Daoist Laozi gently stroked his beard, his gaze profound.
"Watch quietly, my worthy brothers. I... vaguely sense that this flower blooming may not end here."
Before his words had faded—
Seven petals! The Dao Flower's spiritual charm flowed, with thousands of strands of auspicious qi.
"It reached seven petals?!"
East Prince, who had come to observe from afar, looked slightly surprised.
Eight petals! Auspicious light shot into the heavens, and Dao Sound rang out on its own!
"An eight-petaled flower!"
Countless great powers watching in secret were shaken to the core, all revealing astonishment.
An eight-petaled Dao Flower was the mark of the finest among Innate Deities. Without immense Luck and great fortune alike, one could never attain it!
Nine petals!
"Gasp—!"
Even Primordial Daoist could not help drawing a sharp breath at this moment, unable to conceal the shock in his eyes.
"Eldest Brother! A nine-petaled bloom! Such a thing is nearly impossible to find in all creation!
"His foundation is certainly no ordinary spiritual root. It must be one of the legendary Ten Innate Spiritual Roots of the Primordial! But which one underwent Transformation?"
"Hahaha!"
Laozi clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his voice shaking the void as his eyes filled with admiration.
"Wonderful! This fellow Daoist possesses profound fortune and is favored by the Great Dao. His innate foundation is so deep that he can already stand alongside us, the Three Pure Ones of Pangu!"
"I thought it was merely an ordinary Innate Spiritual Root... Who would have thought it was an Ultimate Innate Spiritual Root undergoing Transformation!"
Feng Xi stood dumbfounded.
Fuxi's eyes revealed deep envy and yearning as he recalled the Eight-Petal Dao Fruit he had struggled to stabilize ten thousand years ago.
Ancestor Minghe of the Blood Sea struck the void in frustration.
"How hateful! This ancestor actually missed an Ultimate Innate Spiritual Root that was right beside me!"
Ancestor Minghe of the Blood Sea struck the void in frustration.
"A nine-petaled bloom... It actually possesses one petal more potential than mine..."
East Prince's expression was complicated, containing both shock and a trace of barely perceptible solemnity.
At this moment, the celebration of heaven and earth reached its peak.
The Grand Unity Dao Fruit within Zhou Yang's body completely condensed and reached perfection. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and profound, as though reflecting the endless ages since the Primordial Wilderness had first been opened.
A vast, ancient aura sharing the same origin as heaven and earth spread outward.
He slowly rose to his feet, standing atop auspicious clouds and a Golden Lotus. Facing the Primordial Wilderness, his voice was calm yet resounded like the Great Dao itself through every inch of mountains and rivers, proclaiming his own birth.
"When Primordial Chaos first opened, the primordial mist shattered, and heaven and earth's Xuan Huang conceived a spiritual embryo.
"Through the long years of the Primordial Wilderness, all living beings came into existence one after another.
"Yin-Yang Qi rested in my palm, while the laws of the Four Symbols coiled around my body.
"Profound lightning tempered my bones and forged my Dao embryo; the Five Elements evolved, granting me the talent of the Universe.
"Today, I have finally attained the day of nirvana. The Great Dao bestows upon me the name—Qing Huan!"
As his words fell, the Heavenly Dao resonated, and all Dao paths joined in celebration!
From this moment onward, there was no longer any Zhou Yang in the Primordial Wilderness. There was only the reborn one who had experienced annihilation—Grand Unity Golden Immortal Qing Huan!
Aptitude classification.
Basic grades, three to six petals.
A three-petaled bloom: one could attain the initial stage of Great Luo, but without special opportunities, one would generally remain at the initial stage of Great Luo.
A six-petaled bloom: one had hope of reaching the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, the Quasi-Sage level. However, breaking through to this realm required heaven-defying opportunities, such as a Sage's blood essence, Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots, and other heaven-defying treasures.
Mid-to-high grades, seven to eight petals.
A seven- to eight-petaled bloom: one could become a Primordial Golden Immortal, a Quasi-Sage, and had hope of becoming a Sage, though this required heaven-defying natural treasures, Innate Supreme Treasures, and the like.
A nine-petaled bloom: the mark of the foremost Innate Deities of the Primordial Wilderness, such as the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti. They possessed the qualifications to become Sages.
Supreme grades, ten to twelve petals.
A ten-petaled bloom: represented by Hongjun, Rahula, Yin-Yang, Universe, and Yang Mei. They could touch upon the realm of the Heavenly Dao.
(This refers to Innate Deities born in the Primordial Wilderness, not Chaos Demon Gods. For beings of the Primordial Wilderness, nine is the ultimate number.)
An eleven-petaled bloom: none for now. It was close to the half-step Great Dao level.
A twelve-petaled bloom required an enormous amount of resources, such as Pangu Jade Marrow, and was restricted by the laws of the Great Dao. The ultimate limit one could reach was eleven petals.
In an instant, dozens of figures emerged from every direction. Their vast and profound auras stirred the surrounding spiritual qi until it froze.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qing Huan! Upon transforming today, you immediately attained the Grand Unity Dao Fruit. This is truly cause for celebration!"
The leading elder had a lean, refined face and a warm smile. He was the first to cup his hands in salute.
Qing Huan looked around and saw that every arrival possessed extraordinary bearing and naturally formed Dao charm. He knew they must be renowned great powers and Innate Deities of the Primordial Wilderness.
Unfortunately, he had only just undergone Transformation and did not recognize a single one of them. He could only cup his hands slightly, an embarrassed smile appearing on his face.
"Thank you all, fellow Daoists, for your congratulations! Forgive my poor eyesight, but may I ask for your honored names?"
"My name is Taiqing Laozi."
The lean elder at the front nodded with a smile and turned slightly to introduce the others.
"These two are my younger brothers, born from the same root and origin as I."
"I am Yuanshi. Greetings, Fellow Daoist."
The Daoist beside him, dressed in a dark robe and carrying an imposing bearing, calmly returned the greeting.
"I am Tongtian. Greetings, Fellow Daoist!"
The other Daoist, dressed in green robes with a hint of sharpness between his brows, also laughed cheerfully.
"So it is the Three Pure Ones themselves! Forgive my disrespect! Qing Huan greets Fellow Daoist Laozi, Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, and Fellow Daoist Tongtian!"
Qing Huan was slightly shaken. He had not expected to encounter the Three Pure Ones, the three brothers destined to become Sages, the moment he was born. He hurriedly returned their greetings with solemn respect.
Immediately afterward, the other great powers also introduced themselves one after another.
"I am Feng Xi."
"I am Fuxi."
"I am Minghe."
"I am East Prince."
"I am Queen Mother of the West."
"I am Xuan Huang."
"I am Hong Yun."
"I am Bai Ze."
"I am Houtu."
For a time, Dao titles renowned throughout the Primordial Wilderness rang out one after another, echoing beyond the Cave Mansion that had just endured the tribulation.
Qing Huan cupped his hands to each of them in greeting, then said with slight apology.
"Qing Huan thanks you all for your generous intentions! However, Transformation was not easy this time, and I have only just undergone the Thunder Tribulation. My foundation still needs stabilizing, so I fear I cannot properly entertain you. Please forgive any discourtesy."
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Qing Huan is too polite!"
Taiqing Laozi laughed aloud. With a light sweep of his sleeve, a golden elixir the size of a longan, wreathed in treasure light and flowing pill patterns, steadily flew before Qing Huan. Faint Dao charm appeared around it.
"This is a small token from my two brothers and me—a Three-Turn Golden Elixir, to help Fellow Daoist restore his vital energy soon."
"Qing Huan will remember Taiqing Daoist's gift deeply."
Qing Huan's heart warmed. He did not make a show of refusing and accepted the golden elixir, speaking solemnly.
"One day, I will surely visit Kunlun Mountain in person to discuss and comprehend the Dao with you three fellow Daoists, and I will not fail this friendship!"
At this time, the Three Pure Ones were still at the initial stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal. For them to offer such a precious Three-Turn Golden Elixir was already exceedingly generous.
"Good! We three brothers shall quietly await good news from Fellow Daoist at Kunlun Mountain."
Taiqing Laozi nodded with a smile.
Yuanshi and Tongtian also nodded in acknowledgment.
After speaking, the figures of the Three Pure Ones transformed into three streaks of Pure Light and vanished into the distance.
"Fellow Daoist Qing Huan, we shall not disturb you further. We will take our leave."
Seeing that the Three Pure Ones had departed, the other great powers also bade farewell one after another. Their figures turned into streams of light and vanished between heaven and earth in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, calm returned outside the Cave Mansion. Qing Huan looked toward the direction in which the Three Pure Ones had departed and shook his head.
"The Three Pure Ones truly are open-hearted and generous people!"
After sighing with emotion, he turned and disappeared into the Innate Grand Formation protecting the place where his true body resided.
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