After giving his instructions, Beichen flew straight into the Three Immortal Islands without looking back, leaving his four disciples gazing after him from afar and seeing him off.
As soon as he entered the Three Immortal Islands, waves of incredibly rich innate spiritual energy washed over him, nourishing his body.
A trace of innate primordial spirit energy seeped into him as well, faintly enhancing his cultivation.
Across the Three Immortal Islands, countless prehistoric spirit beasts raced about and vanished from sight, while myriad clever spirit creatures wandered to and fro, searching for heavenly treasures and earthly wonders.
Within the islands, jade-like grasses and precious flowers competed in beauty, while colorful spirit plants shimmered with dazzling light. The immortal aura was so intense that no other blessed grotto-heaven in the prehistoric world could compare!
In the prehistoric world, the three immortal islands of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou were the finest grotto-heavens, beyond the reach of even countless other blessed lands. The Heaven and Earth Great Dao nourished and protected them, making them an excellent Dao Field for cultivation and advancement!
Not long after entering this Dao Field, Beichen felt that his cultivation was advancing several times faster than it had on the Sun Star.
Though the Sun Star was also a fine Dao Field, it fell far short of the Three Immortal Islands.
During the nearly two thousand years he had spent on the Sun Star, Beichen had actually made a considerable sacrifice. Had he stayed on the islands, his cultivation would have advanced much further than it had by now!
Still, after considering things carefully, Beichen decided the trip had been worthwhile!
After all, he had taken four divine beings—Dijun, Taiyi, Xihe, and Changxi—as his disciples and forged countless karmic ties with them. That was worth more than cultivation alone!
Cultivation could improve, but once an opportunity was missed, it might never come again!
"The matter of my four disciples is settled. Next, I'll wait here on the Three Islands for my next opportunity!"
Beichen toyed with the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler, lightly tapping his back with it as he lounged at ease.
In this Dao Field, he could cultivate naturally without deliberately absorbing chaotic spiritual energy, and his progress was still swift. That made cultivation far less arduous!
On the Sun Star, the four divine beings stood for a long while, their eight eyes full of emotion.
Dijun said without thinking, "Master's Dao Field is an excellent place to cultivate, yet he left it for two thousand years just to guide us in comprehending our companion treasures and mediate our marriages. We must always remember his great kindness!"
"Indeed! Master has done so much for us without a single complaint. His virtue is truly admirable."
Taiyi was deeply moved as well.
Xihe was not good with words, so she only nodded silently.
The mischievous Changxi bit her lip. "Without Master, we might never have ended up together! When that black dragon caused trouble, we might all have died!"
"Haha, since we remember Master's kindness, we mustn't let him down. We should cultivate diligently and show him what we can achieve!" Dijun encouraged them. "And Xihe, Changxi, take good care of yourselves and bring the children safely into the world. When the time comes, have them call Master 'Grandpa'—that'll be one way to repay him, too."
"Mm!" Xihe and Changxi nodded.
"Sister-in-law, Changxi, I'll go pick some spirit fruits to nourish you. Wait here for me!" Without another word, Taiyi turned and flew into the Sun Star's great forest.
Xihe said with heartfelt appreciation, "Taiyi may seem cold most of the time, but he's warmhearted!"
Dijun leaned close to Xihe and smiled. "That's just how my younger brother is. He's cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He's imposing, yet kindhearted!"
"Elder Brother, you're praising my Taiyi far too much!" Changxi was delighted.
"What? Do you think Taiyi isn't good, Changxi?" Dijun asked with a laugh.
"He's good. That blockhead is pretty wonderful!"
After that, Taiyi went to pick spirit fruits every day, always choosing the finest fruit on the Sun Star. Xihe and Changxi were carrying many children, and their consumption was enormous. Fortunately, Taiyi worked tirelessly, keeping them nourished with spirit fruits and all sorts of heavenly treasures.
The four of them also paired off, following Beichen's instructions and continuing to cultivate the Yin-Yang Dao.
First came the formations. When the Sun Grand Formation and Moon Star Grand Formation merged, their combat power increased tenfold.
Next, the Sun's flames and the Moon's True Water fused. As water and fire blended, evolved, and repelled one another, they unleashed an even more terrifying power.
As for their weapons, Taiyi's Eastern Emperor Sword and Changxi's Taiyin Sun Moon Divine Blade fused together. When wielded, they unleashed the shadows of blades and swords: the silver blade gleamed with icy light, while the golden sword blazed with fiery radiance. Working in perfect harmony, their killing power increased at least tenfold!
As for Dijun, he brought out the Xuanyuan Sword and fused it with Changxi's Taiyin Soul-Destroying Fork. The Xuanyuan Sword was the stronger of the two weapons. As they fused, they suddenly fell out of balance, and boundless surges of frenzied energy burst forth, ravaging the Sun Star with sword qi. The Soul-Destroying Fork could not restrain the Xuanyuan Sword's energy!
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Xihe brought out the Taiyin Soul-Reaping Mask and forcibly fused it with the two treasures.
The Taiyin Soul-Reaping Mask unleashed a balancing force of yin energy, finally bringing the fusion into equilibrium.
When the Xuanyuan Sword was drawn, it was accompanied by a silver divine fork and an ancient silver mask. As it struck down its foes, it absorbed their souls and nourished the sword, subtly increasing its spirit-treasure rank.
"Whew! That was dangerous!"
Xihe caressed her belly, her face full of tenderness. "No wonder Master warned us not to fuse our companion treasures. If they fall out of balance, the consequences are terrifying!"
Dijun was shaken as well.
It had been far too dangerous. He had almost thrown himself in front of Xihe to shield her from the scorching flames unleashed by the unbalanced fusion.
Fortunately, Xihe had found a solution in time. Otherwise, he would have been badly injured!
"Xihe, we can take a break for now. We've tried out most of Master's suggestions. We just need to find some time to figure out what he meant about transplanting spirit roots!" Dijun let out a long breath.
After settling into a life of leisure on the Three Immortal Islands, Beichen was more comfortable than ever.
Apart from contemplating the Dao he had acquired each day, he slept. Even as he slept, immortal energy enveloped him, and his strength continued to improve.
However, after reaching the middle stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, nearly a thousand years passed without much improvement in his cultivation.
Upon reaching the Grand Unity realm, one transcended the river of time and severed all ties with one's past self. No mighty being could divine one's past, but this also meant that cultivation became extremely slow.
The period from the middle stage of Grand Unity to the late stage and then the peak was especially long.
Beichen knew that nothing could be rushed. If he hoped to become a Saint, he had to build his foundation steadily, so he remained calm and patient.
Five hundred years passed in a flash. Recently, Beichen had been trying every day to divine whether Xihe and Changxi were about to give birth, but there had been no signs.
Today, his divination again yielded nothing—but it revealed something else.
Beichen slowly rose and looked out through the Three Immortal Islands. He spotted an incredibly familiar black aura surging and flickering amid the clouds.
Looking around, he realized this was a remote stretch of the East Sea. The black dragon, Mo Yuan, had recovered his cultivation and was chasing a five-colored Divine Bird, roaring as he attacked.
As they fought, a green qilin also appeared, breathing flames and launching a fierce attack against the five-colored Divine Bird.
"Rare indeed! Truly rare!" Beichen gazed into the distance. "The black dragon Mo Yuan has joined forces with this Fire Qilin to attack the fire phoenix. This is a tangle of grudges between the three clans!"
"Ding! The system has detected that the fire phoenix Ling Cair is gravely injured. Will the host rescue her?"
"Choice One: Rescue Ling Cair and strike back against the black dragon and qilin. Reward: one chance to glimpse an opportunity!"
"Choice Two: Turn a blind eye and let Ling Cair perish. Reward: a Supreme Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the twelve-petal World-Destroying Black Lotus!"
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