Let's Pick a Name

Xuanqing decisively put away the Innate Merit Treasure.

"This treasure is in my hands now, and no one can take it. Once my cultivation is higher—at least to the Golden Immortal realm, where I can protect myself—I'll refine it then."

Having made his decision, Xuanqing's mind was clear. He cast aside all stray thoughts and began to focus on digesting what he had gained from the sermon.

At the same time, he formally started cultivating the fundamental great method bestowed by Yuanshi Tianzun—the Myriad Qi Returning to Yuan Purification Technique.

This technique perfectly matched his true form, the Purifying Mystic Bamboo, and was divided into nine layers.

Cultivating the first layer allowed him to purify all heavenly and earthly qi drawn into his body, removing the mixed Sha Qi and dust, transforming it into the purest origin dharma power. This made his cultivation efficiency far surpass those of the same rank, and his dharma power quality was higher.

Xuanqing had previously been at the first layer.

Now, aided by the insights from the Dao Ancestor's sermon, he began to break through to the second layer.

The second layer was called "Returning to Yuan."

Cultivating to this level not only purified qi but also allowed him to absorb various heterogenous energies of heaven and earth—such as star power, earthly Turbid Qi, and the Nine Heavens Gale—and convert them all into his own origin dharma power.

This was a qualitative leap!

Time slipped away in seclusion, and a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Cave Abode, Xuanqing's body flowed with Dao Rhyme, and his aura grew deeper. His dharma power had fully stabilized at the late Great Yi Mysterious Immortal stage and become incredibly dense.

Finally, on the last day of the three hundredth year, a soft sound came from within his body.

The second layer of the Myriad Qi Returning to Yuan Purification Technique was complete!

Xuanqing's eyes snapped open, a divine light shining in his gaze. He could feel that his affinity for all kinds of energies in heaven and earth had increased by more than a hundredfold.

Now, even if he were in a place devoid of qi, he could forcibly draw energy from his own body to replenish himself.

"Not bad, not bad. This seclusion has yielded great gains."

Xuanqing nodded in satisfaction, stood up, stretched his limbs, and prepared to leave seclusion for some fresh air.

Just as he lifted the Forbidden Seal on his Cave Abode, a sudden change occurred.

"Boom!"

The entire He Mountain—no, the entire Kundu Mountain Range—shook violently!

A vast surge of spiritual qi converged from all directions, forming a small vortex of qi, and the center of that vortex was right on his He Mountain!

"What's going on? Someone attacking?"

Xuanqing's first reaction was vigilance. He immediately released his divine sense, sweeping toward the center of the qi convergence.

His divine sense found no enemy, but instead spotted a strange spiritual plant.

The plant was wreathed in nine-colored radiant light, its leaves seeming to hold flowing stars, and at its top bore a fruit shaped like a deer looking back.

"This is... the Nine-Colored Deer Herb?"

Xuanqing recognized the plant's origin. His Master had once told him that besides the many immortal cranes, He Mountain also had many rare spiritual plants. This was a top-tier acquired spiritual plant unique to Kunlun Mountain. Though it couldn't compare to his own true form, it was still a first-class spiritual object in the Honghuang.

At that moment, the Nine-Colored Deer Herb was madly devouring the gathered heavenly and earthly qi, its radiance growing brighter and brighter.

"So it's not an enemy, just a spiritual plant about to transform."

Xuanqing relaxed, then grew interested.

This was the first time he had personally witnessed another spiritual plant's transformation.

The Nine-Colored Deer Herb, after absorbing a massive amount of spiritual qi, began to grow ethereal and transparent. Nine-colored light shot into the sky, intertwining in midair, gradually forming a blurry human silhouette.

Thunder rolled, dark clouds gathered.

The transformation heavenly tribulation had arrived!

But compared to the phenomena that had accompanied Xuanqing's own transformation, this tribulation's power was nothing.

A few thin tribulation lightning bolts struck down, but were easily blocked by the nine-colored light.

Soon, the tribulation dispersed, and the light gradually faded, merging into the human silhouette.

When the light vanished, a figure stood in its place.

It was a girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in an emerald green long skirt, with skin like snow and delicate features.

The girl blinked, looking at her own hands in confusion, then down at her body, as if not yet used to this new form.

Xuanqing watched from a distance, nodding inwardly.

"Solid foundation, perfect transformation. A good seedling."

At the same time, he compared himself.

His transformation as an Innate Merit Spiritual Root was fundamentally different from that of an acquired spiritual plant.

An acquired spiritual plant's transformation was "spirit-body transformation." They first condensed a spirit body, then through cultivation, slowly converted it into a Dao body. This process was long and arduous.

But Xuanqing was different.

Once he transformed, it was "Dao-body transformation." His body was built from the most fundamental great Dao laws and merit qi, born in harmony with the Dao, with no bottlenecks whatsoever.

This is the gap in foundation, something innate, impossible to change.

Just as Xuanqing was pondering this, the transformed young girl seemed to sense something as well. She whipped her head around, meeting Xuanqing's gaze directly.

Their eyes locked, and the air seemed to freeze for an instant.

A flicker of wariness and panic first flashed through the girl's eyes, but when she made out Xuanqing's features and felt the gentle aura of kinship emanating from him, the caution in her gaze gradually dissolved, replaced by intense curiosity.

She stood dazed for a moment, then a crisp voice rang out, tinged with uncertainty.

"You... are you also...?"

Xuanqing looked at the newly transformed little girl before him and felt a strong urge to laugh.

She wore a long emerald-green dress, standing there at a loss, both hands clutching the hem of her skirt, her eyes full of panic as she stared at him.

"Don't look so lost. Within a hundred li of He Mountain, I am the Mountain Lord." Xuanqing spoke first, his voice steady. "When you transformed just now, you absorbed the spiritual energy from in front of my Cave Abode. That counts as Karma between us."

The girl's body trembled at the words "Mountain Lord."

She could sense the aura radiating from Xuanqing—a natural suppression of a lower Spiritual Root by a higher one.

Xuanqing's true form was the Purifying Mystic Bamboo, the first merit-based Spiritual Root between heaven and earth.

She was merely the Nine-Colored Deer Herb. Though rare in its own right, before Xuanqing, it was still nothing to boast of.

That fear, born from the depths of her soul, left her with no thought of resistance.

"Greetings... greetings to the senior." The girl struggled for a long moment before squeezing out these words.

Xuanqing waved a hand. "No need to be so formal. I'm a reasonable person. Since you transformed here, it means you and I share a bond. From now on, you can live on that Side Peak over there. It has many cranes and abundant spiritual energy."

He pointed to a small mountain peak not far away, perpetually shrouded in mist—an excellent place for cultivation and nurturing one's nature.

"Thank you, senior, for taking me in." The girl quickly bowed, her attitude extremely respectful.

Xuanqing thought for a moment. He couldn't keep calling her "little girl" forever; she needed a name.

"Since you transformed from the Nine-Colored Deer Herb, and your original form bears deer-shaped fruits, from now on, you shall be called Luyao."

"Luyao... I have a name!" The girl repeated it twice, her eyes lighting up.

After all, she was still a newly born spirit creature, pure of heart. The earlier fear was greatly diluted by the joy of receiving a name.