20: Buzhou Mountain

As he spoke, a streak of light drifted over and landed in front of Qing Wu.

Qing Wu took a closer look and was slightly stunned.

It was a small flag, with greenish-brown light flowing through it; it was indeed the Azure Lotus Treasure Flag.

A green lotus bloomed on the flag's surface, capable of purifying evil and symbolizing vitality, fitting perfectly with the Qingmu Great Dao that Qing Wu cultivated.

He truly lived up to his reputation as the person with the most treasures in the Primordial World; his first gift was a top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure.

After a brief thought, Qing Wu decided to accept this treasure.

On one hand, this was indeed a treasure that resonated with his Dao, and it would be of great use for his cultivation and comprehension.

On the other hand, there was no need to worry that accepting this treasure would cause him to owe Hongjun Karma and thus be constrained by him.

On the contrary, it was Hongjun who had first calculated his Origins, thus owing him Karma; using this treasure to settle that Karma was perfectly appropriate.

After putting away the treasure, Qing Wu put on a smile again. "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. May I ask where you have come from?"

Though this was just a polite formality.

The other party had come from the direction of Mount Buzhou, so he naturally came from Mount Buzhou.

However, this was a graceful exit provided by Qing Wu, signaling that by accepting the treasure, the Karma was settled.

Hongjun also understood this and said with a smile, "This poor Daoist comes from Mount Buzhou. May I ask if you two are also heading towards Mount Buzhou?"

Qing Wu nodded. "Indeed. We have heard that Mount Buzhou is the primary mountain of the Primordial World, so we naturally intend to pay it a visit."

The two began to converse back and forth, and the atmosphere finally softened.

Hongjun told them about his experiences traveling through the Primordial World, which heightened Qing Wu's expectations of the world.

Then, as per custom, Hongjun invited the two to discuss the Dao.

To this, Qing Wu naturally agreed.

Discussing the Dao was not the same as listening to a sermon.

Those who discuss the Dao interact as Fellow Daoists, discussing the laws of the universe on equal footing.

Both sides express their own views, manifesting the true meaning of the Great Dao through their own Dao rhymes, validating each other and complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Even if there is a difference in Realm, it is like rivers flowing into the sea; though their depths vary, they ultimately reach the Great Dao together.

After discussing the Dao, the Karma is cleared, and neither side owes the other; only their Dao cultivation progresses, and their hearts gain insights.

Listening to a sermon is different; there is a distinction between superior and inferior, giver and receiver.

The listener is positioned below, receiving the grace of the preacher, like a seedling nourished by rain and dew.

Although one can hear profound and marvelous methods, one owes the Karma of being taught, which may need to be repaid in the future.

In the future, when Hongjun preaches at Zixiao Palace, the three thousand guests from the Mortal World who listen will more or less have their Luck harvested.

This was the difference.

A thousand years later, the three finished their discussion of the Dao, and both sides had gained something.

But compared to what he learned about Hongjun's understanding of the Dao during the discussion...

What concerned him more was the other's attitude toward the Primordial World.

He seemed, like Five Elements and Yin and Yang, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, to have reduced his obsession with seeking revenge against Pangu.

In its place was a firm commitment to seeking his own Dao within the Primordial World.

At this moment, a high-pitched beast roar echoed from the northern lands.

The group looked up and saw that the ominous aura in the northern lands was becoming increasingly thick.

“A sovereign is about to be born among the Vicious Beasts.” Hongjun's eyes were deep, and the creation jade plate in his hand spun continuously.

Then, Hongjun put away the jade plate, stood up, and said, “I have benefited greatly from discussing the Dao with you two Fellow Daoists.”

“Until we meet again by fate!”

Qing Wu and Yuan Feng returned the gesture. “Until we meet again, Fellow Daoist!”

Hongjun left.

Qing Wu surmised that he was likely preparing for the upcoming Beast Calamity.

In this first struggle to sweep across the Primordial World after the creation of the heavens.

All races were embroiled in it, especially the original Dragon and Phoenix clans.

During the calamity, the most active ones were those reincarnated Chaos Gods and Demons.

After successfully surviving this calamity, they gained many benefits.

Their reputations began to spread, and their strength would see a rapid increase.

As for Qing Wu removing Yuan Feng ahead of time, leading to the absence of the Phoenix Clan...

It shouldn't have any impact on this calamity, right?

After all, with the Chaos Gods and Demons led by Hongjun present, Shen Ni would eventually be ganged up on and killed; there was no need to worry about that.

What really concerned Qing Wu was whether, in the absence of Yuan Feng, another Ancestral Bird would emerge to rule the birds of the Primordial World.

In that struggle for supremacy among the myriad birds in Hurricane Canyon, there were still some divine birds with leadership qualities... Hongjun's figure had already faded into the distance, yet Qing Wu remained lost in thought.

Yuan Feng held up the small greenish-brown flag and waved it in front of him, bringing Qing Wu back to his senses.

“Well? Did Hongjun steal your soul away?”

Qing Wu felt a bit embarrassed; her words made it sound like he had some strange inclination.

He reached out and took the small flag.

Then, the two continued their journey toward Mount Buzhou.

Before long, they finally reached the foot of Mount Buzhou.

As soon as they stepped into the vicinity of Mount Buzhou, Qing Wu's heart sank as he felt a heavy pressure from billions of years ago.

This was the pressure of the Pangu Great God; after billions of years of silence, it had diminished significantly, yet it was still profoundly felt.

He took out a sacrificial altar, set up an incense burner, and bowed three times with great sincerity.

A single axe stroke created the world, bestowing grace upon all living beings.

Regardless of whether the Pangu Great God was still there, he had to show his respect.

Sure enough, after this, Mount Buzhou's suppression of the two seemed to decrease significantly.

And a path leading to the heavens appeared before them.

Legend had it that as long as one's heart was sincere, ascending this path to heaven would often lead to many opportunities and creations.

As for how many opportunities one could obtain, it depended on whether one possessed great Luck and whether one was a favored child of the Pangu Great God.

At this moment, Qing Wu and Yuan Feng ascended toward the towering peak before them.

They didn't pay attention to how high the sky was or how long the road was, but simply focused on each step beneath their feet.

With every step, countless golden flowers bloomed beneath their feet.

The higher they went, the more clearly they could feel a certain will.

It did not come from the Primordial World, yet it was fused into every blade of grass and every tree within it.

In this way, thirty thousand years passed.

The two walked side by side.

They didn't see any living creatures along the way.

It made sense; with such a powerful will and pressure on Mount Buzhou, ordinary creatures couldn't even survive in the vicinity.

If one's Realm was below the Daluo Realm and their Primordial Spirit was not strong enough, they would be directly crushed, body and soul, by this powerful pressure.

Even the Wu Clan, who would later dominate the Primordial World, only gathered near Mount Buzhou and never truly made it their living area.

However, the Pangu Shrine was undoubtedly located on Mount Buzhou.

Whether one could find it, however, depended on a bit of Luck.

This was the sacred temple of the Wu Clan, and typically, creatures of other races were not allowed to enter.

Since the Wu Clan had not yet been born, there might be some Opportunity to see this area that carried the pulse of the Pangu Great God.

Finally, the two decided not to go any higher; they sat down cross-legged and began to digest the insights they had gained over the years.