The Primordial Gourd Vine Was About to Gain Sentience

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After Chen Xuan returned to Azure Lotus Island, he planted the purple bamboo shoots beside his Azure Lotus Palace.

He even planned to develop the area into a purple bamboo forest, then build pavilions and the like within it.

Yet as Chen Xuan planted the purple bamboo shoots, he unexpectedly discovered that one bitter bamboo shoot had been mixed among them.

Chen Xuan could not help but reveal a delighted expression. "I never expected such an unexpected harvest. I just wonder whether this bitter bamboo shoot can grow into a Six Roots Pure Bamboo."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan put away the bitter bamboo shoot. He then brought it to his spirit herb garden and planted it beside the Primordial Gourd Vine.

He did not forget to water it with Three Lights Divine Water, hoping it could return to its ancestral state and become a supreme-grade primordial spirit root. Then he would gain another supreme-grade primordial spirit treasure.

After planting the bitter bamboo, Chen Xuan also examined the seven primordial gourds. He found that six of them were already on the verge of ripening.

Only the final Purple-Black Gourd was still tender and green. No one knew how long it would take before it ripened.

"Could it be that, now that this primordial gourd is in my hands and watered with Three Lights Divine Water, even I cannot make this final Purple-Black Gourd mature?"

Chen Xuan had heard that the Purple-Black Gourd could transform chaotic qi into primordial spiritual qi. If the Purple-Black Gourd were used as the array core and a Spirit-Transferring Array were set up at the connection between chaos and the Primordial World—

Then the Primordial World would no longer lack primordial spiritual qi. It could even allow countless acquired spirit roots to advance into primordial spirit roots.

The Primordial World would no longer need to use heaven-and-earth spiritual qi to replace primordial spiritual qi. Nor would an Age of Dharma Decline ever appear.

It was precisely because the Purple-Black Gourd was so powerful that it was not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. In the end, its last thread of vitality had to be severed before it could mature.

But now, Chen Xuan had brought it from Mount Buzhou to his Azure Lotus Island. Even the Heavenly Dao should not be able to interfere here.

Left with no other choice, Chen Xuan sat cross-legged beneath the gourd vine. In the end, he revealed his true form—the thirty-sixth-grade Fortune Green Lotus.

As the thirty-sixth-grade Fortune Green Lotus spun continuously, dense primordial creation qi began to condense into mist throughout the spirit herb garden.

Chen Xuan's goal was to make the final Purple-Black Gourd mature. After all, if this Purple-Black Gourd truly was as the rumors claimed, then Chen Xuan would have struck it rich beyond measure.

Little did he know that this action of his allowed the other primordial spirit roots in the spirit herb garden to be nourished by primordial creation qi.

For a time, their growth speed increased by no less than dozens of times compared to normal. Some of the primordial spirit roots even faintly began to develop sentience.

In the blink of an eye, three thousand years passed. Only then did Chen Xuan return to his Daoist form and inspect the Purple-Black Gourd once more.

At a glance, Chen Xuan could not help but smile, for the Purple-Black Gourd had actually reached the brink of maturity.

Just as Chen Xuan was rejoicing, the gourd vine unexpectedly spoke in human speech and said to him.

"Thank you, Senior, for nourishing me with creation qi. Now, this junior's child, who should never have had the chance to mature, has finally gained an opportunity to do so."

The Primordial Gourd Vine had actually spoken, startling even Chen Xuan. He immediately opened his Dharma Eyes to inspect it, wanting to see whether the Primordial Gourd Vine was about to take form.

This inspection was no trivial matter. Chen Xuan could not help but frown, for the Primordial Gourd Vine had already developed complete sentience.

If she did not still need to nurture her seven children, she likely could have taken form directly already.

Amid his shock, Chen Xuan could not help but think, This gourd vine will become the Creation Whip in the future. Now that she has developed sentience, I wonder whether it will affect Nuwa's creation of humans.

Though he thought this, Chen Xuan's expression remained utterly calm. He nodded as he spoke.

"The Ten Primordial Spirit Roots were never tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. By all reason, you should have had no chance to take form, nor should you have been able to develop sentience."

"Yet by a fortunate twist of fate, you have given birth to sentience. You may be considered an anomaly within this Primordial World."

"Since that is so, cultivate properly here. Strive to take form one day in the future. When that time comes, I will find you a fine teacher."

Upon hearing Chen Xuan's words, the Primordial Gourd Vine began to sway her branches and leaves. She said in a grateful voice.

"Thank you, Senior. This junior will certainly cultivate diligently and nurture the seven gourds to maturity as soon as possible, repaying Senior's grace of creation."

Chen Xuan nodded, then turned and walked out of the spirit herb garden. As he walked, he did not forget to mutter to himself inwardly.

"It seems I should use my true form less often in the future. That primordial creation qi is simply too powerful."

"Wouldn't it be a huge disaster if every primordial spirit root in the entire spirit herb garden developed sentience someday?"

Muttering to himself, he returned to his Azure Lotus Palace. The moment he entered, Chen Xuan saw that the Three Pure Ones were already waiting there.

Only then did Chen Xuan remember that the three thousand years he had given the Three Pure Ones had elapsed. It was time to hear their answer.

He immediately sat upon the lotus platform and said to the Three Pure Ones, "The three thousand years have passed. I presume you have gained some understanding in your hearts."

"Today, tell your master in detail what you have come to understand. Remember, you must speak your true thoughts."

The Three Pure Ones nodded together. At last, Laozi rose to his feet and first bowed to Chen Xuan before speaking.

"Master, after contemplating for three thousand years, this disciple believes that Master was not incapable of attaining the Dao of the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal."

"Rather, at the final moment of attaining the Dao, Master chose to compress his cultivation. You forcibly compressed it to the peak realm of the Primordial Golden Immortal."

"Master's purpose in doing so was to lay a solid foundation. One must not be eager to break through realms merely from the desire for quick success."

"From this, this disciple realized that pill refinement follows the same principle. Only through repeated tempering and purification can one obtain the finest medicinal pill."

"Therefore, during the final thousand years, this disciple experimented again and again. In the end, I finally refined a Tenth-Turn Creation Elixir."

As he spoke, Laozi took out a medicinal pill that radiated waves of golden light. He respectfully presented it before Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan accepted the pill and immediately felt an immense pill fragrance rush into his nostrils.

Merely smelling the pill fragrance, Chen Xuan could already sense the extraordinary nature of this Tenth-Turn Creation Elixir.

If one Ninth-Turn Golden Elixir refined by Laozi could produce a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, then this Tenth-Turn Creation Elixir could allow a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal to comprehend laws.

It could even be said that this Tenth-Turn Creation Elixir was a peerless pill capable of helping a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal smoothly break through into a Primordial Golden Immortal.