Innate Gourd Vine's Birth! System Navigation Activated!

The morning on Mount Sumeru is always accompanied by the joyful chirping of spirit beasts and an Innate Spiritual Qi so dense it feels almost tangible.

Inside the spirit beast garden at the back of the mountain, a figure in grey robes is busy using a custom-made jade scoop to diligently add feed into various troughs. This feed is no ordinary substance; it is a "special edition" concoction made by mixing ten-thousand-year-old Spiritual Grain with the leftover dregs of hot pot seasoning.

Liuguang Daoist hums an unknown little tune while feeding the South Bright Leaving Fire Pig, which is covered in flickering flames, his face radiating genuine, heartfelt happiness.

"Eat up, eat more, grow nice and plump."

"Ah, I wouldn't trade these days for the position of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal."

Back at Purple Mansion Continent, although he was a trusted aide to East King Duke, how could that life of walking on eggshells compare to the comfort he has now? Here, there is no backstabbing or intrigue, only endless work and an inexhaustible supply of spiritual treasures. Though he is a gardener in name, the scraps that leak through the fingers of his master, Taiyuan, are enough to make him, a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, wake up laughing in his dreams.

Meanwhile, in front of the elegant bamboo cottage halfway up the mountain.

Taiyuan is lying lazily on his Chaos Spirit Jade Carefree Chair—the very item that allows him to "attain enlightenment" (sleep)—popping purple, glistening Star Grapes into his mouth one by one.

He appears to be daydreaming, but in reality, the massive [Prehistoric Power Distribution Map] is slowly rotating within his sea of consciousness.

Golden light spots represent major factions, while red ones indicate dangerous zones.

The entire grand trend of the Prehistoric world is within his grasp.

Suddenly.

In the center of the map, the location representing the pillar of heaven, Buzhou Mountain, erupts with a blinding red light without warning. The intensity of this red light even overshadows the Sha Qi markers of the nearby Witch Clan tribes.

[Ding! Major fortuitous event detected!]

[Location: Mid-slope of Buzhou Mountain.]

[Event: One of the Ten Innate Spiritual Roots—the Innate Gourd Vine is about to ripen.]

[Participating Factions: Three Pure Ones, Nuwa and Fuxi, Di Jun and Tai Yi, Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi, Twelve Ancestral Witches (watching from the shadows).]

[System Suggestion: The Host may head over to scavenge. Although the seven gourds are destined for specific owners, if handled correctly, you may reap unexpected benefits.]

Taiyuan sits up abruptly, tosses the grape skin in his hand aside, and a sharp glint flashes in his eyes.

The Innate Gourd Vine!

This is the classic scene of treasure distribution in the Prehistoric era!

Each of those seven gourds has a grand origin. Laozi's Purple Gold Red Gourd, Hongyun's Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd, Tai Yi's Immortal Slaying Gourd...

However, Taiyuan's goal is not the seven gourds themselves.

As a transmigrator, he knows very well that those seven gourds have long been arranged by the Heavenly Dao, with their ownership already predetermined. If he were to snatch them by force, he would not only incur massive karma but also offend a whole host of future powerhouses.

His gaze passes through the colorful light of the gourds and lands on the withered vine that birthed them, as well as the seemingly unremarkable soil beneath the vines.

That vine will later be refined by Nuwa into the Human Creation Whip, capable of creating thousands of humans with a single strike.

That soil is the essence of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, the raw material for creating humanity.

In the eyes of the current great beings, these two items are nothing but waste. But in Taiyuan's eyes, they are core strategic resources tied to the future destiny of the Human Race—and thus, his status as their "godfather."

"Second Brother! Third Brother! Work is here!"

Taiyuan stands up, brushes the wrinkles off his Daoist robe, and shouts toward the two figures meditating in the distance.

Swish! Swish!

Two golden lights land before him in an instant.

Zhunti looks excited, still holding the Sky-Turning Shovel he hadn't put away, his eyes glowing with greed: "Elder Brother! What is it? Are we going to the East to 'restock' again? Who are we robbing this time? I've found that East King Duke fellow an eyesore for a long time, how about..."

Although Jieyin says nothing, the prayer beads in his hand have stopped moving, clearly eager to join in.

Ever since they tasted the sweetness of their last trip outside Purple Cloud Palace, the two brothers have become quite enthusiastic about "business trips."

"Ahem."

Taiyuan coughs lightly and flicks Zhunti on the forehead. "What 'restocking'? We are scholars; we must speak with refinement."

"This time, we are visiting relatives."

"Visiting relatives?" Zhunti rubs his head, looking bewildered. "Since when do we have relatives in the East?"

"We didn't before, but we will after today."

Taiyuan smiles mysteriously, his gaze cast toward the distant East. "I am going to fetch a vine and dig up some soil. This is a grand gift for our fellow Daoist Nuwa. If we present this to her, our Western sect will have the greatest backer in the East."

Jieyin looks thoughtful: "Does Elder Brother mean, regarding what happened at Purple Cloud Palace last time..."

"Cannot be spoken of, cannot be spoken of." Taiyuan waves his hand. "Heavenly secrets must not be leaked."

"Enough, prepare to depart. But let's keep a low profile this time; that Nine Dragon Agarwood Carriage is too flashy and prone to attracting hatred. That fellow East King Duke is likely keeping an eye on us."

"Then how shall we travel?" Zhunti asks.

Jieyin silently manifests his innate spiritual treasure—the Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit.

The golden lotus rotates slowly, shedding strands of golden light of merit; it is sacred and auspicious, with a defensive power rumored to be unbreakable by any but the Four Sages.

"This will do." Taiyuan nods and steps onto it. "Though it looks a bit plain, in this day and age, simplicity is the greatest form of showing off."

The three of them sit cross-legged upon the golden lotus, transforming into a streak of light as they head straight for Buzhou Mountain.

Buzhou Mountain, formed from the spine of Pangu, stands at the center of the Primordial World, propping up the four poles of heaven and earth.

Even from hundreds of millions of miles away, one can still feel that terrifying pressure that has suppressed the Primordial World since time immemorial.

As the Golden Lotus drew closer, that pressure grew increasingly heavy.

Although Jieyin and Zhunti were already at the Perfected Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, they still felt their breathing grow labored under this suppression that originated from the soul, forcing them to circulate their magic power to resist.

Only Taiyuan remained unaffected.

He sat at the very front of the Golden Lotus, his complexion rosy and his breathing steady; he even closed his eyes comfortably, as if enjoying a massage.

The Pangu Wish Light within his body activated automatically at this moment, creating a resonance of shared bloodline with this great mountain.

Here, he was not an outsider, but a child returning home.

Elder Brother is truly unfathomable.

Watching Taiyuan's relaxed and easygoing demeanor, Zhunti felt admiration from the bottom of his heart. To be able to ignore even the pressure of Pangu—this origin must be even more authentic than that of the Three Pure Ones, right?

Soon, the three of them arrived outside an Innate formation halfway up the mountain.

At this moment, quite a few people had already gathered here.

The Three Pure Ones remained their usual cold and aloof selves, occupying the most advantageous position; Nuwa and Fuxi stood on the other side; Di Jun and Tai Yi were also present with a group of Demon Gods; the inseparable pair of Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi were huddled together, whispering.

The atmosphere was subtly tense.

After all, with a great treasure before them, no one wanted to yield.

Just then, a streak of golden light tore through the air, and the Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus landed steadily.

Taiyuan and his two companions stepped off the lotus, instantly drawing the gaze of everyone present.

"Yo, quite a lively crowd, isn't it?"

Taiyuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Fellow Daoists, I trust you have all been well? What a coincidence, all here to enjoy the scenery?"

The Three Pure Ones frowned, and Primordial Heavenly Lord let out a cold snort, clearly unwelcoming of the arrival of these three "Dung Stirrers."

Di Jun and Tai Yi, however, wore complex expressions.

Looking at Taiyuan, they felt both hatred for this scoundrel's black heart and ruthless methods in swindling them of so many resources, yet they also wondered if they could squeeze some good things out of him again. This love-hate feeling left the two Demon Emperors quite conflicted.

Nuwa, on the other hand, had her eyes light up and took the initiative to walk over.

"Fellow Daoist Taiyuan!"

A sincere smile graced Nuwa's face. "Since we last parted, I have benefited greatly, and I was just thinking of visiting the West to pay you a visit. I never expected to run into you here."

Ever since she fused with that wisp of origin from Taiyuan, Nuwa's comprehension of the Dao of Creation had progressed by leaps and bounds, so she was naturally endlessly grateful to Taiyuan, her "guide."

"Think nothing of it, think nothing of it."

Taiyuan smiled and returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping casually over the area behind Nuwa that was shrouded by the formation. "I simply sensed treasure light soaring into the sky here and thought I'd come to watch the fun. If I happen to pick up a bargain, that would be even better."

Hongyun also waved enthusiastically: "Fellow Daoist Taiyuan! Come over here! Let's stick together!"

Seeing Taiyuan mingling with all the major powerhouses the moment he arrived, his effortless social skills left many Loose Cultivators dumbfounded.

Since when did this Western trio have such terrifying connections in the Primordial World?

Just as the various parties were exchanging pleasantries and secretly vying with one another:

Rumble—!!!

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar suddenly exploded from within the Innate formation.

Immediately following, a seven-colored divine light shot into the sky, instantly tearing through the concealment of the formation and illuminating the entire sky in brilliant splendor, even dyeing the clouds that never dispersed from Buzhou Mountain into seven colors.

Innate Yi Wood Qi, rich to the extreme and mixed with fluctuations of the Dao, surged out like a tidal wave.

"The Gourd Vines... have matured!"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed.

The next moment, everyone's eyes turned scorching hot, and the previously harmonious atmosphere instantly became fraught with tension.

The aura on the Three Pure Ones began to rise, the He Tu Luo Shu in Di Jun's hands faintly emerged, and Tai Yi gripped the Chaos Bell directly.

Everyone was prepared to strike.

Only Taiyuan remained.

He stood where he was, hands tucked into his sleeves, a meaningful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

His gaze bypassed the seven brilliant gourds hanging from the vines, which radiated an alluring treasure light, and landed directly on the withered, yellowed vine that seemed to lack any spiritual energy, as well as the soil at its roots that shimmered with a faint yellow glow.

To everyone else, it was waste.

But in his eyes, it was the supreme treasure.

"The show begins."

Taiyuan whispered, his eyes flashing with the light of a hunter spotting his prey.