299: Chapter 299 The Primordial Mother Land and Mount Tuoba

The sky of the Great Desolate True Realm presented a deep and boundless azure. Clouds as heavy as lead moved slowly above the Nine Heavens, as if carrying the endless years since the creation of this world.

Zhou Wannian walked atop the clouds with his hands behind his back.

Behind him, the Xuantian Sword Sect—that once-unbeatable Supreme Dao Sect known as the overlord of the Cangwu Ancient Domain—had long since been left far behind. The terror and wails of the millions of Disciples within the sect, and the despair of Daoist Master Xuancang after his cultivation was completely crippled, failed to stir even a tiny ripple in his heart, which was as calm as an ancient well.

The Space Law of the Great Desolate True Realm was extremely dense; even a Daluo True Monarch would need to consume a massive amount of Origin magic power to tear through the void for long-distance teleportation. However, Zhou Wannian's pace appeared incredibly relaxed. His Green Robe fluttered slightly in the astral winds, and the Space Law of Great Perfection flowed naturally beneath his feet. With what seemed like a casual step, thousands of miles of mountains and rivers would automatically fold and recede behind him.

This Divine Ability of shrinking the earth to an inch had long since become an instinct as natural as breathing to him.

As Zhou Wannian traveled, he quietly sensed the changes within his inner universe.

The nine nether earth core lotus he had taken from the depths of the Sword Tomb was currently suspended high in the sky of his inner universe. Its black nether fire had transformed into a deep, dark sun, radiating the purest and most extreme Origin of Fire. This yin and frigid flame echoed the black ocean formed by the great sea true water below, with the lush and vibrant chaos jianmu standing between them.

Water feeds Wood, and Wood feeds Fire.

The Water, Wood, and Fire lineages of the Great Five Elements Laws formed a flawless internal cycle within his body. Zhou Wannian could clearly feel his Physical Body and Divine Soul undergoing a silent transformation. Every inch of skin and every segment of bone was being branded with the highest Daoist sigils of this Great Desolate world.

Zhou Wannian murmured softly in a steady voice, "Three of the Five Elements have been obtained. The Foundation of the inner universe is becoming increasingly stable, and the rejection force of this Great Desolate True Realm against me has completely vanished. Next are the Origins of Earth and Gold. Only by gathering the five ancient Five Elements artifacts can this inner universe truly evolve into a self-sustaining Major Thousand Worlds."

He lifted his head slightly, and his vast, fathomless Divine Sense spread out in all directions like spilled mercury.

After several days of soul searching and investigation along the way, he had clarified the distribution of powers within the Cangwu Ancient Domain and the several surrounding large Domains.

In this Great Desolate True Realm, the place with the densest Origin of Earth was none other than the 'Houtu Ancient Domain' located due west of the Cangwu Ancient Domain. It was a vast, boundless yellow expanse where the Law of Gravity was distorted to an appalling degree.

And the ones ruling the Houtu Ancient Domain were the Tuoba Clan, one of the nine ancient immortal clans of the Great Desolate True Realm.

Rumor had it that deep within the Tuoba Clan's ancestral land, 'Mount Buzhou,' they enshrined a piece of 'grandmist mother earth' that had existed since the beginning of time. That mother earth was the source of all earth; a mere fingernail-sized piece could evolve into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. Relying on the Origin of Earth radiated by this grandmist mother earth, the Tuoba Clan had cultivated their Physical Bodies for generations, becoming the supreme Holy Land for Body Cultivators in the Great Desolate True Realm.

With a calm expression, Zhou Wannian identified the western direction and walked forward at an unhurried pace.

Zhou Wannian said amiably, "grandmist mother earth. The name sounds a bit more domineering than the nine nether earth core lotus. Since it is the source of all earth, it is barely qualified to serve as the terrestrial Foundation for my inner universe."

He shook his wide green sleeves.

Deep within his sleeve, the Gold-Devouring Immortal Golden Child rolled over and let out two satisfied mumbles. This little fellow had devoured countless broken Flying Swords in the Xuantian Sword Sect's Sword Tomb and was currently in a deep state of sleep and digestion. Sharp strands of Sword Intent faintly flowed over its dark golden shell, as it was clearly refining the essence of the Laws from those scraps of iron into its own husk.

Zhou Wannian did not disturb the Golden Child's slumber as he traveled alone through the sea of clouds.

Time flowed, and day turned to night.

After walking for about seven days, the scenery ahead began to undergo an earth-shattering change.

The originally azure sky was gradually stained with a murky earthy yellow. The Spiritual Qi permeating the air became incredibly heavy; ordinary birds could not even spread their wings here and could only crawl with difficulty on the ground.

The land ahead was no longer a continuous stretch of green mountains and clear waters, but a yellow wasteland that stretched beyond the horizon. The ground was covered with bottomless, giant cracks, appearing like scars hacked out by ancient gods with giant axes.

This was one of the nine ancient Domains of the Great Desolate True Realm, the Houtu Ancient Domain.

Just as Zhou Wannian stepped into the border of this ancient Domain, he felt a massive, peerless Law of Gravity pressing in from all directions. This gravity was tens of thousands of times stronger than that of the Cangwu Ancient Domain. If an ordinary Taiyi Realm Cultivator were to barge in here unprepared, their bones would be crushed and their internal organs incinerated in an instant.

But Zhou Wannian didn't even change the frequency of his steps.

His Physical Body, comparable to ancient stars, felt the gravity like a light breeze passing over a boulder. The yellow gravity Laws attempting to oppress him were naturally decomposed and assimilated by the Origin power of his inner universe as they approached within three feet of his body, transforming into the gentlest energy to merge into his Qi Sea.

He stepped onto the hard yellow earth and walked toward the very center of the Houtu Ancient Domain.

Along the way, he saw many giant cities towering into the clouds. Without exception, these cities were carved from solid blocks of yellow stone, their style rugged and grand. Most of the Cultivators walking in the cities were burly, with knotted muscles, radiating a wild aura like that of primeval Vicious Beasts.

Zhou Wannian did not stop in these cities; his goal was very clear: the absolute core of the Houtu Ancient Domain, the ancestral land of the Tuoba Clan—Mount Buzhou.

After walking for another two days, a majestic divine mountain so massive it took one's breath away finally appeared at the end of Zhou Wannian's vision.

It was a towering Peak entirely dark yellow in color. The top of the Peak pierced the clouds, its end invisible, as if the sky of the Great Desolate True Realm was supported by this very mountain.

Surrounding Mount Buzhou were rings of earthy yellow Law halos visible to the naked eye. These halos were formed by the condensation of Houtu gravity of the utmost purity, creating a natural, peerless barrier.

At the foot of the mountain, a large-scale White Jade Plaza had been built. Upon the plaza stood thousand-foot-tall statues of the Tuoba Clan's ancestors. At this moment, the plaza was densely packed with hundreds of thousands of Tuoba Clan members clad in heavy armor, and the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy and murderous.

With his hands behind his back, Zhou Wannian walked calmly toward the White Jade Plaza.

As he approached the edge of the plaza, his path was immediately blocked by two Tuoba Clan guards who stood like iron towers. These two guards both had Late Golden Immortal Stage cultivation, and they held heavy refined gold battle-axes, their eyes as fierce as if they were looking at prey.

The guard on the left glared with wide eyes and shouted loudly.

The guard shouted in a rough voice, "Halt! Ahead is Mount Buzhou, the ancestral land of the Tuoba God Race. Today, the clan is holding the 'Earth Sacrifice Ceremony,' and the mountain is closed to guests. From where did this Loose Cultivator come? Retreat quickly, or you shall be killed on the spot for the crime of trespassing on the divine mountain."

Zhou Wannian stopped and looked at these two clamoring guards, who were like ants to him, with a flat expression.

He did not release any pressure, nor did he become angry.

Zhou Wannian said in a steady tone, "I have come here to take that piece of grandmist mother earth enshrined in your mountain. Clear the way; I will leave once I have the item and will not take up too much of your time."

These words were spoken nonchalantly, yet they sounded like a sudden clap of thunder in the ears of the two guards.

The grandmist mother earth was the lifeblood of the Tuoba Clan, the supreme Foundation that allowed their entire immortal clan to stand tall in the Great Desolate True Realm for countless eons. This frail-looking youth in a Green Robe, who didn't even have a trace of magic power fluctuation, actually dared to open his mouth and demand the grandmist mother earth.

The two guards were stunned for a moment before becoming fly-blown with rage.

The guard on the right laughed out of extreme anger and raised the refined gold battle-axe in his hand.

The guard roared with a distorted face, "Death-seeking lunatic! You dare to run wild at my Mount Buzhou? Turn into meat paste for me!"

He gripped the axe with both hands, his muscles bulging, and with a terrifying force capable of splitting mountains, he hacked down fiercely toward the top of Zhou Wannian's head.

This strike carried the unique gravity Law of the Houtu Ancient Domain. Before the blade even arrived, the white jade bricks on the ground began to emit the sound of overburdened cracking.

Facing this thunderous blow,

Zhou Wannian didn't even lift his eyelids.

He didn't dodge, nor did he summon any Magic Treasure. He simply pulled his right hand from behind him with extreme casualness, slightly curved his index finger, and flicked it lightly against the descending giant axe blade in a plain manner.

Ding.

A crisp and pleasant metallic clashing sound, like water dripping through stone, rang out at the edge of the noisy plaza.

Zhou Wannian's fair and slender fingertip nonchalantly flicked the refined gold battle-axe that weighed tens of thousands of catties.

The scene froze for an instant.

The ferocious expression on the Tuoba guard's face instantly stiffened. He felt that the strike he had delivered with all his might had lost all its power like mud sinking into the sea the moment it touched that finger.

Immediately following that, an irresistible force of disintegration surged back along the axe blade.

Crack.

Starting from the blade, the indestructible refined gold battle-axe shattered inch by inch as if it had undergone billions of years of weathering, turning into extremely fine iron filings.

This force was unstoppable, sweeping directly through the bodies of the two guards.

The two Body Cultivators at the Late Golden Immortal Stage didn't even have time to scream before they both simultaneously turned into two clouds of gray powder in mid-air. A breeze blew, scattering the powder across the ground, leaving no trace behind.

Zhou Wannian withdrew his right hand and casually brushed his Green Robe sleeve.

Zhou Wannian said with a normal expression, "Nonsense. A path is made by those who walk it. Since you insist on blocking the way, I can only crush through."

The commotion here immediately drew the attention of other Tuoba Clan members on the plaza.

Dozens of guard commanders with Taiyi Realm cultivation roared as they rushed over, surrounding Zhou Wannian. Looking at the two piles of bone ash on the ground that had not yet dispersed, their eyes were filled with shock and anger.

One commander drew the Houtu long saber from his waist and pointed it at Zhou Wannian.

The commander shouted sternly, "Who exactly are you? How dare you kill my Tuoba Clan members! Form the Houtu Mountain-Suppressing Formation and take him down!"

Dozens of Taiyi commanders simultaneously activated their hand seals, and a boundless gravity Domain instantly formed beneath Zhou Wannian's feet. This gravity was strong enough to crush a thousand-foot-tall mountain into flat ground in an instant.

However,

Zhou Wannian, at the center of the Formation, still maintained his inherent relaxation. His upright stature did not bend in the slightest, and even his Green Robe showed no wrinkles from the crushing gravity.

Looking at the surrounding Body Cultivators who were acting as if facing a great enemy, a hint of boredom flashed in Zhou Wannian's eyes.

Zhou Wannian commented in a steady tone, "Using the Law of Earth to pressure me? Your understanding of the Great Dao is truly too shallow."

He slowly raised his right foot and stepped down plainly on the hard white jade ground.

Boom!

Accompanying the fall of his foot,

the power of the Laws representing Space Great Perfection and Five Elements Disintegration within the inner universe of the Great Five Elements Illusory World Art surged from the sole of his foot like an invisible hurricane, instantly sweeping across the entire plaza.

The Houtu Mountain-Suppressing Formation, the pride of those dozens of Taiyi commanders, shattered with a thunderous crash the moment it touched this power, like fragile glass meeting a heavy hammer.

This invisible ripple continued unabated, sweeping directly through the bodies of those dozens of commanders like autumn leaves blown by the wind.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A series of dull, soft pops exploded across the plaza.

Dozens of Taiyi Realm elites from the Tuoba Clan suddenly stiffened in mid-air, and then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they all turned into gray ash that fluttered through the sky.

An instant kill.

True, absolute crushing power.

Across the entire White Jade Plaza, hundreds of thousands of Tuoba Clan Disciples fell into a deathly silence. All the clamor and roars were completely cut off at this moment. They stared wide-eyed at the unharmed youth in the Green Robe, their brains losing all capacity for thought.

Zhou Wannian paid no heed to the terrified gazes around him.

He took steady strides, stepping over the ashes that had not yet dispersed, and walked toward the mountain path of the Mount Buzhou.

Just then.

From the Peak of the Mount Buzhou, a world-shaking, violent roar suddenly erupted.

Accompanying this roar, the entire earth of the Cangwu Ancient Domain trembled violently. A terrifying pressure that surpassed a Daluo True Monarch and reached the Peak Dao Venerable stage soared into the sky from the mountain's summit like a volcanic eruption.

Immediately after, a majestic figure as solid as an iron tower, shrouded in swirling yellow sand, leaped down from the summit and slammed heavily onto the very front of the White Jade Plaza.

The earth cracked and dust billowed everywhere.

As the dust cleared, a burly giant with a bare upper body covered in dark yellow totems was revealed. He stood three zhang tall, his muscles as hard as rock, and in his hand, he gripped a spiked club forged from the spine of an Ancient Starry Sky Behemoth.

This person was the current Clan Chief of the Tuoba Immortal Clan, a top-tier powerhouse famous throughout the Great Desolate True Realm, Tuoba Wudi.

Tuoba Wudi's eyes, like copper bells, stared fixedly at Zhou Wannian. He glanced at the ashes on the ground, his eyes nearly spitting out physical flames of fury.

Tuoba Wudi roared with a voice like thunder, "What audacity! I don't care which Supreme Dao Sect secretly nurtured you, old monster, but since you dare to kill people at my Tuoba Clan's Earth Sacrifice Ceremony, today I shall make both your body and soul perish. Now, die!"

He didn't bother asking for reasons, nor did he deign to investigate Zhou Wannian's cultivation. In his view, this Cangwu Ancient Domain was his absolute home field; even if a Dao Venerable of the same rank came, he was confident he could suppress and kill them.

Tuoba Wudi gripped the spiked club with both hands, the vast Earth Origin within him surging like a tsunami. He kicked off the ground with both legs, turning into a destructive yellow meteor that smashed down toward the top of Zhou Wannian's head with a terrifying force that crushed the Void Realm.

This strike not only contained the physical might of a Peak Dao Venerable but also invoked the gravity empowerment left by the ancestors of the Mount Buzhou. Before the club even arrived, the surrounding space was already being compressed into fragments, forming countless pitch-black spatial rifts.

Facing this violent strike capable of destroying heaven and earth.

Zhou Wannian's expression remained as calm as water. He did not dodge, nor did he bring out any defensive Magic Treasure.

He just stood there quietly, slightly tilting his chin up, watching Tuoba Wudi smash down like Mount Tai pressing from above.

Zhou Wannian's tone was composed, carrying a high-and-mighty casualness.

Zhou Wannian said faintly, "You possess nothing but brute strength and do not understand how to control it with ease. This crude way of fighting is truly boring to the extreme."

He slowly drew his right hand from behind him, fingers spread and palm facing up, meeting the massive falling spiked club with a simple, plain lift.

Great Five Elements Illusory World Art, Great Perfection of Space Law, Time Law Reversal.

Buzz.

A clear, transparent ripple of Law rippled out from Zhou Wannian's palm.

Under the watch of hundreds of thousands of horrified eyes in the plaza.

Tuoba Wudi's violent strike, capable of crushing stars, felt as if it had hit a mass of ethereal cotton the moment it touched Zhou Wannian's palm.

There was no deafening sound of collision, nor any world-destroying explosion of energy.

Tuoba Wudi's massive body suddenly stiffened in mid-air. He discovered to his horror that the vast Earth Origin within him was being forcibly reversed and stripped away by an irresistible power. The star-bone spiked club that had accompanied him for countless ages began to weather and decay at a speed visible to the naked eye the moment it touched Zhou Wannian's palm.

"This... what power is this? You..."

Tuoba Wudi's roar turned into a cry of despair.

However.

Zhou Wannian gave him no chance to struggle.

His right hand, which was holding up the spiked club, flipped downward with extreme indifference.

Great Perfection Five Elements Disintegration.

Crack.

That indestructible spiked club instantly turned into bone meal. This supreme power of disintegration surged upward, sweeping directly through Tuoba Wudi's massive body.

The Tuoba Clan Chief, famous throughout the Great Desolate, didn't even have time to beg for mercy before his proud, indestructible divine body began to disintegrate inch by inch in mid-air. Bones, flesh, Meridians, and even that Dao Fruit of a Peak Dao Venerable were all crushed into primordial nothingness by this single flip of the palm.

Puff.

A very faint, muffled sound.

Tuoba Wudi turned into a large cloud of gray powder in mid-air, drifting down onto the White Jade Plaza.

One palm.

With just a flip of the palm.

The overlord of the Cangwu Ancient Domain, a peerless powerhouse at the Peak Dao Venerable stage, had vanished into ash.

At the foot of the entire Mount Buzhou, the psychological defenses of hundreds of thousands of Tuoba Clan Disciples were completely shattered by this incomprehensible and terrifying scene. They stared blankly at the youth in the Green Robe as he withdrew his right hand, their eyes filled with nothing but endless fear and despair.

Zhou Wannian casually dusted off his sleeve, as if he had only done a trivial thing.

He looked up toward the summit of the Mount Buzhou, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his deep eyes.

Zhou Wannian said in a steady tone, "Now that these noisy flies are dealt with, it's time to go take that grandmist mother earth."

He took steady steps, ignoring the Cultivators slumped on the ground around him, and walked through the air, leisurely ascending toward the mountain's summit step by step.

The summit of the Mount Buzhou was a massive, crater-like depression.

In the very center of the depression floated a strange piece of soil about the size of a fist, entirely chaotic-yellow in color. Although small in volume, it emitted a terrifying aura heavy enough to crush all worlds. The surrounding space was in a state of absolute solidification under the halo it emitted.

This was the source of all earth, the grandmist mother earth.

At this moment, the grandmist mother earth seemed to be on the verge of a violent riot because it had lost the suppression of the Formations left by the Tuoba Clan's ancestors. Ripples of yellow energy radiated outward frantically, and the entire mountain vibrated violently under this energy.

Zhou Wannian walked to the edge of the crater and looked at the rioting Mother Earth.

He showed no fear as the Great Five Elements Illusory World Art operated thunderously within his body. A gap opened in his inner universe, and a supreme Origin aura that encompassed all things radiated out.

The originally violent grandmist mother earth miraculously calmed down upon feeling the perfect Law aura of Zhou Wannian's inner universe. It let out a soft hum, as if it had found its home, and turned into a yellow stream of light, actively plunging into the space between Zhou Wannian's brows.

The Mother Earth entered his body.

Zhou Wannian's inner universe immediately erupted with a world-shaking roar.

The piece of grandmist mother earth fell to the very bottom of his Qi Sea, instantly evolving into a boundless and heavy continent of earth. The chaos jianmu took root even deeper into this continent, and the nine nether earth core lotus and the great sea true water above it also operated more flawlessly under this solid Foundation.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. Of the Five Elements, he had already obtained four.

A faint layer of chaotic divine light shimmered on Zhou Wannian's Physical Body. Although his aura was restrained to the extreme, the great power contained in his every movement had completely surpassed the Heavenly Dao limit of this Great Desolate True Realm.

He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

Zhou Wannian murmured softly in a relaxed tone, "Only the final Metal Origin is left. I hope this Great Desolate True Realm can provide an interesting finale for me."

He turned around, preparing to leave this mountain that had been thoroughly scared out of its wits.

Just then.

A withered old man, radiating Death Qi from his entire body, came stumbling out of a hidden Immortal Cave in the back mountain of the Mount Buzhou. He fell to his knees before Zhou Wannian with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

This old man was the Tuoba Clan's Supreme Ancestor who had been in seclusion for many years. Although his cultivation was only at the Late Stage of the Daluo True Monarch, he had lived long enough and seen the most. He had witnessed Zhou Wannian kill the Clan Chief and take the Mother Earth, and he knew the Tuoba Clan was completely finished today.

The old man's voice trembled as he pleaded, "Senior's Divine Might is invincible. My Tuoba Clan was blind to have offended Senior; we deserve to die. I only beg for Senior's mercy to leave a bit of my clan's Bloodline Legacy. Since Senior is collecting Five Elements divine objects, this Junior... this Junior knows the whereabouts of the Metal Origin and is willing to use this secret to exchange for a glimmer of hope for my clan."

Zhou Wannian stopped and looked down at the old man.

He had no interest in exterminating the entire clan anyway; now that he had the item, whether he killed these insignificant people was entirely up to his mood. Hearing that there was news of the Metal Origin, a flicker of interest finally flashed in his calm eyes.

Zhou Wannian said in a casual tone, "Oh? Let's hear it. If your news is valuable, I'll bother no more with flattening this broken mountain."

The old man swallowed hard, not daring to hide anything.

The old man reported with a solemn expression, "To answer Senior, the most ultimate Metal Origin divine object in this Great Desolate True Realm is called the 'primal geng metal divine iron'. This item is not in the hands of any immortal clan or Dao sect, but is nurtured in the deepest part of an ancient forbidden zone called the 'Heaven-Severing Sword Abyss' in the far north of the Great Desolate. There are world-destroying astral winds howling there year-round, and no one below the Saint Ancestor Realm can set foot there. Rumor has it that the divine iron has long since gained intelligence and transformed into a Gengjin White Tiger, guarding the depths of the Sword Abyss."

Zhou Wannian nodded slightly and made a note of the name.

Zhou Wannian said plainly, "Heaven-Severing Sword Abyss, primal geng metal divine iron. Very well. Your life is saved. Take your people and behave yourselves."

He didn't say another word, nor did he pay attention to the old man's sounds of kowtowing in gratitude.

Zhou Wannian stood with his hands behind his back, his Green Robes fluttering gently in the wind. He took a steady step into the air, and his figure turned into a clear breeze, completely vanishing from the summit of the Mount Buzhou.

Leaving behind only that completely fallen ancient immortal clan, kneeling for a long time toward the direction he left in the midst of ruins and endless fear.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wannian continued his unhurried pace toward the far north of the Great Desolate True Realm to find the final piece of the puzzle to complete his inner universe. A grander, more invincible legend was slowly pulling back its final curtain along with his figure.