The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 67 The Development of the Primordial World 2

The desolate land, a snow-covered frontier of ten thousand peaks.

Tens of thousands of colossal peaks, each ten thousand feet high, stretch across the land, rising abruptly from the earth and piercing the heavens. The perpetually swirling winds and snow-covered waves, imbued with primordial chill, sweep across countless miles of land, a vast expanse of white as far as the eye can see. As the sun breaks through the clouds, countless golden rays slant down, falling upon the snow-capped peaks and jade-like cliffs, refracting into countless brilliant rays of light, making this continuous mountain range, sculpted like white jade, appear dreamlike and ethereal, pure and untouched by the mundane world.

In the frigid and desolate land of the snowy plateau, the Bodhi Temple, originating from the western region of the Kunlun Mountains, stands quietly. With its golden roof and radiant Buddha image, the entire ancient temple resembles a golden rosary held aloft by ice and snow, nestled among millennia-old snow-capped peaks. The faint sounds of chanting and the vast expanse of Zen spirit blend harmoniously with the pristine and immaculate world.

The Bodhi Temple Martial Arts Square is paved with bluestone and engraved with Buddhist patterns. At this moment, the place is bustling with noise and the sound of fists whistling. A group of monks are practicing in formation, their auras calm and their fighting spirit awe-inspiring.

"Arhat Fist, strike in a straight line! The fist has form, but the strike is intangible; it moves like a swift wind, stands like an ancient pine; it attacks like a tiger descending the mountain, and defends like a maiden gazing intently!"

"A firm stance, unified waist and stance, and powerful, explosive punches—this is the fundamental principle of Luohan Fist!"

The sound was as loud as a bell, causing the bluestone of the square to tremble slightly.

The speaker was a burly middle-aged monk, whose Dharma name was Juelie. He was a second-generation disciple of the Bodhi Temple, with broad shoulders and a thick back, his muscles bulging, and his monk's robes stretched taut by his powerful aura. He was personally instructing a group of young novices who had just entered the Yellow Extreme Realm, honing their skills in the fundamental martial art of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Path, the "Arhat Fist." This fist technique may seem rudimentary, but when mastered to its peak, it can be transformed into the sacred Vajra Arhat Fist, possessing boundless power.

Jue Lie's gaze swept over the group of novice monks who were gritting their teeth and training hard. He nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "To cultivate superior martial arts, talent is secondary, and the physical body is fundamental. One must first temper one's mortal body to be as strong as steel and iron, as precious as gold and jade, before one can bear the power of the saint and ascend the Great Dao."

Before he finished speaking, his holy power erupted, golden light soared into the sky, and a nine-zhang-tall glazed golden body appeared outside his body. Buddhist light illuminated the snowy region, and his solemn appearance concealed unparalleled domineering power.

Juelie raised his palm, pointing to a solitary, snow-capped peak a thousand miles away, and casually pressed down.

"boom!"

The palm strike, like a golden celestial river surging forth, traversed a thousand miles of space and crashed down on the mountaintop. The entire thousand-foot snow-capped peak shattered in response, with ice, snow, and rocks swirling wildly in the air. The deafening roar echoed for miles around, and the heavens and earth trembled.

"Wow! My master is incredibly powerful!"

The young monks stared in disbelief, then gathered around, their eyes filled with adoration and fervor, bowing and praising him incessantly.

"Amitabha."

A deep, ancient Zen voice, calm yet carrying an undeniable majesty, slowly descended from the sky above the square.

Master Kongjian, the current abbot of Bodhi Temple, approached with a leisurely gait, holding a green bamboo staff. He wore a brocade robe, his face was kind, but his eyes were clear as an abyss. As he watched Juelie flaunt his holy power and shatter snow-capped peaks in front of his disciples, his brows furrowed slightly, and his expression grew cold.

"Juelie, I summoned you here to solidify the foundation of my disciples and to spread Buddhist teachings and martial arts, not for you to show off your skills and waste such a precious opportunity!"

Jue Lie froze, his golden body instantly shrinking. He quickly lowered his head and clasped his hands together, not daring to meet Kong Jian's gaze. His face was full of shame: "Amitabha, Abbot, please forgive me. I was reckless and did not concentrate on teaching my nephew. I am willing to accept the punishment."

He had intended to use his newly achieved golden body to awe his disciples and inspire their desire to follow the path, but the abbot caught him in the act on the spot, leaving him feeling both regretful and embarrassed.

Kong Jian's expression softened slightly, and he sighed softly: "Monks practice martial arts only to uphold the righteous path, promote good deeds, and save all sentient beings. It is not for the sake of being competitive or to show off in front of others. You have damaged a pillar of the snow peak, so you are punished by sealing your cultivation and personally building ten pagodas; disciples below the Fish-Dragon Realm will still be under your care and guidance to make amends for your mistakes."

Upon hearing this, Juelie's vision went black and he nearly collapsed. Building ten pagodas was a massive and arduous project, and the added burden of sealing his cultivation was tantamount to killing him.

Meanwhile, the young monks, their eyes gleaming, surrounded Juelie, chattering and begging him to teach them his special skills, making him so noisy that he was at his wit's end, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Seeing this, Kong Jian shook his head and chuckled. Leaning on his green bamboo staff, he slowly left the martial arts square and headed towards the Bodhi Hall, the core and most important place in the temple.

Inside the Bodhi Hall, incense smoke curled gently, and Buddhist light filled the air. The three great elders of Bodhi Temple, Kongse, Kongzhi, and Kongshen, were already waiting there. Upon seeing Kongjian enter the hall, the three rose in unison, joined their palms in prayer, and bowed.

"Amitabha Buddha, greetings to Abbot Brother!"

Kong Jian raised his hand in a gesture of support and sat down directly, his voice steady: "My three junior brothers, you must have already received the decree. Senior brothers Kong Nan and Kong Wu are in seclusion, seeking to enter the Supreme Realm. Of the eighteen temples of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Path, only I and Senior Brother Kong Fa of the Mo Ke Temple have recently advanced to the Supreme Realm. Uncle Xuan Dao has issued a decree, ordering Senior Brother Kong Fa and me to set off immediately to the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm for further study and cultivation."

Kongse stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said, "Amitabha, Abbot, rest assured, the temple's foundation is in place, all affairs are in order, and with us here to oversee things, there will be no mishaps."

Kong Jian gazed at the snowy landscape outside the hall, his eyes filled with profound meaning: "The Primordial Realm has just been established, and the fortunes of heaven and earth are rising. It is an era of great change and the emergence of outstanding talents. Our Bodhi Temple, situated in this realm, must focus on cultivating future generations in order to stand firm in the torrent of the times and glorify our Buddhist sect."

Bodhi Temple possesses considerable strength, boasting over twenty Saint Kings and over a hundred Saint Realm cultivators, most of whom are second-generation core disciples. Among them, Jue Lie stands out with the most outstanding cultivation, having reached the peak of the Dao Realm. He is a top-tier combatant below the Great Saint Realm, and even within the Saint King ranks of the Heavenly Court Realm, he would firmly occupy a place in the first tier.

"Amitabha, your teachings are absolutely correct, brother. We must take the cultivation of the next generation as our top priority and dare not slacken in the slightest." Kongse, Kongzhi, and Kongshen responded in unison.

Kong Jian nodded in satisfaction and slowly walked out of the Bodhi Hall. Looking into the distance, the snow-covered landscape stretched endlessly, fierce winds swirling the snow, snow eagles soaring through the sky, and herds of snow cattle galloping across the mountains. Within the temple grounds, Buddhist halls stretched out in succession, and newly built pagodas stood amidst the clanging and clattering sounds of construction, adding a touch of vibrant life to this ancient and silent ice plain.

The Eastern Wilderness is one of the core habitats for the human race designated by the gods.

The Confucian and Taoist schools of calligraphy and painting, the Divine Dragon Empire founded by the half-human dragon race, the Black Market headquarters, the Taoist Liangyi Sect, the Buddhist Moke Temple... all the top forces in the Kunlun Realm have gathered here, a melting pot of diverse influences and a dazzling display of myriad paths.

On the shores of the East Sea, a towering holy city, ten thousand feet high, stands majestically, one of the four great holy cities of the Eastern Wilderness, named Jixia City. This city was personally built under the supervision of the Mingde Divine Venerable, forged from the different scripts of the three thousand great realms and tempered with countless divine materials and holy metals, making it a truly holy-grade megacity. Millions of holy trees, evergreen pines and cypresses, grow within the city, forming a vast forest, their ancient roots intertwining with the city walls, teeming with life. A holy river, ten thousand miles wide, flows through the city, its banks lined with pavilions and towers, its streets crisscrossing, shops lining the streets, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, the clatter of carriages and horses, and the aura of cultivators, presenting a scene of vibrant life and flourishing vitality.

At the very center of the holy city, the Jixia Academy stands like a colossal beast, a sacred ground of Confucianism and Taoism personally founded by the Venerable Mingde. Since its founding, it has attracted pilgrims from all directions, including cultivators from the realms of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, inheritors of various ancient civilizations, and students from all mortal realms. The academy is filled with powerful figures, boasting over a hundred instructors at the Great Saint realm, all leading figures in Confucianism and Taoism from their respective fields.

Deep within the academy, inside an ancient pavilion, several chief instructors gathered.

Each person possessed an unfathomable aura, all being Great Saints of the Supreme Realm. Some came from the Primordial World itself, while others, whose mother realms had been destroyed, were rescued from the hands of Great Saints of the Hell Realm by the Saints of the Primordial World and submitted to the Primordial World in gratitude.

"Brother Xu, the academy has already enrolled eight thousand students. In addition to the native disciples of the Primordial World, Confucian and Taoist cultivators from all realms of the Heavenly Court have come here because of its reputation. The expansion of Jixia Holy City has been completed, and we have joined forces to carve dozens of new holy arrays, making the city as solid as a rock. With the prestige of the Divine Venerable, our Jixia Academy is already one of the holy lands of Confucianism and Taoism in the universe. Its prosperity is expected, and it is hoped that it can rival the four major schools of Confucianism and Taoism in the Kunlun World back then."

Dan Qiuping, beaming with joy, handed a list of disciples to Xu Shaohu, the Grand Instructor of the Academy, with both hands.

He was originally a Great Sage Ancestor of an ancient life-bearing star under the Taiwei Realm of the Western Universe. After the destruction of the Taiwei Realm, he became a prisoner of the Dark Temple. Fortunately, he was rescued by the saints of the Primordial Realm and then joined the Primordial Realm. He was assigned to the Jixia Academy to serve as an instructor with Confucian and Taoist cultivation.

Xu Shaohu took the roster, glanced through it briefly, and pondered, "Let's recruit 10,000 people first. The neighboring Tiandi Academy already has tens of thousands of students. Our Jixia Academy cannot be inferior to them."

Dan Qiuping quickly bowed and agreed. Although he was also a Supreme Saint, he had only comprehended the sixth-grade Saintly Intent at the Hundred Shackles Realm, and his hope of becoming a god in this life was slim. The Mother Realm had been destroyed, and it was already a great fortune that the Primordial Realm had taken him in.

Xu Shaohu tapped the roster lightly with his fingertips and said casually, "The Dan Yuan Assembly is approaching. The Divine Venerable has already decreed that our Jixia Academy may select twenty cultivators below the Great Saint Realm to go to the Divine Furnace to absorb the essence of the Divine Pill for cultivation. Discuss the candidates and be sure to select the best ones."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the instructors present were shocked and began to discuss it.

Dan Qiuping was greatly shaken. He had heard of the practice of absorbing the essence of the divine furnace and the divine pill for cultivation. Before the Heavenly Court's Pill Refining Conference, after the divine furnace and the divine pill in the Heavenly Palace were refined, a large amount of pill energy would remain inside. This was an invaluable resource for Saint Realm cultivators, but it was always an exclusive opportunity for the ruling world, and ordinary Great Worlds didn't even have the qualification to glimpse it. The Primordial World actually had such a benefit. He sighed inwardly, realizing that choosing to submit to the Primordial World was the wisest decision of his life.

"We will select twenty outstanding students with excellent character and academic performance and solid foundations. We will never tarnish the reputation of Jixia Academy. Please rest assured, Brother Xu!" Dan Qiuping replied solemnly.

Xu Shaohu nodded slightly. Since escaping the meteorite belt, he had broken through to the Supreme Realm and had been busy with the construction of the academy, leaving him no time to go into seclusion to consolidate his cultivation. Now that everything in the academy was on track, he could finally go into seclusion with peace of mind and focus on the Dao.

Meanwhile, in the southern wilderness, in the sacred land of Yunmeng Marsh.

The vast marshland stretches for tens of thousands of miles, with Mount Zulong majestically situated within it. The sacred mountain rises tens of thousands of miles high, shaped like a supreme divine dragon lying across the heavens and earth, its head reaching into the sea of ​​clouds and its tail plunging into the great marshland, its imposing presence dominating all directions.

Within the Yunmeng Marsh, the air is thick with dragon energy, and countless demonic beasts and innate beings imbued with dragon blood reside there. Since the dragons of the Kunlun Realm migrated here, due to their untamed nature, they have interbred and mingled with the native creatures of the marsh. In less than a year, a large number of dragon-blooded beings have been born. In particular, some beings have short gestation periods and give birth to many children. Furthermore, they have used time-expanding treasures to accelerate their births. In less than a year, the dragons of the Kunlun Realm have used the power of their bloodline to bring the entire Yunmeng Marsh under their control. Even the neighboring Qilin Clan is astonished, marveling at the speed of the dragons' reproduction and the strength of their assimilation.

On this day, Zulong Mountain welcomed a distinguished guest.

In the Demon Wasteland, there is Ling Ke, the vice leader of the Moon Worshiping Demon Sect and the eldest disciple of the Demon Emperor Ling Che.

Zulong Mountain dared not be negligent and immediately dispatched six Beast Kings to personally greet them, fully demonstrating the formidable foundation of the demon race's top power. Unlike the human race, the demon race has a long lifespan, and as long as their bloodline is strong enough, ascending to the Great Saint realm is merely a matter of time.

The six Beast Kings all transformed into human form, exuding an aura of majesty. The elder in the lead, with a single horn on his head and dragon patterns swirling around his body, bowed respectfully: "Vice Sect Leader Ling, please follow us to the True Dragon Hall. The Grand Elder is already waiting for us there."

Ling Ke nodded in agreement.

The old dragon immediately revealed its true form: a one-horned fire dragon thousands of miles long, its scales blazing like fire, its breath scorching the sky. It bowed down, gesturing for Ling Ke to ride it. Ling Ke did not refuse, stepping onto the dragon's back, thinking to himself: With this free legwork, I can save myself the trouble of flying.

The Yunmeng Marsh stretches for tens of millions of miles, occupying nearly one-tenth of the Southern Wilderness's territory. Yet, with the Unicorn Fire Dragon's incredible speed, it arrived at the foot of Ancestral Dragon Mountain in just a quarter of an hour.

"Vice Sect Leader Ling's presence is truly a rare treat! I must certainly entertain you properly!"

As soon as Ling Ke entered the True Dragon Hall, a burly old man warmly grabbed his wrist.

This man was none other than Hei Lun, the Grand Elder of Zu Long Mountain. His true form was an ancient remnant species, the Devouring Demon Dragon. His cultivation had broken through to the demigod level after the Holy War. In the battle of the Meteor Realm, he had killed many Great Saints of the Hell Realm, earning him a formidable reputation. His wrist strength was astonishing, and his dragon power was immense. Ling Ke was unable to break free for a moment.

Ling Ke smiled calmly: "Elder Hei, you are too kind. I have come here today only to request a batch of Dragon Blood Sacred Mushrooms. The Heavenly Court is holding the Pill Refining Conference, and the pre-conference banquet is imminent, where alchemists from all heavens will gather to exchange alchemy skills. As an alchemist from the Primordial World, I should naturally take the initiative to refine medicine and demonstrate the alchemy level of my Primordial World. Therefore, I have been traveling around searching for spiritual herbs."

Hei Lun stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "So that's how it is! Vice Sect Leader Ling, please rest assured, while we at Zu Long Mountain may not boast about anything else, our Dragon Blood Sacred Mushroom is inexhaustible!"

He immediately turned and ordered, "Xiao Ba, go to the Dragon Tomb quickly and fetch a batch of top-grade Dragon Blood Sacred Mushrooms!" After giving the order, he pulled Ling Ke aside and started chatting enthusiastically, creating a harmonious atmosphere in the hall.