Dao Lord Tianshui

Zhou Yuan looked at the Yellow Middle Plum wreathed in the Great Dao, his eyes filled with wistfulness.

He sensed an aura of annihilation and decay from the Yellow Middle Plum.

It was as though heaven and earth were returning to ruin, and all things were withering away.

"The Dao Embryo is shattered, and its origin is damaged."

"If not for this Innate Water Eye continuously supplying Innate Water Element Spiritual Energy, this spiritual root would likely have already dissolved into the heavens and earth."

The Five Elements generated and restrained one another.

Metal generated water, water generated wood, and wood generated fire.

The spiritual energy emitted by Innate Water Element Spiritual Energy happened to have a nourishing and healing effect on the Yellow Middle Plum.

"The Yellow Middle Plum spiritual root's Primordial Dao Embryo was destroyed during the great calamity of heaven and earth."

"When Water Ancestor found it back then, he still hoped to restore the spiritual root."

"After all, a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root could serve as the foundation of a lineage."

Setting aside everything else.

The spiritual fruits borne by the Yellow Middle Plum could aid one in comprehending the Dao.

To the disciples below, they were an immense opportunity.

But Water Ancestor had never expected that his side would fail and perish while contending with Ancestor Dragon for the Black Emperor's Position.

Even though a wisp of his true spirit reincarnated.

He no longer possessed the foundation needed to restore this Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root.

Even the final fruit borne by the Innate Spiritual Root, Yellow Middle Plum, had been swallowed whole by him and turned into cultivation sustenance.

After that, this Innate Spiritual Root was passed down through the Water Mansion generation after generation.

Yet it mostly existed to suppress the Water Mansion's destiny.

Every master of the Water Mansion had wished to find heavenly treasures and restore this Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root.

"But after so many kalpas have passed."

"This Innate Spiritual Root's condition has become beyond remedy."

"Even with the nourishment of Three Lights Divine Water and the sacrifice of the Innate Ren Water Spiritual Peach's origin, it would be difficult to make up for the loss in its origin Great Dao."

Zhou Yuan gazed at that Primordial Dao Embryo and severed the trace of greed within his thoughts.

How could anything in ancient or modern times ever be wholly perfect?

To gain Long and then covet Shu was truly improper.

Everyone wanted a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root.

But given his current circumstances, he had no other means of bringing a glimmer of hope to this Yellow Middle Plum.

"Since that is the case."

"Then I shall settle for second best and use this incomplete Primordial Dao Embryo to enhance the origin of my foundation."

This body of his had attained the Dao from the Primordial Ren Water Pure Spiritual Bamboo. Though it was also innate, the gap between it and a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root was immense.

"Although I devoured the origin of an Innate Spiritual Bamboo within the Dao field."

"My foundation is still far inferior to that of Zhen Yuanzi, Daoist Zhunti, and the others."

Zhou Yuan's eyes revealed a thoughtful expression.

On the path of the Great Dao, even the slightest difference could ultimately lead to a gap as vast as heaven and earth.

Being born humble was not shameful; being able to bend and stretch was what made a true man.

But if there was a chance to strengthen his foundation, Zhou Yuan would absolutely not let it pass.

"Furthermore, I attained the Dao through the Innate Ren Water Spirit Bamboo, and Ren Water nourishes Jia Wood."

"Refining this incomplete Primordial Dao Embryo should not be so difficult."

Having made up his mind, he immediately had a plan.

In the void, Zhou Yuan sat cross-legged.

The Water God's Golden Seal floated above his head, evolving boundless mysteries of the Dao.

Strands of Water Element Law intertwined, forming blooming golden flowers amid hazy vapor.

"To refine the Primordial Dao Embryo while in the True One Realm carries some risk."

"I might be assimilated by the Jia Wood Great Dao."

"But once I attain Grand Unity Great Sage, with the assistance of the Myriad Dao Book and the Heavenly Machine Chessboard."

"I will have a ninety percent chance of successfully refining this incomplete Yellow Middle Plum."

Countless thoughts surged through Zhou Yuan's heart before ultimately becoming one.

He focused wholeheartedly on comprehending the Authority of Water Element.

Once he completely controlled the Wei River's Authority of Water Element.

He would be able to step into the realm of Grand Unity Great Sage in a single stride.

A towering pavilion rose from level ground, while majestic divine mountains pierced the heavens.

Above the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty Divine City, vast and magnificent phenomena gathered.

If a cultivator skilled in observing qi opened their heavenly eye.

They would certainly see nine hundred and ninety-nine Auspicious Dragons of Destiny, gleaming with dense Water Element aura, soaring and dancing within the divine dynasty.

Together, they guarded a Water Element Dao Fruit that floated amid chaos and bore the imprint of the Great Dao.

Tianshui Imperial Dynasty Ancestral Land.

A being shrouded in the Great Dao of Water Element sat upon a Dao platform.

He wore a Flat Sky Crown upon his head and a Five-Colored Robe.

Whenever his Dharma eyes opened and closed, it was as if galaxies shattered and vast worlds were born.

He was none other than the supreme ruler of the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty, the Dao Lord Tianshui, also known as the Tianshui Emperor.

At a certain moment, this being immersed in the Great Dao abruptly opened his eyes. His fingertips moved slightly, and Divine Chains of Order evolved within the void.

All kinds of heavenly secret patterns flickered endlessly in his eyes.

The Tianshui Emperor frowned.

"How strange, how strange."

"There is actually someone in the Wei River capable of drawing forth the projection I attached to the Profound Nether Weak Water Bead."

But in the next instant, his brows relaxed.

"The younger generation does have some sense."

"They sealed the Water Mansion and quietly refined the Water God's Golden Seal."

"It seems that my Tianshui lineage will soon gain another Innate Great Sage."

It turned out that the Dao Lord Tianshui had once again calculated the heavenly secrets.

They showed that the Wei River already had a master.

Someone had already ascended to the position of Wei River Water Lord.

Zhou Yuan used the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Myriad Dao Book, to conceal his foundation and disrupt the heavenly secrets of the region.

Then he used the supreme treasure of the Path of Heavenly Secrets, the Heavenly Machine Chessboard, to overturn cause and effect.

By a narrow margin, he concealed the matter of the Wei River Water Mansion.

The Tianshui Emperor did not harbor any suspicion about this.

The Wei River flowed through the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty, and no Innate Dao Lord had descended into the world there.

Moreover, the Profound Nether Weak Water Bead, his Innate Spiritual Treasure, protected the path.

The Eighteenth Prince obtaining the Wei River's divine position and even attaining the rank of Innate Great Sage had always been a certainty.

Now, he was merely proceeding smoothly along the path his family had planned for him.

There was nothing to doubt.

This emperor merely cast a slight glance toward the Wei River.

There were more important matters to resolve now.

He lightly flicked the Dharma sword placed before his knees.

An unfathomable ripple spread through the void.

Before long, ancient prayer mats appeared one after another within the Dao palace.

Upon them, figures with powerful auras gradually solidified from illusion into reality.

"We pay respects to Your Majesty."

The Tianshui Emperor looked over his assembled subjects and smiled faintly.

"My ministers, there is no need for such formality."

After all the divine demons had taken their places.

The Tianshui Emperor slowly spoke.

"While my divine soul wandered beyond the heavens today, my heart was suddenly stirred."

"I vaguely sensed that something has occurred which may shake the momentum of my divine path and affect the countless living beings of my Tianshui Imperial Dynasty."

"You all oversee different regions of the imperial dynasty. Have you noticed anything?"

This...

The Divine Demon Cultivators in the hall exchanged glances.

In the end, an aged deity with a face like golden paper, seemingly a dying candle in the wind, spoke first.

"Since Your Majesty has concerns."

"This old minister shall offer a brief analysis."

The Tianshui Emperor nodded slightly and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Elder God Cangmu, speak freely."

Though this Old God appeared extremely aged, he was in truth an ancient relic who had survived since the primordial era.

He had once paid court to Heavenly Emperor Cangli.

Had he not damaged his foundation during the Dragon-Han Crimson Bright Tribulation.

He would likely have already obtained the Dao Fruit and attained the Innate Dao Lord.

Yet even so, as a half-step Dao Lord serving the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty, he was worthy of the Tianshui Emperor's respect.