Primordial Era: Reborn Kong Xuan, Steady Cultivation

Kong Xuan was completely unaware of the subtle ripples that arose within Zixiao Palace because he took the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag, or even of the timeless glance from Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

At this moment, he fled the blood-soaked area as quickly and discreetly as possible to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention.

At the same time, I also need to find an absolutely safe place as soon as possible to go into seclusion and refine this newly acquired top-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Northern Profound Origin Water Control Flag!

Perhaps it was due to the special period in the primordial world at this time, with most of the top experts gathered at the Purple Cloud Palace in the heavens, having no time to spare, or perhaps it was because he himself had successively obtained great treasures and accumulated merits, which had indeed made his fortune and luck rise to a very high level, making him "deeply blessed".

In short, Kong Xuan's escape was surprisingly smooth.

He rode the Shadow, which combined the Five-Colored Divine Light with the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag's spontaneous water-repelling light, narrowly escaping the edge of the still-boiling giant vortex in the Blood Sea before plunging headlong into the adjacent Northern Sea.

The roar and chaos of the blood sea behind them were quickly isolated and swallowed up by the unique fierce winds and lead-gray sea mist of the Northern Sea.

However, Kong Xuan dared not linger in Beiming.

This place is, after all, Kunpeng's training ground. Although he himself listens to the Dao in Zixiao Palace, it is hard to guarantee that there are no other subordinates or ferocious beasts lurking here.

He determined his direction, pushed his speed to the limit, and flew relentlessly towards the vast outer sea, far from the Blood Sea and the core area of ​​the Northern Sea.

He flew across hundreds of thousands of miles of vast sea in one breath, until he could no longer sense the unique ferocious and resentful aura of the Blood Sea in his divine sense, and even the frigid winds of the Northern Sea were gradually replaced by the relatively "normal" aura of the primordial sea. Only then did Kong Xuan's tense heartstrings relax slightly.

His gaze swept across the scattered islands below, and he finally chose a remote island with moderate spiritual energy, no powerful life force, and a secluded location. He descended from the clouds and silently landed in a naturally formed cave in the heart of the island.

"This place is safe for now." Kong Xuan quickly set up several layers of concealment and protection, making the cave entrance look completely disguised.

He placed Zhitong aside, tasked with keeping watch for even the slightest movement in the surroundings.

Without another word, he sat cross-legged and focused all his attention on the small black flag in his hand.

He knew that refining such a top-grade innate spiritual treasure was by no means easy, and the time and effort required far exceeded that required to refine the Fallen Treasure Coin.

But at this moment, with external threats temporarily averted, internal strength urgently needs to be strengthened.

Only by quickly acquiring this flag can we truly possess another powerful reliance to stand firm in the vast wilderness and cope with future changes.

As for whether taking this flag would create an irreconcilable feud with the Styx Ancestor, Kong Xuan had some consideration in his mind, but it was not his main concern.

The fact that they were able to successfully infiltrate the depths of the Blood Sea, find the treasure, and leave safely speaks volumes.

"With the power of this treasure, if Styx had known about it and refined it earlier, the Blood Sea would have been under his absolute control. I would not have been able to get close to the core so easily, let alone take the treasure."

That concealment array was exquisite and perfectly integrated with the Blood Sea environment. It probably existed before the Styx Dao was formed, or perhaps it sank to the bottom of the sea by some twist of fate. Even he might not know its exact location or the mystery within it.

Moreover, I possess the merits of Heaven and the fragments of the Jade Disc of Creation, both of which have the effect of disrupting the secrets of Heaven and obscuring cause and effect.

This Northern Mysterious Origin Water Control Flag itself is also a supreme treasure that obscures the universe and conceals the secrets of heaven.

With these three layers of cover, unless a sage personally intervenes to calculate, it will be virtually impossible for the River Styx to trace my origins back to me.

Because of these multiple safeguards, and the fact that he did not encounter any interception or pursuit from the depths of the Blood Sea during his escape, Kong Xuan judged that the Styx Ancestor probably did not consider this treasure as his own, and might not even know that such a primordial treasure that was in harmony with his Great Dao was hidden deep in the Blood Sea.

In this way, there is no question of "offending" anyone; at most, it is just a matter of "coincidence and getting there first".

Of course, if in the future Styx discovers something amiss with the Blood Sea's origin, or learns of this treasure's existence through other means and makes calculations...

That's a matter for later. By then, my strength and level may have changed, and I'll have my own strategies to deal with it.

With this in mind, the last trace of worry in my heart disappeared.

Kong Xuan calmed down completely, focusing all his attention on the Xuan Flag in his palm. His Golden Immortal power flowed like a gentle stream, carrying his understanding of the laws of water, and he began to carefully touch and permeate the first complex and profound innate restriction deep within the flagpole.

The path of refining is long, but each step means an increase in control over this supreme water-controlling treasure.

At the same time, Zhitong, who had just been released from Kong Xuan's sleeve and put on guard duty, couldn't help but shiver as soon as he came into contact with the outside environment.

"Hiss... It's so cold!" it muttered softly, shrinking its non-existent neck.

As a plant spirit that has attained enlightenment through the cultivation of immortality, it naturally prefers warm, humid, and spiritually rich places, such as the Zhigu Valley in Wuyi Mountain.

Although the island on the edge of the Northern Sea where it was located was far from the core of the storm, the spiritual energy in the air was still icy cold, and the howling sea wind was even more violent and dry, carrying fine ice crystals that hit its lustrous Ganoderma lucidum cap, making its spiritual light dim a bit.

Although he had achieved the status of a Xuanxian (a type of immortal), immune to heat and cold, this discomfort, which was contrary to the nature of the environment, originated from the depths of his spirituality and could not be completely eliminated by mere cultivation.

It looked at the gray sky and the surging dark sea outside the cave with a worried expression, then looked back at the old man who was completely meditating inside the cave entrance barrier, its little face full of struggle.

"Ugh, this godforsaken place! The spiritual energy here is cold and chaotic; it's so uncomfortable." Zhitong lamented inwardly. "Master is so powerful; he could cultivate anywhere."

Do not be tempted by this Northern Darkness land and choose to build a permanent cave dwelling here!

"Then I'm going to suffer, Zhitong..."

Although it complained inwardly, it dared not slack off in its actions.

Remembering the master's instructions, it carefully moved to a sheltered spot near the cave entrance where the soil was slightly thicker, and with a "plop," it planted its roots into the cold earth and rocks.

This allows one to absorb some of the earth's energy to alleviate discomfort and also helps to better integrate with the surrounding environment, enhancing perception through the talents of plant spirits.

……

In this way, Kong Xuan devoted himself to refining the Northern Profound Origin Water Control Flag in the desolate island cave on the edge of the Northern Sea. Unbeknownst to him, hundreds of years had quietly passed.

His understanding and control over this supreme water-controlling treasure deepened day by day. He had successfully refined nine of its innate restrictions. The vast water element Dao rhyme contained within the flag nourished each other with the water element origin in his own five-colored divine light, gradually showing signs of fusion and resonance.

On this day, just as he was immersed in analyzing yet another ingenious restriction, a strong sense of unease suddenly came from the outside world, interrupting his meditation.

Outside the cave, the once relatively "calm" Northern Sea has now completely changed!

The spiritual energy between heaven and earth was as violent and chaotic as boiling water, tearing at the clouds and forming visible gray-white turbulent streams of spiritual energy.

Below, the dark blue sea roared wildly, churning up terrifying giant waves hundreds or thousands of feet high, like countless moving mountains, colliding and crashing against each other with a destructive force!

The reefs that originally surrounded the island disappeared without a trace after the first wave, and the surging seawater was swallowing the coastline at an alarming speed, sweeping towards the cave in the center of the island where Kong Xuan was in seclusion!

"Master! Master! Something terrible has happened! Outside... outside the sky is collapsing and the sea is boiling! Our island... our island is about to be submerged!"

Zhitong's tearful screams came through the barrier, her voice filled with fear and helplessness.