Qing Ling followed Luo Hu to the west with a sense of helplessness. The Great West was vast, dotted with stone forests, lush with vegetation, and scorched by a searing heat.
In the furthest west stood a mountain named Sumeru. Mount Sumeru, the divine mountain, was as white as jade, pure and flawless, radiating light.
Yet, this was the ancestral land of the demon race.
Ten thousand demons bowed at its foot. Though few in number, each demon was immensely powerful, their divine abilities unfathomably mysterious, making them the foremost race in the west.
They were also the most powerful race in the entire Primordial World, second only to the three tribes.
The Dragon Tribe posed no threat to the Demon Tribe, as their interests rarely conflicted due to their geographical separation. Furthermore, allowing the Demon Tribe to check the Qilin Tribe was more advantageous.
While powerful, the Dragon Tribe could not contend with the combined might of the Phoenix and Qilin Tribes.
The Phoenix and Qilin Tribes, in turn, dared not challenge the Demon Tribe. This was solely due to Luo Hu. His Four Swords of Zhuxian had once been arrayed across the western marshes, intercepting the allied forces of the Qilin and Phoenix Tribes. In the battle of the Zhuxian Sword Formation's emergence, the dual kings of the Qilin Tribe were trapped. Only after the three ancestors of the Phoenix Tribe arrived and broke the grand formation did they manage to escape with the wounded Qilin kings.
Since then, the Demon Tribe established its dominion over the western lands, and the Phoenix and Qilin Tribes never dared to attack again.
These historical events had transpired five hundred Yuanhui ago, in the era shortly after the establishment of the three tribes.
And the west had become the domain of the Demon Tribe.
Qing Ling listened to Dharma King Dasha endlessly recount Luo Hu's valiant history, but he could only smile faintly and wave him off, saying, "Dharma King Dasha, I understand. I need to cultivate in seclusion."
Dasha frowned slightly but then said, "Then I shall not disturb you. Feel free to cultivate here; no one will bother you. However, it is advisable that you do not leave the Eight Treasures Divine Pool at will."
Qing Ling smiled faintly, "I shall abide by that."
Dasha nodded and turned to leave.
Qing Ling's sense of unease had long since faded. Fear stemmed from the unknown; once the unknown became known, it ceased to be terrifying.
He bore one-tenth of Pangu's luck from Mount Buzhou, along with spiritual treasures formed from two-tenths of the primordial essence of the Creation Green Lotus.
As long as he remained in the west, this luck would, in essence, belong to Luo Hu, who was only addressed as "Great Brother."
Therefore, Qing Ling was safe.
However, if he were to leave the west, the situation would be quite different.
Mount Buzhou was under the divine prohibition of Pangu, preventing gods and demons from acting with impunity. But this protection was selective.
Let alone the deceased Pangu's transformed remnants, even Pangu at his full power during the creation of heaven and earth would not be feared by Luo Hu or Hongjun, much less the mere remnants of Buzhou long after its demise.
Qing Ling sighed in resignation, accepting his fate.
At the very least, on Mount Sumeru, he did not have to worry about his safety.
The two beings beside him were the best proof of this.
Within the Eight Treasures Divine Pool, a pure white lotus bloomed, unbranched, its fragrance far-reaching and pure.
Its fragrance wafted far, and by the pool grew a Bodhi tree, its leaves serene, its branches upright.
The lotus was the Pure World White Lotus among the Twelve Heavenly Spiritual Roots, and the tree was the Primordial Bodhi Tree, also among the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots.
Both the tree and the lotus had long been capable of taking form, yet neither had.
By not taking form, they remained mere objects, able to suppress the luck of Mount Sumeru. If they were to take form as spirits, they would be restricted to cultivating demonic arts on Mount Sumeru.
Thus, they could only bide their time.
Luo Hu had never interfered with them, not only because they were objects that suppressed luck but also because they were connected to Mount Sumeru, which was the root of the western spiritual脉, and thus could not be tampered with.
This was similar to how the source of spiritual energy in the eastern lands lay in Kunlun. As long as Kunlun stood, the earth脈 would be inexhaustible.
So long as Sumeru stood, the earth脉 would be inexhaustible.
Qing Ling, sitting beneath the Bodhi tree by the pool, reached out and touched the Bodhi, sighing, "The most radiant of things, yet born in the darkest of places."
The pure white divine light of Mount Sumeru, though inimical to demons, was an unparalleled blessed land for demons to break through their cultivation realms.
Whenever a demon sought to advance, they yearned to ascend Mount Sumeru, seeking opportunities for enlightenment amidst the balancing of the pure world divine light and the innate malevolent energy of the demonic path.
Qing Ling looked at the tree and the lotus, the future two Buddhas of the West, Zhun Ti and Jie Yin, and spoke to himself, "For the period to come, I will trouble you two."
The Bodhi leaves rustled, and a single leaf fell.
The white lotus opened, releasing a white lotus leaf as a welcoming gift.
Qing Ling accepted them, holding the Bodhi in his left hand and the white lotus leaf in his right palm, smiling, "Thank you both."
For Qing Ling, like them, would be confined here for a very long time. The three of them were fellow sufferers.
Below Mount Sumeru were the ten thousand demons; on the mountain was Luo Hu; and within the mountain were the various demon kings and demon lords.
Luo Hu cultivated the demonic path atop Mount Sumeru, absorbing the brilliance of the heavens and earth.
Dasha and Ashura, the two great demon kings, managed the affairs of the demon race. These two were second only to Luo Hu within the demon tribe, but they were merely two great divine powers of heaven and earth.
Beneath these two demon kings were the eighteen great demon lords, each a Daluo Golden Immortal.
Below them were the demon cubs of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.
Nine-tenths of the demon race's luck resided in Luo Hu, which contributed to the Demon Ancestor's supreme reputation.
Furthermore, many powerful individuals who had fled from the three tribes sought refuge among the demons, hiding considerable strength.
Even if Luo Hu were absent, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven for Qing Ling to escape Mount Sumeru.
Fortunately, he had traveled through much of the Primordial World. In the span of two Yuanhui, he had seen all he should and should not have seen.
It was time to cultivate in seclusion for a period.
The ancestor of the western spiritual脉 was immeasurably more abundant in spiritual energy than his own eastern lands, making cultivation here like a fish in water.
However, Qing Ling did not immediately begin cultivating his qi. Instead, he started refining the Green Jade Umbrella.
The Green Jade Umbrella was a supreme-grade spiritual treasure with thirty-three layers of innate divine restrictions, primarily focused on defense. It inherited the ceaseless vitality of the green lotus, where the lotus endured, so too did the person.
Though it was acquired last and was a notch below the thirty-six-layered divine restriction spiritual treasures of the three Pure Ones, for Qing Ling, it was more suitable than those three treasures.
The Green Jade Umbrella unfurled, its resplendent canopy extending above his spiritual essence. A green lotus descended, scattering verdant light that illuminated the pool, turning it a jade-green hue.
The Bodhi tree and white lotus reflected the green light, appearing even more vibrant.
Green umbrella, white lotus, Bodhi—three lights intertwining.
Above Qing Ling's head, his庆云 dao-image gained a green treasured umbrella. As it opened, it encompassed the慶雲 like the sky, protecting the realm.
He refined the layers of divine restrictions within the umbrella, and the wood-attribute primordial essence of the green lotus flowed into Qing Ling's heart. His wood dao was becoming increasingly profound.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit sat at the center of his spiritual platform. Green energy gradually emanated from beneath him, and a phantom image of a green lotus appeared at his knees, slowly rotating.
Each rotation revealed a facet of the wood dao. The green lotus rotated thirty-six times, corresponding to the number thirty-six, connecting with his primordial spirit.
The primordial essence of the green lotus gradually flowed into Qing Ling's dao body.
He was, in essence, a wisp of Pangu's hair from his birth, imbued with the spiritual essence of the thirty-six-petaled Creation Green Lotus. Now, having gained the primordial essence of the green lotus, though his cultivation had not increased, his foundation had become broader and deeper.
Qing Ling meditated in seclusion within the Eight Treasures Pool for several Yuanhui, fully refining the Green Jade Umbrella before commencing his cultivation.
Although the wood dao was a common path, it also proved to be a more expansive one.
Qing Ling's wood dao cultivation was not the highest, but it was not low either. While his cultivation and magical power were only at the eighth heaven, his comprehension of the wood dao primordial spirit had long surpassed the eighth heaven.
Therefore, Qing Ling would encounter almost no bottlenecks when breaking through to higher realms.
Qing Ling held a Bodhi leaf, comprehending the heart of Bodhi, the essence of freedom and compassion. In his right hand, he held the white lotus leaf, sensing the pure light and the intention to save all beings.
The wood dao itself branched into a thousand paths, each a wood dao.
Qing Ling's wood dao had already gained the favor of the spiritual entities of wood in heaven and earth.
Among the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, he had comprehended the wood dao primordial essence from the twenty-four-petaled Creation Green Lotus, a remnant of the Chaos Green Lotus, which he considered his own green lotus. Now, he had also gained a leaf from the white lotus.
Among lotus spiritual roots, only the black, gold, and red lotuses remained uncomprehended.
Furthermore, he had nurtured the first generation spiritual fruit of the Immortal Peach spiritual root, thus comprehending its wood dao.
And this Bodhi leaf was also one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots.
Additionally, a branch of the Fusang Divine Wood served as the origin of his arrow, "Zhushén."
He had also consumed the fruit of the Yellow Middle Peach and comprehended the essence of Xuanhuang, which could be considered another form of insight.
The remaining ones were the Moon Laurel, Immortal Apricot, Bitter Bamboo, Ginseng Fruit, and Gourd Vine, along with the black, gold, and red lotuses from the lotus family—these were the spiritual entities of wood with the highest significance in the world.
As for Patriarch Yang Mei's true form, the hollow willow, a Chaos Spiritual Root, he dared not harbor any ambitions towards it.
He intended to comprehend these remaining spiritual woods before he could claim complete mastery of the wood dao.
Time was long; as long as he lived, he would eventually have the缘 to encounter them.
The longer Qing Ling stayed in the Eight Treasures Pool, the more his mind became as still as water. Even the dazzling Eight Treasures Water did not stir his heart.
He knew he would not remain here indefinitely, owing to his various identities and the changes in the grand cosmic tide.
Therefore, before reappearing, Qing Ling had no choice but to cultivate diligently and refine his divine abilities.
These times passed quickly. In the pure land amidst the defiled demonic realm, cultivating diligently, with the Bodhi as his companion and the white lotus by his side, his heart and mind were incredibly pure.
If he had leisure time, he would impart the Dao to the Bodhi, speaking of the myriad daos and laws he had encountered during his travels throughout the Primordial World. The Bodhi would only sway its branches and leaves, its heart rippling.
If he had leisure time, he would speak with the white lotus, discussing the various paths of all beings in the world, each walking their own path and mastering their own dao.
The white lotus would then open and close its leaves repeatedly.
Thus, even without leaving Mount Sumeru, these two had come to know the major events of the world.