the Demonic Cult. The Dao and the Demonic Path will battle without end! I will surely return and fight you again!"

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With that, rolling demonic aura surged from his demonic body. Clinging to the Twelve-Petaled Black Lotus, he fled into Chaos.

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Thus, the Dao-Devil War came to an end with the defeat of Demon Ancestor Rahu.

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"Phew~"

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"Fortunately, this old Daoist was a step ahead. Now that the Primordial has just settled down, there are still plenty of things waiting for me to handle!"

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Hongjun shook his head, feeling that the burden on his shoulders was still quite heavy.

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"Buzz~~"

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After Rahu vanished, the Spiritual Veins of the west began to shake violently. Streams of demonic mist rose into the sky. The Spiritual Veins throughout the west had already been refined by Rahu.

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If he died, the Spiritual Veins would explode. This Great Array of Moral Coercion was one of the contingencies Rahu had left behind. In an instant, all the Spiritual Veins of the west detonated.

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"Rahu!"

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"Your mother!"

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The fierce shockwave shot directly toward the north, east, and south. If the Four Symbols had not manifested earlier, the Primordial Land would probably have been torn apart.

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Looking at the Spiritual Veins of the west, which had been almost completely destroyed, Hongjun let out a deep sigh.

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From that point onward, the west would be a barren land. He had also incurred a tremendous Karmic Connection with the west.

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"Waaaah~"

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"Our ancestral veins of the west!"

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Two middle-aged men dressed in yellow Daoist robes howled at the sky, pounded their chests, and stomped their feet. They looked utterly hopeless.

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Zhunti and Jieyin sensed the nearly collapsed ancestral veins of the west. As Innate Divine Beings born in the west, they possessed a latent connection with the western ancestral veins.

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"Senior Brother, in such circumstances, if we continue clinging to old ways, the west may never have a chance to rise again."

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Zhunti suddenly stopped crying. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Why not stake everything on one throw? The east is prosperous and fertile. We might as well act in secret and 'borrow' some assistance from there. I'm not saying we can turn the tide—but at least we can mend the situation after the damage is done!"

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Jieyin looked hesitant. After a moment, he let out a long sigh. "Forget it. For the sake of the west's revival, we can do without our dignity!"

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From then on, two bandits of unknown origins, unknown cultivation, and unknown intentions appeared upon the Primordial Land. Wherever they passed, not a blade of grass remained. They plowed three feet into the earth itself. No matter what spirit plant or Spiritual Treasure they encountered, they packed it all up and carried it away.

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Whenever they encountered a cultivator with decent aptitude, the two would shout in unison, "You are fated to have a connection with our west!"

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But paper could never contain fire. Before long, their disguises were exposed—all because of that sentence: "You are fated to have a connection with our west!"

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Thus, the two simply stopped hiding and began appearing before others in their true forms.

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Zhunti returned with a full haul and was just about to discuss plans for the west's great revival with Jieyin when he suddenly saw golden light flare in the distance.

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Zhunti was overjoyed. After making a calculation with his fingers, he could not help but laugh. "This treasure is fated to have a connection with our west!"

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"Senior Brother, no one can take it from us this time!" There was even a trace of bitterness in his words.

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With that, his body blurred, and he vanished from where he stood, speeding toward the golden light.

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When he arrived, he saw a single spirit plant. Its stalk was long and slender, and it bore only one flower. The enormous flower head resembled a golden sun hanging high in the sky, moving along with the Sun Star.

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Seeing this, Zhunti blurted out, "This flower grows toward the sun, so let's call it the Sun-Facing Flower!"

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As soon as his voice fell, the spirit plant burst into brilliant light, and its aura rose steadily.

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Zhunti's heart stirred. He knew that it was about to take human form, so he hurriedly brought out the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree. The tree bloomed with a thousand golden lotuses, enveloping an area of a hundred miles and forming a sturdy protective formation.

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Within the light, the Sun-Facing Flower gradually became incorporeal, finally transforming into a short, chubby youth dressed in golden Daoist robes.

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The chubby youth had a round face and a bulging belly. A radiant smile spread across his face, as though nothing in the world could trouble him.

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"Thank you, Senior, for protecting me through my transformation! This junior is willing to become your disciple and listen to your teachings!" The chubby youth bowed respectfully, his eyes filled with anticipation.

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Seeing that the youth possessed extraordinary bone structure, Zhunti was overjoyed. His senior brother had indeed been right—it was best not to fixate on a single white crane.

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"Good, good, good! From today onward, you will be the first disciple under my senior brother and me. I bestow upon you the Dao name Maitreya."

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Upon hearing this, Maitreya bowed again and thanked his master. "Thank you, Master! This disciple is so bold as to ask whether Master could bestow a Spiritual Treasure upon me?"

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Zhunti and Jieyin exchanged a glance, and both saw the awkwardness in the other's eyes. Jieyin gave a light cough and said:

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"My disciple, you must understand the difficulties our west is facing. The earth veins are shattered, and Spiritual Treasures are scarce. Your master truly has no means to help you right now. But rest assured—for the day the west prospers, I will certainly find you an Innate Spiritual Treasure."

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Poor Maitreya. He waited bitterly for many years, until his cultivation finally reached the Quasi-Saint realm, before he obtained his first Innate Spiritual Treasure. Only he knew how difficult that journey had been~

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How bitter. Too bitter~~