My classmates chose martial arts and fantasy, but I chose the prehistoric world.

Before we knew it, half a month had passed.

During a break in their discussion, Zhen Yuanzi suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist, I have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask it."

"Fellow Daoist, please speak."

"Fellow Daoist, you have achieved such accomplishments in less than ten thousand years of cultivation. Besides fortuitous circumstances and innate talent, is it related to the cultivation method you practice?"

Zhen Yuanzi's eyes were clear, filled only with pure curiosity.

Meng Chuan was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "The Nine Revolutions Profound Technique that I cultivate is indeed related to the Father God Pangu. This is a method of proving the Dao through strength, emphasizing the foundation, tempering the physical body, and forging the primordial spirit, with each step reaching a new level."

"As expected." Zhen Yuanzi sighed knowingly, "No wonder your foundation is so solid and your blood and qi so abundant. The Great Dao of Power is the foundation of Father God Pangu. It is truly an extraordinary opportunity for you to obtain this inheritance."

He paused, then said, "However, although this path is powerful... according to my calculations, the calamity it brings is also severe. Fellow Daoist, you must be careful in the future."

"Thank you for the reminder, fellow Daoist." Meng Chuan cupped his hands in greeting.

He knew that Zhen Yuanzi's words came from the heart.

To prove one's Dao through force and follow the path of laws will lead to Hongjun merging with the Heavenly Dao. This will be considered going against the will of Heaven, and one will inevitably face calamity. Moreover, under the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, it will be extremely difficult to take the final step and become a saint!

During their casual conversation, Hongyun steered the conversation toward the ancestral witch Houtu.

Meng Chuan frankly stated, "Houtu has shown me kindness by guiding me and bestowing upon me treasures. I regard her as both a teacher and a friend."

After chatting for a while longer, Meng Chuan rose to take his leave: "I have troubled you for many days, and it is time for me to take my leave. I have benefited greatly from this discussion, and I thank you both for your hospitality."

"What makes you say that, fellow Daoist?" Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun also stood up.

"It is an honor for Wuzhuang Temple that you have come, fellow Daoist. You are welcome to come anytime you have free time in the future. Although Longevity Mountain cannot compare with Kunlun or Buzhou, it is still quiet and can be a place for you to rest."

"must."

Meng Chuan cupped his hands in farewell and then bid farewell to Hong Yun.

Hongyun laughed and said, "If you come again next time, please let me know in advance. I will prepare fine wine so that we can drink and discuss the Dao together."

"it is good."

Meng Chuan smiled and agreed, then took a step and disappeared outside the view.

Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun stood in front of the temple, looking in the direction Meng Chuan had left, remaining silent for a long time.

"This child is truly remarkable," Hongyun sighed.

"He's more than just remarkable." Zhen Yuanzi's gaze was far-reaching. "He has a grand vision in his heart and a profound understanding of the world. His future is undoubtedly limitless."

……

Meanwhile, deep within the primordial land, at the confluence of countless earth veins.

Houtu stood barefoot between the scorching magma and the icy earth marrow, her body radiating Daoist energy that completely isolated her from the earth's fire and coldness.

She has been searching here for a thousand years.

When she first took human form, she sensed a strange fluctuation here, obscure and ancient, faintly resonating with the bloodline of Pangu.

At that time, my cultivation was still shallow, and my pursuit was fruitless, so I had to put it aside for the time being.

Until two thousand years ago, Meng Chuan went to the Blood Sea twice, and although he overpowered the Styx River, he failed to obtain the tip of the God-Slaying Spear. When he returned to the valley, he was in low spirits—though she was not there in person, she sensed it through the formation.

On that day, that once-dormant, chaotic fluctuation resurfaced in my heart.

She wanted to find that thing.

Then, give it to him.

The thought came suddenly, yet it was as firm as a mountain.

So a thousand years ago, she settled the affairs of her clan, bid farewell to her brother, and ventured alone into the depths of this earth vein that even the ancestral witches were unwilling to linger in, following that faint sense of connection, searching inch by inch.

The underground is not a smooth road.

There are malevolent creatures formed from the toxic energy of the earth, turbulent currents caused by changes in the earth's veins, ancient restrictions that have been preserved, and ancient beings buried deep underground with chaotic consciousness.

Houtu traveled along the way, fighting, breaking through, and avoiding obstacles.

She was the ancestral witch of the earth, her body one with the land, and she was perfectly at home here. But the search, though lasting for a thousand years, was still exhausting and time-consuming.

Until this day.

She passed through a crystal forest formed from the solidified essence of the earth, and suddenly the view opened up before her.

In the center of the ten-zhang-circle-wide cavity, a fist-sized, hazy fragment hangs suspended.

This fragment is neither stone nor jade; its surface is mottled with cracks, but inside there is a faint flow of chaotic energy, as if it contains a world yet to be created.

It hung there quietly, the surrounding subterranean fires subsided, the earth's veins were subdued, and spacetime was stable.

That chaotic aura that transcends all things is a hundred times stronger than what I felt back then.

"This is……"

Houtu frowned, slowly stepped forward, and gently touched her.

The instant the fingertips touched it, fragmented images and information flooded into the sea of ​​consciousness—

Before chaos was created and before the primordial order was established, a divine pearl was born within, encompassing the three thousand Great Daos and containing the chaotic world within...

When Pangu created the world, the divine pearl was damaged and shattered into countless pieces...

The largest fragment fell into the Earth's core during the primordial chaos, and after countless eons, nourished by the Earth's veins, it gradually developed spirituality...

Fragment of the Chaos Pearl.

The Chaos Pearl is considered one of the "Supreme Treasures of Chaos," alongside the Heaven-Opening Axe, the Jade Disc of Creation, and the Chaos Green Lotus.

Although it is only a fragment, it is still a part of the Chaos Treasure, containing the Chaos Dao, capable of evolving the prototype of the world, suppressing fortune, and protecting the Dao body.

Its value is no less than any innate treasure.

It should be noted that even the Jade Disc of Creation in the hands of the Dao Ancestor was only a fragment.

Houtu gripped the fragment tightly, feeling a warm and substantial sensation in her palm, which resonated subtly with the Daoist energy of the earth within her body.

Such a treasure, if she were to refine it and use it to comprehend the Great Dao of Chaos, would surely allow her cultivation at the late stage of the Great Luo realm to advance further in a short period of time, and perhaps even glimpse a higher realm.

but……

She remembered him.

Houtu remained silent for a long time before slowly opening her hand and looking at the fragments in her palm.

Then he flipped his hand and carefully put it away.

"This item will be more useful to you."

She murmured to herself, her gaze calm.

"May it help you go further in this vast wilderness."

Turn around and go back the way you came.

His steps remained steady, his bare feet traversing the lava-filled earth as if walking on flat ground. Only the faint, lingering concern in his heart seemed to have become a little clearer.

……

At this moment, Meng Chuan, who was already tens of thousands of miles away from Wuzhuang Temple, was standing on a cloud, looking towards Buzhou Mountain.

The bone fragment given to him by Houtu in his bosom suddenly felt slightly warm.

He sensed something and looked down.

The ancient "earth" character on the bone fragment gleamed with a warm luster, flickering as if echoing something.

Meng Chuan's heart stirred.

is her?

Has she returned from the depths of the earth?

He gripped the bone fragment tightly, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, which quickly turned into determination.

Wherever she is or what she is doing.

He must become stronger quickly, strong enough to protect those he wants to protect and hold onto the bonds he wants to hold onto during the great calamity to come.

The God-Slaying Spear is complete, but my cultivation still needs improvement.

From the late stage of the Great Luo to his peak, it seemed like a single step, but in reality, it was an insurmountable chasm.

He needs to find a desperate place, to break through the bottleneck by leveraging the pressure of life and death.

Once the mind is made up.

Meng Chuan glanced one last time in the direction of Buzhou Mountain, then turned north and took a step forward.

Target—the Northern Sea.

That was a place of extreme cold and yin in the primordial wilderness, where Kunpeng cultivated in seclusion, ancient ferocious beasts lurked, and chaotic energy remained. It was the perfect place to temper one's physical body, hone one's primordial spirit, and seek a breakthrough.

Before leaving, he subtly sent a divine thought to the bone fragment in his bosom:

"I wish to travel to the Northern Darkness to cultivate and seek a breakthrough. It may take a hundred years, or even a thousand. If you return, you can use this bone fragment to sense and find me. Take care."

Without further hesitation, his figure transformed into light and vanished into the horizon.

……

Deep within the earth's veins, Houtu, who was rushing back, also sensed something.

"Bei Ming... is this how you cultivate..."

She whispered, a ripple appearing in her calm eyes.

The Northern Sea is even more dangerous than the ley lines. But having made his decision, he is confident in his abilities.

All she had to do was wait for him to return.

He personally handed him the fragment of the Chaos Pearl.

Then, let's see how far he can go.

With her mind made up, Houtu expedited her return to her ancestral land.

She should also go into seclusion for a while to digest the insights gained from this trip to the ley lines.

The conflict between the lich and the sorcerer intensifies.

She needs to become stronger to protect the witch clan during the great calamity, and to protect... the longing that has quietly taken root in her heart.

The two went one to the Northern Sea, and the other returned to their ancestral land.

Although they go their separate ways, their hearts are connected.