The Battle for the Seven Gourds! I Only Want That Unremarkable Vine

At the halfway point of Buzhou Mountain, the moment the innate formation shattered, the long-suppressed treasure aura erupted like a volcano, shooting straight into the nine heavens.

There on the cliff face, a thick, dragon-like emerald vine as stout as a water bucket clung tightly to the rock. Seven gourds of varying shapes and brilliant colors swayed gently atop the vine.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple.

The seven-colored divine light interwove, casting this realm into a dreamlike haze. Each gourd was wreathed in unique law and Dao resonance—some exuded slaughter that shook the heavens, others boundless creation, still others devouring all things.

Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures!

And seven of them appearing at once!

In that moment, every great power's breathing grew heavy.

In this early Primordial World, aside from companion treasures, such grade of artifact was as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Whoever seized one would gain the foundation to prove their Dao.

"A treasure has its spirit; the virtuous shall possess it!"

Before Primordial Heavenly Lord could finish his sanctimonious opening line, the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi in his hand had already transformed into a beam of golden light, carrying an undeniable tyranny straight toward the Purple Gold Red Gourd radiating chaotic aura.

"Hmph! Who is virtuous? We'll find out after a fight!"

Tai Yi was hot-tempered too, showing no regard for martial virtue. The Chaos Bell in his hand boomed with a single shake.

Dong—!

The bell's sound surged vast, suppressing time and space.

Seizing the moment when all were stunned by the bell's toll, he and Di Jun joined forces. One wrapped in True Sun Fire, the other wielding He Tu Luo Shu, they charged like two tigers descending a mountain, lunging for the golden Immortal Slaying Gourd and the yellow Monster Summoning Gourd.

"That red one is fated for me!"

Old Ancestor Hongyun, though usually an easygoing sort, didn't hesitate when it came to treasure-grabbing. Mounting a fire cloud Escape Technique, he shot with incredible speed toward the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd.

In an instant, the waist of Buzhou Mountain dissolved into chaos.

Divine powers clashed, treasures roared—what had been a "sightseeing trip" turned into an all-out brawl.

"Elder Brother! Let's go too!"

Zhunti's eyes were bloodshot. The Sky-Turning Shovel in his hand creaked as he gripped it, itching to charge in and knock them all for a loop. "If we wait any longer, there won't even be a hair left!"

Jieyin's face was equally anxious. The golden lotus beneath his feet spun furiously—clearly, his mortal heart had been stirred.

"What's the rush?"

Taiyuan pressed down on the restless Zhunti, his gaze unnervingly calm.

He watched the crowd fighting tooth and nail over the gourds, shook his head, and transmitted his voice:

"Those seven gourds may look tempting, but each one is tangled in immense Heavenly Dao karma. Laozi will take one to refine pills, Nuwa to summon demons, Tai Yi to slay immortals... these are all fixed destinies."

"If we force a grab, we'll not only tear apart relations with the Three Pure Ones and the Demon Race, but we'll also be schemed by the Heavenly Dao into paying it back later."

"That kind of thankless deal—we don't take it."

"Then... we just watch?" Zhunti's face was full of resentment. "This is too much of a loss!"

Taiyuan's lips curled into a fox-like smile.

"Who said we just watch? What we take are the things no one else wants—the true core, priceless beyond measure."

As he spoke, his gaze locked onto the gourd vine, which had begun to wither and lose its luster as the gourds ripened, and the patch of soil at its roots emitting a faint yellow glow.

That was the Innate Gourd Vine itself, and the Essence of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil that had nourished it for countless ages!

Later, when Nuwa created humanity, without these two things, those clay figures would be nothing but mud—they could never stand on their own.

"Come on, let's pick up the scraps."

Taiyuan led the two of them, not charging into the heart of the battle, but using the [Space Folding] divine ability, slipping like a slick fish, silently skirting the edge of the fray.

By now, the fight in the arena was at its peak.

Nuwa, relying on the subtlety of the Law of Creation, was not skilled in combat, but she barely managed to protect a cyan Monster Summoning Gourd.

Just as she was about to stow the gourd and retreat, Taiyuan's warm voice suddenly reached her ears.

"Fellow Daoist Nuwa, congratulations on obtaining the treasure."

Nuwa startled, turning to see Taiyuan standing in the shadow behind her, smiling as he looked at her.

"Fellow Daoist Taiyuan?" Nuwa was puzzled. "Aren't you going to fight for the remaining gourds?"

"Those gourds have no fate with the West."

Taiyuan shook his head, then shifted his tone, growing mysterious. "But I see that you, Fellow Daoist, still need something else. This item... concerns your great opportunity to prove Dao and become a Saint in the future."

"Become a Saint?!"

Nuwa's beautiful eyes flew wide, her breath catching.

Ever since Taiyuan's last guidance, her insight into the Dao of Creation had indeed hit a bottleneck. Hearing those two words now, how could she remain composed?

"Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist!"

Taiyuan pointed at the vine, now ignored by all and gradually withering, and the soil on the ground.

"That vine, though withered, contains the principle of endless creation and life. That soil is the Essence of Innate Wutu Soil. To others, these are waste. But to you, Fellow Daoist..."

Taiyuan paused, his gaze laden with meaning. "But it's a priceless treasure."

"I'll retrieve it for you, but the karma involved... let's say you owe me a favor, how about it?"

Nuwa was sharp-witted and instantly grasped Taiyuan's implication. Though she couldn't yet see the specific uses of these two items, her trust in Taiyuan's uncanny foresight led her to nod without hesitation.

"Agreed! If it truly is as you say, Nuwa will repay you handsomely!"

The deal was struck.

Nuwa wasted no more time lingering in battle. She raised her Red Embroidered Ball, which transformed into a cascade of crimson silk. It appeared to fend off surrounding attacks but cleverly shielded Taiyuan from everyone's line of sight.

Taiyuan didn't hesitate either.

He flickered and arrived at the base of the gourd vine. At this moment, most people's attention was fixed on the gourds flying through the sky; no one cared about the shabby thing on the ground.

Except for one person.

The Sovereign of Heaven, who had just snatched a purple-yellow Water Fire Gourd using the Immortal Slaying Sword Qi. This fellow was straightforward—once he grabbed his prize, he wasn't greedy. He was about to find a spot to show off when he turned and saw Taiyuan crouching on the ground, digging in the dirt like a thief.

"Elder Brother Taiyuan, what are you doing?"

The Sovereign of Heaven sidled over, curiosity plain on his face. "With all those fine treasures up for grabs, you're here playing in the mud?"

Taiyuan startled, then relaxed when he saw it was the Sovereign of Heaven.

"Shh—"

Taiyuan made a silencing gesture and lowered his voice. "Little Brother Sovereign of Heaven, this is a good thing. Look at this soil, this vine. Unassuming as they seem, this is the mother that birthed seven supreme spiritual treasures!"

"As the saying goes, 'Fallen petals are not heartless things; they turn into spring mud to nurture flowers.' The Dao resonance here runs far deeper than those gourds."

The Sovereign of Heaven's eyes lit up. He didn't fully grasp the poem, but it sounded profound.

"Interesting! I like this vibe—taking what others discard!"

The Sovereign of Heaven chuckled, sweeping his sleeve. Qingping Sword Qi formed a barrier, quietly enclosing the area.

"Elder Brother, dig away! I'll keep watch! Anyone who comes close gets cut!"

With the cover of two big shots like Nuwa and the Sovereign of Heaven, Taiyuan moved with impressive speed.

A swing of the Sky-Turning Shovel, and the millstone-sized clump of soil, rich with the Essence of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, along with the withered yet unyielding Innate Gourd Vine, was uprooted entirely.

Without a second thought, he stuffed it straight into the deepest corner of the System Space.

Done with that, Taiyuan brushed the dirt off his hands, stood up, and winked at the two.

"All set."

By then, the battle in the sky was winding down.

Laozi took the Purple Gold Red Gourd by sheer strength.

Primordial Heavenly Lord grabbed the Three Treasures Gourd, shaped like a Jade Ruyi.

Di Jun and Tai Yi claimed the Immortal Slaying Gourd.

Hongyun struck it lucky and picked up the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd.

And the last gourd, originally meant for Haotian, was snatched in the chaos by a sinister black shadow.

Kunpeng!

That bastard had been lurking in the dark all along. At the final moment, he pulled a backstab, grabbed the prize, and bolted, leaving no one time to react.

With the seven gourds each finding an owner, the tense atmosphere on Buzhou Mountain finally began to ease.

Everyone looked at their treasures, faces beaming with joy.

The journey had been bumpy, but at least they'd gained something.

Except for Taiyuan's trio, who came up empty-handed (on the surface).

Zhunti, eyeing the treasures in others' hands, licked his lips in envy and sidled up to Taiyuan, muttering quietly:

"Elder Brother, we're taking this junk? Those gourds look really good..."

Taiyuan shot him a glance, reached out, and patted Zhunti on the shoulder, his smile like a fox that had stolen a hen.

"Third Brother, you need to think long-term."

"Some things don't look like much now, but in the future... their value will make those who grabbed the gourds regret it to their bones."

"Those gourds are fine, but they're just dead things, only good for fighting."

"But this vine and this soil in our hands—they're the key to creating an entirely new race, even to steering the future momentum of the Heavenly Dao."

Zhunti still didn't fully understand, but seeing Elder Brother's confident demeanor, he instinctively chose to trust him.

After all, Elder Brother had never made a losing deal.

"Come, let's go home."

Taiyuan smoothed his robes, nodding to Nuwa and Tongtian to signal they'd reconvene later.

"We still have a grand gift to prepare for Fellow Daoist Nuwa."

"Once this gift is delivered, we'll be able to walk sideways across the Eastern lands from now on."