He carefully put away the Pangu Jade Marrow, then turned to Dijiang.
"Fellow Daoist Dijiang, Pangu Aura is rich here, and Daoist resonance comes naturally. It's an excellent place for seclusion. I'd like to spend some time cultivating here to consolidate my cultivation. Would that be convenient?"
"Hahaha! You jest, fellow Daoist!" Dijiang replied, delighted.
"You're a great benefactor to our Wu Clan. You may use the entire Pangu Temple as you wish! If you need any resources, just ask!"
Having a powerhouse like him stay and cultivate with the Wu Clan would be a good thing for them, too.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Ao Chen nodded in gratitude.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the Twelve Ancestral Witches left Pangu Temple, leaving Ao Chen alone. He, too, entered seclusion.
In the days that followed, Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin guarded the outside of Pangu Temple, while the other Ancestral Witches departed one after another.
Ao Chen had passed down a great cultivation method, and they had to spread it immediately. Besides, they were already eager to try cultivating it themselves.
Days passed, the sun rose and the moon set, and years went by in the blink of an eye.
One day, a report came in.
"Reporting to Ancestor Witch Dijiang and Ancestor Witch Zhu Jiuyin: an envoy from the Immortal Court of the East Sea seeks an audience. He claims he has come on East King Duke's orders to deliver an invitation!"
An Immortal Court Envoy?
Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of surprise in the other's eyes.
"Show him in," Dijiang said gravely.
A moment later, a divine general clad in silver immortal armor strode into the depths of Pangu Temple, his face haughty and pure Yang immortal qi radiating from him. His cultivation had astonishingly reached the mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm, and he carried two jade invitations in his hands.
Seeing Dijiang, Zhu Jiuyin, and the other Ancestral Witches seated at the head of the hall, the divine general was shaken by their imposing presence. But recalling the decree of his Immortal Court's ruler, he forced himself to remain calm and bowed slightly.
"I am Yingchuan, one of the Immortal Court's seventy-two divine generals. By order of my lord, East King Duke, and West Queen Mother, I have come to invite the Ancestral Witches to the East Sea to witness the Immortal Court Establishment Ceremony!"
As he spoke, he respectfully presented the two invitations in his hands.
Dijiang beckoned, drawing the invitations into his hand. A sweep of his divine sense confirmed that they invited the Wu Clan to the East Sea to attend the Immortal Court Establishment Ceremony.
"Hmph. East King Duke... What a grand gesture." A trace of disdain flashed in Dijiang's eyes as he casually tossed the invitation aside.
Zhu Jiuyin took the other invitation without even looking at it, his expression indifferent.
Yingchuan's face flickered with displeasure, but he didn't dare show it. He merely said, "The invitations have been delivered. Yingchuan takes his leave."
"We won't see you out," Dijiang said, waving a hand.
After Yingchuan had gone, Dijiang spoke again.
"Hongjun appointed East King Duke Head of Male Immortals, and East King Duke immediately came running. He truly has no sense of his own mortality."
"Why bother with him? He's simply courting death." Zhu Jiuyin looked disdainful.
"Has he not heard that strength rules the Primordial Wilderness? He's merely an Innate Divine at the peak of the Great Luo Realm, yet he dares send invitations to all the immortals. It's laughable."
Dijiang nodded slightly.
"The timing is delicate. We can't afford to let our guard down. But whether we attend the Immortal Court Grand Ceremony or not makes little difference."
They had just fought a great battle against the Demon Clan. They needed to recuperate and spread the Sky-Covering Method created by Ao Chen. They had no time to concern themselves with East King Duke's so-called "Immortal Court."
At the same time, this scene was unfolding throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
Almost no one thought highly of this so-called Heavenly Court. As Zhu Jiuyin had said, strength ruled the Primordial Wilderness. Without strength, everything was empty talk.
So, many great powers who received invitations simply brushed them off. Whether they would attend remained to be seen.
Meanwhile, deep within Pangu Temple, Ao Chen had entered deep seclusion, and the Pangu Jade Marrow had already been quietly consumed by him.
Heavenly Immortal Perfection; Quasi-Sages Emerge as Turmoil Sweeps the Primordial Wilderness
In the deepest part of Pangu Temple, within that vast space filled with Chaos Qi Flow and Pangu's Will, Ao Chen sat cross-legged, faint starlight circling him.
Before him, the milky-white Pangu Jade Marrow had shrunk to less than half its original size. Its purest, most primordial life energy and Pangu's Power flowed ceaselessly into his limbs and bones, nourishing his body, primordial spirit, and the Star River Universe within him.
This place was already one of the finest cultivation sanctuaries in the Primordial Wilderness, rich in Pangu Aura, with Daoist resonance arising naturally.
Now, with the supreme treasure that was Pangu Jade Marrow assisting him, Ao Chen's cultivation speed was astonishing.
With an abundant supply of energy supporting him, his late-stage Mythical Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivation was rapidly consolidated and strengthened.
His understanding of the Great Dao Origin Scripture Heavenly Immortal Chapter grew deeper. The traits of "Eternal Uniqueness, Time is My Sole Proof" grew ever more refined, and the Unique True Self Imprint anchored in the past became more stable, its connection to his Present Body growing closer.
At the same time, the many profound principles of the Great Dao Origin Scripture Mythical True Immortal Chapter, which he had just completed, continued to flow through his mind and confirm one another.
Although he had yet to truly begin cultivating the True Immortal Chapter, its core principles—attaining the Dao through oneself, an Immortal Body, an Indestructible Primordial Spirit, Condensing Three Bodies, and Use My Heart to Replace Heavenly Heart—were like a beacon, giving him a clearer understanding of the path ahead. They also, in turn, deepened and consolidated his understanding of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
Under such nearly extravagant cultivation conditions, time passed slowly.
A hundred years... a thousand years... ten thousand years...
The instant the last trace of Pangu Jade Marrow's essence was fully refined and absorbed into the Star River Universe within Ao Chen—
Boom!!!
An aura far more terrifying, complete, and profound than the one he had released when he broke through to the late stage erupted from him, sweeping through the entire core chamber of Pangu Temple!
The Star River Universe within him expanded violently. The number, size, and radiance of its stars all reached an unprecedented peak!
As the Star River turned, it seemed to set real time and space in motion. It was as if this inner universe could break free of its restraints at any moment and transform into a true vast world!
His body was crystalline and translucent, shining with an undying radiance. Every gesture seemed to contain the might to shatter stars!
His primordial spirit was more condensed and clear than ever. It resonated from afar with the imprint of his True Self in the past, as though he could take that crucial step at any moment and begin drawing together and Condensing his Future Body and Present Body!
Mythical Heavenly Immortal Perfection!
He was only one step away from the Mythical True Immortal Realm: true immortality, Condensing Three Bodies, and attaining the Dao through oneself!
If he wished, he could begin trying to Condense his Past Body and Future Body at any time, and break through to the True Immortal Realm!
"Phew..." Ao Chen slowly opened his eyes. A starry river turned in his gaze, as if it contained the endless mysteries of the universe's creation and destruction.
Feeling the flawless, complete, vast, and surging power within him, he knew that his overall combat strength was probably no weaker than that of the established Quasi-Sage Great Powers in the Primordial Wilderness!
Yet just as Ao Chen finished his breakthrough and was preparing to rise—
At that same moment, the entire Primordial World seemed to usher in an unprecedented wave of breakthroughs!
In Kunlun Mountain, inside Three Pure Ones Hall—
Within the Auspicious Cloud above Primordial Lord of Heaven's head, a figure sat atop a green lotus. He looked exactly like Primordial Lord of Heaven, but carried an even more imposing and detached air—his Good Corpse!
He had successfully Severed one Corpse and reached the peak of the early Quasi-Sage stage!
Sword qi soared around Sect Master Tongtian. Beside him, the phantom of an ancient, unadorned sword that was neither bronze, iron, nor steel rose and fell, its Killing Intent shaking heaven and earth. He, too, had Severed his Good Corpse and reached the peak of the early Quasi-Sage stage!
Laozi's aura of Non-action and naturalness grew ever more profound, as though he had completely merged with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Though no obvious phenomenon appeared, the Quasi-Sage Pressure he faintly radiated was even more vast than that of Primordial Lord of Heaven and Tongtian!
At the main peak of Phoenix Perch Mountain in the Buzhou Mountain Range—
Qi of Creation flowed around Nuwa, and a sacred, compassionate Dao Body appeared behind her. She, too, had successfully Severed a Corpse!
Divine light shone across Fuxi's body as a majestic figure stepped out of him. He had also Severed his Good Corpse.
Deep within Sun Palace—
The River Diagram and Luo Book revolved above Di Jun's head as the Power of the Stars gathered around him. A majestic figure clad in an Imperial Robe stepped out of his Auspicious Cloud!
Eastern Emperor Taiyi was even more domineering. With the Chaos Bell suspended above his head, he directly chose to Prove Dao by Force.
Though he had not Severed a Corpse, his aura was so powerful that he had firmly crossed the Quasi-Sage Threshold—he was even stronger than an ordinary Quasi-Sage who had Severed one Corpse!
At Western Mount Sumeru—
Jieyin and Zhunti wore expressions of suffering, yet each had Severed a Corpse. Buddha Light flickered around them, and Quasi-Sage Pressure filled the air.
At Wuzhuang Temple—
A phantom of the Book of Earth appeared above Zhen Yuanzi's head, and the figure of a Daoist who seemed one with the earth took shape...
At the Blood Sea—
Ancestor Minghe's Killing Intent soared as the Yuantu and Abi Swords circled around him...
Nearly all the top-tier great powers who had gained something from the Second Sermon at Zixiao Palace broke through their bottlenecks during this period, relying on the Method of Severing the Three Corpses taught by Hongjun to enter the Quasi-Sage Realm they had long dreamed of!
These great cultivators had already accumulated deep reserves. Now that they had a path forward, their breakthroughs came in an instant.
Those with profound insight and deep foundations—such as the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Di Jun, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Zhen Yuanzi—even Severed one Corpse and reached the peak of the early Quasi-Sage stage!
In an instant, the number of Quasi-Sages in the Primordial Wilderness soared! The world's fortune and the balance of power underwent dramatic changes without anyone noticing!
The old era was coming to an end. A new era—the age of Quasi-Sages vying for supremacy—had arrived!
Deep within Pangu Temple, Ao Chen naturally sensed the successive, vast waves of Quasi-Sage breakthroughs throughout the Primordial World.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"They've all broken through to Quasi-Sage? The Method of Severing the Three Corpses is indeed quick."
Compared with these mainstream cultivators, who relied on Hongjun's Daoist teachings and followed the Heavenly Dao, he had created his own Mythical Grand Unity Method, and every step had been incredibly difficult. He had even faced Heavenly Tribulations meant to annihilate him, and yet he had only reached the peak of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
But Ao Chen felt neither impatience nor envy.
Before you continue