Traveling Together in the Depths of Buzhou, the Four Symbols Banana Tree

Three hundred years of time flowed like water. The profound Dao rhymes that had permeated the hall finally receded like the tide, leaving behind a room of utter stillness.

Donghua sat quietly in his original spot, a clear radiance seemingly flowing between his brows as he continued to savor the lingering charm of the "Path of Pure Yin."

Queen Mother of the West turned her head to look, a faint smile in her eyes, her voice like jade from Kunlun shattering:

"Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this Path of Pure Yin of mine?"

Donghua closed his eyes in contemplation before sighing sincerely:

"Like the moon illuminating a cold abyss, clear and piercing to the bone; like snow covering a thousand mountains, infinitely tranquil. Fellow Daoist has grasped the true essence of this path; the road ahead is boundless."

Hearing this, a touch of joy stained the face of the Queen Mother of the West: "Then I shall borrow your auspicious words, Fellow Daoist."

For a time, though the room was silent, it was as if the Yin and Yang Energies were evolving in silence, mutually generating and harmonizing.

Yin and Yang share the same source, seeking the truth of the Dao in Kunlun.

Pure Yang meets Pure Yin, only then is the depth of the Great Dao known.

By the side of the Jade Pool, clouds and mist flowed lightly.

Donghua and the Queen Mother of the West sat opposite each other in silence. The lingering charm of their previous discussion still echoed in their minds, fuller than a thousand words.

After a long silence, Donghua finally returned from his Dao Realm. A knowing smile flashed in his eyes as he looked at the Queen Mother of the West and spoke:

"Fellow Daoist, I intend to head to Buzhou Mountain to behold the great power of Pangu Father God. I wonder if I might have the fortune to travel with you?"

The Queen Mother of the West's gaze flickered upon hearing this, as if starlight were flowing within her eyes. She pondered for only an instant before smiling in agreement:

"Very well. Your invitation, Fellow Daoist, is exactly what I desire. Having lived in Kunlun for so long, it is time to go out and walk about."

The Queen Mother of the West had always been swift and decisive in her actions; she immediately summoned the Three-legged Blue Bird and Qiu Yue to arrange all necessary matters.

In but a moment, everything was prepared.

Once the two had agreed, they did not delay, instantly transforming into two startling rainbows—one gold and one purple—that tore through the clouds and headed in the direction of Buzhou Mountain.

As Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, though they did not reveal their cultivation, the Dao rhymes surrounding them were plain to see.

Those with spiritual intelligence along the way who caught a glimpse of such a phenomenon from afar were already terrified, their hearts and gallbladders shattered, and they retreated in haste; how could they dare to commit the slightest offense?

Occasionally, some blind, ferocious beast would bump into them, only to meet its own doom, having its form and spirit extinguished and sent into reincarnation.

The journey from West Kunlun to Buzhou Mountain was long. Amidst the spiritual mountains and beautiful waters, clouds steamed and mists glowed, the Dao rhyme naturally formed.

Both possessed great opportunities and great fortune, and as they traveled, they encountered several Grotto-heaven Blessed Lands concealed by Innate Formations.

As for the Daoist fate, it depended on their own perceptions. The two tacitly followed their agreement: whenever they encountered a great formation, they would join forces to break it, and the spiritual treasures or spiritual roots within would be claimed by whoever sensed them first.

As for the Immortal Fruit borne by those spiritual roots, since they could regenerate, they did not treasure them much. They would pluck them casually to accompany the breeze and dew, serving as a treat for their light conversation along the way, which added a touch of carefree interest.

The two traveled in a leisurely and self-possessed manner until they suddenly saw, at the boundary of heaven and earth, a mountain standing majestically, supporting the sky and connecting to the earth. Its momentum was vast, and its pressure weighed upon the Primordial World Heaven and Earth—this was Buzhou.

The Queen Mother of the West gazed into the distance at the mountain shadow that pierced the sky, saying leisurely:

"The number one sacred mountain of the Primordial World; my heart has yearned for it for a long time. Today, I finally get to see its true appearance."

Donghua's divine sense stirred, slightly surprised: "Fellow Daoist has never personally visited Buzhou Mountain?"

"Never." The Queen Mother of the West shook her head, her gaze clear and cold. "Buzhou Mountain carries the will of the Great God Pangu. Its pressure is as vast as a sea of stars turned upside down; to those of us who practice, it is like carrying the shackles of mountains and rivers."

"Furthermore, that is the territory of the Witch Clan. The Witch Clan has always had a fiery temper; they act at the slightest disagreement. Moreover, the Twelve Ancestor Witches are of one mind, and few living beings are willing to provoke them."

Donghua laughed heartily upon hearing this, his sleeves brushing toward the end of the sea of clouds, his spirit high:

"Since we were born in this Primordial World Heaven and Earth, if we have never paid respects to the mountain formed by the Father God's Spine, would that not be a disservice to this cultivation of ours?"

"Then I must thank Donghua for being willing to bring me here! With Donghua's strength, I imagine those Twelve Ancestor Witches would certainly not dare to commit an offense." The Queen Mother of the West looked at Donghua with a smile.

"Taizhen, do not tease me; that is merely hearsay!"

Amidst the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds, laughter and talk were endless.

A journey together is the best way to deepen a friendship.

As time passed, the restraint in their forms of address gradually faded, appearing more intimate and easygoing.

"There is no time to lose; let us hurry into the mountain!"

Hearing this, Donghua's figure flickered, transforming into a brilliant golden rainbow that broke through the cloud barrier first, heading straight for the main peak of Buzhou Mountain.

The two rays of light swept over the territory of the Witch Clan without stirring up a single ripple, penetrating deep into the heart of the mountain range.

Just as they stepped into the territory of the main peak, a vast and ancient aura rushed toward them—majestic and heavy—it was the supreme pressure left behind by the Great God Pangu after he created the world.

Though this pressure was not enough to make the two Zenith Heaven Immortals bow, it acted like invisible shackles, causing their flight speed to suddenly lag.

Looking around, one could see dangerous cliffs like swords and precipices like blades, with a scene of desolation and solemnity shrouded in clouds and mist that never dispersed throughout the ages.

Time flowed leisurely. From the day the two entered the mountain, a full forty thousand years passed, yet the summit remained out of sight.

Just then, two distinct rays of light suddenly rose from Buzhou Mountain:

A golden-red flowing light burned like a scorching sun, with the fierce Solar True Fire surging within; a silver-white radiance shone like a cold moon, with the biting Great Yin Divine Wind swirling and flowing.

The two rays of light intertwined in the sky. The wind aided the fire's momentum, and the fire borrowed the wind's power. The scorching heat and the biting cold clashed, and in their collision, they merged into a chaotic, flowing light.

The surrounding clouds and mist were swept up and churned by this power of wind and fire, half-dyed in golden-red and half-plated in silver-white. Looking from afar at the summit of Buzhou Mountain, it was as if it were the source of wind and fire, the extreme of cold and heat.

"It seems a fortuitous encounter has manifested. Taizhen, this opportunity is destined to belong to us!"

Before Donghua's voice had even faded, the two of them transformed into streaks of light. No longer traveling with their previous composure, they pushed their flight speed to the limit, tearing through the air in pursuit of the rising glow.

The golden-purple and silver-white rainbows no longer merged or evolved together, but instead raced side by side like twin dragons, instantly shredding through layers of cloud and mist.

As the two streaks of light vanished, Donghua and Taizhen's figures suddenly froze in mid-air, their gazes firmly locked onto the spiritual root ahead.

A divine wood was rooted within a rift in the void. Its trunk looked as if it had been cast from Chaos Profound Iron, yet it seemed capable of devouring one's very soul. Its height perfectly matched the Number of Zhou Tian—three zhang, six chi, and five cun—exuding an aura of consummate Dao.

Even more startling were the four-colored Divine Leaves swaying upon its branches.

The crimson leaves churned, a sense of burning the heavens rushing toward them; the ink-black leaves surged, a momentum capable of swallowing the sky and encompassing all currents; the yellow leaves were heavy and thick, their virtue of bearing all things stabilizing the universe; the azure leaves whistled, their sharpness capable of slicing through the Heaven and Earth Laws.

As the four colors circulated, the four fundamental powers of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind generated and overcame one another in an endless cycle. Every time the leaves trembled, they caused the surrounding Heaven and Earth Laws to resonate, spreading ripples of Dao aura that transformed this void into the very source of the Four Symbols' evolution.

The moment their eyes touched the spiritual root, the name "Four Symbols Banana Tree" naturally surfaced from the depths of their true spirits, revealing its identity.

Taizhen gazed at it for a moment and sighed softly, "I did not expect such an innate divine object to have a flawed Dao aura, failing to manifest in perfection."

Just as its name suggested, this tree was meant to bear the four fundamental origins of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.

However, at this moment, upon its lush canopy, only the two Divine Leaves representing Wind and Fire possessed a consummate Dao aura, circulating with complete power of the laws; the remaining two leaves had their radiance retracted, still in the midst of gestation.

The instant Taizhen's voice fell, Donghua's gaze turned cold as lightning, piercing the space behind them as his voice rang out across the wilderness:

"Since you have arrived, Fellow Daoist, why hide your head and show your tail? Please, reveal yourself!"