Completing the Foundation, Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Mid-stage

"Fourth Brother, this is..."

In no time at all, Tongtian felt his vision blur, and the next moment he was drawn to the pool brimming with Pangu Marrow.

His Upper Pure Primordial Spirit trembled, as if pulled by some power of the same root and origin.

"This is Pangu Marrow. Marrow is where bone and blood are born, the source of qi and blood throughout the body."

"We were transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, so naturally we resonate with its laws. To encounter this treasure ground now is destined to be a stroke of fortune."

Xuanyuan nodded slightly, explaining.

Those who approach the Pangu Marrow Pool, if they cultivate secret arts related to Pangu's Heaven-Opening techniques or hold relics left by Pangu—such as the Pangu Banner, which was transformed from the Sky-Opening Axe—will trigger a resonance and receive guidance.

If the Pangu Marrow were not yet ready to emerge into the world, even without the Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler to fix the spatial-temporal coordinates, Xuanyuan and Tongtian's innate foundations would still have allowed them to find this opportunity.

In Xuanyuan's memory, this marrow contained the Origin Dao Rhyme of Pangu's creation of heaven and earth. Every drop carried the evolution of supreme Great Dao Laws—the opening of space, the division of yin and yang, the birth of the five elements. It could help cultivators quickly grasp the true essence of the Dao, even directly glimpse the chaotic opportunity for sainthood.

Beyond that, within this Pangu Marrow lay a full tenth of the Heaven-Opening Merit!

The two supreme merit treasures received two-tenths of the Heaven-Opening Merit, The Four Pangu Purities received three-tenths, The Twelve Ancestral Witches received three-tenths, And this Pangu Marrow, also born from Pangu's Essence Blood, likewise held one-tenth;

The remaining tenth scattered across the Primordial World Earth, nourishing all things and solidifying the foundation of the primordial realm.

"Brother, our innate foundations are incomplete—we only got half a tenth of the Heaven-Opening Merit."

"This Pangu Marrow can not only strengthen the physical body and improve cultivation talent, but it also contains a full tenth of the Heaven-Opening Merit, enough to make up for our foundations. Let's refine it together."

Within the Primordial World, no great divine power, no spiritual treasure or supreme treasure, could bear more than one-tenth of the Heaven-Opening Merit.

The heavens and earth did not permit it, or perhaps they could not bear such great merit...

Xuanyuan wasn't sure either.

But one-tenth of the Heaven-Opening Merit was indeed the upper limit of the Four Pangu Purities' foundations.

Anyway, letting Tongtian refine it wasn't giving it to an outsider. This whole pool of Pangu Marrow was just enough for the two brothers to complete their foundations.

"Since that's the case, I'll shamelessly accept."

At first, when he heard about strengthening the body and improving talent, Tongtian's heart stirred, but he still thought of letting his fourth brother have it all—after all, he already had two Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, while his fourth brother needed more strength and survival ability.

But when he heard about the one-tenth Heaven-Opening Merit, he understood Xuanyuan's meaning.

How precious was the Heaven-Opening Merit? His fourth brother could only refine at most another half-tenth. Would the other half-tenth go to waste?

Besides, remembering the look in Second Brother Yuanshi's eyes when they emerged and took form, Tongtian found he could no longer voice a refusal.

Forget it. The spiritual treasures, the laws—all were favors from my fourth brother. To keep refusing this Pangu Marrow now would be hypocritical, and it would strain our brotherly bond.

We're all brothers of one family. If I had found the Pangu Marrow today, I would have shared it with my fourth brother too...

With that thought, Tongtian's mind cleared, and he resolved to repay Xuanyuan someday.

"Wum!"

Xuanyuan and Tongtian's figures stood within the pool.

The moment Xuanyuan used his Profound Clarity Qi to split the marrow in two, the entire space trembled with a roar. Tens of thousands of golden runes burst from the depths of the marrow, forming the phantom of a giant swinging an axe—the image of Pangu opening heaven—woven into a dazzling Mysterious Yellow Color in the void.

It was the Clear Qi Nascent Soul, of the same root and origin, that had stirred the Heaven-Opening Merit within.

"Go."

Seeing this, Tongtian also drew a wisp of Upper Clarity Qi from his primordial spirit and let it fall into the pool.

In an instant, the Upper Clarity Qi and Profound Clarity Qi wove together in the void into a wondrous Taiji Diagram.

The pool boiled. The Pangu Marrow rose like an inverted river of stars, each drop reshaping the spatial-temporal structure around them.

Then it turned into a rain of light, pouring down upon the two of them.

The dharma robes woven from spiritual power dissolved. The exposed skin, soaked by the marrow, took on a bronze luster. From the four hundred and eighty million pores across their bodies, wisps of Chaos Qi seeped out.

Xuanyuan and Tongtian sat cross-legged, refining the Heaven-Opening Merit that permeated the space. Their foundations, originally half a step lower than Yuanshi and Laozi's, were steadily completed under the nourishment of the Mysterious Yellow-colored merit.

The Clear Qi Nascent Soul and the Heaven-Opening Merit confirmed each other, slowly restoring the two brothers' incomplete Dao foundations.

As their foundations recovered and the Heaven-Opening Merit was absorbed, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the secret realm began to gather wildly, forming a Seven-Colored Light Pillar that shot straight through the dome.

Heavenly Flowers fell like rain, each one containing the complete laws of the five elements;

Golden Lotuses rose from the earth, lifting ten thousand beams of Merit Auspicious Light, enveloping the two of them.

The Pangu Marrow Pool grew ever more turbulent, constantly manifesting visions of Pangu opening heaven:

The Beginning of Chaos—clear qi rose to become heaven, turbid qi sank to become earth, and the sun, moon, and stars were born in the void.

The clear became the primordial spirit; the turbid became the physical body.

One clear, one turbid—together they strengthened both the spirit and the body.

Chaos Residual Qi and Mysterious Yellow Merit wove into a Seven-Colored Light Ribbon, coiling around them.

Cultivation knows no years. In the blink of an eye, a thousand years had passed.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

In the void, the Great Dao Laws roared. Xuanyuan and Tongtian's auras climbed steadily, the shackles of early Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage torn apart like thin paper by the lingering power of Heaven-Opening Merit. Profound Dao rhythms materialized, stirring waves of Space-Time Turbulence within the secret realm.

With their foundations restored, their cultivation rose accordingly—everything fell into place naturally!

Three thousand streams of pure Qi surged from their heavenly spirits, coalescing in the void into the innate Dao characters for "Grand Unity."

The pressure of mid-Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage swept forth from Xuanyuan and Tongtian.

As the last trace of jade marrow merged into their bodies, the two opened their eyes simultaneously.

"Mid-Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage—it saves countless eons of bitter cultivation and magic power accumulation."

Xuanyuan raised his hand, and the space for millions of li around instantly froze under this Grand Unity Magic Power.

"Hahahaha! Now, with our foundations and cultivation, we're no worse than our two elder brothers! In fact, if we're talking combat strength, Second Brother is no match for me right now!"

Tongtian laughed heartily, lightning flickering in his eyes.

He and Yuanshi were at the same realm, and with the Fishing Drum and Purple Lightning Hammer—a full set of Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures—plus the perfected Upper Pure Lightning Technique...

Tongtian was confident he could defeat Yuanshi, who still had no treasures to protect himself!

Since stabilizing his cultivation, he had secluded himself in the mountain for three Eons, yet his strength had improved only marginally. The gap between him and Laozi and Yuanshi had never been closed.

But he never expected that, after listening to his Fourth Brother Xuanyuan's advice, he had barely left Kunlun Mountain when he obtained spiritual treasures, restored his foundation, elevated his cultivation, and even surpassed his contemptuous Second Brother Yuanshi in overall strength!

If not for Eldest Brother having the Houtian Merit Supreme Treasure, the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, which made him invincible as long as it hovered above his head...

"Brother, the Heaven-Opening Merit is only the first opportunity brought by the Pangu Jade Marrow. Next, we need to go into secluded cultivation to refine its essence, strengthen our physical bodies, and enhance our cultivation talent."

After reining in his pressure, Xuanyuan remained seated cross-legged, not rising.

The Pangu Jade Marrow had been divided and absorbed into their bodies, but aside from the Heaven-Opening Merit merging into their Primordial Spirits to restore their foundations, the essence born from Pangu Essence Blood combined with Chaos Qi still lurked within their limbs and bones, needing to be further refined into their own foundation with Grand Unity Magic Power.

"Fourth Brother speaks truly. I'll follow your lead."

Tongtian had originally planned to leave this place first and return to the Upper Pure Palace on Kunlun Mountain for secluded cultivation, but hearing Xuanyuan's words, he agreed.

After all, it was no big deal.

And so, the Two Brothers continued their secluded cultivation. Their physical bodies grew ever stronger, their bones like Chaos divine metal. In all of Primordial Honghuang, only the Twelve Ancestral Witches could surpass them in physical cultivation talent.

And it wasn't over yet. The Pangu Jade Marrow, transformed from Pangu Essence Blood, shared the same foundation as the Twelve Ancestral Witches. In fact, if it had Formed and Born, relying on one-tenth of the Heaven-Opening Merit, it would have been even more powerful.

Naturally, this included the same Law bloodlines as the Ancestral Witches!

When Pangu Opened Heaven, he slew the other two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Chaos Demon Gods. Along with the imprint of the Great Dao of Strength, the imprints of all Three Thousand Great Daos were engraved into his bloodline.

Xuanyuan still did not know what kind of Law bloodline his physical body would gain.