Zhenyuanzi exclaimed excitedly, "Martial Ancestor, this is Junior Brother Hong Yun's Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd!"
"That's right," Su Mu replied.
Holding the gourd, Zhenyuanzi looked delighted. He turned to Su Mu and asked, "Martial Ancestor, how did you come by this gourd?"
Su Mu told Zhenyuanzi how he had obtained it. Seeing Zhenyuanzi about to put the gourd away, Su Mu hurriedly said, "Great Immortal, don't you want to see what's inside?" He secretly wondered, Is this guy really in such a hurry to keep it all for himself?
Hearing this, Zhenyuanzi realized Su Mu was right. They hadn't even checked what was inside yet. There might still be some of Junior Brother Hong Yun's belongings in there.
He quickly took the gourd out again, pulled out the stopper, and peered inside.
The moment he saw what was in the gourd, he froze, mouth hanging open. For a long while, he couldn't utter a word. At last, he came back to his senses and cried out excitedly, "Junior Brother Hong Yun!"
The gourd contained Hong Yun's Remnant Soul! Nourished by Su Mu's Immortal Power, Hong Yun's Remnant Soul had regained consciousness. He floated weakly inside the gourd, gazing around in confusion.
"Zhen... Daoist Brother Zhenyuan, what... what happened to me? I remember dying when I self-destructed!" Hong Yun's Remnant Soul spoke weakly and haltingly, his words full of confusion and disbelief.
Seeing his old friend in such a state, Zhenyuanzi was heartbroken. Still, he forced himself to stay composed and reassured him, "Don't worry, Junior Brother Hong Yun. First, steady your soul. You're now only a Remnant Soul, so you must be carefully nurtured."
As he spoke, Zhenyuanzi quickly circulated his tremendous Magic Power and began nourishing Hong Yun's Remnant Soul.
With Zhenyuanzi's efforts, Hong Yun's Remnant Soul gradually stabilized and stopped wavering as precariously as before.
Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi felt a little more at ease. He continued to nourish Hong Yun's Remnant Soul with his Magic Power, hoping to help him recover as quickly as possible.
As time passed, Hong Yun's Remnant Soul was finally able to leave the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd and float beside Zhenyuanzi.
Looking at the surroundings, both familiar and strange, he asked in bewilderment, "Daoist Brother, what is a Martial Ancestor? Who is the Martial Ancestor? What has happened to me?"
Faced with Hong Yun's three questions, Zhenyuanzi didn't grow impatient. Instead, he patiently explained, "Junior Brother, this is the Martial Ancestor. After you self-destructed, we all thought you had perished. We never imagined the Martial Ancestor would find you today. This is truly a wonderful surprise!" After speaking, Zhenyuanzi looked toward Su Mu, his eyes full of gratitude.
After hearing Zhenyuanzi's explanation, Hong Yun's Remnant Soul seemed to awaken from a dream. He immediately clasped his hands toward Su Mu and bowed in thanks. "Thank you, fellow Daoist. If you hadn't saved me, my Daoist Brother and I might never have seen each other again."
"I only happened upon your Remnant Soul, Senior Hong Yun. Besides, you're a kind and virtuous man of the Primordial Era, with noble character. You're a role model for us all," Su Mu replied.
Su Mu took out two Nine Revolutions Golden Elixirs and showed them to Zhenyuanzi and Ancestor Hong Yun. "Great Immortal Zhenyuan, Senior Hong Yun, these are Nine Revolutions Golden Elixirs I refined. I hope they'll be of help to you."
Zhenyuanzi took the elixir and swallowed it without hesitation.
In an instant, a powerful force surged through him. The Magic Power he had expended nourishing Hong Yun's Remnant Soul quickly recovered and became even stronger than before.
Feeling his Magic Power surge like a mighty river, he couldn't help exclaiming, "This Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir is truly miraculous. It restored my Magic Power so quickly, and it feels more abundant than before."
Ancestor Hong Yun hesitated, but at Zhenyuanzi's encouragement, he also put the elixir into his mouth.
A moment later, he felt his Remnant Soul grow more condensed and stable, as though it had gained the strength of a new life.
He looked at Su Mu gratefully, tears glimmering in his eyes. "Thank you, young friend. This elixir not only helped repair my Remnant Soul, but also gave me hope of being reborn."
"I truly don't know how to thank you." Hong Yun's Remnant Soul trembled with emotion. His illusory form grew clearer and clearer, as if he might step out of the void at any moment.
Looking at Hong Yun's Remnant Soul, overcome with emotion, Su Mu felt deeply moved as well.
He took a deep breath to compose himself, then clasped his hands and bowed respectfully to Hong Yun's Remnant Soul. "Senior Hong Yun, I have an impertinent request. I hope you'll grant it."
Hong Yun's Remnant Soul paused at Su Mu's words, but quickly recovered.
He glanced at Zhenyuanzi beside him, then smiled at Su Mu. "What would you have me do, Martial Ancestor? If it's within my power, I'll do my best."
Zhenyuanzi nodded in support of Hong Yun's decision.
Seeing this, Su Mu looked grateful. He thought for a moment before speaking. "Senior Hong Yun, I hope you'll give me the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd."
"I lack an item that can hold elixirs, and the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd is a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. It can preserve the elixirs' medicinal properties completely."
Hong Yun's Remnant Soul fell silent for a moment. He knew how precious the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd was, and understood Su Mu's intention.
But he didn't agree immediately. Instead, he turned to Zhenyuanzi, as if seeking his opinion.
Zhenyuanzi considered this for a moment, then nodded to Hong Yun's Remnant Soul. He understood that Su Mu's request was not unreasonable, and that the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd would indeed be of great use to him.
So he said softly to Hong Yun's Remnant Soul, "Junior Brother Hong Yun, since the Martial Ancestor values the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd so highly, why don't we give it to him?"
Hong Yun's Remnant Soul listened to Zhenyuanzi and nodded slightly in agreement.
He turned to Su Mu and smiled. "In that case, I'll give you the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd."
As he spoke, he waved his hand. A red light flew from his palm toward Su Mu.
Delighted, Su Mu hurriedly held out both hands and caught the approaching Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd.
He bowed deeply to Hong Yun's Remnant Soul and said gratefully, "Thank you for granting my request, Senior Hong Yun!"
Hong Yun's Remnant Soul smiled faintly and waved a hand, indicating that Su Mu needn't thank him.
Zhenyuanzi said to Su Mu, "Martial Ancestor, you found Junior Brother Hong Yun's Remnant Soul and gave him a chance to survive. I, Zhenyuanzi, now owe you a great debt of karma. If you ever need me to do something, no matter what it is, I'll do everything in my power to help you see it through."
Su Mu bade the two farewell, left Five Villages Temple, and returned to Shouyang Mountain.
Back in his cave, Su Mu used True Sun Fire to refine the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd anew.
This gave the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd an additional function. Its first function remained the same as before.
It could spray out red sand that could be used for offense or defense. The red sand could absorb the will of living beings, trap immortals and gods, destroy their bodies, and extinguish their souls.
The second function was storage. It could hold all kinds of things, from precious treasures to everyday items, with ease.
The space within seemed to have no boundaries, able to hold any number of things.
With only a thought, whatever he needed would appear in his hand, making it extremely convenient.
In addition, this storage space could automatically organize its contents, allowing him to quickly find what he needed and saving him a great deal of time.
The third function was even more unusual: it could take in living beings. What's more, living beings inside the space could move about freely, completely unrestrained.
However, if Su Mu used the Red Sand Talisman, he could unleash a red-sand attack against the living beings inside.
After refining the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Red Gourd, Su Mu put all one hundred-plus Nine Revolutions Golden Elixirs inside it.
Su Mu continued refining Nine Revolutions Golden Elixirs so he could give them to the Human Race and increase the number of powerful fighters among them.
After all, Nine Revolutions Golden Elixirs had no side effects. Taking one could only bring benefits, never harm.
When Shun of the Human Race learned what had happened to Gun, he wanted to bring him back so he could continue managing the floods.
But Gun refused. He wanted to devote himself to teaching his son, so that his son could take over the task of controlling the floods.
Shun had no choice but to let it go. He continued governing the Human Race and helping it develop in a stable way, leaving flood control to those specifically assigned to the task.
After Shun had earned all his merit, he went to Mount Tai Summit to perform the Feng Shan Ceremony.
Golden Phoenix held the Kongtong Seal and solemnly announced to everyone, "During his reign, Shun governed diligently and cared for the people. He actively helped Gun control the floods, bringing peace and prosperity to the people of the world. His achievements cannot be erased, and he deserves to be honored as the Great Emperor of the Human Race. Heaven and earth bear witness!"
As Golden Phoenix's voice fell, a Golden Cloud of Merit suddenly appeared in the sky and descended upon Shun.
Shun's cultivation instantly rose, reaching the Early Primordial Golden Immortal realm.
The Golden Cloud of Merit represented Heaven's recognition and blessing of Shun. Everyone present could feel his greatness and holiness.
Overcome with gratitude, Shun knew that his achievements had depended on the people's support and trust—especially Gun's.
So he decided to pass his position as Co-Lord to Gun's son, Yu, as a way of acknowledging Gun's efforts to control the floods.
Golden Phoenix continued to guard the Kongtong Seal, bearing witness to the Human Race's rise and fall, its glory and disgrace.
Gun taught Yu not only what he had learned and experienced in controlling the floods, but also how to observe natural phenomena such as water currents and terrain, and how to use various tools and techniques to manage the flooding.
Under his father's careful guidance, Yu gradually grasped the essence of Gun's approach to flood control and continued to explore new methods and techniques.
When Yu turned eighteen, Bei Xuan decided to take him on a tour of the world to investigate the floods firsthand.
They traveled south along the Yellow River Basin, passing through many badly affected regions.
At each place, Yu carefully observed the direction and speed of the water, studied the rise and fall of the terrain, and searched for the best way to control the floods.
One day, Yu reached the Huai River. To his astonishment, there wasn't a single person living within a hundred li of it.
It turned out that after the Huai River flooded, a great demon had taken control of it. Using the floods to wreak havoc, the demon had made life unbearable. The people had long since fled in search of safer places to live.
Standing beside the Huai River, Yu gazed at the raging waters, and a powerful sense of duty welled up in him.
The Huai River surged endlessly, its waters churning like a ferocious beast poised to swallow everything.
Yu knew that to control the Huai River, he had to understand it thoroughly—and that the great demon had to be dealt with.
So he decided to follow the Huai River downstream and inspect its conditions and terrain for himself.
Along the way, he saw many villages and fields submerged by the flood. The people had been driven from their homes and were living in terrible hardship.
The sight pained Yu deeply and only strengthened his resolve to control the floods.
As Yu traveled downstream and reached the middle of the Huai River, he suddenly heard a voice. "Yu, you've finally come. I hear you're working to control the floods. Once they've been brought under control, what am I supposed to do for fun?"
Wu Zhiqi transformed into a giant a hundred zhang tall and stirred the Huai River, forming several waterspouts that blocked Yu's path.
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