Flower of Grand Unity, Great Divine Powers of the Heretical Path

Speaking of creation, the Southern Great Earth was naturally inferior to the Eastern Land and the Central Land, yet it was still far more prosperous than the Western Land.

The Volcano of Immortality, the ancestral land of the Phoenix Race, was formed by a chain of volcanoes numbering as many as the stars in the sky, occupying the vast majority of the Southern Great Earth. Thus, the innate Bing Ding Qi here was incomparably rich, and spiritual medicines and plants belonging to the Bing Ding Fire attribute could be seen everywhere, offering immense benefits to living beings cultivating the Path of Fire.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

Although the Phoenix Race had suffered a heavy blow during the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, in this era after the calamity had swept through the Primordial World and reshuffled everything, no Great Divine Power dared to provoke them recklessly.

Among the Great Divine Powers who had formed and emerged during this period, even those with roots as strong as Laozi and Yuanshi were only at the Golden Immortal realm. Yet the Phoenix Race, like the Dragon Race, had an old-timer from the same era as Candle Dragon guarding them. Coupled with the Phoenix Race's low profile and refusal to compete for Primordial World opportunities, no one bothered to stir trouble with them.

Aside from the deeply entrenched and hidden Phoenix Race, as the Witch-Demon Tribulation approached, Great Divine Powers also formed and emerged in the Southern Great Earth.

Now, after Xuanyuan and Tongtian left the Eastern Land, they traveled together through the Southern Great Earth. The two brothers stepped onto the space-long bridge built by the Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler, sweeping past the spiritual and beautiful peaks of Zhu Ling Cave Heaven and crossing the scorching lava at the outskirts of the Volcano of Immortality.

That day, as they passed over a barren mountainous region, they saw below, amidst swirling clouds and mist, a deep valley hidden between mountain streams. Rising from the valley was not ordinary spiritual energy, but poisonous gas and miasma gleaming with an azure black luster. Where it touched the rock walls of the valley, it corroded fine holes, and even the surrounding vegetation had withered.

Within this endless poisonous gas and miasma, Xuanyuan keenly sensed a faint trace of Earth Vein Essence Qi. Earth Vein Essence Qi was formed by the accumulation of Earth Vein Power over countless ages. For Lesser Witches, Great Witches, and even Ancestral Witches who inhaled and exhaled Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi, it was a great tonic, aiding the progress of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique and the strengthening of the physical body.

"Brother, there may be an opportunity in the valley, one that could perfect your Ancestral Shaman True Form."

Xuanyuan's eyes flickered slightly. Space-Time Dao Patterns swirled all over his body, forming a mysterious barrier that isolated the miasma as he took the lead into the valley.

"If that's truly the case, we cannot miss it!" Tongtian's eyes lit up at the words.

Both were Golden Immortals of the Origin, yet they differed. Xuanyuan had broken through within Pangu Hall, seizing the advantages of time, place, and harmony. Nourished by the Pangu Blood Pool and endless Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi, he had perfected the thirty-seventh layer of the fifth turn of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique upon breakthrough.

Tongtian, however, had broken through at Phoenix Perch Mountain, without the nourishment of Pangu Blood Qi. Though he could draw Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi from the earth veins, the efficiency was far too low, nowhere near the excellent environment of Pangu Hall. Thus, he had only shattered the shackles and initially activated the thirty-seventh layer of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, without even fully stabilizing his realm.

"Shua!"

Xuanyuan led the way, with Tongtian close behind, gripping the Qing Ping Sword. Streams of Innate Sword Qi cleaved through the thick miasma ahead as the two followed the source of the Earth Vein Spiritual Rhyme deeper and deeper.

The further down they went, the denser the miasma became. The rock walls on either side were covered in highly toxic moss. Occasionally, poisonous insects that had bred here, lacking spiritual intelligence, were reduced to nothingness under the Innate Sword Qi.

When they reached the valley floor, the scene before them suddenly changed. Deep within the earth's core, the space opened up. In a natural stone cave, clear spiritual liquid had gathered into a pool, its surface gleaming with treasure light, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

Above the pool, hundreds of wondrous flowers and immortal blossoms bloomed quietly. Their petals were a pale gold, their edges entwined with faint Grand Unity Pure Qi, and their stamens contained pure Vitality Power, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding poisonous gas.

"These are Flowers of Grand Unity. Those little ones in the Witch Ancestor Tribe are truly blessed."

Tongtian probed with his Spiritual Sense, then shook his head with a smile. Flowers of Grand Unity could supplement the Three Flowers of Essence, Qi, and Spirit above the crown of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, greatly aiding cultivation and potential. They were treasures that could only be encountered, not sought.

Speaking of which, within the Primordial World, Golden Immortals were not only distinguished by their realm but also by the strength of their potential. The so-called Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown—the grade of the flowers was determined by the cultivator's aptitude, with First Grade being the worst and Ninth Grade the best.

The grade of the flowers represented the cultivator's potential and talent. Golden Immortals whose flowers bloomed from the first to the third grade had the worst potential, with no hope of proving Dao Hunyuan. Those with flowers from the fourth to the seventh grade had some potential and could become Golden Immortals of the Origin. Those whose flowers bloomed to the eighth grade were top-tier experts in the Primordial World, with extraordinary talent. And if cultivation went without mishap, those with ninth-grade flowers had a slim chance of becoming a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin in the future.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches, along with Laozi and Yuanshi, had emerged as Golden Immortals with ninth-grade flowers, possessing the highest potential. Of course, Xuanyuan and Tongtian, after several transformations, had already surpassed this nine-grade scope, ranking above the ninth grade, with roots comparable to Demon Gods like Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Old Ancestor Five Elements, and Shi Chen Daoist.

Flowers of Grand Unity could solidify the foundation of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, and when one cultivated to the Golden Immortal realm, the grade of their flowers would also be higher. However, for Xuanyuan and Tongtian now, these Flowers of Grand Unity were useless.

They could take them back for Kuafu and Da Yi to develop the Witch Ancestor Tribe, or keep them to reward disciples when establishing a Dao lineage in the future. All in all, they were still decent treasures.

"Brother, compared to the Flowers of Grand Unity, this pool of Earth Vein Spiritual Liquid is destined to be yours."

Xuanyuan's attention was not on the Flowers of Grand Unity. He raised his hand and pointed at the pool of spiritual liquid. Earth Vein Spiritual Liquid was formed by the continuous gathering, compression, and liquefaction of vast amounts of Earth Vein Essence Qi. For Tongtian at this moment, it was a great tonic.

"Fourth Brother truly has deep fortune." Tongtian laughed heartily, joy rising in his heart. He was about to collect the Flowers of Grand Unity and then refine the Earth Vein Spiritual Liquid to complete his Ancestral Shaman True Form.

"Hiss!"

Just as Xuanyuan and Tongtian finished collecting the Flowers of Grand Unity, a piercing insect chirp suddenly came from the deep valley behind them. The poisonous gas and miasma that had been entwining the valley instantly went out of control, surging wildly like ink poured into clear water. The azure black miasma condensed into a ferocious insect shape, rushing toward the stone cave where the two stood. A nauseating foul odor filled the air, and even the ground began to spread with strange black patterns like a spider web.

A figure stepped out from the miasma, soaring into the air, his entire body entwined with countless tiny insects, each one exuding a highly toxic aura.

"Gu Dao Pan Wang, is it?" Xuanyuan merely sensed his aura for a moment and calculated the heavenly secrets, grasping the visitor's origins with a Calculated Roughly.

The newcomer wore a Bone Spike Crown and a Dark Purple robe patterned with Insect Patterns, half his face covered in Insect Armor, hideously ugly. He was none other than the Great Divine Power Pan Wang, who had returned from Listening to Dao in the Purple Firmament Palace.

First Born Pangu, dying, transformed his body. His breath became Wind and Clouds, his voice thunder; his Left Eye the sun, his Right Eye the moon... the insects of his body, stirred by the wind, transformed into the Common People.

Aside from the Great Divine Powers born of primordial essence, All Beings of the Primordial World were conceived and born from Pangu's insects.

Now, this Pan Wang was born from the Southern Great Earth. Though he called himself the Medicine Ancestor, he was in truth most skilled in the Art of Poison and Gu. He was the incarnation of the Gu Worm among the Great Dao Insects at Pangu's fall—the very first Gu Worm in heaven and earth.

And Gu Art, among the Three Thousand Great Daos and the Eight Hundred Side Gates, was a Heretical Path. It could command thousands of poisons for one's use, and also cast strange divine abilities like Jian Tou and curses—even more eerie than the demonic path passed down by Luohu.

It was also a Serendipitous Encounter:

Because the Twelve Ancestral Witches and Tongtian Xuanyuan had not gone to attend lectures at the Purple Firmament Palace, and were not among the Three Thousand Purple Firmament Guests, this heretical Great Divine Power Pan Wang, who otherwise had no chance to listen, also obtained A Glimmer of Opportunity. Truly, Extreme Misfortune Turns to Fortune.

Not only did he reap Great Gains during the lectures, but after leaving the Purple Firmament Palace, he also picked up a segment of an insect's antenna from before the World-Opening Calamity in the boundless chaos. After refining and devouring it, he had now reached Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection.