Boom—!!!
The final purple-gold divine lightning bolt that tore through the heavens descended viciously upon the radiant Purple-Gold Gourd with the might of Heaven and Earth Creation!
Crack!
An incomparably crisp shattering sound, like immortal jade breaking apart, rang clearly through the world amid howling winds and rampaging thunder!
Dao Xuan stood within the pavilion. Beneath his Blue Gauze Headband, his face was like mutton fat jade, his features refined and clear, yet it was now filled with shock!
The Purple-Gold Gourd, which had endured the baptism of endless lightning, suddenly spread with spiderweb-like cracks across its surface!
The next moment!
Bang!
The gourd exploded with a thunderous roar!
Billions of rays of seven-colored light burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly illuminating the entire darkened world!
Within the radiant light.
A child who appeared to be four or five years old leaped out of thin air!
The child.
His face was powdered white, his lips vermilion, his eyes like ink dots, and he was exceptionally lively.
His hair was tied into two tiny topknots, each crowned with a lush green gourd leaf shimmering with spiritual light.
He wore a small garment pieced together from seven differently colored, gourd-leaf-shaped pieces of immortal cloth, while his tender white feet were bare.
Most eye-catching of all.
A delicate little gourd the size of a fist floated above his head, flowing with precious light in seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple!
Its precious light swirled, its Dao rhythm was naturally formed, and it emanated the vast aura of a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure!
It was the Seven-Colored Gourd, transformed from the Purple-Gold Gourd that had nurtured him!
The moment the little child landed.
His pure, flawless eyes, as though they contained a sea of stars, curiously swept over this unfamiliar world.
The fierce wind, thunder, and leaden clouds... seemed entirely unrelated to him.
At last.
His gaze landed precisely on the Daoist in the pavilion, whose body was suffused with Pure Qi and whose bearing was elegant and refined.
An instinctive closeness and yearning born from the depths of his life essence surged into his heart.
An indescribable gleam of joy burst from the little child's eyes!
He spread his tender little feet, ignored the raging wind and lightning, and rushed before Dao Xuan in an instant like a streak of seven-colored light!
Then.
Before Dao Xuan's stunned gaze.
The little child stretched out his chubby little hands and wrapped them around Dao Xuan's leg.
He raised his delicate, jade-carved little face, filled with adoration.
His clear, childish voice, brimming with boundless delight, rang beside Dao Xuan's ear like jade beads falling upon a tray:
"Father God! Father God! I finally get to see you!"
Pfft—!
Dao Xuan had just raised a jade cup and taken a sip of Dao Enlightenment Tea to calm himself. Upon hearing those words, he instantly spat it out!
The tea formed a glistening arc and scattered over the spiritual grass outside the pavilion.
Dao Xuan choked and coughed repeatedly, his mutton-fat-jade face flushing slightly.
He lowered his head to look at the little thing clinging tightly to his leg, his face full of adoration and dependence.
It felt as though billions of qilin divine beasts were stampeding through his heart!
Father... Father God?!
This poor Daoist had cultivated in purity for tens of thousands of years and did not even have a Dao companion!
How had this bargain son fallen from the sky?!
He had suddenly become a father! And a Gourd Baby was calling him dad?!
Dao Xuan felt an utterly absurd sensation shoot straight to the crown of his head.
He hurriedly waved his hands, trying to free himself from those little arms that were gripping him for dear life.
"Cough, cough... little one, do not shout nonsense! This poor Daoist is not your Father God!"
"You are! You are!" The little child hugged him even tighter, rubbing his little head against Dao Xuan's leg. His voice was filled with absolute certainty and grievance. "I can feel it! Your aura nurtured me! The divine water and divine soil you bestowed saved me! You are my Father God!"
Dao Xuan: "..."
When he thought about it carefully.
He had obtained the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil from Treasure Distribution Rock.
He had painstakingly collected the Three Lights Divine Water.
He had also ordered his attendants to water the gourd vine.
It was not entirely wrong for this Gourd Baby to say that Dao Xuan had "saved" him...
But the title "Father God"... was far too outrageous!
"This poor Daoist merely tended to the gourd vine. It was not..." Dao Xuan tried to explain.
"Father God! Do you not want your child anymore?" The little child raised his face. Tears instantly filled his large eyes, ready to spill at any moment. He looked as pitiful as could be.
Dao Xuan's mouth twitched.
Looking at those pure eyes that could reflect his own image, as well as the heartfelt longing within them.
He suddenly felt that reasoning with a newborn Innate being who had set his mind on something seemed rather difficult.
Forget it, forget it.
Fangzhang Immortal Island was large enough anyway. Raising one more Gourd Baby would not bankrupt him.
He would just... treat him as a special attendant he had enlightened.
Dao Xuan sighed helplessly.
He reached out and rubbed the little child's topknot, crowned with gourd leaves.
"Forget it, forget it. Do not cry. Since you insist on it... then do as you wish."
"However, the title 'Father God' is far too startling. Before outsiders, it would be better for you to call me 'Teacher' or 'Master.'"
"Really?! Father God agreed!" The little child immediately stopped crying and smiled. His little face bloomed like an immortal flower as he tightly hugged Dao Xuan's leg. "Your child will listen to Father God! Before outsiders, I will call you Teacher!"
Dao Xuan: "..."
Well, it seemed this title of "Father God" was impossible to shake off.
He carefully examined this newly acquired "bargain son."
His divine sense entered the child's body.
He found that the child's bones were extraordinary, his Innate Dao Body pure and flawless, and his origin was formed from incomparably pure Innate spiritual essence.
His cultivation had already reached the early Golden Immortal realm!
However...
Dao Xuan frowned slightly.
The Gourd Baby's origin appeared pure and vast, yet it faintly carried a sense of being incomplete.
As if most of its essence had been forcibly divided away!
He immediately understood.
Back then, the Innate Gourd Vine on Buzhou Mountain had borne seven gourds.
The first six had been plucked by the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Red Cloud, and Taiyi, each refined into Spiritual Treasures that shook the primordial world.
This seventh one had possessed the weakest origin from the start, and six portions of its fortune and essence had also been taken away.
The fact that it could give birth to a living being was already a miracle.
Its foundation naturally could not compare to those great beings who had transformed while monopolizing a complete share of origin, such as Zhunti and Zhenyuanzi.
Its current Golden Immortal cultivation was already the result of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water defying fate.
As for whether it could make up for its origin and advance further in the future?
Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!
Dao Xuan sighed inwardly.
At the same time.
He could also clearly sense it.
An extremely subtle yet unbreakable karmic connection existed between this Gourd Baby and the six gourds that had been taken away!
It was as though there was a Predetermined Fate in the unseen.
This karma was the Gourd Baby's "debt."
Theoretically, he could go and demand the six portions of origin that had been divided away.
But...
Dao Xuan looked at the delicate little child before him, who possessed only early Golden Immortal cultivation.
Then he considered the current owners of those six gourds...
The Three Pure Ones Saints, Empress Nuwa, Demon Emperor Dijun and Taiyi—Red Cloud's share had later passed through several hands and fallen into the Demon Clan as well—and the missing Red Cloud...
Which one of them was not a colossal figure who could make the primordial world quake three times with a mere stomp of his foot?
Sending this little Gourd Baby to demand his origin from them?
It would be no different from sending a newborn lamb to demand the meat from the mouths of a pack of ancient ferocious beasts!
Dao Xuan silently shook his head.
This karma would likely become an insurmountable barrier on the Gourd Baby's path of cultivation.
Unless... he encountered a heaven-defying opportunity.
At this moment.
With the Gourd Baby's birth, the leaden clouds and thunder in the sky gradually dispersed.
The fierce winds ceased, and the sea calmed once more.
Fangzhang Immortal Island regained its immortal splendor, with countless rays of light and streams of auspicious mist.
Dao Xuan walked over to the Innate Gourd Vine, whose radiance had dimmed considerably.
The vine was still emerald green, but its spirituality had been greatly damaged. Clearly, nurturing the Gourd Baby had exhausted its final strength.
With a sweep of his sleeve, Dao Xuan carefully put it away.
Though this vine's origin had been exhausted, it was still an Innate Spirit Root. It might yet have some use in the future.
He turned to look at the little Gourd Baby following closely behind him, whose eyes were filled only with him.
Forget it.
Since he was here, he might as well settle in.
After all, Dao Xuan had "saved" him, and the child called him Father God.
He could not possibly treat him poorly.
With a thought from Dao Xuan.
A crimson streak of light flew from his sleeve.
It hovered before the Gourd Baby.
It was a short sword entirely crimson in color, shaped like the feather of a divine bird!
Its blade was only about a foot long, yet it flowed with the scorching, pure aura of Solar True Fire!
Its edge was incomparably sharp, and the faint cry of a golden crow could be heard from within!
It was precisely the Supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Dao Xuan had obtained from Treasure Distribution Rock—the Li Fire Feathered Sword!
"This sword is called the Li Fire Feathered Sword. It contains the origin of Innate Solar True Fire and possesses formidable offensive power. I grant it to you so that you may protect yourself and uphold the Dao."
Dao Xuan said warmly.
"Thank you, Father God!" The Gourd Baby's large eyes sparkled as he happily accepted the short sword.
It felt warm in his hand, as though he were holding a tiny sun.
He played with it fondly, unwilling to put it down.
Dao Xuan extended a finger and lightly tapped the Gourd Baby between the brows.
A ray of incomparably profound clear light, containing the essence of the first six revolutions of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique, entered his Sea of Consciousness.
"This is the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique, the mysterious sect's divine art of protection that I cultivate. It is a supreme method for tempering the fleshly body, condensing blood and qi, and refining the primordial spirit. You must cultivate diligently and never grow lax."
"Yes, Father God! Your child will definitely cultivate diligently!" Sensing the vast and profound cultivation art within his mind, the Gourd Baby's little face was filled with seriousness.
Time flowed on.
Fangzhang Immortal Island remained tranquil and peaceful.
In the blink of an eye, five thousand years passed.
Within a spiritual cave dwelling suffused with spiritual energy in the rear mountains of Xuan Yuan Palace.
The Gourd Baby sat cross-legged.
The Seven-Colored Gourd floated above his head, casting down seven-colored rays of light that protected his body.
The Li Fire Feathered Sword lay across his knees, its crimson sword radiance flickering unpredictably.
His blood and qi surged around him like dragons, producing a deep rumbling roar.
Beneath his skin, a faint dark-golden luster flowed.
An aura more condensed and powerful than it had been five thousand years ago gradually spread outward.
Mid-stage Golden Immortal!
The second revolution of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique was complete!
Dao Xuan stood outside the cave dwelling. Feeling the powerful aura inside gradually settle, he nodded slightly.
This Gourd Baby's talent and comprehension truly were exceptional.
In only five thousand years, he had broken through from the early Golden Immortal realm to the middle stage, and his mysterious art had entered the proper path.
Though he was still somewhat inferior to Dao Xuan in his younger days, he was still promising material.
"Father God!"
The stone doors of the cave dwelling opened.
Gourd Baby shot out like a streak of seven-colored light.
He still looked like a child of four or five, but his eyes were livelier and his aura more composed.
He pounced beside Dao Xuan, hugged his arm, and tilted up his little face in excitement. "Father God! I broke through! I've mastered the Mystic Art too!"
"Mm, not bad." Dao Xuan nodded with a smile and rubbed his little head.
"Father God, Father God!" Gourd Baby's big eyes blinked expectantly. "I've cultivated on the island for five thousand years. It's been so boring. Aren't you going out to travel the Primordial World? Take me with you, please? I promise I'll behave and won't cause you any trouble!"
Dao Xuan looked into those yearning eyes. The refusal already on his lips was swallowed back down.
So be it.
A young eagle had to leave the nest eventually.
Letting him witness the vastness and dangers of the Primordial World would also be part of his cultivation.
"Alright." Dao Xuan nodded.
"That's wonderful! Thank you, Father God!" Gourd Baby jumped up in delight.
"However," Dao Xuan said sternly, "when traveling outside, you must remember three things."
"First, do not casually reveal your origins, and especially do not use the title 'Father God.' You may only call me 'Teacher.'"
"Second, observe and think more whenever something happens. Do not act rashly. The Primordial World is vast and filled with capable people; you must remain reverent."
"Third, unless your life is at stake, do not casually use the Li Fire Feathered Sword or the Seven-Colored Gourd, lest they draw the covetous eyes of others."
"I'll remember it all!" Gourd Baby promised, patting his little chest.
Dao Xuan said no more.
With a thought.
Roar!
A majestic qilin roar rang out.
The Five Spirit Qilin appeared before them, its hooves standing upon auspicious clouds as Five-Colored Divine Light flowed around its body.
Dao Xuan drifted down onto the qilin's back.
Gourd Baby let out a cheer as well, scrambling up with hands and feet and sitting in front of Dao Xuan, his little face filled with novelty and excitement.
"Yushu, Xuanji."
"Master!" The two child attendants hurried forward.
"Watch the house."
"Yes! Rest assured, Master (Father God)!" the two child attendants answered respectfully.
"Let's go."
Dao Xuan lightly patted the qilin's neck.
The Five Spirit Qilin gave a long cry. Clouds formed beneath its four hooves as it soared into the sky.
Carrying Dao Xuan and that small figure whose eyes brimmed with longing for the Primordial World.
It transformed into a streak of five-colored light.
Passing through Fangzhang Immortal Island's protective formation.
Leaving that tranquil and peaceful immortal island beyond the seas.
Heading toward the magnificent Primordial Continent, filled with endless possibilities.
It traveled leisurely onward.
The immortal island gradually receded.
Vast blue waves stretched to the horizon, where sea and sky merged into one.
The qilin trod upon clouds, and Clear Wind brushed against their faces.
Gourd Baby sat in front, looking around excitedly. Pointing at the islands, giant whales, and immortal birds passing below, he chattered away with endless questions.
Dao Xuan answered with a smile, though his heart was utterly peaceful.
Traveling the Primordial World with a "bargain son"?
This experience...
Was rather interesting.
Before you continue