After handing the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir to Fuxi, Su Mu didn't dare waste a moment. He turned and set off again, racing toward Longevity Mountain.
After a long journey, Su Mu finally arrived once more at the mysterious and solemn Wuzhuang Temple.
He still remembered his first visit to Wuzhuang Temple. Back then, he had felt so small and fragile. His strength had been meager, and he had been like a fallen leaf caught in a gale.
He could only hope that Great Immortal Zhenyuan would protect him, allowing him to find a sliver of hope in this perilous world.
But when he stepped onto this land for the second time, things had changed. Su Mu had come on an important errand—to deliver Hong Yun's Remnant Soul. Thanks to that fortuitous turn of events, he had forged a deep bond with Great Immortal Zhenyuan.
Time had passed, and now this was his third visit to Wuzhuang Temple. By this point, Great Immortal Zhenyuan had become the Human Religion Vice Leader.
Thinking of this, Su Mu couldn't help feeling indignant on behalf of this Great Power who had once shaken the Primordial Era. In his day, Great Immortal Zhenyuan had been as renowned as Ancestor Hong Yun. Both had been famous throughout the Primordial Era for their extraordinary abilities.
They had been brilliant and exceptionally talented. They should have been able to Attain Chaotic Dao without difficulty and achieve the supreme Great Dao.
Sadly, as the saying went, "The tallest tree catches the wind." Their immense power, which was enough to let them Attain Chaotic Dao, had instead aroused Dao Ancestor Hongjun's wariness.
Ancestor Hong Yun had fallen victim to Dao Ancestor Hongjun's schemes and met a tragic end, his body and soul destroyed.
Meanwhile, Great Immortal Zhenyuan had been outmaneuvered by Zhunti. Not only had he been forced to lower his status and become sworn brothers with Sun Wukong, but his once-bright path to the Dao had also been cut off.
Whenever Su Mu thought of it, a hard-to-describe mix of anger and regret welled up in his heart.
As soon as he entered the temple, Su Mu spotted Zhenyuanzi sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat. He hurried over and respectfully greeted him.
After exchanging the proper courtesies, Su Mu began, his expression grave, to explain in detail the dire situation facing the Human Race and all the obstacles and hardships ahead.
After hearing him out, Zhenyuanzi gave a slight nod. As the Human Religion Vice Leader, he said, it was only right that he do what little he could to help the Human Race through its rise and fall.
However, the time wasn't right yet. When it was time to confer Yu with his title, he would personally go to the Human Race and do everything in his power to help them.
Overjoyed, Su Mu thanked him again and again. Just as he was about to take his leave, Zhenyuanzi suddenly stood and went into the inner room.
A short while later, Zhenyuanzi came out carrying a treasure box filled with Ginseng Fruits.
With a smile, he handed the box to Su Mu. "I've treasured these Ginseng Fruits for many years. Now I'm entrusting them all to you to take back to the Human Ancestral Land. I hope they'll be of help to your people."
Su Mu was delighted. He accepted the box and thanked him repeatedly, then left Wuzhuang Temple with this weighty gift and hurried back to the Human Ancestral Land.
When Fuxi and the others saw Su Mu arrive at the Human Ancestral Land, they all looked surprised and asked, "Why are you back again?"
Su Mu felt awkward. A sheepish look crossed his face as he scratched his head and said, "Uh... do you not want me here?" His gaze swept over them, and he couldn't help wondering.
Cangjie hurried to smooth things over, giving an awkward laugh. "No, no, of course not. We were just surprised. Senior Disciple Brother only just left—how did you get back so soon?"
Su Mu's tense nerves relaxed a little. Smiling, he said, "Haha, I've come back with something important to do!" With that, he mysteriously pulled an exquisite box from his robes and carefully lifted the lid. Inside lay countless Ginseng Fruits, giving off an enticing fragrance.
Su Mu held the box out to them and said proudly, "Look, I brought you all something good!"
But when they saw the Ginseng Fruits, everyone froze, unsure how to react. Silence fell over the group.
Cangjie's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Senior Disciple Brother. His voice trembled with excitement as he said:
"Senior Disciple Brother, you're incredible! You were only gone for a short while, yet you came back with so many precious resources. I, your junior, admire you so much!" He spoke excitedly as he gave a huge thumbs-up, his eyes full of admiration and envy.
"Keep cultivating. I'm off," Su Mu said, then turned and left.
After leaving the Human Ancestral Land, Su Mu returned to his cave dwelling on Shouyang Mountain.
Su Mu sat cross-legged. He took a deep breath to steady himself, then carefully drew an exquisite jade bottle from his robes.
He uncapped it, and a rich, bloody scent instantly filled the air. Inside were five gleaming drops of Pangu's Blood Essence, each as radiant as a red gemstone.
Su Mu studied the Pangu's Blood Essence in his hand, determination in his eyes. He gently picked up one drop and put it in his mouth.
The moment it entered his mouth, the Pangu's Blood Essence became a scorching torrent that shot down his throat and into his body. Su Mu didn't dare delay. He immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began circulating his cultivation art, doing everything he could to refine the drop.
As the Nine Revolutions Divine Art swirled through his body without pause, Su Mu focused completely on guiding its course and absorbing the precious Pangu's Blood Essence.
The first drop of Pangu's Blood Essence glimmered like a red gemstone as it merged into his meridians. A searing pain followed in its wake.
But Su Mu clenched his teeth and endured it. With unyielding resolve and a burning desire for power, he absorbed it bit by bit.
Yet after the first drop had been completely assimilated, Su Mu felt he was still just a little short of a breakthrough.
So he took out another drop of Pangu's Blood Essence without hesitation, carefully put it in his mouth, closed his eyes, and urged the Nine Revolutions Divine Art to refine it faster.
The moment the second drop entered his mouth, it became a surging torrent that crashed into Su Mu's body with the force of an avalanche.
He felt as though his meridians were about to burst. Agonizing pain swept through him, nearly making him lose consciousness. But Su Mu knew he couldn't give up now, or all his previous efforts would be wasted.
He endured the pain, marshaled all the spiritual energy in his body to suppress the raging force, then followed the Nine Revolutions Divine Art's formula to guide and refine it step by step.
Time passed second by second. Su Mu's forehead was already beaded with sweat, and his clothes were soaked through.
Just as he was about to lose his grip, the drop of Pangu's Blood Essence finally began to merge with his own spiritual energy. As the fusion grew stronger, Su Mu could clearly feel his cultivation increasing bit by bit. The joy of growing stronger gradually eased his physical pain.
After a long and grueling process, Su Mu finally absorbed the second drop of Pangu's Blood Essence completely and transformed it into his own strength.
At the same time, his cultivation finally made a qualitative leap. Like a bird breaking through countless obstacles, he soared toward a higher realm.
At last! After long and arduous cultivation, Su Mu successfully broke through to the Peak Golden Immortal of the Origin realm.
He stood still, carefully sensing the surging power within him and the strength of his body, solid as a rock.
Su Mu could clearly feel that every muscle in his body was packed with explosive power, as if he could tear through the void at any moment.
Every bone had become as hard as refined steel, strong enough to withstand immense pressure. His meridians were broad and unobstructed, allowing his true qi to flow through them freely.
With his current physical strength, Su Mu was absolutely confident he could withstand a full-force attack from a Saint First Heaven expert.
His confidence wasn't blind arrogance; it was based on a clear understanding and assessment of his own strength. Thinking of this, Su Mu couldn't help exclaiming, "So this is the power of the Nine Revolutions Divine Art!"
The Nine Revolutions Divine Art was an unfathomably profound cultivation art—the very art cultivated by Great God Pangu. Its difficulty was staggering, but once mastered, it brought astonishing rewards.
Now, thanks to his talent and tireless effort, Su Mu had finally cultivated this divine art to a new level.
With this breakthrough, Su Mu's confidence in bringing about the Human Revival had grown. He had always devoted himself to advancing the Human Dao's revival and rise, pouring countless efforts and sweat into it.
At this very moment, he knew he was one step closer to his goal. As long as he kept moving forward along this path, the Human Dao would surely shine brightly once more and stand tall between heaven and earth.
At last, Yu's merits were complete, and the time had come for the Feng Shan Ceremony on Mount Tai. This time was different from before: the Great Powers of the Primordial Era had all gathered their Spiritual Senses here.
They were preparing to watch just how high the Human Race could rise.
The Underworld was gloomy and shadowy, filled with a chilling, sinister air. Before Houtu Palace, Jiu Feng and a group of attendants had gathered.
Everyone's faces brimmed with excitement they could barely contain, as though they were harboring a tremendous secret.
They huddled together, whispering about something, and sparks of excitement flashed in their eyes from time to time. From their expressions and manner, it seemed they had already guessed what was about to happen, though the details remained a mystery.
This air of secrecy hung over the entire Houtu Palace, filling it with tension and anticipation.
With a grave expression, Houtu said, "The Human Dao is about to seize its chance to revive. This is of vital importance to all things in the world. We bear a great responsibility and must do everything we can to help the Human Race accomplish the revival of the Human Dao."
"Only by joining hands with the Earth Dao and working together can we stand against the supreme power of the Heavenly Dao. Remember, helping the Human Race means helping ourselves!"
Her gaze was resolute. After looking around at everyone, she continued, "There's no time to lose. Come with me to Ghost Gate Pass!" As she spoke, Houtu's figure flashed, transforming into a streak of light that sped toward Ghost Gate Pass. The others hurried after her.
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