Zhou Ming Borrows the Earth Book

Wu Ming said to Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun, "Fellow Daoists, follow me."

Then, Wu Ming turned and led Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun deeper into Pangu Hall.

Deep within Pangu Hall, a figure sat cross-legged, Dao Rhythm flowing around him, his aura deep as the sea, as if merged with the entire hall. This person's face was ninety percent similar to Wu Ming's!

When the three approached.

The seated figure opened his eyes, looked at Wu Ming, and nodded: "Fellow Daoist, you've worked hard."

Wu Ming bowed slightly to the figure: "Fellow Daoist, you and I are one body, why be so formal?"

That figure was Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming nodded, his gaze shifting to Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun, a warm smile appearing on his face: "Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hongyun, it's been well."

Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun stared at the two nearly identical figures before them, their minds momentarily short-circuiting.

What... was this?

Twins?

No!

The Witch Clan was born from Pangu's essence blood—how could there be twins?

This person before them... and Fellow Daoist Wu Ming... were practically carved from the same mold!

Moreover, this person's aura was far more terrifying than Fellow Daoist Wu Ming's! Unfathomable!

Hongyun, being the most straightforward, couldn't hold back his question and blurted out: "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, you and this... Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming..."

He pointed at Wu Ming, then at the seated figure, his face full of confusion.

Wu Ming was about to explain, but Zhou Ming raised a hand to stop him.

"Let me speak."

"I think you two Fellow Daoists should already have some guesses."

He paused, then directly revealed the answer.

"Fellow Daoist Wu Ming was created by me cutting off part of my Primordial Spirit and combining it with my own essence blood."

"I am Wu Ming."

"Wu Ming is also me."

"The two of us are fundamentally one body."

As his words fell, Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun exchanged glances, both seeing the barely concealed shock in each other's eyes!

So that was it!

Though they had sensed it, hearing the truth firsthand was still too overwhelming!

Fellow Daoist Wu Ming was merely an Avatar of this Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming!

Then what level of cultivation must this Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming's true body have?

Zhen Yuanzi quickly calmed down. He looked at Zhou Ming and asked in a deep voice: "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming... no, Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming, this matter is of great importance and must be a secret of the Witch Clan."

"Why are you telling us two today?"

Zhou Ming said frankly: "I tell you two because I trust you, Fellow Daoists."

"Besides, there's no need to keep hiding it now."

"In the past, when my Witch Clan was first born, I and my twelve younger siblings all needed to go into seclusion to stabilize our cultivation and digest Father God's inheritance."

"But the newborn Witch Clan couldn't be left unattended."

"So I cut off my Primordial Spirit, combined it with essence blood, and created Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, letting him handle Witch Clan affairs on my behalf and walk the Primordial Wilderness."

"Later, Dao Ancestor Hongjun attained the Dao and began lecturing on the Great Dao at Zixiao Palace."

"At that time, my existence was not yet suitable for exposure, so I continued to have Fellow Daoist Wu Ming act in my stead, attending the lectures and forming connections."

"Now, the third lecture at Zixiao Palace has ended. The great powers of the Primordial Wilderness have advanced their cultivation, Quasi-Saints have emerged frequently, and the Saint positions have been assigned."

"The Dao Ancestor is about to Unify with Dao, further retreating behind the Heavenly Dao."

"At this point, my appearance in the Primordial Wilderness is harmless."

Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun listened, their minds shaken.

Though they didn't fully understand why Zhou Ming couldn't appear before, or why he could now that the Dao Ancestor was unifying with Dao, they wisely refrained from asking further.

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Zhou Ming, sensing his unfathomable aura, and suddenly understood.

No wonder Fellow Daoist Wu Ming had always been so calm, even somewhat... disdainful, toward the Demon Race's Di Jun and Taiyi.

So his true body, this Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming, had reached such a terrifying level of strength!

Zhen Yuanzi considered himself a top great power of the Primordial Wilderness, wielding the Earth Book and nearly invincible while standing on the earth.

Yet before Zhou Ming, he felt an indescribable pressure.

Other than Hongjun, the Dao Ancestor, who sits high in Zixiao Palace, I'm afraid there's no one in the entire Primordial World stronger than this Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming before me!

Zhen Yuanzi composed himself, clasped his hands to Zhou Ming, and said, "I see. May I ask what matter Fellow Daoist has summoned us both here for today?"

"With your strength, Fellow Daoist, there should be few things in the current Primordial World that can trouble you, right?"

Zhou Ming exchanged a glance with Wu Ming beside him, and Wu Ming gave a slight nod.

Only then did Zhou Ming look at Zhen Yuanzi and speak directly: "This poor Daoist does indeed have a matter on which I wish to ask for your help, Fellow Daoist."

"I would like to borrow your Earth Book. Is that possible?"

Borrow the Earth Book?

Zhen Yuanzi's heart stirred upon hearing this.

The Earth Book was formed from the fetal membrane of the Primordial World's landmass, peerless in defense, and capable of connecting to the world's earth veins, with boundless wondrous uses.

What did Zhou Ming intend by borrowing the Earth Book?

Zhen Yuanzi's thoughts raced, and in an instant, he had a guess.

He looked at Zhou Ming and spoke slowly: "Is Fellow Daoist perhaps seeking two of the legendary Three Immortal Islands of the East Sea—Fangzhang and Yingzhou?"

"Oh?" Zhou Ming's eyes showed a hint of surprise. "How did you know, Fellow Daoist?"

Zhen Yuanzi stroked his beard and said, "This poor Daoist's Earth Book was formed from the fetal membrane of the Primordial World's landmass. One of its abilities is to reflect the mountains, rivers, and earth veins of the Primordial World. The many islands within the Four Seas also fall within the scope of the Earth Book's manifestation."

"If Fellow Daoist wishes to borrow the Earth Book, the matter you seek must be related to land or islands."

"And in the Primordial World, aside from those two elusive islands, Fangzhang and Yingzhou, which occasionally appear over the East Sea, this poor Daoist truly cannot think of anything else worth a mighty being like you using the Earth Book to search for."

Zhou Ming nodded: "Fellow Daoist has keen eyes. This poor Daoist is indeed searching for those two islands."

Zhen Yuanzi pondered for a moment before continuing, "Since Fellow Daoist has been so forthright, I will speak plainly as well."

"Lending you the Earth Book is naturally not a problem."

"However, Fellow Daoist should not hold too high expectations."

Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Why is that? Is it that even with the Earth Book's power, you cannot find Fangzhang and Yingzhou?"

Zhen Yuanzi shook his head: "That's not it. It can indeed sense the locations of those two immortal islands."

"It's just that these two islands do not truly exist within the Four Seas of the Primordial World."

"Rather, they are attached to the Chaos Void outside the Primordial World, more like blessed caves and celestial grottoes."

"Only at specific points in time, drawn by the Heavenly Earth Rules, do they briefly 'squeeze' into the Primordial World and manifest over the East Sea."

"Moreover, their appearance location is never fixed, and the duration is extremely short—sometimes a few months, sometimes a few days, or even less."

"Even if the Earth Book detects their traces, by the time you rush over from Buzhou Mountain, those two immortal islands would have already left the Primordial World and re-hidden themselves in the Chaos Void."

"This poor Daoist once entertained the idea, but after divination, I gave it up."

"Thus, finding these two islands is extremely difficult. It can only depend on fate; it cannot be forced."

After hearing this, Zhou Ming asked, "Have you never considered waiting on the East Sea, like guarding a tree stump for a rabbit?"

Zhen Yuanzi gave a bitter smile: "I have. But it's not worth it."

"First, there is no pattern to when or where these two islands appear. They might show up once every tens of thousands of years, or even hundreds of thousands. Waiting idly on the East Sea would consume far too much time, with too much uncertainty."

"Second, even if I were lucky enough to see them appear, no one knows what is actually on those two islands. If I wasted endless years and ended up with nothing, wouldn't that be a complete waste of cultivation time?"

"Third, and most crucially, as I said, their appearance is extremely brief! Even if I found them, if I wasn't fast enough or got delayed by something, I could only watch them vanish again. Rather than pinning my hopes on such a fleeting Opportunity, it's more practical to cultivate quietly in Wuzhuang Temple and comprehend the Great Dao."

After hearing Zhen Yuanzi's explanation, Zhou Ming nodded: "I see."

"Thank you for clarifying, Fellow Daoist."

"But I still wish to borrow your Earth Book."

"On those two islands, there is something of utmost importance to my Witch Clan!"

"No matter how difficult, this poor Daoist must attempt it!"

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Zhou Ming's resolute expression, then at Wu Ming beside him, who wore an equally solemn face.

That thing's importance to the Witch Clan was probably beyond imagination.

"Very well!" Zhen Yuanzi hesitated no longer. With a flip of his palm, an ancient, heavy yellow tome appeared in his hand—the Earth Book.

"Since Fellow Daoist insists, I will naturally assist."

He handed the Earth Book to Zhou Ming.

"This Earth Book is lent to you for your use."

Zhou Ming took the Earth Book solemnly. It was heavy in his hand, and he could clearly sense the vast power of the earth contained within.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist!" Zhou Ming bowed deeply to Zhen Yuanzi. "Your help today will be remembered by the entire Witch Clan!"

"In the future, there will surely be a great reward!"

Zhen Yuanzi quickly helped Zhou Ming up: "Fellow Daoist, you flatter me!"

"I have known Fellow Daoist Wu Ming for many years; we are as close as brothers. Now that you have a need, I am merely doing what little I can. Why speak of repayment?"

"This small matter, Fellow Daoist need not take it to heart."

Zhou Ming shook his head, his expression earnest.

"What Fellow Daoist calls a small matter is, to my Witch Clan, a great affair concerning the future."

"This debt of gratitude, my Witch Clan has noted."

"In the future, we will surely repay it."

Seeing this, Zhen Yuanzi said no more, merely nodding.