Chapter 45: The Primordial Jade Marrow

The moment Bai Jing ascended to the summit of Mount Buzhou, the all-pervasive oppressive aura of the Great Dao suddenly vanished, as if it had never existed on this mountain at all.

Bai Jing, who had been tense from head to toe, abruptly relaxed and collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily.

After a long while, Bai Jing finally recovered. He looked around and found that, like the midsection of Mount Buzhou, the peak was barren and desolate, devoid of any vegetation.

At the very center of the summit stood an ancient palace, bearing a striking resemblance—about seventy percent—to the Pangu Hall, which was said to be formed from the heart of Pangu. Bai Jing slowly approached the ancient hall and gently pushed open its door.

As the grand doors swung open, a peculiar Dao resonance surged forth from within.

The instant he came into contact with this Dao resonance, Bai Jing shuddered all over. His mind involuntarily recalled the scene from his earlier transmigration—the mighty Pangu wielding his colossal axe to slay three thousand chaotic demons and then cleaving open the heavens and earth.

Under the blessing of this Dao resonance, Bai Jing’s memory vividly brought the axe scars left by Pangu to life.

“Boom!” A tremendous roar erupted within Bai Jing’s sea of consciousness.

In the next moment, he felt his awareness plunge into a state of chaos. When he regained clarity, nine distinct axe mark imprints had been etched into his consciousness.

Instinctively, Bai Jing tried to comprehend these axe marks, but soon realized that not only could he not comprehend them—he could barely even grasp the slightest meaning.

For the first time, Bai Jing felt frustrated by his soul’s stagnation at the pinnacle of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. His subconscious yearned to break through to the Great Dao stage, craving to understand the profound Dao resonance embedded within these axe marks.

“Zha!”

Suddenly, a magnificent Dao sound exploded within Bai Jing’s consciousness, halting his breakthrough and causing his awareness to return fully.

At that moment, Bai Jing’s spiritual altar felt extraordinarily lucid, as if his Dao heart had undergone a thorough purification.

The sound “Zha” was the very first sound in heaven and earth, embodying the supreme sacred might of the Heavenly Dao. It was the nemesis of all evil and darkness, wielding an unbeatable power.

The Dao resonance that had surged out when Bai Jing opened the hall’s door transformed the scene of Pangu slaying the three thousand chaotic demons and cleaving the heavens and earth into nine axe scars, each containing profundities far beyond Bai Jing’s current understanding.

These nine axe marks were carved into Bai Jing’s sea of consciousness, available for contemplation at any time. Yet the Dao embedded within was so deep and profound that it could be considered the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, irresistible to any seeker of the Dao. Bai Jing instinctively wished to delve into them.

But just a glance was enough to completely absorb him. Were it not for the “Zha” sound, Bai Jing likely would have already attained the Great Dao stage then and there, shattering the restraint he had maintained since assuming corporeal form.

It was well known that the voice “Zha” was that of the great Pangu himself.

“Could it be that Pangu has once again aided me?” Bai Jing thought to himself.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Jing forced himself to calm down. Now was not the time for such musings. He stepped forward into the ancient hall.

The first thing to catch his eye was a flickering spiritual light, as lively and mischievous as a child, dancing about within the hall.

Seizing the moment as the light darted near him, Bai Jing quickly grasped it.

The instant the spiritual light entered his hand, his innate divine memory informed him that this was the innate indestructible spiritual light.

Bai Jing carefully placed this spiritual light into the Source Yang Cauldron, then turned his gaze to two drops of pure, jade-like liquid suspended at the hall’s center.

In that instant, Bai Jing’s physical body felt a sudden parched thirst, as if yearning to immediately consume these two droplets.

Undoubtedly, this was the Pangu Jade Marrow.

Legend had it that the Pangu Jade Marrow was formed from the residual spinal marrow of Pangu’s spine after it transformed into Mount Buzhou, fused with a portion of the merit gained from opening the heavens, and absorbed vast amounts of chaotic energy. After countless epochs of transformation, it evolved into this miraculous substance. It was tremendously beneficial for physical cultivation and its effects rivaled even Pangu’s divine blood.

Bai Jing approached and sensed the terrifying power contained within the Pangu Jade Marrow. Even consuming a single drop would grant him enough strength to break through to the pinnacle of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm.

Suppressing his desire to consume the Jade Marrow immediately, Bai Jing knew the time was not right. Only after refining his physical body to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal pinnacle should he take the Jade Marrow. He was confident that then he could ascend to the seventh stage of profound physical cultivation and achieve corporeal sainthood in one stroke.

Moreover, no matter how potent an elixir, its first consumption always yields the greatest effect. Taking it prematurely to break through to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal pinnacle would greatly diminish its power when used again later, likely preventing him from completing the seventh stage—a pure waste.

With this in mind, Bai Jing took a deep breath and stored the Pangu Jade Marrow within the Source Yang Cauldron. After a slight bow in the hall, he turned and left.

To be honest, Bai Jing had considered taking the entire ancient hall with him.

Regrettably, the hall was not a spiritual treasure, and with Pangu’s Dao resonance embedded within, it was immovable by anyone short of a sage. It could not be taken away.

Bai Jing then summoned the Source Yang Cauldron and the Primordial Chaos Celestial Ruler and descended the mountain.

Ascending Mount Buzhou had taken Bai Jing over two thousand years; descending proved even more arduous, taking more than three thousand years.

When Bai Jing returned to the Pangu Hall of the Wu Clan, the Twelve Ancestral Witches had been awaiting him for a long time.

Bai Jing immediately noticed that the aura of Houtu had changed dramatically from tens of thousands of years ago.

Besides the previous gentleness that embraced all things, she now carried an ethereal, immortal aura.

His eyes brightened as he asked, “Could it be, Houtu Daoist, that you have succeeded in replacing the acquired fiery spirit with the innate true spirit?”

Houtu nodded slightly. “It was just achieved a thousand years ago.”

“Congratulations, Houtu Daoist.”

“It is I who should thank you, Bai Jing Daoist. If not for the proposal you presented, our Wu Clan members would never have found their true innate spirit, let alone replaced the acquired fiery spirit with it.”

“You are mistaken, Houtu Daoist. I merely proposed a method. It is your profound blessings and remarkable comprehension that allowed such swift accomplishment.”

“Coincidentally, I have just returned from Mount Buzhou with this innate indestructible spiritual light. If you harness this light to strengthen your true spirit, I believe you will soon give birth to a primordial spirit.”

With that, Bai Jing extracted the innate indestructible spiritual light from the Source Yang Cauldron, enveloped it with his spiritual power, and presented it before Houtu.

Yet Houtu hesitated before replying, “Bai Jing Daoist, given some time, I believe I can birth my own primordial spirit without relying on this innate indestructible spiritual light.”

“Houtu Daoist, time is exactly what the Wu Clan lacks most now. The demons must be restless seeing the Twelve Ancestral Witches returning from the western lands. I suspect the demon tribes will soon invade. Time is of the essence!”