Innate Gourd Vine Appears

Time in the primeval wilderness was immeasurable, and during this tedious and meticulous search, it quietly slipped away.

None could say how long had passed—perhaps months or even years in the outside world. The two focused without distraction, repeatedly scouring this area several times over.

On this day, as Hongyun's divine sense, like a trickling stream, once again carefully seeped through a massive bluish-black rock covered in thick, dark green moss, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountain wall and appearing utterly unremarkable—

That faint sense of pull, which had lain dormant for so long, suddenly flared like a spark igniting in the darkness, becoming clear and stable for an instant!

Though still weak, it no longer wavered, pointing unmistakably deep into this great rock!

"Here! Daoist Zhenyuanzi, it's here!"

Hongyun's eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. An irrepressible excitement surfaced on his face as he pointed at the seemingly ordinary bluish-black cliff and spoke with certainty.

Zhenyuanzi instantly flashed over, standing shoulder to shoulder with Hongyun, and focused his gaze on that spot of the mountain wall.

Both of them concentrated their divine senses there, and upon careful examination, they indeed discovered the clue!

Behind that mountain wall was not solid rock, but a faint, extremely subtle yet profoundly mysterious spatial fluctuation.

This fluctuation, blending with the surrounding heavy, solid aura of the mountain stone, seemed out of place, as if an invisible, naturally formed energy barrier had cleverly twisted space, perfectly concealing the true scene beyond.

"Xiantian Restriction!" The two exclaimed in unison, their voices low.

Such formations, naturally born from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth to guard certain Innate Spiritual Objects or Blessed Lands, were not uncommon in the primeval wilderness. Generally, the more powerful and deeply rooted the treasure, the more complex and formidable the Xiantian Restriction surrounding it.

The restriction before them emanated an aura that was simple, unadorned, vast, and profoundly mysterious, tightly connected to the earth vein energy of Buzhou Mountain itself, as if formed by nature. It was clearly no ordinary restriction, and the object it guarded was undoubtedly extraordinary.

Fortunately, this restriction seemed primarily intended for concealment and protection. Its aura was Righteous and Peaceful, with not a trace of killing or malice, suggesting it lacked the ability to actively attack intruders.

"Daoist, this restriction is linked to the mountain's earth veins. We must be cautious in breaking it, lest we trigger a backlash from the mountain's momentum or damage the spiritual object within."

"We need to combine our efforts and proceed step by step."

Zhenyuanzi said solemnly. As an incarnation of the essence of the earth, and having inherited the Pangu Jade Marrow, he possessed profound expertise in earth vein and formation Dao, naturally taking the lead now.

Hongyun nodded gravely. "This Poor Daoist understands. I will fully cooperate with you, Daoist." He was well aware of Zhenyuanzi's skill in this Dao and also recognized the danger of unraveling such high-level Xiantian Restrictions.

Without further words, the two each displayed their divine abilities. Zhenyuanzi's expression turned solemn as his hands formed complex, mysterious hand seals before his chest. A yellow divine light swirled around him, drawing upon the earth vein power deep beneath their feet.

His divine sense, like the most precise carving knife, carefully probed into the nodes where the restriction connected with the mountain's earth veins. Like unraveling silk from a cocoon, he slowly analyzed its structure and attempted, in a gentle manner, to temporarily separate it from the main earth vein trunk, weakening the restriction's energy source.

This process demanded extremely precise control; even the slightest misstep could trigger an earth vein tremor.

Meanwhile, Hongyun cooperated fully.

He activated his Four Symbols Power, especially the gentleness of wind and the penetrating nature of water, condensing his vast magical power into countless energy threads finer than silk, like living tendrils.

Following the tiny gaps Zhenyuanzi opened, he probed into the restriction's interior, assisting in sensing the patterns of its energy flow, searching for weak points in its runic structure. With gentle force, he infiltrated and channeled, helping Zhenyuanzi dismantle the restriction's defenses.

This was a process that tested patience, tacit understanding, and control to the utmost.

Both were highly focused, daring not the slightest carelessness. Their magical power output was refined to the extreme, fearing that excessive force might disrupt the restriction's balance, causing it to collapse and damage the treasure within, or trigger unforeseen mishaps.

Time passed slowly in the silent, tense process of unraveling.

None could say how long it took, until Zhenyuanzi completed his final hand seal and Hongyun injected a stream of pure Four Symbols Yuan Qi into a key node. The seemingly indestructible bluish-black rock finally began to undergo a wondrous change.

The rock's surface rippled like water disturbed by a thrown stone, sending out gentle Space Ripples. The originally solid texture grew illusory, and finally, it silently parted to both sides, revealing a narrow entrance, just enough for one person to slip through sideways, emitting a faint white light.

The moment the entrance opened, a surge of pure, almost tangible innate Wood Spirit Qi, mixed with an indescribable aura of Creation and Vitality that seemed capable of nurturing all things, burst forth from the cave mouth like a breached dam!

The purity and antiquity of this aura made even Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals like Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun feel their spirits invigorated, their pores involuntarily opening wide.

The two Looked at Each Other, seeing the awe and anticipation in each other's eyes. They adjusted their breathing and, one after another, carefully stepped inside.

Passing through that thin Light Screen, the scene before them Suddenly Enlightened—it was a world Completely Different from the outside!

This was a natural cave, not particularly spacious, but Filled With vibrant life.

The cave walls were not ordinary rock, but warm, jade-like spiritual jade emitting a faint glow, upon which many mysterious Dao patterns had naturally formed.

From the cave ceiling hung countless stalactite-like spiritual marrow, dripping with spiritual dew.

And at the very center of the cave was a small pool of chaotic-colored, misty spiritual liquid, as if containing the Origin Power from the dawn of creation.

The most eye-catching sight was the divine vine growing in this Chaos Spiritual Pool!

The vine's Main Trunk was vigorous like a dragon, meandering and coiling, its entire body a vivid emerald green, as if carved from the finest jade. Its leaves were thick with clear veins, Emitting a vitality and spirituality so vast it was breathtaking.

From the vine hung strands of Profound Yellow Qi like silk ribbons, and faint specks of Merit Golden Light flickered like stars within, manifesting its extraordinary origins and merit!

But what truly froze Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun's gaze was the top of the vine, where the vitality was strongest. There hung seven treasure gourds, each of different shapes, colors, and sizes!

Every gourd emitted a unique and powerful Dao resonance and treasure light, with radiant mists and auspicious vapors swirling, illuminating the entire cave in a riot of color!

Though these gourds still appeared somewhat immature, their treasure light restrained, seemingly not yet fully ripe and ready to fall, their nature as Innate Spiritual Objects was already unmistakable!

This was none other than the famed Innate Spiritual Root of the primeval wilderness, which would later draw great powers into conflict—the Innate Gourd Vine!

And upon it, the Seven Great Innate Gourds were being nurtured!

The moment Hongyun entered the cave, his gaze was firmly drawn to one of the gourds, unable to look away!

It was a gourd of a deep crimson color, like burning flames or the sunset clouds at the edge of the sky. Its surface bore naturally formed, mysterious cloud patterns, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry, as if constantly shifting and changing.

The Dao resonance it emitted was both scorching and ethereal, combining the violence of fire with the impermanence of clouds—two completely different auras perfectly fused together.

And the pull Hongyun had sensed from outside was now unmistakably clear and strong, its source being this very crimson gourd! It seemed to be silently calling out to its destined master.

"This... this is actually... the Innate Spiritual Root, the Gourd Vine?!"

Fellow Daoist Hongyun stared at the extraordinary vine before him and the seven gourds shimmering with precious light and overflowing with Dao resonance. Even as a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, widely traveled and broad-minded, he was struck dumb by this sudden, immense surprise. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, as if unable to believe his own eyes.

He knew of many Innate Spiritual Roots, but one with such an aura, simultaneously nurturing seven Innate Spiritual Objects, was simply Unheard Of!

Though Zhenyuanzi had already braced himself through his memories, seeing the legendary Innate Spiritual Root with his own eyes and feeling its surging vitality and profound Dao resonance, a flash of Hard to Conceal awe and admiration Flashed In the Eyes.

He slowly swept his gaze over the seven gourds of different colors, sensing the distinct Dao resonances they emitted, and already understood their general attributes and future fates in his heart.

Seeing Hongyun's expression of mixed joy and disbelief, he stroked his beard with a light laugh, pointed at the crimson gourd, and spoke with a tone of certainty and satisfaction:

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Hongyun! Your blessings run deep, and the Heavenly Dao favors you! This treasure's light is inwardly gathered, its Dao resonance aligns with your origin, and it draws itself to you—it is Destined for you, and rightfully yours. This is a great joy!"