Beyond the ends of the earth, an unimaginably enormous Divine Wood floated above the eastern reaches of the Primordial World, suppressing one of the world's cardinal directions.
The Divine Wood was so vast that it covered the heavens. Even the starry river flowing across the sky was no larger than a branch beside it.
This Divine Wood was not a true spirit root. It was a world formed from the Primordial World's concentrated Yi Wood Qi.
East Pole Heaven was the eastern gateway to the Primordial World, the front line against the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons.
When Fang Yang reached its entrance, he immediately sensed a fierce killing intent pouring from within, as if ancient Demon Gods were locked in a brutal war.
According to Meng Zhen, every time a tribulation had erupted in the past, Outer Realm Demon Gods had descended beyond the Primordial World and attacked it.
In other words, when a tribulation erupted, the Primordial World had been torn apart by internal strife while Outer Realm Heavenly Demons watched hungrily from beyond.
Hearing this, Fang Yang understood why Heaven's Dao treated the Four Spirits of Heaven-Opening and their clans so well.
Ever since their birth, these four clans had silently guarded this world. They had never entered the Primordial World to compete for its fortune.
Of course Heaven's Dao would take special care of four such clans.
Fang Yang was glad that he had at least acted reasonably and hadn't resorted to force over a few words from Meng Zhen.
These four clans could only be won over, never made enemies.
Of course, the Four Spirits of Heaven-Opening and the Interception Sect had no Great Dao Struggle between them.
One guarded the borders; the other taught and transformed the people. There was no irreconcilable conflict between them.
Sorry, Guangchengzi. I'm going to steal the ally you picked right out from under you.
Fang Yang apologized to Guangchengzi in his heart, then followed Meng Zhen into East Pole Heaven.
Meng Zhen wasn't the sort to scheme. He hadn't been alive long since taking human form, and he didn't know much about the darker side of human nature.
He was like a college student fresh out of school: smart and capable, but lacking experience in the ways of the world.
He judged things too much by the book, and in his dealings with others, he often simply followed what his father had taught him.
Upon entering East Pole Heaven, Fang Yang found himself in a world full of flowers, plants, and trees.
All the creatures in this world took the form of Azure Dragons when they transformed. The Azure Dragon was the innate Dao body of East Pole Heaven!
In truth, the Primordial World had eighty-one kinds of innate Dao bodies, corresponding to Pangu's eighty-one transformations.
Divine Lord Mengzhang's innate Dao body was the Azure Dragon form, so all the beings of East Pole Heaven had the Azure Dragon as their innate Dao body.
But that didn't mean the creatures of East Pole Heaven couldn't transform into Pangu's Heaven-Opening Dao body—the human form.
Usually, living beings transformed only once, but there were also those who transformed a second time, a third time, or even an unlimited number of times.
Each time a being transformed, it gained mastery of another innate Dao body.
Many Innate Divine Saints, such as the Three Pure Ones, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Empress Nuwa, and Emperor Fuxi, possessed both the Divine-Demonic innate Dao body and Pangu's Heaven-Opening Dao body.
Empress Nuwa could switch between seventy different innate Dao bodies in a single day.
Taiqing Daoist was even more formidable. He had mastered eighty of Pangu's eighty-one transformations, including the innate Creation Dao body modeled on Empress Nuwa's Divine-Demonic innate Dao body.
Although Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Sect Master Tongtian weren't as terrifying as Saint Taiqing, they had still mastered seventy-eight transformations and left countless legends throughout the world.
The Azure Dragon Clan was not originally a single species. Before their first transformation, they had been all kinds of flowers, plants, insects, fish, birds, and beasts. After their first transformation, they became Azure Dragons.
This meant that the myriad clans of East Pole Heaven had achieved Great Unification, leaving no distinctions between species.
Impressive. Divine Lord Mengzhang actually broke down the divisions between species and built a world with Great Dao Struggle, but no conflict between races.
Flying overhead and seeing the Azure Dragon people living in peace and prosperity, Fang Yang couldn't help admiring East Pole Heaven.
What Sect Master Tongtian wanted to establish was, in fact, a world just like this.
However, the Primordial World's situation was complicated, and Sect Master Tongtian couldn't control the entire world the way Divine Lord Mengzhang did.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has learned that you've returned to East Pole Heaven and is waiting for you in Green Dragon Hall. As for this honored guest, His Majesty invites you to enter the hall with Your Highness."
The two had just reached the outskirts of Panlong City when an Azure Dragon official came out to deliver Divine Lord Mengzhang's message.
For Sect Master Tongtian's sake, Divine Lord Mengzhang treated Fang Yang with great courtesy, even using the word "invites."
Given his standing in the world, Divine Lord Mengzhang didn't actually need to be so courteous to Fang Yang. His status was only a little below Sect Master Tongtian's.
In Green Dragon Hall, Fang Yang met for the first time the being who ruled over countless trillions of East Pole Heaven's people and had protected the Primordial World for three tribulations.
Divine Lord Mengzhang was a young man with refined features, like a scholar from the mortal world. He seemed quite approachable.
If not for the weathered look in his eyes, he could have stood beside Meng Zhen and looked like his brother. There was no telling the difference in their ages.
"Father!"
Meng Zhen greeted him first. His manner was casual, like an ordinary son speaking to his father, without all the formalities of royalty.
Divine Lord Mengzhang was used to this. He waved Meng Zhen aside.
"Fang Yang, a Disciple of the Sect of Interception, pays his respects to Divine Lord!"
Fang Yang was a little nervous. Whether this would work depended entirely on Divine Lord Mengzhang's attitude.
Divine Lord Mengzhang raised a hand slightly and helped Fang Yang up.
"Virtuous Nephew, there's no need for formalities. Daoist Tongtian and I aren't strangers. In the previous tribulation, Daoist Tongtian even helped me subdue a Chaos Demon Wolf."
The previous tribulation was the Witch-Demon Tribulation, the third time the Primordial World had been invaded by Outer Realm Heavenly Demons.
While the Witch and Demon Clans were busy fighting for supremacy, the Saints helped the Four Spirits of Heaven-Opening fend off the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons.
The outcome had been decent. The Primordial World had survived its third tribulation. Mount Buzhou had fallen, but at least the world itself had been saved.
"Then I'll take the liberty of calling you Uncle-Master, Divine Lord."
Fang Yang was quick to seize an opportunity. Divine Lord Mengzhang had shown him warmth, so he naturally wanted to take the chance to grow closer.
"Hahaha! You're Daoist Tongtian's prized disciple, Virtuous Nephew. I can certainly accept you calling me Uncle-Master. I already know why you've come. My son Meng Zhen will help you."
Divine Lord Mengzhang laughed heartily and agreed without hesitation.
Meng Zhen couldn't help feeling delighted.
He was eager to take part in something that would benefit all the people of the Primordial World, even if he wasn't the one leading it.
He wanted everyone in the Azure Dragon Clan to know that he wasn't merely a second-generation divine who relied on his father. He, too, could earn merit for all living beings.
Fang Yang was overjoyed. He immediately bowed again.
"Thank you, Uncle-Master, for making this possible! Our sect will never forget the kindness East Pole Heaven has shown us today!"
Divine Lord Mengzhang waved a hand, his expression suddenly turning solemn.
"In the previous tribulation, three fellow Daoists went so far as to use their great powers to draw all living beings' tribulations onto themselves, in order to dispel the calamity. They endured the price of the Myriad Tribulations Devouring Heart and saved all living beings. What I can do is not even a fraction of what those three fellow Daoists did."
"Go on. This is nothing to my Azure Dragon Clan."
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