Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

On the surface, it appeared that Gonggong had indeed been suppressed by Zhen Yuanzi's Earth Book. After Zhen Yuanzi explained the Earth Book's powers to Guang Chengzi and the others, the gathered immortals all unanimously believed that there was no way Gonggong could escape.

In truth, it was Gonggong's own carelessness that led to this predicament. Otherwise, with his strength, while he might not be able to overcome the suppression, escaping before being sealed would certainly have been within his ability.

What he failed to anticipate was the Earth Book's terrifying capabilities—it could borrow the accumulated weight of the entire Primordial Land itself. This was completely beyond Gonggong's expectations.

"Your divine skills are extraordinary, Daoist Master. We are in awe!"

Duobao was the first to congratulate Zhen Yuanzi. By now, they fully understood the vast gulf separating themselves from a seasoned Quasi-Saint like Zhen Yuanzi. Though Zhen Yuanzi hadn't explicitly revealed he had completed Cutting Three Corpses, Duobao could tell.

The disparity was truly terrifying. Li Mingzhu, naturally astonished, also couldn't help but find it unbelievable. In her view, while Duobao might not equal Zhen Yuanzi, the difference should not have been this vast.

Yet reality was far from her expectations. Of course, Li Mingzhu's misunderstanding was understandable, as her impression of Duobao was still largely tied to his persona as the Tathagata Buddha from "Journey to the West."

In that era, Duobao's Buddhist abilities were unparalleled, and when the Saints decreed, he was invincible.

But today's Duobao was not the same as the Buddha of later generations. To compare them would be entirely improper. Whether Li Mingzhu realized this or not remained unclear.

Just then, the Earth Book suppressing Gonggong began trembling violently. What had previously seemed like an airtight situation now appeared far less certain.

Zhen Yuanzi, holding the Earth Book in his palm as it reverted to its true form, felt its colossal weight still resonating with the Primordial Land. However, its force was weaker than before, giving Gonggong the perfect opening to launch a counterattack.

Seeing the unfavorable momentum, Zhen Yuanzi did not dare to hesitate. Forming seals with his hands, streams of talismanic energy slowly embedded themselves onto the Earth Book.

For if Gonggong truly escaped, suppressing him again would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens. And if Gonggong broke free, he would undoubtedly seek immediate revenge against Zhen Yuanzi.

As Zhen Yuanzi's talismanic seals descended, the Earth Book finally settled down—but only momentarily, for within moments, it resumed its violent trembling.

It appeared Gonggong was becoming stronger with every passing moment. Even Li Mingzhu could notice this transformation, and the same was certainly true for those Quasi-Saint experts.

However, noticing it was one thing; being able to act was another. Despite their realization, they were completely powerless. Even Zhen Yuanzi could only silently await Gonggong's inevitable breakout.

Gonggong was already fearsome, and now he was growing even stronger. How powerful had he become?

"Bang!"

Like the explosive burst of a balloon, Gonggong emerged from the Earth Book's seal entirely drenched in blood. Though he had broken free, it was clear the cost he paid was substantial.

"Zhen Yuanzi, weren't you after Pangu's Heart? Then allow me to show you what Pangu's Heart truly is!"

Gonggong's eyes glinted with madness, revealing that his time under the Earth Book's suppression had not been simple at all.

Out of nowhere, Gonggong conjured an enormous heart of unfathomable proportions. Its rhythmic beating was faintly audible, and its flowing lifeblood pulsated continuously—not a single droplet touched the ground. Instead, the energy seamlessly merged into Gonggong's body.

"Pangu's Heart!"

Everyone present was utterly stunned. They had initially presumed Gonggong's mention of Pangu's Heart referred to some precious artifact of the Witch Clan. Little did they expect it to be the actual heart of Pangu!

When Pangu's body transformed into all things, his heart alone remained, untouched by the transformation, becoming the origin of the Witch Clan.

As long as the vitality of Pangu's Heart persisted, the Witch Clan's lineage would never falter. Its importance to the Witch Clan was beyond question.

For any cultivator of the Primordial World, its allure was also undeniably fatal—for obtaining Pangu's Heart could mean ascending to unimaginable realms of power.

During the era of the Ancient Witch Clan's dominance, no one dared covet the heart due to their overwhelming strength. After the catastrophic conflict between witches and demons, its whereabouts had become utterly untraceable—not even Saints could locate it.

The sole reason Gonggong's life had been spared was due to Pangu's Heart. Thus, Gonggong's escape and the sudden appearance of Pangu's Heart were within the calculations of the Saints.

Sending disciples to the Lower Realm was, in essence, allowing them to vie for opportunities, relying on their own skill to secure blessings. For the Saints, a near-exhausted Pangu's Heart wasn't worth personally intervening.

But to grant their disciples a chance for fortune, setting up a passive strategy was no great expense. Gonggong's survival, therefore, made sense; otherwise, he would have perished in the Ancient Times.

This also explained Zhen Yuanzi's involvement—his motives were, naturally, tied to Pangu's Heart.

Having completed Cutting Three Corpses, Zhen Yuanzi could predict this strand of destiny with relative ease.

Li Mingzhu, however, still hadn't fully grasped the situation. All she could discern was that after Gonggong revealed Pangu's Heart, he had begun to fuse it into his own body.

This method, while capable of temporarily enhancing his strength, would undoubtedly sever the Witch Clan's path to survival. Once Pangu's Heart dried out completely, the Witch Clan would march further into extinction.

But it was undeniable—this was the only choice under such dire circumstances. Gonggong had already considered this plan while preparing to break free, a reflection of his unwavering confidence against the Saints.

Should a Saint intervene, he would immediately merge Pangu's Heart into his own body. Yet it hadn't come to that point; even with just Zhen Yuanzi present, Gonggong felt compelled to invoke this desperate measure.

Now, possessing Daoist wisdom nearing the pinnacle of Quasi-Saint, Gonggong understood: if he didn't take the gamble, Pangu's Heart would be lost, resulting in the same fate for the Witch Clan. Without hesitation, he fused Pangu's Heart into himself.

With Pangu's Heart absorbed, Gonggong's aura began escalating explosively. Without needing to strike, his mere presence weighed so heavily on Zhen Yuanzi and the others that they couldn't lift their heads!

"Saintly Might!"

Zhen Yuanzi gritted his teeth and uttered these two words. As someone closest to the Saintly level, he instantly recognized the unmistakable phenomenon—it was Saintly Might.

To make one's flesh a Saint, even when one's Divine Power remained at the Quasi-Saint stage, Gonggong's physical body had now undeniably reached the level of a Saint Body!

Though Li Mingzhu and the others were far away, they still struggled under the pressure of this Saintly Might. Despite resisting with great effort, it was a near-impossible challenge.

Even if one's flesh alone ascended to Saint status, the distinction between Saints and Quasi-Saints was as stark as night and day—two completely incomparable realms.

Though Zhen Yuanzi had successfully completed Cutting Three Corpses and was theoretically infinitely close to attaining Saint status, he remained utterly powerless before Gonggong, who now possessed a Saint Body.

"So it is as I suspected!"

Feeling his physical form enter the realm of Saints, Gonggong chuckled lightly, as if everything unfolded just as he had foreseen.

Integrating Pangu's Heart—achieving Saint Body instantly!