Hong Yun, Falling Behind and Causing Trouble

"Welcome to Longevity Mountain, fellow Daoists. I am Zhen Yuanzi. Greetings."

Zhen Yuanzi returned their greeting with clasped hands, then introduced, "This is my good friend, Hong Yun."

Hong Yun likewise greeted the two of them solemnly.

Qing Xuan and Qing Yi returned the greeting and gave their Daoist names.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhen Yuanzi's gaze fell upon the Sea-Calming Divine Pearl beside Qing Yi.

The black threads within the pearl had already sunk to its bottom and were faintly resonating with the Earth Veins beneath Longevity Mountain.

At the same time, the Earth Book within Zhen Yuanzi's sleeve let out a deep hum.

"Did you two fellow Daoists come here by following some sort of aura?"

"That is correct."

Qing Xuan did not beat around the bush. He raised a hand and unfolded a world barrier, revealing the Black Lotus Core he had previously sealed away.

The Earth Book trembled even more fiercely.

The expressions of Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun also turned solemn after they sensed Luohou's aura.

Qing Xuan looked at Zhen Yuanzi. "If I am not mistaken, the treasure you hold should be the Earth Book."

Zhen Yuanzi did not deny it. "Why does Fellow Daoist mention this treasure?"

"I did indeed come here to discuss something with Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi."

Qing Xuan put away the Black Lotus Core and looked past Longevity Mountain toward the distant western lands.

"If this matter succeeds, it may leave a sliver of hope for the western lands."

"The few of us may also gain a measure of Heavenly Dao Merit from it."

"A measure of Heavenly Dao Merit?"

Hong Yun had already brought a spirit fruit to his lips, but upon hearing this, he slowly lowered it again.

He looked at Qing Xuan, then turned to Zhen Yuanzi beside him and sighed. "Old friend, what Fellow Daoist Qing Xuan said is far more tempting than your Ginseng Fruits."

Zhen Yuanzi glanced at him. "What you are holding is my Ginseng Fruit."

"We have known each other for years. Why draw such clear distinctions?" Hong Yun took a bite as though nothing had happened.

Zhen Yuanzi could not be bothered to argue with him further and instead turned to Qing Xuan and Qing Yi.

"Since this matter concerns the western Earth Veins, why not enter the temple and discuss it in detail?"

Naturally, Qing Xuan did not refuse.

The four entered Wuzhuang Temple and sat facing one another beneath a lush ancient tree.

Daoist rhythms flowed through the ancient tree, and its abundant vitality was almost tangible. Amid the leaves, several strange fruits shaped like infants could vaguely be seen.

It was none other than the Ginseng Fruit Tree, one of the Primordial World's ten finest innate spiritual roots.

After hosting Qing Xuan and Qing Yi, Zhen Yuanzi asked about the important matter.

"Fellow Daoist Qing Xuan, you said earlier that you wished to leave a sliver of hope for the western lands. Yet the western Earth Veins are still stable, and their spiritual essence is no weaker than that of any other region in the Primordial World. Where exactly does the crisis you speak of come from?"

He would not rashly agree merely because he had heard the words Heavenly Dao Merit.

Merit was certainly precious, but he first had to understand what price would need to be paid for it.

Moreover, this matter involved Luohou.

Rather than directly explaining with his knowledge of the future, Qing Xuan once again took out the Black Lotus Core he had sealed earlier.

"The answer lies within it."

The Black Lotus Core floated above the stone table, isolated by a layer of world power. Not a trace of Luohou's aura leaked out.

Qing Xuan looked at Zhen Yuanzi.

"Please bring forth the Earth Book and let only a strand of its aura come into contact with it."

After a brief moment of thought, Zhen Yuanzi sent the Earth Book flying out from his sleeve.

The ancient tome slowly unfolded, and a strand of earthen-yellow Dao pattern descended from its pages. It passed through Qing Xuan's world barrier and touched the Black Lotus Core.

At first, nothing unusual happened.

But when that strand of the Earth Book's aura truly came into contact with the lotus core, the previously dormant Black Lotus Core suddenly split open along a crack.

A demonic pattern hidden in its deepest depths emerged.

One end of the demonic pattern connected to the Blood Fiend Aura gathered from the battlefield, constantly flowing westward.

The other end was the complete opposite, like a path not yet activated, extending outward from the depths of the western Earth Veins.

The moment that demonic pattern appeared, it tried to burrow into the depths beneath Longevity Mountain along the Earth Book's aura.

Qing Xuan had long been prepared.

The world power enveloping the lotus core suddenly closed in, pinning the newly emerged demonic pattern in midair.

Qing Yi raised her hand at the same time. Green light fell from her fingertips, directly stripping the demonic pattern of any possibility of continuing to grow.

The demonic pattern crumbled inch by inch.

Yet before it completely dissipated, the Earth Book had already fully reflected its original course upon its pages.

One path went out, and one returned.

On the way out, the Blood Fiend Aura and deathly aura from the battlefields of the three clans were sent into the west.

On the way back, however, some unknown power would likely erupt in reverse along these Black Lotus Demon Marks spread throughout the Primordial World.

Zhen Yuanzi looked at the pitch-black vein upon the Earth Book, his expression becoming utterly serious.

"It is not merely used to transport the Blood Fiend Aura."

"Correct."

Qing Xuan put away the now useless lotus core.

"Since Luohou can use these demonic marks to send the power from the battlefields of the three clans into the west, he can naturally do the reverse, using the west as the source to send some power into every Earth Vein connected to it."

The smile on Hong Yun's face faded considerably as well.

"If that power is the power of destruction..."

"Then every Earth Vein invaded by the Black Lotus Demon Marks will become a fuse."

Qing Xuan picked up where he left off.

"When Luohou truly sets it off, perhaps only the Western Ancestral Vein will be destroyed first. But the destruction will continue spreading along these fuses he has long buried, and in the end, the area affected will certainly not be limited to the vicinity of Mount Sumeru."

The Earth Book turned its pages soundlessly.

As the master of this spiritual treasure, Zhen Yuanzi knew better than anyone what kind of damage it would inflict upon the Primordial World if a great number of Earth Veins collapsed at once.

"You two fellow Daoists wish to use the Earth Book to sever these fuses in advance?"

"We cannot sever all of them."

Qing Xuan shook his head.

"The Black Lotus Demon Marks are spread throughout the west. If we make too much commotion, we will inevitably alert Luohou."

"I am not confident enough to withstand the Godslayer Spear head-on."

Qing Xuan spoke frankly, and neither Zhen Yuanzi nor Hong Yun found it shameful.

When facing an existence like Luohou, knowing when to advance and when to retreat was far more important than blind courage.

After pondering for a moment, Zhen Yuanzi raised a hand and pressed it against the Earth Book before him.

"The Earth Book is my natal spiritual treasure. I cannot easily hand it over to another."

"That is only proper."

Qing Xuan was not surprised.

The Earth Book was connected to Zhen Yuanzi's Great Dao. Its importance was no less than his own Dao Fruit.

They had only just met. If Zhen Yuanzi had handed over the Earth Book with both hands after just a few words, it would instead have shown that he lacked all judgment.

"I did not come here to forcibly borrow your natal treasure."

At those words, Zhen Yuanzi's brows eased slightly.

"Since the demonic marks have already linked the western Earth Veins into one whole, I cannot remain uninvolved. The Earth Book will not be lent out, but I can travel with you two fellow Daoists."

"That would be best."

What Qing Xuan had wanted from the start was not an Earth Book without its master, but Zhen Yuanzi, the person who understood the Primordial World's Earth Veins best.

Hong Yun spoke again. "Then I shall also..."

"You will remain at Longevity Mountain." Zhen Yuanzi seemed to have known what he was about to say.

"If this journey goes smoothly, there will naturally be no need for everyone to go together. If something unexpected happens, someone outside Longevity Mountain will still be needed to receive the Earth Book."

Hong Yun frowned, but in the end, he did not argue.

He was not someone who failed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Although none of them intended to approach Mount Sumeru, they would ultimately be entering the western Earth Veins that Luohou had cultivated for countless years.

If something arose that even Qing Xuan and Qing Yi, two Great Luo, could not resolve, having one more person like him would not help at all. He would only be likely to fall behind and cause trouble.