After recuperating for ninety thousand years in the Underworld, Qing Ling had still not emerged from the earth.
Every ten thousand years, he would consume a Peach of Immortality, then refine its Dao essence for a thousand years, followed by a thousand years of Qi cultivation, and then a thousand years of regulating his breath for stability. Afterward, he would enter the Earth Dao, planting flowers for a thousand years using the waters of the Yellow Springs, the River of Oblivion, and the earth's essence.
Following this, he would meditate for three thousand years, comprehending the Earth Dao and the cycle of reincarnation.
Regardless of whether he gained any insights, he would cease his contemplation of the Earth Dao and shift his focus to the Wood Dao for a thousand years. Then, he would use the Three Lives Stone to comprehend the Dao of Life, Death, and Time for another thousand years, and finally, patrol the Underworld for a millennium.
Afterward, he would consume another Peach of Immortality, refine its Dao essence for a thousand years, cultivate Qi for another thousand years...
This cycle repeated endlessly, ceaselessly.
Such a passage of time lasted for a very, very long while, so long that Qing Ling had consumed sixty-five Peaches of Immortality and lived for fifty-six Yuan Hui.
He had stayed in his Underworld for a full five Yuan Hui.
Even after five Yuan Hui had passed, the Underworld remained largely unchanged. The only difference was that the bridge over the River of Oblivion had gradually materialized, and more Shore-Flowers bloomed along its banks.
Qing Ling stood up and looked back at the Underworld. The Three Lives Stone emitted a radiant glow, protecting the Yellow Springs, the River of Oblivion, and the Shore-Flowers.
He had to leave now.
He couldn't stay here forever.
For Qing Ling was still the Lord of Du Guang and the primordial ancestor of the snake race.
Therefore, the Earth Dao and he could never become completely one. This was precisely why the Earth Dao had chosen him.
Qing Ling walked out of the Underworld, departing silently, his departure unknown to all.
Upon leaving the earth, he found himself in Bei You.
The heavens and earth were cold, and all things withered.
He observed the stars and the sun, realizing he was in the northern region of the Primordial World.
On the edge of the northern region, close to the northeast.
Even standing here, separated by immeasurable mountains and rivers, he could see the majestic phantom of Buzhou Mountain in the south.
This was the first time Qing Ling had seen the phantom of Buzhou Mountain.
His mind was filled with a single word: "Vast!"
So vast that it was impossible to harbor any thought of resistance, so vast that it shocked the mind and commanded reverence, so vast that it compelled submission.
Surveying the eight desolate regions, and looking across the expanse between heaven and earth.
The divine mountain bore a name; it was Mount Buzhou that gave rise to the appellation "Buzhou."
Qing Ling greatly desired to see it, and he would.
However, he could not go now.
For he had to travel north.
As the Lord of the Earth Dao, he had to traverse all four regions. The Eastern Region was familiar to him, having been born there.
He had journeyed through the Southern Wilderness in the Southern Region and traversed Kunlun in the West in the Western Region, so he must also explore the Northern Region.
The north wind swept across, and the wilderness lay in deathly stillness. It was too cold here for life to flourish easily; only cultivators could survive.
Qing Ling walked across the Xuan Jia Wasteland of the Northland, a desolate expanse of ten thousand li, as the north wind blew.
The sun rose from the east, casting Qing Ling's elongated shadow on the horizon. The north wind ruffled his three thousand strands of hair, and the cold gust pierced his heart.
Qing Ling traveled for decades without encountering a single person.
On this day, the cold wind blew, and the dry, frigid earth, though devoid of snow, was colder than a world of ice and snow.
Amidst the dust and wind, an elder advanced at an incredibly slow pace.
It took three breaths to take one step, another three breaths to stabilize himself after landing, so each step required nine breaths.
The elder paid no heed to Qing Ling, and the two approached each other.
Qing Ling took one step per breath, and a golden bell chimed with each step.
As they drew nearer, after a considerable time, Qing Ling reached the elder, cupped his hands in a respectful salute, but did not bow, saying, "Greetings, Senior."
As the Lord of the Earth Dao, he could no longer bow casually.
The elder seemed not to hear, continuing forward as if deaf.
Qing Ling smiled wryly and said, "Senior, this junior is merely traveling and has no ill intentions."
The elder still ignored him, completing his step in nine breaths.
As the elder walked past Qing Ling's body, the very earth trembled slightly. This tremor rippled across millions of li in the Northland.
Qing Ling's expression remained unchanged. He nodded and said, "I understand your intent, Senior. Thank you, Senior."
With that, the golden bell chimed again under his feet, and he continued northward.
It was only after he had taken more than a dozen steps that he heard a hoarse voice from behind him.
"Slow~"
Qing Ling raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the elder's retreating back, who was still walking.
Three breaths later, the elder spoke again: "Wait~"
Qing Ling blinked in surprise. He was about to ask when he realized that the elder's first two words, when combined, meant "Wait a moment."
He patiently watched as the elder slowly turned around, a process that took ten breaths, and then he spoke again, saying, "You~"
Qing Ling waited quietly for several breaths before hearing the second word.
"Are~the~initial~Lord~of~the~Earth~Dao?"
As the question was uttered, Qing Ling felt an urge to laugh but suppressed it.
"This junior is indeed!"
Seeing the elder slowly open his mouth to speak again, Qing Ling quickly interjected, "Senior, although I am the Lord of the Earth Dao, I will not contend with you for the Great Dao, nor will I harm your interests. You may rest assured."
Ten breaths later, Qing Ling heard the other party's voice again.
"Good! I~do~not~concern~myself~with~the~karma~of~the~Primordial~World, which~is~quite~beneficial!"
After this statement, Qing Ling waited for a quarter of an hour.
"You may rest assured, Senior."
Upon hearing this, the elder stood in place for over ten breaths before his body gradually vanished, merging back into the earth.
Qing Ling couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. The immense size of the Xuan Gui's body had resulted in such a slow speaking pace, slower than a turtle, slower than a sloth.
As the Lord of the Earth Dao, he naturally knew that the continent beneath his feet was the transformed body of Xuan Gui. Xuan Gui slept almost perpetually. Although it could not take human form, its primordial spirit cultivation and strength were comparable to the Ten Great Supreme Beings of the Primordial Era. Below the Hun Yuan realm, it was immortal and indestructible.
To kill Xuan Gui, one would need the power to destroy a quarter of the Primordial World.
The entire Northern Region was Xuan Gui's body. The only being in the Northern Region was Xuan Gui itself. All living beings in the Northern Region, and even the heavens and earth of the Northern Region, were parasitic on it.
As for the Xuan Wu Supreme Being, he resided in the Abyss of the North Pole year-round, at the very end of the Primordial North, and was not on the continent of Xuan Gui.
Qing Ling did not venture further north but headed northeast. After traveling for ten thousand years, his footprints were imprinted on the earth.
Within his internal Great Luo Dao Scripture Realm, the pseudo-Primordial World was finally nearing simulation.
The further northeast one traveled in the Northern Region, the colder it became, until it reached an extreme where the temperature of the heavens and earth no longer changed, remaining perpetually at that level.
Following this, a world of white met his eyes.
Heaven and earth were as white as paper. The ground was pure white, the sky was pure white, the mountains were white, the water was white, the trees were white, and Qing Ling became the only speck of green on the white canvas.
Clad in green, amidst the snow, each step left a mark. A long trail of footprints followed behind him, gradually blurring from near to far, buried by the wind and snow.
The north wind howled, and the ice and snow were biting cold. The Dao of Wind, the Dao of Ice and Snow, and the Dao of Water converged here into an icy world.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit had already broken through to the eighth level of Great Luo Golden Immortal, and he had comprehended the ice, wind, rain, and snow for ten thousand years.
Currently, Qing Ling's primary cultivation was still rooted in the Wood Dao.
Following this were the Daos of Life and Death, forming the second tier. Then came the Great Dao of Time, the Great Dao of Withering and Flourishing, the Great Dao of Taiji, the Dao of Wind, and the Dao of Blood.
Finally, the Daos of Reincarnation, Gold, Water, and Fire were the weakest.
Although the thirteen Daos varied in strength, he had comprehended each one far beyond the Taiyi realm.
The thirteen Daos formed a cycle. The five elements of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth formed the Five Element Great Dao below. Then, together with the Daos of Earth and Wind, they formed the Four Symbols Great Dao of Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. The Great Dao of Time, the Great Dao of Life and Death, the Great Dao of Withering and Flourishing, and the Great Dao of Reincarnation formed the Three Talents. The Great Dao of Taiji represented "one giving birth to two."
And the "one" in "one giving birth to two" was the fundamental Wood Dao of Qing Ling.
Among these thirteen Daos, twelve governed the external, while the Wood Dao governed the internal. The twelve Daos were for defense and offense, and the Wood Dao served as the energy source.
Qing Ling's Wood Dao was impervious to the restraint of any Dao in the universe. This was because all Daos in the universe were connected to the twelve external Daos he cultivated.
This was the reason why Qing Ling did not hesitate to divide his attention and arduously cultivate various Daos.
Qing Ling's cultivation was only at the eighth level of Great Luo Golden Immortal, but who would truly consider him to be merely an eighth-level Great Luo?