Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler, Chance Encounter with Tongtian

Randeng flew eastward, intending to first return to his own Spirit Vulture Mountain. Ever since advancing to Grand Unity, the opportunity within his own dojo had called to him with ever-increasing strength.

He had even been considering that, if he borrowed the Earth Book this time, he would move Spirit Vulture Mountain to the west, sparing it from being caught up in the Witch-Demon War in the future.

Continually using the Qiankun Ruler to shatter the void, Randeng took only several hundred years to return this time, far less than the journey to the west.

Forming a hand seal and opening the mountain-protecting grand formation, Randeng returned to Yuanjue Cave for the first time in nearly one kalpa.

When he had left, he had merely been at the late stage of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. Now that he had returned, he had attained the Grand Unity Dao Fruit.

Following the sensation within his Spiritual Platform, Randeng went straight to the place in the cave abode where he had taken form.

He brought out the Spirit Vulture Palace Lamp and sensed carefully, only to find that its connection In the Nether had instead weakened somewhat.

"Strange. Could it be that this opportunity has nothing to do with the Annihilation Law?"

He possessed two companion spiritual treasures. Randeng naturally placed greater importance on the Spirit Vulture Palace Lamp, which concerned his future Dao path, while the Qiankun Ruler mostly served as an auxiliary spiritual treasure.

Since the opportunity In the Nether lay here, yet he could find nothing even after searching with his Grand Unity cultivation—

Most opportunities in the Primordial World were like this. Spiritual treasures and spiritual roots that had yet to emerge into the world were connected to some Innate Divine Saint; only once an opportunity emerged would it draw everyone into a scramble for it.

With a try-and-see attitude, Randeng used all his Grand Unity mana to drive the Qiankun Ruler at full force. Space Law and the Law of Gravity coiled around it, radiating a foot-long treasure light.

Yet he did not sense the aura of any Innate Spiritual Treasure being drawn forth into the world.

No, that wasn't right. Randeng suddenly recalled another Houtian supreme treasure from his past life, one said to stand alongside the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Mysterious Yellow Pagoda—the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler.

At this thought, he summoned the Precious Mirror of Merit within his Spiritual Platform and slowly poured merit into the Qiankun Ruler.

Golden Light of Merit clung to the Innate Restrictions upon the spiritual treasure, blending with them like water and milk into one.

Only after Randeng had infused nearly half of all his merit into it did a point of nothingness within the cave abode bloom with dense golden light.

The amount of merit far surpassed that which he had used to condense the Precious Mirror of Merit.

"It is actually that ten percent of the Heaven-Opening merit!"

Randeng cried out inwardly. Nearly all the Heaven-Opening merit had been divided among the Pangu Orthodox. Each of the Three Pure Ones received ten percent, the Mysterious Yellow Pagoda received ten percent, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches collectively received thirty percent. Another twenty percent transformed into rain of merit, stabilizing heaven and earth and nourishing all things.

Only ten percent of the Heaven-Opening merit had vanished without a trace. Some said it had become the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler; others claimed it had been obtained by Hongjun.

Who would have thought it had been hidden in his own cave abode all along, born alongside his Qiankun Ruler?

As merit flowed into it without end, the number of Innate Restrictions upon the Qiankun Ruler began to multiply.

They rose from the original eighteen Innate Restrictions to twenty-five, and were still being refined into form.

This was the most primordial method of artifact refining in the Primordial World. The process of inscribing restrictions under the guidance of merit pointed directly to the fundamental Great Dao of the Way of Artifact Refining.

Randeng was unwilling to let this opportunity to comprehend the Way of Artifact Refining pass him by. He sat cross-legged, casually brought out the spiritual materials he had acquired while repairing the earth veins, and began imitating the refining process.

Only when the restrictions on the Qiankun Ruler reached forty-eight did their growth slow. Yet the Houtian Spiritual Treasure Randeng refined contained at most twenty restrictions.

Still, Randeng was already quite satisfied. After all, this was only his first encounter with artifact refining. He simply did not know how his skill compared to Yuanshi of the Three Pure Ones, who excelled at artifact refining.

The Qiankun Ruler had now advanced into a top-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure, but Randeng had almost no merit left. Gritting his teeth, he poured all his remaining merit into the Qiankun Ruler.

As the forty-ninth restriction was inscribed, two Dao patterns—"Measure Heaven"—appeared upon the ruler's body. It would be more fitting to call it the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler now.

A Houtian Merit Supreme Treasure!

Since it had advanced from the Qiankun Ruler, Randeng did not need to refine it anew to command it.

The Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler truly deserved its title as the foremost Houtian offensive supreme treasure, second only to the Pangu Banner. It could ignore defenses, specifically break protective divine abilities and spiritual treasures, manifest the scene of heaven and earth being opened, tear apart space and laws, and inflict terrifying damage upon both the Primordial Spirit and physical body.

Most crucially, killing with it incurred no Karma.

With it, the shortcoming of Randeng's lack of offensive methods was also remedied. Combined with his Grand Unity cultivation, so long as no Quasi-Saint emerged in the Primordial World, only Taishang could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Just as Randeng was preparing to study the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler's wondrous uses, he detected a sharp aura rapidly approaching from tens of thousands of miles away.

Friend or foe unknown, Randeng activated the mountain-protecting grand formation, ready to meet the first Innate Divine Saint he had encountered apart from Zhunti and Jieyin.

"I wonder whose blessed grotto-heaven lies in this region. Seeing the treasure light, I have come especially to offer my congratulations. Might you come out for a meeting? I am Tongtian."

From afar, that Innate Divine Saint transmitted his voice into the grand formation.

"So it is Tongtian of the Three Pure Ones. Why is he here? And he was drawn here by the treasure light of the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler." Randeng was also curious about this future leader of the Jie Sect.

Randeng controlled the grand formation and opened a passage, leaving Tongtian to choose whether to enter or not.

"The formation is open. Fellow Daoist, enter on your own."

Yet in the next instant, Tongtian became a streak of light and slipped into the grand formation.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist, you are truly forthright."

The fleeing light dispersed, revealing a young Daoist with sword-like brows and starry eyes, clad in an azure Daoist robe with a sword hanging at his waist.

The Daoist before him did not bow. Instead, he clasped his hands in greeting. "I am Tongtian. Greetings, Fellow Daoist."

"I am Randeng. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Tongtian. May I ask why Fellow Daoist has come alone to this region?"

After introducing himself, Randeng smoothly asked why Tongtian had come here.

After all, Spirit Vulture Mountain was close to the west, where spiritual energy was sparse and barren. Ordinary Innate Divine Saints were unwilling to come here.

Randeng then took out several Gengjin Apples and gestured for Tongtian to eat as they talked.

"My two elder brothers are in seclusion. I was bored, so I came out to spar and discuss the Dao with others. I had just returned from the East Sea and happened to pass by Fellow Daoist's treasured land. Seeing a flash of treasure light, I thought a spiritual treasure had been born. Only when I drew closer did I discover that an Innate Great Formation was already guarding it."

Tongtian explained while savoring the spiritual fruits.

"So that was it. The treasure light just now was merely some gains I made in artifact refinement. I failed to keep it under control, and it leaked through the great formation."

Randeng did not tell the truth. After all, there were only two Acquired Merit Supreme Treasures in the entire Primordial World.

"Oh? I never expected Fellow Daoist to be skilled in artifact refinement as well. My second brother is also obsessed with artifact refinement. Another day, I shall introduce Fellow Daoist to him—he will certainly be delighted."

Tongtian's eyes suddenly lit up, for he discovered that these spiritual fruits actually contained Gengjin Law beneficial to his Sword Dao.

"May I ask where Fellow Daoist obtained these spiritual fruits? If Fellow Daoist is willing to part with this spiritual root, I am willing to take out other treasures in exchange."

Tongtian asked Randeng. He was currently stuck at the peak of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, and the Gengjin Law he chiefly cultivated perfectly matched his Dao.

Randeng was quite interested in Tongtian's treasures. He himself had no interest in the Gengjin Law within these spiritual fruits; ordinarily, he gave more of them to Jieyin.

He asked Tongtian, "What is Fellow Daoist willing to offer in exchange?"

With a sweep of his hand, Tongtian placed six azure-blue pearls upon the table, each containing boundless Space Law.

"These pearls are called Sea-Calming Divine Pearls. I happened to obtain them in the East Sea. Every six pearls make up one Mid Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Perhaps if one has the chance to gather them all, they may reach the highest grade."

Seeing that Randeng was genuinely interested, Tongtian immediately introduced them to him.

Looking at the spiritual treasures Tongtian had taken out, Randeng was astonished.

Could it be that this Spirit Vulture Mountain is truly my blessed land? First I discovered the merit of creation, and now Tongtian has brought me the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls.