Fuxi furrowed his brow, seemingly unconvinced by East King Duke's words.
By then, he already felt a kinship with Di Jun and Tai Yi. It was no wonder: in later generations, aside from the Demon Emperor and the East Emperor, Fuxi was the one who identified most strongly with the Yao Race Heavenly Court. He was deeply involved in the affairs of the Yao Race, so much so that he ultimately perished in the great war.
If he hadn't had a sister who was a Heavenly Dao Saint, he wouldn't even have had the chance to be reincarnated. How could he then have attained the Supreme Position among the human race in later generations?
"Daoist Supreme Yang, I cannot agree with you. We cultivators should make many friends among our fellow Daoists and learn from one another. When it comes to Primordial World Destiny, we must contend for it when the time comes."
Fuxi spoke with stirring conviction. His words seemed reasonable, but in truth, they were not. Those with virtue could obtain Primordial World Destiny, but what counted as virtue was hard to define with a single statement. Ultimately, strength was what mattered.
The Witch and Demon Races of later generations appeared overwhelmingly powerful, even more so than the Three Innate Tribes of old. But without a Saint or Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal to support them, Primordial World Destiny would be nothing but a reflection of flowers in a mirror: visible, but impossible to grasp.
East King Duke said no more. It was pointless to reason with someone bent on their own destruction. Fuxi had already set his heart on joining the Yao Race. Even Nuwa couldn't stop him, let alone an outsider like himself.
Seeing how resolute Fuxi was, it was clear he intended to join the Yao Race. Nuwa, standing nearby, didn't want to discuss it further, especially with others present.
Besides, East King Duke's words had stirred something within her, so she asked, "May I ask, Daoist Supreme Yang, is there still a path beyond Great Luo? What realm lies beyond it?"
At this question, even Fuxi, who had been full of heroic fervor, turned curious.
It was no wonder. For most beings in the Primordial World, their innate inheritance taught that the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Peak was the end. Even the Pangu Three Pure Ones were no different. It was hardly strange that Fuxi and Nuwa were still in the dark, unable to see the Path Ahead.
Nuwa would become the Human Race Saint Mother in the future. Though East King Duke had been human in his previous life and was now incarnated as an Innate Divine Demon in the Primordial World, he was still willing to explain the Dao to her. He considered it a way to settle the Karma of his previous life.
So he said, "We cultivators seek the Dao and pursue immortality. Once one enters the immortal path, one becomes an Earth Immortal. After that come the Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, and Mysterious Immortal realms. When the five qi within the chest are gathered, one becomes a Grand Unity Mysterious Immortal. Attaining the Golden Immortal realm brings one the status of a High Immortal. Then, after the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, one escapes the River of Fate. When the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top occurs and the Human Flower blooms, one attains the realm of a Great Luo Golden Immortal."
"However, we top-tier Innate Divine Demons become Great Luo Golden Immortals as soon as we take physical form, so there's no need to concern ourselves with anything before Great Luo. After Great Luo, when the Three Flowers of Heaven, Earth, and Man bloom above one's head and the primordial spirit is perfected, one reaches the Zenith Heaven Peak. This is the pinnacle of immortality. Great Luo Golden Immortals are said to have escaped the River of Fate and to be Immortal and Indestructible, but they have not fully transcended it or attained carefree freedom. Every nine Yuan Hui, they must endure the Three Calamities, Six Tribulations, and Ten Trials. Though these won't cost them their lives, they still put their primordial spirits through a considerable ordeal. Thus, they must advance beyond Great Luo."
"After the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, when immortal power is perfected and the Laws are cultivated, one becomes a Primordial Golden Immortal. Though this realm is called immortal, those in it are no longer immortals. It belongs to the Primordial realm, below the Saints of the Primordial World, and so they may be called Quasi-Saints."
"As for the relative strength of Primordial Golden Immortals, it is measured by the strength of their Laws!"
East King Duke wasn't giving a formal lecture on the Dao; he was merely offering a simple introduction to the cultivators' realms. Yet Fuxi and Nuwa listened, utterly absorbed. Before this, they had sensed that a path existed beyond Great Luo, but it had always been hazy and indistinct. Now East King Duke had clarified the way forward, and everything suddenly became clear.
Nuwa asked again, "May I ask whether there are any beings in the Primordial World who have already reached beyond Great Luo?"
East King Duke nodded. "There are."
"Which great power?"
"Senior Hongjun of Mount Yujing."
"Hongjun..."
At those two words, Nuwa's heart jolted. It was as though an immense Karma bound itself to her, though she couldn't explain or understand it. Yet the feeling in her primordial spirit didn't seem ominous, so she relaxed.
In the blink of an eye, East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West had spent nearly ten thousand years at Fuxi and Nuwa's Daoist retreat. The four of them discussed the Dao several times, and each gained something from it.
When it was time to leave, the siblings were rather reluctant. Their ten thousand years of discussions and exchanges had saved them a hundred thousand years of arduous cultivation.
Not far from Fuxi and Nuwa's retreat, Queen Mother of the West asked, "Dong Hua, I observed Fuxi and Nuwa, and Fuxi surpasses her in both realm and magical power. Why do you seem to value Nuwa more? Is there something special about her that I don't know?"
Their auras were connected, so Queen Mother of the West could roughly sense what was going on.
East King Duke naturally couldn't tell her that Nuwa was a Heaven-ordained Saint and the Human Race Saint Mother, so he said, "Nuwa has exceptional destiny and profound good fortune. Fuxi cannot compare. Her achievements in the future will surely be extraordinary."
Queen Mother of the West nodded thoughtfully and asked no more.
Their earlier encounter with Fuxi and Nuwa had been accidental. After leaving, the two continued exploring Buzhou.
Another ten thousand years passed without any further stirrings. The pair then descended the mountain together. At the foot of Buzhou Mountain, East King Duke determined their direction and led Queen Mother of the West toward a certain place. He had already planned to visit the Witch Clan, so this was the perfect opportunity.
They hadn't gone far after descending when they saw, hundreds of thousands of miles away, a gigantic palace reaching straight into the clouds. Even from a distance, Blood Qi surged toward the sky, and Malevolent Qi coiled around it. The sight was truly astounding.
It was surely Pangu Hall.
Legend had it that the Witch Clan's divine hall was itself an unparalleled treasure, a legacy Great God Pangu had left to the Witch Clan. All the Witches, including the Ancestral Witches, had been born within the hall. East King Duke's journey to the Witch Clan was also motivated by a desire to see Pangu Hall.
The Witch Clan multiplied rapidly. In just tens of thousands of years, its numbers had already reached nearly a million. The two made no effort to conceal their flight toward Pangu Hall, so the lesser Witches had already alerted the powerful members of their clan.
Soon, the pair were intercepted.
"You two Daoists, stop right there!"
A burly man, eight feet tall, came rushing over from the side. He carried a giant axe, had a leopard's head and round eyes, and was surrounded by Malevolent Qi. His voice boomed like thunder. He was bare-chested and barefoot.
"Reporting to Great Witch Xing Tian, these two Daoists have been flying straight toward our Ancestral Land's divine hall without stopping. We don't know why."
A lesser Witch had followed them and reported to the burly man.
East King Duke's thoughts stirred as he listened. He hadn't expected the newcomer to be the famous Great Witch Xing Tian of later generations. But his expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "I am East King Duke, from the East Sea. I wish to meet the Ancestral Witches of your clan. Please announce our arrival."
"Hmph! What status do the Ancestral Witches have? They can't be summoned whenever you please. Your origins are unknown, and your behavior is suspicious. You must be up to no good. I'll capture you and let Lord Zhu Rong decide what to do with you."
As expected of the Witch Clan, they were extremely combative. Xing Tian, who would later be known as the God of War, was especially fierce. At the slightest disagreement, he raised his giant axe and swung it at East King Duke.
The Witch Clan didn't cultivate primordial spirits. Their Body Cultivation Divine Ability had been inherited from Pangu and was extraordinary. As soon as Xing Tian charged, his momentum was already impressive.
But this Witch Clan God of War possessed only Golden Immortal Peak strength. He was no match for East King Duke, who didn't use any divine abilities or spells, instead meeting the attack with his physical body.
East King Duke pointed one finger forward, and the giant axe stopped in its tracks.
East King Duke's Supreme Yang Battle Body was no weaker than the Witch Clan's physical prowess.
In an instant, Xing Tian's expression changed in shock. In his previous battles against cultivators with primordial spirits, they had all relied on the power of their spiritual treasures and spells to fight. He had never expected this person's physical strength to rival that of the Witch Clan.
Facing East King Duke, he felt the same pressure he had once felt before the Ancestral Witches. Just as he tried to fight back with renewed strength, a giant hand reached for him. In an instant, it had seized him, leaving him unable to move.
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