Preaching on Mount Wuyi

"The Great Red Robe Mother Tree is currently my sole source of Spirit Tea; it concerns many plans for the future."

"The transplantation method has yet to be thoroughly tested. I cannot lightly take such a precious Spirit Root and court danger."

"When I find Spirit Roots of a lower grade later on, or ones with several surviving specimens, it will be safer to use the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil to conduct transplantation trials."

Haotian had always acted only after planning everything out. Especially when dealing with spiritual objects that concerned one's very foundation, he had to be all the more cautious.

He carefully examined the Gourd Vine and the Purple-Black Gourd before him.

Though the Pure Glazed Bottle was wondrous, the sweet dew spirit fluid nurtured within it was ultimately inferior to the Three Lights Divine Water. It could not replenish innate origins or reverse imperfections.

Mount Wuyi was a top-tier blessed land, rich in Spiritual Aura and abundant in dense earth energy.

Having considered this, Haotian made his decision.

With a slight stir of his thoughts, he released his restraints and control over the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil.

The dark yellow divine earth, emanating a weighty innate aura, silently spread out the instant it came into contact with Mount Wuyi's earth energy, as though it had come alive.

In the blink of an eye, it covered an area of ten thousand zhang around it.

It transformed into a massive Spiritual Pivot and began naturally, slowly drawing in and gathering the pure spiritual essence drifting between heaven and earth on Mount Wuyi, along with the earth's vital energy, feeding them back into itself.

At the same time, with its supreme Earth Virtue, it gently nourished the Gourd Vine and Purple-Black Gourd rooted upon it.

The Gourd Vine's branches and leaves unfurled slightly, while several faint traces of luster appeared on the Purple-Black Gourd's dull skin.

Haotian focused his senses and confirmed that the Purple-Black Gourd's restless urge to emerge before its time despite lacking the strength—and its tendency toward self-destruction—had completely vanished.

Back then, the Treasure Dropping Gold Coin had sealed its Spiritual Intelligence in time, allowing it to evade the Heavenly Dao moment of "when the melon ripens, it drops from the vine," while also buying it precious time to recover and remedy its flaws.

"To truly make up for This Treasure's innate deficiency and allow it to mature smoothly like the other six gourds will require a great stroke of fortune."

"It must also be supplemented with the purest origin vitality..." Several famed wondrous artifacts of creation from the Primordial Wilderness swiftly flashed through Haotian's mind.

"Qiankun Cauldron, Earth Book, Three Lights Divine Water..."

"The Qiankun Cauldron and the Earth Book are both tied to important plans in the future."

"Unless absolutely necessary, I should not seek such supreme treasures from Hongjun and Zhenyuanzi too early, lest it affect the arrangements to come..." Haotian weighed matters in silence.

After deducing for a moment, his gaze gradually settled. "It seems my journey to Zhongnan Mountain to search for the Wind Lightning Immortal Apricot must be postponed."

"The most urgent matter is to first find the Three Lights Divine Water."

As Haotian knew, the circumstances of the Three Lights Divine Water were rather similar to those of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil.

The Nine Heavens Breathing Soil had grown alongside the Gourd Vine.

The Three Lights Divine Water, meanwhile, had grown alongside the Creation Green Lotus.

"The Creation Green Lotus should most likely be on Buzhou Mountain..."

"But this treasure seems fated to belong to the Three Pure Ones. If I go... I may not necessarily succeed in finding it..." Haotian quietly formed hand seals and deduced the Heavenly Secrets in his heart, only to find a thick fog obscuring everything, impossible to discern clearly.

After pondering for a long while, he came to a decision. "Since this treasure is destined for the Three Pure Ones, I shall make a trip to East Kunlun and visit them, sounding them out indirectly."

"Perhaps I may uncover some clues regarding the Creation Green Lotus or the objects that grew alongside it. That would be better than blindly searching the vast Buzhou Mountain alone."

With his plan settled, Haotian was about to summon Martial Spirit to give instructions concerning his departure.

Yet the moment his thoughts stirred, Martial Spirit had already sensed it. He leaped from the Earth Veins in a streak of yellow light and stood respectfully before him.

"I intend to make a trip to East Kunlun, to visit friends and discuss the Dao."

"You have only just obtained your Spiritual Body. Take this time to stabilize your realm, familiarize yourself with the mountain's terrain, and guard the Dao Field with peace of mind," Haotian instructed.

Upon hearing this, Martial Spirit did not immediately accept the order. Instead, he hesitated slightly, his Divine Sense carrying a trace of earnestness. "Mountain Lord, this disciple has a matter... I do not know whether it should be spoken."

Haotian was slightly surprised. "Speak freely."

Martial Spirit organized his thoughts, then respectfully reported, "Reporting to Mountain Lord, ever since this disciple merged with Mount Wuyi's Earth Veins and Spiritual Pivot, this disciple has come to understand."

"This disciple and Mount Wuyi have become two sides of one whole."

"When Mount Wuyi is strong, this disciple's origin is deep and Supernatural Powers vast."

"When Mount Wuyi is weak, this disciple's foundation is unsteady and might diminished."

"And Mount Wuyi's 'strength' does not merely refer to abundant Earth Veins and Spiritual Aura. More importantly, it lies in the flourishing of the myriad Living Beings within the mountain and the enduring flow of fortune."

"There must be Living Beings with Spiritual Intelligence dwelling within it, cultivating and comprehending the Dao, inhaling and exhaling spiritual energy, feeding back into heaven and earth to form a beneficial cycle."

"Only then can the entire spirit mountain truly 'come alive,' gathering fortune and allowing its Dao resonance to endure."

Martial Spirit paused before continuing, "The Living Beings in the mountain now were mostly casually enlightened by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Phoenix in the past. Their cultivation is shallow, their order lax, and most are deeply unsettled. They can scarcely participate effectively in this cycle."

"Though this disciple has received the Mountain Lord's enlightenment, if I rely solely on slowly absorbing earth energy to grow, then fully taking command of and mobilizing the boundless Power of Mountains and Rivers of all Mount Wuyi for my own use—and thereby forming a stable, powerful protective restriction—may require an exceedingly long span of time."

"This disciple... this disciple fears that my growth will be too slow and fail the Mountain Lord's heavy trust. Should a powerful enemy cast covetous eyes upon us during that time..."

After hearing Martial Spirit's well-organized and far-sighted account, Haotian nodded slightly.

His words indeed made sense.

If a blessed spirit mountain possessed only Earth Veins but lacked the thriving vitality of Living Beings, it would ultimately remain a dead thing, unable to fully unleash its potential and all the more easily eroded or coveted by outside forces.

Finding the Three Lights Divine Water was certainly important, but compared to that, ensuring the safety of Mount Wuyi—this crucial stronghold—and the Gourd Vine within it was undoubtedly even more important.

After all, the Gourd Vine concerned the future opportunity for sainthood and the grand plan of the Human Race. It was one of Haotian's most vital bargaining chips; not the slightest mishap could be allowed.

After a brief moment of thought, Haotian nodded in agreement. "What you say makes perfect sense."

"Stabilizing our foundation is the plan for the long term."

"This Seat grants your request."

Martial Spirit was overjoyed and was just about to bow in thanks when Haotian continued, "Immediately use the power of the Mountain Spirit to spread word throughout Mount Wuyi, within and without."

"Three days from now, at sunrise, This Seat will expound the Great Dao atop the mountain's Spiritual Pivot, elucidate the true methods of the Mystic Gate, and guide those lost in the maze of cultivation."

"Any living being within Mount Wuyi that has awakened Spiritual Intelligence—whether Plant Spirits or Flying Birds and Beasts—may come and listen."

Though Haotian's voice was not loud, through Martial Spirit's connection to the Earth Veins, it swiftly spread to every corner of Mount Wuyi.

For a time, the many living beings still remaining in the mountain, whether they had undergone Form Transformation or not, all felt a stirring in their hearts, and an irrepressible flicker of anticipation arose within them.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

The day Haotian had set for his lecture had arrived.

At the summit of Mount Wuyi's main peak, within the majestic palace once inhabited by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Phoenix.

Haotian wore a noble purple Daoist robe embroidered with cloud patterns and sat upright in the seat of honor upon a white jade dais, his bearing grave and composed, the aura of the Dao seeming innate to him.

Within the hall, several hundred women enlightened by the Nine-Colored Heavenly Phoenix and nearly ten thousand Spiritual Beasts of all kinds had gathered together, unable to conceal their excitement and anticipation.