After Ye Xuan made his choice, another electronic sound rang in his ears.
[Ding-dong!] [Host has chosen to meet Daoist Houtu. Three-tenths of the Laws of the Great Dao of Earth are being delivered. Please inspect them yourself.]
A trace of mysterious power entered Ye Xuan's Primordial Spirit from the void.
Having gained another three-tenths of insight into the Laws of Earth within his Primordial Spirit, Ye Xuan entered secluded cultivation, intending to first gain a basic understanding of them.
The Way of Five Elements already contained a Great Dao True Seed of Earth, and Ye Xuan had long since developed some insights of his own into the Great Dao of Earth. He went straight into secluded cultivation. A thousand years later, a trace of understanding appeared on his face. Looking toward the boundless continent in the West, he felt as though it were connected to the boundless earth beneath his feet, giving him a sense of being imperishable through countless calamities and impervious to all evil.
Moreover, Ye Xuan sensed that once his Great Dao of Earth reached perfection, he could merge with the boundless earth, gaining immeasurable magic power that he could draw upon without end.
Only half a day later did Ye Xuan open his eyes, a trace of puzzlement showing on his face.
"Magic power that never runs out—is that any different from a Heavenly Dao Saint?"
To a Quasi-Sage powerhouse, one could say their magic power was inexhaustible to a certain extent. Yet if they truly unleashed their full power, they would still run out of strength. When Emperor Taiyi and the others joined forces to fully activate the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell, they would also fall into a disadvantage if the fight dragged on.
But once the Great Dao of Earth reached perfection, Ye Xuan could stand upon the Western Land and wield an Innate Supreme Treasure with power no different from a Sage's.
"Is this marvelous effect because I saved the countless living beings of the West and repaired its Spiritual Veins, making me connected to it?"
Besides, Ye Xuan was the child of destiny of the Western Continent. How profound was a method of becoming a Sage? The Dao Ancestor had obtained the Three Corpses Becoming Saint Method, yet even he had needed an unparalleled treasure and most of the Jade Plate Fragments to comprehend it.
But Ye Xuan, by contrast, had essentially perfected his method on his own. His innate talent was hardly exceptional, so he couldn't believe he had done it without the power of the West's supreme destiny.
"Another pleasant surprise. Under the Heavenly Dao, the power of Variable Numbers truly is everywhere. If the Demon Emperor, the others, or the Twelve Ancestral Witches had made some contribution to the Heavenly Dao and perfected the Great Dao of Earth, they could stand upon the earth as I do—innately invincible, and even a step above Zhenyuanzi!"
Ye Xuan shook his head. If Houtu and the others had seen this as early as he had, they might truly have had a chance to seize the position of overlord.
With the power of the boundless earth in the East, Houtu alone would be the equal of a Sage.
But it was already too late. In the clash between the Pangu True Body and the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Formation, they had incurred an immense karmic debt to all living beings. They had lost their last chance at survival, and mutual destruction had long since been their only fate.
As he pondered this, Daoist Houtu arrived from Pangu Temple at the Pure Land of Spiritual Mountain, asking to meet Ye Xuan.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan told Golden Cicada to go to the entrance and receive her. When Golden Cicada learned that the visitor was Daoist Houtu, one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, he was struck speechless.
First someone from the Heavenly Court, and now one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. His master certainly had a lot of face. Though Golden Cicada was deeply shaken, he kept his expression calm and invited her inside.
"Daoist Houtu, what a rare guest. You've come all this way to the West. What brings you here?"
When Houtu arrived, Ye Xuan set out some Innate Spiritual Fruits and invited her to take a seat.
Daoist Houtu didn't stand on ceremony. After sitting down, she smiled and said, "Your strength is the greatest among the Innate God-Demons. I've wanted to meet you for a long time. After all, you stopped our full-force attack with nothing but the Way of Five Elements. Such talent is truly unparalleled!"
Ye Xuan replied, "It was nothing. I only stopped the lingering force of the attack. You had set up a supreme formation with the true power of a Sage."
"Daoist Houtu, have you come to Spirit Mountain to meet me and discuss the Dao?"
Houtu got straight to the point. "Discussing the Dao is only one reason I came to see you. More importantly, I wanted to ask whether you'd be willing to join us in wiping out the Heavenly Court. Whatever you require, just say so. We'll do everything we can to meet your demands."
"I've set my sights on a great goal: to be the first to attain the fruit of Sainthood. I won't take part in the struggle for supremacy!"
"Once you're caught up in Disaster Qi, countless years of cultivation can be ruined in an instant. Ancestor Dragon, East King Duke, and the others all met the same fate. Let their lessons be a warning to those who come after."
Seeing Ye Xuan's calm expression and realizing he truly hadn't allied with the Heavenly Court, Daoist Houtu smiled.
Ye Xuan had saved the countless living beings of the West, so Houtu had always felt a natural goodwill toward him. She didn't press him with more questions, choosing to trust him instead. She spoke at once.
"Very well!"
"I'm also curious about the mysteries of the Five Elements you've mastered. Would you grant me the honor of discussing the Dao with you?"
Seeing her take the initiative, a trace of a smile appeared on Ye Xuan's face.
"I'd be delighted!"
Discussing the Dao with her would help him comprehend the Great Dao of Earth sooner and make rapid progress along this path. He was certainly glad to accept.
"The Great Dao of Earth is virtuous and all-encompassing..."
A sound of the Great Dao came from Daoist Houtu as she began to expound upon the Great Dao of Earth.
In an instant, a trace of understanding appeared in Ye Xuan's eyes.
Three thousand years later, Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes. Boundless continents seemed to rise and fall within them, while countless mountains stood in formation around them.
Within his Primordial Spirit, a Great Dao True Seed had formed, born from countless mysterious yellow-earth runes of the Great Dao of Earth.
In shape, this Great Dao True Seed resembled Buzhou Divine Mountain. Upon it lay a map of the countless Innate Spiritual Veins of the West. With each turn, it gave off a sense of virtue bearing all things.
He had fully mastered the three-tenths of the Laws of Earth. And after absorbing some of Daoist Houtu's insights into the Great Dao of Earth, he would have grasped half of it—surpassing even Houtu and Zhenyuanzi.
Seeing that she had finished, Ye Xuan's voice rang out with the sound of the Great Dao as he began to expound upon the Great Dao of Earth, revealing the mysteries of the Five Elements as well.
"Wood is called bending and straightening, metal is called yielding and transforming, fire is called blazing upward, water is called moistening downward, and earth is called sowing and harvesting. The Great Dao of Earth also holds the mystery of yin and yang. Innate Ji Earth Qi is balanced and stores within itself; it can harmonize the powers of yin and yang..."
Hearing this, Daoist Houtu looked utterly incredulous. She was the Earth Ancestral Witch!
Yet Ye Xuan's understanding of the Great Dao of Earth surpassed her own?
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