The Nightmare Dragon King's techniques had no effect on Nezha. Unlike a proper Primordial Immortal, whose methods are vast and varied, his spiritual essence, nurtured for countless years, was nearly shattered after taking a beating from Nezha, his dragon body already reduced by half.

He wanted to flee but found no escape. The ancient formation pressed down firmly, sealing him completely with nowhere to go.

Finally, after being repeatedly pummeled by Nezha, the dragon simply lay flat on the ground in complete surrender: "Go ahead, keep hitting! If you dare to strike me, I dare to die!"

Nezha found the sight of the defeated dragon king amusing. Truth be told, this dragon, confined here for ages, hadn't really harmed anyone. Nezha wasn't intent on killing him either; instead, he felt pity for the dragon's lack of dragon sinew. Gesturing at the sprawled-out dragon, he beckoned, "Come here."

The black dragon cautiously stretched its head, transformed into a wisp of black mist, circled Nezha twice, and then attached itself to his vestment robe, forming a beautifully intricate black dragon pattern.

Nezha examined the pattern, thought it looked rather good, and smirked to himself: "If anyone dares to accuse me of targeting the Dragon Clan again, I'll give them two slaps. Look at this—I've got dragon patterns on me! How could I possibly target the Dragon Clan?"

"Utter nonsense!"

Having subdued the final boss, Nezha turned his attention to the anticipated treasure. He formed a Dharma Seal, striking downward at the earth. The soil shifted and turned on its own, revealing what looked like an altar. At the altar's center lay an egg.

Nezha: "???"

Upon closer inspection, he realized the object he sought wasn't the egg.

The egg, however, was not ordinary at all. It was an immense stone egg, permeated with an unmistakably dense aura from the Phoenix Clan, a familiarity that Nezha couldn't ignore. Yet what lay within the egg remained a mystery.

Placing the stone egg into his possession, Nezha waved his sleeve at the altar, which immediately cracked open, releasing a streak of purple energy. The streak quickly expanded, transforming into a massive purple pillar that bridged heaven and earth.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi within Nezha's Divine Soul projected a jubilant expression—it was indeed a streak of Hongmeng Purple Qi. After flaunting its grandeur, the streak darted directly into Nezha's Divine Soul, merging with the other streak already residing there.

Now possessing half of the Hongmeng Purple Qi, Nezha's Divine Soul rapidly grew in strength and scope, fully enveloped in an indomitable and majestic purple aura.

The ascension of the Divine Soul triggered an eruption in Nezha's cultivation. What was previously only forcibly contained now surged uncontrollably, akin to hot oil splashed into cold water, bursting forth unstoppably. By the time Nezha's consciousness returned, his cultivation realm had already reached the late stage of Daluo Golden Immortal, with the Quasi-Saint realm within reach.

Nezha chuckled bitterly. "Sometimes, having an overwhelming foundation isn't all it's cracked up to be. Is this what they call a happy dilemma?"

Thankfully, the sudden surge in cultivation posed no real problem for Nezha. His foundation had already exceeded the Daluo realm by far. Once he steadied and refined his cultivation, he could begin contemplating the next step toward the Quasi-Saint Path.

While integrating the new streak of Hongmeng Purple Qi, Nezha learned its origin. After Hong Yun Ancestor's demise, his Hongmeng Purple Qi had splintered into four parts.

One portion was entrusted to his close friend Zhen Yuanzi through a final act of strength. Another drifted to Thunder Marsh. The third part had been drawn to this location by the resonance of the Hongmeng World. The whereabouts of the final portion, however, remained unknown to Nezha.

Thus, this streak was not something gifted to Nezha by Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun, residing in Chaos, likely had no recollection of that era. What he had left behind here was, in reality, the egg.

Once Nezha delivered the egg to Yuxu Palace, he would not owe Yuanshi Tianzun any karmic debt. A Saint's favor is the hardest to repay, and realizing this, Nezha felt a weight lifted from his heart.

With the ancient formation fulfilling its purpose, Nezha communicated with the Jade Talisman and returned to the core of the formation overseen by Taiyuan Saint Mother. She had long observed Nezha's endeavors within the ancient formation.

For anyone aware of the commotion that the streak of Hongmeng Purple Qi had caused, remaining oblivious was nearly impossible. As a guest of Zixiao Palace, Taiyuan Saint Mother fully understood the significance of Hongmeng Purple Qi. To think she had unknowingly guarded such a treasure for so many years!

Her expression was complicated. No wonder Wusheng began slipping out of her control after absorbing certain powers. If it involved that kind of energy, it was understandable.

Looking at Nezha before her, Taiyuan Saint Mother felt a pang of dejection. Every era has its chosen protagonist. She had failed to ascend in hers. Now, despite guarding treasures for countless years, her chance was long gone. It was simply fate.

Highly regarded by Yuanshi Tianzun for her moral integrity, Taiyuan Saint Mother could never truly reject the allure of Hongmeng Purple Qi. However, Nezha had recently helped her resolve the issue with No-Life Old Mother and had liberated her from her bondage. To turn against him now would be inconceivable.

Even if she tried, she'd face her own Heart Demon, which would teach this ancient Great Expert a harsh lesson.

"Senior, the grand formation has fulfilled its purpose—you are free."

Though conflicted, Taiyuan Saint Mother resolved to remain dignified before the junior.

"I have guarded this place for many years. Now, with my task complete, I'd like to venture out and explore. You've helped me greatly, and I swear not to speak a word of your matters to outsiders."

Nezha hadn't expected Taiyuan Saint Mother to be so accommodating, eliminating his worries in an instant. He unleashed his secret weapon—a playful charm.

"Senior, you're so kind!"

Taiyuan Saint Mother shook her head and smiled at Nezha's antics.

"Why call me senior? Your cultivation will soon surpass mine—it's only a matter of time."

…

With no belongings to arrange, the two departed the Hongmeng World together.

Upon returning to the outside world, Nezha suddenly noticed that the Primordial Spiritual Energy had grown much denser and was increasing even more rapidly. After some calculations, he understood the reason: the will of the Late Dao Demon God had been completely erased by Pangu, leaving the Demon God Body powerless to resist.

Refining something with consciousness was vastly different from refining something without. Nezha was still puzzled about whether this incident had been orchestrated by the Heavenly Dao. After some thought, he concluded it hadn't been.

First of all, to the Primordial realm, the Demon God Body was already a guaranteed windfall. Whether it took ten thousand years or a hundred thousand years to digest mattered little to the Heavenly Dao, which has no shortage of time.

Secondly, this event had unexpectedly summoned Pangu. Pangu's power transcended all within the Primordial realm, a force that deeply unsettled the Heavenly Dao. Thus, the Heavenly Dao would never allow such a being to manifest.

This realization stemmed from possessing half of the Hongmeng Purple Qi, granting Nezha new insights into the Heavenly Dao.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi was extraordinarily sentient. Originally, there were seven streaks, six of which had already found masters and ascended to Saint status. The final streak, however, had seemingly lost its chance to ascend—not for any specific reason, but simply because the Primordial realm couldn't accommodate another Saint.

Now, things had changed. Having devoured the Demon God Body, the Primordial realm expanded and was poised to nurture a new Saint Position. This last streak of Hongmeng Purple Qi was evidently aware of this opportunity. Once the first streak confirmed Nezha's qualifications to claim that Saint Position, the remaining parts wouldn't resist him.

Nezha had yet to locate the final streak of Hongmeng Purple Qi. However, an age of transformation was already unfolding. The tides of this era would undoubtedly bring the last streak to light. His current task was to prepare himself, ensuring he could capture it at the pivotal moment.

…

After all those years, Taiyuan Saint Mother had finally stepped into the outside world. During their journey, Nezha shared updates about the current state of affairs, though he was still somewhat astonished by the sheer density of Primordial Spiritual Energy.

The two parted ways here, and Taiyuan Saint Mother didn't bring up the matter of the Kunlun Mirror, heading directly toward Yuxu Palace.

The Kunlun Mirror was something Nezha had rightfully acquired and had no obligation to return. How would Taiyuan Saint Mother even go about reclaiming it? And with what means? None of it concerned Nezha.

Although this expedition to the Hongmeng World seemed to take only a few years, Nezha had actually spent nearly ten thousand years cultivating within its ancient depths. After some consideration, he decided against returning to the Heavenly Court immediately. Instead, he headed to Chaos Wai Wa Palace to report his circumstances to his master, Nuwa.

Nuwa, being a Saint, possessed perspectives far beyond Nezha's. With numerous questions and ideas swirling in his mind, Nezha sought her guidance, hoping to gain clarity and wisdom.

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