Hongyun Escape Art

"Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, I can lend you the Earth Book, but how long do you intend to borrow it for?" Zhenyuanzi asked.

"How about one yuanhui?"

Judging by the Witch Clan's previous pace in repairing the earth veins, two Ancestral Witches leading a host of clansmen had spent twenty thousand years repairing only a tenth of the western earth veins.

Now that there were four more Ancestral Witches, along with the Earth Book's assistance, one yuanhui should be enough to completely restore the earth veins of the western land.

As for whether the Demon Race would strike at the Witch Clan during this time, Bai Jing did not think they would.

The Demon Race's most pressing task should be to clear out every major power other than the Witch Clan by any means necessary, especially Dongwang Gong's Immortal Court.

Dongwang Gong was the male immortal leader of the Primordial World personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor. The Immortal Court he had founded possessed even greater legitimacy than the Demon Race's Heavenly Court.

Besides, the Witch Clan neither fought nor competed, seeking only to guard their own little patch of land. They simply refused to bow beneath the Demon Race. Dongwang Gong's Immortal Court, on the other hand, was far from peaceful. Bearing the title of the Primordial World's male immortal leader personally designated by the Dao Ancestor, the Immortal Court recruited talents far and wide.

Moreover, compared to Dijun, Dongwang Gong, as lord of the Immortal Court, enjoyed a better reputation throughout the Primordial World. He adopted a relatively gentle method of expansion and treated others with greater warmth. Especially toward mighty experts, he fully assumed the posture of one who respected the worthy and humbled himself before men of talent.

This was also the key to Dongwang Gong's ability to develop the Immortal Court to its current scale in such a short time. Had he been as self-centered and overbearing as Dijun, then even as the male immortal leader personally appointed by a Saint, few would have been willing to follow him.

With Dongwang Gong presenting such an attitude, many factions and mighty experts unwilling to join the Demon Race chose to throw themselves into the Immortal Court's embrace. The Immortal Court now faintly showed the beginnings of becoming the Primordial World's third-largest power.

How could one allow another to snore beside one's bed?

The Demon Race would absolutely not tolerate the Immortal Court. Thus, the Demon Race's primary target would certainly be Dongwang Gong's Immortal Court.

However, Dongwang Gong was the male immortal leader personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor. The Demon Race could not gauge the Dao Ancestor's attitude toward him, so they would surely exercise restraint at first. Once they tested the waters and learned that the Dao Ancestor had no intention of protecting Dongwang Gong, it would be the day the Immortal Court perished.

This period would also be the Witch Clan's final window to grow. Once the Demon Race destroyed the Immortal Court, the Witch Clan would be the only obstacle remaining to their unification of the Primordial World. At that time, the Demon Race would certainly strike at the Witch Clan without hesitation.

That was why Bai Jing had come to borrow the Earth Book from Zhenyuanzi.

After hearing Bai Jing ask to borrow the Earth Book for one yuanhui, Zhenyuanzi pondered for a long while before choosing to agree.

Afterward, Bai Jing and Houtu jointly swore a Great Dao oath, promising that they would return the Earth Book after one yuanhui.

Zhenyuanzi nodded in satisfaction and lent the Earth Book to the Witch Clan.

With the important matter settled, Bai Jing, Houtu, Zhenyuanzi, and Hongyun sat cross-legged and discussed the Dao.

Houtu was the Ancestral Witch of Earth. Zhenyuanzi and the Ginseng Fruit Tree shared the same origin, both transformed from the essence of innate wu earth. Their Great Daos were similar, and by drawing inferences from one another, both gained greatly.

Bai Jing mainly discussed the Dao with Hongyun. Hongyun was especially interested in Bai Jing's Dao of Purification, while Bai Jing happened to lack a fine escape art. Hongyun was quite accomplished in escape arts, so each took what they needed.

Bai Jing exchanged his insights into the Dao of Purification for an escape art created by Hongyun himself.

Hongyun was clearly terrible at naming things, directly calling his escape art the Hongyun Escape Art.

Though its name was not especially pleasant, this escape art was truly wondrous beyond compare. Although it was not well known throughout the Primordial World, it was indeed a top-tier great divine ability.

It was through this escape art that Hongyun had seized the final meditation cushion in Zixiao Palace ahead of countless mighty experts. Dijun and Taiyi's Golden Crow Rainbow Flight Technique shook the Primordial World, yet they had still failed to outrun Hongyun. The prowess of this escape art was plain to see.

However, Hongyun's escape art had been created based on his true form. In other words, only those with a true form similar to his could unleash its greatest speed.

Bai Jing's true form was the World-Purifying White Lotus, so he could not cultivate it directly. But Bai Jing possessed the Enlightenment Tea Tree. With the aid of Enlightenment Tea leaves, it should not be much of a problem to improve the Hongyun Escape Art and create an escape art suited to himself.

A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, and their discussion of the Dao came to an end.

Bai Jing and Houtu rose to take their leave, while Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun saw them out of Five Villages Temple.

Before leaving, Bai Jing specifically said to Hongyun, "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, unless something important arises, it would be best not to leave home for the time being. Comprehending the Primordial Violet Qi and improving your cultivation is the proper path."

"Indeed. Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing."

Bai Jing smiled and nodded, then left with Houtu, flying toward the west.

After watching the two depart, Hongyun said in puzzlement, "Brother Dao, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing's final words were quite strange!"

Zhenyuanzi also felt that something was amiss. Bai Jing's words seemed to urge Hongyun to cultivate diligently, but they clearly carried a deeper meaning. Did telling him not to go out mean that someone intended to harm Hongyun?

Yet looking across the entire Primordial World, the number of people who could catch up to Hongyun could be counted on one hand. With this escape art, who could threaten him? Could it be Kunpeng and Dijun, who were likewise skilled in escape arts?

At that thought, Zhenyuanzi suddenly seemed to seize upon something. That was right! The Demon Race was quite likely to attack Hongyun.

Hongyun possessed Primordial Violet Qi, yet he was not the Dao Ancestor's disciple and lacked the Dao Ancestor's protection. Given how domineering the Demon Race was, it would not be surprising for them to try seizing Hongyun's Primordial Violet Qi.

Zhenyuanzi hurriedly told Hongyun his conjecture. Hongyun's expression also became several degrees more solemn. "Rest assured, Brother Dao. I will certainly comprehend the Primordial Violet Qi properly and raise my cultivation as soon as possible."

"That is good."

"Oh, right, Brother Dao. Cultivation requires time and resources. Give me another eighty or a hundred of your Ginseng Fruits first."

Hearing this, Zhenyuanzi's expression became somewhat helpless. Just how much did Hongyun like eating Ginseng Fruits?

Meanwhile, Bai Jing and Houtu arrived in the west to join the other Ancestral Witches.

With six Ancestral Witches present, there was nothing left for Bai Jing to do. He bade farewell to the Ancestral Witches and returned alone to Yingzhou Immortal Island to enter seclusion.

During this seclusion, Bai Jing's goal was first to raise his physical strength to the middle stage of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm, then improve the Hongyun Escape Art, and finally try his hand at artifact refinement in preparation for visiting the Three Pure Ones on Kunlun Mountain.

The first step was naturally to make a breakthrough in cultivation.

With a wave of Bai Jing's hand, a huge pile of immortal materials and ores appeared. At the same time, Bai Jing took out a fragment of the Creation Jade Butterfly, eating while comprehending the Dao of Devouring.

Bai Jing's control over the Dao of Purification had now reached thirty-one percent. He could purify the useless components within immortal materials and ores more efficiently, and his physical strength increased faster as well. After eating ores for less than five thousand years, Bai Jing's physical strength had already reached the limit of the early Hunyuan Golden Immortal stage, even showing signs of overflowing. What he lacked now was insight into the laws.