Primordial Era: The Witch Clan's Dog-Headed Strategist

A purple-gold beam of light rose from Buzhou Mountain and sped toward Lingjiu Mountain.

Pan Xuan stood with his hands behind his back amidst the escaping light.

His expression remained calm, but in his mind he had already rehearsed every step of the upcoming meeting with Randeng countless times.

Unlike other powerful beings, Randeng maintained a distant relationship with all the forces in the prehistoric world.

From listening to the teachings at Zixiao Palace to receiving the Dharma from the Three Pure Ones, he was never absent but never expressed his opinion, always sitting alone in a corner, quietly observing the situation.

This personality trait actually made Pan Xuan feel that he could communicate with him more easily.

Lighting a lamp requires neither roundabout probing nor carefully crafted rhetoric.

He only needs to lay the facts on the table and present the opportunity to Ran Deng, and with Ran Deng's wisdom, he will naturally make the most advantageous choice.

Lingjiu Mountain is located in the north-central part of the prehistoric world. Although it is not known for its towering peaks, it possesses a unique tranquility and solemnity.

The mountain is dark gray with sparse vegetation, and a thin layer of mist shrouds the mountain year-round.

It is not a cloud of condensed water vapor, but a unique aura formed by the intertwining of the law of annihilation and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Everything in the mountains seemed exceptionally quiet; there were no birdsong, no animal roars, and even the sound of the wind seemed to have been silenced by some invisible force.

This quiet is not deathly stillness, but rather a composure and tranquility that has been accumulated over countless years.

Like an old man who has experienced many vicissitudes of life, sitting quietly on the mountaintop, he is silent, yet exudes an awe-inspiring aura.

Yuanjue Cave is located halfway up the main peak of Lingjiu Mountain.

The cave entrance was small, and the stone walls on both sides were covered with dense patterns of the laws of annihilation.

Every line contains the profound truth that all things return to stillness.

Above the cave entrance hangs an ancient-style glass lamp, its light dim yet radiating a warm glow that illuminates the entire valley.

The light was unlike any ordinary flame; it was neither scorching nor dazzling.

Instead, it carries a serene power that cleanses the soul, as if telling every living being that enters this place.

This is the end of all strife, the resting place where all things return to tranquility.

Pan Xuan slowed down his escape when he was still thousands of miles away from Lingjiu Mountain, and calmly released his aura.

A righteous aura transformed into a pale golden halo that enveloped him, while the authority of the Divine Lord remained restrained, leaving only a gentle and peaceful kindness.

He did not rush to enter the mountain gate, but stood suspended in the void, waiting quietly.

He knew that the Taoist priest in the cave must have sensed his arrival.

Deep within Yuanjue Cave, the Taoist Ran Deng sat cross-legged beneath a glass lamp.

Holding a withered leaf in his hand, he was contemplating the path of the leaf's transformation from vibrant life to withering and decay.

His face was thin, his eyes were deep, and his aura was calm and restrained.

The glass lamp that was always with him floated in front of him.

The lamplight flickered slightly under the influence of the law of annihilation, each flicker reflecting the ancient patterns on its surface.

The cave was furnished very simply. Apart from this lamp, there was only a stone platform, a few futons, and the walls covered with runes of the law of annihilation.

When Pan Xuan's aura wafted from outside the mountain, Randeng's fingers, which were holding a fallen leaf, paused slightly.

He slowly opened his eyes, a knowing glint in his deep gaze.

Pan Xuan arrived. He had expected this.

Previously, Fuxi, Hongyun, and Zhenyuanzi entered the divine path, and the expansion of the divine path system in the prehistoric world was unstoppable. Powerful figures from all sides were successively invited by Pan Xuan in person.

Burning Lamp had silently deduced using the Dao of Nirvana, calculating that Pan Xuan should be arriving here around that time.

However, Pan Xuan arrived several hundred years later than he had predicted.

This discrepancy over the past few centuries stirred something within Ran Deng.

He put down the withered leaves in his hand and slowly stood up.

What's meant to happen will happen eventually. Although he was detached from worldly affairs, he was not indifferent to the expansion of the Shinto system.

The entry of the Three Pure Ones into the divine path, Fuxi into the divine path, and Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun into the divine path—the addition of these powerful beings has made the divine path system vastly different from what it used to be.

Pan Xuan's trip must also be to invite him to enter the path of divinity, but it is unknown what kind of conditions he will offer.

Ran Deng straightened his gray Taoist robe, stepped barefoot across the stone floor of Yuanjue Cave, and walked out of the cave.

At the mountain gate, Pan Xuanzheng stood with his hands behind his back.

He saw Ran Deng emerge from the cave, and from a distance, he bowed respectfully, his voice gentle and calm:

"Fellow Daoist Ran Deng, I, Pan Xuan, have taken the liberty of visiting you and have caused you much trouble."

The lamp-lighter returned the greeting with his hands clasped together, his voice deep and steady:

"Fellow Daoist Pan Xuan, you are too kind. The Lord of the Divine Path personally visiting is an honor to Lingjiu Mountain. Please come in, Fellow Daoist."

He turned to the side and gestured for Pan Xuan to proceed, leading him deeper into the Yuanjue Cave.

The light inside the cave was dim, with only the glow of the glass lamp illuminating the path ahead.

The two sat down on either side of the stone platform, and Randeng personally poured Pan Xuan a cup of spiritual tea.

The tea was crystal clear, with no aroma, only a faint, refreshing taste.

Pan Xuan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, put it down, and looked directly at Ran Deng, getting straight to the point:

"Fellow Daoist Ran Deng, Pan Xuan has come to visit today to invite you to join the Divine Path system."

But this invitation wasn't a typical one to a deity; Pan Xuan had a plan and wished to invite fellow Daoists to join in this grand event.

Ran Deng paused slightly in his teacup, then calmly asked, "What's your plan?"

Pan Xuan did not answer immediately, but instead took out a recording jade talisman from his sleeve and placed it on the stone platform.

The jade talisman records some of the discussions Pan Xuan had with the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the Three Pure Ones in the Pangu Hall.

The results of the deduction about the origin of the lamp, and the preliminary ideas about the way of funeral.

Since he intends to invite Ran Deng, he must be completely honest with him.

The origins of the lamp were deduced by him; there was no need to hide it, nor could it be hidden anyway.

Rather than letting Ran Deng figure it out later and cause resentment, it's better to put it out in the open from the beginning.

"Before revealing this idea, Pan Xuan has something to be honest with you, fellow Daoist."

Pan Xuan's tone remained gentle, but it carried a hint of solemnity.

"Fellow Daoist's origins have already been deduced by Fellow Daoist Fuxi using the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Era."

The first coffin in the world took human form and cultivated the path of Nirvana.

This origin is unique among the primordial, innate, and sacred beings.

Pan Xuan's deduction of your background was not out of prying, but because this deduction was closely related to your background.

The hand holding the lamp paused for a moment in mid-air, then slowly put down the teacup.

He lowered his eyes and remained silent for a few breaths.

The coffin's ability to take human form was a secret he had never told anyone.

From the moment he gained sentience and took human form until now, he has never revealed his origins to anyone.

But Pan Xuan knew it, and he deduced it through Fu Xi's innate Bagua.

This made him somewhat uncomfortable, but Pan Xuan's frankness made it difficult for him to feel any real aversion.

Pan Xuan could have simply made up a story to invite him to the path of divinity without telling him;

However, Pan Xuan chose to tell him the truth about the deduction of his origins, putting this "offense" out in the open for him to examine.

This openness actually dissipated most of the discomfort in Ran Deng's heart.

"Fellow Daoist Panxuan is indeed frank."

Ran Deng slowly raised his head, his deep eyes showing no anger, only a cautious scrutiny.

"Now that you have ascertained my background, fellow Daoist, may I speak frankly: what is your plan?"