Discussing the Dao While Seated, Zhenyuan Breaks Through

What East King Duke brought out were precisely three Yellow Middle Plums. Moreover, they were from the very first batch of fruit produced when he had obtained the top-grade Innate Spiritual Root, the Yellow Middle Plum Tree.

These Yellow Middle Plums were rare treasures. Among the ten great Innate Spiritual Roots of the Primordial World, the fruit it bore was the scarcest, yet its utility was extraordinary.

It was precisely because of this that Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun were so astonished.

"Daoist, you have great fortune. The Yellow Middle Plum is far more precious than my Ginseng Fruit. In this, it is I who have taken advantage; I am truly ashamed."

Zhenyuanzi's words were not merely polite pleasantries; in fact, this was the truth. Beyond the ability to allow ordinary beings to instantly attain the realm of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, the Yellow Middle Plum also possessed the efficacy to temper and refine immortal power, and it even held effects for those at the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

In comparison, the Ginseng Fruit was far inferior. Although it could also assist one in becoming an immortal, it only granted the status of a True Immortal. In particular, it held little use for a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, serving at most to satisfy a craving for food.

"They are but external objects, Daoist Zhenyuan; you speak too seriously."

If Zhenyuanzi was like this, then Hongyun went without saying; his eyes shone with light the moment he saw the Yellow Middle Plums.

East King Duke had long since consumed several Yellow Middle Plums, so he was quite interested in the Ginseng Fruit. Upon taking one and examining it, he found that its shape was indeed like that of an infant less than three days old.

Naturally, he would not be as ignorant as the reincarnation of Golden Cicada in later ages. After consuming it casually and savoring it for a moment, he nodded inwardly. Although this Ginseng Fruit did not help him in his cultivation, it was indeed delicious. It was no wonder Hongyun could never forget it.

The three of them consumed the immortal fruits and refined them. Especially for Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun, both had their own gains, and the two thanked him repeatedly.

All were Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, and the three spoke of scriptures and discussed the Dao. After a long while, Hongyun suddenly spoke: "We are all Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, and meeting today, we feel like old friends. Why not discuss the Dao here?"

East King Duke and Zhenyuanzi looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

"Excellent!"

The three each manifested their Three Flowers. Hongyun and Zhenyuan both opened only one Human Flower, clearly still at the early stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm. When they looked at East King Duke, however, both were greatly shocked.

Zhenyuanzi, in particular, was shaken to his core. He could not fathom East King Duke's depth; he had originally assumed he was at the middle stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, only slightly stronger than himself. Now, seeing clearly that all three flowers of Heaven, Earth, and Man were in bloom, radiating an aura of dense mist, he realized he was actually a powerhouse of the late Zenith Heaven stage.

Looking further at the Three Flowers of East King Duke, each was suppressed by a spiritual treasure: a lotus pedestal, a precious sword, and a precious flag. The Innate Qi connected in a single line, and the Dao Rhyme was leisurely and indescribable.

Zhenyuanzi was born with deep virtue and fortune; his companion treasure, the Book of the Earth, was also a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, along with a high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Pure Whisk, and the Ginseng Fruit Tree, one of the ten great spiritual roots. He was doing quite well for himself.

That Hongyun, however, was filled with envy, all because his own fortune was very shallow. From head to toe, he possessed only one spiritual treasure, and it did not even rank among the Innate ones. For a top-tier Innate Divine Demon who was a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal to possess only an Acquired Spiritual Treasure was indeed miserable.

If the two knew that East King Duke also hid an Innate Supreme Treasure within his primordial spirit, one could only wonder what they would think.

"Two Brother Daos, let me begin first; consider it casting a brick to attract jade."

Hongyun spoke first. He sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, and crimson clouds and mist manifested before him.

He was the first Red Cloud of the Primordial World to attain the Dao, hence his name. He cultivated the Dao of Clouds and Mist, which was also a profound inheritance. As he spoke of the Dao, clouds and rosy mists filled the sky, transforming into rising celestial fire.

Hongyun's true form belonged to Bing Fire. His Great Method of Clouds was a path of water qi giving birth to fire; the balance of water and fire was also quite extraordinary.

He spoke of the Dao for a hundred years. Although his realm was slightly lower, after East King Duke listened and verified it against his own, he also gained some insights.

Next was the turn of the master of this place. Zhenyuanzi was the manifestation of the spirit of Wutu (Earth), cultivating the Great Dao of Earth. With the assistance of his supreme treasure, the Book of the Earth, his cultivation was profound, surpassing even that of Hongyun. Later generations would say that when he stood upon the earth and unleashed the Book of the Earth to connect with the Earth Veins of the Primordial World, his defense was peerless, unbreakable by any who did not possess a realm far exceeding his own.

"Wutu is another name for the earth. Within the earth, a single vertical stroke represents a thing just emerging from the ground. It is the season of late summer. 'Ji' means old. All things reach completion here... The Rites of the Dipper and the Dignity of the Stars say: one obtains the righteous energy of the Imperial Pole, contains the virtue of the Yellow Center, and is capable of encompassing all things..."

Zhenyuanzi expounded upon the righteous Dao of the Earth, which was incomparably profound and heavy. As he spoke, bursts of earth-rumbling echoed in response, mysterious and marvelous, nourishing the vegetation of Longevity Mountain and filling the air with a fragrant scent.

A hundred years passed. Although East King Duke had gained much, the one who gained the most was undoubtedly Hongyun. He and Zhenyuanzi—one the spirit of Bing Fire, the other the spirit of Wutu—belonged to the relationship of mutual generation. This was largely the reason for their close friendship.

Once Zhenyuanzi finished his lecture, it was East King Duke's turn.

Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun were now full of anticipation. East King Duke's Three Flowers swayed, his Primordial Spirit emerged, and the Dao of Supreme Yang manifested before him—magnificent, upright, and noble beyond words.

"The Supreme Yang is the ultimate. The heavens are positioned above and thus attain clarity; the earth is positioned below and thus attains tranquility. The Niwan of the spirit, is that not the heaven?... One sees the nature first, grasping the point of the Heavenly Origin above; one cultivates life later, perfecting the foundation of the Earthly Qi below. This is the subtle path of cultivating nature and life separately, and the original merit of not yet having achieved unity..."

East King Duke explained his Dao. As he spoke, lotus flowers of Yang manifested around him and flew out, scattering into the air as the Qi of Supreme Yang. It stirred the Three Flowers of the Primordial Spirits of Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun, both of whom revealed expressions of joy.

Another hundred years passed. As soon as East King Duke's Dao Sound faded, Zhenyuanzi's Earth Flower, which had been on the verge of blooming, trembled. Then, the Book of the Earth flew out, and the power of the Earth Veins surged, merging into his Dao body. In just a few years, a powerful aura erupted. The Earth Flower bloomed fully; he had directly broken through to the middle stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

"Congratulations, Daoist Zhenyuan."

East King Duke smiled and offered his congratulations.

Zhenyuanzi stood up, bowed deeply to him, and said, "Many thanks, Brother Dao East King Duke, for your guidance!"

Although he had already been at the peak of the early stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm and was on the verge of a breakthrough, listening to this lecture had saved him no less than ten thousand years of effort.

To attain the Dao with the help of others is akin to a rebirth. Even if it were only a small realm, it was only right to offer thanks.

"Daoist Zhenyuan, there is no need for such formalities. We have all gained from our discussion of the Dao."

It was not just Zhenyuanzi; Hongyun also seemed to have found the opportunity for a breakthrough and spoke up hurriedly.

"I, too, have gained a great deal. Brother Dao Zhenyuan, I shall now head to your quiet chamber and cave abode in the temple to enter closed-door meditation. It will take at most a thousand years, or at least a few hundred, but I will certainly break through to the middle stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm. When that time comes, I shall emerge to have a chat with you two brothers."

Zhenyuanzi naturally had no reason to refuse. As a friend of tens of thousands of years, he was naturally extremely happy to see Hongyun advance his cultivation.

Hongyun did not wish to stay a moment longer. He left in a hurry to begin his seclusion, leaving only East King Duke and Zhenyuanzi behind.

The two chatted for a while, and East King Duke, moved by a thought, decided to inform him about the matter of Luohu and the Devil Race.

Although Zhenyuanzi rarely traveled through the Primordial World, his Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain was located at the junction of the eastern and western continents, so he had naturally heard of the Devil Race.

Even so, hearing the names of Luohu and Hongjun—both supreme experts above the Zenith Heaven realm—he was still filled with shock.

"The Devil Race is wreaking havoc in the Primordial World, causing the Great Tribulation to deepen. I have been invited by Senior Hongjun to go and execute the Devil-slaying mission in one hundred thousand years. Daoist Zhenyuan, you are a true immortal who has attained the Dao, blessed by heaven, and you possess the supreme treasure, the Book of the Earth, with extraordinary power. Why not join us in acting on behalf of Heaven?"