Far beyond Mount Buzhou, in an unfamiliar forest tens of millions of miles away,
space rippled faintly, and Fuxi and Nuwa appeared, looking slightly unsteady. One moment, they had been discussing the Dao in their own valley, rich with spiritual energy; the next, they had been moved here without the slightest ability to resist. The sudden turn of events had caught both future powerhouses completely off guard.
Nuwa's beautiful face was frosty, and her lovely eyes held a hint of incredulous anger. She was an Innate Divine Being, born with the Qi of Yin-Yang Creation. When had she ever been treated with such unreasonable force? She hadn't even seen the other party before being thrown out of her home. It was nothing short of a disgrace!
"Brother!"
Nuwa looked at Fuxi, her tone filled with displeasure.
"Who was that? How could anyone be so overbearing? Mount Buzhou is unclaimed land. We were born there, so why can't we stay?"
Fuxi was relatively composed, but his brows were still tightly furrowed. He rapidly formed hand seals, trying to divine the secrets of heaven and trace the cause, but all he found was a haze of Chaos. It was as if an even more powerful force had disrupted the karma connected to Mount Buzhou.
"Little sister, calm down."
Fuxi pressed a hand to the strings and tried to soothe her.
"To move the two of us without a sound takes extraordinary power. His cultivation is far above ours. He has probably reached Peak Da Luo, or perhaps even surpassed it. And his power seems to share the same source as Mount Buzhou, carrying an ancient, boundless pressure."
Fuxi paused, a glint of wisdom flashing in his eyes. "Perhaps Mount Buzhou isn't unclaimed after all. Its master has simply just returned."
"Even so, how can he do this without giving his name or warning us first? To forcibly abduct us like this—"
Nuwa was still furious. She was quite fond of her home, and now that she had lost it for no apparent reason, she was naturally unwilling to accept it.
"Come on, let's go back and see! We need an explanation!" Nuwa said, preparing to fly back to Mount Buzhou.
Fuxi thought it unwise, but he also wanted to find out what had happened. Together, he and Nuwa transformed into streaks of light and raced toward Mount Buzhou.
Yet when they approached the mountain again, the sight before them left them stunned.
The once-clear, majestic Mount Buzhou, brimming with spiritual energy, was now entirely enclosed by an enormous five-colored barrier! Blue, red, yellow, white, and black divine light flowed endlessly across its surface, manifesting the mysteries of the Innate Five Elements' interactions. An immense aura of indestructibility and absolute isolation radiated from it. Mount Buzhou seemed to have been cut off from the Primordial World, forming a world of its own.
Nuwa tried to move closer, but a gentle yet unyielding force stopped her. She circulated her magic power, sending a streak of pure Creation energy crashing into the barrier, but it vanished like a stone dropped into the sea, without raising even the slightest ripple.
Fuxi plucked his qin strings as well, sending waves of sound imbued with the power of laws against the barrier. The endless cycle of Five Elements Power effortlessly dispersed and absorbed them too.
"This is an array, and it contains the power of the Innate Five Elements! It's no ordinary array, either!"
Fuxi's expression turned grave. He put away the Fuxi Qin and said in a low voice, "This array is profoundly mysterious. The Five Elements circulate as one, and it has grasped the true meaning of the Innate Five Elements Great Dao. Unless we possess power that surpasses the Five Elements Law, or can break through it with overwhelming strength, we won't be able to get in. Mount Buzhou really does have a master."
Nuwa tried several more times. She even used the power of Creation she had only recently comprehended, but she still couldn't so much as shake the five-colored barrier. She understood now: they would never be able to return to Mount Buzhou.
"Damn it! That array must have been set up by the villain who abducted us! What shameless behavior!"
Nuwa stamped her foot in fury, her beautiful face full of indignation. Since she had taken form, she had never suffered such a frustrating loss.
Fuxi looked at the impregnable Five Elements Great Array, then at his still-furious little sister. He too felt some reluctance and helplessness, but he understood the difference in their strength all too well. He gently patted Nuwa's shoulder and comforted her in a warm voice:
"Little sister, let it go. The Primordial World is vast; anywhere can be a home. This person's strength is unfathomable, and he has the advantage of Mount Buzhou as well as this array protecting him. Rather than get angry here, we should find another blessed grotto-heaven and cultivate in peace. Once our Dao improves, we can deal with the rest."
Nuwa knew that her brother was right. She took one last look at Mount Buzhou, now cloaked in five-colored light and forever beyond their reach. She engraved the mysterious figure and that accursed array in her memory, then clenched her teeth.
"Hmph! Let's go!"
In the end, the siblings knew when to yield. They suppressed their anger, transformed into two streaks of light, and flew into the distance to seek a new home. Eventually, they settled at Phoenix Perch Mountain.
Even as they traveled, Nuwa couldn't help cursing their unreasonable neighbor under her breath. Fuxi, meanwhile, was left with an extremely deep impression of the mysterious master of Mount Buzhou—and a profound wariness of him.
Inside Pangu Divine Hall, Di Jiang, who had just finished setting up the array, seemed to sense something. He glanced in the direction Fuxi and Nuwa had gone, then shrugged indifferently.
After covering all of Mount Buzhou with the Innate Five Elements Great Array and turning it into his own private domain, Di Jiang merely shifted his thoughts and returned to the core of Pangu Divine Hall.
Standing inside the hall, he looked around at this supreme space formed from the body of his father, Pangu, and marveled again at its vastness and mystery. The Pangu Blood Pool at the very center of the hall alone was boundless, measuring hundreds of millions of miles across by his estimate. Energy swirled above the pool, where the blood fetuses of the six Innate Great Witches floated like stars, drawing in and releasing pure Pangu blood and qi.
"This is only one corner of Pangu Divine Hall. The entirety of Mount Buzhou is even more immeasurable."
Di Jiang clicked his tongue in amazement. It was no wonder such a divine mountain could give birth to countless spiritual treasures.
Pangu Divine Hall's greatest function wasn't the vastness of its inner space, but its absolute ability to shut everything out. No matter what divinations, spiritual sense probes, or even the Heavenly Dao Will sent from outside, none could glimpse the slightest thing within the hall without Di Jiang's permission.
The reason the Heavenly Dao Will had been able to investigate before was that Di Jiang hadn't yet mastered Pangu Divine Hall. The hall had been without a master, giving the Heavenly Dao a chance to take advantage of the situation. Now, Di Jiang would never let it in again!
Di Jiang even suspected that perhaps only the Great Dao, which stood beyond the Primordial World, could catch a glimpse of the place. This was his safest fortress and stronghold.
It also made Di Jiang sigh. If only he had mastered Pangu Divine Hall sooner, maybe his system bro wouldn't have left him!
After a moment of reflection, Di Jiang gathered his thoughts and used his spatial and Creation abilities to remodel the interior of Pangu Divine Hall, taking inspiration from the classical palace designs he remembered from his previous life. He added carved beams and painted rafters, pavilions and towers, and drew the pool's energy into springs and flowing streams to decorate the grounds. The hall retained its boundless, ancient grandeur, but now had a touch of refined comfort that better suited the tastes of a modern transmigrator.
As for the main body of Mount Buzhou outside, Di Jiang had no intention of changing it at all.
"This is the transformed spine of Pangu. It's a masterpiece of nature and the pinnacle of creation. Any man-made embellishment would only spoil it."
Di Jiang stood at the edge of the hall, gazing out at the endless range of rugged peaks shrouded in clouds and mist. His heart filled with reverence!
"Keeping it as it is would be the greatest respect I could show Pangu."
Of course, besides maintaining his peace and sovereignty, Di Jiang also had a selfish reason for sending away those Innate Beings who came to Mount Buzhou to hunt for treasures and explore—including Fuxi and Nuwa.
He knew very well that Mount Buzhou was a massive treasure trove! Leaving aside everything else, he was determined to claim two Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots!
"The Green Lotus of Creation and the Gourd Vine!" A fervent glint flashed in Di Jiang's eyes. They were both incredible treasures!
The Green Lotus of Creation had formed from a seed of the Chaos Green Lotus. It was of an extremely high grade. Although it would later be destroyed because the Heavenly Dao would not tolerate it, its leaves, flower, and root would all become remarkable Innate Spiritual Treasures.
If he could obtain it in advance, he could either study its origin of Creation or find a way to preserve it. Either way, it would be an immense opportunity.
The Gourd Vine, meanwhile, would bear seven Innate Treasure Gourds with different functions, each possessing immense power. In the original course of events, they would be obtained by the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Hong Yun, Taiyi, and Haotian. Now, every one of those treasures would bear the surname "Di"!
"As for Hongjun..."
Di Jiang stroked his chin, pondering.
"After he merges with the Heavenly Dao in the future, apart from the Jade Disc of Creation, his treasure of enlightenment, he won't care much about his other magic treasures. He even came up with the Treasure Distribution Rock, so he probably won't stoop to fighting me for these two spiritual roots. After all, once he becomes a saint, they really won't mean much to him."
That thought only strengthened Di Jiang's resolve. These treasures had to be in his hands! It also gave him a clearer understanding of the path of cultivation ahead.
It seemed only by proving the Dao and becoming a Primordial Golden Immortal could one truly transcend worldly concerns. At that level, ordinary Innate Spiritual Treasures would do little to improve one's own strength, aside from being given to juniors or used to suppress one's fortune.
What truly mattered were one's own treasure of enlightenment, an Innate Supreme Treasure, or perhaps even the legendary Chaos Spiritual Treasures...
But that was for later! Di Jiang calmed his mind and gazed eagerly into the depths of Mount Buzhou, as if he could see through layer upon layer of mountains to the two spiritual roots that had yet to fully mature.
"For now, those two Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots are as good as mine! When they mature, I'll simply pluck them and add them to my collection!"
With that to look forward to, Di Jiang felt even more motivated to stay home and cultivate on Mount Buzhou. He turned and returned to the depths of the hall, ready to resume his seclusion, cultivating while patiently waiting for the two Innate Spiritual Roots to reveal their auras. Mount Buzhou was his home—and the treasure trove and foundation from which he would rise in the Primordial World!
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