Myriad Races Competing

Within Wuzhuang Temple, time flowed silently amidst the unceasing Dao tones and the rising golden light of merit, like a babbling brook that never rested, day or night.

The initial spark of spiritual light within the Nine-Clawed Merit Profound Golden Dragon's body, once as faint as a firefly, had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. This was due to the rotating lectures and careful nurturing of Zhenyuanzi, who expounded on the heaviness of the earth's foundation as the source of all things; Lord Wanshouyuan, who interpreted the vitality of Wood and the clear, cyclical nature of life; and Fellow Daoist Hongyun, who depicted the vastness of the sky and the agile changes of the flowing wind.

It was no longer the ignorant, chaotic, faint tremor that seemed on the verge of extinguishing at any moment. Instead, it had grown, solidified, and transformed into a ball of spiritual light-mist about the size of a fist, slowly rotating. This light-mist had a restrained color, with pure spiritual white light at its core and a faint halo of profound golden light on its periphery, revealing its close connection to the golden dragon's main body.

It had already developed a preliminary foundation of intelligence. Though far from being able to think clearly or express thoughts, it could now vaguely understand some simple, goodwill-filled mental fluctuations from the outside world—such as the "stability" in Zhenyuanzi's Dao rhyme, the "growth" in Lord Wanshouyuan's, and the "freedom" in Hongyun's.

Especially when Qingfeng and Mingyue, the two young Daoist children, crept closer day after day, using their pure, flawless little hands, carrying the spiritual energy of plants and trees, to gently stroke the cold dragon scales, the nascent intelligence would transmit an extremely faint but genuine, almost instinctive wave of joy, like a newborn beast's attachment to its mother.

It even began to passively and slowly absorb the Merit Profound Yellow Qi permeating the area, as well as the Pangu's Legacy Aura originating from the ancestral veins of Longevity Mountain, which was everywhere within Wuzhuang Temple. This nourished itself, making the ball of spiritual light-mist increasingly lustrous.

However, when this intelligence grew to a certain level, the three great Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, whose cultivation was profound, almost simultaneously sensed a bottleneck.

Zhenyuanzi was the first to stop his lecture. His deep gaze seemed to pierce through the dragon's body, looking directly at the ball of spiritual light-mist. He said slowly, "At this point, the effect of Dao-tone infusion has reached its limit. The foundation of this spiritual root's origin is already stable, and its understanding of the world has taken shape. It is like a piece of uncarved jade that has been initially polished, or a fledgling eagle whose feathers have grown full."

Lord Wanshouyuan interjected, his voice clear and crisp like a spring striking stone: "Indeed. The perfection of intelligence cannot be achieved solely through external infusion. It requires the being itself to quietly comprehend and accumulate sedimentation through the passage of time, gradually internalizing the Dao we have imparted. This is like a seed buried deep in fertile soil, needing to germinate and break through on its own to take deep root and flourish. This requires patient effort and cannot be forced."

Although Hongyun was impatient, he also understood the key points. He nodded and said, "What you two Fellow Daoists say is very true. It seems that from now on, we can only wait quietly for the fruit to ripen and wisdom to emerge naturally. But this waiting will probably need to be measured in kalpas." His tone carried a trace of barely perceptible anticipation and some helplessness.

The three great beings all knew that the foundation of this golden dragon was too extraordinary. The time needed for its intelligence to fully gestate and mature would likely far exceed that of ordinary beings, and there was no use in rushing. Fortunately, Wuzhuang Temple was a blessed land, and the one thing it was not short of was time and spiritual energy.

In the mountains, there were no calendar years; the cold passed without one knowing the year. On this day, Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun were discussing the Dao under the Ginseng Fruit Tree when they suddenly felt a slight stir in their hearts. A thought of stillness breeding movement naturally arose.

Since the two of them had transformed, aside from necessary Dharma protection and lecturing, they had almost never stepped outside the barrier of Longevity Mountain. Now that all matters in the mountain were settled and the golden dragon's intelligence was entering a stable period of gestation, they only needed to wait quietly for the baptism of time.

With Lord Wanshouyuan, an avatar with the cultivation of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal and a mutual understanding with the main body, guarding the temple; coupled with the powerful Guardian Great Formation of Longevity Mountain itself, which was innately formed and connected to the veins of the Primordial Land; and the Four Symbols Guardian Formation formed by the echoing Qi flow of the Four Symbols Plantain Tree left by Hongyun, the place was as solid as gold, absolutely secure.

Zhenyuanzi raised his eyes to look at the sea of clouds churning beyond the temple, a hint of inquiry appearing on his simple and dignified face. He said to Hongyun, "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, since our transformation, we have always lived in this mountain. Although we have gained tranquility, we have never truly experienced the vastness of this Primordial World. Now that there is nothing pressing in the mountain and the golden dragon's gestation requires time, why not take this opportunity to go out and travel? First, we can witness the grand sights of the Primordial Land firsthand and verify the Dao in our hearts. Second, we might encounter some opportunities and broaden our knowledge."

Upon hearing this, Hongyun's eyes erupted with bright brilliance. His nature, like clouds and rosy clouds, yearned for freedom and restraint. He had long yearned for the legendary Primordial Land. He immediately clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his red Daoist robe fluttering like flames: "Excellent! Excellent! Zhenyuanzi, your proposal is exactly what I had in mind! Sitting idle in the mountain all day, although it can refine one's Dao, it ultimately lacks a few points of the vivid vitality of heaven and earth. Traveling through the Primordial Land, observing the birth and death of all things, comprehending the rise and fall of races, and verifying what one has learned amidst the wind and clouds—this is the true path of cultivation for us!"

With their minds made up, they hesitated no longer. They immediately summoned Lord Wanshouyuan, Qingfeng, and Mingyue, carefully entrusting them with the tasks of guarding the Dao field and caring for the golden dragon.

Lord Wanshouyuan smiled lightly, his body emitting the spiritual energy of plants and trees, causing people to feel at ease. He bowed and said, "Main body and Fellow Daoist Hongyun, please go without worry. With me in the mountain, every single blade of grass and tree is within my perception. There will be no mistakes. I will constantly monitor the gestation of this golden dragon's intelligence and guide its stable growth. However, as you two travel through the Primordial Land, although it seems peaceful now, there are actually hidden undercurrents. The forces of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans are gradually growing, and friction is increasing day by day. You must be more careful, guard your original hearts diligently, and do not easily get drawn into the whirlpool of right and wrong."

Qingfeng and Mingyue, the two young Daoist children, also knew that their masters were going on a long journey. Although they were reluctant, they were more curious. Blinking their big eyes, they promised in crisp voices: "Master (Master Hongyun), rest assured! We will definitely listen to Lord Yuanjun's words, take good care of the house, and also take good care of this big golden dragon!"

With the instructions settled, Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun delayed no further. The two nodded to each other, their forms moving slightly. They had already transformed into two streams of light, one yellow and one red, silently slipping out of Wuzhuang Temple's Mountain Protection Great Formation and leaving the blessed land of Longevity Mountain.

After leaving the mountain, they did not fly with a clear goal and full speed like when Lord Wanshouyuan went to Buzhou Mountain back then. Instead, they deliberately slowed down, restrained their vast, abyss-like aura of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, and only revealed the fluctuation of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal's realm. Like two ordinary cultivators traveling together, they walked leisurely across the Primordial Land, truly beginning a journey through the Primordial World without a fixed destination, following their hearts.

Along the way, even with their profound cultivation and transcendent minds, they could not help but be shocked by the majestic atmosphere and wild vitality of the Primordial World, which had just opened not long ago. Towering, continuous divine mountains and great peaks that pierced the clouds were everywhere, their bodies naturally engraved with profound Dao patterns, emitting an ancient and vast aura. Surging great rivers and vast waters meandered like giant dragons, nourishing countless living beings along their banks, the water vapor containing the essence of water. The vast and boundless primeval forest shaded the sky and sun, with ancient trees reaching the sky, strange herbs and exotic flowers everywhere, venomous insects and ferocious beasts lurking, enacting the most primitive law of the jungle. There were also bottomless vast abysses and great marshes, filled with chaos energy streams, as if connecting to unknown secret realms.

The innate spiritual energy between heaven and earth was so dense it was almost tangible. Taking a breath, one felt their lungs and viscera refreshed, and their Dao cultivation slightly increased.

What left an even deeper impression on them was the spectacular scene of "myriad races competing, a hundred ships racing." At this time in the Primordial World, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans had indeed emerged, relying on their innately powerful foundations and bloodline talents to each occupy vast and fertile territories, their forces constantly expanding, forming a tripartite balance.

But it was far from the peak of sweeping across the eight wilds, ceaseless warfare, and dominating the Primordial World as later legends described.

Although the three races had skirmishes along territorial borders and small-scale probing conflicts, watching each other warily, a full-scale war had yet to erupt, and overall, a delicate and fragile balance was maintained.

They had once hidden among the clouds and seen divine dragons summoning wind and rain, their massive serpentine bodies vaguely visible within the dark clouds, scales and claws soaring, commanding wind, water, thunder, and lightning—majestic, sacred, and blessing the land.

They had also gazed into the distance at the Southern Immortal Volcanoes, where phoenixes spread their wings, the Five Virtues Radiance cascading down, a hundred birds following in worship, their clear cries echoing, magnificent and peerless, carrying an air of auspicious qi.

And on the Central Land, they had seen qilins stepping on auspicious clouds as they walked, causing lush grass to flourish, sweet springs to gush from the earth, and thousands of strands of auspicious energy to rise—the demeanor of a Benevolent Beast causing people's hearts to ache with admiration.

Beyond these, countless other peculiar races thrived and multiplied: the Giant Spirit Race with boundless strength, the Feathered Race soaring through the skies, the Wood Spirit Race living in symbiosis with plants, and the Yaksa Race dwelling at the edge of the underworld...

Each with different forms and unique talents, they all struggled to survive, develop, and unfold their own ways of life and embryonic civilizations within this vast world.

The entire Primordial World was filled with a grand spectacle—primitive, savage, chaotic, yet brimming with vitality and boundless energy.