Zhenyuanzi

Yellow Dragon held the Soul-Scattering Gourd and glanced at the Purple-Gold Gourd, sensing the state within it.

The originally faint wisp of red cloud had merged with the later red radiance, transforming in an instant into the likeness of Hongyun's Dao body, its brows and features clear, its countenance gentle and kindly!

Though its eyes remained shut and it was still in a state of dormancy, the foundation of its true spirit had been restored. Its rate of reassembly was now beyond comparison with before!

"So that's it!"

"So Hongyun left a sliver of his true spirit within the Soul-Scattering Gourd, waiting for the right moment."

Only now did Yellow Dragon come to a sudden realization. "The Purple-Gold Gourd gathered back most of the fragments of his true spirit after his self-destruction. A resonance arose between the two, bringing hope of life. Only then did that sliver of true spirit command the Soul-Scattering Gourd to break through layer upon layer of space and return, rejoining the whole!"

Once that spiritually charged fragment of true spirit merged into it, the Purple-Gold Gourd's speed in gathering the remaining true-spirit fragments abruptly soared. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, its range spread to encompass nearly the entire remaining region!

In less than a thousand years, it had drawn every fragment of true spirit from the vast remaining expanse into the gourd!

When the final fragment of Hongyun's true spirit was sucked into the gourd, the Purple-Gold Gourd suddenly rose on its own and gave a fierce shudder high in the air!

"Buzz!"

The space before the Purple-Gold Gourd suddenly split apart, forming a deep spatial passage. From the other side came an aura Yellow Dragon recognized—it was Kunlun.

The Purple-Gold Gourd became a streak of purple-gold light and silently slipped into the spatial passage, vanishing in an instant! The crack in space swiftly sealed itself as well, and heaven and earth returned to calm, as though nothing had happened.

Yellow Dragon stared blankly at the spot where the Purple-Gold Gourd had vanished. Only after a long while did he react. He instantly appeared there and could not help stamping his foot as he shouted:

"Eldest Martial Uncle! Eldest Martial Uncle! Your disciple hasn't gotten on board yet! Your disciple hasn't gotten on board yet! Eldest Martial Uncle—!"

Yet the void was silent, offering no response.

Only his helpless voice echoed between heaven and earth before the wind quickly swallowed it.

Yellow Dragon could neither laugh nor cry. A Sage's thoughts were impossible to fathom. Left with no choice, he shook his head and looked toward the final region still blanketed in dark-red smoke and dust.

"Once I finish restoring this last region, I'll return to Kunlun Mountain. That will make for a proper beginning and end, with merit brought to perfection!"

Just as he settled his mind and prepared to reconnect the earth veins, a voice steeped in endless vicissitudes suddenly sounded not far behind him.

"Little Friend Yellow Dragon, since we parted at Kunlun, it has been a long time indeed."

Yellow Dragon's heart jolted! Despite his late Golden Immortal cultivation, he had detected not the slightest trace of the speaker's aura!

He whirled around, clear light flowing over his body as he focused his gaze.

There stood a familiar figure, yet his face bore deep exhaustion. Yes, exhaustion—Yellow Dragon had actually seen exhaustion on a Quasi-Sage!

Yellow Dragon hurriedly cupped his hands in salute and said respectfully, "So it is Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi. This junior, Yellow Dragon, pays respects to Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi."

Zhenyuanzi drew a faint smile. His gaze swept over the Pure World White Lotus above Yellow Dragon's head as he said slowly, "Little Friend is truly blessed by fate, to have such a spiritual root at your side."

Then he looked toward this land, once destroyed by Hongyun's self-destruction and now largely restored to life.

"Little Friend possesses such great perseverance, such tremendous merit."

A complex, indescribable emotion flickered through his eyes as he continued, "With your strength alone, Little Friend has restored the deathly land spanning hundreds of millions of li that was created by worthy brother Hongyun's death to such a state—giving rise to life and remaking heaven and earth. This is truly supreme merit."

"It is I who came too late."

Yellow Dragon looked at this great expert who stood alongside the Three Pure Ones in fame. For a Quasi-Sage-level great expert to reveal such exhaustion—what great calamities must he have endured?

Before

Curiosity stirred in his heart, and he could not help asking with concern, "You praise me too highly, Senior. I merely did what I ought to do!"

"But judging from your expression, Senior, you seem exhausted. With your cultivation, what matter could consume so much of your mind and spirit?"

Upon hearing this, Zhenyuanzi gave a soft sigh. That sigh carried the weight of tens of thousands of years, along with the stifled frustration of a task left unfinished.

"Exhausted?" Zhenyuanzi gave a bitter laugh, the whisk in his hand brushing idly. "I have made a spectacle of myself before you, Little Friend. I merely pursued Kunpeng for several tens of thousands of years. Had Kunpeng not joined the Demon Race and gained the protection of Di Jun and Taiyi, I would not have been forced to return."

"Kunpeng!"

Yellow Dragon was first stunned, then recalled seeing Zhenyuanzi pursuing Kunpeng when he had been at Jade Pure Palace that day. He had simply never imagined that Zhenyuanzi had hunted Kunpeng for tens of thousands of years!

What devotion! What friendship!

"Precisely."

Zhenyuanzi snorted coldly. "It was Kunpeng who colluded with Di Jun and Taiyi to besiege and kill Hongyun, leading to Hongyun's death. Unfortunately, Taiyi held an innate supreme treasure, and I was no match for him. Continuing the entanglement would have been futile."

"I therefore intended to come to the place where my friend fell and restore the earth veins and spiritual mountains destroyed by Hongyun's self-destruction, repaying heaven and earth's karmic debt on behalf of my worthy brother. I never expected to encounter you, Little Friend, after you had already restored most of this place's vitality!"

Then his gaze unexpectedly caught sight of the crimson gourd hanging at Yellow Dragon's waist, its spirituality now concealed within. His body suddenly trembled, and an incredulous, excited light burst from his eyes. Even his voice became somewhat unclear.

"Th-this... this Soul-Scattering Gourd! Little Friend, how did this object come into your hands?"

Seeing Zhenyuanzi's agitated expression, Yellow Dragon understood.

After a brief moment of thought, he concisely recounted everything—from receiving the decree of law from his Eldest Martial Uncle, the Supreme Pure Sage, and bringing the Purple-Gold Gourd here to reassemble Hongyun's true spirit, to the Purple-Gold Gourd tearing through space and flying away just moments ago.

Zhenyuanzi listened with rapt attention. When he heard that a phantom of Hongyun's true spirit had already gathered within the Purple-Gold Gourd, his eyes actually reddened. Throwing back his head, he burst into hearty laughter, his voice filled with the joy and excitement that his friend still remained.

"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good! I shall remember the grace of the Supreme Pure Sage and Little Friend's hard work on Hongyun's behalf!" He said "good" three times in succession, and the grief, indignation, and pent-up frustration that had weighed upon his chest for tens of thousands of years finally found release at this moment.

Nothing could make him happier than knowing that his closest friend's true spirit had not been extinguished, and that there was hope of reassembly.

After his excitement subsided, Zhenyuanzi watched as Yellow Dragon skillfully sorted out and repaired the earth veins of the final remaining region. Zhenyuanzi did not participate; this was Yellow Dragon's opportunity, and also his merit.

Throughout the process, Yellow Dragon's methods for restoring earth veins had been refined over countless years and were already exquisitely subtle. Yet in Zhenyuanzi's eyes, certain minute details could still be made more harmonious and natural, allowing them to draw forth the power of the earth's origin even more effectively.

The Earth Book commanded by Zhenyuanzi had been formed from the Earth's fetal membrane. His understanding and command of the earth veins were unrivaled throughout the primordial world; even Saints who wielded the power of Heaven and Earth would not dare claim to surpass him in this path.

He was grateful that Yellow Dragon had spent tens of thousands of years painstakingly gathering his friend's true spirit. Seeing as Yellow Dragon was also one who held the primordial world at heart, with both rare temperament and talent, he felt inclined to offer guidance.

"Young friend,"

Zhenyuanzi flicked his whisk and said with a smile, "Your skill in repairing and clearing the earth veins is already exceptionally refined. But the veins of the earth are like the meridians of the human body. You must sense their breath, follow their rhythm, merge with them through your spirit, and guide them with your intent."

"Watch closely...!"