The Innate Gourd Vine before him was lush with foliage. Innate spiritual light flowed ceaselessly over its leaves, but the gourds hanging from its branches were no longer the original seven.
At this moment, only five remained, hanging quietly: four were richly colored, their golden-purple, black-purple, yellow-purple, and cyan-purple lights interweaving. They had clearly ripened into Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures;
another was emerald green, etched with purple Dao Patterns. Its skin still looked somewhat unripe, and its spiritual light was restrained. It was still gestating, having reached the level of a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
The origins of the Gourd Vine were extraordinary.
It had once been a Chaos spirit root in the boundless Chaos, but its grade had fallen in the wake of Pangu Opens Heaven. Pangu had then refined it into the Primordial World he created.
Moreover, each of the seven gourds—except the last—had found its destined owner.
There was no need to mention Hong Yun's Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd.
In the original course of events, Tai Yi obtained the Purple-White Gourd, then collected the essence of Kuafu and Da Yi and refined it into the Immortal-Slaying Gourd. It contained the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, and after Tai Yi's fall, it passed into the hands of the Tenth Golden Crow, Daoist Lu Ya;
the Purple-Yellow Gourd was destined for Tongtian. It contained two qilin, one of water and one of fire, embodying the true meaning of water and fire blending and Yin Yang Mutual Aid. It was also called the Water Fire Gourd;
Laozi obtained the Purple Gold Gourd, which he used to hold pills and could also use to capture people and slay enemies;
Yuanshi obtained the Purple-Black Gourd, which contained a miniature Chaos;
Nuwa obtained the Purple-Cyan Gourd. She later used it to store the Monster Summoning Banner, a treasured artifact of the demon race, and so it also came to be known as the Monster Summoning Gourd.
Besides this, Nuwa also took the Gourd Vine. She used it to stir the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil together with Three Lights Divine Water, making the clay for creating humans and the Human Creation Whip.
Xuanyuan's gaze swept over the gourds. The Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler trembled faintly in his hand, as if resonating with the essence of the seventh spiritual gourd on the vine.
If it came down to good fortune alone, then this Fourth Purity of Pangu was clearly favored by the seventh gourd.
However, in Xuanyuan's view, the Purple-Black Gourd, which contained a miniature Chaos, was actually the best fit for his Dao.
"Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures naturally belong to those with virtue."
Xuanyuan smiled faintly. Golden and silver light surged around him as his 12.96-million-zhang Space-Time Ancestral Witch True Body unfolded once more. Heaven-Opening Merit burst from his knotted muscles, while Earthly Fiend Tainted Qi gathered in his palm;
his Xuanyuan Nascent Soul floated out from between his brows. His hands formed a seal, urging the Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler into motion. The ruler hummed and trembled, and a streak of golden Heaven-Opening Merit shot from its tip, slamming into the main trunk of the Gourd Vine!
"Hum!"
Where the ruler's light passed, the Innate Restrictions on the vine receded like melting snow. Heaven-Opening Merit resonated with the vine's essence, producing a series of humming sounds.
"Rustle!"
The vine shook violently, and the five gourds on its branches stirred at once.
The last gourd, green and purple, was the first to break free. Its spiritual light shimmered with the Dao resonance of a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, and it flew into Xuanyuan's palm like a swallow returning to its nest;
beside it, the Purple Gold Gourd and the pitch-black Chaos Gourd trembled violently, as if trying to break free, yet held back by some invisible force;
the remaining Monster Summoning Gourd stayed completely still. Clearly, the time had not yet come for it to choose an owner;
as for the Water Fire Gourd, it spun in midair before dropping of its own accord into Tongtian's hand. This was the fate that had been intended for it.
"The last gourd corresponds to destruction and the End?"
"Chaos is the origin of the world, and also the destination where all things are destroyed. This treasure is indeed fated to be mine; it fits the other side of my Great Dao of Chaos."
"My Great Dao of Chaos follows the evolution of all beings and things, while this End Gourd returns them all to stillness in Chaos."
The moment the green-and-purple gourd entered his hand and acknowledged him as its master, Xuanyuan understood its power.
There were seven gourds in total on the Gourd Vine. The first six were all Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, but the last one was innately deficient and underdeveloped. There was a reason for that:
what was called incomplete was actually a form of preservation imposed by the Heavenly Dao. It was like how the Enlightenment Tea Tree had only 108 leaves, and the Star Fruit Tree bore only 360 Great Star Fruits, corresponding to 360 of the 365 principal stars.
Anything too perfect—like the defiant Twenty-Four Petaled Creation Green Lotus—was bound to meet destruction.
The Gourd Vine had fallen in grade because of Pangu Opens Heaven. Beneath the Sky-Opening Axe, the birth of the Primordial World had also meant the destruction and End of the Three Thousand Demon Gods.
Destruction was the Flame of the End, and a trace of this Dao resonance had been imprinted upon the Gourd Vine.
Because it was too defiant, if not for Xuanyuan's arrival, the seventh End Gourd would have turned to ash when the other gourds broke free, owing to its innate deficiency!
Xuanyuan knew that apart from the Thirty-Six-Petaled Creation Green Lotus, the Sky-Opening Axe, the Chaos Pearl, and the Jade Disc of Creation, there was another special Chaos Supreme Treasure that also embodied the destruction and ending corresponding to the End Gourd.
The only difference was that the End Gourd could not emerge fully formed, or else it would be destroyed by the Primordial World Heaven and Earth;
but if that Chaos Supreme Treasure emerged, it would instead destroy the Primordial World Heaven and Earth!
The World-Destroying Great Millstone had emerged from the Great Dao of Destruction, and symbolized ending and destruction.
If the Thirty-Six-Petaled Creation Green Lotus was known as the Creation Green Lotus, then the World-Destroying Great Millstone was just as its name suggested.
As it happened, the World-Destroying Great Millstone was somewhat similar to the Chaos Pearl. Unlike ordinary Chaos Supreme Treasures, it would not emerge unless during an Immeasurable Calamity.
Once activated, this treasure stood 333.33 million kilometers tall, stretched 666.66 million kilometers wide, and extended 999.99 million kilometers long. It could absorb endless Calamity Qi, the resentment of living beings, and Heaven and Earth Sha Qi, thereby destroying the world and annihilating earth, fire, water, and wind, returning everything to Chaos and recreating the myriad worlds of the heavens.
As it happened, this Witch-Demon Tribulation, like the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, was an Immeasurable Calamity.
"Fourth Brother, I'll help you!"
While Xuanyuan was deep in thought, Tongtian also stepped in to help.
Tainted Qi surged around him as he manifested his 129,600-zhang Yin Yang Ancestral Witch True Body. His Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Qing Ping Sword, slashed through the air, sending Innate Sword Qi toward the restriction binding the Purple Gold Gourd.
Because they were both Ancestral Witches and possessed Pangu's Primordial Spirit, the Gourd Vine was connected to Buzhou Mountain. Even Laozi, Yuanshi, and the other Twelve Ancestral Witches could not force it;
but these two "Little Pangu" were exceptions.
"Clang!"
The Qing Ping Sword struck the Gourd Vine with a crisp ring. The two gourds shook even more violently, but were still a hair's breadth from falling ripe from the vine.
Seeing this, Xuanyuan's gaze sharpened. He suddenly raised his hand and drew upon his own Heaven-Opening fortune, pressing it toward Buzhou Mountain Peak from afar. "Father God Pangu, above us, I, Xuanqing Xuanyuan, Space-Time Ancestral Witch, take these spiritual gourds as proof of my Dao. I ask to borrow a measure of Father God's lingering power!"
Seeing this, Tongtian followed suit.
"Rumble!"
As soon as the two finished speaking, an ancient resonance sounded from deep within Buzhou Mountain.
Then a Chaos-colored Pangu Phantom appeared at the mountain peak. Wherever its lingering power reached, Chaos Residual Qi gathered together and formed a Sky-Opening Axe Phantom, which cleaved down through the air.
"Crack, crack..."
The Innate Restrictions on the Gourd Vine shattered instantly.
"Thank you, Father God!"
Xuanyuan and Tongtian exchanged a glance, thanked him, and reached out at the same time.
Space-Time Dao Patterns enveloped the Chaos Gourd in Xuanyuan's palm, while Tongtian used sword qi to draw the Purple Gold Gourd toward him. At last, the two gourds—both Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures—broke free of the vine and fell into their hands.
"Hahahaha, Fourth Brother, you really do have a knack for this! How should we get the remaining Purple-Cyan Gourd?"
Tongtian held a gourd in each hand, delighted.
Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures were all good things. One could never have too many.
Before Xuanyuan could answer, a faint tremor suddenly rippled through the air.
A wisp of the familiar, extremely faint Lesser Yin Qi quietly spread out, making the brothers' expressions turn strange.
Before you continue