It was the three thousandth and third year of the Xuanhuang calendar. Eight hundred years began counting down today.
Qing Buyi kept Lu Qing by his side to guide his nephew in the path of cultivation. Meanwhile, Lu Yun followed his plans and entered the undeniably dangerous land of darkness. Not only were there infinite endarkened that surged forth from unknown sources, but there were also schemes and traps set up by outside cultivators.
Just as Lu Yun would bend his back to making full preparations during the eight hundred years, so would those of the outside realm seize the opportunity to lay their plans. The primary worlds stirred with activity as well—Meng Wang stepped into the limelight with the appearance of the original emperor and summoned his old troops.
The Three Pure Ones, Yun Zhongzi, and others also came out of hiding. They established schools of thought to disseminate great dao and immortal dao.
Fuxi and Hongjun remained holding down the fort at Mount Buzhou. The mountain seemed to be a critical locale for the fourth realm—no matter how tumultuous things became in the realm, the two never left their post.
Pangu and God likewise revealed themselves in full splendor, taking up residence in the world of sequence in Qing Yu’s heavenly palace as protectors of the immortal dao.
The advent of the original emperor was undoubtedly the most stunning development in the fourth realm. Even those who hadn’t been alive during the era of the original Hongmeng knew of the overlord who’d once dominated the entire realm.
After Meng Wang gathered the remnants of his subordinates, he entered Fairylands and beat the living daylights out of the three thousand dao beholders. He subjugated them with sheer violence and killed any who felt otherwise!
Although the dao beholders paid only lip service to Lu Yun to begin with, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. It was enough for them to keep the three thousand daos under control. But as someone who’d ruled an entire era, Meng Wang eschewed mild or pacifist methods. Beating the mutinous into compliance was his modus operandi!
While the three thousand daos were part of immortal dao, they continued to remain separate due to the attitudes and actions of the dao beholders. This time, Meng Wang corralled all of the great daos into the immortal dao through unquestionable force.
Formula dao reared its head as well. It quietly melded the multitude of supplemental dao together and organized them into itself.
The entire fourth realm blossomed with extraordinary light and flared with exuberant vitality during these eight hundred years. It was all due to the emperor of the original Hongmeng!
When Di Yin saw the rebirth of his emperor and witnessed his clan emerge from Fairylands, his entire being changed. The arduous trial of losing hope, falling into despair, and newly regaining life from bleakness completely changed him. The world that Meng Wang had planted within his body completely became one with him. Thanks to the inner world from the outside realm, Di Yin ascended to nine levels of sequence in one go and became immortal dao’s strongest powerhouse.
Incidentally, many sequence experts of the fourth realm shifted their alignment to immortal dao. They transformed their sequences to that of the new great dao, and the Sun, Moon, and Star Sovereigns led the charge. When Ah Zhi added her dao to immortal dao, it became the three thousandth and first dao.
Three thousand was the number of perfection, three thousand and one indicated paramount perfection. Immortal dao vaulted to new heights with the addition of destiny dao and metamorphosed once more. Stronger than ever, its denizens underwent qualitative improvements as well.
For the realms, these eight hundred years were a period of fast paced development—similar to when the void realm returned to immortal dao in the world of immortals. Lu Yun’s replica of heaven and earth that he’d released as the cosmos for the world of immortals abruptly transcended the Hongmeng, melding into the fourth realm. It was a sign that immortal dao had traversed the fourth realm!
The accomplishment was achieved quietly, unknowingly. There were no fiery or sharp collisions, no brilliant fanfare or stunning phenomenon. Everything began and concluded with quiet serenity.
In the two hundredth year after Lu Yun’s departure from the fourth realm, a formless ripple suddenly erupted from Earth. It oscillated through space and covered the entire planet, slowly extending to the mausoleum above it.
The ancestral planet’s night sky was fake. Apart from the sun and moon, everything else was transformed from the connate demon gods and gods that’d fallen in battle. With this change, their corpses now exuded a tiny bit of energy.
After vanishing from the ancestral planet for countless eons, qi began to revitalize in the land. Previously limited to one hundred years of lifespan, Earthlings also underwent gradual changes. In response, immortals from the world of immortals descended to the mortal world to pass on immortal methods.
Of course, Lu Yun had decreed the ancestral planet to be off limits. It was the foundation of the entire Hongmeng and all paths leading to it were guarded by the Dao Academy of Mount Xuanhuang. Only the Three Pure Ones were allowed to visit.
“No!” Three years after he arrived to teach dao, Daoist Ingress mentally bristled, as if he’d seen something incredulous.
“What is it?” Although the Grand Pure One was far away, he kept a constant eye on his two junior brothers. He stirred with alarm when he saw shock spread across Daoist Ingress’ face. At the same time, the Jade Pure One also noticed something off.
“I know what the ancestral planet is!” Daoist Ingress grit his teeth. “I’d always thought that Mount Buzhou was formed by that, which is why master and Fuxi kept guarding it. It’s not until now that I realize that the ancestral planet—”
“Hush!” His senior brothers quieted him. “We go to Mount Buzhou to seek out master!”
“Let’s go!”
And so, the Three Pure Ones left without a trace after teaching dao on Earth for three years. They left behind countless disciples that further developed immortal dao on the ancestral planet, creating genius after genius.
……
“What?!” Hongjun and Fuxi jumped with shock when they heard Daoist Ingress’ words.
“You say that the ancestral planet is possibly the seed of nothing?!” Incredulity rose in Fuxi’s eyes. “The seed that I’ve been searching for since time immemorial, to the point of rising and fall with the ebbs and flows of reincarnation, has been right in front of us as the ancestral planet?!”
“Yes.” Daoist Ingress’ brows were furrowed tight. “I followed Lu Yun for many years and have hints of his presence on me. His treasure has also affected me, so I can see more than most. The ancestral planet is very likely directly transformed from the seed of nothing and not a planet grown from it.
“Qi is returning to the ancestral planet because the seed is reinvigorating, thanks to immortal dao.”
“The seed of nothing is incomparably important, it’s so much more than just something left behind from the destruction of a world of sequence.” Hongjun inclined his head and thought for a moment. “The three of you will return to the ancestral planet and continue teaching dao. Everything is to commence as it has before. Don’t tell anyone else about this! I’ll tell the lass and have her protect Earth with the heavenly palace!”
He disappeared as he spoke. The seed of nothing was relevant to too much—it was the basis of existence for the entire fourth realm! It was indeed the remnant of a world of sequence, but it also represented much more.
Hongjun didn’t even dare transmit the knowledge to Qing Yu, he had to personally go to Mount Xuanhuang in the world of immortals.
