Chapter 27: The Great Path of Purification

"So, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, did you do Zhenyuanzi that favor on purpose?" Houtu asked.

"Yes."

"Why would you want to do Zhenyuanzi a favor?"

"Because of the Book of the Earth," Bai Jing replied.

"The Book of the Earth?"

"The Wu Clan is working to dredge the ley lines, and the Book of the Earth—Zhenyuanzi’s innate spiritual treasure—is intrinsically linked to these very ley lines. With the help of the Book of the Earth, the Wu Clan’s efforts to clear the ley lines would be twice as effective with half the work."

Houtu had not expected that Bai Jing’s act of favoring Zhenyuanzi was actually for the sake of the Wu Clan. A surge of gratitude welled up within her.

"Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, you have exhausted yourself planning for our Wu Clan. We are deeply grateful."

Bai Jing waved his hand, signaling that Houtu need not take it to heart.

After escorting Houtu back to the Wu Clan, Bai Jing took the opportunity to catch up with the remaining Ancestral Magi about what had transpired within the clan during the three thousand years he and Houtu had spent listening to the Dao.

Zhu Jiuyin explained that Ancestral Magi Dijiang and Jumang had led over a dozen Great Magi and one hundred thousand members of the Wu Clan to the Western lands.

The reason they chose the West was that the ley lines there were the most severely damaged. If they could restore them, it would provide the greatest assistance to the revival of the Earthly Dao.

The Ancestral Magi had agreed to rotate every ten thousand years, while the remaining ten Ancestral Magi continued to contemplate the Twelve Divine Pandemonium Array within the Pangu Hall.

Upon hearing the name of the Twelve Divine Pandemonium Array, Bai Jing’s eyes lit up. He was, of course, familiar with this formation.

Along with the Zhou Tian Star Array, the Hunyuan Heluo Array, and the Zhuxian Sword Array, it was known as one of the four great killing arrays of the Primordial Era and served as the Wu Clan's ultimate trump card.

This formation was jointly activated by the twelve Ancestral Magi, requiring all of them to be gathered together to unleash its maximum power. By channeling the power of the twelve Ancestral Magi to stir the Pangu essence and gather the baleful energy of heaven and earth, the formation could manifest the true form of Pangu, with power rivaling that of a Heavenly Dao Saint.

"Since when did the Wu Clan master this formation?" Bai Jing asked, feigning confusion.

"When all of us brothers and sisters broke through to the sixth level of the Profound Arts, our bloodlines resonated, and this formation appeared," Houtu replied.

"I see."

"Bai Jing, your path of cultivation is similar to that of us twelve Ancestral Magi. Since you have also absorbed the blood water from the blood pool and a drop of my eldest brother’s essence blood, perhaps you, too, could comprehend the Twelve Divine Pandemonium Array."

"Setting aside whether I could comprehend it or not, isn't this formation unique to your clan? It wouldn't be appropriate for an outsider like me to learn it, would it?"

Houtu shook her head. "Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, you gave up the opportunity to gain the Treasure Cliff for the sake of helping the Wu Clan, instead yielding it to Zhenyuanzi. Letting you study the Twelve Divine Pandemonium Array is no great matter, and my eldest brother would certainly agree."

"Let us wait for Ancestral Magus Dijiang’s consent first. Fellow Daoist Houtu, now that matters here are settled, I should return to seclusion for a while. Let us chat another day."

"Safe travels, Fellow Daoist."

Bai Jing nodded and stepped out of the Pangu Hall. A twelve-petaled white lotus platform appeared beneath his feet, rising into the sky and carrying him toward the East Sea.

A hundred years later, Bai Jing returned to Yingzhou Immortal Island. He would certainly visit Kunlun, but not yet. After all, once he reached Kunlun, he would inevitably have to discuss the art of artifact refining with Yuanshi Tianzun.

Bai Jing’s understanding of artifact refining came entirely from the Great Dao of Artifacts contained within the fragments of the Jade Plate of Creation; he had never actually refined a spiritual treasure himself. In short, his theoretical knowledge was vast, but his practical experience was near zero. How could he just head off to Kunlun like that? He at least needed to familiarize himself with the basic techniques.

Besides, Bai Jing had finally obtained the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner and could now repair a portion of his origin essence; he had to refine it immediately!

With this thought, Bai Jing flipped his palm, and a cyan-green banner appeared in his hand.

The moment he held it, he felt an immediate, blood-linked connection. If Bai Jing were to treat the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner as a standard spiritual treasure, he could likely refine all twenty-four restrictions in an instant, just as he had with the Primordial Measuring Ruler.

Bai Jing sighed to himself, feeling it a pity, as the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner was a rare, top-tier innate spiritual treasure. But for the sake of his future path, he had to harden his heart and refine it away.

No longer hesitating, he began to refine the banner. Just as he expected, in the blink of an eye, he had refined all 24 restrictions, gaining initial control over the item.

With a thought, Bai Jing shrank the banner and swallowed it.

The moment the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner entered his body, Bai Jing immediately began circulating the "Spirit Devouring Art," simultaneously commanding the banner to cooperate with the technique and disintegrate itself.

This process lasted for a thousand years. Bai Jing circulated the "Spirit Devouring Art" without pause until he finally extracted the essence of the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner.

As soon as the essence was refined, it surged into his limbs and bones.

Bai Jing trembled, his mind clearing, as insights into the Great Dao of Purification flooded his primordial spirit like a tidal wave.

He closed his eyes, consuming the essence of the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner to repair his own origin while contemplating the Great Dao of Purification.

The Twelve-Petaled White Lotus of World Purification already possessed the power to cleanse all things; the Great Dao of Purification could be said to be the most suitable path for Bai Jing to attain his Dao.

Using the opportunity of repairing his origin, Bai Jing entered the path of the Great Dao of Purification with almost no effort, his mastery of it increasing at a terrifying speed.

Time in the Primordial Era passed uncounted. After an unknown period, Bai Jing suddenly opened his eyes. The Dao rhymes of both the Great Dao of Purification and the Great Dao of Devouring appeared upon his body, intertwining and making his aura feel increasingly profound.

At this moment, Bai Jing felt confident that he could face the duo from the West without falling behind.

He casually took out a piece of ore tainted with chaotic energy. With a thought, the violent substances within the chaos that were unsuitable for cultivation were instantly purified, leaving only the purest innate spiritual energy.

"Is this the Great Dao of Purification?" Bai Jing had an epiphany and immediately closed his eyes to sense the state of his origin.

His origin, which had previously been repaired by about five percent, had now leaped to thirty-one percent, and his comprehension of the Great Dao of Purification had reached the same level.

Bai Jing also discovered that his physical body had progressed further, becoming even more powerful as a Hunyuan Golden Immortal.

Previously, he had estimated that once his comprehension of the Great Dao of Devouring caught up, he could break through to the middle stage of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm by consuming all the materials and ores tainted with chaotic energy. Now, it seemed that consuming just half would be enough.

"The Eastern Azure Lotus Banner is truly a top-tier innate spiritual treasure; it has strengthened my body quite a bit. It is a pity that there are too few top-tier innate spiritual treasures in the Primordial Era, and most are not compatible with my origin to be consumed directly. Otherwise, the speed of my breakthrough would be even faster," Bai Jing said with a look of regret.