The years drifted by, though none knew how many had passed.
Time went uncounted in the Primordial World. For Daluo Golden Immortals, spending several Yuanhui in a single discussion of the Dao was commonplace.
At last, the sounds of their discussion faded.
The strange phenomena filling the sky gradually dispersed. Tianlu opened his golden eyes, but a trace of doubt rose in his heart.
Through this discussion, he had clearly sensed that both Nuwa's Law of Creation and Fuxi's Law of Cause and Effect had reached an extraordinarily profound level, their foundations incomparably solid.
These two were clearly genuine Innate Divine Beings who cultivated Great Dao Laws, and their talent was peerless.
Yet in the original course of the future, both of them had abandoned further cultivation of Great Dao Laws and switched to the Method of Severing the Three Corpses passed down by Hongjun.
Strange. Truly strange.
Just as Tianlu pondered this, Nuwa awakened from her enlightenment.
The instant Nuwa opened her eyes, they were filled with shock as she looked at Tianlu and spoke.
"Fellow Daoist Tianlu, your foundation in Creation far surpasses mine."
"Since I took form, I have cultivated tirelessly day and night, always wishing to comprehend a higher realm of the Great Dao of Creation. Yet I have never been able to take another step forward, as though trapped by an invisible shackle."
"How did you, Fellow Daoist, comprehend such a profound Great Dao of Creation over these years?"
Fuxi, beside her, also awoke from enlightenment. He stroked his long beard, his brows slightly furrowed, and echoed her words.
"To be honest, ever since the Dao-Devil War ended, my sister and I have remained in seclusion here on Phoenix Perch Mountain."
"But no matter how we deduced and calculated, we were never able to advance another step at the level of the Great Dao."
"This feeling is far too strange. It is as if the road ahead has suddenly been cut off."
"Fellow Daoist, we all cultivate the Great Dao and are all in the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. Your foundation is profound. Do you know the reason for this?"
The moment Tianlu heard their grievances, inspiration flashed through his mind, and the doubt in his heart was instantly resolved.
He finally understood why these two supreme Innate Divine Beings would switch to the Path of the Three Corpses in the future.
It was not because their comprehension was insufficient. It was because the Primordial World no longer allowed them to cultivate it.
After the Dragon-Han First Tribulation and the War of Dao and Demon, the Great Dao had withdrawn, while the Heavenly Dao had fully emerged to govern the Primordial World.
Once the Great Dao withdrew, Great Dao Laws naturally ceased to manifest in the world.
Under the Primordial World shrouded by the Rules of the Heavenly Dao, continuing to comprehend the obscure Great Dao Laws in order to break through to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm was harder than ascending to heaven. It was practically a dead end.
Tianlu then slowly explained the reason.
"Fellow Daoists, it is not that your talent is lacking. Rather, the tide of heaven and earth has changed."
"After the Dao-Devil War, the Great Dao retreated, and the Heavenly Dao emerged to prosper."
"The three thousand Great Dao Laws have already concealed themselves in the depths of Chaos, no longer manifesting between heaven and earth in the Primordial World."
"In their place are the Rules of the Heavenly Dao woven by the Heavenly Dao."
"Under the suppression of the Rules of the Heavenly Dao, attempting to break through beyond the Daluo Golden Immortal realm through comprehending Great Dao Laws as one could at the dawn of creation has become unimaginably difficult."
"The Heavenly Dao has obscured the road ahead, so naturally you cannot advance further."
Upon learning this great secret of heaven and earth, Nuwa and Fuxi were both deeply shaken and sighed together.
"So that is the reason."
"The Great Dao has retreated, and the laws no longer manifest... It seems we can only seek another path if we wish to break the shackles of the Daluo realm."
Fuxi helplessly shook his head, his tone filled with desolation.
Nuwa's expression also dimmed. For one who sought the Dao, having the road ahead cut off was no small blow.
Seeing their worried expressions, Tianlu was not nearly so troubled.
After all, his circumstances were completely different. He was an Auspicious Beast, a Pixiu, a true Pet of the Great Dao and Child of the Great Dao.
Even if the Great Dao had retired and no longer concerned itself with the mess of the Primordial World, it would still secretly give its own son special treatment.
Now that the discussion had ended, Tianlu had not only witnessed the Dao methods of the future Sage and Heavenly Sovereign, but had also formed considerable good karma with them.
With the Law of Cause and Effect settled, his nature of coveting wealth and devouring treasures began to stir again. He wanted to continue searching for treasure on Mount Buzhou.
Mount Buzhou had formed from Pangu's spine. Even though the Heavenly Dao had now concealed many opportunities within it, who was Tianlu?
He was an Auspicious Beast who controlled the Law of Wealth and the Law of Fortune.
Even if he had to dig three feet into the ground, he would unearth Mount Buzhou's treasures.
Tianlu rose from the golden Cloud Treasure and stated his intention to leave.
"Fellow Daoists, I have also benefited greatly from today's discussion."
"However, I have always enjoyed traveling through the Primordial World and searching for spiritual treasures of heaven and earth."
"Now that our discussion has ended, I intend to continue wandering Mount Buzhou and dig three feet into the ground to see whether I can find a few more opportunities. Let us part here."
When Nuwa heard that Tianlu was leaving, reluctance immediately arose in her heart, and she hurriedly tried to persuade him to stay.
"Please wait, Fellow Daoist. Though Mount Buzhou is vast and rich in resources, it is ultimately fraught with danger."
"If you search for treasure so openly, are you not afraid of the lingering might of the Beast Clan's Qilin?"
"Although after the Three Clans War, the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin clans all fell into decline and withdrew from their positions as overlords of the Primordial World."
"A starving camel is still larger than a horse. Could it be that the Beast Clan no longer has even a mighty Daluo Golden Immortal? If you provoke those hidden old monsters, trouble may arise."
Tianlu was amused by Nuwa's concern and could not help but chuckle.
He then began explaining the state of affairs after the Three Clans War.
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa, you have long remained in seclusion on Phoenix Perch Mountain, so you do not know that the world outside has already changed completely."
"During the Dragon-Han First Tribulation, the three clans slaughtered one another until blood flowed like rivers across the Primordial World. Countless earth veins shattered, and their Karmic Force became unimaginably heavy."
"Now, the Qilin of the Beast Clan, Yuan Feng of the Avian Clan, and the Ancestral Dragon of the Scaled Clan have all perished, transforming into the origin of heaven and earth to repay their boundless sins."
"As for those once-mighty Daluo Golden Immortals among the three clans, fewer than one in ten survived the slaughter of that Tribulation. Hardly any remain."
"As for the Hunyuan Golden Immortals who stood above all others and had touched the origin of laws, they incurred heaven's jealousy and were almost entirely wiped out!"
Tianlu stroked his gleaming golden chin. The radiance of the Law of Wealth flowed over his golden scales, and a trace of disdain flashed through his eyes.
"Even taking ten thousand steps back, if the Beast Clan truly has Daluo Golden Immortals who survived by chance, they are now tightly bound by the Heavenly Dao's Karmic Force and can barely protect themselves."
"They are hiding away in obscure corners, barely clinging to life. They do not even have time to suppress their karmic fire, so how would they dare emerge and become entangled with the Law of Cause and Effect?"
Fuxi nodded slightly upon hearing this, a look of realization appearing on his face.
"So the situation outside has already reached this point. No wonder that throughout our long seclusion, we never sensed the aura fluctuations of the three clans' mighty experts. The Primordial World has actually withered to such a state."
After hearing this, Nuwa's worries immediately vanished.
However, after learning of the Primordial World's situation, Nuwa smiled sweetly and parted her red lips.
"Since that is the case, Fellow Daoist, if you wish to seek opportunities on Mount Buzhou, why not travel together with my brother and me?!"
"Mount Buzhou is boundless. Though the three clans' mighty experts have withdrawn, the Xiantian Arrays and unknown dangers nurtured within heaven and earth must not be underestimated. If we travel together, we can look after one another."
Before you continue