The Western Lands Were Already Barren; Aside from the Ancient White Tiger Clan, Even Cultivators Who Reached the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal Realm

Within a quiet chamber on Spirit Platform Mountain, the bell's toll continued to reverberate without end.

Zhu Yin sat cross-legged amid the chimes, completely immersed within them, as though he had entered a mysterious world of Dao principles.

Everything his eyes beheld and his heart perceived was made up of natural laws and the profound truths of the Great Dao.

As the saying went, "The four directions above and below are space; from ancient times to the present is time."

He seemed to stand within the River of Time, traveling through it as it sped up and slowed down, sometimes flowing backward and sometimes standing still. It was like watching a surging river—at one moment raging wildly, at another flowing gently, then suddenly bending back upon itself.

At the same time, it was as though his entire body had become part of space itself, transforming into whirlpools, black holes, even independent little worlds. Sometimes it leapt, sometimes compressed, and sometimes seemed utterly isolated.

Time and space collided and merged without cease, finally intertwining until they could no longer be separated.

Every drop of "water of time" seemed to contain an entire small space.

And every space seemed like a miniature reflection of a single instant in time.

Throughout this process, new laws were born, and a complete Space-Time Great Dao was gradually taking shape.

This Great Dao was ever-changing and unfathomably profound. Even a master like Zhu Yin found it difficult to comprehend.

Fifteen hundred years later, Zhu Yin finally succeeded in fusing the two spirit treasures in his hands. He had also thoroughly comprehended this Space-Time Great Dao and awakened from his state.

He opened his eyes, his gaze deep and mysterious. His left eye contained the power of time, while his right held the Dao of space. Within his body emerged a towering great bamboo, its roots sunk deep into the boundless expanse of time and space, ancient and sacred.

This bamboo was exceptionally miraculous. Time could scarcely erode it, and space could not destroy it.

Each of its leaves was an independent world, and every leaf vein was a stretch of time.

As this strange phenomenon gradually faded, the mysterious aura around Zhu Yin slowly withdrew as well, returning to calmness.

His gaze fell upon a great bell suspended in the void.

The bell was silver-white interwoven with transparency, sacred and dreamlike, as though all creation could be reflected within it, refracting the vast cosmos.

If the Eastern Sovereign Bell represented the most intricate aspect of time and space intertwined—sun, moon, and stars outside; mountains, rivers, and myriad races contained within; colored in chaotic dark yellow—

Then this Spacetime Bell represented ultimate simplicity—stripped of all complexity, leaving only pure time and space, dazzlingly radiant.

Of course, this newly forged Spacetime Bell was still far inferior to the Eastern Sovereign Bell.

The Eastern Sovereign Bell was an Innate Supreme Treasure of the world-creation grade. It could suppress the entire cosmos, control time and space, and refine the five elements. This bell, meanwhile, was only a high-grade innate spirit treasure. Though it possessed the rudiments, it was still far from comparable.

Even so, Zhu Yin was exceedingly satisfied.

First, this treasure already possessed the ability to control time and space. It combined offense and defense, and its power was immense. Though it was not yet an ultimate-grade spirit treasure, it still far surpassed other high-grade spirit treasures.

Second, through refining this bell, his understanding of the Space-Time Great Dao had deepened further. He was already close to crossing the threshold of "perfection"; even experts who specialized in time and space might not surpass him.

His Great Freedom Dao had thus gained powerful support and become even more perfect.

In particular, his advancement in cultivating space-time divine abilities had been remarkably swift.

For example, the Sumeru Three Thousand Worlds divine ability he had originally cultivated had only achieved minor success. Now, it was close to major success. With this ability alone, he could strut sideways through the Primordial World.

After putting away the Spacetime Bell to continue nurturing it, Zhu Yin closed his eyes once more and meditated, restoring his essence and returning his heart to clarity.

A hundred years later, Zhu Yin awakened again.

This time, he still did not leave seclusion. Instead, he waved his sleeve and brought out three spirit treasures.

Within the quiet chamber, three treasure pearls floated in the air, their radiance flickering like resplendent stars.

They were the Dreamcloud Pearl, the Dream Illusion Pearl, and the Illusory Moon Pearl he had traded from the Witch Clan.

Of them, the Dream Illusion Pearl was a mid-grade spirit treasure with twenty-seven Dao restrictions, already at the peak of the mid-grade.

The Dreamcloud Pearl and Illusory Moon Pearl, meanwhile, were low-grade spirit treasures. Each possessed eighteen Dao restrictions and had likewise been nurtured by heaven and earth to their utmost limits.

When Zhu Yin had demanded that the Witch Clan exchange a spirit treasure of the dream or illusion attribute for spirit wine, it had been precisely so he could fuse these three treasures into one today.

The Witch Clan had indeed not disappointed him. Although the Illusory Moon Pearl was not especially compatible with the Dreamcloud Pearl, it was drawn to the Dream Illusion Pearl, which happened to form the opportunity for their fusion.

Though Zhu Yin already had considerable experience with fusion, he remained extremely cautious. If such a fusion failed, the loss would be enormous.

Spirit treasures had to attract one another, their attributes had to be compatible, and the process required the finest precision. One mistake, and all prior efforts would be washed away.

Fortunately, Zhu Yin had the Merit Golden Wheel's blessing. He could use the power of merit to harmonize the laws at critical moments and reduce the risk of failure.

Three hundred years later, the Dreamcloud Pearl smoothly merged into the Dream Illusion Pearl. The treasure's grade did not change, but its origin strengthened, giving birth to half of a new Dao restriction.

He then continued by merging the Illusory Moon Pearl into it as well. Although a few minor twists arose during the process, Zhu Yin handled them in time and ultimately completed it without danger.

This time, the Dream Illusion Pearl evolved again, completing an entire new Dao restriction. It rose from twenty-seven to twenty-eight and formally stepped across the threshold of a high-grade spirit treasure.

Though it had only just entered the high grade, the changes brought by the increase in rank were immense. Both its abilities and potential underwent a qualitative transformation.

This fusion consumed a total of five hundred years. Zhu Yin also comprehended the Dream Illusion Great Dao for five hundred years, gaining much from it.

Especially at the instant the treasure advanced, he seemed to see a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal achieving the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, their entire Great Dao laid bare between heaven and earth without reservation.

As a result, his attainment in the Dao of dreams and illusions improved greatly. His divine abilities became more powerful, and his realm grew more stable.

After putting away the spirit treasures, Zhu Yin once more closed his eyes and entered meditation.

Several decades passed.

On the third floor of the bamboo tower, a figure clad in azure slowly stepped outside.

Zhu Yin had finally emerged from seclusion!

After over four thousand years of closed cultivation, he was now full of spirit, his bearing calm and composed.

Standing atop the mountain peak, he gazed into the distance at the vibrant life flourishing across Spirit Platform Mountain, and his mood was exceedingly pleasant.

He then went to the Spirit Medicine Garden, wielding his spirit hoe and divine plow as he leisurely tended to the spirit roots and immortal herbs.

After finishing, he considered whether he should take in a few cattle or plant spirits to help tend the spirit fields. After some thought, however, he set the idea aside.

Such matters were best left to fate. If he encountered them, he would take them in; if not, there was no harm done. A clear and tranquil state of mind was what mattered most.

After leaving the Spirit Medicine Garden, he wandered through the mountain for a while, then looked over the scenery beyond it before sending a voice transmission to summon the immortals under his command...

Inside a pavilion on Spirit Platform Mountain, a faint fragrance of tea drifted through the air.

The White Lotus Pool remained full of life, its lotuses in bloom and its leaves green as jade. The newly opened Black Lotus Pool had also gradually begun to show greenery, though it would still take some time before complete Innate Black Lotuses could grow.

Zhu Yin took a sip of freshly brewed spirit tea and was savoring it when a group of cultivators arrived one after another, congratulating him in unison on leaving seclusion. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhu Yin began examining the results of their cultivation over the years.

In this Primordial World, strength reigned supreme. The Western Lands were already barren; aside from the ancient White Tiger Clan, cultivators who had reached the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm were exceedingly scarce.

The Mount Sumeru lineage was even more so. Aside from Hundred Herbs Fairy and the two attendants in white and gold, there were practically no formidable experts worth mentioning. In particular, because Hundred Herbs Fairy had once saved the Longbo Giants and formed karmic ties with the Demon Race, she could not conveniently show herself during this era.

Therefore, Zhu Yin placed extraordinary importance on the powerful cultivators under his command. Only if they grew strong could Spirit Platform Mountain become more secure and help him shoulder many affairs.

At present, aside from Hundred Herbs Fairy, the strongest was Cang, chieftain of the Longbo Clan, who had already reached Golden Immortal Perfection. He was a direct descendant of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal bloodline from long ago, with exceptionally pure lineage, and had every hope of entering the Primordial Unity realm. However, he likewise could not publicly show himself.

Fortunately, the Longbo Clan excelled at controlling water-element laws. Zhu Yin thus had them repair the water veins within a million li around Spirit Platform Mountain. They usually concealed themselves in rivers and streams and rarely appeared, yet they had provided considerable help.

Next was Hundred Flowers Fairy, who had reached the peak of the Late Golden Immortal realm. She had cultivated for a long time to begin with, received Zhu Yin's guidance during several sermons, and helped restore the Western Lands' earth veins for many years. Favored by the Western Lands' fortune, her cultivation naturally advanced swiftly.

The White Tiger Jin Tu possessed exceptional talent. Not only did he have the resources of Spirit Platform Mountain, but he also had the White Tiger Clan's support. By coincidence, he had gained an opportunity from the Witch Clan while attending the ceremony last time. After merely four thousand years of imprisonment, he had broken through and emerged, and he had now entered the Late Golden Immortal realm as well.

Zhu Yin held great expectations for him and regarded him as an important fighting force.

Although the Jiaochong Queen Bee was not an innate sacred being, her bloodline was extraordinary. She could freely enter and leave the Spirit Medicine Garden, gathering nectar and refining medicines there while using spirit flowers to assist her cultivation. She had now reached the Early Golden Immortal Peak.

Five Fruits Fairy, on the other hand, possessed weaker talent. She was merely an ordinary spirit root that had taken form. Though ten thousand years of cultivation had brought improvement, she was still some distance from the Early Golden Immortal Peak.

The two attendants Wuxin and Wuqing had also successfully broken through after ten thousand years of tempering, attaining the Golden Immortal realm.

Fuqu, the Merfolk Queen of Whitewater Lake, likewise possessed an exceptionally powerful bloodline, no weaker than that of the pure-blooded Merfolk of the Southern Sea. She could also cultivate with the aid of the White Lotus Pool and had now reached the Late Mysterious Immortal realm.

A gentle breeze brushed through the pavilion, carrying waves of subtle fragrance. Zhu Yin looked at that group of young ones, his heart filled with gratification.

The children of the Hundred Illusion Butterfly and the Mirage Dragon had been born for ten thousand years. Their bloodlines were extraordinary, and with the mountain's abundant spiritual energy, they had all now broken through into the True Immortal realm. As long as they cultivated diligently, they would surely attain Mysterious Immortal cultivation in the future.

Several Innate Earthworms had also grown to a hundred zhang in size. Their presence made the spirit soil even more fertile.