: The Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, Lord of the Clouds

Three hundred years passed, and Donghua finally set foot on the vast prehistoric continent.

At this time, nearly a hundred eons had passed since the Dragon-Han Calamity. The scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood was long gone, and the primordial world had been completely restored under the operation and regulation of the Heavenly Dao.

The world is filled with spiritual energy, and the Dao is in full bloom.

The immortals faced the rising sun, exhaling purple mist, presenting a thriving scene, with not a trace of the great battle of the past.

Furthermore, during this period, most of the divine beings who traveled outside the heavens were merely Golden Immortals or Taiyi Golden Immortals.

Immortals like Donghua are not easily encountered.

The great calamity back then was too fierce, almost wiping out all the high-ranking members of the Hundred Races of the Primordial World, leaving only a few survivors.

"Unfortunately, it's unclear how long this situation can last."

Donghua couldn't help but sigh softly.

With Hongjun's attainment of enlightenment soon, numerous powerful beings will take human form and emerge into the world, ushering in a new chapter for the prehistoric world.

Various forces are taking turns to perform, and a new great calamity is not far off.

Only through continuous warfare and slaughter, at the cost of the blood and bones of countless immortals, can a new order emerge from the chaos and gradually correct the trajectory of the primordial world.

This laid the groundwork for the later emergence of the human race.

Perhaps it was for this reason that when Hongjun preached at Zixiao Palace, he bestowed upon him the title of the head of all immortals.

At the same time, they still tacitly allowed Di Jun to establish the Heavenly Court.

Simply put, in order to maintain the long-term development and stability of the primordial world, someone needs to play the role of the Heavenly Emperor.

Whether it's him or Dijun.

Even if they were gone, there would be others to take their place, just like Haotian, the attendant by Hongjun's side who was always ready to take over.

So it seems that Hongjun might have initially valued him and wanted to use him to fight against the Wu Clan.

Unfortunately, the Eastern King Duke in the original myth was not capable enough, so he was simply abandoned and instead supported Di Jun, who naturally became a victim of the development of the Heavenly Dao.

Of course, all of the above are just Donghua's speculations.

The specific reasons and the hidden tricks involved are probably only known to Hongjun himself.

……

As an ambitious and rational innate deity, Donghua's arrival in the prehistoric world was certainly not a aimless stroll.

Besides seeking opportunities, he had a clear goal from the very beginning—Kunlun Mountain.

More precisely, it is Xikunlun.

Many hands make light work; if I want to compete with Di Jun, how can I, all alone, be enough?

And that person from Xikunlun, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will undoubtedly be my most reliable ally on my path to enlightenment, without exception. I must win him over no matter what.

However, Xikunlun is more than tens of millions of miles away. Even if Donghua travels at full speed, it would take at least several thousand years to reach it.

We traveled tirelessly, traversing above the sea of ​​clouds.

Before even reaching Kunlun, Donghua's journey was blocked by a magnificent and precipitous mountain.

Deep in the clouds and shrouded in mist, the waterfall cascades down.

Above, the sun is blocked by clouds and pines; below, there is a platform made of bluestone.

At the highest peak of the mountains, on the Jade Emperor Golden Summit, an ancient stone pavilion is nestled among the gnarled branches of green trees, where two figures sit quietly, seemingly engaged in philosophical discussions.

The two were surrounded by celestial light, indicating that they were also two innate deities.

At this moment, the man on the left seemed to sense something, and suddenly raised his head to look towards the Eastern Heaven beyond the heavens, stroking his beard and smiling slightly:

"Since you have come from afar, why not linger a while and have a chat?"

The words fell.

Then the thin mist that had enveloped the mountains dissipated, the innate formation opened, and a long passage was revealed.

Having his whereabouts exposed, Donghua descended from the clouds and landed in the stone pavilion. He bowed and said, "This humble Daoist is Donghua of the Purple Mansion. I greet you two fellow Daoists. May I ask your immortal names?"

"So it's Fellow Daoist Donghua."

The man who had spoken earlier wore a blue-green crown, had the Taiming Seal at his waist, and had three long strands of beard under his chin. Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up slightly, and he smiled and said, "This humble Taoist is Jin Hong, the master of Mount Tai."

Another person, wearing a tall hat and wide belt, and a black robe with long sleeves, also returned the greeting, saying, "This humble Daoist, Lord Yunzhong, greets Fellow Daoist Donghua."

"Jin Hong Clan? Lord Yun Zhong?"

Upon hearing their names, Donghua's heart stirred slightly.

Could it be that this Jin Hongshi before me is the Eastern Peak Emperor, one of the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Rivers in later myths and legends? I never expected to run into him here.

Mount Tai is the foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains.

Although it is not as well-known as Mount Kunlun or Mount Buzhou in the prehistoric world, it still plays an extremely important role.

This is because Mount Tai is the passage between the Yin and Yang realms. It awaits the birth of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, after which it will assume the responsibility of connecting the Yang world and the underworld. Its importance is self-evident.

This is why the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak became a great god who controls life and death, and social status among people.

As for Yun Zhongjun, there are not many records about him in later generations. Donghua only knows that his true form is a blue cloud drifting between heaven and earth, but he is undoubtedly a primordial deity.

If Donghua wants to rule the prehistoric world in the future, he will definitely need to control the underworld.

Mount Tai thus became of paramount importance.

Therefore, if he could bring these two under his command, it would undoubtedly be of great help to his future plans for the prehistoric world and the unification of all heavens.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and Donghua said apologetically, "I was just passing by when I found out that I had disturbed the enjoyment of you two fellow Daoists."

"Why do you say that, fellow Daoist?"

After inviting Donghua to take a seat, Jin Hongshi said warmly:

"Since the Great Calamity of the Dragon-Han Era, immortals have perished and all living beings have withered. There are very few innate saints like us. Since we have met today, it must be fate between us."

Yun Zhongjun nodded and said, "Brother Jin Hong is absolutely right!"

All three were innate holy spirits, and each harbored a desire to befriend the other, so they quickly became acquainted after a few words.

They talked about everything under the sun, discussing the principles of Tao and the laws of nature.

They verified each other's understanding of the Great Dao, and after a period of exchange, each person's cultivation level improved considerably.

When the conversation got lively, Jin Hongshi waved her hand and took out Taishan Jade Liquor, which had been brewed for many years, to entertain the two. Yun Zhongjun, who was a guest, also took out a pot of Nine Heavens Star Dew to accompany them.

Seeing how generous the two were, Donghua couldn't appear stingy either. After a moment's thought, he took out nine Five Elements Pine Cones.

"Such a divine fruit is truly too precious..."

Jin Hong let out a low cry. Although the jade liquid and star dew that the two of them had taken out were precious, how could they compare to the immortal fruit that this top-grade innate spiritual root had nurtured over a long period of time?

"I feel an instant connection with you two fellow Daoists. It's just a few spiritual fruits, please don't refuse."

"Otherwise, it would make this humble monk uneasy."

Donghua's attitude was firm, not because he was being arrogant, but because a few pine cones were nothing to him, given that he already possessed five-needle pine trees. However, if it could help him get closer to the two of them, it would be well worth it.

"Then we shall accept it without hesitation."

Seeing Donghua's insistence, Jin Hongshi and Yun Zhongjun no longer declined.

The five pine cones contain the laws of the Great Dao, which are of great help to their cultivation. It would be a lie to say that they don't want them.

Moreover, Donghua has already made his point so clear; if they were to refuse again, it would only make them seem petty.

At that moment, the two looked at each other and seemed to have reached some kind of agreement.

Jin Hongshi looked at Donghua and said, "Since that's the case, Yun Zhongjun and I are willing to grant you another opportunity!"