Five hundred more years passed. It had now been nine hundred years since the Six-Eared Macaque and the others had entered Qianyuan Mountain.
The Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, and the other three had lived up to Xuanyuan's expectations. They had now reached the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm and were not far from the great perfection of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.
As for Jiu Feng, she had nearly finished absorbing and refining the hundred million Great Dao Merit Xuanyuan had provided. Behind her, a towering phantom stood between heaven and earth. She could break through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm at any moment.
The only one making slow progress was Xing Tian.
Still, Xing Tian had not wasted these nine hundred years.
His physical strength was now many times greater than when he had first arrived.
Over the past nine hundred years, Dijiang and the other Twelve Ancestor Witches had visited several times. Besides eating and drinking their fill, they had brought Xuanyuan news from the Primordial World.
Word had it that Taiqing Laozi had successfully broken through to the late stage of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm and was hailed as the strongest person in the Primordial World beneath Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
Fuxi and Nuwa had discovered an Innate Gourd Vine on Buzhou Mountain. It bore seven Innate Gourds, though they had yet to mature. Even so, they had attracted many powerful figures.
In the far north, Old Ancestor Kunpeng had encountered the remains of a Chaos Demon God, which still contained a remnant spirit. Kunpeng had been injured after failing to defeat it, then went to Wuzhuang Temple to ask Zhen Yuanzi for Ginseng Fruit. Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun refused him, and the two sides became enemies.
Jieyin and Zhunti, those two baldies, had not returned to the Western World. Instead, they had lingered in the Eastern World.
Relying on their mid-stage Daluo Golden Immortal cultivation, they had stolen treasures from many tribes and factions.
In their most brazen theft, the two had sneaked into the Sun Star and robbed the Demon Clan's treasury. Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi had chased them for several hundred years.
When they passed Pangu Temple, Jieyin and Zhunti finally couldn't stand being hunted any longer. To divert the trouble, they threw the Demon Clan's treasures into Pangu Temple.
Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi went there to demand the treasures back, but Dijiang and the other Twelve Ancestor Witches naturally refused to hand over what had fallen into their possession.
The two sides fought several battles.
Although Dijiang and the others had not revealed their full strength, they still taught Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi a good lesson several times.
Unwilling to accept this, Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi began recruiting demons throughout the Primordial World. The Demon Clan's strength swelled rapidly, like a balloon being inflated.
A hundred years ago, the two sides had fought their decisive battle on Buzhou Mountain.
Dijun, Donghuang Taiyi, Demon Master Kunpeng, and all ten of the Demon Clan's great generals had joined the battle. The Twelve Ancestor Witches, meanwhile, had led the great witches of the Witch Clan into combat.
The battle had raged for a full hundred years, ending in a resounding victory for the Witch Clan.
If Hongjun had not intervened, the Demon Clan would have suffered heavy casualties.
In the end, Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi had returned to the Sun Star to cultivate in seclusion, swearing they would take revenge on the Witch Clan.
After the battle ended, Dijiang and the other Twelve Ancestor Witches had come to Qianyuan Mountain.
"Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi are sons of bitches!"
Zhurong cursed furiously. "Jieyin and Zhunti, those two baldies, stole the Demon Clan's treasury, but those two idiots didn't go after the baldies. Instead, they went all out against our Witch Clan!"
Gonggong was just as indignant. "If you ask me, we should quit hiding our strength and just unleash it! We should kill those two idiots and take the Sun Star. That'd be satisfying!"
All Twelve Ancestor Witches were at the mid-stage of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, and they were on the verge of breaking through to the late stage. On top of that, their bodies were exceptionally powerful, and each of them had mastered a kind of Law Power. Any one of them could match Dijun or Donghuang Taiyi in strength, let alone all twelve together.
Even the Sanqing, hailed as the strongest in the Primordial World beneath Hongjun, were no match for them at the time.
But because Dijiang had deliberately held them back, they had all displayed only the great perfection of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm when fighting the Demon Clan.
Only after Kunpeng, Baize, and other powerful demons joined the battle did they act as though they had just broken through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
"You two dimwits don't know what you're talking about!"
Dijiang glared at them. "Our opponent stopped being the Demon Clan led by Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi a long time ago. It's that old bastard Hongjun. Until we break through to the Saint realm, keep a low profile. If anyone ruins Brother Xuanyuan's plans, don't blame me for turning against them!"
Dijiang's outburst made Zhurong and Gonggong shrink their necks.
Things were different now. The two of them were no match for Dijiang.
Besides, this was part of Xuanyuan's plan. Since they had eaten his food and taken his gifts, they had no grounds to complain. Looking at the Maozi and Huazi in their hands, both of them fell silent.
After they had discussed the major events unfolding in the Primordial World for a while, Ancestor Witch Qiangliang turned to Xuanyuan and asked, "Brother Xuanyuan, how is our little sister doing here?"
They had visited Xuanyuan several times, but had never once seen Jiu Feng or Xing Tian. Concerned for his younger sister, Qiangliang had finally been unable to hold back the question.
"Little Sister Jiu Feng is doing quite well!"
Xuanyuan smiled, took out a mirror, and placed it before them all.
It was an Innate Spiritual Treasure called the Heaven-Peering Mirror, capable of observing everyone and everything within a radius of a million li.
At that moment, the mirror showed Jiu Feng sitting cross-legged inside Qianyuan Palace, surrounded by swirling energy. Behind her, the phantom of her Nascent Soul towered between heaven and earth.
Seeing this, Dijiang, Qiangliang, and the others were overjoyed.
They had all experienced absorbing and refining Great Dao Merit, so they naturally understood what Jiu Feng was doing.
Qiangliang clasped his hands toward Xuanyuan with a smile. "Brother Xuanyuan, thank you!"
"We're family. There's no need to thank me!"
Xuanyuan smiled and waved it off, not minding at all.
Dijiang laughed heartily. "Excellent! Our Witch Clan is about to welcome a new Daluo Golden Immortal!"
The Ancestor Witches were all in high spirits.
In the Primordial World as it was now, every additional Daluo Golden Immortal meant another advantage.
They also understood that Xuanyuan had done everything he could for Jiu Feng, giving away over a hundred million Great Dao Merit without hesitation.
Once Jiu Feng broke through, she would be no ordinary Daluo Golden Immortal. She would be capable of fighting opponents above her level.
Seeing how much Jiu Feng had gained, Zhurong was delighted. At the same time, he eagerly asked,
"Brother Xuanyuan, how is Xing Tian doing?"
Xing Tian was one of his great witches, so of course he had to show concern for him.
Xuanyuan's thoughts stirred, and the image in the Heaven-Peering Mirror shifted, revealing Xing Tian.
Unlike Jiu Feng, Xing Tian had no phantom of a Nascent Soul behind him. At that moment, he was using the dense Innate Spiritual Qi to temper his body.
Dijiang and the others took one look and saw that Xing Tian had reached the great perfection of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. His body had become exceptionally powerful, and if he kept cultivating steadily, he would not be far from breaking through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
The only regret was that Xing Tian had no Nascent Soul.
Even if he broke through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, he would still be unable to comprehend Law Power. He could only keep tempering his body and increasing his strength.
"This kid's not bad either. He hasn't disgraced us!"
Seeing Xing Tian, Zhurong laughed heartily. Though he felt some regret, he was satisfied overall.
Zhujiuyin gazed at Xing Tian in the Heaven-Peering Mirror and asked tentatively, "Brother Xuanyuan, could you think of a way to help Xing Tian, so he can have a Nascent Soul too?"
At this, all the Ancestor Witches turned to Xuanyuan, their eyes full of hope.
If Xuanyuan agreed, they would pester him until he let their great witches come here to cultivate.
Xuanyuan smiled wryly and shook his head. "You think too highly of me. Jiu Feng is the only exception among the great witches. The others simply don't have Nascent Souls, and I can't do anything about it right now."
Xuanyuan put away the Heaven-Peering Mirror, turned to Dijiang and the others, and said with a smile, "Big Brother, don't leave this time. Stay here at Qianyuan Mountain. Hongjun's next lecture is two thousand years away. Let's all cultivate hard during that time and try to reach the peak of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm before his second lecture!"
"We'll do as you say, Brother Xuanyuan!"
Dijiang agreed without a moment's thought.
The Demon Clan had suffered a crushing defeat and wouldn't dare cause trouble for the Witch Clan again anytime soon.
They had nothing better to do, so they might as well stay with Xuanyuan and cultivate. They could also eat and drink their fill. What could be better?
The other Ancestor Witches agreed readily as well.
Zhurong and Gonggong gazed at Xuanyuan expectantly. "Brother Xuanyuan, since we're staying here, don't skimp on the good stuff!"
"Don't worry, Big Brothers. There'll be plenty of Maozi and Huazi!"
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
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