What was the Wu Clan's greatest weakness?
They had no primordial spirit!
Without a primordial spirit, they couldn't sense the workings of Heaven, comprehend the Great Dao, or refine spiritual treasures. Their path of cultivation was restricted at every turn, leaving them to rely solely on brute force. Their potential was ultimately limited.
It was an unending source of pain for the Wu Clan!
But now, Ao Chen's Witch God Art had pointed them toward an entirely new path: delving into the treasures of their own bloodline, awakening their physical bodies to spiritual awareness, and giving birth to a True Spirit Will!
This almost entirely made up for the Wu Clan's greatest weakness!
How could they not be excited? How could they not feel that this "small favor" weighed as heavily as a mountain?
"Fellow Daoist, there's no need for that. It was a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning."
Looking at the Ancestor Witches, who were so overwhelmed with excitement they could barely contain themselves, Ao Chen smiled faintly and waved his hand, his expression as calm as ever.
"Just as I said before, this truly was a small matter," he said frankly.
"Compared with the Dao I seek for myself, this method was indeed no more than a small favor."
"Besides, I wandered among the Wu Clan for thousands of years, discussing the Dao and sparring with you all, and observing the mysteries of the Wu Clan. I gained a great deal from it as well, so this can be considered a repayment of the goodwill you showed me."
He meant every word. Compared with the Mythical Grand Unity Method, even after he had strengthened the Sky-Covering Method, it was hardly earth-shattering. Creating it had truly been no difficult task for him.
Hearing how casually Ao Chen dismissed it, Dijiang and the other Ancestor Witches were even more moved. At the same time, they felt increasingly undeserving of his gift.
The other party treated such an immense kindness as nothing out of the ordinary. His magnanimity and bearing left them ashamed by comparison.
Dijiang drew a deep breath and exchanged a glance with Zhu Jiuyin beside him. When Zhu Jiuyin gave a slight nod, Dijiang made up his mind and once again addressed Ao Chen solemnly:
"Fellow Daoist, your noble generosity is etched into our hearts! But a drop of kindness should be repaid with a flood of gratitude, let alone a favor that has given us a new lease on life! Though you treat this as nothing out of the ordinary, our Wu Clan cannot simply let it go unacknowledged!"
"Fellow Daoist, please come with me!" Dijiang's tone was firm and left no room for refusal.
Seeing this, Ao Chen raised an eyebrow. He had only meant to repay a kindness and build a good relationship; he had never intended to ask for any reward.
"Fellow Daoist Dijiang, this..." He had just begun to decline.
"There's no need to say more, fellow Daoist!" Dijiang cut him off, his resolve unshaken.
"This is a small token of gratitude from the entire Wu Clan for the great kindness of your teachings. If you refuse again, you'll be looking down on our Wu Clan!"
Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, and the other Ancestor Witches joined in:
"Exactly! Fellow Daoist Ao Chen, don't refuse!"
"Please accept it! Otherwise, we won't be able to rest easy!"
After they put it that way, if Ao Chen refused again, he would only seem insincere.
He looked at the Ancestor Witches' sincere, determined faces and considered it for a moment before finally nodding.
"In that case, I'll accept your kindness."
"Hahaha! Good!" Seeing Ao Chen agree, Dijiang and the other Ancestor Witches broke into cheerful smiles.
"Fellow Daoist, this way!"
Dijiang gestured for him to follow, then turned and headed deeper into Pangu Temple.
A trace of curiosity rose in Ao Chen's heart. Pangu Temple was the Wu Clan's sacred ground. What secrets lay hidden in its depths? And what would the Wu Clan give him as a token of gratitude?
He put those thoughts aside and followed Dijiang. Zhu Jiuyin, Houtu, and the other Ancestor Witches followed behind them, their expressions solemn.
Meanwhile, above the vast, boundless East Sea, immortal mists swirled and auspicious light rose.
After returning from the Second Sermon at Zixiao Palace, East King Duke had received Dao Ancestor Hongjun's personal appointment as Head of Male Immortals. Now he was full of confidence and ambition.
He stood upon Yingzhou Immortal Island, on the shores of the East Sea. Immortal light blazed around him, purple qi rose, and he seemed to command all the immortals.
Beside him stood West Queen Mother, who had also returned from Zixiao Palace and been appointed Head of Female Immortals.
"Fellow Daoist," East King Duke said, bowing to West Queen Mother, his eyes brimming with ambition.
"Now that the Dao Ancestor has issued his decree, we must follow Heaven's will and unite the Primordial Wilderness's immortal forces, establishing order so as not to disappoint the Dao Ancestor's expectations!"
West Queen Mother had a dignified, gracious bearing. She nodded slightly at his words.
"You're quite right, fellow Daoist. The Witch and Demon Clans are now powerful and constantly at war, treating the myriad beings of the Primordial Wilderness like grass. It's time for our immortal lineage to step forward, uphold justice, and protect all living things."
"Excellent!" East King Duke laughed, clapping his hands.
"I've made up my mind! We'll follow the example of the Demon Clan's Sun Palace and establish the 'Immortal Court' here above the East Sea! I'll be its lord, and you'll be its deputy. Together, we'll govern the immortal path of the Primordial Wilderness!"
West Queen Mother considered it briefly, then agreed.
Thus, after the Demon Clan Heavenly Court and the Wu Clan Great Land, the third great power to set its sights on the fortunes of Heaven and Earth—the Immortal Court—quietly came into being above the East Sea, under East King Duke's leadership!
To make a grand show of it and establish its standing, East King Duke decided to invite the great experts of the Primordial Wilderness to attend the ceremony!
In an instant, Jade Talisman Invitations inscribed with "Immortal Court Establishment Ceremony" and imbued with East King Duke's immortal power shot out from the East Sea like shooting stars, flying toward every corner of the Primordial Wilderness.
The Three Pure Ones on Kunlun Mountain; Jieyin and Zhunti in the west; Zhen Yuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple; Minghe of the Blood Sea; Kunpeng of the Northern Darkness... Even the Demon Clan and the Wu Clan received invitations from East King Duke.
Nearly every great expert of note in the Primordial Wilderness received an invitation from the newly established Immortal Court!
East King Duke's move was undoubtedly a declaration to the entire Primordial Wilderness that he was here—and that the Immortal Court had ambitions of its own!
On the other side, Ao Chen had already followed the Twelve Ancestral Witches into the depths of Pangu Temple.
Pangu Jade Marrow, Immortal Court Invitation
Pangu Temple was the Wu Clan's sacred ground. It had been formed from the heart of Great God Pangu, and held endless mysteries and majesty.
The farther they went, the more ancient, vast, and imposing their surroundings became!
The walls were no longer simple stone. They seemed to be made directly from Chaos Stone, naturally inscribed with countless archaic, profound Dao patterns that appeared to expound the supreme principles of Pangu Creates the World.
The air no longer carried Innate Spiritual Qi. Instead, it was saturated with Pangu Aura, so dense it seemed almost tangible. Threads of Chaos Qi Flow that had yet to fully dissipate mingled with it, along with a terrifying will that seemed capable of suppressing the ages and erasing all things!
Just breathing in the energy here made the Star River Universe within Ao Chen spin faster. His muscles and bones hummed with longing, as if nourished by the most primordial source!
From time to time, they passed strange sights:
A roiling Blood Pool that seemed to nurture some powerful life, radiating an aura of the same origin as the Ancestor Witches;
An Ancient Stele inscribed with countless visions of gods and demons, radiating a battle-will that had endured since time immemorial;
Or a Chaos Region where Earth, Water, Fire, Wind raged, yet somehow remained in a strange balance...
Every sight here seemed to recount ancient legends from the time of Pangu Creates the World, holding unimaginable Creation and danger.
At last, after passing through the final invisible barrier, formed from Pangu's Will, they arrived in a vast, empty space.
At its very center floated a strange mass of milky-white jade-like marrow, about the size of a human head. It pulsed slowly like a heart, radiating boundless vitality and a chaotic glow!
The instant he saw it, Ao Chen felt the powerful body he had cultivated to the late stage of the Mythical Heavenly Immortal realm develop an instinctive longing, as if a baby had seen the most nourishing mother's milk!
"This... what is that?" A flicker of surprise passed through Ao Chen's eyes.
"This is Father God's Marrow." Dijiang's voice was solemn, tinged with reluctance, but more than anything, with resolve.
"It was condensed in the depths of Father God's Heart after enduring countless Kalpa Tribulations and absorbing endless Chaos Qi and Father God's legacy. It is the source essence. The Wu Clan has only this one remaining portion."
He looked at Ao Chen, his gaze sincere. "I can see that your mastery of the Dao is profound, fellow Daoist, and that you have deep attainments in the path of the physical body. You can even withstand the true bodies of us Ancestor Witches without falling behind."
"This marrow can temper the physical body. In theory, if fate allows, it may even transform a living being's innate lineage and remake their very source!"
"Though the physical bodies of our Wu Clan are powerful, our bloodline limits us, and we can make no further use of this treasure. Today, we offer it to you, fellow Daoist, as a token of gratitude from the entire Wu Clan for your great kindness in teaching us!"
Pangu Jade Marrow was an unparalleled treasure, on par with a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, and even capable of transforming one's innate lineage!
Even though Ao Chen's mind had long been as calm as still water, Dijiang's words and the marrow's irresistible allure still made his heart stir.
It was true that the shackles on his bloodline had already been broken, and he had forged a source of his own. His innate lineage was no longer of much significance to him.
But the immense vitality and most primordial Pangu's Power contained within the marrow would undoubtedly benefit him greatly, tempering his physical body and accelerating his cultivation in the Mythical Heavenly Immortal realm!
It would greatly shorten the time he needed to slowly build up his strength before reaching the Mythical True Immortal realm!
This was an extraordinarily generous gift!
"Fellow Daoist Dijiang, this treasure is far too precious..." Ao Chen instinctively tried to decline.
"I merely taught you a method as a small favor. How could I accept such a generous gift?"
"Please, say no more!" Dijiang's tone was firm.
"Your teachings could change the Wu Clan's future! What is one portion of marrow in comparison? If you refuse to accept it, you'll be doubting the sincerity of our Wu Clan!"
"That's right, Fellow Daoist Ao Chen. Please accept it!" Zhu Rong urged him from the side, his manner earnest.
The other Ancestor Witches also nodded, their gazes sincere.
Seeing how determined the Ancestor Witches were, Ao Chen knew that refusing any further would only be ungracious.
He drew a deep breath and bowed solemnly to Dijiang and the others. "In that case, I thank you all for your generous gift!"
With that, he carefully reached out and used his magical power to draw the pulsing Pangu Jade Marrow into his hands.
The marrow felt warm and smooth in his palm. A vast surge of vitality and power immediately flowed into his body, leaving him feeling refreshed, as if every cell were cheering with delight.
"What a treasure!" Ao Chen thought to himself.
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