Planting the Gourd Vine

Longevity Mountain, within Wuzhuang Temple, Wood Qi shimmered like mist, and Dao charm flowed serene as water. This place was one of the few blessed lands in the primordial wilderness, a pure realm unto itself, as if separated from the calamity-ridden chaos outside by an entire world.

In the center of the courtyard, the Four Symbols Plantain Tree cast dappled light and shadow, Dao patterns faintly visible among its branches and leaves, as if each leaf bore a fragment of the Heaven and Earth Ultimate Truth.

Beneath the tree, Lord Wanshouyuan, clad in a simple green Daoist robe, his aura perfectly fused with this Wood immortal realm, sat cross-legged on a cattail hassock. He was explaining the mysteries of life-force circulation from the Wood Scripture to the two Daoist children, Qingfeng and Mingyue, who stood respectfully before him.

His voice was clear and resonant, every word a pearl of wisdom, as he expounded on the ultimate principles of grass withering and tree flourishing, the cycle of life and death. He spoke of how a single seed draws the essence of the earth to break through the soil, and how a towering tree follows the four seasons in blooming and shedding its leaves. His words were profound yet accessible, containing the Mysteries of the Great Dao.

Not only were the two children utterly captivated, their minds rising and falling with the rhythm of the lecture, but even the strange flowers, exotic herbs, and immortal fungi in the courtyard swayed gently, their breathing of spiritual energy seeming to harmonize with the lecture's mysterious rhythm, making the entire courtyard's vitality even more vibrant.

Qingfeng and Mingyue's small faces were tense with concentration, afraid to miss a single word.

They had only recently broken through to the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, their Primordial Spirits just coalesced, their Dao bodies still in need of polishing. This was a crucial period for consolidating their foundations and understanding their own paths.

Every lecture from their Master (they were used to calling Lord Wanshouyuan "Master," since it was usually his clone who taught them) was like sweet rain after a long drought—invaluable, the cornerstone of their future Dao foundations.

However, in the middle of the lecture, just as he was dissecting the exquisite point of "Wood meets spring; vitality rises from the Mud Pill Palace, follows the meridians, guides the liver Qi, transforms into Lesser Yang, and circulates through the heavenly cycle without cease,"

Lord Wanshouyuan suddenly stopped. His gaze, warm as jade, looked far into the depths of the clouds beyond the temple, as if piercing through Layers of Spatial Barriers.

Qingfeng and Mingyue, whose minds were swaying with the lecture and whose Primordial Unity-level Wood immortal power was actively circulating as if simulating the burgeoning vitality of spring, were first puzzled when their Master stopped abruptly. They exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

It was the clever and quick-witted Mingyue whose mind turned first. Her big, dark eyes lit up with a hint of anticipation and certainty, and she asked crisply:

"Master, has Fellow Daoist Hongyun and... the other Master returned?"

She stumbled a bit, unsure how to address Zhenyuanzi's true body—that one with a deeper aura, one with the same origin as their Master but whom they interacted with less often—in front of Lord Wanshouyuan.

Lord Wanshouyuan smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, they have returned. They have arrived at the Mountain Gate."

As soon as he spoke, the mist that perpetually shrouded the outside of Wuzhuang Temple—seemingly ordinary but containing the mystery of spatial folding—rippled slightly, like two pebbles dropped into a calm lake surface.

Two streams of light, one yellow and one red, moved slowly yet swiftly, like meteors streaking across the sky, yet carrying a rhythm perfectly attuned to Longevity Mountain's Mountain Protection Great Formation. They passed lightly through the formation barrier, landing silently in the courtyard without disturbing a speck of dust. The light faded, revealing the figures of Zhenyuanzi and Old Ancestor Hongyun.

Zhenyuanzi still wore an unremarkable, simple earth-yellow Daoist robe. His expression was calm, his eyes deep as an ancient well. His whole body aura was harmonious and natural, faintly connected to the vast Earth Vein Spiritual Energy of the entire Longevity Mountain, vast and profound, as if he were a part of this land itself.

Old Ancestor Hongyun, on the other hand, wore a crimson Daoist robe. His face bore his usual, slightly unrestrained and cheerful smile, his eyes clear as a bottomless stream. Auspicious cloud aura swirled around him, giving him an air of carefree ease.

Both of their auras were fuller and more condensed than when they had left. Clearly, this journey to Buzhou Mountain, though it involved encounters with various great powers and some minor waves, had ultimately yielded great gains. Their Dao hearts had each advanced, and their understanding of the Heaven and Earth Law had deepened.

"Haha, we're back! Nothing beats the peace and freedom of our Longevity Mountain! Is everything well here?"

Hongyun, being impatient, had barely steadied himself when his hearty laughter rang out. He first greeted Lord Wanshouyuan, then his gaze habitually swept with a hint of concern toward the Innate Spiritual Root, the Four Symbols Plantain Tree, which supported the very atmosphere of Wuzhuang Temple. Seeing the treasure tree's branches and leaves lush and its Dao charm flowing without issue, he nodded in satisfaction, relaxing as if he had returned home.

Zhenyuanzi also wore a gentle smile and gave a slight nod to his clone, Lord Wanshouyuan. In an instant, their divine senses exchanged a myriad of information, their minds in mutual understanding. Between the true body and the clone, no words were needed; everything was understood without speaking.

His gaze then swept over Qingfeng and Mingyue, who had quickly bowed in respectful greeting. He lightly flicked his sleeves, and a gentle, irresistible force steadily lifted the two children. He said warmly:

"Rise, no need for such formalities. I see your auras are steady and restrained, your Wood Vitality vibrant. It seems you have not been idle lately. Your realms have stabilized considerably. Very good."

Lord Wanshouyuan rose. As a clone formed from Zhenyuanzi's original thought and part of his origin, he naturally knew everything the true body had experienced and gained. He replied with a smile:

"True Body, Fellow Daoist Hongyun, you have traveled far. All is well on the mountain. The various formations are operating as usual, and the Spiritual Energy Loop is orderly.

The nurturing of the Golden Dragon's physical shell is also proceeding smoothly. The Imperial Dragon Qi and Innate Geng Metal within it are gradually merging to perfection. Its intelligence is growing steadily, and its aura is becoming increasingly vast and profound.

However, the complete gestation and awakening of its true spirit involves the reshaping of its origin, which cannot be accomplished in a single day. It will still require some painstaking effort and opportunity."

He briefly reported on the temple's affairs, especially the progress of nurturing the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon's shell, which held limitless potential.

After exchanging greetings, Zhenyuanzi did not waste time on pleasantries. He directly spoke of the main gains from this journey.

He flicked his sleeves again. A mellow, peaceful, earth-yellow light flashed, and a light sphere, formed from pure Wutu Essence Qi with countless dense runes flowing on its surface, appeared steadily in the open space of the courtyard.

Inside the light sphere, a vibrant, naturally Dao-endowed gourd vine could be faintly seen winding and coiling. Seven-colored treasures—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—flickered faintly on the vine. Beside it, a mass of spiritual liquid, shimmering with a Chaos Aura as if containing infinite vitality, flowed slowly, its aura intermingling with that of the vine.

"This is the great opportunity gained from this journey to Buzhou Mountain."

Zhenyuanzi explained to Lord Wanshouyuan, also speaking for the benefit of Qingfeng and Mingyue, who were staring wide-eyed, full of curiosity and amazement.

"It is an Innate Spiritual Root—the Gourd Vine. This vine was born from innate creation. It is nurturing seven Innate Treasure Gourds, each with its own mystery, corresponding to different Great Dao Laws. They are still growing and have not yet fully matured.

Beside it is the Chaos Spiritual Liquid that accompanies it, formed from the residual Chaos Aura from the beginning of the world. It has miraculous effects in nourishing spiritual roots and awakening vitality."

Hongyun couldn't help but add, excitedly describing how they had discovered the vine, how they had sensed its presence, and how they had claimed the Gourd Vine through destined affinity.

He especially pointed to the crimson gourd on the vine, which resonated most with his own Cloud Dao and carefree aura, and said with pride and gratitude:

"This treasure is indeed destined for This Poor Daoist. Our auras are connected. When it matures, it will surely be a powerful protective tool!"

Lord Wanshouyuan stepped closer to examine it. He had inherited all of Zhenyuanzi's memories, knowledge, and some of his divine abilities.

He could clearly feel the faint Merit Profound Yellow Qi lingering on the Gourd Vine (for nurturing spiritual treasures, it had merit with Heaven and Earth) and that vast, pure, innate vitality that seemed capable of giving birth to all things. He nodded in admiration:

"Truly an extraordinary thing! Innate Spiritual Roots are rare to begin with, and one that can simultaneously nurture multiple Innate Spiritual Treasures is even rarer—a true anomaly of the primordial wilderness.

Transplanting it here to be nurtured by Longevity Mountain's spiritual and elegant Earth Veins, away from the calamity Qi of the outside world, is indeed a wise move. Far better than leaving it on Buzhou Mountain to endure wind and rain and karmic entanglements."

Then, Zhenyuanzi's expression grew even more solemn. He took out the divine soil he had obtained from the core depths of Buzhou Mountain—a mass shimmering with Nine-Colored Rosy Glow, emitting a vast, heavy aura like the source of the Great Earth Mother Qi—the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil.