A Pure Land

With a single step, it felt as though they had crossed into another world—a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

Outside the formation, the East Sea was boundless yet tumultuous, concealing endless dangers and schemes.

Inside the formation,

however,

was a Pure Land of its own,

a realm of peace and abundance rarely found in the Prehistoric World.

The Innate Spiritual Energy could no longer merely be described as dense; it had nearly condensed into substance,

turning into hazy milky-white mist that curled through every inch of space.

With each breath, the cool, sweet Spirit Mist flowed into their lungs,

requiring no refinement before naturally merging into their limbs and bones, nourishing their cultivation and Nascent Souls.

Beneath their feet,

the Spiritual Qi had even condensed into crystalline dewdrops hanging from the tips of immortal grass,

or gathered into trickling streams

that flowed soundlessly across jade-like ground, refracting Seven-Colored Rosy Light.

In the distance,

layer upon layer of emerald mountain ranges flowed with jade-like rosy radiance.

Nearby,

countless strange flowers and exotic grasses of unknown names grew unchecked.

Some had leaves that seemed carved from green jade, Spiritual Light circulating through their veins;

others bore flowers as large as cartwheels, spraying out thousands of streaks of Auspicious Radiance and releasing a rich fragrance intoxicating to the mind.

The Earth Vein Power was abundant and gentle, nourishing all things.

From time to time, Golden Spiritual Springs could be seen surging from the ground out of nowhere,

and faint golden lotus phantoms would flash at their mouths before vanishing.

This was a phenomenon born from Earth Vein essence becoming concentrated to the extreme.

Earth Gushing Golden Lotus.

Everything was orderly, harmonious, and natural.

There was no competition, no oppression—only mutual coexistence, shared flourishing, and peaceful growth.

The Order here was not made of rigid rules and regulations,

but a vibrant, perfect state born from the very source of all things.

"Wow!"

Tongtian took a deep breath, his face full of amazement and undisguised fondness.

"What a place! There's so much Spiritual Qi it's practically choking me!

This foundation, this grandeur—it's almost on par with our Kunlun Mountain!

No wonder it could raise..."

His voice paused as he grinned and glanced at the tense Yuanshi beside him.

"Such a spiritually gifted little thing!"

His praise was sincere.

The Spiritual Veins here were immensely powerful, and the foundation was exceptionally deep.

It surpassed the vast majority of Blessed Lands in the Prehistoric World and could be called top-tier.

More importantly,

the atmosphere here gave him a rare sense of relaxation and comfort.

Yuanshi did not respond to Tongtian, but his gaze slowly swept over this immortal realm.

The furrow between his brows gradually eased without him realizing it.

What he saw was another kind of scene.

The positions in which those Spirit Plantings grew subtly matched a natural rhythm,

their auras blending together without interfering with one another.

The paths along which the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi flowed were smooth and complete, without the slightest obstruction.

There was not a trace of impure Malevolent Qi or resentment in the air,

only the purest, most pristine Innate Spiritual Energy after purification.

Order.

Purity.

These two words, engraved into the foundation of his Great Dao, were embodied here almost perfectly.

It gave him a deep sense of comfort and satisfaction.

It was like an unparalleled treasure being properly placed within a spotless, orderly treasure box.

That alone greatly pleased his perfection-seeking nature.

His restless mood, originally stirred by worry, was soothed by this silent realm, calming by more than half.

Laozi stood quietly in place, his gaze not lingering on those outwardly magnificent sights.

His eyes, deeper than an abyss, had already turned toward the place on the island shrouded in Sun-Moon-Star Divine Radiance.

There,

he sensed an incomparably pure source of purification, yet one that carried an immature, unpolished aura.

It was like the heart of the entire Immortal Island.

With every beat,

it sent pure Vitality and Dao resonance through the Earth Veins to every corner of the island,

maintaining the workings of this Pure Land.

"Root of World Purification. It truly lives up to its name."

Laozi murmured softly, a faint trace of realization in his voice.

The wonders of this place all stemmed from it.

He could sense that the source seemed to have...

just gone through a minor, harmless disturbance.

It was slowly settling down now,

like the steadying breath of a child after throwing a tantrum.

It seemed that explosion earlier had indeed been a false alarm.

Just as the Three Pure Ones relaxed slightly,

immersing themselves in the extraordinary splendor of this Pure Land,

an exceptionally abrupt, bell-like childish laugh rang out, accompanied by the splashing sound of water.

It came with startling clarity from deep within the lush Spirit Plantings!

"Hehehe... This is fun! Again, again!"

That laughter was completely unrestrained, brimming with the purest joy and pride.

It clashed utterly with the tranquil, transcendent atmosphere of this Pure Land,

yet strangely blended into it as well.

Yuanshi's heartbeat, which had only just settled, suddenly skipped a beat!

Tongtian snapped his head around, his eyes going round as his face filled with fascination.

Laozi slightly turned his head.

There was no need for any guidance. The source of that laughter and aura

perfectly overlapped with the core of the purification source they had sensed,

as well as the pull of the Heavenly Dao imprint within Yuanshi's Nascent Soul!

Yuanshi nearly lifted his foot on instinct and headed toward the sound.

There was even a trace of urgency in his movements, one he himself had not noticed.

But he immediately forced himself to stop.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to maintain his outward calm.

Only his faintly trembling sleeves betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

How was he supposed to face her?

That laugh was so childish. She was clearly an ignorant little cub!

Was he, Yuanshi, truly supposed to walk up to a little child

and say, I am your Heaven-ordained father?

The image was too beautiful. He dared not imagine it.

A sense of unprecedented embarrassment and helplessness surged through him,

making it even harder to deal with than the Chaos airflow he had faced in the past.

Tongtian had no such reservations.

He excitedly rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice, unable to hide his excitement.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear that? What energy!

Come on, Second Brother! What are you standing there for?

Let's see what our Little Ancestor is playing with that has her so happy!"

He had already automatically cast himself as family, his curiosity overflowing.

Laozi swept his gaze over Yuanshi's stiff figure and slightly reddened ears,

then looked at the eager Tongtian and spoke slowly.

"Having entered Treasure Mountain, how can we return empty-handed?

Having heard her voice, we should see the person."

The meaning was clear: they were already here. Hiding was useless. They had to face it.

With that,

Laozi took the lead, following the laughter and splashing sounds forward at an unhurried pace.

His steps remained composed, as though he were merely going to admire some ordinary scenery.

Tongtian chuckled and immediately followed, not forgetting to turn back and urge him on.

"Hurry up, Second Brother! If we get there too late, she might blow something else up!"

Yuanshi stood where he was,

watching his two brothers' backs

and listening to the increasingly clear, childish giggles. His feet felt rooted to the ground.

He had spent his entire life calculating the secrets of Heaven and controlling Order. When had he ever encountered such a...

completely unreasonable, utterly uncontrollable situation?

That laughter was like an invisible little hand clutching at his mind, leaving him trapped between advancing and retreating.

In the end, he gritted his teeth.

Bracing himself, he raised his foot and followed.

His steps were slightly heavy, as though he were not walking upon an immortal land rich in Spiritual Qi, but over red-hot branding irons.

The three of them concealed all their auras,

like three wisps of green smoke passing through dense clusters of Spirit Plantings that glimmered with treasures of every color.

The closer they came to the island's center, the stronger the scent of the purification source became, making their entire bodies feel at ease.

The laughter and sounds of water also grew louder.

At last, they pushed aside the final clump of broad-leafed immortal grass that looked as though it had been carved from green jade.

Their view suddenly opened up.

Ahead lay the spring pool shrouded in Sun-Moon-Star Divine Radiance.

The water was clear to the bottom, flowing with an indescribably sacred aura.

Yet,

the Three Pure Ones' gazes

were instantly and completely seized by the sight at the poolside, unable to move away again!

There, beside the incomparably magnificent pool of Three Lights Divine Water,

stood a tiny child not even as tall as their legs.

Her pair of fair, tender little feet were bare, stepping on the warm jade by the pool. Dressed in a warm orange Bellyband and Little Shorts, she looked especially small and delicate.

She held up a dark blue little flag embroidered with mysterious Black Lotus patterns, waving it excitedly at the pool.

The once-still water, following the movements of her flag, obediently rose into waves about a foot high—exceptionally steady and gentle—carrying her tiny body as she glided along the pool's edge!

"Hehe! Charge!"

She was having the time of her life, her little face flushed red.

Her big eyes curved into crescent moons as she let out excited cheers.

In the air beside her,

twenty-four beads emitting gentle Five-Colored Radiance

were crookedly arranged into an extremely irregular circle,

awkwardly chasing after her as they spun, as though dancing alongside her.

Tongtian abruptly covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking wildly.

Yuanshi turned completely to stone,

his pupils trembling faintly,

as though he had witnessed something even more shocking than the revival of Chaos Demon Gods.

Even Laozi's eternal calm expression

finally cracked with a distinct trace of something called astonishment.

That flag...

Those beads...