Within Wuzhuang Temple of Longevity Mountain, the Dao's presence was peaceful and auspicious. Wood Qi mingled with the essence of innate earth, as though the temple formed a Pure Land unto itself.
At the center of the courtyard, the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon continued to breathe in and out Merit Profound Yellow Qi. The Four Symbols Plantain Tree stirred without wind, while the seven treasured gourds on the Gourd Vine gave off a hazy Daoist aura.
The newly arrived immortal cranes and descendants of sacred beasts each tended to their duties, lending the ancient temple a fresh measure of life.
Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun sat facing each other beneath the Four Symbols Plantain Tree. After climbing Buzhou Mountain, collecting the Gourd Vine, preaching in the Western Lands, and all the other momentous events they had weathered, this rare stretch of peace felt all the more precious.
In one corner of the courtyard, the Black Tortoise lay quietly, its aura joined to the earth as it contemplated the Way of Transformation;
The Ink Kirin carefully tended the spiritual plants in the Herb Garden behind the mountain, its dark scales glinting faintly in the sunlight;
The Nine-Headed Lion guarded the Mountain Gate, nine pairs of eyes sweeping their surroundings with vigilance.
Yet Zhenyuanzi sensed something. His cultivation had reached the Peak Great Luo Golden Immortal level, and he could vaguely feel his Way of the Great Earth pressing against an unseen barrier.
Quiet cultivation within his temple alone would no longer bring about that final transformation.
One morning, the first ray of sunlight pierced the clouds and struck the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon's scales, scattering ten thousand golden beams across the courtyard. Zhenyuanzi slowly opened his eyes, and the outlines of mountains and rivers seemed to flash within them.
He looked toward Hong Yun, who sat across from him contemplating the Four Symbols Profound Method, and said calmly:
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, I sense that I must venture into the Primordial Wilderness once more. I wish to walk upon the earth and understand the flow of the Earth Veins and the roots of all living things, that I may advance further along my path."
Hong Yun emerged from his contemplation, unsurprised.
He knew well that his fellow Daoist was an embodiment of the earth. Secluded Cultivation mattered, but walking the Primordial Wilderness and feeling the earth's breath and pulse firsthand was just as essential to his practice.
He smiled freely, his crimson Daoist robe rippling like drifting clouds. "You must follow where your path leads. Yuanjun and I will look after everything here. Go without worry."
Zhenyuanzi nodded and said no more. They had been friends for countless ages and understood each other without need for ceremony. He rose, his steps steady as shifting mountains, and walked slowly out through the Mountain Gate of Wuzhuang Temple.
The Nine-Headed Lion bowed all nine heads respectfully and watched his master leave. The immortal cranes patrolling the clouds gave clear cries of farewell. Even the Black Tortoise in the courtyard corner raised its head slightly to watch that plain-robed figure recede into the distance.
After leaving the blessed lands of Longevity Mountain, Zhenyuanzi did not use Shrink Ground to Inches or any great power to tear through space.
With a thought, he drew in the vast, abyssal aura that would have inspired awe even in ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortals. It vanished completely, like a great whale sinking beneath the sea, leaving him simple and unassuming.
Now he looked like an ordinary wandering Daoist in an inconspicuous ocher robe. His presence was peaceful; he would not have stood out among the countless beings of the Primordial Wilderness.
His destination was clear: the boundless East Sea.
According to his memories of later ages, three immortal islands lay hidden upon the East Sea. Formed from Chaos Fragments, they held worlds unto themselves and contained Innate Spiritual Mechanism. Innate Spiritual Treasures or spiritual roots were surely concealed within them. Such an opportunity might prove invaluable to his future path, so he had to investigate.
But Zhenyuanzi was in no hurry.
Since he had set out to comprehend the Way of the Great Earth, he truly immersed body and mind in the embrace of the Primordial Land.
He forsook flight through the clouds and set both feet firmly upon the vast, ancient ground.
With every step, he sensed the land through his Innate Earthen Origin. The instant his sole touched earth, an endless stream of impressions flowed into his heart like brooks joining a river:
The slow churning of magma far below, like the earth's burning blood; the gurgling flow of Earth Vein Spiritual Energy, like a web of meridians;
The breathing of mountains, the sighing of valleys, even the faintest tremors made by countless tiny lives moving underground and through the grasslands... Together, they formed the immense and intricate rhythm of life in the Primordial Land.
He walked through lush primeval forests beneath towering ancient trees. Leaves accumulated over countless ages rustled softly beneath his feet, while the scent of damp soil mingled with the freshness of vegetation.
Passing through a deep valley, Zhenyuanzi encountered a herd of strange beasts.
They resembled sheep but had nine tails, four ears, and eyes on their backs. They were the Bo Xi recorded in the later Classic of Mountains and Seas.
These timid, wary creatures darted into cracks in the rocks at the sight of a stranger.
Sensing their pure auras and peaceful nature, Zhenyuanzi left them undisturbed. Deeper in the valley, he found several rare Dan Wood trees. Their leaves resembled those of grain, and their fruit was as large as a melon, marked red and veined black. Eating it granted protection from fire.
He crossed the vast, barren western wastes, where wind drove sheets of sand across the Gobi, and felt the earth's endurance and stillness under such harsh conditions.
The scorching sun baked the cracked ground. Fierce winds hurled yellow sand against the rock walls like blades, carving the marks of ages into them.
There, he came to understand another side of Great Virtue Carrying Things: the solitude and resolve of bearing all things in silence through wind and frost.
Beneath that seemingly lifeless desert, he sensed a faint current of spiritual energy still flowing through the Earth Veins and nourishing unusual creatures.
At one desert oasis, he discovered several Zheng.
They resembled red leopards, each with five tails and one horn. Their cries rang like stones struck together.
As the beasts drank at the oasis, they caught sight of Zhenyuanzi approaching. At once, they raised their five tails and let out warning growls.
Sensing the pure Five Elements Qi within them, Zhenyuanzi nodded slightly and went around. At the oasis's center grew an unusual Sha Tang Tree. It resembled a flowering crabapple, with yellow blossoms and red fruit. Eating its fruit would keep one from drowning.
He also paused beside a roaring great river. Watching turbid waves surge skyward and crash against the banks, he felt how its waters had shaped and reshaped the land over countless years. He contemplated the Mutual Generation and Restraint between water's yielding strength and earth's capacity to bear, their Daoist auras blending.
On the stony riverbank, he found several Yu Pei stones, which could ward off miasma when worn. They resembled amber, with what looked like rippling water inside.
Ran Yi Fish swam in the river, with fish bodies, snake heads, six legs, and eyes shaped like horses' ears. Eating them could ward off evil. These ancient creatures swam at ease, unaware that in later ages they would stand on the brink of extinction.
Farther out, schools of He Luo Fish swam together, each with one head and ten bodies. They barked like dogs, and eating them could cure abscesses and swelling.
Along the way, Zhenyuanzi did more than contemplate heaven and earth. He also watched how the many kinds of life in the Primordial Wilderness survived and changed.
Not long had passed since the world's creation, and spiritual energy was abundant beyond measure. It nourished countless strange beasts and spiritual plants that later ages would regard as priceless rarities.
Many creatures had ancient forms and pure auras, and held unique Origin Power. Yet from Zhenyuanzi's vague knowledge of later ages, most seemed destined to fade away in future calamities, becoming legends or disappearing entirely into the River of Time.
At the thought, a ripple stirred in Zhenyuanzi's heart.
He was lord of the earth, bearer of the Book of the Earth, and his fate was bound to the Primordial Land.
These creatures were part of the Primordial Wilderness. Their disappearance would, in a sense, diminish and damage the earth's very source.
Though his Dao-heart was firm as stone, he could not help feeling compassion: having seen them live, he could not bear to see them die. He also felt the responsibility that came with guarding the earth.
Since our paths have crossed, there must be a Destined Affinity, Zhenyuanzi thought.
I cannot overturn the great course of events, but perhaps preserving a few sparks of life in small ways will settle my Karma with this world.
His mind made up, he continued on his way with a keener eye.
Deep in a marsh wreathed year-round in seven-colored poisonous miasma, he discovered a pair of Yu Li. They resembled Kirin but had deer antlers and bodies covered in gleaming jade scales.
They fed on Spirit Fungus found only in the marsh and could swallow poisonous miasma and turn it into pure spiritual energy. Their inner cores could cure a hundred poisons and restore dead flesh. In his memories of later ages, their wondrous properties had led to relentless hunting and eventual extinction.
Zhenyuanzi swept his sleeve gently. A soft but irresistible force enveloped the startled Yu Li, taking both them and a small, intact portion of their marsh habitat into his Sleeve Universe. Mi Gu Trees also grew in the marsh. They resembled grain plants with black veins, and their blossoms shone in every direction. Wearing one kept a traveler from losing their way.
When he reached a barren red mountain range, he found Yong Birds roosting among the peaks.
They resembled owls but had human faces, four eyes, and ears. Their cries could stir the subterranean fire.
Seeing that these intelligent birds lived in harmony with the earth fire, Zhenyuanzi collected a pair and made them a valley rich in earth fire within his sleeve. Di Wu Trees also grew on the mountain. They resembled pepper trees, with downward-pointing thorns and red fruit that could ward off misfortune.
Atop a remote snowy mountain, he found a Snow Soul Wood tree barely a foot tall. Its whole body looked carved from ice crystal, and snowflake patterns had formed naturally on its leaves.
The tree gave off extreme cold, yet it could nourish the soul and stabilize the Primordial Spirit. It was a treasure for cultivators of ice techniques and those whose souls had been injured.
It, too, would be almost impossible to find in the future.
Carefully guiding the Earth Veins, Zhenyuanzi moved the Snow Soul Wood into his sleeve along with the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice around its roots.
Near the snow line, he also spotted several White Apes. They resembled apes, with white heads and red feet, and their appearance foretold great wars. But these White Apes were playing in the snow, utterly unaware of what their presence portended.
Zhu Jian also roamed the mountaintop. They resembled long-tailed leopards with human heads, ox ears, and a single eye, and were adept at howling.
The beasts left deep tracks in the snow. Zhenyuanzi saw how fierce they were, but they, too, were products of Heaven and Earth Creation, so he collected a pair.
More surprisingly, he found a flock of Cold Howl Birds in an ice cave. They resembled chickens with white heads and mouse feet, and could withstand the cold.
He also encountered strange creatures called Illusion Light Butterflies. Their wings bent light as they fluttered, creating dreamlike illusions. When they danced together, they could even stir ripples in the space around them.
They were beautiful and fragile, with exacting needs for their habitat.
Zhenyuanzi did not disturb them. Instead, he quietly moved an entire woodland into his Sleeve Universe, along with the hundreds of Illusion Light Butterflies living there and the Moonlight Moss that was their only food. Several Wen Jing Trees grew there as well. They resembled pear trees with red veins, and eating their fruit could cure deafness.
In a deep bamboo grove, Zhenyuanzi discovered the Imperial Platform Chess recorded in the later Classic of Mountains and Seas.
The five-colored stones lay scattered among the bamboo, shaped like quail eggs and shining with a gentle luster.
According to the records, deities used the stones to play chess, and wearing one protected against gu poison.
Sensing a small amount of Innate Five Elements Qi within them, Zhenyuanzi collected tens of thousands and placed them in his sleeve to nurture them. Xing Xing lived in the bamboo grove, too. They resembled white-eared monkeys, crawled on all fours but ran like humans, and eating them could make one swift-footed.
As he passed a crystal-clear stream, he saw Wanyao Fish playing in the water.
They resembled carp but had birds' wings, blue patterns, white heads, and red beaks. They traveled between the West Sea and the East Sea, flying at night.
These Spirit Fish were not afraid of people. Instead, they swam closer with curiosity.
Finding them lively and endearing, Zhenyuanzi collected a school and opened up a stretch of water within his sleeve for them. Huai Wood grew beside the stream. It resembled a tree of heaven and bore melon-like fruit; eating it granted an unfailing memory.
In a valley filled with strange flowers and exotic grasses, Zhenyuanzi encountered Qin Yuan. They resembled bees but were as large as mandarin ducks. Their stings killed birds and beasts and withered trees.
Though these creatures were deadly, they were also products of Heaven and Earth Creation. Zhenyuanzi carefully avoided their stingers, collected some, and placed them in a poisonous, miasma-filled region he had set aside within his sleeve. Jia Guo Trees grew in the valley, too. They resembled peach trees with square trunks, and eating their fruit prevented fatigue.
And there were countless others.
There were Yong He, powerful, furred creatures with horns but little intelligence. They resembled apes, with red eyes, red beaks, and yellow bodies; their appearance foretold great terror for a nation;
Melodious Sound Birds, shaped like larks but with seven-colored tail feathers, whose songs could soothe the mind;
Suan Yu, which lurked in earth-fire lava and fed on refined metal, their shells all but indestructible. They resembled snakes with four wings, six eyes, and three legs;
And Qiu Fu, which resembled crows with three heads and six tails and gave laughing cries. Eating them warded off weariness and misfortune.
In a marsh, he found Xuan Gui, which resembled tortoises with birds' heads and viper tails. Their calls sounded like splitting wood, and wearing one prevented deafness;
Deep in a dense forest, he encountered Li Li, which resembled pigs with spurs. Their appearance foretold extensive earthworks in a district; out on the wasteland, he saw Zhu Birds, which resembled owls with human hands. Their calls sounded like the word bi, and their appearance foretold many exiles in a district.
Zhenyuanzi did not gather creatures indiscriminately.
Most of those he took were rich in spiritual energy and unusual in origin, but whose fortunes, by his vague reckoning, seemed short-lived. Others were so sensitive to changes in their surroundings that they could easily die out.
He was no Sage dispensing compassion without restraint. He had his own principles.
Nor did taking these creatures into his Sleeve Universe mean imprisoning them.
Drawing on his deep understanding of Earth Law and the power of the Book of the Earth, he recreated a suitable natural habitat for each kind of creature within his sleeve. Those that needed marshes had marshes; those that needed snowy mountains had snowy mountains; those that needed forests had forests. He also drew in an unbroken supply of spiritual energy from outside to sustain the cycle of life within.
In a sense, the creatures had found an ark within Zhenyuanzi's Sleeve Universe, safe from the Calamity Qi and wars of the outside world. They had lost the freedom to roam the vast Primordial World, but under his protection they could carry on their bloodlines and escape the extinction that otherwise awaited them.
They have lost their freedom, but gained a chance for their kind to endure. Whether that was gain or loss was not so easily judged.
Zhenyuanzi continued east at an unhurried pace. Sometimes he stopped to sense the Great Earth Pulse; at others, he gathered rare creatures whose paths were destined to cross his own.
Within his Sleeve Universe, a miniature survey of the Primordial Wilderness's living things was gradually taking shape: a collection of life that belonged to him alone.
He made no effort to travel quickly, yet at his level, even his walking pace far outstripped an ordinary Golden Immortal in flight.
Thus, after an unknown number of seasons, he crossed endless mountains and rivers and traversed nearly half the Primordial Continent. At last, a salt-laden wind met him. The boundless East Sea, its blue waves stretching to the horizon, lay in sight.
Standing on a reef at the shoreline, Zhenyuanzi gazed out at the seamless blue of sea and sky. A trace of gravity appeared on his usually calm face. Land was his domain, but this vast ocean was another world entirely.
Finding the elusive Three Immortal Islands, hidden even from heavenly insight, would be no easy task.
Near the shore, he saw Ling Yu swimming through the water. They resembled fish with human faces and fully formed hands and feet. Several Zun Birds flew overhead, resembling owls with red feet, straight beaks, yellow markings, and white heads.
Zhu Bi Fish crawled among the rocks. They resembled lungs with eyes and six legs, and often spat out pearls. These sea creatures were unlike anything on land, bearing the ocean's own mysterious air.
He paused to steady his breathing and bring himself to his best condition. Then he stepped out onto the waves.
His aura withdrew even further, while his divine sense spread like an invisible web, reaching cautiously but steadily into the unknown blue expanse.
Before you continue