Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot, Unexpected Joy

In the center of the blessed land, an immortal apricot tree stood amidst wind and thunder. Daoist principles intertwined in the void, and its thunder-laden branches bore two apricots as red as blood.

"Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot!"

"What a stroke of luck!"

This blessed land was only ten thousand miles in area. With Xuan Qing's Golden Immortal eyesight, he could naturally see the Innate Spiritual Root standing at its center at a glance.

Of course, within this blessed land, the innate spiritual energy was dense, and many spiritual roots and immortal herbs grew. There were things like Vermillion Fruits, Earth Marrow Ganoderma, and Tranquil Spirit Flowers, truly everything one could wish for. They were scattered throughout the blessed land like stars, making it a treasure trove waiting for Xuan Qing to explore.

"First, I'll get the immortal apricot!"

The Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot, one of the ten supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Roots, was right before him. Xuan Qing disregarded all other spiritual roots and immortal herbs and immediately flew towards the center of the blessed land on his sword light.

After all, they're just some acquired spiritual roots. Can they run away on their own?

Unlike the lush scenery at the edges of the blessed land, the center was frequently struck by heavenly lightning or buffeted by fierce winds due to the presence of the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot. No other spiritual roots grew there.

Instead, the immortal stones on the ground, eroded by the wind and thunder for years and absorbing some of the wind and thunder Dao insights, had developed some mystical properties.

"These are good materials for artifact refining. I'll take them back for Senior Brother Duobao!" Xuan Qing summoned his flying sword, casually chipped off a few pieces of the better-quality immortal stones, and then used his spiritual power to collect them into his sleeve. "This journey has been smooth and uneventful, all thanks to the Golden Cloud Crown he lent me. This is the perfect gift to show my gratitude!"

Although it was natural for senior brothers to look out for their juniors, always owing favors wasn't ideal. If they accumulated too much, it could damage their friendship.

Give and take was the proper way.

This was also why Xuan Qing maintained good relationships with many of his fellow disciples, and even some disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect.

After collecting some immortal stones imbued with the essence of wind and thunder, Xuan Qing went straight to the immortal apricot tree and plucked the two blood-red immortal apricots from its branches.

He examined them for a moment before decisively consuming both immortal apricots together. Then, he sat cross-legged on the ground and circulated the Supreme Clarity Heart Method to refine the Dao fragments within the immortal apricots.

Innate spiritual roots were called so precisely because, like Innate Spiritual Treasures, they contained various strange and wondrous fragments of Dao laws.

The fruits they bore were the essence of their being, often taking eons to gestate.

And the immortal apricot, as one of the ten supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Roots, bore fruits that were truly extraordinary. Refining them would not only increase one's cultivation and magical power but also condense the nascent form of a Wind-Thunder Dao Seed.

Even though it was just a nascent form, it was the key to advancing to the Grand Unity realm. Among a hundred Taiyi Golden Immortals, perhaps not even one could condense this on their own.

Either comprehend the Great Dao of heaven and earth!

Or listen to the teachings of a powerful being!

Or, like Xuan Qing, swallow and refine a spiritual fruit containing Dao fragments!

There was no superiority among the three methods, only differences in difficulty. After consuming the immortal apricot, Xuan Qing even condensed the Innate Wind-Lightning Dao Body, making future comprehension of the Way of Wind and Thunder twice as effective.

Not to mention, he was a disciple of a Saint, often having the opportunity to see the Saint and listen to their teachings, experiencing the various Dao insights that flowed from the Saint's every move.

"Rumble!"

Around Xuan Qing, the essence of wind and thunder surged, like golden bells chiming and the Great Dao roaring. He rapidly absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy to forge an immaculate immortal body.

The power of wind and thunder, while tempering his Golden Immortal physical body, was also purifying his Golden Immortal Primordial Spirit, transforming the illusory into the real, laying the foundation for his future advancement to the Grand Unity realm.

Furthermore, two Dao Seeds floated and sank deep within his Primordial Spirit, waiting for the completion of the Three Flowers and the integration of the Five Energies to begin growing and transforming towards the Way of Wind and Thunder.

The Golden Crow flew, the Jade Rabbit departed.

There were no sun or moon in the blessed land, yet the sky was bright. Xuan Qing was immersed in his cultivation, unaware of the passage of time. In the blink of an eye, decades had passed.

His cultivation had advanced from the middle stage of Golden Immortal to the perfected Golden Immortal stage, just one step away from condensing Innate Ancestral Qi and successfully entering the Taiyi realm.

The Dao fragments from the two immortal apricots had transformed into true seeds, floating and sinking deep within his Primordial Spirit, seemingly nurturing a divine ability with the power of wind and thunder.

"No rush!"

With the foundation laid by the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot and the Wind-Thunder Dao Body it had evolved, his innate talent was already comparable to that of Daoist Duobao and Golden Spirit Holy Mother, even if he hadn't quite caught up yet!

The reason he hadn't broken through to Taiyi in one go was twofold: first, he wanted to consolidate his foundation, and second, Kunlun Mountain, as the ancestral vein of all mountains, was extremely rich in Innate Ancestral Qi, making the benefits of breaking through to Taiyi there much greater.

This was the advantage of having a lineage.

Following that, Xuan Qing scoured the Zhongnan Blessed Land clean. Whether it was Innate Spiritual Items or acquired immortal medicines, he didn't let go of anything with even a little value. Although their value was not high now, they would become rare treasures once Buzhou Mountain collapsed and Innate spiritual energy completely disappeared!

Finally, he set his sights on the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot. As a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Root, besides its fruits helping people condense Dao Seeds, it could also suppress fortune and destiny, making it an extremely rare treasure.

Of course, it was far inferior to Innate Supreme Treasures like the Taiji Diagram, Pangu Banner, and Chaos Bell, but how many such treasures were there in total?

Didn't you see...

Even Sect Master Tongtian didn't have them?

Xuan Qing pondered for a moment, looking at the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot before him. "This tree is a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Root with immense value. I could refine it into a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure! But doing so would be a terrible waste! Offering it to Sect Master Tongtian to suppress the fortune of the Intercepting Sect is the best choice!"

In the future Intercepting Sect, with myriad immortals coming to pay homage, even a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Root would be insufficient to suppress its fortune. However, before Xuan Qing left the mountain, the Intercepting Sect only had a hundred or so disciples. The future situation was uncertain, but given the grade of the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot, suppressing the current fortune of the Intercepting Sect was more than enough in Xuan Qing's opinion.

As for Innate Spiritual Treasures?

As a direct disciple of Sect Master Tongtian, if he pleased his master, would he lack Innate Spiritual Treasures?

With that thought, Xuan Qing immediately activated his divine power, attempting to collect the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot and bring it back to Kunlun Mountain to offer to Sect Master Tongtian, who lacked an item to suppress his sect's fortune.

But suddenly, he stopped. Looking at the soil beneath the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot, he laughed heartily, "I didn't expect such a pleasant surprise!"

"That's right!"

"How could the place where such a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Root grows be ordinary soil?"

The soil that nurtured the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot was no ordinary soil, but the legendary Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, hailed as the earth of life, capable of nurturing all things in heaven and earth, possessing the power of endless creation, and even the very material Nuwa used to create humans.

He had learned Nuwa's Creation Yuan Gong, and coupled with his background, he was considered a half-disciple of Nuwa. If he could fully comprehend it in the future and find divine items like the Three Lights Divine Water, he might very well be able to emulate Nuwa and create a race.

It wasn't that he wanted to abandon humanity and create a separate race, he was merely coveting the power of creation.

Nuwa gained merit for creating humans!

Ming He gained merit for creating the Asura race!

If he could create a race that fit the world and benefited the Great Desolation, he might not dare to hope for Sainthood, but it would be enough to condense a Golden Wheel of Merit that even Saints would be wary of.

That way...

He would have a trump card for survival!

Currently, although he possessed some merit, it was not enough to make Saints wary.

Naturally, the more of that thing, the better.

With this thought, Xuan Qing immediately used his Spiritual Power to collect the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil around the Wind Thunder Immortal Apricot and stored this Innate Spiritual Root into his sleeve as well.

New book, please collect!