Innate Spiritual Treasures

As Donghua stood atop Suspended Peak, he thought of this and couldn't help sighing inwardly.

"The original East King Gong is gone just like that. I crossed over and took over everything."

He had crossed over into East King Gong's body—or perhaps he shouldn't call it crossing over. It was a return.

He was East King Gong. He was certain of that. He was a fragment of East King Gong's Indestructible True Spirit. As for how he had returned, he still couldn't figure it out.

He only knew that the original East King Gong had passed away. The only one who existed now was East King Gong, transformed from himself, Wang Xuanfu.

"My injuries have improved. What remains is a slow process. Injuries to the primordial spirit are difficult to heal, and they won't get better all at once." Donghua gazed at the sea of clouds and spoke calmly.

Great Commander of Fate and Shao Siming couldn't help nodding. Injuries to the primordial spirit really were difficult to heal.

Donghua turned to look at the two before him, then suddenly said, "You should both cultivate diligently, too. Don't be as carefree and lax as you were before."

The people under Donghua in the Purple Mansion were what gave him the biggest headache. Everyone cultivating here was rather carefree and lax.

The Purple Mansion had originally been like a paradise beyond the world. In the Primordial Wilderness, where fighting and killing never ceased, it was one of a kind.

It would have been nice if things had continued that way. The great factions of the Primordial Wilderness wouldn't have kept thinking of destroying this place; they would have tried to win it over instead.

But after East King Gong was appointed Head of Male Immortals, he got carried away and lost sight of himself.

He developed an ambition he shouldn't have had: to dominate the Primordial Wilderness.

That was what brought him to his death, and the Purple Mansion Faction ceased to exist.

After the Purple Mansion fell, this place became a gathering ground for rogue immortals. Some members of the Interception Sect in later generations also came here, but no famous figure ever took control of it.

There seemed to be someone called Yu Yuan whose cultivation ground was here. He was known as the Penglai One Qi Immortal.

"Got it, Emperor Lord."

Shao Siming replied impatiently. The Emperor Lord was good in every way, but ever since he became Head of Male Immortals, he had done nothing but insist that they cultivate harder.

His status as Head of Male Immortals had also drawn many beings from the Primordial Wilderness to the Purple Mansion, including some Innate Deities.

Some were reclusive cultivators who didn't want to join the Demon Race or the battle between gods and demons for control of the Primordial Wilderness.

Some had fled here after the Demon Race or the demons destroyed their clans and Dao lineages, and rebuilt their cultivation grounds and homes here.

Others were opportunists who hoped to make a name for themselves by taking advantage of East King Gong's title as Head of Male Immortals. They were always urging the Emperor Lord to fight for dominance, too.

Great Commander of Fate didn't answer Donghua. He had always cultivated diligently, treating cultivation as his life, and he was a man of few words.

Donghua looked at the jade-skirted girl before him, who couldn't hide what she was thinking, and felt a fondness for her.

After all, a girl with a round face was endearing wherever she went.

Donghua couldn't resist flicking her forehead.

"You little brat. I tell you to cultivate properly, and you're still reluctant. Do you think I'm asking you to work hard for my sake?"

Shao Siming was stunned by the sudden flick. Rubbing her forehead, she felt terribly wronged.

"I never said I wouldn't cultivate properly! Why'd you flick me? And there's nothing wrong with cultivating for the Emperor Lord. You've really gotten meaner."

Donghua was briefly at a loss for words. Why did it feel like the girl's whole vibe had changed? She hadn't been like this when they first met. She'd been so aloof, but now, around him, she was starting to feel like a character from an anime.

"All right, stop fooling around. I'm not joking this time. The Heavenly Court is expanding faster and faster. It destroys temples and exterminates clans at the drop of a hat. Refuse to submit, and you die. One day, it might attack my Purple Mansion."

Donghua explained helplessly.

"The Emperor Lord is right. I feel the same way. The Heavenly Court is getting more and more overbearing, especially after the third lecture at Purple Heaven Palace ended. It has become extremely aggressive." Great Commander of Fate spoke his second sentence since arriving, his voice cool.

Donghua nodded slightly and said, "That's only natural. The Heavenly Court can't sit still anymore because it's afraid."

"At Purple Heaven Palace, the Dao Ancestor took the Three Pure Ones as disciples. He gave Taiqing Laozi the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram, Yuqing Yuanshi the Innate Supreme Treasure Pangu Banner, and Shangqing Tongtian the Immortal Slaying Four Swords and their formation diagram."

"And the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace obtained Innate Spiritual Treasures, to one degree or another. So the Demon Race's advantage is shrinking, while the resistance to unifying the Primordial Wilderness by force is growing. Naturally, the Heavenly Court can't sit still."

Donghua paused, then continued in a different tone.

"Unfortunately, the more they do this, the harder it'll be for them to unify the Primordial Wilderness. Wherever there's oppression, there'll be resistance. The Heavenly Court's path has gone wrong."

The two nodded in agreement after hearing Donghua's words.

But when he mentioned the Innate Spiritual Treasures, envy showed in Great Commander of Fate and Shao Siming's eyes.

Although they were born as divine beings, their innate gifts and origins were ordinary. They had no connection to Purple Heaven Palace and naturally had no chance to hear the Dao.

"An Innate Supreme Treasure! That's an Innate Supreme Treasure! The Dao Ancestor was so generous, just giving it away like that—and there were so many Innate Spiritual Treasures, too." Shao Siming sounded reluctant, as if those treasures belonged to her.

Innate Spiritual Treasures held an enormous allure for cultivators, especially when they encountered one that suited them.

If Donghua hadn't known what Hongjun ultimately intended to do, he wouldn't have understood why he gave away an Innate Supreme Treasure.

Innate Supreme Treasures were already the highest-grade treasures in the world. They could still be of great help even to someone who had attained Hunyuan Dao.

There were only Innate Spiritual Treasures and Houtian Spiritual Treasures among the world's artifacts.

There were no such things as Chaos Supreme Treasures or Chaos Spiritual Treasures, which Donghua remembered from his previous life.

An Innate Supreme Treasure was also an Innate Spiritual Treasure. It was called a supreme treasure because of its extraordinary functions, the completeness of the Great Dao it contained, and its transcendent nature.

"Supreme" meant peerless and highest.

Because of their extraordinary nature, Primordial Chaos couldn't possibly give birth to living beings. It simply lacked the necessary conditions.

Thus, Primordial Chaos contained only the Great Dao. The Dao was everything: Pangu was the Great Dao, the Chaos Green Lotus was the Great Dao, and the Heaven-Opening Axe was also the Great Dao.

Whether the Chaos Green Lotus, the Heaven-Opening Axe, or Pangu, they were all titles. The Dao had no name—so where had the name Pangu come from?

They were merely the Great Dao given form.

Thus, Pangu could be anyone, and anyone could be Pangu, because Pangu possessed the traits of all living beings.

So when Pangu opened the heavens, there were no so-called Three Thousand Demon Gods to stop him. The Three Thousand Demon Gods had never existed in Chaos in the first place. Any beings called demon gods were simply manifestations of the Dao.

Pangu opened Primordial Chaos. Chaos became the Primordial World, while the primordial expanse became the River of Time and Space and the River of Destiny.

These two depended on the world and resembled it, changing as it developed.

Only because these two existed could the world give birth to and nurture all living things.

But without the River of Time and Space or the River of Destiny, how could Primordial Chaos possibly have living beings?

After the creation of heaven and earth, Pangu's Dao dispersed into myriad forms, and life soon came to the world.

Nurtured by the Great Dao, the Primordial World gave rise to Innate Deities, innate living beings, the Myriad Races of the Primordial World, and Innate Spiritual Treasures.

Once the Primordial World had given birth to all living things, it gradually developed its own Dao by relying on the Great Dao: the Heavenly Dao.

The Great Dao was not suited to the Primordial World.

Thus, the Heavenly Dao was born from the Great Dao, yet it was independent of it.

The Heavenly Dao was the Dao of this world, everything within it, while the Great Dao was the Dao of Primordial Chaos.

Therefore, Innate Spiritual Treasures were treasures formed from the Innate Dao.

Houtian Spiritual Treasures were formed after the Heavenly Dao came into being. Some were nurtured by the Heavenly Dao, while others were crafted by people.

Houtian Spiritual Treasures crafted by people were sometimes called immortal artifacts, divine artifacts, or demonic artifacts.

The memories of my previous life aren't absolutely correct. From now on, I can only use them as a reference, or I'll really end up making a fool of myself, Donghua thought with a sigh.

Looking at Great Commander of Fate and Shao Siming, who were lamenting the treasures they didn't have, he knew they were both absolutely loyal to him.

With that thought, he took out an Innate Spiritual Treasure. Feeling playful, he decided to tease Shao Siming.

"Little Siming, call me Big Brother Emperor Lord, and I'll give you a treasure."

Their eyes went wide at once. They looked incredulous, both at the treasure and at what Donghua had said.

"Big Brother Emperor Lord! Big Brother Emperor Lord! Big Brother Emperor Lord!" Shao Siming hurried over, wrapped both arms around Donghua's left arm, and called sweetly.

Donghua was stunned. He'd only been joking, but he hadn't expected this response. He was the fool here!

"Could you have at least a little dignity? You're the Shao Siming who helps me manage the Purple Mansion. You're acting like this over one Innate Spiritual Treasure?"

"Dignity? What's that? Is it more important than a treasure?"

Shao Siming looked innocent as she shook Donghua's left arm with both hands.

"Here. Take it." He handed over the Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Shao Siming immediately let go of Donghua's arm and snatched the treasure, then quickly imprinted it with her mark.

She looked afraid that if she took too long, Donghua might change his mind.

"This treasure is called the Three Star Mirror. It was nurtured and transformed from the Three Lights of Sun, Moon, and Stars. It contains the Star Law. It can shoot beams of sunlight and moonlight to harm the primordial spirit, and its starlight can connect to the Power of Stars to aid your cultivation. It has countless wondrous uses."

Great Commander of Fate's eyes went wide. He slowly stepped forward and said awkwardly, "Emperor Lord, actually, I could also..."

Donghua hurriedly retreated, alarmed. "Stop, stop. Don't move. Don't move."

Having a beautiful girl call him big brother was delightful.

Why was this frozen-faced man getting in on it? That wouldn't be delightful at all. It would be torture.

Then he took out another Innate Spiritual Treasure and gave it to Great Commander of Fate.

He was afraid that if he waited any longer, he'd smack Great Commander of Fate to death when he came closer.

I'm straight, not gay.

Great Commander of Fate quickly took the treasure and imprinted it with his mark, too.

"This treasure is called the Yin-Yang Furnace. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang, and Yin Yang and Five Elements form the foundation of the Dao.

"The Yin-Yang Furnace contains the Yin Yang Law. It can be used for refining artifacts and making pills, or to trap someone inside and burn them to death with the two Yin-Yang flames. It can also be used for defense. When defending, it releases the two Yin-Yang energies to protect you completely."

While they refined the treasures, Donghua gave them a brief introduction to each one.

The greatest use of Innate Spiritual Treasures was that they could help one comprehend the Great Dao Laws and suppress one's fortune.

After imprinting the treasures, the two didn't rush to refine them. Instead, they bowed deeply to Donghua.

"Thank you for bestowing these treasures, Emperor Lord."

Cultivators rarely bowed so deeply to one another, but Donghua deserved their respect.

"After this, you two must cultivate diligently and strictly govern the Thirty-Five Divisions of the Purple Mansion. I expect the Heavenly Court and us to clash sooner or later. It'll be a fight to the death. Don't end up reduced to ashes just because your cultivation is too weak."

Donghua spoke with stern authority, leaving no room for refusal.

"Emperor Lord, but I don't think we have such a serious conflict with the Heavenly Court. Our Purple Mansion is out in the East Sea. As long as we don't take part in the struggle to dominate the Primordial Wilderness, neither the Heavenly Court nor the Twelve Demon Gods will fight us to the death.

"Besides, the Dao Ancestor personally appointed you Head of Male Immortals. Surely all those who cultivate the Dao won't stand by and do nothing when the time comes."

Shao Siming looked puzzled. In her eyes, the Purple Mansion was out in the East Sea, far from the center of the Primordial World. Who would be bored enough to fight them to the death?

The Purple Mansion was a great faction in its own right, after all.

Unless the Emperor Lord wanted to dominate the Primordial Wilderness and become its Heavenly Emperor.

Donghua glanced at Shao Siming without answering. He rose and left Suspended Peak, flying toward Azure Sea Palace.

"Don't you think the Emperor Lord is a little different from before?"

Shao Siming felt that the Emperor Lord had changed a lot since returning from the lectures.

He was no longer as arrogant and conceited as he'd been before.

Now the Emperor Lord was kind and approachable, but he also seemed especially restless. He didn't seem like a Quasi-Saint, a leader of a great faction, yet his personality was much better than before.

He treated everyone with warmth, and she didn't know how to describe what it felt like to be around him.

There seemed to be more equality and respect between them.

That was why she could be so casual around the Emperor Lord now. In the past, she'd always been very proper.

"I think the Emperor Lord intends to dominate the Primordial Wilderness. He's just confused for now," Great Commander of Fate said calmly.

Shao Siming asked, "And what will you do?"

"As long as the Emperor Lord wants it, I'll do it."

"What if it costs you your life and Dao?"

"I wouldn't regret it, even if I died and my Dao vanished."

"Same here. Without the Emperor Lord, I wouldn't be where I am today. If he wants to become the Heavenly Emperor, I'll do everything I can to help him achieve it."

The two stood silently atop Suspended Peak, gazing at the Purple Mansion's Azure Sea. For a long while, neither said a word.

Perhaps they were thinking of the figure who had appeared before them that day, descending like a savior.