Innate Gourd Vine

The few people in the valley were engrossed in discussing profound principles, talking with great fervor. Zhenyuanzi also began to talk about his companion Spiritual Root.

Apart from Hongyun and Jiang Yun, everyone else heard this and showed expressions of shock and envy. The Three Pure Ones exclaimed in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, are you referring to the Ginseng Fruit Tree, one of the ten great Innate Spiritual Roots of the Primordial Desolation?"

"It is precisely this Spiritual Root. My Ginseng Fruit Tree blossoms every three thousand years, bears fruit every three thousand years, and the fruit ripens after another three thousand years. It takes ten thousand years to eat its fruit even once."

Compared to companion Spiritual Treasures, companion Spiritual Roots were even rarer. The Three Pure Ones, Zhunti, and Jieyin were hearing about it for the first time.

Such a top-tier Spiritual Root had extraordinary effects. Over six thousand years had passed since the last time the Ginseng Fruit Tree's fruit ripened. Zhenyuanzi generously invited everyone to visit his Wuzhuang Temple when the fruit matured, where they could taste the Ginseng Fruit together and discuss the Dao.

Several people nodded in agreement.

Just as they were chatting happily, several streams of light descended from the void above and arrived in the valley. The newcomers were Di Jun, Taiyi, Fuxi, and Nuwa, the four great Saints of the Demon Race.

Not long after they arrived, they saw the Spiritual Energy in the valley surge. After a period of earth-shattering tremors, a huge fissure opened in the center of the valley. Golden light blazed from within the fissure, and suddenly a emerald green light pierced through the golden light, shooting up into the sky. Within the light, a gourd vine slowly emerged.

The leaves of the gourd vine were large and thick, each one appearing to be carved from jade, with clearly visible veins, exuding vibrant life.

Following the gourd vine, they saw seven gourds hanging from it.

These seven gourds were all different in shape and size. The topmost gourd was the largest, entirely purple-gold. The gourd below it was orange-yellow, and below that were gourds of red, green, cyan, blue, and other colors. The lowest gourd was the smallest, looking somewhat underdeveloped and not yet fully ripe.

The stem of the gourd vine was incredibly thick, its roots deeply anchored into the earth. It drew endless Spiritual Energy from the ground, and with each transmission of Spiritual Energy, a flash of light would appear on the vine.

Everyone in the valley looked at the emerged Innate Gourd Vine and the seven Innate Spiritual Gourds, and their faces lit up with joy.

However, there were many people in the valley at this time, and seven gourds were not enough for everyone. After their initial joy, they began to ponder a solution.

"My three brothers and I came here following the guidance of the Heavenly Dao. By chance, it is destined that each of us shall take one," Yuanshi said first.

"My two companions and I will only take one," Hongyun followed.

"My four companions and I will only take two," Di Jun added immediately.

Zhunti and Jieyin were delighted to hear this. The three of them had originally come with Hongyun to take a look, and they never expected to get a Spiritual Treasure gourd. It was truly a heavenly surprise.

Jiang Yun was also full of surprise at this moment. With his addition, such a change occurred here. In legends, Jieyin and Zhunti did not have this fortunate encounter.

"Everyone may take their fated items first. My three companions and I will speak last," Zhunti said.

After the discussion, Taiqing Laozi stepped forward first and took the purple-gold gourd, saying with a smile, "This gourd has a connection with me. I shall take it back to refine it into a Spiritual Treasure for storing elixirs."

Seeing Taiqing take his gourd, Yuqing Yuanshi and Shangqing Lingbao also stepped forward in turn to pick a gourd. It was unknown how they planned to use the gourds they had taken.

Next, Hongyun stepped forward and took the red gourd, which was later refined by Hongyun into the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd. It contained red divine sand that could harm a person's Nascent Soul and corrode the body, making it a rare Spiritual Treasure.

Afterward, Nuwa and Taiyi each stepped forward and took the yellow and golden gourds, respectively.

The former was refined by Nuwa into the Monster Summoning Banner, a supreme treasure of the Demon Race, containing a divine soul and true spirit of the Demon Race, which could control the demons of the Primordial Desolation. The latter was refined by Taiyi into the renowned Immortal Slaying Flying Knife, becoming a famous killing Spiritual Treasure in the Primordial Desolation world, capable of locking onto a target's soul and tracking and killing enemies, severing their Nascent Souls.

After Nuwa took her gourd, she wanted to stay a little longer. However, Di Jun, Taiyi, and the others harbored resentment due to Yuanshi's remarks in the Purple Heaven Palace. The fact that no conflict arose at this moment was already a sign of restraint.

Seeing that Taiyi and his two companions had no intention of staying longer after taking their gourds, Nuwa also transformed into a stream of light and left.

The remaining people paid no mind to the departure of the four from the Demon Race. After Di Jun and the others left, Zhunti slowly stepped forward. Just as he was about to take the last black gourd, it detached itself from the vine. Immediately afterward, the gourd vine began to wither, as if it had exhausted its Origin after nurturing the seven gourds, and it would likely be difficult for it to recover in the future.

Zhunti took the fallen black gourd. This gourd had not fully developed. In comparison, the other six gourds were fully developed and had all become high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. This black gourd was a level lower, only a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Zhunti did not dislike it and carefully put it away.

At this time, Jiang Yun also seized the opportunity to step forward and collect the remaining gourd vine, along with the soil beneath it, transplanting everything into his Inner World. The others present did not say anything, merely thinking that he was leaving some things for the younger generation!

Jiang Yun breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his actions were a bit rash. However, the outcome was good. The others were all Innate Demon Gods with profound fortune and abundant Spiritual Treasure opportunities, so they did not care about such minor matters, allowing him to pick up a bargain.

Jiang Yun sensed his Inner World. As expected, the soil he had just collected contained Innate Breathing Soil at the very bottom. He had only tried it on a whim, and this result truly surprised him.

He made some arrangements for the gourd vine and the Breathing Soil he had brought into his Inner World. After settling the gourd vine within his body, he watered it with some Three Lights Divine Water. The gourd vine absorbed the Three Lights Divine Water and gradually recovered some of its vitality.

Jiang Yun thought to himself that with the Innate Breathing Soil and the Three Lights Divine Water, the gourd vine might still be able to recover its vitality and bloom and bear fruit again in the future.

After collecting the Spiritual Treasures, everyone agreed to meet at Wuzhuang Temple at a later date to taste the fruit and discuss the Dao. The Three Pure Ones then bid farewell to the others and headed directly back to Kunlun Mountain.

Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi still traveled with Zhunti and his two companions. The group did not continue to tour Buzhou Mountain, as they were all eager to return to their respective dojos to comprehend the content of the sermon they had just heard and to refine their treasures. Thus, they all mounted their streams of light and left Buzhou Mountain, heading towards the West.

Two hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. The group traveled non-stop from the central region of the Primordial Desolation and arrived at Zhenyuanzi's dojo, Wuzhuang Temple.

Wuzhuang Temple was situated on a large Spirit Vein near the western border, a place of outstanding natural beauty, like a pearl hidden from the mortal world.

It was located amidst lush forests, surrounded by rolling mountains that resembled a coiled, slumbering dragon. Wuzhuang Temple was nestled within these forests, quietly situated in the valley, as if it were a sacred place meticulously crafted by nature.

As they approached the temple, the main gate was wide open. Two young Daoist attendants stood at the entrance, both appearing sharp and intelligent.

The leading attendant had a delicate and handsome face, with eyebrows like ink paintings, long and slightly upturned, exuding a spirited aura. The other attendant had a pure appearance, with a round face like a full moon, flushed with a healthy red glow. His eyes sparkled with a clarity reminiscent of college students in later generations.