Chapter 28: The Primordial Celestial Measuring Ruler

In the next moment, Ancestor Qiankun waved his hand and cast out the Qiankun Diagram. The diagram rapidly expanded, enveloped the Azure Dragon, then swiftly shrank as it flew back into Ancestor Qiankun’s grasp. By the time the Qiankun Diagram returned to his hand, the Azure Dragon had vanished, sealed within the diagram’s inner space and suppressed.

Though both possessed cultivation at the Great Luo level, Ancestor Qiankun had already severely wounded the Azure Dragon with his formidable physical strength. With the aid of the Qiankun Diagram, a peerless innate treasure, it was only natural that he could easily subdue the Azure Dragon.

“Master’s power is truly extraordinary! That map-like treasure is astonishing!” Bai Ze watched in awe, his heart shaken.

In the distance, several other dragons with scales of various hues, who had followed after, could not help but grow anxious and fearful. The Azure Dragon just defeated had once been an elder of their clan, now one of the true high-ranking members of the dragon tribe, a Great Luo Golden Immortal—a level of power rare among dragons, with only a handful attaining it.

“Disciple, let us depart,” Ancestor Qiankun said calmly, casting a glance at the dragons whose cultivation was likewise impressive, some at the Golden Immortal and others at the Taiyi Golden Immortal stage. Turning to Bai Ze, he called to him and immediately took him away by employing a spatial escape technique.

The dragons who had lingered at a distance, afraid to approach, only breathed a slight sigh of relief once Ancestor Qiankun had gone. After a brief exchange among themselves, their moods heavy, they hurried back, preparing to report to the dragon elders that the Azure Dragon had been sealed.

Meanwhile, more cultivators from the primordial world were rushing toward the Penglai Immortal Island, seeking to claim its treasures. Yet, because the innate Mist Array barred their way, most were destined never to set foot on Penglai. Instead, the gathering of so many cultivators led to fierce conflicts and skirmishes, resulting in casualties.

All of this, however, was beneath Ancestor Qiankun’s concern. After all, his expedition to Penglai Immortal Island had already yielded a bountiful harvest.

Ancestor Qiankun and Bai Ze had just returned to Fangzhang Island. While Bai Ze gazed in wonder at the exquisite, ethereal, and spiritually rich immortal isle, a cold, mechanical voice from the Primordial Dao System echoed in Ancestor Qiankun’s mind: “Congratulations, Master. Your journey to Penglai Immortal Island has been most fruitful, and you have saved your eldest disciple Bai Ze. A reward of sixty thousand system points is granted.”

“Sixty thousand system points? The treasures I acquired shouldn’t merit such a generous reward, should they?” Ancestor Qiankun was both delighted and surprised.

Perplexed, Ancestor Qiankun instructed Bai Ze to wait for him on Fangzhang Island, then entered the Qiankun Cauldron to inventory the gains from his journey to Penglai.

Inside the Qiankun Cauldron’s inner space, a lake of Divine Three-Light Water floated in midair, its surface adorned with luminous green lotuses, exuding a dense aura of vitality. Beside the lake stood a hollow willow tree, its few sparse branches giving it a bare appearance.

Ancestor Qiankun approached the hollow willow, gently caressing its emerald-green trunk. He closed his eyes, and with a thought, his intangible spiritual sense penetrated the tree.

As his consciousness entered the hollow willow, Ancestor Qiankun soon sensed a vast internal space, filled with verdant vitality and subtle ripples of spatial origin. Immersed within, he found his perception of spatial mysteries greatly heightened.

What astonished Ancestor Qiankun further was the presence in this expansive space of a colossal ruler, faintly suffused with primordial golden radiance and chaotic hues. The ruler emitted a tremendous, intimidating aura, its power rivaling that of the Qiankun Cauldron.

When he tried to infuse his primal soul into the chaotic ruler, Ancestor Qiankun felt a formidable pressure, as if the ruler resisted being refined by him.

“Hm?” Ancestor Qiankun frowned. Then, he noticed the dense waves of Creation Merit in his own mind stir. Threads of merit power accompanied his soul force, entering the hollow willow and then the chaotic ruler.

Buzz... The chaotic ruler trembled suddenly, as if delighted, and allowed Ancestor Qiankun’s soul force to enter.

“Eh? That’s all it takes?” Ancestor Qiankun was a bit surprised, but soon his eyes lit up, filled with joy—because as he began refining the chaotic ruler, information poured into his mind, revealing its origin.

This ruler was the Heaven-Measuring Ruler of the Primordial Chaos, forged from one part Creation Merit and one part primordial yellow energy born at the creation of the world. It was an innate supreme treasure, unrivaled for attack. Without vast merit, it was impossible to refine the Heaven-Measuring Ruler.

“A pleasant surprise! A most unexpected delight! Luckily, I exchanged for a portion of Creation Merit earlier; otherwise, even if the Heaven-Measuring Ruler were right before me, I would have been unable to refine it. No wonder Ancestor Yangmei never used it—he must have obtained it by chance but lacked the merit to refine it. Truly a pity, but now it has become mine,” Ancestor Qiankun rejoiced inwardly, and with a thought, drew the Heaven-Measuring Ruler from the hollow willow. Since he was inside the Qiankun Cauldron, he had no fears of its aura leaking out.

At the same time, Ancestor Qiankun began to understand why the system had been so generous, granting sixty thousand points. The Heaven-Measuring Ruler was an innate supreme treasure—the gain this time was truly immense.

The hollow willow was itself an extraordinary item. Its spatial origin was a great boon for Ancestor Qiankun’s insights into the Dao of Space. Moreover, as the true body of Ancestor Yangmei, it possessed many other wonders. Its most powerful ability was in collecting treasures. Ancestor Qiankun had witnessed the battle between Ancestor Yangmei and Ancestor Hongjun, when Yangmei had easily taken all treasures from Hongjun’s hands thanks to the hollow willow’s unique internal space. This space could nurture spatial origin, its mysteries profound beyond compare.

“There’s little point in continuing to plant the hollow willow; it can’t bear fruit and might only grow a few more branches. I might as well use it to forge a magical treasure, which will surely surpass the so-called Treasure-Falling Coin, perhaps even rival the Seven Treasures Tree of the Western Zhun Ti Saint,” Ancestor Qiankun mused, his gaze falling again upon the hollow willow after storing the Heaven-Measuring Ruler within himself.

But crafting a treasure of such caliber was no simple task; it could not be done hastily. Ancestor Qiankun was in no hurry, content to prepare slowly, for he had no urgent need for another treasure at present.

Remembering that Bai Ze was still waiting outside, Ancestor Qiankun wasted no further time and soon exited the Qiankun Cauldron.

Once outside, Ancestor Qiankun summoned Bai Ze, gave him guidance in cultivation, and imparted the Ninefold Origin Art to him before sending him off. Experience had shown that disciples advanced more rapidly when training and tempering themselves in the outside world. When Ancestor Qiankun accepted Bai Ze as a disciple atop Mount Buzhou, Bai Ze had only been a Golden Immortal; now, he was already a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Perhaps next time they met, Bai Ze would have reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal stage.

The treasures had been bestowed, the cultivation methods taught; a master could not walk the path for his disciple. As the saying goes, “A teacher opens the door, but cultivation depends on oneself.” What achievements lie ahead would ultimately be determined by Bai Ze’s own fortune.

After sending Bai Ze on his way, Ancestor Qiankun first transferred the lake of Divine Three-Light Water from the cauldron to Fangzhang Island, allowing the green lotuses within to continue growing. Then he took out the Qiankun Diagram—now it was time to deal with the Azure Dragon.