Innate Spiritual Vein

A Quasi-Sage was invincible beneath a Sage. Generally, any Sage with a shred of dignity would not attack a non-Sage, so Quasi-Sages were quite valuable. It took courage to cripple one's Quasi-Sage cultivation and start over.

Rather than saying Do Bao was ruthless enough to be cruel to himself, it was better to say that he trusted Wang Yuan and Tongtian. After studying Stellar Transformations, Tongtian found it increasingly profound and wondrous. It was far stronger than the cultivation methods of the Three Pure Ones, even stronger than the method of severing the Three Corpses!

If he had not already attained a Sage Position, he would have wanted to cripple his own cultivation and start over as well.

However, Do Bao was suffering greatly now. After crippling his Sage Position, all his cultivation had vanished, leaving him little different from a mortal. Fortunately, he had retained the body he had taken after transforming. The human body was an Innate Dao Body, more in harmony with the Heavenly Dao when cultivating.

Unfortunately, cultivating the external path was far more difficult.

Tongtian pursed his lips as he watched Do Bao repeatedly strike himself with a stone.

"Is this what Uncle meant by envy, jealousy, and hatred?"

"When you have time, have those two chubby girls bring Zhou Wang here to see me!" Wang Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up. He wanted to see what Zhou Wang looked like too. He had always been curious about him. Was this man truly as unbearable as the legends of later generations claimed?

Tongtian hesitated slightly. "Uncle... mortal emperors are entangled in karma. Keeping one nearby brings misfortune."

"It's fine."

Wang Yuan understood things rather clearly now. As long as he stayed on the Immortal Mountain, his safety could be guaranteed. But there was no way he was leaving it!

Even if Laozi starved to death, he would not go out!

Besides, the system would not let him starve. A couple of days ago, it had even given him the body of some animal that would not rot for ten thousand years, enough for him to eat whenever he wanted.

That thing was even larger than this Immortal Mountain. In the end, Wang Yuan stuffed it into the System Space.

"Alright, Uncle. I'll go inform them."

Tongtian turned to leave, but Wang Yuan called him back. "Hey, great nephew, bring those two chubby girls some gifts when you go out. Don't make them work for us for nothing and then say we have no manners. Here, take this."

As he spoke, Wang Yuan tossed out a long white strip, limp and soft.

When Tongtian caught it, his hand sank.

His expression changed. He was a Sage! Even without being able to use his magic power in this place, the strength of his fleshly body could support the Three Mountains and Five Peaks. Yet what was this thing?

"G-G-Great Nephew, thank you, Uncle..." Tongtian's tongue nearly twisted after seeing it clearly.

An entire Innate Spiritual Vein!!

An entire one!

After the creation of heaven and earth, spiritual veins had continuously dwindled. Even Golden Turtle Island had only one spiritual vein, and it was incomplete. Kunlun Mountain and Shouyang Mountain also possessed only incomplete Innate Spiritual Veins.

The Western Religion was even more barren, with only incomplete Acquired Spiritual Veins. Otherwise, why would Jie Yin and Zhun Ti be so desperate, always coming to the East to coax people into joining their Western Religion...

An entire spiritual vein made Tongtian's heart stir. If he placed this on Golden Turtle Island, the cultivation of all Jie Sect disciples would probably rise by a great deal before long!

With that thought, Tongtian hurried out. The moment he left, he ran straight toward Golden Turtle Island.

Kunlun Mountain.

Yuanshi Tianzun, who had been in seclusion, abruptly opened his eyes.

"Second Junior Brother, he has appeared."

The instant Tongtian revealed a trace of his aura, Laozi sensed it and immediately informed Yuanshi Tianzun.

Yuanshi Tianzun alone would never have been able to find Tongtian. After all, a gap had already opened between their cultivations. Tongtian had now reached Enlightenment Third Heaven.

Even Laozi had only discovered Tongtian by borrowing most of Yuanshi Tianzun's divine sense and combining it with his own cultivation.

"Senior Brother, please come over."

Tongtian was still holding that spiritual vein, his hands trembling with excitement.

"A spiritual vein!"

"An Innate one!"

"Having an Uncle is wonderful."

The more he thought about it, the happier he became. Though the spiritual vein was heavy, it was nothing once he used his magic power. He simply could not store it away. Wealth should not be displayed, but who under heaven would dare rob a Sage like him?

When he thought of how Jie Sect might produce countless Golden Immortals in the future, perhaps even Profound Immortals and Quasi-Sages, Tongtian felt that the days ahead would be wonderful.

Killing Tribulation?

Pah! No matter how powerful a Killing Tribulation was, it could not overturn one principle: the bigger the fist, the stronger the man!

Just as Tongtian was lost in those pleasant thoughts, a voice suddenly sounded ahead. "Junior Brother, it has been a long time."

Immediately afterward, one man arrived riding an Azure Bull, while another rode a Sibuxiang.

"It's you two." Tongtian's gaze turned cold. Last time, they had already torn off all pretense.

Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun exchanged glances, and both saw the shock in the other's eyes.

It was confirmed!

Tongtian had truly broken through!

Enlightenment Third Heaven!

A trace of venom appeared in Yuanshi's eyes. His face twisted as he lowered his head in hatred.

Tongtian! He had actually surpassed him!

Yuanshi had always thought Tongtian was a reckless brute whose Dao principles clashed with his own.

Yet such a brute had actually gained power greater than his.

Yuanshi's heart blazed with fury as boundless flames of jealousy surged within his chest.

At that moment, Laozi suddenly stared at the white object in Tongtian's hand, greed appearing in his eyes. "Tongtian, what are you holding?"

"Nothing valuable." As he spoke, Tongtian stuffed it into his robes. It was not that he did not want to put it in his Universe Bag, but an Innate Spiritual Vein was a true spiritual treasure and could not be stored inside.

Laozi's eyes gleamed as he stared fixedly at Tongtian. "Could that be a complete Innate Spiritual Vein?"

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun quickly raised his head, no longer caring about his jealousy.

A complete Innate Spiritual Vein?

This was enough to drive him mad. How could Tongtian possess such a precious treasure!

Tongtian frowned. "So what if it is? What are you two doing here?"

The jealousy in Yuanshi Tianzun's eyes became even more obvious, but he said, "Junior Brother, the Three Pure Ones are one entity. This Innate Spiritual Vein is a providential opportunity belonging to all three of us. You should divide it."

"Indeed." A faint smile rose at the corner of Laozi's mouth.

Tongtian was nearly angered senseless.

He pointed at Yuanshi Tianzun, his finger trembling. At that moment, he only wanted to borrow Uncle's words. "Yuanshi! Li Dan! I have never seen such shameless people!"

Tongtian roared, his voice carrying hundreds of miles.

The Little Demons at the foot of the mountain trembled in fear, having no idea what had happened.

Laozi's face darkened as he secretly communicated with Yuanshi Tianzun about something.

A complete Innate Spiritual Vein was simply too important. This time, it would be worthwhile even if they had to fight Tongtian again.

It was just that...

They could not beat him!

It was not as though they had not fought last time. Had the Dao Ancestor not appeared, they might have been the ones to suffer.

"Second Junior Brother, this time truly won't be easy."

Yuanshi Tianzun understood. It was not that it would be difficult—it was that they could not win...

His eyes shifted as he thought, We can use that.

With that thought, he secretly formed a hand seal. A moment later, brahma sounds rolled forth.

"A great immortal, barefoot, fragrant with jujube and pear; treading Auspicious Clouds, stranger still;

Upon the Twelfth-Grade Lotus Platform, he expounds Dharma treasures; beside the Eight-Virtue Pool, white light appears.

His lifespan equals heaven and earth, no false claim; his fortune surpasses vast waves, no wild boast;

Having cultivated relics, he is called Embryonic Breath; serene Ultimate Bliss lies in the West."

A lean Daoist walked over from afar, prayer beads in hand and standing upon a Twelfth-Grade Lotus Platform.