Chapter 226: The Stripped-Away Western World

The many Ancestral Witches following behind, watching Tian Yuan darting back and forth, all wore expressions of confusion.

Originally, they had thought Tian Yuan had made a discovery, but the other party had been darting through the void the entire time.

They had explored many of these places themselves; aside from the endless, surging Demon Qi, there was nothing unusual.

Though extremely curious, the group still followed quietly behind, not one of them speaking.

"Strange! Strange!" Tian Yuan looked around, feeling equally puzzled in his heart.

He had sensed the aura of an Earth Vein in the Western Region; it had been fine at first, but in just this short time, that aura had begun darting about everywhere.

Was it like this originally, or did the Earth Vein only begin to move because of his appearance? Unless under special circumstances, Earth Veins are almost always fixed in one place; could the Earth Veins of the Western Region be different from others?

With many thoughts racing through his mind, Tian Yuan continued to pursue that aura.

His speed grew faster and faster, and Zhu Jiuyin and the others behind him could no longer keep up.

The several Ancestral Witches exchanged glances; the confusion in their eyes began to be replaced by anticipation.

Tian Yuan's actions clearly showed he had truly made a discovery, and perhaps it was even related to Xuanming.

The group, without a word, hurriedly gathered their strength to chase after Tian Yuan.

Alas, they could only watch as Tian Yuan's figure grew more and more distant, until he vanished from their sight.

Fortunately, Tian Yuan did not conceal his aura, so Zhu Jiuyin and the other Ancestral Witches still knew his direction clearly and exerted all their strength to chase forward.

Landing amidst some surging Demon Qi, Tian Yuan waved his hand, and a thick will immediately surged forth.

As it rippled past like waves, the void before him suddenly trembled slightly, and a dark river several dozen meters long manifested.

"How could it be like this?" Looking at the river trapped by his will, Tian Yuan frowned deeply.

The aura of the Earth Vein came from this small black river before him, or perhaps this was the Earth Vein he was looking for.

It had no fixed shape and no specific length, changing into various forms as it darted through the void, attempting to escape the cage of his will.

An Earth Vein is the most special 'Qi' of heaven and earth, but what was before him was truly too strange.

Tian Yuan had dredged and purified many Earth Veins, but he had never expected such a situation.

More importantly, at this moment, Tian Yuan had shrouded it with the will of Mount Buzhou, yet he felt no sense of intimacy.

Mount Buzhou stands tall between heaven and earth and is the Ancestral Vein of the Primordial land; the energy of all Earth Veins originates from it.

He is Mount Buzhou, and every Earth Vein in the Primordial land must rely on him, yet this one before him was an exception.

Although it was a Western Earth Vein, it was not under his control and had no connection to Mount Buzhou.

Standing still in the field, Tian Yuan could clearly sense that the Earth Vein in the void before him was still growing at an extremely weak rate.

There was some mysterious energy dissipating and slowly merging into the darting small black river.

With his strength, even he could not discover the source of that energy. It was just like the surrounding Demon Qi, leaving no traces to be found.

By saturating the entire Western World with Demon Qi and then using it to condense a new Earth Vein, what was Luo Hou planning? He had shattered the Western Earth Veins earlier, and now he wanted to repair them himself?

Tian Yuan thought of the abyss to the west of Mount Buzhou, that bottomless chasm that looked like a natural moat.

It was that abyss that had severed his connection with the Western Earth Veins.

Judging by the current situation, that abyss was likely not caused by the shattering of Earth Veins during the Demon-Dao Dispute; it likely had other purposes.

Was it a scheme of Hongjun, or a backup plan of Luo Hou, or perhaps the shattering of the Western Earth Veins was not that simple.

There were actually schemes in all four directions—east, west, south, and north—of the Primordial land.

"This is..."

"How could this thing be here?"

Several exclamations came from behind; it was Zhu Jiuyin and the other Ancestral Witches who had caught up.

At this moment, they were all staring wide-eyed at the ink-black small river, their faces filled with astonishment.

Because it concerned Xuanming, they were extremely diligent regarding the task Tian Yuan had entrusted to them.

Not to say they had walked every corner of the Western World, but they had definitely explored every area, including this one.

Although that darting black stream blended in with the surrounding Demon Qi, their strength was not bad, so there was no reason they should not have discovered it.

Yet now, right before their eyes, there was actually a black, moving river.

Seeing that Tian Yuan seemed to be deep in thought, Zhu Jiuyin and the others, though very curious, did not continue to ask.

The group stood behind Tian Yuan, just watching that erratically darting river in silence.

After studying it carefully, Tian Yuan sighed slightly in his heart and casually withdrew the will that had shrouded the surroundings.

As the will of Mount Buzhou faded, the pitch-black Earth Vein instantly escaped into the Demon Qi and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Tian Yuan could still sense its aura, but Zhu Jiuyin and the others behind him had no discovery at all.

In their eyes, they only saw the small black river vanish into thin air, followed by no further fluctuations.

"Brother Tian Yuan, that... what was that thing just now?" Zhurong could not help but ask in a low voice.

Zhu Jiuyin and the others beside him also hurriedly looked over.

That strange thing might be related to Xuanming, and they all cared about it very much.

Tian Yuan's gaze followed the movement of the aura as he replied softly: "An Earth Vein! Perhaps it is the Earth Vein of this Western Region."

Just now, he had wanted to refine it with his will, but he discovered it was completely useless.

The will of Mount Buzhou could trap it, but it could not penetrate within, and thus could not trace its origin.

Although he could not grasp it in his hands, since it had a tendency to grow, Tian Yuan had no intention of stopping it.

Dredging and purifying Earth Veins were all for the sake of the Primordial heaven and earth.

Although this method of the Western Earth Vein's recovery was strange, it at least solved a problem that had been puzzling him.

After all, until now, Tian Yuan still did not know how to repair the Earth Veins of the Western World.

Regardless of the state of the Earth Veins in the other three directions, at least one could see the vast land. The Western Region, however, was a void; there was not even a place for the Earth Veins to be anchored.

Perhaps the recovery of the Western Earth Veins lay with that Luo Hou.

It does not matter if you cannot grasp it now; it does not mean you will not be able to wield it in the future.

An Earth Vein is essentially just a conduit; its operation requires a constant stream of energy. In the Primordial World, besides Mount Buzhou, who else could achieve this?

Even if Luo Hou has some schemes, he cannot change the location of the Ancestral Vein of the Primordial World at Mount Buzhou.

Since Luo Hou wants to repair the Earth Vein himself now, Tian Yuan will let him do as he pleases.

This is the Buzhou Mountain Consciousness Space; even if that Luo Hou were to reappear, Tian Yuan would have no fear.

"Earth... Earth Vein?"

Zhu Jiuyin and the other Ancestral Witches widened their eyes, their faces full of shock.

They had all dredged and purified Earth Veins, so they naturally knew what an Earth Vein looked like.

Besides, the mission of their Wu Clan was to maintain the Earth Veins, but the thing before them could not be associated with an Earth Vein in any way.

Seeing that Tian Yuan had no intention of saying more, the few did not dare to ask, their minds filled only with bewilderment.

"As for matters of the Western Region, you need not concern yourselves further; go back and cultivate in peace. Zhurong, when you have time, you may go to extinguish the flames of the Southern Land." Speaking to the end, Tian Yuan looked toward the Ancestral Witch Zhurong.

The several Ancestral Witches had investigated for such a long time without any harvest, so it stood to reason that even if they stayed, they would find nothing. Within the Consciousness Space, without being able to wield the will, many things could not be touched.

As the Ancestral Witch of Fire, Zhurong going to the Southern Land to absorb the flames should have a decent effect.

Zhurong nodded, then asked with concern: "What about the matter of Xuanming?"

They had lingered in the Western Region all this time, aside from Tian Yuan's instructions, because it concerned Xuanming.

Especially knowing that Xuanming was likely with Luo Hou, the several Ancestral Witches were all very anxious.

"Xuanming has obtained the World-Destroying Mill; it is not something ordinary people can find."

As he spoke, Tian Yuan looked at Zhu Jiuyin and the others: "You need not go searching the Primordial World anymore; if Xuanming does not appear, I fear no one can find her."

From the expressions of the few, Tian Yuan could tell that they all wanted to go to the Primordial World.

The World-Destroying Mill is a Chaos Treasure; let alone Zhu Jiuyin and the others, even he would find it difficult to locate.

With this time, it would be better to cultivate well; Proving the Dao to Hunyuan and attaining the status of a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal is what is important.

Zhu Jiuyin opened his mouth; he indeed wanted to go to the Primordial World, not only to find Xuanming, but also their Big Brother Dijiang.

A long time had passed since they last met; while there was still a bit of news about Xuanming, Dijiang had completely disappeared.

Although they were all angry that Dijiang had taken away the Pangu Temple, he was, after all, their elder brother.

His gaze swept calmly over them, and Tian Yuan continued: "Houtu is about to break through; by then, perhaps you can find Xuanming and Dijiang!"

The many Ancestral Witches wanted to find Dijiang and the other, and Tian Yuan likewise wanted to find these two Ancestral Witches.

Dijiang had previously been bewitched, absorbing the blood and Qi of a Chaos Demon God to cultivate, and he was also very hostile toward him.

Now that he had been hiding for so long without a sound, how could Tian Yuan not be curious?

The few, who had been hesitant, instantly had their eyes light up upon hearing Tian Yuan's words.

If Houtu were to Prove the Dao to Hunyuan, with her cultivation as a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal and relying on the power of her bloodline, she could definitely find Dijiang and Xuanming.

With joyful expressions, the few hurriedly thanked him respectfully with their hands raised: "Many thanks, Brother Daoist Tian Yuan!"

They all understood that Houtu being able to reach this step was entirely because of Tian Yuan. And it was not just Houtu; they had also benefited immensely.

Although they had not cultivated much during this period, they had almost all stepped into the Peak Primordial Golden Immortal realm.

If not for Tian Yuan, they might still be fighting with Di Jun and Taiyi in the Primordial World; how could they have such attainments?

Tian Yuan nodded slightly, and his figure had already vanished from the scene.

Since he could not figure out the reason, he could only let it develop and just reap the fruits in the end.

Or wait until Houtu breaks through to come and investigate further.

Seeing Tian Yuan leave, the several Ancestral Witches did not linger; except for Zhurong, who fled toward the south of Mount Buzhou, the rest all flew toward the north of Mount Buzhou.

There were still wisps of Malevolent Qi in the north, so they might as well take this opportunity to absorb them completely, then focus on cultivating in peace while waiting for Houtu to break through.

Tian Yuan did not leave the Consciousness Space, but instead came to the west of Mount Buzhou, to that bottomless Abyss.

The matter of the Western Earth Veins could not be investigated, but since he was back, he should also explore this strange Abyss.

Glancing at this dark void, Tian Yuan plunged into it, fleeing rapidly toward the depths below.

How fast is the speed of a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal? His figure flashed across hundreds of millions of miles, yet the distance ahead remained immeasurable.

After flying for several hours, Tian Yuan frowned: "Could it be the same as the Starry Sky?"

He had been to the Western Land many times, but he had not really investigated this Abyss.

At such a remote distance, the silhouette of Mount Buzhou was long gone, and the surroundings had turned into a deep, boundless space.

Tian Yuan paused only slightly before immediately increasing his speed.

After Proving the Dao to Hunyuan, he had thought he understood this space, but he had not expected it to hide even more secrets.

As he flew with all his might, there was still no movement, nor was there any sign of the Netherworld.

In the Buzhou Mountain Consciousness Space, this Western Land was truly as if it had been stripped away from the Primordial World.

The Earth Vein did not require the energy of Mount Buzhou, and there was no sign of the Netherworld beneath the Western Region.

His powerful Divine Sense, accompanied by the thick will of Mount Buzhou, swept out across patches of the void.

The environment was familiar, with nothing unusual and not the slightest discovery.

Just as Tian Yuan was feeling disappointed, his eyes suddenly lit up, and his figure quickly vanished from the spot.

In the distant horizon of the void, a millstone rolled and disappeared into the darkness.

"The Chaos Treasure, World-Destroying Mill!" Tian Yuan exclaimed softly, his figure passing by like a rosy cloud, appearing in that space in the distance.

Although it was only a glimpse, Tian Yuan still recognized that object.

The only complete Chaos Treasure in the world today, the World-Destroying Mill, which contains the World-Destroying Law, one of the Five Supreme Laws.

Yet, the surroundings were deathly silent; there was no sign of the World-Destroying Mill, nor had any aura been left behind.

Tian Yuan's powerful Divine Sense swept rapidly across; the area he covered was deathly silent, and he did not find a single ripple.

Without hesitation, he fled in the direction where the World-Destroying Mill had vanished, yet he still gained nothing.

Earlier, the World-Destroying Mill had clearly appeared beneath Mount Sumeru, yet now it manifested within the Consciousness Space.

The World-Destroying Mill was with Xuanming; did this mean Xuanming had already arrived here? The Ancestral Witch Xuanming cultivated a unique law, so why was it not manifested in the Consciousness Space? Tian Yuan stood in the air, his gaze fixed tightly on his surroundings.

He had originally only intended to explore this Abyss, not expecting such an unexpected discovery.

Aside from entering this place by relying on immortal mountains or cave abodes, he had not expected one could also rely on a Chaos Treasure.

Tian Yuan did not know if Xuanming had been hiding on the World-Destroying Mill the entire time, but he truly had no sense of it.

If Xuanming could rely on this treasure to enter, did that mean that person in the Purple Heaven Palace could also enter the Buzhou Mountain Consciousness Space?

Hongjun not only held sway over the Heavenly Dao Will but also possessed a broken Chaos Treasure—the Creation Jade Disk.

He had previously thought this space was always under his control, but now it seemed the Western Region of Mount Buzhou was an exception.

The Western World not only had strange Earth Veins, but it might also be the greatest variable in the Consciousness Space.

The fleeting World-Destroying Mill made Tian Yuan understand very clearly that the Western Region was far from as simple as he had imagined.

With these thoughts in his mind, Tian Yuan's figure swept rapidly through the surroundings, but he never saw the shadow of the World-Destroying Mill again.

After what had just happened, Tian Yuan firmly believed that this Chaos Treasure was definitely still here, only it was difficult for him to discover with his current strength.

That he had been able to catch a glimpse of it just now could only be called good luck.

"A Chaos Treasure!" Taking a deep look at the space before him, Tian Yuan leaped and fled toward the space above his head.

To Tian Yuan's surprise, he spent the same amount of time returning to Mount Buzhou.

This also meant that what was before him was indeed an Abyss, and also a true natural chasm.

It isolated the Western World from the Primordial World and divided the Buzhou Mountain Consciousness Space into two.

"Could it be related to that person?" Tian Yuan looked up, his face showing contemplation.

He had always been puzzled as to why Hongjun had made no moves, and now he had a vague guess.

(End of this chapter)