17. Traveling the Primordial World, Zhen Yuanzi

"Hum!"

Within Pangu Hall, the light of the Three Thousand Laws swirled, the space trembling faintly—it was Xuanyuan and Tongtian returning together.

Pangu Hall possessed the Mysterious and Profound Mysterious Gate, which ordinary people could not enter. Even top-tier Great Witches like Kuafu and Da Yi, once they left, could only be brought back in by the Ancestral Witches.

However, this restriction did not apply to Xuanyuan and Tongtian, who also possessed Ancestral Witch bodies.

"Brother and I had barely stepped out when we encountered a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure emerging into the world. This is the Prosperous Fruit, capable of increasing cultivation. It is destined to be shared with our siblings."

Xuanyuan gave a gentle push with his palm, and the three-zhang-tall Prosperous Fruit Tree flew to the edge of the Pangu Blood Pool. With a light tap of his finger in the air, forty-eight ripe red Prosperous Fruits floated midair, each gleaming with a Misty Creation Halo.

As her willpower swept over the fruits, Houtu's eyes suddenly lit up, the heavy Earth Law surging around her body: "Such Innate Spiritual Objects that increase cultivation—found by our two elder brothers—truly are our fortune!"

The Primordial World had only just begun, and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were abundant between Heaven and Earth, but those that could increase the cultivation of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal were exceedingly rare.

"Three each. Go into secluded cultivation and refine them."

Xuanyuan took three fruits and consumed them all, then sat cross-legged, beginning to circulate his Grand Unity Magic Power to refine their essence.

Tongtian followed suit, Yin and Yang Qi swirling around his body.

"Good stuff!"

Zhurong's divine fire surged in his palm, lifting the three fruits. Southern Bright Leaving Fire gently enveloped them as he activated the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, slowly absorbing their essence into his bloodline to strengthen his physical body.

The Ancestral Witches did not cultivate magic power; they primarily cultivated their physical bodies, delving into their Law bloodlines. The process of refining the Prosperous Fruits differed somewhat from Xuanyuan's, and each of them varied as well.

And so, all fourteen Ancestral Witches entered secluded cultivation. As for the remaining six fruits, Di Jiang used his Space Law to send them out of Pangu Hall, landing in the hands of Kuafu and Da Yi, who were roaming around Buzhou Mountain.

Though they had not established a clan, the Great Witches and Lesser Witches were still extensions of the Ancestral Witches' bloodline. Where he could, Di Jiang was willing to look after them.

Di Jiang's actions were also sensed by Tongtian and Xuanyuan.

Tongtian opened his eyes, hesitating to speak, but seeing that his fourth brother showed no reaction, and recalling the attitudes of their two elder brothers when they had first formed and emerged into the world, he sighed inwardly and said nothing.

The feeling of increasing cultivation was undoubtedly intoxicating. As magic power surged rapidly, time also flew by swiftly.

The Primordial World had just begun, and all living beings suffered no hardship of lifespan. For the Great Divine Powers, time left the faintest traces.

Unknowingly, three thousand years passed like a single breath, gone in an instant.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

On this day, the Chaos Residual Qi within Pangu Hall churned violently. Xuanyuan and Tongtian simultaneously burst forth with Law radiance, their auras suddenly surging.

A Chaos World Projection emerged around Xuanyuan, various Laws evolving within it. In his Nascent Soul, the White Tiger Token had two Innate Treasure Restrictions smoothly refined. The Qiankun Bow and Zhentian Arrow, a set of extraordinary treasures, rose and fell with the alternation of Clear and Turbid Qi.

Above Tongtian's head, three flowers bloomed. Yin and Yang Qi condensed into a phantom of twin fish, inhaling and exhaling to draw in boundless spiritual energy. A pair of Purple Lightning Hammers and a Fishing Drum emitted dazzling thunderous light, simultaneously unlocking two Innate Treasure Restrictions.

"Congratulations to our two brothers for greatly increasing your cultivation and advancing to the Late Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal!"

The twelve Ancestral Witches temporarily paused their refinement, offering their congratulations to Xuanyuan and Tongtian.

Xuanyuan and Tongtian were "Little Pangu" beings with Clear Qi Nascent Souls and Turbid Qi Physical Bodies, so the twelve Ancestral Witches naturally refined the Prosperous Fruits much slower than they did.

"Brothers, continue your secluded cultivation. My elder brother and I plan to travel and explore the Primordial World."

Xuanyuan cupped his hands, then pulled Tongtian along as they left Pangu Hall once more.

After leaving Pangu Hall, Xuanyuan and Tongtian wandered around Buzhou Mountain for a while. Encountering no other treasures emerging, they then flew westward, truly beginning their journey through the Primordial World.

The two brothers set out from Pangu Hall, heading west all the way.

The Primordial World was vast beyond measure—who knew how many millions of miles it spanned? Divided by direction, there were five great lands, corresponding to the Innate Five Elements.

Thus, Heaven had Five Elements, and Earth had Five Directions.

The Five Directions of the Great Earth were the Central Land, the Eastern Land, the Southern Great Earth, the Western Land, and the Northern Land.

Buzhou Mountain, where Pangu Hall stood, was the center of the Central Land and also the center of the entire Primordial World. Yet it was not the most prosperous place.

The Eastern Land was the most spiritually rich and beautiful. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and the Essence of Sun and Moon of the Primordial World seemed to flow like a hundred rivers east to the sea, converging in that direction.

In contrast, the Western Land, where Xuanyuan was heading, was the opposite.

During the Demon Dao Struggle, Luohu had detonated the Western Spiritual Veins in the Western Land, leaving it barren ever since. The ultimate victor, Hongjun, thus owed a Western Karma debt.

Xuanyuan and Tongtian traveled through the Primordial World, and another thousand years passed. In that millennium, they encountered no treasures, but they did see many Great Witches and Lesser Witches along the way.

Upon inquiry, they learned that under the leadership of the top-tier Great Witches Da Yi and Kuafu, these witches were spreading out everywhere, seeking opportunities.

After wandering about, the two brothers eventually found themselves at the edge of the Eastern Land, bordering the Western Land.

And here, there was a top-tier Blessed Land and a Great Divine Power—one of Xuanyuan's goals in the Primordial World.

Xuanyuan trod upon Xuanqing Cloud Qi, while Tongtian held the Purple Lightning Hammer and the Fishing Drum as they walked side by side. Before long, they suddenly sensed auspicious clouds rolling ahead, and a spiritual light imbued with Innate Wood Qi pierced through the clouds.

Gazing into the distance, they saw a towering mountain hidden within Nine Layers of Misty Clouds. The entire mountain was covered in Spiritual Roots and Immortal Herbs, gleaming with emerald light. At the mountain's peak, the golden peak of a Taoist temple shone brightly.

It was Longevity Mountain Wuzhuang Temple.

This place was the Dao field of the Great Divine Power Zhen Yuanzi. Zhen Yuanzi's origins were extraordinary—he was born from the Essence of Wutu, corresponding to the Essence of Jitu from which the Shanhe Daoist, whom Xuanyuan had slain, had been formed.

However, compared to the latter's short life, Zhen Yuanzi's fortune was far more abundant.

Not only did he have the Ginseng Fruit Tree, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, as his companion, but he also possessed the Earth Book.

This Earth Book is no ordinary treasure. It is one of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man, formed from the Earth Fetal Membrane, and its grade places it among the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. It can mobilize the power of the earth, alter the earth's spiritual veins, and also set up the Innate Wutu Great Formation, which possesses formidable defensive capabilities.

Beyond that, what truly caught Xuanyuan's attention was that it was a key item for establishing the Earth Path!

"Fourth Brother, this place is spiritually rich and beautiful. Though it cannot compare to Kunlun Mountain or Buzhou Mountain, it is still a Top-level Blessed Land. It should be occupied by a Great Divine Power."

As Tongtian spoke, the circulation of Yin Yang Qi quickened, and he was already prepared to make a move at any moment.

"Shua!"

Just then, a brilliant glow of rosy clouds burst forth from the Golden Summit of Wuzhuang Temple. A beam of green light shot into the sky, and as the radiance converged, a Daoist with an immortal bearing and crane-like grace appeared.

This man wore a Carefree Crane Cloak woven from crane feathers and embroidered with hidden patterns of auspicious clouds. On his head sat a Purple Gold Lotus Crown. His face was like polished jade, and three long strands of beard hung down to his chest.

"This Poor Daoist is Zhen Yuanzi. Greetings to you both, Fellow Daoists."

The Daoist trod upon auspicious clouds, lightly waving a whisk of Jade Dust as his gaze swept over Xuanyuan and Tongtian. He made a bowing salute and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Upper Pure Tongtian."

"Xuanqing Xuanyuan."

"Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, we offer our greetings."

Xuanyuan and Tongtian returned the courtesy politely, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

"This Poor Daoist has long resided in Wuzhuang Temple and rarely engages with others. Today, the two of you passing by this place is a matter of fate. Why not enter the temple for a chat and discuss the Dao?"

Sensing that Tongtian's magical power was even greater than his own by a bit, and casting another glance at the unfathomable Xuanyuan, Zhen Yuanzi could not help but extend an invitation.

He had been Formed and Born for quite some time, but because he disliked conflict, he had not traveled to many places since moving to Longevity Mountain. He had only one close friend among the Great Divine Powers, named Hong Yun.

Zhen Yuanzi himself was the Essence of Wutu. Logically, he should have been on Buzhou Mountain, the hub of Wutu. The reason he had moved to Longevity Mountain had its own story.

At the moment of his formation, a flash of insight struck his heart, and the words "Wutu Tribulation" passed through his mind. He immediately fled Buzhou Mountain, moving even faster than Fuxi and Nuwa.

He did not know what the Wutu Tribulation referred to, but leaving Buzhou Mountain, the Wutu hub, was certainly the right choice.

If Xuanyuan had known that Zhen Yuanzi had such an experience, he would surely have sighed that, though both were born from the essence of earth, Zhen Yuanzi's fortune and luck far surpassed that of Shanhe Daoist.

The Wutu Tribulation referred to Gonggong's Angry Collision with Buzhou Mountain, and Buzhou Mountain was also the place where the killing intent of the Witch-Demon Tribulation was heaviest.

"There is no reason not to."

Xuanyuan and Tongtian exchanged a glance, smiled slightly, and nodded.

"Two Fellow Daoists, please!"

Having succeeded in his invitation, Zhen Yuanzi was delighted. He lightly flicked his sleeve, and a gentle breeze swept up, ushering the Two Brothers directly into the temple.

Although these two were powerful, now that they were inside Wuzhuang Temple, with the confidence granted by the Earth Book, Zhen Yuanzi was not afraid that they harbored any ill intentions.