The Primordial Era: Starting from Being Forced to Become an Apprentice of the Three Pure Ones

"No, no, something's fishy."

Having just broken through a minor realm, Taibai's perception of his own cause and effect became even clearer.

But this realization sent a chill down his spine.

"How could the karmic ties between this humble Taoist and the Witch Clan have deepened without reason?"

The causal thread connecting the witch clan was noticeably thicker and darker in color than before, subtly conveying an elusive sense of entanglement.

He focused his mind and tried to deduce the root cause.

However, the secrets of heaven were shrouded in chaos and obscurity, like trying to see flowers through fog, making it difficult to discern any clues.

"The secrets of heaven are becoming increasingly obscure and unpredictable. Oh no!"

When his calculations proved fruitless, a thought flashed through Taibai's mind, jolting him awake.

"The day of great calamity for humanity is probably not far off!"

Although he could not deduce the specific reasons for the deepening of his own karma, he suddenly recalled the monstrous calamity that had befallen humanity.

Given the severity of the calamity, even if he was a disciple of a sage and possessed the cultivation level of Taiyi,

Before the demon court that sought to forge the witch-slaying sword with human blood, it would likely be of little weight.

Even sages need to weigh things carefully during a great eon, let alone him.

Thinking of this, Taibai felt a sense of helplessness.

The momentum of this great calamity cannot be reversed by him alone.

All he could do was try to mitigate the losses from the disaster to the best of his ability.

The most direct way is to enhance the strength of the human race itself.

If enough spiritual fruits from heaven and earth could be found for the human race to help them accelerate their cultivation and enhance their self-protection, many casualties could be avoided.

Taibai's gaze narrowed slightly. The last time he visited the Wu Clan's treasure trove, the mountains of various spiritual fruits and rare treasures had left a deep impression on him.

The Wu tribe does not cultivate the primordial spirit or emphasize qi refinement; they possess many spiritual objects that are highly beneficial to cultivators.

For them, the uses might not be as good as those things that help refine their qi and blood.

"Or one could use one's own merits to exchange with the witch clan for those spiritual fruits that they do not value much, but which are crucial for human cultivation."

Taibai pondered to himself that this move killed two birds with one stone: it would secure provisions for the human race.

This also provides an opportunity to revisit the Wu tribe and see what lies behind this inexplicably deepened cause and effect.

"Besides, since we've already gotten involved in the cause and effect, it's better to take the initiative to deal with it than to try to avoid it."

Fair trade based on merit, where each party receives what they need, is a prudent method of bartering without incurring serious karmic consequences.

Even though causal relationships will still arise, new entanglements can be minimized. Since things have come to this, the only option is to face them directly.

Taibai rose from the cloud bed, his divine light receding, returning to a calm and profound state.

The next step is to return to the land of the Witch Clan.

Taibai's journey was unusually smooth, without encountering any unexpected setbacks.

Several years later, he landed safely in front of the ancestral temple of the Wu tribe.

Just as he was tidying his clothes and preparing to announce his arrival, a voice called out from behind him.

"Fellow Daoist Taibai, when I no longer wish to see you again, you will have already reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. You truly possess extraordinary talent."

The voice was quite familiar. Taibai looked back in the direction of the sound and saw a figure walking from the void.

Taibai stared intently at it and couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, and then repeatedly sensed and confirmed that unique aura, feeling a sense of astonishment.

"What's wrong? It's been so long, Fellow Daoist Taibai, you don't recognize me?"

When Houtu saw the surprise on his face, she couldn't help but smile.

Taibai then fully came to his senses.

At this moment, he was absolutely certain that the person before him was none other than Houtu, the Ancestral Witch.

Moreover, the spiritual aura emanating from her clearly showed that she had now reunited her primordial spirit and was no longer in a state where she relied solely on her physical body and blood.

"Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, has your primordial spirit been restored?"

Taibai suppressed the turmoil in his heart and asked aloud.

"It has indeed been fully restored to its former appearance."

"Has that ancestral shaman already deduced the method for the other ancestral shamans and even the entire shaman clan to restore their primordial spirit?"

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

If the twelve ancestral witches and even the entire witch clan could regain their primordial spirit, what a terrifying scene that would mean.

The Wu Clan already possessed unparalleled physical strength in the primordial world. If they could further improve their primordial spirit, they would be able to wield various spiritual treasures like cultivators.

At that time, the outcome of the Lich War will likely be one-sided, with the Demon Court having no chance of being a match for the Witch Clan.

If the witch clan becomes the dominant force, how can the human race follow the natural order and become the protagonist of the world?

The entire prehistoric world will inevitably be overturned, and the operation of the Heavenly Dao will be subjected to an immeasurable and violent impact.

Thinking of this, Taibai suddenly shivered, and cold sweat began to seep out from his back.

Upon hearing this, Houtu gently shook her head, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes:

"Restoring one's primordial spirit is no easy task. My opportunity was truly exceptional, and the aid of pure energy was indispensable."

However, the primordial pure energy in the world is extremely rare, so it is almost hopeless to use this method to benefit all of you brothers.

She paused, then continued:

"To reunite the primordial spirits of other ancestral witches, one must possess an immense amount of Heavenly Dao merit."

In this way, one can defy fate and mend one's original deficiencies. However, such merit is incredibly difficult to accumulate.

Upon hearing that this method was difficult to implement, Taibai felt a slight less chill in his heart, but another thought immediately arose.

He immediately stepped forward and said to Houtu in a sincere tone:

"Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, I, this humble Taoist, may do my part in matters of merit and virtue."

I am willing to exchange my own merits for the innate spiritual fruits and treasures in the noble treasury.

How about exchanging one hundred merits for a primordial spiritual fruit?

Taibai's price is nothing short of unscrupulous.

In the primordial world, innate spiritual fruits were incredibly precious, their value far exceeding that of one hundred merits.

Houtu was well aware of the vast difference between them.

However, in the present world, it seems that only Taibai can reliably provide merit for trade.

The Wu tribe is not incapable of plundering, but forcibly seizing the Treasure Coin would create a deep enmity with the Three Pure Ones.

Now that the Witch Clan and the Demon Court are at odds and a great war is about to break out, how can we add a powerful enemy like the Sage's Great Sect to the mix?

"Is one hundred merits too meager?"

"Alas, the Ancestral Witch Houtu is wise; it is not that I am stingy. Most of the merits I have accumulated have been refined into my natal spiritual treasure."

This is to enhance its rank and power. However, forcibly extracting too much might damage the essence of the spiritual treasure; we hope the Ancestral Witch will understand.

After a moment of silence, Taibai, seemingly struggling, took another step back and tentatively asked:

"If the Ancestral Witch finds this inappropriate, how about this: I will exchange two hundred merits for one? This is the limit I can offer."

Li Bai knew he had to act quickly.

At this time, the other ancestral witches were not present, only Houtu, who was relatively gentle and willing to reason, was there.

If he waits for those eleven hot-tempered and stubborn Ancestral Witches to return, he fears he will be ripped off, and even the transaction may encounter unexpected complications.

It's already lucky to have met Houtu; we must seize this opportunity to set a price.

Houtu gazed silently at Taibai, sighing inwardly:

The Wu tribe is indeed in dire need of merit, and Taibai is the only stable source of merit. Continuing this stalemate will not be beneficial.

After a moment, Houtu finally nodded helplessly:

"Alright. As long as it's not a spiritual fruit that enhances qi and blood, you can exchange it for what's in the treasure vault. Let's go."

Having said that, Houtu lightly flicked her sleeves, mounted her escape light, signaled Taibai to follow, and flew towards the Wu Clan's treasure vault.

Taibai felt a weight lifted from his heart, followed by a surge of relief and joy.

Exchanging two hundred merits for a single innate spiritual fruit is an incredibly good deal.

This transaction was incredibly profitable.

With Houtu personally leading the way, the journey was smooth and unimpeded, and they arrived in an instant.

The heavy, ancient doors of the treasure vault slowly opened with a rumbling sound.

The same breathtaking scene as before once again came into Taibai's view:

Countless rare and precious herbs were piled up like mountains, shimmering with spiritual light and exuding a fragrant aroma.

Houtu didn't say much, but spread her primordial spirit outwards, carefully scanning the various treasures in the treasury.

In just a short while, specks of light began to appear in the air above the treasure vault.

Then, one after another, innate spiritual fruits of various shapes slowly floated out.

However, among these spiritual fruits and starlight, there were also some acquired spiritual treasures and immortal artifacts.