If the Jianmu was the root and the foundation, standing tall between heaven and earth, immutable for eternity.
Then the lotus would be the external manifestation, swaying in the chaos, blooming across ancient times.
One still, one moving, the Wood Dao complete.
In Qing Ling’s eyes, the Great Dao of the Wood Dao led directly to eternity!
However, on this path, there was another main road.
The two paths, refusing to yield, both sought to become the sole dominant way!
The Great Dao of the Earth Dao also led directly to eternity.
The Wood Dao and the Earth Dao, within Qing Ling, began their great struggle!
Though the Earth Dao was strong and vast, its cycle of reincarnation was incomplete, lacking a core. And this core required immeasurable price, which Qing Ling was unwilling to pay.
Furthermore, no matter how strong the Earth Dao was, in his heart, it would always be a subsidiary path, protecting the Wood Dao, and serving its growth.
If he were to walk the Earth Dao, even if he schemed to obtain its core, he was not of the Earth Dao lineage. Integrating the Earth Dao into himself would be like water without a source, a tree without roots.
Therefore, his fundamental cultivation method would always be solely the Wood Dao.
Yet, the current Qing Ling could not yet sever this branching path of the Earth Dao.
Because the Earth Dao had not yet found its true master.
The Jianmu was silent, the Dugang was silent, and the Great Emperors of the Four Ancient Clans had all returned to the Eastern Wilderness.
The Eastern Wilderness remained as peaceful as ever, like a paradise isolated from the world.
Within the Primordial World, however, storms were brewing.
The Twelve Witch Tribes remained inactive. The Witch Tribe occupied vast territories of the Primordial World, and it would take at least tens of epochs to fully digest them.
Now, all the great cultivators of the Primordial World had achieved their cultivation. The Witch Tribe was formidable in battle but not foolish brutes; they understood how to assess the situation.
To the southwest, on Mount Luoling.
Qing Xuan sat cross-legged in the Xuan Hall atop the mountain, his spirit returning to its origin, merging with his true self.
According to the Immortal Dao realm, he was now at the late stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, which was considered upper-tier among the great cultivators in Zixiao Palace.
While he did not compare to top-tier great cultivators like the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Di Jun, and Tai Yi, he was still a formidable expert.
However, after the Dao Ancestor's sermon for one epoch, the great cultivators of the Primordial World were further stratified.
The middle and lower tiers of great cultivators remained unchanged; the top tier had shifted.
The Three Pure Ones of Kunlun, three Quasi-Saints, were respected by all great cultivators, even if they shunned fame and cultivated in seclusion.
With three Quasi-Saints wielding supreme treasures and being brothers, and tracing their lineage to the Dao Ancestor, who would dare provoke them?
On Mount Fengqi, Nuwa had also severed one of her corpses, achieving the Quasi-Saint realm.
On the Solar Star, Di Jun and Tai Yi had also severed one of their corpses, becoming Quasi-Saints.
As for the Lunar Star, the Moon Palace Mistress Changxi walked an ancient path, and though a great cultivator of heaven and earth, she had not reached the absolute pinnacle.
However, Chang'e had chosen Hongjun's Immortal Dao path, severed one corpse, and become a Quasi-Saint.
The two on the Solar Star roamed the Primordial World, gathering numerous exotic beast tribes. They were consolidating their power in the northern lands of the Primordial World, forming the nascent stages of a super-force.
The Demon Tribe was not far off.
Qing Xuan's brow furrowed, his thoughts unsettled.
He was still lacking in accumulation to reach the peak of Grand Unity, let alone to tread the path of a Quasi-Saint.
Without becoming a Quasi-Saint, he would have no standing in the future.
The Serpent Tribe of Mount Luoling would inevitably join the Demon Tribe. He needed strength to protect all the serpents.
Mount Xishan’s Serpent Tribe was the ancestral land of the Serpent Tribe, its foundation. There were too many serpent tribes in the world, and Mount Xishan could not sustain them all.
Hence, the Serpent Ancestor of Mount Luoling came into being.
To put it simply, due to the past division of the Serpent Tribe, serpents had become one of the most widespread types of creatures in the world.
Their sheer numbers, coupled with contradictions in resources and distribution systems, made Mount Xishan unable to accommodate them.
Thus, it was divided into two.
Mount Xishan pursued elite education, while Mount Luoling adopted mass education. Under this dual governance of the tribe, resources were rationally allocated.
This was the most reasonable arrangement in the perilous Primordial World.
The Serpent Tribe, one hidden, one apparent, would endure eternally.
However, Qing Xuan worried about the limitations of his cultivation.
Even after thirty centuries of Zixiao Palace’s teachings, he had not progressed further.
In this era, not advancing meant regressing!
Qing Xuan decided against further solitary cultivation and set out to seek the Dao.
He casually plucked a green vine from the mountain and tied up his loose hair.
With a casual wave, he informed the tribesmen in the mountains.
He descended the mountain alone, traveling to the ends of the earth, accompanied by the gentle breeze, drifting clouds. He reclined among the clouds, gazing at the mortal world with a carefree and uninhibited spirit.
If he were the Nether Lord, or a clone of the Eastern Wilderness Dao Lord, he would not have this freedom.
Qing Xuan was just Qing Xuan, nothing more.
Therefore, he could act as he pleased.
Qing Xuan floated away on the clouds, heading towards Buzhou, his journey filled with immortal energy.
He went to Buzhou to feel its immensity and search for spiritual treasures.
The pressure of Buzhou weakened progressively, to the point where even Golden Immortals could ascend a million miles high.
As the might of the Heavenly Dao grew, the pressure of Buzhou diminished.
The reasoning was simple: one mountain cannot house two masters.
Qing Xuan descended from the clouds and began to climb on foot.
The vegetation on Mount Buzhou was lush and abundant, no longer the barren land of the past.
Perhaps it was because Qing Ling’s Wood Dao had reached Buzhou and evolved there, or perhaps it was the power of Buzhou itself transforming into the source of life for the plants and trees.
Qing Ling wandered freely, not focusing on climbing higher or solely on seeking treasures; his direction was unfixed.
He saw spiritual plants and trees, but he did not move to pluck them.
The mark of Buzhou, the aura of Pangu, had faded to near non-existence.
Qing Xuan ascended the layers of Buzhou for nearly a hundred years, obtaining nothing.
He did not encounter the legendary Buzhou Gourd Vine, nor was the ground littered with innate spiritual roots, nor did he casually meet famous figures of the Primordial World engaged in profound discussions.
Only on the ninth layer of Buzhou did he perceive a void.
Qing Xuan shook his head helplessly. Though there were many innate spiritual treasures in the Primordial World, most already had masters.
Those without masters were in the Dao Ancestor's hands; where would there be scattered innate spiritual treasures?
As he was mocking himself, he suddenly saw something.
It was a banana tree.
Not the innate banana tree, but its first post-natal branch.
Beside it lay a withered banana tree.
On it were traces of four broken sections.
It seemed this was the innate spiritual fan used by Lao Zi to stoke his alchemical furnace.
Qing Xuan smiled and said, "Though you are withered, your wood energy remains. You are still usable!"
He took the withered banana tree, leaving the post-natal banana tree untouched.
It was the sole remnant of the innate banana tree. Having taken its innate vitality, he left its post-natal vitality.
Opportunities must also be left for future generations.
Post-natal items held little value for him.
Qing Xuan re-traversed the thirty-three heavens, deriving the law chains and engraving them across all thirty-three layers, finally etching them onto the withered banana tree.
Then he entered the chaos. Tempered by the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, he refined a spiritual umbrella.
It was also blue, but the deep azure of the heavens.
Recalling his true form's Azure Jade Umbrella, he named this umbrella the Azure Nether Umbrella.
The umbrella had thirty-three layers, divided into the four aspects of earth, wind, water, and fire, capable of both offense and defense. It took him three epochs to refine, and its power was considerable.
He had no defensive spiritual treasure. Since he had separated from his true form, he naturally could have no further connection. Thus, he used this treasure to fill the gap.
As he descended the lower heavens, he encountered a fellow Daoist.
"Fellow Daoist, please stay."
Qing Xuan stopped upon hearing this and looked at the approaching figure, smiling, "So it is Daoist Hongyun."
The newcomer wore a fiery cloud robe, his youthful face beaming with a smile, exuding pure goodwill.
"May I ask for your Daoist name?"
"Mount Luoling, Qing Xuan!"
Hongyun blinked in surprise and laughed, "So we are old neighbors! My friend Zhen Yuan lives in the southwest of the Primordial World, very close to your Daoist abode!"
Qing Xuan looked somewhat strangely, "Daoist Zhen Yuan is renowned, but Daoist Hongyun, are you also cultivating on Longevity Mountain?"
Hongyun laughed heartily, "Indeed. I have resided on Longevity Mountain for many years, considered half the master of Longevity Mountain, so naturally, we are neighbors."
Qing Xuan nodded and glanced at the gourd at Hongyun's waist, smiling, "Is this treasure of yours a fruit from an innate spiritual root?"
Hongyun casually removed the gourd and said, "Indeed.
This treasure was formed on a gourd vine on Mount Buzhou. I chanced upon it and discovered it was a top-grade spiritual root, so I plucked it.
It is a pity that when I plucked it, it was the last gourd. Even the gourd vine was taken by Daoist Nuwa."