Searching Mount Buzhou for Treasure, First Encounter with the West

As the World-Cleansing White Lotus's transformed form, he understood the principles of heaven and earth's cycles deeply.

In all things, one should leave a margin and never cut off another's chance at life. This, too, was a form of cultivation in accordance with the Heavenly Dao.

After taking stock of his possessions, Li Qingxiao flashed forward, transforming into a streak of rainbow light as he officially flew out of the Eastern Sea and set foot upon the Primordial Continent.

This was his first time personally witnessing the true Primordial World.

Vast and desolate, boundless as far as the eye could see.

Mountains rose hundreds of thousands of zhang high, piercing straight into the clouds.

Rivers were as broad as seas, surging endlessly onward.

The air was filled with dense innate spiritual qi, yet it was also mixed with Dragon-Phoenix Baleful Qi that had yet to dissipate.

As Li Qingxiao flew onward, he saw many horrifying sights.

Enormous dragon bones stretching tens of thousands of li lay half-buried in the earth, emanating unwilling resentment.

Phoenix feathers burning with undying divine flame had turned entire mountain ranges into scorched earth.

Upon the land, he occasionally saw fledgling Wu tribes hunting the remaining ferocious beasts, as well as Yao ancestors absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

This was a barbaric age in which everything awaited renewal, yet it also brimmed with vigorous life.

"As expected of the Primordial World. Even a Daluo Golden Immortal has only just gained the qualifications to protect himself here."

Li Qingxiao secretly heightened his vigilance.

Reaching the Chaos Zixiao Palace Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens would not be easy.

The chaos was filled with violent chaotic astral winds and earth, water, fire, and wind. An ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortal would be torn to pieces the instant he entered.

For a Daluo Golden Immortal, however, the safest route was through the center of heaven and earth in the Primordial World:

Pangu's spine, Mount Buzhou!

Fixing his direction, Li Qingxiao unleashed his divine ability and sped toward Mount Buzhou.

Several decades later.

At the far end of the world ahead, an incomparably majestic divine mountain appeared in Li Qingxiao's sight.

It seemed to support the entire heaven and earth, exuding Pangu's pressure that had suppressed the ages.

Even from such a great distance, Li Qingxiao could feel the circulation of his Daluo mana slowing by several degrees.

"So this is Mount Buzhou? Great God Pangu truly is unfathomable."

Li Qingxiao sighed in admiration.

Just as he prepared to approach Mount Buzhou's outer region and use it as a path to ascend to the heavens—

Li Qingxiao's heart suddenly jolted, and a tremor came from his Purple Residence divine soul.

This was the unique premonition of a Daluo Golden Immortal, signifying that a fortuitous opportunity related to him was nearby—or rather, that an ownerless supreme treasure was about to emerge!

"A fortuitous opportunity?"

Li Qingxiao's eyes lit up, and he immediately stopped.

With a thought, the Twelfth-Grade Purifying White Lotus flew out from within him, scattering an invisible expanse of World-Purifying Light.

It concealed his figure, aura, heavenly secrets, and karmic threads completely.

Under the White Lotus's concealment, even another Daluo Golden Immortal—

Would absolutely be unable to detect his existence unless they were right in his face.

Following the vague sense of guidance, Li Qingxiao silently made his way toward a hidden valley southeast of Mount Buzhou.

The moment he neared the valley, he sensed intense fluctuations of mana.

"Someone got here first?"

Li Qingxiao frowned slightly, standing in the void as he looked down.

He saw that the center of the valley was shrouded in a hazy curtain of innate formation light.

Outside the formation, two Daoists were joining forces to break it.

Li Qingxiao focused his gaze, and his expression could not help turning grave.

The attire of these two men was exceptionally distinctive within the Primordial World.

The man on the left was sallow and skinny, dressed in a tattered Daoist robe with a perpetually sorrowful face.

He looked as if everyone in the world owed him money, his entire body giving off an air of suffering.

The man on the right was thin and wore his hair in twin topknots.

Though he too was simply dressed, cunning and greed often flashed in his eyes.

When breaking the formation, his attacks were especially ruthless, his surging mana carrying the West's distinctive Gengjin aura.

At that moment, the thin Daoist on the right frantically lashed the formation with a withered branch while shouting excitedly:

"Senior Brother, put some strength into it! The formation is about to break!"

"I can feel it! This treasure is fated to the West and should enter our hands to strengthen the Western Ley Lines!"

Hearing those classic words, as unmistakable as the Primordial World's anti-counterfeiting mark, Li Qingxiao shuddered and instantly guessed the two men's identities.

"Always saying things are fated to the West... They must be the future famous Western Two Sages, Jieyin and Zhunti!"

Li Qingxiao took a deep breath. Not only was he unafraid, a powerful excitement surged within him instead.

These were future Saints of the Heavenly Dao!

If it had been any other Primordial World creature, upon learning that this was something Jieyin and Zhunti had set their sights on—

They would likely have fled far away in terror, afraid of becoming entangled in Saint karma and being settled with later.

But what did Li Qingxiao have to fear?

His true form was the World-Cleansing White Lotus. What he feared least was karma!

Watching the innate formation below, which was on the verge of shattering, Li Qingxiao's lips curved into an amused smile.

"Fated to your West? Heh heh, now that this treasure has encountered me, Li Qingxiao, it is fated to Qingxiao!"

"Crack—!"

Along with a crisp shattering sound, the innate concealment formation at the center of the valley, which had endured countless years—

Finally collapsed completely beneath Jieyin and Zhunti's combined bombardment.

The instant the formation shattered, a dense innate Gengjin aura shot into the sky, and dazzling golden light illuminated the entire valley as brightly as day.

As the light faded, a branch could be seen quietly floating at the center of the formation's core.

Its entire body was dark gold, radiating sharp, fierce brilliance.

Seven leaves of different colors naturally grew upon the branch, flowing with innate indestructible spiritual light.

"A low-grade innate spiritual root—the Seven-Treasure Gengjin Bodhi Branch!"

At the sight, Zhunti's thin face erupted with wild joy, and even his breathing became hurried.

"Senior Brother, did you see that?! It truly is an innate treasure!"

"This treasure contains an immensely powerful Gengjin origin. If I can merge it into my true form, my Dharma treasure will surely rise to another level!

"Heaven has taken pity on us. The West has been barren for countless yuanhui, but today, it is finally destined to flourish!"

As Zhunti shouted excitedly, he unhesitatingly stretched out his withered hand.

It transformed into a giant golden mana palm, which eagerly reached for the Bodhi Branch.

Just as that enormous golden palm was only three cun away from the Bodhi Branch—

And the smile on Zhunti's face had fully blossomed...

A sudden change occurred!

"Whoosh!"

A faint ripple suddenly spread through the previously empty void.

Immediately afterward, a slender, fair hand appeared out of thin air, ignoring the pressure of Zhunti's giant mana palm.

With casual ease, it seized the Seven-Treasure Gengjin Bodhi Branch before Zhunti could.

The next instant, white light flashed, and the hand vanished from the spot along with the Bodhi Branch.

"What?!"

Zhunti grabbed at empty air. The wild joy on his face instantly froze, then turned into rage.

He was a mighty Daluo Golden Immortal, yet someone had actually snatched away the duck already in his pot right before his eyes?!