Primordial Era: Reborn as Zhen Yuanzi, taking control of the underground passage

Chapter 206 Reception and Guidance, Zhunti

Having left that eternally burning, immortal volcano filled with both tragedy and the hope of new life, Zhen Yuanzi did not return directly to Wanshou Mountain.

This trip, first to repair the West, and then at Yuan Feng's request, made him deeply aware that the primordial world was undergoing a dramatic and profound transformation after the Dragon-Han Calamity.

He decided to take this opportunity to travel again to this desolate continent after the calamity, to personally experience the flow of the heavens and earth's fortune and the rhythm of the birth and death of all things, which might give him new inspiration for his own path.

He concealed the powerful aura of a late-stage Primordial Golden Immortal, transforming into an inconspicuous stream of dark yellow light, like an ordinary wandering cultivator strolling among the primordial mountains and rivers.

Along the way, the scenery was indeed quite different from the vibrant and diverse landscape of myriad races that existed before the Dragon-Han Calamity.

Although the world was clear and bright after the calamity had dissipated, it could not hide the desolation and bleakness that followed the great battle.

Traces of the great battle can be seen everywhere on this vast land:

Bottomless sword ravines, scorched earth stretching for thousands of miles, collapsed and fractured mountain ranges, lakes and swamps grotesquely shaped by corrupted divine power —

Many once-renowned sacred mountains and blessed lands have lost their spiritual energy and suffered damage to their spiritual veins. Although they have not been completely destroyed, their glory has faded and they will need a long time to recover.

Living things have become much scarcer.

Powerful innate deities and primordial beasts either perished in the great calamity, or went into seclusion like Yin Yang and Yang Mei, or, like the dragon, phoenix, and qilin clans, withdrew from the stage in another form.

Nowadays, those active on the primordial land are mostly creatures with shallow origins and weak strength, but strong reproductive ability, or those who have survived the great calamity by chance, including acquired beings and plant spirits.

They struggled to survive, carving out new homes in the shattered landscape. Though small, they possessed a tenacious vitality, representing new hope for the primordial world.

"When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer. Under the weight of countless eons, even primordial gods and demons are as insignificant as ants."

Zhen Yuanzi was filled with emotion. He wielded the Book of Earth, resonating with the earth, and could feel even more deeply the pain this land bore and the resilience that silently healed itself.

His path is not merely about enhancing his power, but also about fulfilling his responsibility to protect this land.

Unbeknownst to him, he once again stepped into the territory of Buzhou Mountain.

As the pillar of heaven formed from the spine of the great god Pangu, Mount Buzhou remains as majestic and imposing as ever, its top piercing the clouds and radiating supreme majesty that supports heaven and earth.

However, when Zhen Yuanzi used his keen perception as the master of the earth to understand it...

Yet, one could clearly perceive the Pangu Daoist charm permeating the mountain, originating from the creation of the world and containing the fundamental essence of the Great Dao.

It is becoming thinner at a slow and irreversible rate.

Compared to before the Dragon-Han Calamity, that Daoist aura has faded considerably.

Like the lingering will of an ancient giant, after being washed away by endless years and countless eons, it finally began to dissipate.

It is foreseeable that after some more eons, Mount Buzhou may only contain the pure, physical pressure that supports the heavens, and no longer contain the supreme opportunity that allows great beings to comprehend the Great Dao.

Zhen Yuanzi stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at this sacred mountain that carried so many legends and meanings, a complex emotion welling up in his heart.

There is reverence for the god Pangu, a sigh for the changing times, and a touch of enlightenment.

The dissipation of Pangu's Taoist spirit signifies the complete end of an old era centered on "opening up" the world.

A new era of redefined order is about to be ushered in by Hongjun, by the Heavenly Dao, and perhaps also by the Earthly Dao represented by Zhen Yuanzi.

He did not attempt to climb Buzhou Mountain again. He had already obtained the Pangu Jade Marrow and the Four Symbols Banana Tree there before, and had used them to enlighten the Emperor and Zhenwu.

The opportunity has now passed, and forcing it will be futile.

He bowed slightly to Mount Buzhou, both to bid farewell to an era and to express his final respect to the one who created the world.

Then he turned and left, a thought forming in his mind: he wanted to go and see that western land to which he had just poured countless efforts.

His figure flickered, traversing the void.

When Zhen Yuanzi stepped into the western territory again, the aura he sensed was completely different from before.

Although still barren, the vast land is covered with only sparse drought-resistant vegetation and some tenacious mosses and lichens.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the air was far less than in the East, but the feeling of being lost in death and filled with resentment had disappeared.

The earth was stable, and faint yet pure spiritual energy flowed slowly along the path he had repaired, like the new blood flowing from the body of a sleeping giant.

The sky was a clean, azure blue, and the sunlight, though intense, carried a warmth essential for life.

Occasionally, one can see extremely small insects crawling between the cracks in the rocks, or a few newly sprouted medicinal herbs containing a faint spiritual light growing with difficulty and tenacity.

"Though the vitality is weak, it is recovering. Time will heal all wounds."

As Zhen Yuanzi strolled through the land she had personally helped to reshape, her heart was filled with satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment from creation.

He could feel that his connection with this western land had become exceptionally strong because of his previous merits in restoration, and the authority of the Earth Book seemed to have been slightly strengthened here as well.

His divine sense spread out like ripples on water, meticulously perceiving every change in the West.

When his divine sense swept across a certain place in the western continent, it suddenly paused slightly.

In the center of that relatively barren land, there is a sacred mountain that is different from others.

It is neither the highest nor the most dangerous, but its mountain exudes a unique Taoist charm that is harmonious, peaceful, and resilient.

Faintly in harmony with the Dao of Heaven, the mountain was surrounded by a faint golden glow, and it survived the devastating explosion of the western ley lines and the erosion of Luo Mo's thoughts without a scratch!

"Mount Sumeru—" Zhen Yuanzi immediately recognized the mountain. This mountain was the core of the ancestral vein of the West and the hub of the westernmost part of the primordial world.

It seems that Heaven has shown some protection and has not allowed Luo to completely destroy the foundation of the West.

What caught his attention even more was that deep within the core of Mount Sumeru, two extremely faint yet extraordinary innate spiritual lights, faintly resonating with the western lands, were being nurtured!

One of the two beams of light was pale gold, its aura both compassionate and resilient, carrying a grand ambition to save all living beings.

The other path displays seven wondrous colors, its aura lively and intelligent, containing a kind of unconventional approach that seizes a glimmer of hope.

"Jieyin—Zhunti—" Zhen Yuanzi understood.

These two were the founders of the Western religion in later generations, the Heavenly Saints whose destiny was predetermined.

They were still in the process of gestation, and because Mount Sumeru was protected by the Heavenly Dao, they escaped the Dragon-Han Calamity and survived safely.

Zhen Yuanzi's eyes flashed, and many thoughts raced through his mind in an instant.

These two are destined to become saints and rule the West. Although their paths may not be entirely aligned with their own, they are by no means enemies.

Establishing a positive connection in advance is beneficial to both oneself and the future of the Wanshoushan lineage.

It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. At this moment, when they are still weak, even a little guidance is an immense favor.