Master, This Disciple Wishes to Request an Innate Superior-Grade Star Fruit to Further Strengthen My Primordial Spirit and Enhance My Mana

On the third floor of the bamboo tower, within the quiet chamber.

Zhu Yin sat cross-legged. The cushion beneath him was an "Enlightenment Meditation Cushion" he had personally woven from bamboo branches and Enlightenment Tea branches. It could clear one's mind and make comprehending the Dao easier.

He took out the Lihuo Fire Essence and skillfully circulated his mana to refine it, using it to open a Dao palace within his heart and transform it into pure heartfire.

Meanwhile, atop Mount Sumeru, Zhunti had broken through to the middle stage of Quasi-Sage. He once again went out to spread the Dao, gathering strength for the West.

By the lotus pond, Jieyin quietly opened his eyes and watched his senior brother depart. Feeling somewhat moved, he soon closed his eyes again to cultivate, continuing to use the power of dreams to refine spiritual treasures, nurture white lotuses, and regulate the spiritual currents of the earth veins.

Day after day passed, and in the blink of an eye, two thousand years went by.

Zhu Yin emerged from seclusion.

He opened his eyes, which gleamed with vitality and purity. The cycle of the five elements within his body had reached perfection, and he had completely condensed his "Supreme Unity Dao Fruit."

His cultivation, mana, Primordial Spirit, divine abilities, and every other aspect had improved tremendously. He could even sense the existence of the "Gate of Zenith Heaven."

Yet he was in no hurry.

The Great Dao could not be rushed. Slow work produced fine craftsmanship—that was the true principle.

He pushed open the door, only for the little white tiger to crash headfirst into his arms. Reeking of alcohol, it was so drunk that it had lost all awareness.

Zhu Yin did not know whether to laugh or cry. Raising a hand, he scolded, "You little glutton!"

He carried the little white tiger into the main hall and summoned the two attendants, Wuxin and Wuqing.

The two hurriedly knelt to offer their respects.

"Congratulations on emerging from seclusion, Master!"

"May Master soon attain the Dao of Zenith Heaven and live as long as heaven and earth!"

When they saw the little white tiger drunk into such a state, their faces fell. They knew they had caused trouble.

Wuqing was honest and lowered his head to admit his fault.

Wuxin had a sweet tongue, offering praise before apologizing.

Seated at the head of the hall, Zhu Yin's expression softened somewhat. "Your cultivation has reached the peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm. It seems you have not been slacking."

"Since your attitude in admitting fault is good and you have cultivated diligently, I will let this matter pass. If it happens again, you will certainly be punished."

Though his words were stern, he still cared for them deeply.

He also reminded them, "Spirit wine may be good, but do not be greedy for the cup. Jin Tu is especially still young—do not let him pick up this habit from childhood."

Jin Tu was the little white tiger's name, given to him by the White Tiger Clan. Zhu Yin thought it was quite good and did not change it.

Within the pavilion, Zhu Yin sipped tea while admiring the lotuses.

Over the years, the aquatic creatures in the lotus pond had changed. Some bloodlines had evolved, giving rise to a type of spiritual creature known as the Lotus Blossom Dragonfish.

Though these fish possessed low intelligence, they were not weak. Their strength was comparable to that of Heavenly Immortals.

If one or two of them awakened spiritual intelligence in the future, the West would gain several more powerful experts. Even if they did not, they could still serve as guardian spirit beasts and add splendor to the West.

Zhu Yin had already cultivated in seclusion on Spirit Platform Mountain for six thousand years.

During those six thousand years, his life had been simple yet immensely fulfilling: he drank Enlightenment Tea to comprehend the Great Dao, ate Star Fruits to temper his body, restored the spiritual energy of the earth veins, brewed spirit wine, planted spiritual herbs, instructed the attendants, fed the white tiger, enhanced his mana, practiced divine abilities, and also studied methods of alchemy and artifact refinement.

His days passed in orderly fashion, and he lived ever more freely.

During this period, another harvest of his Enlightenment Tea had ripened, the Star Fruits had been harvested twice, and he had sampled Bright Moon Pearls twice. An innate treasure pearl had also condensed within the Treasure-Gathering Basin.

Zhu Yin's heart was tranquil, and his cultivation foundation grew increasingly solid.

At times, he would even harvest the bamboo fruits borne by his Bitter Bamboo true body, eating them or using them for breeding. Resources in the West were scarce, and he had long grown accustomed to carefully calculating every expense.

That day, in the quiet chamber on the third floor of the bamboo tower, Zhu Yin finished refining the last innate superior-grade Geng Metal Fruit. He slowly opened his eyes, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Over the years, he had strengthened his body with ten Geng Metal Fruits. Combined with certain body-tempering methods of the West, his physique had become exceedingly formidable. Even compared with those veteran Primordial Unity Golden Immortals of the White Tiger Clan or the Witch Clan's foremost divine witches, he was not inferior in the slightest.

With another six thousand years of secluded cultivation, his mana had become vast and deep, his Primordial Spirit clear and bright, and his cultivation foundation was no longer what it had once been.

Zhu Yin felt that he was already qualified to condense the legendary "Nine-Rank Dao Flower," but he still did not dare let down his guard. He decided to visit his master Zhunti on Mount Sumeru and ask for another spiritual fruit, seeking to ensure nothing could go wrong.

Leaving the quiet chamber, he summoned the two attendants and the white tiger cub.

The attendants Wuxin and Wuqing had both become True Immortals. They had originally been ordinary ganoderma and spiritual bamboo that gained form, but Zhu Yin later used innate spiritual objects to improve their aptitudes. Though they could not be called top talents, they had escaped the ranks of the mundane.

Now, all the vegetation across the mountain flourished vibrantly under their care.

The white tiger Jin Tu had also grown up and entered the True Immortal realm. Though he was a postnatal being, his parents were Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, and his bloodline was extraordinarily remarkable. He had been a Heavenly Immortal from birth and could even become a Golden Immortal upon reaching adulthood.

"I am making a trip to Mount Sumeru. You three will remain behind to guard Spirit Platform Mountain. Cultivate well, guard the mountain gate properly, and do not let me find you slacking when I return."

Wuxin immediately nodded, and together with Wuqing and Jin Tu, answered in unison.

After giving his instructions, Zhu Yin transformed into a streak of escaping light and departed.

Mount Sumeru, Bodhi Hall.

Zhu Yin bowed respectfully. "This disciple pays respects to Master. May Master ascend to sainthood soon!"

Seeing how much his disciple's cultivation had advanced, Zhunti smiled in satisfaction and asked, "Why have you suddenly come all this way?"

He knew Zhu Yin's temperament best. This disciple had always been tranquil and free of desires, disliked traveling far, and usually wished he could remain tucked away in his Dao field forever. Since he had come personally this time, there had to be a reason.

Zhu Yin did not beat around the bush and said directly, "Master, this disciple wishes to request an innate superior-grade Star Fruit to further strengthen my Primordial Spirit and enhance my mana, so that I may have greater confidence in condensing a Nine-Rank Dao Flower when I attempt Zenith Heaven."

Zhunti had always doted on this disciple. With a sweep of his sleeve, a jade box appeared in the void.

"Since you possess such ambition, how could I refuse to help you? This Star Fruit is yours."

As he spoke, he took out another jade box.

"This box contains a Water Origin Fruit. I obtained it from the Black Tortoise Clan while traveling in the north, and I will give it to you as well. This is all the superior-grade spiritual fruit I have, so do not come asking for more."

Though his words were not particularly polite, Zhunti's face was brimming with amusement.

Looking at the Enlightenment Tea Zhu Yin had left behind when he departed, Zhunti's grin widened further as he muttered to himself,

"This brat still has a little filial devotion in him."

After leaving Mount Sumeru and returning to Spirit Platform Mountain, Zhu Yin immediately entered seclusion to cultivate.

He took out the Star Fruit and refined it with utmost care. Stellar power surged into his body, transforming into an endless stream of mana and Primordial Spirit power, laying an even deeper foundation for him.

A hundred years later, Zhu Yin took out the Water Origin Fruit and continued refining it.

The Water Origin Fruit shimmered with blue light throughout. It and the golden Geng Metal Fruit were one gentle and one fierce; one nourished divine abilities and mana, while the other strengthened the physical body.

This refinement lasted a full hundred years. When Zhu Yin awoke once more, he felt that his condition had reached unprecedented perfection.

However, he did not immediately attempt Zenith Heaven.

Since Hongjun Ancestor merged with the Dao, the laws of heaven and earth had become more complete. Cultivators now had to undergo tribulations to advance, unlike before, when advancement came far more easily.

Heavenly Immortals had to undergo the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, Golden Immortals the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, while Zenith Heaven cultivators had to endure the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation. It was incomparably dangerous.

Though Zhu Yin was confident, he had always been cautious and unwilling to take risks.

In the time that followed, he practiced divine abilities while refining spiritual treasures. He also deliberately laid down a great formation around his Dao field, lest his future tribulation destroy the mountains, rivers, and spiritual veins.

Only a thousand years later did he decide to formally enter seclusion and attempt Zenith Heaven.

Within the quiet chamber, Dao rhythms permeated the air, five energies coiled around him, and the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit were nourished to their utmost limit. His Dao body, mana, and Primordial Spirit merged in perfect unity.

Three thousand years later, the Supreme Unity Dao Fruit within him began to change.

It was as though a seed had taken root and sprouted in spiritual soil, finally breaking through the earth and rapidly growing into a towering tree.

Three flower buds appeared upon the tree, and one of them slowly bloomed beneath the infusion of mana.

The flower was flawless and translucent, like carved jade. It was precisely... the Nine-Rank Essence Flower!

As for the remaining two flowers, they seemed to still be gestating, not yet at the time to bloom.

A burst of thunder suddenly boomed...

The sky darkened, black clouds rolled, and thunder rumbled like war drums.

Dense tribulation clouds swiftly blanketed a million li of heaven and earth, as though the entire western land had been swallowed. Purple lightning darted through the black clouds like furious thunder dragons, carrying suffocating pressure.

Though the West was desolate, it did not lack living beings. At that moment, countless wild beasts fled in panic, flocks of birds returned to their nests, and even cultivators wore terrified expressions as they hid in their cave abodes, not daring to show themselves.

Meanwhile, Zhu Yin slowly emerged from the quiet chamber. Gazing up at the thunderclouds in the heavens, his face remained calm and his expression serene as he stepped into the sky, one step at a time.