Primordial Era: Reborn as a Qi Immortal, Steadily Cultivating

Chapter 26 The Great Causal Array
Skull Mountain, Bone Cave.

Ma Yuan sat cross-legged on a futon.

He slowly exhaled a breath.

After leaving the body, this breath separated into a wisp of pure white water vapor, which was extremely soft and pure, and a wisp of red gold flame, which was extremely yang and strong.

The two intertwine, like a small yin-yang fish.

After hovering in the air for a few breaths, it quietly dissipated and returned to the world.

The Water and Fire Dao Body has been completely stabilized.

The realm of the mid-stage Golden Immortal is also perfect and flawless, without any trace of superficiality.

Ma Yuan could clearly sense it.

My foundation in Tao is more solid than ever before.

That violent, evil fire that originated from his roots has now become an integral part of his own body, as easy to control as his own arm, and there is no longer any hidden danger.

"This retreat has been successfully completed."

Ma Yuanchang stood up, a thought flashing through his mind.
The stone door of the cave slowly opened with a loud rumble.

The moment he stepped out of the cave.

Even though he had expected it, a hint of genuine satisfaction and approval flashed in his eyes.

Outside the cave, the area was no longer simply teeming with life.

A rich and pure spiritual energy, almost transformed into a visible white mist, flowed slowly through the mountains.

The water-based spiritual roots he brought back from the East Sea's Fubo Immortal Abode have now fully adapted to the environment here, complementing the existing immortal plants and spiritual roots, and are growing vigorously.

A clear stream meanders down from the mountaintop, its waters containing pure water elemental power.

Wherever the stream flows, the vegetation grows ever more lush, and the flowers bloom in profusion. Occasionally, one can also see some small animals just beginning to develop intelligence, carefully drinking and playing by the stream.

The entire Skull Mountain, compared to before he left.

It has become less lifeless and more lively.

It has lost some of its wildness and gained more of its ethereal charm.

It has become a true paradise, a place where the five elements cycle and life flourishes!
"Lord Mountain Lord, you've emerged from seclusion!"

Almost the instant the stone gate opened, two figures transformed into streaks of light and rushed over, respectfully bowing before Ma Yuan.

It was none other than the two boys, Black Wind and Azure Cloud.

A thousand years have passed, and the two have long since shed their naivety from when they first took human form.

Black Wind's figure grew increasingly robust, his aura as steady as a mountain, indicating that he had already reached the late stage of Earth Immortal cultivation.

Cangyun, on the other hand, had sharp eyes like an eagle, and his body was surrounded by the flow of wind and thunder, indicating that his cultivation was no less powerful.

Their eyes were filled with heartfelt admiration and fervor as they looked at Ma Yuan.

"Indeed, neither of you has slacked off, and your cultivation has both improved." Ma Yuan nodded slightly and lifted the two of them up with a flick of his sleeve.

"We owe it all to your teachings, sir. We dare not be lazy in the slightest!" the two replied hastily.

Just then, a clear, cool yet joyful ethereal voice came from the glass bamboo forest not far away.

"Welcome back, sir."

Following the sound, Ma Yuan saw Shi Ji, dressed in green, slowly walking out of the increasingly crystal-clear bamboo forest.

At this moment, she is completely different from how she was a thousand years ago.

The aura emanating from her was no longer that of a Celestial Immortal at the time of her initial transformation, but rather a harmonious, profound, and serene one, clearly indicating that she had broken through the shackles and stepped into the realm of a Profound Immortal!

The profound Daoist charm originating from the innate stubborn rock perfectly blended with the spiritual energy of this blessed land.

Her every move exudes an aura of dominance and unwavering composure.

“You’ve broken through too.” Ma Yuan looked at her with a genuine smile.

"If it weren't for the master bestowing upon me the cultivation techniques and treasures, and explaining the Dao to me and dispelling my doubts, I would never have achieved what I have today." Shi Ji curtsied, her clear and cold eyes filled with gratitude.

Ma Yuan looked around at the thriving dojo before him, at the loyal young boy, and at the dojo manager who was already capable of handling things on his own.

An unprecedented sense of satisfaction and peace slowly rose in his heart.

This place is no longer just a cave for shelter from the wind and rain.

This is his root.

It was the dojo he built with his own hands, one step at a time, in this cruel and desolate world.

This emotion, subtle yet resolute, made his Dao heart increasingly clear and perfect. "Very good." Ma Yuan withdrew his gaze, his mind already made up.

"Now, my Skull Mountain, though it has the scenery of a blessed land, is ultimately lacking a real barrier."

He stood with his hands behind his back.

A powerful aura belonging to the mid-stage Golden Immortal flashed by.

"My cultivation has improved significantly, and my understanding of the Great Dao of Cause and Effect is far beyond what it used to be. It's the perfect time to set up a true protective array for my dojo!"

Last time, due to his lack of knowledge about formations and his shallow understanding of the Dao of Cause and Effect, the great formation he set up was merely a shell and easily defeated.

But this time it was different.

During his thousand-year seclusion, he not only mastered the "Return of Ten Thousand Waters to the Origin Technique" but also achieved a comprehensive understanding of it.

Furthermore, through the practice of water and fire intermingling, he gained a deeper understanding of the profound principles of the five elements' rotation and the balance of yin and yang.

Combined with his already transcendent understanding of cause and effect.

He was absolutely certain that he could set up a mountain-protecting formation powerful enough to trap and kill even a Golden Immortal cultivator!

"Shiji, Heifeng, Cangyun, heed my command!" Ma Yuan's voice became solemn.

"Disciples are here!" The three bowed quickly.

"From this day forward, the mountain is sealed! You shall all perform your duties, maintain order within the mountain, and restrain all spirits. No one shall leave the mountain without authorization. The day my great formation is completed will be the day my Skull Mountain is truly isolated from the world!"

"As you command, sir!"

Having finished giving his instructions, Ma Yuan didn't linger any longer. With a flicker of his figure, he appeared above Skull Mountain.

With a flick of his sleeve, countless array flags and array plates, which he had reforged using materials obtained from the Fubo Immortal Mansion during his seclusion, transformed into streaks of light, like countless stars, and shot with unparalleled precision towards various locations of the mountain range, deeply embedding themselves into the core nodes of the earth's veins.

This time, he's not just setting up a defensive array.

He intended to use the entire Skull Mountain's mountain ranges and geological formations as the foundation, thousands of spiritual roots as the array's core, draw upon the spiritual energy of the heavens as the driving force, and use his own trace of causal Dao as the core to lay out the prototype of a grand array.

As his cultivation level improves in the future,

As one's understanding of the Great Dao of Cause and Effect deepens, this great formation will be continuously improved.

Ultimately, it will become an unparalleled array that isolates cause and effect and is impervious to all calamities.

……

at the same time.

Just as Ma Yuan began to set up the mountain protection formation in full swing.

In the distant, primordial northern border, lies the Northern Sea.

As far as the eye could see, there was only an endless black ocean, and the world was deathly silent.

Only the howling wind, like the wailing of ghosts and gods, has never ceased since time immemorial.

Deep within this desolate land lies a palace.

The palace was entirely forged from an unknown black divine iron, without any ornate decorations, only countless ancient inscriptions forming restrictions, exuding a terrifying aura that made people's hearts tremble.

This is the Daoist temple of Kunpeng, the Lord of the Northern Sea and the Ancestor of Kunpeng—Kunpeng Palace.

On this day, two figures of utmost nobility appeared.

It appeared without warning before this grim palace.

The figure on the left is dressed in a golden imperial robe, a symbol of supreme power.

His face was majestic, and his eyes seemed to hold the rise and fall of billions of stars. Every gesture he made exuded the domineering aura of a king who ruled the world.

The figure on the right is much taller, with a towering stature like Mount Buzhou.

He simply stood there quietly, a fierce and domineering fighting spirit emanating from him, causing the void around him to ripple.

They simply stood quietly outside the palace gates, and the supreme aura unique to the emperors of heaven and earth dissipated from them.

Inside the Kunpeng Palace.

The figure who was meditating with his eyes closed suddenly opened his sinister eyes.

He slowly stood up, a complex and enigmatic smile appearing on his face.

"What was bound to happen has finally happened..."

He muttered to himself and took a step forward.

His figure appeared outside the gate of Kunpeng Palace, personally welcoming them.

(End of this chapter)