The Shocked Western Duo, Stabilizing Cultivation

Randeng sacrificed the Qiankun Ruler, his figure flashing as he returned to the summit of Mount Sumeru.

Now that he had proven the Zenith Heaven realm, his control over his own spiritual treasure had risen to another level. Just now, he had used the Qiankun Ruler's Space Law to tear through the crushing layers of pressure from the earth veins.

Seeing Randeng return, Jieyin immediately went up to greet him, worry written across his face.

"Senior Brother, has that Devil Ancestor left? Did he do anything to you? Was the senior who saved me the Dao Ancestor?"

Jieyin fired off a string of questions. At the time, his six senses had been sealed, so he knew little of what had happened around him.

Only when the Dao Ancestor unsealed him had he caught a fleeting glimpse of the one who acted. It was precisely the person who had set up Mount Sumeru's mountain-protecting great array more than a dozen kalpas ago.

"Teacher has already returned to the Chaos to comprehend the Heavenly Dao."

Faced with all those questions, Randeng merely gave a light, offhand reply.

"What?!"

Jieyin and Zhunti cried out at the same time.

Zhunti had also heard Jieyin's account of what had happened underground and had been deeply worried for Randeng. Who could have imagined that when Randeng emerged, he would be the Dao Ancestor's first disciple?

"Would I lie to you?"

Seeing that Jieyin and Zhunti did not quite believe him, Randeng released the pressure of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. The whole of Mount Sumeru instantly fell utterly silent; even the wild spiritual energy became somewhat more docile.

"You're already a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal?"

Jieyin had no idea what he had missed. They had both gone to the core of the earth veins—so how had Senior Brother Randeng already advanced to the Zenith Heaven realm?

After revealing it slightly, Randeng withdrew his aura.

"It is enough that you know of this matter. When walking the Primordial World, the most important thing is to remain steady and cautious. Rest assured—since I am here, it is not impossible for Teacher to take you as disciples as well."

Randeng did not change the way he addressed them and still called them Junior Brothers, because he knew that Jieyin and Zhunti would sooner or later enter Teacher's school.

"Senior Brother, is that true?"

Only now did Jieyin and Zhunti become completely convinced by Randeng. Roots, fortune, opportunities, intellect—Randeng surpassed the two of them in every respect.

"Of course. But the most urgent matter right now is still to finish repairing the western earth veins. After all, the West is the foundation upon which us brothers stand."

Randeng agreed at once. If Jieyin and Zhunti truly were worth molding, then at the future Sermon at Purple Cloud Palace, it would not be impossible to help them seize two meditation cushions in advance.

"What can the two of us brothers do? Please instruct us, Senior Brother."

Jieyin naturally understood the importance of the West. Barring any mishaps, this would be the place where he and Zhunti proved the Dao.

"Jieyin, you will travel throughout the western lands and restore the earth veins I previously missed. At the same time, gather living beings and bring back to Mount Sumeru those who have already taken form or possess talent and opportunities."

Randeng swiftly began assigning their duties, and Jieyin nodded in acknowledgment.

"Zhunti, do not rush to take form yet. I will give you the Green Lotus Treasure Banner. First, protect Mount Sumeru and your own main body. Second, use the Green Lotus World Purifying Glazed Great Array to sort out the earth veins near Mount Sumeru and nurture the earth-vein core, preparing for its recovery."

Zhunti sent out his Spiritual Sense to indicate that there would be no problem. For the sake of taking form as soon as possible, he would certainly guard Mount Sumeru well.

"As for me, I will head east and ask Zhenyuanzi of Longevity Mountain to lend me the Earth Book. If all goes smoothly, I will return within a few tens of thousands of years."

Randeng only knew that Zhenyuanzi's Dojo lay somewhere near the border between east and west; as for its exact location, he would have to try his luck. After all, with the Earth Book in hand, it would be far too easy for Zhenyuanzi to conceal Longevity Mountain if he wished.

"Senior Brother, you are running about for the sake of our West, so you must take care of yourself. If that Zhenyuanzi refuses to lend the treasure, then simply return, Senior Brother. We can think of another way."

Jieyin's words were truly heartfelt. In their eyes, Randeng was now the pillar of the West—nothing could happen to him.

"That's right, Senior Brother Randeng. At worst, I simply won't seek perfect transformation. With you and Senior Brother Jieyin here, can't I strut sideways through the Primordial World?"

Zhunti voiced his thoughts as well. There were only three Innate Divine Saints in the West now; as long as Randeng and Jieyin were strong enough, no one could threaten him.

Hearing Jieyin and Zhunti's concern, Randeng felt somewhat moved. Though they had originally approached one another with benefits in mind, by a twist of fate, they had all ended up in the same boat.

"It is nothing. I am not an overbearing man; I will certainly explain things properly to Zhenyuanzi. Before that, though, I must consolidate my Zenith Heaven cultivation."

Randeng spoke to reassure them. The cultivation of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was precisely what gave him the confidence to venture east. He believed that in this era, aside from Taishang, who might keep pace with him, the other Innate Divine Saints were at most at the peak of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Once the Innate Divine Saints gradually entered the Zenith Heaven realm, Teacher's Sermon at Purple Cloud Palace would not be far away.

After arranging for Jieyin and Zhunti to attend to their respective tasks, Randeng sat cross-legged within the array and began examining the foundation he possessed.

Within his Spiritual Platform, the World-Ending Black Lotus still floated quietly beside his Primordial Spirit, no longer bearing the violent frenzy it had possessed under Luohu's control.

At the opening of heaven, the Thirty-Six-Rank Chaos Green Lotus suffered the backlash of the force that opened heaven, transforming into one mature lotus seed and four not-yet-fully-mature lotus seeds.

They were the Twenty-Four-Rank Innate Green Lotus, the Twelve-Rank Merit Golden Lotus, the Twelve-Rank Karmic Fire Red Lotus, the Twelve-Rank World-Destroying Black Lotus, and the Twelve-Rank World-Purifying White Lotus.

Randeng guessed that this Nine-Rank World-Ending Black Lotus had been obtained by Luohu after planting a seed of the Twelve-Rank World-Destroying Black Lotus upon the earth-vein core.

Since Teacher had said that this Nine-Rank Black Lotus could still be cultivated, that meant it should have a chance of returning to the twelfth rank.

Besides using it to comprehend the Annihilation Law, Randeng might perhaps use it in the future as an excellent means of eliminating the Karmic Power of others. It involved the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes, but that could be discussed another day.

Apart from that, the most precious item was the Jade Void Glazed Lamp. This treasure likewise possessed forty-two Innate Restrictions and was a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, capable of refining one's Dao foundation, purifying the Primordial Spirit, and igniting Karmic Power.

It would also be the dharma treasure Randeng used in the future for the method of severing the three corpses, entrusting his three corpses to it.

As for the method of Proving the Dao, Randeng had already formed an idea. Reincarnation was not yet manifest in the Primordial World, so it was only fitting that he comprehend the Dao of reincarnation, then prove the Dao when establishing the cycle of reincarnation and the underworld.

In this life, Randeng possessed the advantage of timing, terrain, and popular support. Naturally, he was unwilling to prove only the Dao of a merit saint. What he sought was to sever every shackle and transcend the Primordial World.

Thus, the next Law Randeng needed to comprehend was clear: the Creation Law, which together with the Annihilation Law formed the foundation of the Great Dao of Reincarnation.

For the Grand Unity Dao Fruit, three flowers bloomed. Cultivating a single Law to seventy percent and making seven petals bloom allowed one to break through to the Golden Immortal of the Origin, though it would be the weakest kind of Golden Immortal of the Origin.

This was because a single Great Dao required at least three Laws. Only a Golden Immortal of the Origin who had comprehended all three Laws to seventy percent before breaking through could be called the strongest.

If he wanted to obtain treasures related to the Creation Law, he might have to make another trip to Buzhou Mountain.

Having only just broken through to Grand Unity, he still needed to thoroughly grasp the many changes of the Grand Unity realm.

Taking out the World-Destroying Black Lotus and the Spirit Vulture Palace Lamp, Randeng began using the might of these spirit treasures to stabilize his Grand Unity Dao Fruit.

This cultivation session lasted ten thousand years.

When Randeng opened his eyes again, the aura around him was no longer a tangled mess. He had already fused everything he had learned into one; beings below the Taiyi realm would take him for an ordinary mortal with no cultivation at all.

Randeng's gaze blazed as he looked toward the east.

Longevity Mountain, this Daoist is coming.

What would Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun be like at this time?