Innate Spiritual Root Yellow Middle Plum! Chaos Bead Appears!

Ye Xuan, accompanied by the Three Xiāo Fairies, finally set foot into the core heartland of this legendary island.

The scene here was utterly different from the periphery; the air no longer carried ordinary Innate Spiritual Qi, but wisps of purple, hazy mist.

These purple energies interwove in the sky, coalescing into dewdrops that fell to the ground, gathering into streams of purple brooks.

Within each drop of purple dew, fragments of the Great Dao Laws were clearly visible, shimmering.

"What a fine Blessed Land."

Yun Xiao Fairy waved her Delicate Hand, catching a falling drop of purple dew. Feeling the pure Dao resonance within, even her usually composed face showed a hint of emotion.

"A single day of cultivation here might be worth a hundred years of bitter effort outside."

Ye Xuan walked at the front, his Dual Pupils constantly activated, sweeping through the void around them to guard against any unknown dangers.

As the group pressed deeper, the path ahead suddenly opened up.

An ancient divine tree, so vast it blotted out the sky, abruptly came into view.

The tree was enormous; its trunk was as thick as a pillar holding up the heavens, its branches and leaves lush, covering the sky for thousands of li in every direction.

The bark was a dark yellow color, covered in patterns like dragon scales, each line exuding an ancient, weathered aura.

Most peculiar were its flowers and fruits.

On the branches, flowers bloomed as brilliantly as lotuses, and among them hung fruits shaped like pearl stamens, crystal clear all over.

On the fruits, the characters "Yellow Middle" were faintly visible, surrounded by swirling Chaos Qi, giving them a sacred, extraordinary appearance.

A strange, refreshing fragrance wafted over.

Just one sniff made Bixiao feel her pores open wide, her Primordial Spirit clear and bright. The restless mana within her instantly calmed, and she even sensed a faint increase in her lifespan.

"This... this is..."

Yun Xiao Fairy stared at the "Yellow Middle" characters on the trunk, her pupils contracting slightly, her voice carrying barely concealed shock.

"One of the ten Innate Spiritual Roots, the Yellow Middle Plum?!"

Hearing that name, even the usually aloof Qiong Xiāo couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

The ten Innate Spiritual Roots—each one was a supreme treasure that seized the very essence of heaven and earth.

Zhen Yuanzi's Ginseng Fruit Tree and the Peach Tree of the Jade Pool were among them.

And the Yellow Middle Plum ranked near the top.

"Legend says this tree blooms once every hundred thousand years, bears fruit once every hundred thousand years, and takes another hundred thousand years to ripen."

Yun Xiao spoke quickly, her eyes flashing.

"Three hundred thousand years for just nine fruits. A single sniff grants ten thousand years of life; eating one allows one to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth and achieve immortality!"

For a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, this fruit was undoubtedly a supreme Sacred Medicine for breaking through realms.

Bixiao could no longer hold back. She counted the fruits on the tree and called out excitedly:

"One, two, three... exactly nine!"

"Big Sister, Daoist Ye, we've struck it rich!"

Nine Yellow Middle Plums—their value was incalculable.

If they were brought to the outside world, even Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, or even Quasi-Saint Great Powers, would fight to the death over them.

Faced with such a treasure, the atmosphere didn't turn tense.

Ye Xuan looked at the nine fruits, his expression calm.

"Since we all found it together, let's split it evenly."

He turned to the three fairies and smiled. "You three contributed greatly to breaking the formation and entering the island. I'll take three of these nine fruits. The remaining six—two for each of you fairies. How does that sound?"

This distribution was extremely fair, and could even be said to put Ye Xuan at a slight disadvantage.

After all, without his Dual Pupils to spot the formation's flaw, none of them would have even set foot on the island.

The Three Xiāo exchanged glances, gratitude clear in each other's eyes.

"Thank you, Daoist!" Yun Xiao bowed solemnly. "Your righteousness is admirable. We sisters will not refuse."

Without further hesitation, they acted.

Ye Xuan waved his sleeve wide, unleashing the Sleeve Universe technique. Three Yellow Middle Plums turned into streaks of light, landing in his hand before being sealed into a jade box.

The Three Xiāo each used their own methods to collect the remaining six.

Having harvested such a top-tier Spiritual Root, everyone was in high spirits, joy written on their faces.

"Let's go. Since this Penglai Island can nurture a Yellow Middle Plum, there might be other opportunities."

Bixiao was in a great mood and was about to turn and search elsewhere.

But.

Just as Ye Xuan was about to take a step and leave.

"Hum—"

A tremor exploded deep within his Consciousness Sea.

Ye Xuan abruptly stopped in his tracks, covering his eyes.

The Chaos Heavy Pupils in his eye sockets were now spinning uncontrollably, chaotic streams surging within his irises.

A primal craving and resonance, originating from the very source of his being, was madly assaulting his nerves.

That feeling was like a long-lost kin calling out from ahead.

"Wait."

Ye Xuan's voice was low, tinged with gravity.

"What's wrong?" The three Fairies, about to leave, stopped and turned back in confusion.

Before Ye Xuan could answer.

"Crack--"

The void beneath the massive roots of the Yellow Middle Plum tree suddenly split open into a pitch-black fissure.

There was no earth-shattering phenomenon, no dazzling radiance.

A gray, unremarkable stone bead slowly emerged from the rift.

The moment it appeared, time and space throughout the entire core region of Penglai Immortal Island froze instantly.

The surging purple qi around them halted midair, and the laws of the Great Way bowed before it.

An indescribable weight pressed down on everyone's hearts.

It had no luster, yet it seemed capable of crushing all heavens across the ages, suppressing all past, present, and future.

"This aura..."

Yun Xiao's previously relaxed expression vanished, replaced by unprecedented shock.

She stared fixedly at the gray bead, her voice trembling slightly.

"Chaos Qi... veiling heavenly secrets... forming its own world..."

"Could this be the legendary Chaos Supreme Treasure—the Chaos Bead?!"

Her words struck like a thunderclap in Qiong Xiao and Bixiao's ears.

The Chaos Bead!

That was the legendary Chaos Supreme Treasure!

Legend had it that when Pangu split Heaven and Earth, the Chaos Supreme Treasure, the thirty-six-grade Creation Green Lotus, shattered, and the Heaven-Splitting Axe transformed into the three Innate Supreme Treasures.

Only the Chaos Bead had escaped the calamity of Heaven Splitting, vanishing into the void, its whereabouts unknown.

Its rank even surpassed those Innate Supreme Treasures like the Taiji Diagram and the Pangu Banner!

If one could refine this bead, they would not only possess a complete Chaos World but also veil all heavenly secrets and karma, even holding the hope of attaining the Dao of Hunyuan!

For a moment.

This core region fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the gray bead floating quietly in the air.

Breathing grew heavy.

Faced with the Innate Spiritual Root Yellow Middle Plum, everyone could still maintain their composure, discussing its distribution with ease.

But before a treasure of the Chaos Bead's caliber, even the three Fairies, with their tempered minds, could not stay calm.

This was the very foundation of achieving the Dao!

The atmosphere grew tense.

Ye Xuan stood still, the chaotic streams in his eyes fluctuating unsteadily.

He could sense that this bead had come for him.

Or rather, for his Chaos Physique and Heavy Pupils.

But he didn't reach out to take it directly.

Because beside him stood three Primordial Unity Golden Immortals.

If they fell out over the treasure and started fighting deep within Penglai Island, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Hoo..."

Yun Xiao let out a long breath, forcibly suppressing the greed in her heart.

She glanced at her two younger sisters, then at the silent Ye Xuan.

As the eldest, she had to break this deadlock.

"A treasure of this level, since it has appeared, must go to one with the destined affinity."

Yun Xiao spoke slowly, her voice regaining clarity.

"The four of us are here together. If we come to blows over a treasure, not only would it harm our goodwill, but it would also violate our Dao hearts."

"Not bad." Ye Xuan nodded, his gaze clear. "Then, in Fairy's view, what should be done?"

Yun Xiao looked at the Chaos Bead and said solemnly, "A supreme treasure has a spirit, especially a divine object of chaos like this—it will choose its own master."

"The four of us will each release our own Dao resonance and aura."

"Let's see whom it chooses."

"If it chooses one of us, the others must hold no grudges and, above all, must not make a move to seize it. How does that sound?"

This was the fairest and most dignified approach.

"I agree!" Bixiao raised her hand first. Though she coveted it, she knew it couldn't be forced.

"Agreed." Qiong Xiao nodded.

"Good." Ye Xuan also smiled.

Since it came down to "fate," how could he, the one with the Chaos Heavy Pupils, possibly lose?