Zhenyuanzi explained the profound principles governing the earth's origin and the movement of the Earth Veins in clear, accessible terms, holding nothing back as he taught Yellow Dragon.
Yellow Dragon listened, utterly entranced.
He put what he heard into practice as he listened. His efficiency soared, and his connection to the entire earth grew clearer and deeper.
Zhenyuanzi's unstinting instruction benefited Yellow Dragon immensely, deepening his gratitude and respect for him.
In just over ten years, they completely restored the final region with Zhenyuanzi's help.
Immortal herbs and spiritual trees flourished, springs rich in spiritual energy flowed once more, and Spirit Beasts roamed the mountains in herds. Not a trace of the dead land remained.
Over those tens of thousands of years, Yellow Dragon had also condensed no fewer than twenty-two drops of Creation Origin.
When life returned to the entire dead land, golden light suddenly blazed across the heavens!
Vast, surging merit poured down like a heavenly river, its arrival spectacular!
That immense Heavenly Dao merit flooded into Yellow Dragon and formed an enormous Dharma Form of Merit behind his Primordial Spirit's head, like a Sage's!
Stroking his beard, Zhenyuanzi smiled. "Congratulations, young friend! What a joyous achievement! Bringing forth life and mending heaven and earth is merit of the highest order."
"With this Dharma Form of Merit, you may travel freely throughout the Primordial World. Opportunities will come without end, calamities will pass you by, and evil will struggle to approach. The benefits to your future cultivation will be beyond imagining!"
Yellow Dragon felt his Primordial Spirit grow warm and clear beneath the light of merit. He had never felt so close to the Great Dao of heaven and earth.
He bowed to Zhenyuanzi in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, senior. Without it, I could never have finished so quickly."
"The merit is yours, young friend, earned through your own deeds."
With the matter settled, Zhenyuanzi asked what Yellow Dragon intended to do next.
After some thought, Yellow Dragon replied, "I've been away from Kunlun for tens of thousands of years. My master may be worried, so I plan to return first!"
Then Yellow Dragon remembered something. He took the Soul-Scattering Gourd from his waist and offered it to Zhenyuanzi, asking him to pass it to Hong Yun when he returned. That would settle one karmic debt.
But after hearing his intention, Zhenyuanzi gently shook his head. "Young friend Yellow Dragon, you spent tens of thousands of years gathering my brother Hong Yun's scattered True Spirit. This treasure came into your hands because Hong Yun chose it himself. Its destiny lies with you."
He paused, running his fingers along his long beard. "It would be less fitting for me to pass it on. Why not refine and use it for now? When my brother Hong Yun truly returns, you can give it back to him yourself and bring this matter to a close."
Yellow Dragon fell silent. He knew Zhenyuanzi was right, so he did not insist. He hung the Soul-Scattering Gourd back at his waist, deciding to report the matter to his eldest martial uncle once he returned to Kunlun before deciding what to do.
He looked around and frowned. "I wonder how far it is from here to Kunlun."
They were in the southern Primordial World, an unknown distance from Kunlun Mountain. With his Golden Immortal cultivation, who knew how long it would take him to fly back?
Only after reaching the Great Luo Realm can you roam the Primordial World as you please. Below that, even getting from place to place is a problem.
Zhenyuanzi saw his expression and understood his predicament. With a hearty laugh, he said, "No need to worry, young friend. Fate brought us together. If you don't mind, why not visit my Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain first?"
"The Grass-Returning Elixirs at my temple have ripened several times over. Have a taste; they should benefit you greatly."
"Afterward, I'll open a passageway through the void and send you straight back to Kunlun. It'll take but an instant and spare you a long journey."
Yellow Dragon thought the proposal sounded excellent. He could taste the legendary Ginseng Fruit, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, and save time besides. What reason did he have to refuse?
He bowed at once. "Then I'll trouble you, senior!"
"Haha, no need for ceremony!"
Zhenyuanzi laughed and swept his fly-whisk through the air. The aura of the Dao swirled around him.
With a wave of his sleeve, ocher light enveloped them both, and they vanished.
The scenery blurred and twisted as light and shadow shifted. To Yellow Dragon, it seemed both an instant and an age had passed. When the world came into focus again, they were somewhere entirely different.
The moment his feet touched the ground, dense spiritual energy washed over him. Yellow Dragon looked up sharply. Though he was a Sage's disciple and accustomed to the splendor of Kunlun Mountain, the sight before him still took his breath away. Golden light flickered in his eyes as he stared in wonder.
The peaks of Longevity Mountain rose through a veil of mist. Across the mountainsides, trees ten thousand years old looked like saplings, while giants hundreds of thousands or even millions of years old stood like hills.
Immortal Herbs and Medicines grew everywhere, and rare Spirit Beasts appeared in groups.
More wondrous still, every peak seemed to hold the same rhythm of the Great Dao. The land for countless miles felt like a single whole, resonating with heaven and earth. Its every breath followed the cycles of the Heavenly Dao.
The aura of the Dao in these mountains was scarcely weaker than that of Kunlun Mountain, where his three masters resided.
"What a blessed haven for immortals! Senior, Longevity Mountain truly lives up to its name," Yellow Dragon said with heartfelt admiration.
Zhenyuanzi smiled and led him up steps paved with green jade. Before long, they reached an ancient, unadorned Daoist temple. Above its gate hung a plaque bearing three characters in the script of the Great Dao: "Wuzhuang Temple."
For some reason, it bore no inscription calling Longevity Mountain a blessed land and Wuzhuang Temple a Grotto-Heaven.
As Yellow Dragon puzzled over this, the gate creaked open from within. Two slight figures ran out gleefully: a pair of delicate, rosy-cheeked boys who looked no older than small children, their hair tied in twin knots and their robes pale green.
At the sight of Zhenyuanzi, both boys broke into delighted smiles. They bounded over, knelt respectfully, and called out in bright voices:
"Welcome home, Master! You're finally back! You and Martial Uncle Hong Yun were gone for tens of thousands of years. Qingfeng and Mingyue missed you so much!"
These were Qingfeng and Mingyue, the two attendant boys Zhenyuanzi had awakened to sentience.
The sight of them softened Zhenyuanzi's expression further. He patted their heads. "Get up. I was delayed by other matters. You've grown up, so why are you still so excitable?" There was not a trace of reproach in his voice.
Qingfeng and Mingyue rose with grins, still clutching Zhenyuanzi's robe. Only then did they notice the striking young man behind him.
Though he was only in the Golden Immortal Realm, he walked beside their master with perfect composure. Curious, the boys studied Yellow Dragon with wide, dark eyes.
Zhenyuanzi turned and introduced him. "This is Yellow Dragon, a disciple of the Yuqing Saint of Kunlun. He also did your Martial Uncle Hong Yun a great service. Show him proper respect."
The boys' playful smiles vanished, replaced by surprise and deep respect.
They bowed to Yellow Dragon together. "Qingfeng and Mingyue greet you, Master Yellow Dragon!"
Yellow Dragon quickly returned the courtesy. "Please, get up. I merely happened to be there when fate called. Such a formal greeting is more than I deserve."
After the introductions, Zhenyuanzi led Yellow Dragon inside, and they took their places as host and guest in the main hall.
Zhenyuanzi said, "Qingfeng, Mingyue, bring ten Grass-Returning Elixirs. I'd like our young friend Yellow Dragon to try them."
The boys obeyed. Before long, they returned bearing ten strange fruits on a jade platter.
Each fruit resembled an infant, complete with limbs and facial features. A soft white glow surrounded them, and they gave off an enticing fragrance and an exceptionally pure vitality of growing things. One breath of it left Yellow Dragon's Primordial Spirit feeling light and clear and made his mouth water.
These were Ginseng Fruits, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots of the Primordial World!
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