Primordial Era: I, Ksitigarbha, shall be the Supreme Being of the Primordial Era.

As clouds rise and the scenery fades, the deep and secluded Valley of Entry will eventually reach its peak.

Ksitigarbha rode on a cloud and emerged from the valley. The sun in the Thirty-Three Heavens shone its light upon the entire primordial wilderness, and it also shone upon Ksitigarbha.

Under the golden light, the red robe fluttered.

Ksitigarbha surveyed his surroundings, and the desolate scenery came into view.

The western land is scarred and riddled with wounds, a sight that even Ksitigarbha cannot bear to look upon.

As the clouds fell, Ksitigarbha walked on the earth, bending down to caress the vast, desolate land, a look of compassion appearing on his face.

I just don't know whether to feel pity for this scarred land, or for myself, which is like this western land.

A moment later, Ksitigarbha subconsciously chose a direction and slowly walked away.

Riding the clouds is not impossible, but Ksitigarbha has some unseen sense that perhaps by measuring this path with his feet, he can gain more insights, which will also benefit his future cultivation.

Walking on this desolate land, there is no life within a hundred miles. If this were the East, there would be at least rare flowers and exotic plants, if not mythical beasts and birds.

If others were present at this moment, they would have noticed that Ksitigarbha subconsciously chose the west.

Ksitigarbha walked very slowly, each step very solid.

Three years have passed in a flash, and Ksitigarbha has traveled tens of thousands of miles.

However, looking at his body, there was no trace of dust or fatigue.

His expression remained as firm as it had been at the beginning.

Looking again at the Daoist aura emanating from Ksitigarbha's body, one sees a spiritual light hidden within, yet also something else flowing through it.

Three years later, Ksitigarbha finally encountered the first living creature he had encountered on his journey.

It appeared to be a white mastiff with an unusual appearance.

Three years later, the mastiff seemed to be very curious about Ksitigarbha, following him closely step by step.

The Daoist essence surrounding Ksitigarbha was even more profound, and it even exuded a sense of annihilation.

Ksitigarbha, who was walking with his eyes open, had his eyes closed at some point.

But this did not hinder his progress. Ahead lay a straight road that had been cleared, with no idea where it would end.

Unlike the silent Jizo, the mastiff followed along, occasionally drawn by fallen leaves swirling in the wind, chasing after them, and sometimes acting strangely, digging furiously at the ground.

But after playing, they would always catch up with Ksitigarbha's footsteps and follow him westward step by step.

Just as Ksitigarbha was walking westward, beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

In the Purple Cloud Palace,

Hongjun also stopped preaching, and the primordial deities who were sitting cross-legged below him listening to the Dao were all awakened from the profound Daoist teachings of Hongjun.

But a hint of reluctance and sadness was evident in each of their eyes.

But all he could do was bow and say, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After everyone stood up, Hongjun said again, "The Heavenly Dao is incomplete now, the order of the primordial world is chaotic, and Yin and Yang are out of balance. There should be innate deities to manage it."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and then wanted to recommend themselves.

Unexpectedly, Hongjun pointed directly at the crowd: "Eastern King Duke, Western Queen Mother!"

When the two saw Hongjun pointing at them, they both showed incredulous expressions, and then stepped forward with great joy.

"Disciple is here!"

"Dongwanggong, you are the embodiment of primordial pure yang energy. I hereby appoint you as the head of all male immortals in the primordial world, bestow upon you a dragon-headed walking stick, to govern all male immortals in the primordial world and restore order!"

After saying this, Hongjun took out a golden dragon-headed cane and bestowed it upon the Eastern King Duke.

The Eastern King Duke accepted the dragon-headed cane with both hands, his eyes brimming with excitement.

"The sage imparted the Great Dao to us, and should be our primordial Dao Ancestor. The Eastern King Duke thanks the Dao Ancestor for his mercy and will certainly not fail the Dao Ancestor's expectations!"

Upon hearing what the Eastern King Duke said, all the innate deities frowned, and a hint of disgust flashed in their eyes towards him.

Before Dongwanggong could continue his flattery, Hongjun continued, "Xiwangmu, you are a manifestation of primordial pure Yin energy. I hereby appoint you as the head of the primordial female immortals, bestow upon you a bowl of pure water and a primordial peach tree, to govern the primordial female immortals and, together with Dongwanggong, regulate the Yin and Yang of the primordial world!"

The Queen Mother of the West accepted the two treasures, bowed in gratitude, and said, "Thank you... Ancestor of the Dao, your disciple will obey!"

After the investiture ceremony concluded, Hongjun closed his eyes slightly and said, "This sermon is now over. My path to sainthood will consist of three lectures. The next lecture will be ten thousand years from now, on the path to quasi-sagehood!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the crowd bowed in unison and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Dao Ancestor!"

After everyone bowed in gratitude and looked up, they realized that Hongjun had disappeared sometime during the night.

Seeing this, the group stopped sitting there and slowly walked out of Zixiao Palace.

Zhunti and Jieyin walked at the back, just about to find the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa and others to discuss the Dao and get acquainted.

But they discovered that the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and others suddenly changed their expressions, then revealed joy, and hurriedly rushed into the chaos towards the primordial land.

Zhunti and Jieyin exchanged a glance, both sensing that this matter was unusual, but they couldn't feel anything and knew that it was not meant for them, so they could only suppress their anxious hearts.

"Senior brother, should we follow them? Perhaps we can gain something!"

"Hmm..." Jieyin pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Forget it, since we are not destined to be together, going there will probably be pointless."

"However," the guide changed the subject, "do you still remember the destined person we sensed before the Holy... Dao Ancestor preached?"

Upon hearing this, Zhunti's eyes lit up.

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Let's go, senior brother!"

The two then entered the chaos.

Just as Zhunti was leading the two to the prehistoric world, in the western part of the prehistoric world, Ksitigarbha had been traveling for sixteen years.

In sixteen years, Ksitigarbha traveled a distance of 100,000 li.

The mastiff behind him had grown much larger, from being only as tall as Jizang's calf to reaching Jizang's waist.

Ksitigarbha continued walking slowly, as if he had forgotten about time and his purpose in moving forward.

The Dao essence of Nirvana surrounding him grew increasingly profound, making him appear from a distance like a walking corpse.

The mastiff has become much calmer and will no longer suddenly chase after things. Its once cloudy eyes now occasionally flash with a glimmer of light.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and Ksitigarbha's pace quickened, like a pilgrim about to reach his destination. A sense of joy emanated from the Taoist aura surrounding Ksitigarbha.

The mastiff seemed to sense something as well, and its steps became even more cheerful.

A towering mountain, its peak invisible, stands out starkly against this desolate land.

Beneath a somewhat shabby thatched hut atop the mountain, two Taoists sat cross-legged in meditation. They were none other than Zhunti and Jieyin, who had returned to the primordial land a year ago.

When they first returned to the primordial land, the two originally wanted to follow the stirrings in their hearts to find their destined one, but they found that they could not pinpoint the location of that destined one no matter what they did.

It's as if that person has been erased from time and space, from the passage of years.

But the stirring in their hearts kept telling them that this person truly existed.

After thinking it over, the two concluded that the time was not yet ripe and they should wait for the time being.

Today, the two people in meditation finally experienced a clear sensation:

That person has arrived!

Rising from their seated meditation, the two looked down from the mountaintop and saw a young Taoist priest in a red robe with his eyes closed walking step by step towards Mount Sumeru in the east.

Behind the Taoist priest was a somewhat intelligent mastiff-like beast.

It was Ksitigarbha who had walked for eighteen years, covering 120,000 li on foot.

Zhunti, being impatient, wanted to go down the mountain to greet him, but was stopped by the Guide Daoist.

"Junior brother, wait a moment. That person's cultivation is nearing completion. Your sudden arrival might disturb his practice!"

Upon seeing this, Zhunti looked closely and indeed saw that Ksitigarbha was walking with his eyes closed, his body exuding an aura of Dao like a chicken egg about to hatch.

"Senior brother, I was rash! Look at that young Daoist, he's only a Celestial Immortal, yet he possesses such high comprehension. It seems he's about to enter the Dao of Nirvana!"

A hint of appreciation appeared in Jieyin's eyes, and a rare glimmer of joy appeared on his face, a stark contrast to his eternally unchanging sorrow.

"Our eldest disciple is about to be born!"

Only then did the two realize that their destiny with the person they were meant to be was that of a master and disciple.

As the two chatted, Ksitigarbha finally arrived at the foot of Mount Sumeru.

Ksitigarbha paused briefly at the foot of Mount Sumeru before ascending a hidden mountain path.

Upon seeing this, both Jieyin and Zhunti looked surprised.

Mount Sumeru was their sacred site; without their consent, how could the Path of Guidance have appeared?

Could it be that Mount Sumeru is welcoming this person?

However, no one could tell them why.

The towering Mount Sumeru now appears as a small hill at Ksitigarbha's feet. Though he cannot be seen to have taken a single step, his figure keeps flashing across the mountain. In the blink of an eye, Ksitigarbha is almost at the summit.