Deep in the Secret Realm, Encountering an Innate Flat Peach Tree Seedling

Deep within the Kunlun Ruins, clouds and mist curled through the air, while the spiritual energy was so dense it nearly became tangible, nourishing all things beneath heaven like sweet rain. The vegetation here was even more extraordinary. Ancient trees towered into the sky, blotting out the sun, their trunks entwined with faintly glowing vines. The ground was carpeted with brilliantly colored spiritual herbs, and a delicate fragrance hung in the air, intoxicating all who breathed it in.

Xuan Chen traveled cautiously through this secret realm with Nüwa. After several days of stealthy movement, they had already reached the depths of the Kunlun Ruins, avoiding the core sphere of influence of the Queen Mother of the West as well as several searches by patrols. Though they had not found any mid-grade Innate Spiritual Roots along the way, they had harvested quite a few thousand-year spiritual herbs and rare ores, making their gains exceedingly abundant.

"Master, the spiritual energy here is so dense!" Nüwa could not help exclaiming. She could feel that the spiritual energy here was several times denser than that of the Zichen Cave Abode. With every breath, she could sense the Creation Power within her growing rapidly.

Xuan Chen nodded, a flicker of anticipation crossing his eyes. "The Kunlun Ruins truly live up to their reputation. Such dense spiritual energy must have nurtured quite a few Innate Spiritual Roots. Let us go farther ahead. We should be able to find the opportunity we have been seeking."

The two continued onward, passing through a flourishing garden of spiritual herbs. Ahead of them appeared a hidden valley. Its entrance was narrow and shrouded in a faint curtain of light. The light curtain contained a weak restrictive force, clearly arranged by someone.

Curiosity flashed through Xuan Chen's eyes. He could sense an incomparably dense aura of life within the valley. This aura was far purer and more vast than that of an ordinary Innate Spiritual Root. Clearly, it was an extraordinary spiritual root.

"Master, there seems to be a treasure inside!" Nüwa also noticed the anomaly within the valley, excitement flickering in her eyes.

"Mm." Xuan Chen nodded. "This restriction is rather weak. It was likely set down long ago and has received no maintenance, so it is already close to dispersing. Let us go in and take a look."

With that, Xuan Chen walked before the light curtain and extended a hand. A wisp of pure Primordial Unity Origin Power surged from his fingertips and gently touched the curtain. The restrictive force upon it seemed to have encountered its natural bane and immediately rippled. Its already faint radiance dimmed further.

Xuan Chen rapidly formed hand seals, muttering an incantation as he followed the restriction-breaking method recorded in the Great Dao True Exposition. He guided the Primordial Unity Origin Power to dismantle the restriction bit by bit. The restriction was already extremely weak, and Xuan Chen's Primordial Unity Origin Power contained the profundities of the Chaos Dao, giving it a natural suppressive effect against this ancient restriction. Before long, fine cracks began to appear across the light curtain.

Crack!

With a light sound, the curtain shattered completely, turning into countless motes of light that scattered into the air. The valley entrance was fully revealed before them, and an even denser aura of life rushed toward them. Their entire bodies felt refreshed, and their spirits were instantly invigorated.

Xuan Chen led Nüwa slowly into the valley. Its interior was exceedingly spacious, spanning dozens of li in every direction. The ground was paved with snow-white jade, upon which grew many rare spiritual herbs. At the center of the valley was a small spiritual spring, its milky-white waters bubbling forth—the pure essence of a spiritual vein.

Beside the spiritual spring grew a seedling barely three feet tall. Its entire body was jade-green, and its leaves shimmered with a faint golden halo, emanating an incomparably dense aura of life. Every leaf contained pure innate origin power. It was precisely the Innate Spiritual Root Xuan Chen and Nüwa had been searching for—the Flat Peach Tree Seedling!

The Flat Peach Tree was one of the top Innate Spiritual Roots in the Primordial World. Legend had it that the Peaches of Immortality borne by a mature Flat Peach Tree could increase one's lifespan, advance one's cultivation, and even help one break through a realm. It was a supreme treasure coveted in the dreams of countless cultivators. Though the one before them was merely a seedling, it still contained incomparably pure innate origin, and its value far surpassed that of an ordinary mid-grade Innate Spiritual Root.

"It is actually a Flat Peach Tree Seedling!" Xuan Chen was wild with joy, disbelief flashing through his eyes. He had originally thought they would only find a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Root such as the Kunlun Snow Lotus. He had never expected to encounter the seedling of a top-grade Innate Spiritual Root. This was truly an unexpected delight.

Nüwa also recognized the seedling, excitement flickering in her eyes. "Master, is this the legendary Flat Peach Tree? It is so miraculous!" She could feel that the seedling's aura of life was remarkably compatible with her Creation Dao. If she could obtain it, it would bring immense benefits to both her cultivation and the enhancement of her foundations.

Xuan Chen nodded, suppressing the excitement in his heart. "That is right. This is the seedling of the Innate Spiritual Root, the Flat Peach Tree. Though it is only a seedling, the innate origin it contains is exceptionally pure, far beyond what we expected. With it, our task is basically complete."

He walked before the Flat Peach Tree Seedling and examined it carefully. Its roots were deeply embedded within the jade beside the spiritual spring, absorbing the essence of the spiritual vein and the waters of the spiritual spring. The Flat Peach Tree Seedling had grown exceedingly robust. A wisp of weak restrictive force still lingered around it. Although it could no longer form an effective defense, it showed that this seedling had once been carefully guarded.

"This restriction may have been naturally nurtured by the Flat Peach Tree Seedling itself, or perhaps it was set down by some innate divine being in ancient times to protect it," Xuan Chen analyzed. "But it poses no threat now. We can collect it without worry."

He turned around, looked at Nüwa with a smile, and said, "Disciple, this Flat Peach Tree Seedling is most compatible with your Creation Dao. You should collect it with your own hands. That way, you will be able to better absorb its origin power and establish a deeper connection with it, which will aid its cultivation in the future."

Surprise flashed through Nüwa's eyes, and she hurriedly nodded. "Thank you, Master!"

She walked before the Flat Peach Tree Seedling. Following the method Xuan Chen had taught her earlier, she extended her hand, and a wisp of pure Creation Power spilled from her fingertips, gently touching the seedling. When the Creation Power came into contact with it, the seedling gave a cheerful hum. The golden halo on its leaves grew brighter, as though it had sensed Nüwa's goodwill and the Dao resonance compatible with itself.

Nüwa carefully circulated the Heaven-Mending Genesis Scripture, guiding the Creation Power to gradually envelop the roots of the Flat Peach Tree Seedling. Her movements were gentle and slow, for fear of damaging its origin. Xuan Chen silently stood guard at her side while releasing a wisp of divine sense to assist her in collecting the seedling.

Nourished and guided by the Creation Power, the roots of the Flat Peach Tree Seedling slowly pulled free from the jade. Carrying a little soil and spiritual spring water with them, they were carefully cradled in Nüwa's hands. The instant the seedling left the ground, it automatically released a faint green halo that wrapped around itself, protecting its origin from the erosion of the chaotic currents outside.

"Success!" Joy filled Nüwa's face as she carefully held the Flat Peach Tree Seedling and walked over to Xuan Chen.

At that moment, a system notification rang out in Xuan Chen's mind:

[Detected that the host's disciple has successfully collected the top-grade Innate Spiritual Root Flat Peach Tree Seedling (immature). Task progress has increased to 80%!]

[Notice: The Flat Peach Tree Seedling contains a small amount of chaotic turbid-energy impurities. It must be purified as soon as possible, otherwise its growth and the disciple's absorption will be affected, reducing the effect of foundation enhancement.]

[Purification methods: 1. Purify it with the host's Primordial Unity Origin Power (consumes 5% origin power); 2. Purify it with the aid of spiritual vein essence (must be left beside a high-grade spiritual vein for seven days); 3. Slowly purify it with the disciple's Creation Power (requires half a month; best effect).]

Xuan Chen's heart tightened. He had not expected this Flat Peach Tree Seedling to contain impurities of chaotic turbid energy. He looked at the seedling in Nüwa's hands and indeed discovered a faint strand of black mist at its roots—the chaotic turbid energy mentioned by the system.

"Master, what is wrong?" Nüwa noticed the change in Xuan Chen's expression and asked with some concern.

Xuan Chen told Nüwa the information from the system notification. "Although this Flat Peach Tree Seedling is a top-grade Innate Spiritual Root, it contains a small amount of chaotic turbid-energy impurities that must be purified as soon as possible. Otherwise, not only will its growth be affected, but its effect on enhancing your foundations will also be reduced."

Upon hearing this, anxiety flashed through Nüwa's eyes. "Then how should we purify it?"

Xuan Chen pondered for a moment. "The system has provided three methods. The first is to purify it with my Primordial Unity Origin Power. It is the fastest, but it would consume 5% of my origin power. The second is to purify it with the essence of a high-grade spiritual vein, which requires leaving it beside such a vein for seven days. The third is to slowly purify it with your Creation Power. It takes the longest, but its effect is the best, and it will also allow you to form a deeper connection with the spiritual root."

After a brief pause, he continued, "I believe the third method is the most suitable. Though it takes longer, it will benefit you the most. Besides, we have already entered the depths of the Kunlun Ruins, where it is relatively safe. We can find a hidden place and let you purify the spiritual root in peace."

Nüwa nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "This disciple will follow Master's arrangements. So long as the spiritual root can achieve its greatest effect, this disciple is willing to spend the time purifying it slowly."

Xuan Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. This valley has an excellent environment, dense spiritual energy, and both a spiritual spring and jade. It is perfect for purifying the spiritual root. We will remain here for half a month. Once you have purified the impurities from the Flat Peach Tree Seedling, we will continue searching for other Innate Spiritual Roots and complete the system task."

With that, Xuan Chen set up several concealed restrictions and warning runes throughout the valley, lest outside cultivators or ferocious beasts disturb them. Afterward, he had Nüwa sit cross-legged beside the spiritual spring, place the Flat Peach Tree Seedling before her, and begin circulating the Heaven-Mending Genesis Scripture to purify the impurities within the spiritual root using Creation Power.

Nüwa did as instructed. She sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and immersed her consciousness within herself, guiding Creation Power as it slowly flowed into the Flat Peach Tree Seedling. Like a gentle clear spring, the Creation Power gradually washed over the chaotic turbid energy at the seedling's roots, stripping it away and refining it bit by bit.

Xuan Chen sat cross-legged nearby. As he cultivated the Primordial Dao-Seeking Formula to restore his own aura, he also kept watch over Nüwa and the Flat Peach Tree Seedling at all times. He could clearly sense that as the Creation Power continued to flow in, the black mist around the seedling's roots was slowly dissipating, while the aura of life it emitted became increasingly pure and dense.

At the same time, he could also feel that Nüwa's Creation Power was steadily becoming purer during the process of purifying the spiritual root, and her comprehension of the Creation Dao was gradually deepening. Clearly, this method of purification would not only make the Flat Peach Tree Seedling purer, but also bring Nüwa immense benefits.

Xuan Chen secretly nodded. It seemed that choosing the third purification method had been correct. Though it took rather long, it greatly benefited both Nüwa and the Flat Peach Tree Seedling. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

Within the valley, spiritual energy filled the air and Dao resonance flowed. Nüwa immersed herself in purifying the spiritual root, her expression focused and devout, while Xuan Chen silently guarded her from the side like the sturdiest support. Deep within this hidden valley of the Kunlun Ruins, master and disciple began a new period of cultivation and waiting. They understood that once the impurities in the Flat Peach Tree Seedling had been completely purified, Nüwa's foundation would surely rise tremendously, and their system task would also reach the moment of its final completion.