Western Plain Cloud Boundary Banner

The ancestors of the Three Tribes could all be considered top-tier great powers. In his previous life, there had been a famous figure in novels called Daojun Lu Ya. He wondered whether such a person existed here.

Xuan Qing then asked, "Empress Wang Shu, have you ever heard of someone named Lu Ya?"

"Never heard of him. But judging by that title, it is not something an ordinary person could bear. He might be some hidden great power."

Having received such an answer from Wang Shu, Xuan Qing felt that there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that fellow was also a crafty old schemer.

Happy times were always short. The three of them ate, drank, and chatted for several thousand years, and it was finally time to leave. They had already gained enough from this trip.

"Empress Wang Shu, our purpose in coming to the Starry Sky has been fulfilled. I still need to search for Innate Gold Origin Essence, so it is time for us to leave. If you have time, you may visit Azure Nether Island. That is my Dao Field."

After bidding farewell, the two left the Starry Sky and flew straight toward the Western Continent. They had needed to pass through the Nine Heavens Gang Qi Layer on the way here, but not on the return journey, so their progress was swift. They reached the Western Continent in just several thousand years.

The Western Continent was now Luohu's territory. However, ever since Luohu had been injured and entered seclusion last time, he had not appeared for a long while. Taking advantage of his seclusion, some living beings had begun wandering the Western Continent.

The moment Xuan Qing and Han Xi flew into the Western Lands, a cloud drifted past their faces. It carried dense Innate Spiritual Qi. This was their first encounter with a fortuitous opportunity.

Without another word, Han Xi immediately gave chase. They pursued it for over a hundred years before finally intercepting the cloud. Han Xi was annoyed. How could a fortuitous opportunity hide and run away? She took out the Water Bell and attacked.

Xuan Qing studied the cloud mass frozen in place. It seemed to be on the verge of developing spiritual intelligence. There were only a few clouds in the Prehistoric Era that could take form. Could it be that Hong Yun was already being nurtured?

Xuan Qing stopped Han Xi just as she was about to strike. With Han Xi's cultivation, one blow might scatter the cloud entirely. Even if this was Hong Yun, he would have no effect on Xuan Qing, so he decided to spare him.

Only then did Han Xi reluctantly stop and begin searching through the cloud. She found a small, pure-white flag.

"Western Plain Cloud Boundary Banner!"

Han Xi happily waved the small flag around. Aside from her Companion Spiritual Treasure, this was the first Spiritual Treasure she had obtained. It was even a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Following her brother out this time had been an absolute windfall.

"Brother, you do not want this flag, right?"

"Hahaha! You found it, so it is yours. Why would I want it? Besides, I have no need for this flag!"

Seeing Han Xi's playful appearance, Xuan Qing could not help but laugh. This girl was already guarding her treasure.

Shouldn't the Western Plain Cloud Boundary Banner have been in Hongjun's hands? Had Hongjun not come to the Western Lands at this point in time? Xuan Qing could not help pondering the matter.

The Western Lands were Luohu's territory. Under normal circumstances, Hongjun would not come here. Did that mean all of his Five Elements Banners had been spoils seized during the Three Tribes War and the Dao-Demon War?

Then the Western Plain Cloud Boundary Banner should have ended up in Luohu's hands. Hong Yun was already beginning to form, yet Luohu had not scattered the cloud mass after obtaining the Spiritual Treasure. Luohu did not seem quite as bad as he had thought.

The Five Elements Banners were no weaker than the Four Great Lotus Platforms, though their utility was much more limited. Han Xi now possessed two Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, one for offense and one for defense. Her wealth was already no less than Zu Long's.

After putting away the Spiritual Treasure, Xuan Qing saw that the cloud mass had yet to leave. After some thought, he tossed it toward the Eastern Continent. Staying in the Western Lands was still too dangerous. This counted as helping it out.

Han Xi imprinted her mark upon the Spiritual Treasure, happily put it away, and immediately followed Xuan Qing.

The Western Continent was currently no different from the Eastern Continent. Innate Spiritual Qi was abundant, and the entire continent thrived with vitality. If Luohu did not destroy it, who knew how many more living beings the Prehistoric Era could support.

Xuan Qing could not help lamenting the future of the Prehistoric Era. When immortals fought, mortals suffered. The living beings of the Prehistoric Era truly had no rights at all. In the eyes of great powers, they were nothing but ants.

Since finding Gold Origin Essence depended entirely on luck, Xuan Qing and Han Xi had no choice but to wander the Western Continent. They treated it as a journey.

Since it was a journey, Xuan Qing decided to bring the kind of travel from his previous life into the Prehistoric Era. He had never traveled in his past life, so now was the perfect time to properly experience it.

Xuan Qing took out some materials he had collected and made two tents along with a pile of daily necessities.

"Brother, what are you doing? What are these things you made?"

Han Xi became curious again. This brother of hers was always springing surprises on people.

"This time, we do not know when we will find our target in the Western Lands. Why not accompany me on a proper trip?"

"What is traveling? Is it also a form of wandering?"

"Traveling simply means taking in the scenery along the way. We put aside the things that usually keep us busy, relax our minds, stop cultivating, and enjoy ourselves properly."

This new thing once again piqued Han Xi's curiosity. There was such a way to have fun? Since it was something novel, Han Xi was very much in favor of trying it.

Xuan Qing killed several wild beasts and began roasting them on the spot. Then he took out fragrant Spiritual Materials he had collected at his Dao Field and sprinkled them over the meat. Before long, a rich aroma filled the air.

"Brother, what is this? It smells so good. Is it the same kind of thing as brewed wine? What effect does it have?"

"Not really. This is roasted meat. It simply satisfies one's appetite. It tastes quite good as an occasional treat."

Xuan Qing patiently explained it to Han Xi.

Then he said, "Han Xi, living beings in the Prehistoric Era do not need to eat. If one day a kind of living being appeared that needed food to sustain its life, what do you think would happen?"

"How is that possible? We Innate living beings naturally feed on Innate Spiritual Qi. Why would we need to eat?"

Han Xi was thoroughly confused.

"This is only the Prehistoric Era as it is now. Under the Great Dao's supervision, all living beings are Innate. But what if the Great Dao leaves in the future, and acquired living beings appear?"

"Why would the Great Dao leave the Prehistoric Era? How would we seek the Dao afterward? How would we cultivate?"

"Since the birth of the Prehistoric Era, the Great Dao has always governed it on behalf of another. One day, the Heavenly Dao will emerge, and then the Great Dao will leave. The Heavenly Dao will control all living beings of the Prehistoric Era, and Karma will become entangled. Think about what will become of all living beings then.

"Under the Great Dao, one cultivates the Great Dao Law. Under the Heavenly Dao, there will certainly be Heavenly Dao laws to comprehend. It will definitely not be a good thing for people like us who pursue the Great Dao, but it will be good for the living beings of the Prehistoric Era. For now, we only need to work hard to improve our cultivation. The rest is beyond our ability to consider."

Xuan Qing comforted the frightened-looking Han Xi and slowly revealed the future of the Prehistoric Era.

"Eating and drinking may not be without their pleasures. If we become completely immersed in pursuing the Dao, perhaps one day we will be assimilated by the laws. At that time, will you still be yourself?"

"We must broaden the boundaries of our hearts and not focus solely on the Great Dao. So, Brother, was that why you came up with wine and all these strange things?"

Han Xi seemed to have discovered that Xuan Qing's worldview differed from theirs.

And so, after Han Xi tasted roasted meat for the first time, she became hopelessly addicted to the flavor. After Qing Ling, another foodie had been born.

It seemed that no matter where one was, food was surely the most alluring thing to living beings.

The spices of Primordial Heaven and Earth were as countless as weeds on the ground, so Xuan Qing did not gather any. Azure Nether Island had them anyway, and theirs were even more effective than those of the Western Continent.

Thus, the two began their journey through the Western Lands.

Along the way, Xuan Qing continuously told Han Xi all sorts of stories from his previous life, as well as about the way humans lived, teaching her some common sense about being human. Han Xi listened until she began wondering whether Old Brother had been possessed by something.

"Brother, will the things you described appear in the Prehistoric Era in the future? They sound far more interesting than the current Prehistoric Era. I really want to see what that kind of world is like."

Han Xi was deeply drawn to that world of fantastic ideas and hoped that one day, she could try those strange and varied things herself.

Thus, Xuan Qing told Han Xi stories to change her worldview while collecting Innate Spiritual Roots and Spiritual Materials. The Western Continent would be crippled in the future anyway, and all these Spiritual Roots would suffer. Why not let him benefit from them instead?

By planting them on Azure Nether Island or the islands outside it, he could greatly increase the Innate Spiritual Qi of the surrounding islands while also protecting their continued existence. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

The Prehistoric Era was flourishing now, and countless new races had begun to emerge. As Xuan Qing and Han Xi traveled, they witnessed the distinct traits of many different races.

Many races possessed a strong desire for slaughter, which Xuan Qing disliked greatly. Only a few races, like the Heavenly Horse Clan, cherished peace. Such races could not survive in the current Prehistoric Era.

Because they were too weak, Xuan Qing selected some of them and stored them within the Green Lotus of Creation. Once they returned, he would settle them on Azure Nether Island or the surrounding islands.

"Brother, these races are so weak. Why did you gather them up?"

"My Dao Field is too large, yet there are hardly any living beings there. Some time ago, I rescued a group of Heavenly Horses and arranged for them to live there, but there are still too few. The entire Dao Field has no life to it.

"They can fill that gap, and I can save their lives as well. It would be a pity if such interesting races disappeared."

More than ten Kalpas passed. The two of them had already traveled through most of the Western Continent, but they did not dare go to Luohu's Mount Sumeru.