Having obtained the two opportunities on Wuyi Mountain, Xuanyuan and Tongtian felt no desire to linger. They left and continued on their way.
In the blink of an eye, nine thousand years passed.
Yet nine thousand years was an exceedingly short time for the vast Primordial World. Along the way, they had come across quite a few ordinary Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, but only one item had truly caught Xuanyuan and Tongtian's eyes.
On the shore of the East Sea stood a blessed immortal mountain. It had been formed from an object of Great God Pangu's utmost yang, and was therefore known as Shouyang Mountain.
Since its birth, the Dragon Race had made the East Sea its ancestral home. Dragons were naturally lustful, and this was surely influenced by the object of Great God Pangu's utmost yang.
As Xuanyuan and Tongtian traveled here, the aura of Pangu in this place resonated with both Pangu's Primordial Spirit and the Ancestral Witch body. Shouyang Mountain trembled violently, and amid a world-shaking rumble, a precious seal flew out from its peak and landed before the two brothers.
Nine dragons were intertwined atop the seal. The four sides of its base were carved with five indistinct faces, and the Dao Talisman characters "Kongtong" were inscribed beneath it.
"Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure!"
Feeling the power faintly radiating from the seal, Tongtian's eyes lit up.
"Kongtong Seal," Xuanyuan murmured.
Indeed, this was the Kongtong Seal, a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. The moment it was born, it had appeared in response to destiny, fated to become a treasure of the human race's fortune.
The Kongtong Seal had been nurtured through the interweaving of the Great Daos of time, fortune, and cause and effect. As a result, although humanity had yet to be born, this treasure had already taken shape several Eons in advance.
Looking at the base and its five indistinct faces, Xuanyuan knew they corresponded to the five great divine powers who would one day emerge among humanity.
They were the Eastern Heavenly Emperor, Taihao Fuxi; the Southern Heavenly Emperor, Emperor Yan Shennong; the Western Heavenly Emperor, Shaohao Xuanxiao; the Northern Heavenly Emperor, Zhuanxu Gaoyang; and the Central Heavenly Emperor, Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan.
The nine dragons intertwined atop the seal were just as extraordinary. On the surface, they were merely formed from the nine ancient dragon souls of early Primordial Golden Immortals, absorbed while the treasure was being nurtured. But...
During the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity Era, although the Dragon Race was the Lord of Scales beneath the heavens, Primordial Golden Immortals were exceedingly rare. Every one of them was a renowned figure like Candle Dragon!
Where could nine early Primordial Golden Immortals have come from?
The information carried by the treasure could fool Tongtian's Spiritual Sense, but it could not deceive Xuanyuan.
Within his Primordial Spirit, several treasures trembled faintly. A wisp of pure energy let him see through the disguise covering the nine dragons on the Kongtong Seal and recognize their true origins at a glance.
"Ancestral Dragon's hidden move." Xuanyuan's eyes flickered.
When the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity came to an end, Ancestral Dragon had suppressed the East Sea Eye, but he had also separated a portion of his own power and gathered it within Shouyang Mountain, by the East Sea shore. There, he interfered with the nurturing of its spiritual essence, creating the nine golden dragons on the seal.
This, too, had been part of Ancestral Dragon's plan. He did not know what treasure would be nurtured within Shouyang Mountain, but some instinct had told him it would be a treasure of fortune.
Whichever race's great divine power obtained it in the future would thereby form a connection with the Dragon Race.
By fate, the Kongtong Seal was a treasure of humanity's fortune, capable of nurturing and suppressing the human race's fortune.
Ancestral Dragon's hidden move had indeed served its purpose. By relying on humanity's position as the protagonist of the world during the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the seal shielded the declining Dragon Race and enabled it to become a symbol of good fortune and a totem for humanity.
One could only say that neither Old Ancestor Five Elements nor Ancestral Dragon—or any of those ancient great divine powers—was simple.
"Fourth Brother, since this is a treasure of fortune and goes perfectly with the Treasure-Dropping Coin, you should wield it," Tongtian said at once, having also seen that the Kongtong Seal could suppress fortune.
"Good. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony." Xuanyuan did not bother being polite with Tongtian.
They were family, after all. Besides, with the Kongtong Seal complementing the Treasure-Dropping Coin, which consumed fortune, he would not need to use too much of his fortune in a short time.
In any case, after Hongjun's lecture ended, he intended to use these two treasures to help Tongtian obtain the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation.
Furthermore, although the Kongtong Seal was a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, it was closely bound to humanity's fortune. Its power would continue to grow as humanity's fortune increased.
In some ways, its value and might were no less than those of an Innate Supreme Treasure.
The stronger humanity's fortune, the stronger the Kongtong Seal. Humanity has yet to be born, so I can't yet command the nine dragon souls, each possessing the strength of a Primordial Golden Immortal. Fellow Daoist Nuwa, I hope you create humanity soon.
He had taken form and entered the world only to ascend to the Peak of the Great Dao. He was determined to be a carefree, unfettered recluse, and creating a race would only burden him.
So he had already considered that, if the opportunity arose, he would offer Nuwa a few pointers. Once the Gourd Vine emerged, she could use it to dip into Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water and create humanity.
Besides, with the Kongtong Seal in his hands, Xuanyuan could reap the benefits even without taking part in humanity's founding.
Whoever wielded the Kongtong Seal would possess the innate authority to depose and appoint the Human Emperor, ensuring that humanity's leader was virtuous and capable.
They could also use the seal to draw upon the fortune of the entire human race and strengthen themselves. The more prosperous humanity became, the greater the seal's might—and the greater the power it bestowed on its wielder.
"By my reckoning, the Ten-Thousand-Year Lecture is about to end. Fourth Brother, should we continue traveling across Primordial World Earth in search of opportunities, or return to Buzhou Mountain and cultivate in seclusion?"
Tongtian wandered around Shouyang Mountain, but found nothing else.
At this time, Shouyang Bronze, which had absorbed the utmost yang energy of Great God Pangu and was one of the finest materials in the world for refining artifacts, had yet to emerge.
The Xuanyuan Sword of Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan and the Nine Provinces Cauldron of Yu the Great had both been forged from Shouyang Bronze.
Even the Sea-Calming Divine Needle and the As-You-Will Iron Staff of later generations had been made with Shouyang Bronze mixed in, making them tremendously powerful.
"There's nothing more to find by continuing our search. Let's return to Buzhou Mountain first. We agreed with Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi and Fellow Daoist Candle Dragon that they would visit us after this first lecture ended," Xuanyuan said.
In just over nine thousand years, they had acquired three treasures of the Top-grade Innate level: the Enlightenment Tea Tree, the Treasure-Dropping Coin, and the Kongtong Seal. He was satisfied with what they had gained.
There were only a few hundred years left, and even if they continued exploring Primordial World Earth, the chances of finding another precious treasure were quite slim.
"It would be an opportunity to discuss the Dao with Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi again. I wonder whether Sister Houtu and Brother Gou Mang have emerged from seclusion. If not, discussing the Great Dao of Earth and the Great Dao of Wood with them would surely be rewarding," Tongtian said with a nod.
Crack!
Xuanyuan controlled the Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler and, with practiced ease, opened a passage through the void. Then he and Tongtian transformed into two wisps of pure energy and hurried toward Buzhou Mountain, at the heart of the Central Land.
The two brothers had ended their journey through the Primordial World. Meanwhile, deep within boundless Chaos, the first lecture at Purple Heaven Palace was also nearing its end.
Daoist Hongjun set his next lecture for three Eons later. He would teach the Quasi-Saint Path, and the term "Quasi-Saint" left Candle Dragon and the other great divine powers puzzled.
Before Daoist Hongjun, Primordial World had known only Primordial Golden Immortals and Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortals. There had been no Quasi-Saints or Heavenly Dao Saints.
When the Ten-Thousand-Year Lecture ended, innate spiritual qi surged through Purple Heaven Palace. Dao Sounds, Heavenly Flowers, and Golden Lotuses scattered like stars across the sky.
Daoist Hongjun's gaze swept across the Three Thousand Purple Heaven Guests below. He gave his horsetail whisk a gentle wave, awakening every great divine power still contemplating the lecture. They all accepted him wholeheartedly, addressing him as Dao Ancestor and Teacher.
By forming a bond of cause and effect through teaching the Dao and taking on the relationship of teacher and disciple, they had, without realizing it, allowed their fortune to gather around Daoist Hongjun.
"Dong Wang Gong, Queen Mother of the West, where are you?" Dao Ancestor Hongjun stroked his beard.
As the Dao Sound reverberated, two figures hurriedly rose from the crowd.
"Greetings, Dao Ancestor."
Dong Wang Gong wore a Purple Gold Crown. His face was fair as jade, his eyes shone like stars, and he wore a scarlet robe. A Pure Yang Sword rested in his hand, and Daoist aura swirled around him. His bearing was peerless, transcendent and refined.
Queen Mother of the West was breathtakingly beautiful, her plain robes bright as the moon. Starry rivers cascaded through her hair, and her bare feet were as white as jade, slender and flawless. With every step she took, immortal lotuses blossomed in the void.
"The Western Sublime Ultimate Qi and the Eastern Sublime True Qi belong respectively to pure yin and pure yang. You shall harmonize these two energies together, nurture Heaven and Earth, and shape the myriad things. You are to be the foremost among the male and female immortals of Primordial World."
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