Looking at the newly ascended Innate Supreme Treasure in his hand—the Eighteen-grade Yin-Yang Dao Lotus, which had transformed into something palm-sized with its divine might completely restrained and utterly inconspicuous—East King Duke was overjoyed.
Although he had already possessed the Chaos Bead, an Innate Supreme Treasure, the Eighteen-grade Dao Lotus was something he had spent hundreds of thousands of years planning for and personally advanced. Naturally, it felt different.
Moreover, with their origins now in harmony, this Dao Lotus was destined to become East King Duke's Dao-Proving Treasure. To him, it was therefore the most important treasure of all.
In appearance, the lotus platform looked no different from before, but its aura was now completely different. After all, it was an Innate Supreme Treasure, so it was naturally extraordinary.
The leisurely Innate Dao Rhyme was intoxicating. As long as East King Duke wished, the Dao Lotus could even manifest the Dao of Yin-Yang before him, assisting him in cultivating the Chaos Top-tier Law.
Not only that, but the Dao Lotus's might had also soared. When it had been at the twelfth grade, it had already possessed impressive defensive power. Now that it had advanced to the eighteenth grade, it had reached the level of a supreme treasure. Moreover, it was considerably stronger than the Qiankun Cauldron, which was also an Innate Supreme Treasure. Even when compared to Taiqing Laozi's Merit Supreme Treasure, the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, reputed to possess peerless defenses, it was not inferior in the slightest.
Even more precious was the fact that after refining the seed of the Yin-Yang Law, the Dao Lotus had also developed offensive power. It could manifest divine abilities of the Yin-Yang Law to fend off enemies, and its might was extraordinary.
A supreme treasure with both offense and defense could already rival the Taiji Diagram, Pangu Banner, and Chaos Bell, the Three Treasures of Creation.
With the Chaos Exotic Treasure God Slaying Spear and the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Pure Yang Sword as his primary offensive weapons; the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, Southern Flame Light Banner, and two Five Elements Banners that were both Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures as his defenses; the newly upgraded Innate Supreme Treasure Eighteen-grade Innate Yin-Yang Dao Lotus providing both offense and defense; and the auxiliary supreme treasure Chaos Bead, East King Duke had finally armed himself to the teeth with Innate Spiritual Treasures.
In his previous life, Ancestor Minghe was said to have been blessed beyond measure, covered in treasures. But at this moment, East King Duke had already surpassed him.
When people said his wealth was immense, that was still under the assumption that many Spiritual Treasures of relatively lower grades were not counted. For example, the High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure he had obtained earlier on Buzhou Mountain—the Blazing Sun Command Banner.
Innate Spiritual Treasures were few and far between in the Primordial World. Most Innate Beings did not possess the fortune to own even one. If others learned that East King Duke did not even care much about a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, they would probably be so furious that their souls would leave their bodies and their Dao Hearts collapse.
One had to know that even a top-tier Innate Divine Demon like Ancestor Hong Yun did not possess a single decent Innate Spiritual Treasure at this time. It was only after Hongjun preached the Dao that he obtained an Innate Spiritual Treasure—the Soul Scattering Gourd—from the Innate Gourd Vine on Buzhou Mountain.
There was also Old Ancestor Kunpeng. He had spent his entire life seeking a Spiritual Treasure to protect himself. At the end of the Witch-Demon Calamity, after finally obtaining Di Jun's River Diagram and Luo Book, he hid in his Northern Darkness Dao Field, only for it to be taken away by a Saint in the end.
At this time, Hongjun had not yet become a Saint, and the Three Corpses Method had not appeared. Even without Innate Spiritual Treasures, these Innate Divine Demons would at most suffer some disadvantages in combat. But after Hongjun preached the Dao and passed down the Three Corpses Dao Proving Method, once the Primordial World entered the Quasi-Saint era, all Great Divine Power Users of the Primordial World would need to Sever the Corpse with Innate Objects to achieve the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. Thus, matters concerning the Dao Path led to no shortage of examples of people fighting to the death over an Innate Spiritual Treasure.
Moreover, East King Duke's wealth was not limited to these Spiritual Treasures. The Yellow Middle Plum and the Sky-reaching Jianmu Divine Tree were both peerless divine objects. Jianmu in particular might allow him to scheme for a Great Merit.
Of course, those were all tangible things. There was also something intangible that was more important than most Spiritual Treasures and even comparable to a supreme treasure.
That was the enormous Heavenly Dao Merit on his person. Although he did not follow the path of the Heavenly Dao Saint and instead wished to pursue the Freedom Great Origin Dao, making the Heavenly Dao Merit less important to him, that was only relative. Even if he did not use it to improve his cultivation, he could still use merit to comprehend the Dao, refine Spiritual Treasures, or bestow it upon his disciples.
East King Duke had even come up with some ideas that could maximize the usefulness of merit and improve his strength and foundation. Of course, that still required him to proceed slowly.
After taking stock of his wealth, even East King Duke himself was somewhat astonished. Without realizing it, he had become a veritable magnate of the Primordial World.
He put away his Spiritual Treasures, and Queen Mother of the West drifted over from the side.
"Dong Hua, what happened to you?"
The sudden descent of tribulation lightning—and one as powerful as the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation at that—had naturally alarmed Queen Mother of the West, who had been cultivating in the Pure Yin Palace on Supreme Yang Mountain. Once the Lightning Tribulation dispersed, she hurried over anxiously to ask about it.
There was nothing East King Duke needed to hide from Queen Mother of the West, so he explained in detail how the Dao Lotus had advanced in grade.
As expected, it elicited an exclamation from her.
"Your twelve-grade Dao Lotus was actually an Innate Supreme Treasure!"
"It is now the Eighteen-grade Innate Yin-Yang Dao Lotus."
Queen Mother of the West was utterly shocked. She was also a top-tier Innate Goddess with considerable fortune and had been accompanied from birth by the Western Plain Colored Cloud Boundary Banner, a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Yet even she had never had the fortune to see a supreme treasure.
This time, she had actually witnessed the birth of one with her own eyes.
"East King, you truly possess profound fortune."
Queen Mother of the West sighed with emotion.
East King Duke smiled slightly and said, "Tai Zhen, there are still quite a few Dao Lotuses in my Lotus Pond. I'll pick a Nine-Grade Lotus Platform for you. Although it is still only a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, after receiving the laws and aura of that supreme treasure, it may yet advance into a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure."
"Then thank you."
The relationship between the two was already connected by destiny, so naturally there could be no talk of Karma. Queen Mother of the West therefore did not refuse and accepted it calmly.
East King Duke waved his hand, and a Yin-Yang lotus platform flew out of the Lotus Pond before the Dao Palace. He had previously bestowed a Seven-Grade Lotus Platform upon his disciple Xuan Yang, and this one was the highest-grade among them.
"Although this lotus platform is only a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Spiritual Treasures in the form of lotus platforms can assist one in comprehending the Dao. They are tremendously useful to all of us."
Queen Mother of the West did not spend much time refining the Nine-Grade Lotus Platform. After obtaining the Dao Lotus, she was also delighted. The two chatted for a while before she spoke again. "Dong Hua, I wish to return to Kunlun Mountain and retrieve the attendant children and some Innate Spiritual Roots left in my Dao Field, bringing them back to Mount Fang Island. I also want to tour the Primordial Continent while I'm at it."
Queen Mother of the West had remained on Mount Fang Island for many years, helping guard the Supreme Yang Dao Field. Now that the Calamity had ended and she had successfully reached the Mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, it was quite suitable for her to travel outside.
"Why don't we go together?"
East King Duke had been in the Late-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm for tens of thousands of years, yet he had still not found an opportunity to break through to the Zenith Heaven Peak realm. The two of them traveling through the Primordial World together in search of opportunities would not be a bad decision.
"Good!"
Queen Mother of the West readily agreed. After making some preparations, they left together.
His two disciples, Xuan Yang and Qing Ling, were also traveling outside. Thus, only the two attendants, Jin Ling and Yin Ling, remained in the Dao Field during this journey. However, Mount Fang Island was protected by a grand formation, and ordinary Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals could not enter. After the Calamity, the Dragon Clan had withdrawn into seclusion, and no one in the East Sea dared force their way into East King Duke's Dao Field. It was therefore perfectly safe.
With one lotus platform each, they soon flew out of the East Sea Region and arrived at the Primordial Continent. However, they did not head directly to Western Kunlun. Instead, they once again traveled in the direction of Buzhou Mountain.
First, Queen Mother of the West wished to ascend Buzhou Mountain once more and test her opportunity. Second, East King Duke wanted to investigate the depths of the Witch Clan.
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