Mending the Earth Veins, Intercepting Spiritual Treasures, Spiritual Roots

Randeng rode his escape light out of Spirit Vulture Mountain. Looking back, he realized that the mountain was pointed at the top and rounded at the bottom, like a tomb.

He formed a hand seal and shut down the mountain-protecting Innate Great Formation. He was not worried about other living beings trespassing, for aside from its unusual shape, this mountain was utterly inconspicuous amid the boundless ranges of the primordial world. Indeed, due to the Annihilation Law, there was not even a single living creature on it.

Yet In the Nether, Randeng felt that this place might hold a great opportunity for him someday.

Randeng identified his direction in the air, then rode his escape light westward.

Spirit Vulture Mountain itself stood at the boundary between east and west, so Randeng soon arrived in the western lands.

He finally understood why there was a distinction between east and west. Once he crossed a certain boundary, the concentration of Karmic Energy throughout heaven and earth abruptly surged. Everywhere he looked lay shattered earth veins and immense abyssal chasms.

Randeng silently took back his earlier words. Compared with most of the mountains in the west, his Spirit Vulture Mountain was vastly better.

No wonder that during the Sermon at Purple Cloud Palace in the future, although Hongjun greatly disliked Zhunti and Jieyin, he still accepted them as nominal disciples and granted them two Saint Positions.

The devastation wrought by that Dao-Demon Conflict long ago far exceeded Randeng's imagination.

Demon Ancestor Luohu had detonated the western earth veins and made the vow, "When the Dao rises one foot, the demons rise one yard." Old Ancestor Yin-Yang and Old Ancestor Qiankun, who had traveled alongside Hongjun, had both perished here, while Great Immortal Yangmei had fled far into the chaos. This overwhelming Karma had all fallen upon Hongjun's head.

Yet while the western lands were a place other Innate Divine Saints avoided like the plague, they were an ideal dojo for Randeng.

The Great Dao of Destruction cultivated by Demon Ancestor Luohu was formed from the combination of numerous laws, including the Law of Destruction, Annihilation Law, and Law of Slaughter.

Most of what remained buried within the earth, preventing the earth veins from repairing themselves, was Annihilation Law. As long as Randeng erased Luohu's violent aura from it, he could directly absorb it and deepen his understanding of the Annihilation Law.

Randeng casually found an abyss and escaped into it. Descending more than ten thousand zhang beneath the ground, he indeed discovered a violent fragment of the Annihilation Law lodged within an Earth Vein Node, preventing the earth-vein power from flowing smoothly and repairing itself.

Sitting cross-legged, Randeng summoned the Five Qi in his chest. Five-colored halos revolved as they descended to suppress that fragment of the Annihilation Law.

As though sensing danger, the fragment of the Annihilation Law erupted with violent aura, seeking to destroy this Earth Vein Node once more.

"As expected of the Annihilation Law left behind by Luohu. Even a mere fragment carries out his will, continuing to ravage the western earth."

Randeng snorted coldly and summoned the Spirit Vulture Palace Lamp. Instantly, violet flames swept through the space ten thousand zhang underground, engulfing that violent fragment of the Annihilation Law and fiercely refining it.

"Without Luohu himself controlling it, a mere fragment still dares resist? Watch as I seize you in one grasp and refine you in an instant!"

The Dao aura of the Annihilation Law emerged around Randeng, and even gray, decayed cracks appeared in space. Backed by the mana of a peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, he ruthlessly suppressed that fragment of the Annihilation Law.

The fragment of the Annihilation Law began to turn into specks of spiritual light and enter Randeng's forehead. He felt his comprehension of the Annihilation Law steadily, if slowly, increasing.

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. Randeng finally absorbed that fragment of the Annihilation Law completely, and earth-vein power surged through the node.

Examining himself, he found that his comprehension of the Annihilation Law had reached thirty percent. That fragment of law had provided roughly one-tenth of a percent of comprehension, equivalent to ten thousand years of arduous cultivation.

To break through to Great Luo Golden Immortal, one had to comprehend at least fifty percent of a law. A Golden Immortal of the Origin required eighty percent, while a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin needed to fully comprehend at least one Great Dao. After Proving the Dao, it would be inscribed upon the Primordial Heavenly Dao, such as Luohu's Demonic Dao and Hongjun's Immortal Dao.

According to Randeng's inherited memories, the cultivation realms of the primordial world were Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Mystic Immortal, Golden Immortal, Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, Great Luo Golden Immortal, Golden Immortal of the Origin, and Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin. Realms beyond those were not something Randeng could consider at present.

After Dao Ancestor Hongjun's three sermons at Purple Cloud Palace, however, the latter two realms would become Quasi-Saint and Saint Realm.

After organizing his gains, Randeng flew out of the abyss. Earth-vein power surged forth, and the chasm visibly began to close.

In the Nether, a streak of golden light flashed across the sky, and an ineffable aura entered Randeng's Spiritual Platform.

Looking at the faint golden radiance covering his Primordial Spirit, Randeng knew that this was the merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao for repairing the earth veins.

As for why it had descended so silently, Randeng guessed that the grand phenomena accompanying descending merit had been arranged by Hongjun after he merged with the Dao, meant to prove that the merit-based path to sainthood he taught was favored by heaven and earth.

From then on, Randeng began a cycle of absorbing laws and repairing earth veins.

As the number of earth veins he repaired grew, Randeng found his travels through the west becoming increasingly smooth.

At first, he would only occasionally encounter a cluster of Earth Essence Crystal or a piece of Geng Metal Ore while repairing earth veins. Later, he often came across damaged hidden realms and obtained some Low Grade Innate Spiritual Roots.

"Have I become the Child of Destiny of the west before Zhunti and Jieyin?"

Randeng had a clear understanding of his own fortune. How could he, by himself, possibly encounter so many spiritual treasures in this barren west?

The only explanation was that over these tens of thousands of years, his repairs to the earth veins had not only reduced the concentration of Karmic Energy across the western lands, but had also drawn the great unseen momentum of western heaven and earth onto himself. Coupled with the lingering thread of Pangu's Fortune upon him, it had created his current state of being favored by heaven and earth.

After all, according to the original trajectory, the western lands would only gradually recover after Jieyin and Zhunti took form and entered the world.

Presumably, the fact that Jieyin and Zhunti could raise their cultivation to a level only slightly below the Three Pure Ones before the Sermon at Purple Cloud Palace was also greatly related to the aid of western heaven and earth.

One day, after Randeng repaired another earth vein and was about to leave, his Spiritual Platform suddenly stirred. A sudden impulse arose in his heart, and he sensed an opportunity belonging to him nearby.

Following the guidance of his Spiritual Platform, Randeng escaped toward a certain direction underground, assuming it would be another Low Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure like usual.

But upon arriving, he discovered that it was actually an Innate Array.

Through his explorations over the past tens of thousands of years, Randeng had learned that only Innate Spiritual Treasures of middle grade or above, or Innate Spiritual Roots, would be protected by Innate Great Formations.

Summoning the Qiankun Ruler, Randeng studied this Innate Great Formation while using the Qiankun Ruler to strike the restrictions upon it.

Since taking form, Randeng had completely refined all eighteen restrictions of the Qiankun Ruler and could fully unleash its divine abilities.

Several hundred years later, Randeng opened his eyes, spiritual light flashing within them. At last, he had found the formation's weak point. With a light tap of his spell finger, the Qiankun Ruler blasted toward that weakness and opened the formation.

At the center of the formation floated a vajra pestle. Its body was carved with an Innate God-Demon Diagram, its base bore ancient lotus patterns, golden light coiled around it, and its head was studded with fang-like spikes.

After refining it a little, Randeng learned that this was the renowned Vajra Pestle of the west. Specialized in breaking arts and subduing demons, it was said to "knock down men and gods alike." It contained thirty-five Innate Restrictions and was a High Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

"Have I intercepted another opportunity belonging to the Two Sages of the West?"

Randeng could already imagine Jieyin and Zhunti entering the world, only to find the west devoid of treasures.

Thus, he no longer hurried toward Mount Sumeru at the center of the west. According to his senses, no living being had yet appeared in the west to share his fortune.

That meant Zhunti and Jieyin had not yet taken form and entered the world.

He began circling Mount Sumeru, repairing earth veins while collecting spiritual treasures and spiritual roots.

Only when, In the Nether, heaven and earth urged him to enter Mount Sumeru and take possession of it did he finally set out.