The Western Sea and the Western Lands Were Separated Only by a Narrow Strip of Water; With Such a Mighty Figure's Protection, It Could Only Benefit Shun'er's Future

Inside the Bamboo Building.

Zhu Yin put away all the spiritual items, sat on the Enlightenment Meditation Cushion, and slowly adjusted his condition. Only after his essence, energy, and spirit had all recovered to their peak did he take out a jade box.

He did not open it immediately. Instead, he circulated his mana, undid the seal, and cleared away the runes on it.

When the jade box opened, a five-colored radiance shone forth. A crystalline, jade-like pine nut lay quietly within. It was the Innate Top-Grade spiritual fruit... the Five-Needle Pine Fruit.

The pine nut was brilliantly colored, sparkling like a five-colored gemstone. Five-colored spiritual light circled around it, revealing the mysteries of the Five Elements.

To avoid wasting its effects, Zhu Yin did not examine it further and directly placed it in his mouth to savor it.

The pine nut melted as soon as it entered his mouth. Its flavors were distinct—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—and each flavor contained the mysteries of the Five Elements Dao. Then, a vast surge of Five Elements energy poured into his body, washing through his internal organs while also evolving the truths of the Five Elements within his Primordial Spirit.

The Bodhi Seed in his mind released a light of wisdom. The Five Elements Law revolved around him as he immersed himself in it, continuously analyzing the profundities of the Five Elements. Even the five energies that had long formed within his body began to circulate, while five illusory Lingzhu emerged within his five internal organs.

The secrets of the Five Elements gradually became clear in his heart...

Wood was the beginning of the Five Elements, water was the end of the Five Elements, and earth occupied the center.

Wood generated fire, fire generated earth, earth generated metal, metal generated water, and water generated wood;

Wood restrained earth, earth restrained water, water restrained fire, fire restrained metal, and metal restrained wood.

The Five Elements generated and restrained one another in an endless cycle.

All things between heaven and earth lay within it.

Meanwhile, in the Western Sea Dragon Palace.

The Dragon King and Dragon Queen of the Western Sea sat facing the Dragon King of the Southern Sea and his wife.

After taking a sip of Mind-Clearing Tea, the Dragon Queen of the Southern Sea's eyes lit up, and she sighed.

"This Mind-Clearing Tea truly is a wonderful thing!"

"Our Dragon Clan is burdened by karmic force, and our minds are often unsettled during cultivation, making it easy for us to suffer qi deviation. Although some spiritual treasures can calm the mind, they are far too rare for us to afford."

"Yet this Mind-Clearing Tea is only a mid-grade spiritual root, and its effects are remarkable. It is of immense help to our Dragon Clan and can even benefit those brothers and sisters in seclusion."

"For the sake of the Dragon Clan, I am willing to personally seek out the Hundred Illusion Butterfly Clan and persuade them."

"Like us, they are burdened by karmic force, and their numbers have dwindled severely. Now that there is hope of improving their descendants, they will most likely agree."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Queen of the Western Sea smiled with gentle grace.

She had originally planned to exchange for only two taels of Enlightenment Tea leaves—one tael for her son Ao Shun and one tael as a reserve. But after thinking of the Dragon King of the Southern Sea and his wife, she exchanged for another tael.

Now, it seemed that the trip had been well worth the trouble.

After seeing them off, the Dragon King of the Western Sea gazed toward distant Spirit Platform Mountain and said with feeling,

"If Shun'er can successfully break through to Perfected Primordial Unity this time, then when he succeeds to the throne, we might as well invite Venerable Zhu Yin to attend the ceremony."

"The Western Sea and the Western Lands are separated only by a narrow strip of water. With such a mighty figure protecting him, it can only benefit Shun'er's future."

Inside the quiet room on the third floor of the Bamboo Building, Zhu Yin sat cross-legged in a space filled with spiritual energy. The Five Elements Law flowed around him, brimming with Life Force.

His Dao body emitted a peaceful radiance, as though a deity had descended. The three precious Five-Needle Pine Fruits contained vast energy and the power of laws, and he absorbed and refined them one by one, turning them all to his own use.

After consuming the first pine fruit, Zhu Yin cultivated in seclusion for a hundred years. After swallowing the second, he spent another hundred years consolidating his gains. After eating the third, he remained in seclusion for a full three hundred years.

Three hundred years later, Zhu Yin's aura underwent a qualitative transformation. A mysterious halo appeared behind him, formed from the power of the Five Elements. It resembled a sacred aureole, displaying the might of the Great Dao.

His immortal destiny condensed, and his Dao Fruit emerged. The two Nine-Rank Dao Flowers that had already bloomed became even more dazzling, while the third slowly began to blossom. It too was of the ninth rank.

The Heaven-Piercing Jade Bamboo on the mountain also glimmered with five-colored rays, evolving a unique aura of life. The Five Elements intertwined, and Dao intent flowed.

Yet Zhu Yin did not leave seclusion. Instead, he sank even deeper into his comprehension of the Great Dao. His cultivation, mana, and physical body continued to grow stronger bit by bit.

Only after five thousand years had passed did he open his eyes.

At that moment, the Five Elements revolved within his eyes, and an unfettered intent flowed without end.

Once the phenomena faded, Zhu Yin rose and walked out of the room. Standing atop the Bamboo Building, he looked at the sea of clouds and bamboo forest in the mountains, his heart filled with ambition and joy.

He had gained immensely from this seclusion. His understanding of the Five Elements Law had deepened. The earth, water, and wood paths he had originally excelled in had advanced by leaps and bounds, his metal path had also made considerable progress, and he had even barely entered the gate of the fire path, making up for his former weakness.

He had successfully broken through to the Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, improving comprehensively in Dao cultivation, mana, and Primordial Spirit.

Looking across the entire Primordial World, unless he encountered a Quasi-Sage-level existence, Zhu Yin no longer feared any threat. Even Great Principle Perfection experts could do nothing to him.

However, Zhu Yin did not become complacent because of this. He had always been indifferent to fame and profit, seeking only to cultivate peacefully and unwilling to become embroiled in the disputes of the Primordial Wilderness. He understood that its waters ran deep. Even Quasi-Sages could fall, and only caution and keeping a low profile would allow one to remain carefree for long.

After admiring the scenery, he went downstairs to the Spirit Medicine Garden, picked up the Merit Spirit Hoe and Mystic Light Heavenly Plow, and personally loosened the soil and watered the spiritual herbs.

A satisfied smile filled his face. In his eyes, this spiritual field was an extension of the Dao, and every blade of grass and tree was part of his cultivation.

Only after finishing all this did he summon the two boy attendants... Wuxin and Wuqing.

Inside the pavilion, the tea had just finished brewing.

The two boy attendants smiled and bowed as soon as they saw Zhu Yin. Then they began reporting on the changes over the past five thousand years.

"Master, while you were in seclusion, another batch of wood-and-grass spirits was born in the mountains. We arranged them according to the rules. Some remained behind to tend the plants in the mountains, while the others were sent to Worry-Free Spirit Land to join the Wood-and-Grass Clan."

"But the changes outside the mountain have been even greater..."

As they spoke, Zhu Yin gradually came to understand the developments of the past five thousand years.

The Hundred Treasures Hall and Merit Pavilion had grown increasingly prosperous and had become deeply integrated into the lives of the beings in the Western Lands. People came from hundreds of millions of miles around to seek treasures, and even Golden Immortals from other regions visited frequently.

The Hundred Treasures Hall in particular had become exceptionally lively. Living beings from all directions gathered there, trading all kinds of spiritual items with one another. Even the Flora Clan had begun cultivating rare spiritual plants from various regions.

The aquatic clans of the Western Sea also frequently brought rare treasures from the sea, making the Hundred Treasures Hall increasingly famous. Even Taiyi Golden Immortals came here to purchase materials needed for alchemy and artifact refinement.

Within a million miles around Spirit Platform Mountain, the spiritual energy had grown denser, and the Life Force of heaven and earth had become more abundant. Two new Low-Grade Spirit Lands had also appeared, which had respectively been handed over to Loose Immortals and clans for use.

Blessed Goodness Spirit Land and Blessed Fortune Spirit Land had also successfully advanced to High-grade Spirit Land status, thanks to the recovery of the earth veins, the protection of spiritual treasures, and the nourishment of Merit.

Although Worry-Free Spirit Land had not yet advanced to Top-Grade status, it already possessed five small Spirit Veins. Its advancement was only a matter of time.

As a result, more and more cultivators from the Western Lands chose to settle here. Even a million miles away, clans had established their territories and Loose Immortals had opened Dao Fields. Though the area as a whole still could not compare to Zhu Yin's Dao Domain, it was far stronger than before.

In addition, news had arrived from the Western Sea Dragon Clan:

The Dragon Clan hoped to establish a long-term partnership with Spirit Platform Mountain, exchanging spiritual fruits or treasures of equivalent value for three jin of Mind-Clearing Tea every ten thousand years.

The Hundred Illusion Butterfly Clan of the Southern Sea was willing to send clan members with pure bloodlines, led personally by an elder, to follow Zhu Yin long-term, so that if their clan ever faced disaster, they would still have someone to rely on.

However, the Hundred Illusion Butterfly Clan was closely connected to the Mirage Dragon Clan. They requested that Zhu Yin also accept several young Mirage Dragons. To demonstrate their sincerity, the Mirage Dragon Clan was even willing to present two Innate Spiritual Treasures.