Primordial Great World.
Myriad Bamboo Mountain.
Towering mountains rose into the azure sky, crimson cliffs and strange rocks displaying their splendor.
At the peak of the immortal mountain lay a vast sea of bamboo stretching ten thousand zhang. Emerald-green bamboo stalks, their joints like green jade, soared into the clouds and exuded an aura of purity.
At the heart of the bamboo sea stood a cave abode. Its interior was pure and elegant; green jade paved the floor, golden lamps hung high overhead, and bronze turtle-and-crane censers on either side breathed out purple smoke.
Upon a stone platform within the cave abode sat a young Daoist in an ancient azure robe, his features refined and handsome.
Behind him, an immense Dharma manifestation flickered in and out of sight.
The blue-green spirit bamboo had nine joints, while vapor swirled around it and formed clouds of mist.
Layers of azure light manifested countless phenomena, filling anyone who saw it with a sense of Great Purity and Great Freedom.
"Hmm?"
"Who is plotting against me?"
The young Daoist, who had been meditating, abruptly opened his eyes. Black and white light shone from his brow, illuminating the eight wastelands and six directions as the karmic threads around him became ever clearer.
"After plotting for thirty thousand years, my two old friends have finally taken the bait..."
The Heavenly Machine Chessboard in his brow bloomed with radiant light, reflecting karma. Even Zhou Yuan's normally impassive face revealed a trace of delight.
It had already been hundreds of thousands of years since he had arrived in this world and taken form in the Primordial World.
Though he had not been born an Innate Divine Being, Zhou Yuan had his own origins. He had attained the Dao as an Innate Ren Water Spirit Bamboo, and upon taking form, he had already become a Heavenly Human Realm God-Demon.
In the Mystic Gate Immortal Path realms taught by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, this corresponded to the Heavenly Immortal realm.
Yet even Innate Beings were no more than inconspicuous specks of dust in the Primordial World.
As a God-Demon with no lineage inheritance, no companion spiritual treasure, and no divine abilities for battle, Zhou Yuan naturally had something to rely on if he could guard the blessed land of Myriad Bamboo Mountain.
At that thought, Zhou Yuan shifted his mind, and an ancient, desolate Dao book appeared before him.
"Innate Supreme Treasure, the Myriad Dao Book."
Stroking the Dao book in his hands, Zhou Yuan's expression became complicated.
This item was the incarnation of the One That Escaped during the final convergence of the universe at Dharma's End. It used Dao essence as nourishment and could deduce the Three Thousand Great Daos and Eight Hundred Side Gates.
It could help one comprehend the Dao and gain insight into divine abilities and the hundred arts.
Although Zhou Yuan had no cultivation technique inheritance or divine abilities to accompany him, he had cultivated in the Daoist sect for a long time in his previous life.
Using the knowledge of his previous life as kindling and combining it with this world's path of cultivation, he had finally deduced several spells and divine abilities to serve as his foundation.
He waved his hand again, and a black and white chessboard spun out from between his brows before landing in his palm.
Seeing this item, Zhou Yuan sighed.
"I never expected the Lesser Five Elements Divine Calculation of Supreme Unity Golden Light that I deduced to preserve my life would attract this treasure instead."
At this time, the Mystic Gate Immortal Path had yet to spread throughout the Primordial World, and the Turbid Fiend God-Demon Path remained the orthodox path.
God-Demons of that path fought savagely. They valued unfettered thoughts, disregarded karma, and cared only for who was stronger and who was weaker.
Thus, few beings deliberately cultivated the Dao of karma or calculated Heavenly Secrets and Fortune.
Therefore, after Ancestor Hongjun's third sermon at Purple Sky Palace, countless treasures from Treasure Distribution Cliff scattered across the Primordial World. Guided by unseen fortune, Zhou Yuan gained the upper hand.
"Then this High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Heavenly Machine Chessboard, can be said to have recognized a God-Demon with discerning eyes."
Zhou Yuan played with the chessboard in his hand. Heavenly secrets turned, and karma intertwined within the void.
Light bloomed in his eyes as he gazed into the void. With a slight calculation, he understood the entire chain of events.
Those two beings were plotting against his Innate Spiritual Treasure, yet they did not even know what this Innate Spiritual Treasure truly was. It was laughable.
Use heavenly secrets well, and one could kill enemies without becoming entangled in karma.
Use heavenly secrets skillfully, and even tribulations could be escaped.
Those two Innate Beings were plotting against him, and he was plotting against those two Innate Beings as well.
When the time came, it would merely depend on whose methods were superior.
At that thought, Zhou Yuan's lips curled upward. So what if the two joined forces?
With the Myriad Dao Book concealing heavenly secrets and the Heavenly Machine Chessboard calculating karma,
he was innately invincible.
East of Myriad Bamboo Mountain lay Withered Flourishing Mountain.
This place stood high above the sea of clouds, where verdant forests and emerald bamboo flourished luxuriantly.
Two immense figures sat cross-legged upon its summit.
One was short and plump, clad in black and white armor, with a gentle smile.
The other was tall and slender, dressed in golden feathered robes, arrogant and vicious.
If any beings had been present, they would surely have recognized them.
These two beings were the other two Heavenly Human Realm God-Demons, as famous as Pure Clarity of Myriad Bamboo Mountain within this eighty-million-li expanse.
"Fellow Daoist Black and White, as you said, can Fellow Daoist Pure Clarity truly no longer suppress his injuries?"
The being in golden robes spoke, delight showing on his gloomy face.
He was a Golden Peng who had attained the Dao.
Ever since he had witnessed the Innate Spiritual Treasure fall into Myriad Bamboo Mountain that day, he and the Black and White Divine Demon had begun plotting. Had the time finally come for their plans to bear fruit?
A trace of savagery surfaced beneath the Black and White Divine Demon's smile.
"There can be no mistake in this matter."
"Three thousand years ago, you and I lured him into the secret realm and used the Innate Bing Fire Divine Fiend within to grievously wound him."
"That Profound Fire Divine Fiend is exceptionally vicious. It can erode a God-Demon's Dao body and scorch the primordial spirit and true soul. Our old friend has not had an easy time these past three thousand years."
As he spoke, the Black and White Divine Demon's smile grew ever more pronounced.
"Pure Heart Lotus Seeds, Ice Crystal Moon Essence—he has taken quite a few heavenly treasures from us over the years."
Those doctored heavenly treasures had not only failed to alleviate Pure Clarity's injuries, but had instead accelerated the destruction of his Dao body.
"Besides, one of my kin serves under him as a mount. Over the past few years, the spiritual radiance atop Myriad Bamboo Mountain has grown increasingly dim. He saw it with his own eyes, so it cannot be false."
The Black and White Divine Demon was brimming with confidence. Although Pure Clarity appeared clever, he was truly far too naive.
Even now, he still regarded the Black and White Divine Demon and the golden-robed being as friends.
We are in the shadows, while Pure Clarity is in the open.
We have numbers, while Pure Clarity stands alone.
We are in fine condition, while Pure Clarity is all bark and no bite, a spent arrow.
We have three victories.
Pure Clarity has three defeats.
How could we possibly lose?
After hearing the Black and White Divine Demon's analysis, a sharp light flickered in the golden-robed being's eyes. He spoke with utter confidence.
"In that case, that Innate Spiritual Treasure is already in the bag for us brothers."
"With that item, we may not be unable to advance further."
"And glimpse the True One Marvelous Realm."
The Turbid Fiend God-Demon Path tempered the Dao body's acupoints. Upon reaching the Heavenly Human Realm, the one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred illusory acupoint cave-heaven worlds within the body could merge into one and transform into a true cave-heaven world.
By using the cave-heaven world to communicate with the outside world, one could alter celestial phenomena with a thought. Their divine might would be boundless.
Yet even so, they were merely slightly larger ants in the Primordial World, unworthy of taking the stage.
Only upon reaching the True One Marvelous Realm—what the Mystic Gate Immortal Path called the Immortal Golden Immortal—could a wisp of true soul transcend the ages and merge with the cave-heaven, achieving an Indestructible Golden Nature.
Then one's Dao body would be the world, and the world would be one's Dao body.
When the time was right, even heaven and earth would lend their strength. Every gesture carried the momentum of heaven and earth.
Such beings could be considered the backbone of the myriad races of the Primordial World.
"The True One Realm..."
The Black and White Divine Demon and the golden-robed being fell silent at the same time.
But moments later, their expressions grew even more resolute.
Their gazes settled on distant Myriad Bamboo Mountain, filled with determination to claim it.
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