Within Pangu Hall, spiritual energy from all five directions converged with a roar, like countless rivers flowing into the sea.
Below, the Five Needles Pine, standing nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang tall, was rooted beside the Pangu Blood Pool. Stirred by wisps of Pangu's lingering aura, it suddenly brimmed with spiritual splendor, and Innate Five Elements Essence Qi flowed among its five-colored needles.
Above it, the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Five Elements Pagoda floated in midair, its forty-eight Innate Treasure Restrictions shrouded in hazy treasure-light.
The nine-story pagoda suddenly expanded into a ten-thousand-zhang tower. On its five Five Elements Orbs, blue, red, yellow, white, and black light alternately shimmered, then transformed into five towering pillars of light that descended directly upon the Five Ancestral Witches.
The five were Metal Ancestral Witch Rushou, Wood Ancestral Witch Gou Mang, Water Ancestral Witch Gonggong, Fire Ancestral Witch Zhurong, and Ancestral Witch of Earth Houtu.
"This..."
The other Ancestral Witches watched in surprise.
"These two treasures were contingencies left behind by Old Ancestor Five Elements. They align with the Heaven and Earth Five Elements, yet they also brought good fortune to our five siblings. This opportunity was surely meant for them."
"With these two treasures to help them, if the five of them cultivate together, and draw on the Five Elements Essence Qi from the two immortal islands, their cultivation should advance even further," Xuanyuan explained with a smile.
The Five Needles Pine contained all five elements and was one of the few Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots.
The Five Elements Pagoda had once been the Five Elements Demon God's Dao-proving treasure, and the five Five Elements Orbs atop it could aid in comprehending the laws.
With the immense quantities of Innate Five Elements Essence Qi on the two immortal islands as well, the Five Elements Ancestral Witches might use this opportunity to catch up and surpass even Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin, whose cultivation was the strongest among them.
"Still, if we travel through the Primordial World in the future, we'll need to watch out for Old Ancestor Five Elements..."
Tongtian picked up the thread, then casually recounted the general course of their journey to the Ancestral Witches.
"So that's what happened!"
"As expected of a Great Dao Demon God reincarnated from a True Spirit. He has one contingency after another."
"Old Ancestor Five Elements took form long ago. If any of us encounter him alone, we mustn't act rashly. When the time is right, we'll join forces to set up the Great Heavenly God-Demon Array and use Father God's power to eliminate this threat."
The Ancestral Witches discussed the matter among themselves, and before long they had reached a consensus.
They would find an opportunity to join forces and suppress Old Ancestor Five Elements!
This was also a change brought about by cultivating the Indestructible True Spirit: their reason was no longer so easily swayed by their emotions.
Otherwise, if they had learned that Old Ancestor Five Elements intended to harm Xuanyuan in the past, Gonggong, whose temper was the quickest to flare, would probably have already been shouting that they should go kill him.
"Boom!"
As they talked, five figures simultaneously revealed their Ancestral Shaman True Forms beneath the Five Elements Pagoda's radiance.
At a height of one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred zhang, the Ancestral Shaman True Forms stirred up the sound of wind and thunder with every breath.
With each breath, vast quantities of Innate Five Elements Essence Qi were drawn through the air, rising from the immortal islands of Yuanqiao and Dai Yu like five-colored divine dragons. They circled the Five Needles Pine, then split into five streams, which the Five Elements Ancestral Witches swallowed and refined.
Rushou stood tall, his tiger-like body poised as the phantom of a golden spear behind him flashed with cold light.
Blue scales glimmered across Gou Mang's body, inscribed with Innate Yi Wood runes, while vines coiled around him like dragons.
Gonggong's hair and whiskers stood on end. His serpentine body coiled as endless waves surged around him.
Crimson divine flames blazed around Zhurong, each tongue of fire scorching the void and devouring Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
Houtu stood atop a phantom mountain, her nine palms supporting a rotating, earth-yellow treasure mirror condensed from the laws.
"Splash!"
Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi rose from beneath the hall, carrying the fierce aura of Pangu Opens Heaven. Meanwhile, Innate Five Elements Essence Qi poured down like a waterfall beneath a canopy, bathing the Ancestral Shaman True Forms in dazzling radiance.
"Rumble!"
The bloodline power of the Five Ancestral Witches resonated like thunder. Their bodies shook in unison as their blood and Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi surged out of them, sketching a scene in the void above their heads:
The Sky-Opening Axe came crashing down, shattering Chaos and separating the clear from the turbid. A Demon God bathed in five-colored chaotic spiritual light roared in fury, but the axe split the pagoda above his head—and his body along with it.
It was unmistakably a fragment of a memory from when Father God Pangu had opened Heaven and Earth!
"Whoosh!"
Just as when Xuanyuan had absorbed the Pangu Jade Marrow, five-colored light burst from the memory fragment and fell upon the five Ancestral Witches.
In an instant, their True Spirits resonated, and the barriers between Mid Stage and Late Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal shattered like thin paper.
Regardless of their previous cultivation—whether Mid Stage or Late Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal—after absorbing vast quantities of Innate Five Elements Essence Qi, the surge of light sent them straight to Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection!
"Fortune—or a challenge."
Xuanyuan sighed inwardly at the sight.
He knew that after the destined Dao Struggle between himself and Old Ancestor Yang Mei, the five Ancestral Witches—who had originally had no hope of reaching the Great Dao—had awakened the power in their bloodlines.
Any one of them alone was still unlikely to reach the Great Dao, but if they joined forces, sooner or later they would clash with Old Ancestor Five Elements.
Still, it didn't matter.
He already had enough enemies to worry about. In any case, he had thoroughly offended Old Ancestor Five Elements; the only thing was that the latter didn't know Xuanyuan's identity yet.
"This item seems destined for Sister Houtu."
Tongtian smiled and took out the Earth Spirit Pearl, giving it to Houtu.
Now even Gonggong had successfully cultivated the Indestructible True Spirit for the first time. The Ancestral Witches could use the power of their will in place of Spiritual Sense to refine treasures.
After Houtu and the other four Ancestral Witches broke through, Di Jiang and the other six also focused on cultivating in seclusion beside the two immortal islands and the two treasures.
Though they didn't benefit as much as the Five Elements Ancestral Witches, whose affinities matched the treasures, they still received some enhancement.
Having experienced the East Sea, Xuanyuan and Tongtian knew that although the world held many fortunes, the time had not yet come for them to emerge. They quieted their minds and devoted themselves to cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, three Eons passed.
"Boom!"
On this day, a thunderous boom erupted from the depths of Chaos, like the cry of the Sky-Opening Axe when Pangu split the heavens, shaking the Primordial World.
In an instant, a violet-gold fissure split the sky. The aura of Chaos surged out, but upon touching the Heaven and Earth Fetal Membrane, it transformed into a sky full of jeweled pendants.
"High above, I recline upon nine layers of clouds; upon my cushion, I comprehend the true Dao."
"Beyond Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow, I shall hold the highest teaching."
"Pangu gave birth to the Taiji; the Two Forms and Four Symbols follow."
"Leader of the Mystic Gate, one qi transforms into Hongjun."
"I am Hongjun. Favored by the Heavenly Dao, I have now become a Saint and attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit. I am a Heavenly Dao Saint."
"Three thousand years from now, I shall lecture and transmit the Dao beyond the Thirty-three Heavens, amid the boundless Chaos. Those with destiny may come to Purple Firmament Palace to listen."
The voice, devoid of sorrow or joy, echoed throughout the Primordial World.
For a time, sweet rain descended from the heavens and golden lotuses surged from the earth. Violet qi swept across three hundred million li, while auspicious radiance spread across the Five Directions of the Great Earth.
Nine-colored clouds layered over one another in the sky.
Across the Four Seas, ten-thousand-zhang waves spread like golden scales.
At the same time, a vast and supreme pressure enveloped the entire Primordial World. All who were within it, no matter how great their divine powers...
Even Candle Dragon, a Primordial Golden Immortal,
Even Tai Yi, who possessed the Innate Supreme Treasure Chaos Bell,
Even Tai Qing Lao Zi, who had been transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and was protected by the Houtian Merit Supreme Treasure Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda...
All were forced to their knees by the pressure, completely beyond their control!
This was the might of a Heavenly Dao Saint. Beneath a Saint, all were ants!
Xuanyuan and the others in Pangu Hall, however, were an exception. Pangu Hall severed the workings of Heaven's secrets and karma, so it naturally blocked this Saint's Pressure as well.
Though Saints and the Heavenly Dao were powerful, a mere pressure could not shake Pangu's heart.
Thus, Xuanyuan and the others did not kneel.
"Hongjun became a Saint?"
Xuanyuan sensed it and opened his eyes, gazing through Pangu Hall toward the Primordial World. His brows furrowed slightly.
Hongjun had become a Saint and was using his pressure to make all living beings bow? That didn't seem right. Who had provoked him? Why was he so furious?
"Brother Xuanyuan, Hongjun has attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit. He's likely the first to have proven the Dao since the Primordial World was created. He says he'll lecture—should we go and hear what he has to say?" Di Jiang asked, uncertain.
Though he knew Hongjun meant them no good, it would be a pity to miss out on the Hunyuan Dao.
As long as they didn't establish a clan or contend for supremacy, surely there'd be no harm in going to listen?
At Di Jiang's words, Tongtian and the other Ancestral Witches all turned their eyes to Xuanyuan.
Should they go to Purple Firmament Palace and listen?
Before you continue