"If you seize an Innate Gourd, will you obtain a Foundation of the Great Dao?"
Watching the light screen, Ye Xuan fell into thought. The Primordial Violet Qi, also known as the Foundation of the Great Dao, was an unsurpassed treasure. Whoever obtained it would surely become a Sage; it represented a Sage's seat.
"The seven Innate Gourds already have their owners. Though I'm at Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection, the others each have at least one Innate Spiritual Treasure. Taiyi, in particular, even has an Innate Supreme Treasure!"
"I'd better choose the second option. Though it's only a withered vine, at least I can get a share when Nuwa creates humanity."
[Ding dong!]
[The host has chosen to ignore it and remain in Secluded Cultivation. One of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, the Innate Gourd Vine, is being delivered. Please inspect it yourself.]
A hum rang out in the void once more. After Ye Xuan made his choice, an Innate Gourd Vine bearing seven Innate Gourds appeared in his hands.
Watching this, Ye Xuan was dumbstruck. There were actually seven Innate Gourds growing on a single vine?
If not for the fact that the Gourd Vine had no cause or effect and couldn't be traced, Ye Xuan would have thrown it out immediately. But since it had no cause or effect, even the Dao Ancestor's true form couldn't trace it. A hint of delight appeared on Ye Xuan's face.
"I've struck it rich! Seven Innate Spiritual Treasures—and only the last one is a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. The others are all Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures!"
"And there's also a piece of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil. It's the Ancestor of All Earth, possessing endless mysteries."
"With a piece of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, I can put repairing the Spiritual Veins on the agenda sooner..."
Looking at the Innate Gourd Vine in his hand, Ye Xuan tossed it into the Three Thousand Heavens. It was one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, and could suppress fortune.
Within the Three Thousand Heavens, it would become even more stable, which would also benefit Ye Xuan's cultivation.
After a moment's thought, Ye Xuan returned to Secluded Cultivation.
At Mount Buzhou, Laozi and the others gathered around the Innate Gourd Vine, holding their breath as they prepared to make their move.
Half a day later, divine light surged from the Innate Gourd Vine, and endless purple mist spread across heaven and earth. Before Laozi and the others could act, it tore open a rift in the Endless Void and fled inside.
"It ran away?"
Everyone stared in bafflement. An Innate Spiritual Root running off by itself was something unheard of since time immemorial.
"One of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots—it really does have its mysteries!"
Seeing it leave, Fuxi looked surprised. Though he felt a little disappointed, no one else had gotten it either—especially not Laozi and the others, who had arrived first.
Laozi and the others hadn't gotten a single Innate Gourd, so Fuxi accepted the outcome and took his leave. After he departed, Zhunti chuckled. He wouldn't have gotten one anyway. To get it was fortune; to lose it was fate.
Seeing Primordial Heavenly Venerate empty-handed as well, Zhunti felt thoroughly refreshed and hurried back to the West.
"Eldest Brother!"
Seeing him return, Ye Xuan was delighted. He sensed that the other man's strength had risen to the Late stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and felt quite satisfied.
"Second Younger Brother, it seems you gained a great deal from your trip to Purple Cloud Palace!"
At this, Zhunti's face showed a trace of regret. "Eldest Brother, it's a real pity you didn't go to Purple Cloud Palace. To a Sage, the Three Thousand Great Daos are as easy to grasp as lifting a hand."
"Daoist Taiqing, the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, even advanced straight to Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection."
"If you'd gone too, Eldest Brother, you could certainly have reached Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection as well."
Hearing this, Ye Xuan smiled and said nothing, merely revealing his own strength.
"Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection?"
Feeling the powerful aura radiating from Ye Xuan, Zhunti drew in a sharp breath.
And within that aura was a trace of primordial vastness.
Looking at Daoist Zhunti's dumbfounded expression, Ye Xuan explained, "Though I've spent this time in Secluded Cultivation, I haven't been idle. Ten thousand years ago, by sheer luck, I reached Grand Unity Golden Immortal Perfection."
"Moreover, I obtained a trace of the Essence of Yin-Yang Demon God. My progress in comprehending the Way of Yin and Yang has been astonishingly swift."
Zhunti was shaken again, left speechless.
But after a moment's thought, he turned his palm over, and an Innate Spiritual Root appeared.
It was one of the Innate Spiritual Roots, the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree. Seven colors grew upon it, representing the Power of Yin, Yang, and Five Elements. As long as something remained within Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, a flash of its divine light could trap it inside.
"Eldest Brother, this Innate Spiritual Root contains Seven-Colored Divine Light. Its colors represent the Yin-Yang energies and the power of the Five Elements. I'll lend it to you."
Ye Xuan's expression warmed, but he didn't refuse. This treasure would benefit him as well.
"Eldest Brother, I had an extraordinary encounter on my way back. At Mount Buzhou, I found one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, the Innate Gourd Vine. It had seven Innate Spiritual Treasures growing on it."
"But in the end, it tore open a rift in the Endless Void and ran away..."
The Dragon-Phoenix-Qilin Clan had already gathered up all the Innate Spiritual Treasures during the previous Measure Tribulation. It was rare enough to come across seven of them, yet they had run away. After telling the story, Zhunti wore a chagrined expression.
"One of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, the Innate Gourd Vine?"
Hearing this, Ye Xuan smiled again and waved his hand. An Innate Spiritual Root appeared before him.
Seven Innate Gourds grew upon it, each radiating endless Innate Divine Light.
The Innate Gourd Vine!
Seeing the other man stare in utter disbelief, Ye Xuan plucked a three-foot-three-inch-long, crystal-clear, blood-red Innate Gourd. With a wave of his hand, he sent it into Zhunti's hands and said,
"Second Younger Brother, this Innate Spiritual Treasure is called the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd. It contains a wisp of Soul Scattering Divine Smoke. Once released, it can leave even a Quasi-Sage's primordial spirit dazed. It's a powerful Innate Spiritual Treasure."
Holding an Innate Spiritual Treasure, Zhunti was overjoyed. He cherished it like a priceless treasure. He hadn't even possessed a single Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure before.
But now he had obtained a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Among the many Innate God-Demons, there were very few who possessed one!
"By the way, Eldest Brother, our strength has both improved. Shall we discuss the Dao?"
Ye Xuan nodded. Stones from other mountains could serve to polish jade, and Zhunti had just returned from Purple Cloud Palace. Discussing the Dao together would benefit him too.
"Good!"
Before you continue