Late Hunyuan Golden Immortal Stage

Since Yangmei intended for those fated to use the World Tree to support the Primordial World, he would not have placed any formations around the world core that were too difficult to refine.

The instant Bai Jing's mana merged into the world core, it began to be refined. In barely a hundred years, this small world had become Bai Jing's possession.

Once the formation was broken in the future, the four top-grade innate spiritual treasures anchoring earth, fire, water, and wind would also belong to Bai Jing.

With a thought, Bai Jing absorbed the small world into his body, then left Fangzhang Island.

This exploration of Fangzhang Island had taken more than 1,200 years. He now had to hurry back to Yingzhou Immortal Island and complete the rest of his breakthrough.

Another ten thousand years flew by. After the Demon Race destroyed the Immortal Court, they became increasingly arrogant and overbearing. Countless races throughout the Primordial World were annihilated because they refused to submit to the Demon Race.

Had Dijun and Taiyi not suffered serious Dao injuries while joining forces to stop Dongwang Gong's self-destruction, and still been recovering from those injuries, the Demon Race would likely have already moved against the Witch Clan.

On this day, Bai Jing's figure appeared out of thin air above the East Sea.

By now, Bai Jing's physical body had reached the late Hunyuan Golden Immortal stage. At present, aside from the older generation of powerful figures, no one in the Primordial World had broken through to the peak Quasi-Sage realm. Even Laozi had not taken that step.

It could be said that Bai Jing was already among the foremost innate sacred beings in the Primordial World.

After basking in his satisfaction for a moment, Bai Jing flew toward Mount Buzhou. He had told Di Jiang that this breakthrough would take fifty thousand years, yet it had now taken more than fifty-five thousand.

Part of those extra five thousand years was because Bai Jing had been interrupted during his breakthrough. Even with the Creation Jade Disc Fragment and the Enlightenment Tea Tree, returning to a state of enlightenment after being interrupted still required time.

The other reason, naturally, was Bai Jing's exploration of Fangzhang Island.

Now that he was at the late Hunyuan Golden Immortal stage, Bai Jing was even faster. The journey from the East Sea to Mount Buzhou took less than two years.

The moment Bai Jing arrived at the Witch Clan's ancestral land, he noticed that the atmosphere among the Witch Clan was rather grave. Zhurong was leading most of the Witch Clan in drills, while the rest were preparing to face the coming great war.

Bai Jing immediately flew over to Zhurong's side.

Seeing someone suddenly appear before him, Zhurong jumped in fright and instinctively threw a punch at Bai Jing.

Bai Jing neither dodged nor evaded. He grabbed Zhurong's blazing fist and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhurong, it's me."

"Bai Jing? You finally came! Quick, big brother has been waiting for you!" With that, Zhurong seized Bai Jing's wrist in turn and dragged him toward Pangu Hall.

The moment Bai Jing entered Pangu Hall, Di Jiang came forward and asked with concern, "Brother Bai Jing, are you all right?"

"I am fine. Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Di Jiang."

"It's good that you're fine. I thought something had gone wrong with your breakthrough."

"An accident did indeed occur. Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, you know that my Daoist abode is on Yingzhou Immortal Island, correct?"

Di Jiang nodded. Bai Jing had told them about this before.

"Yingzhou Immortal Island lies within the void chaos above the East Sea. More than ten thousand years ago, the Demon Race led forces to destroy Dongwang Gong's Immortal Court. At death's door, Dongwang Gong chose to self-destruct.

"A mid-stage Quasi-Sage cultivator's self-destruction was immensely powerful. Yingzhou Immortal Island was caught in it as well, interrupting my breakthrough. Left with no alternative, I could only seek enlightenment anew. That delayed me for some time."

"So that's what happened. Those damned Demon Race bastards truly bring disaster wherever they go."

Bai Jing smiled. "Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, there is no need to be angry. There will be plenty of chances for you to vent your anger in the future."

Di Jiang nodded and said nothing more.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, has your condensation of a true spiritual nature gone smoothly?" Bai Jing changed the subject.

Di Jiang sighed at those words. "Not very smoothly. Other than little sister, my brothers, sisters, and I have exhausted every effort over these fifty thousand years, yet we have only managed what Brother Bai Jing described: removing the turbulence from our vital essence, straightening it out, then making it move according to a certain pattern, while letting the heart move along with that pattern.

"Only in recent years have we barely managed to achieve the synchronization of heart and vital essence that you mentioned, Brother Bai Jing, allowing the two to become relatively still. We have not even begun the subsequent step of condensing a true spiritual nature."

"Then, judging by what Fellow Daoist Di Jiang has said, Fellow Daoist Houtu's situation is better?" Bai Jing asked.

Di Jiang nodded. "Little sister has already condensed her own true spiritual nature. Over the past ten thousand years, she has been using it to replace her acquired turbulent spirit.

"According to little sister, if she can complete this step, then even without the innate indestructible spiritual light atop Mount Buzhou, she is confident that she can condense her own Primordial Spirit within ten kalpas."

"Ten kalpas is too long," Bai Jing said.

Di Jiang nodded in strong agreement. "That is what I told little sister as well. So, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, I will have to trouble you to climb Mount Buzhou next."

"Big brother, someone outside wishes to see you." Zhurong ran in once again.

"Someone wants to see me? Who?"

"She calls herself Xi Wangmu of Kunlun."

Upon hearing it was Xi Wangmu, Di Jiang waved his hand. "No time. I won't see her. Tell her to get lost."

"Got it! I'll go tell her right away."

"Wait! Fellow Daoist Zhurong, wait a moment. Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, I think we can meet Xi Wangmu."

"What use is there in meeting her? We don't even know her."

"Dongwang Gong and Xi Wangmu were respectively the head of the male immortals and the head of the female immortals in the Primordial World. Now that Dongwang Gong has been taken out by the Demon Race, how could Xi Wangmu not be afraid? How could she not hate the Demon Race to the bone? The enemy of our enemy is our friend. If we can win her over, we should do our best to do so."

Di Jiang pondered for a moment, then said, "Brother Bai Jing is right. Zhurong, go bring her—no, invite her in. Remember to be polite."

"Big brother, how can an outsider enter our Pangu Hall?" Zhurong asked with a displeased expression.

"I never told you to invite her into Pangu Hall. Go!"

After sending Zhurong away, Di Jiang turned to Bai Jing and said, "Brother Bai Jing, let us talk in the outer hall."

Bai Jing nodded and went with Di Jiang to the outer hall of Pangu Hall.

The so-called outer hall was not actually part of Pangu Hall. It was a palace built by the Witch Clan themselves, connected to Pangu Hall. Ordinarily, this was where ordinary members of the Witch Clan came to meet the ancestral witches.

Upon arriving at the outer hall, Bai Jing immediately brought out the Primordial Measure of Heaven Ruler to conceal the heavenly secrets.

A moment later, Zhurong led Xi Wangmu into the outer hall.

Xi Wangmu's emotions along the way had been exceedingly complicated. To be honest, she had never expected that she would be able to enter the Witch Clan.

Xi Wangmu had actually come to Mount Buzhou this time to seek out Nuwa.

Ever since Dongwang Gong was killed by the Demon Race and the Immortal Court was destroyed alongside him, Xi Wangmu had been worried that the Demon Race would move against her. After weighing the pros and cons, she had decided to make a trip to Mount Buzhou.

Before the Dao Ancestor personally designated Xi Wangmu as the head of the female immortals, as one of the few powerful female figures in the Primordial World, she had maintained a rather good relationship with Nuwa. Nuwa was also the Wa Sovereign of the Demon Race's Heavenly Court. Xi Wangmu wished to use that connection to have Nuwa tell the Demon Race that she did not harbor ambitions like Dongwang Gong's, nor did she wish to involve herself in the disputes of the Primordial World. She only wished to attain the Great Dao.