After successfully bringing the Green Lotus of Creation back to Pangu Divine Hall and completely cutting it off from the Heavenly Dao's prying eyes and oppression, Di Jiang finally had some free time to examine the Innate Spiritual Root he had gone to such lengths to preserve.
The Green Lotus of Creation floated quietly in the center of the hall, its roots immersed in the pure spiritual energy Di Jiang had drawn in. Its thirty-six petals slowly opened and closed, each one lush and verdant, gleaming with a lustrous, jade-like sheen!
Naturally formed Dao patterns adorned it, profound and inscrutable, as if expounding the supreme principles of the creation of life and the cycle of all things. On the Lotus Platform, misty Qi of Creation condensed into dewdrops, giving off a refreshing fragrance.
The more Di Jiang looked, the more astonished and delighted he became. He realized that the Green Lotus of Creation's aura was as vast as the sea and unfathomably deep. The source of creation and laws of the Great Dao it contained seemed to surpass even his Chaos Bell!
The Chaos Bell was an Innate Supreme Treasure, capable of suppressing the Primordial World. It possessed supreme power to stabilize the elements of water, fire, and wind, transform yin and yang and the Five Elements, and shape the Great Dao of Spacetime.
Yet this lotus before him gave Di Jiang a feeling of being even more ancient, even closer to the source—as though it pointed straight to the origin, before Chaos had opened and all things had begun!
"Could this have surpassed the realm of Innate Supreme Treasures?" Innate Supreme Treasures were the pinnacle of the spiritual treasures nurtured by the Primordial World, but there were even mightier treasures above them: Chaos Spirit Treasures and Chaos Supreme Treasures! However, this Green Lotus of Creation should be a Chaos Spiritual Root!
Moreover, Di Jiang sensed that the lotus was not fixed in its current state. In Pangu Divine Hall, a perfect environment free from the Heavenly Dao's suppression and filled with Pangu's primordial aura, its growth—which had originally stalled under the Heavenly Dao's oppression—seemed to have started anew!
Its petals had taken on a deeper hue, and its Dao patterns had grown more intricate. The Dao aura and spiritual pressure it exuded were both increasing at an extremely slow, yet unmistakably real, rate!
It was originally the direct descendant closest to the Chaos Green Lotus, with an extraordinarily deep foundation. Had it not been for the Heavenly Dao's suppression, its potential for growth would have been limitless! Now, here in Pangu Divine Hall, that suppression was gone, so it could naturally continue absorbing nourishment and slowly evolve toward its original source: the Chaos Green Lotus!
Though this process was destined to take an immensely long time, perhaps countless kalpas, and might even require unimaginable opportunities and resources, at least there was hope!
A treasure with the potential to grow into a Chaos Supreme Treasure was beyond all measure! Di Jiang's gaze grew even more fervent and careful. This was no longer just a treasure. It was a foundation worthy of all his effort to cultivate, one that could secure his fortune!
Di Jiang immediately got to work. He spared no effort, using the essence and blood that seeped from Pangu Blood Pool to slowly nourish the lotus's roots. He also gathered the Innate Spiritual Energy that had collected in the hall into a spiritual mist and enveloped it. He even began to consider whether he could seek out some Chaos Primordial Energy or other rare natural treasures beneficial to the Spiritual Root's evolution to speed up the process.
"Wonderful, wonderful! What a delightful surprise!" Di Jiang laughed, clapping his hands, his spirits soaring.
He had preserved the Green Lotus of Creation to keep the Three Pure Ones from dividing it among themselves and to strengthen his own foundation. He had never expected that doing so would bring him a Spiritual Root that surpassed an Innate Supreme Treasure and had the potential to grow into a Chaos Supreme Treasure!
Di Jiang carefully settled the Green Lotus of Creation in place. Just as he was marveling at its boundless potential, the vast, boundless blood pool inside Pangu Divine Hall suddenly churned violently!
Vast torrents of blood and vital energy surged like a tsunami. The first blood cocoon burst apart with a thunderous crash, and a dazzling divine light shot into the sky! Within the radiance, a magnificent giant bird with nine heads raised them all and let out a long cry!
Its cry was clear and bright, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder! The divine light then faded, revealing a tall, beautiful woman in palace robes, her brows carrying a hint of valor and pride.
She stood atop the blood waves in qilin boots. Nine kinds of Dao aura swirled around her: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, yin, yang, wind, and thunder. Her aura was still somewhat unsteady, but there was no mistaking her early Golden Immortal cultivation. Her lovely eyes turned toward Di Jiang, full of affection and closeness. She bowed gracefully and spoke in a clear voice:
"Jiu Feng greets big brother! Thank you for nurturing and protecting me!"
It was the Great Shaman Jiu Feng, the first to emerge! Before she had even finished speaking, the nearby blood cocoons burst open one after another!
A pure fighting spirit shot into the sky, and blood and vital energy rose like smoke. As the light faded, an extremely muscular man appeared, his muscles knotted and a huge battle axe in his hand.
His features were rugged, and his eyes were as sharp as blades. He was none other than Xing Tian! Though the Xingtian Axe in his hands was not an Innate Spiritual Treasure, it contained an undying fighting spirit and a fearsome baleful aura. Its power was in no way inferior to that of an ordinary mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
Next, a fierce arrow-intent pierced the air, and a tall, handsome young man with keen eyes appeared. A simple, ancient bow floated behind him, its body suffused with the swiftness of wind and the sharpness of metal—none other than Hou Yi and his companion treasure, the Sun-Shooting Bow!
On the other side, blood and vital energy surged as a figure with a human body and ox horns emerged, his powerful frame radiating the heavy presence of the earth. It was Chi You.
Turbulent waves surged into the air, and a giant nine-headed serpent hissed and coiled. It then transformed into a pale man with soft, narrow eyes and the faintest smile at the corners of his mouth. He looked like a refined scoundrel. It was Xiangliu.
Finally, a tall, powerfully built man emerged, brimming with vitality and strength. It was Kuafu.
Once Xing Tian, Hou Yi, Chi You, Xiangliu, and Kuafu had emerged, their auras surged just like Jiu Feng's. All five had unmistakably reached the early Golden Immortal realm!
This was far beyond the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm they were supposed to have reached in their original fates. Clearly, they had benefited from the drop of Essence Blood Di Jiang had carefully prepared, as well as the longer time they had spent gestating.
Aside from the handsome Hou Yi, the stunning Jiu Feng, and Xiangliu, whose soft features made him look as if he'd once been castrated, Xing Tian, Chi You, and Kuafu all had the standard rugged, tough-guy look. Still, each had his own distinctive traits, especially Xing Tian. His face and presence seemed made for battle.
After the six Great Shamans took form, they all looked toward the only other person in the hall—Di Jiang. The closeness and dependence they felt deep in their blood were undeniable. They bowed as one, their voices ranging from booming to clear as they called out:
"Xing Tian, Hou Yi, Chi You, Xiangliu, and Kuafu greet big brother! Thank you for nurturing and protecting us!"
Looking at the six before him, each with a powerful aura and a distinct bearing, yet all sincerely calling him big brother, Di Jiang felt a surge of complicated emotions. An indescribable warmth flowed through him.
He thought of the eleven younger siblings whose origins he had devoured while they were still gestating. The faint guilt he had once felt seemed to quietly ease.
It was as if his old brothers and sisters had returned in another form, and a new family had taken shape. Di Jiang stepped forward, patted Xing Tian's sturdy shoulder, admired Hou Yi's handsome features, touched Chi You's hard horns, nodded to Xiangliu, and smiled warmly at Kuafu and Jiu Feng.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Di Jiang said it three times, joy beyond words welling up inside him!
"From this day onward, the seven of us siblings will be the masters of Mount Buzhou and carry on Pangu's True Lineage! We must support one another and protect this Primordial World formed from Father God!"
Feeling the warmth and liveliness of home, so long absent, Di Jiang realized that everything he had done since transmigrating might not have been only to make himself stronger. Perhaps it had also been to protect the hard-won bonds before him.
Inside Pangu Divine Hall, blood and vital energy steamed, and the first sounds of laughter rang out. Harmony filled the place. The heart of the Witch Clan had quietly come together in a way entirely different from its original course. And Di Jiang was, at last, truly no longer alone.
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