Ginseng Fruit Tree

Under Hong Yun's lead, Shi Mo soon arrived before a vast mountain.

The mountain was covered in green pines and cypresses, with lush vegetation and immortal mists swirling and rising. It looked extraordinary, truly a blessed land amid the mountains.

"What rich spiritual energy from the earth's veins! And the area around Longevity Mountain is also protected by an Innate Chaos Restriction."

As he approached Longevity Mountain, Shi Mo clearly sensed the surging earth-element spiritual energy gathered there, along with the fluctuations of an invisible Innate Chaos Restriction.

At the mountain gate, an elegant Daoist with a long beard and a horsetail whisk was already waiting. Seeing Shi Mo, his eyes brightened, and he smiled as he bowed with his hands folded. "Zhenyuan greets fellow Daoist!"

"Brother Zhenyuan, Shi Mo is sorry to trouble you!" Shi Mo quickly returned the greeting.

Perhaps because of the influence of the Earth Book, Zhen Yuanzi had a profound understanding of the earth-element Dao, which gave Shi Mo a particularly familiar feeling.

"Brother Zhenyuan, my younger brother Shi Mo ran into Ancestor Minghe and came here in distress. You can't be stingy with your Ginseng Fruits now. You should bring out a few extra to soothe his nerves," Hong Yun quickly added.

Shi Mo was speechless. I did come here in distress, but there's no need to make a whole thing of it, is there? Don't I have any dignity?

Still, using Ginseng Fruits to soothe my nerves sounds pretty good!

"Heh, the only thing on my mountain fit to serve guests is the Ginseng Fruit," Zhen Yuanzi said with a smile, warmly inviting Shi Mo up the mountain.

At this time, the famous Wuzhuang Temple of later generations had yet to be built on Longevity Mountain!

Zhen Yuanzi was merely a solitary cultivator of some lineage and fortune in the Primordial World. He had no disciples to speak of, not even a single young attendant.

As for the two young attendants from Journey to the West, Qingfeng and Mingyue, no one knew where they were yet!

In a sunny valley on Longevity Mountain, the surrounding vegetation grew thick and lush.

Yet inside the valley, there was hardly a weed in sight. Only one towering tree stood there, its green branches fragrant and its leaves layered thickly.

Its leaves resembled banana leaves. The tree stood a thousand feet tall and spanned seven or eight zhang across. Its branches swayed, spreading a surging aura of vitality. When that vitality met the earth-element spiritual energy rising from the golden ground below, hazy rays of light immediately soared into the air.

"What an extraordinary innate spiritual root! There's probably no other Ginseng Fruit Tree in the Primordial World," Shi Mo praised, his eyes brightening as he looked at it.

Hong Yun couldn't help saying, "Indeed! It's enough to make anyone envious. Brother Zhenyuan is truly blessed to have the Ginseng Fruit Tree and a defensive spiritual treasure like the Earth Book. If I had a powerful defensive treasure, Ancestor Minghe wouldn't have chased me into such a sorry state back then."

Zhen Yuanzi stroked his beard and smiled without a word. Curious, Shi Mo asked, "Brother Zhenyuan, did the Ginseng Fruit Tree grow here on Longevity Mountain from the beginning?"

"It's been here ever since I attained human form. Innate spiritual roots have demanding growing conditions and are not easily transplanted," Zhen Yuanzi replied with a nod.

"That's why I say Brother Zhenyuan's luck is enviable. You have both a companion treasure and a companion spiritual root. I, on the other hand, was born from a red cloud and was destined to wander without a home," Hong Yun said, shaking his head.

Shi Mo smiled at that. "Brother Hong Yun, innate spiritual roots have demanding growing conditions. If Brother Zhenyuan didn't have the Earth Book gathering the spiritual energy of the earth's veins, the Ginseng Fruit Tree probably couldn't have grown so well."

"Fellow Daoist Shi Mo truly understands the Dao," Zhen Yuanzi said, his eyes lighting up.

Shi Mo smiled modestly. "I'm only familiar with the spiritual energy of the earth's veins and have picked up a little experience."

"Since we cultivate the same Dao, and have the rare chance to meet here, we ought to discuss and exchange insights," Zhen Yuanzi said at once.

"Hey, you two! We came to eat Ginseng Fruits, so how did you end up talking about all that? Brother Zhenyuan, can we pick a few fruits to try first? You're not too stingy to share, are you?" Hong Yun urged, unable to hold back.

Zhen Yuanzi laughed, then nodded again and again. "All right, all right. You and your appetite! Let's pick a few fruits for Fellow Daoist Shi Mo to taste. We can discuss the Dao afterward."

As he spoke, Zhen Yuanzi flew into the air and knocked down a few Ginseng Fruits with his horsetail whisk. He caught them in his robe and then landed nearby.

Seeing this, Shi Mo inexplicably thought of Sun Wukong stealing peaches in the Flat Peach Garden in Journey to the West. After accepting the Ginseng Fruits Zhen Yuanzi handed him, he recalled the many Peaches of Immortality lying beneath the peach trees in Kunlun Immortal Realm. He suddenly regretted that he'd been so focused on the Flat Peach Mother Tree that he'd forgotten to take some peaches with him.

"I wonder if the Peaches of Immortality on those trees are ripe yet?" As Shi Mo wondered, Hong Yun, who had already wolfed down a Ginseng Fruit, urged him, "Little brother Shi Mo, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and eat!"

"Oh, nothing." Coming back to himself, Shi Mo spoke with a faint smile. He looked at the fruit in his hand, transparent and tempting, like an infant less than three weeks old, and took a bite.

The fruit's flesh was incredibly tender yet springy. As soon as it entered Shi Mo's mouth, it turned into a cool, life-filled energy. Shi Mo's spirits lifted, and he felt the magic power in his body surge and become somewhat purer.

"How is it, little brother Shi Mo? How does the Ginseng Fruit taste?" Hong Yun asked with a smile.

"Not bad!" Shi Mo nodded. "Among the spiritual fruits I've eaten, only the Peaches of Immortality borne by the peach trees growing in West Kunlun can compare."

"What? Peaches of Immortality? There's another spiritual fruit in the Primordial World that can rival the Ginseng Fruit?" Hong Yun exclaimed in surprise and curiosity, asking one question after another.

"What kind of spiritual fruit are these Peaches of Immortality? Why have I never heard of them? They grow in West Kunlun? I've been to West Kunlun, but never seen any. Where exactly do these Peaches of Immortality grow?"

Hong Yun really was a glutton! Seeing his eyes light up at the mention of Peaches of Immortality, Shi Mo couldn't help thinking.

Even Zhen Yuanzi, standing nearby, grew interested. "Fellow Daoist Shi Mo, do these Peaches of Immortality belong to you?"

"Haha, little brother Shi Mo, let's head to West Kunlun right now! When we get to your place, you'll have to bring out plenty of Peaches of Immortality for Brother Zhenyuan and me. Don't be as stingy as Brother Zhenyuan," Hong Yun said with a loud laugh.

"I'd like to be generous, but that peach grove doesn't belong to me. I managed to transplant one tree with great difficulty, and I don't even know when it'll bear peaches," Shi Mo replied with a shake of his head and a smile.

Hong Yun froze. "It doesn't belong to you? You transplanted a peach tree—did you steal it?"

"Wait, you transplanted one? A whole peach grove? Are there lots of peach trees?" Hong Yun exclaimed, his eyes widening with delight. He turned to Zhen Yuanzi and said, "Brother Zhenyuan, come on! Let's go get a few too. They'll surely take root here."

"By the way, little brother Shi Mo, how many peach trees are there in total?" Before Zhen Yuanzi could answer, Hong Yun hurriedly asked Shi Mo another question.

"Well, I didn't count them carefully. There should be a few thousand, I think." Shi Mo glanced at Zhen Yuanzi, who seemed just as interested. Before he could finish speaking, Hong Yun's eyes widened. "How many? A few thousand? Little brother Shi Mo, are you sure those things you call peach trees are innate spiritual roots?"