"Sixth Brother, are you leaving too?" Seventh Gourd's voice came from the Calabash Vine, tinged with loneliness and desolation.
He looked at Liu Wa, his eyes full of reluctance. Now that Sixth Brother was leaving too, he felt utterly miserable.
"Liu Wa, you should stay and keep Seventh Gourd company for now. Once Seventh Gourd takes human form, the two of you can go out together and look after each other."
Seeing Seventh Gourd's lonely appearance, Xiao Teng felt a little sorry for him and softly spoke to Liu Wa.
"All right." Though Liu Wa felt somewhat disappointed, he readily agreed.
He knew Seventh Gourd was lonely here by himself. As his older brother, he had a responsibility to stay with him.
"White Lotus, don't you think my children are adorable?" Xiao Teng turned to the Pure World White Lotus in the pool beside him, a proud smile on his face.
For some unknown reason, perhaps influenced by Xiao Teng's special aura, the Pure World White Lotus had actually developed spiritual intelligence as well.
The Pure World White Lotus slightly raised her head and glanced at Xiao Teng, but she had no intention of speaking to him.
Seeing that White Lotus was ignoring him, Xiao Teng continued, "Don't be so cold. We'll be living together here for quite a while yet. At least one or two eras."
When White Lotus still refused to answer, Xiao Teng changed the subject. "Can you take human form? If you do, and your personality is just like your name—a white lotus—then that'll be a real headache."
White Lotus did not quite understand what Xiao Teng meant by "white lotus," but she could tell it was not something nice.
Xiao Teng found no amusement in it and stopped trying to force a conversation.
His eyes rolled, and he quietly extended his roots into the pool, secretly absorbing the Three Lights Divine Water.
The Pure World White Lotus noticed his little stunt and unceremoniously kicked him out with her roots.
Xiao Teng said, "Ah, this Three Lights Divine Water really is delicious."
Xiao Teng had Three Lights Divine Water himself, since the Calabash Kids had brought back quite a lot. But the taste of secretly drinking someone else's was simply different.
Tch, what a cheap thrill!
After the palace was built, the Calabash Kids settled down on Mount Kongtong.
Xiao Teng told them not to run around for the time being.
The Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin were flourishing now, their presence spread across nearly the entire Primordial World. Offending them would be troublesome, so avoiding them was the best choice.
After stepping into the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, the Calabash Kids each embarked on their own path to pursue the Great Dao.
Da Wa followed the Great Dao of Strength, using strength to break all techniques; Er Wa followed the Great Dao of Insight, seeing all and knowing all; Third Baby followed the Great Dao of Immortality, indestructible and eternal.
Si Wa comprehended the Great Dao of Fire; Wu Wa comprehended the Great Dao of Water; Liu Wa comprehended the Great Dao of Shadow, shadowless and formless.
Other than Seventh Gourd, who had yet to take human form, the Calabash Kids had each set off toward a different Great Dao.
Xiao Teng had thought the Calabash Kids would stay on Mount Kongtong for a while longer and cultivate in peace.
But unexpectedly, before long, they could no longer suppress the restlessness in their hearts and wanted to venture out.
Though Xiao Teng did not really want them to leave, he could not argue with the five brothers and eventually agreed.
"If only I could go with my brothers too," Liu Wa said enviously.
"Sixth Brother, I'm sorry," Seventh Gourd said.
"It's all right. I chose to stay with you."
"Don't worry. It won't be long before Seventh Gourd can take human form," Xiao Teng said.
Xiao Teng poured all his spiritual power into Seventh Gourd. He believed Seventh Gourd could take human form in the shortest possible time.
The five Calabash Kids left Mount Kongtong at once and flew north.
This time, they were heading for the surviving ferocious beasts.
West of Mount Buzhou was Qilin territory, south of Mount Buzhou was Phoenix Clan territory, while the Dragon Clan lived in the Four Seas.
The only places they could go were east and north of Mount Buzhou.
Going east meant crossing Mount Buzhou, which was simply too far away, so they headed north.
There were very few living beings in the north, and practically no outsiders entered it.
That was because the north had once been a stronghold of ferocious beasts. It had suffered severe devastation during the Beast Calamity. Blessed lands and grotto-heavens had shattered, and spiritual energy was scarce.
The north was barren and thin in spiritual energy, and the traces of the ferocious beasts' former rampage remained plainly visible.
"This place looks sinister. Stay alert, everyone," Da Wa told his younger brothers.
Er Wa vigilantly swept his gaze over the surroundings. If there was any danger, he would know immediately.
There really were far more ferocious beasts in the north. Along the way, they encountered several Golden Immortal ferocious beasts.
But those ferocious beasts were too weak. Any one of them could fight one alone, so there was hardly any challenge in it.
It was not until a Late Primordial Unity Golden Immortal ferocious beast appeared before them that the Calabash Kids' expressions turned grave.
"This won't be an easy opponent. We need to be careful," Da Wa warned.
After all the training they had undergone, Da Wa had become everyone's backbone.
The ferocious beast was somewhat dangerous, but after finally encountering a strong one, how could they possibly give up so easily?
"Form the formation!"
The Calabash Kids swiftly assumed the formation they had carefully practiced before.
Da Wa and Third Baby were responsible for close-range attacks, Si Wa and Wu Wa provided long-range interference and attacks, while Er Wa offered support.
The Calabash Kids were connected at heart. Their coordination was exceptional.
"Big Brother, watch out!" Third Baby used his golden body to block the ferocious beast's claw, but the immense force still knocked him to the ground.
"Third Brother!" Da Wa was furious when he saw this.
Seizing the moment, he circled behind the ferocious beast, tightly grabbed its leg with both hands, and shouted.
"Up you go!"
Da Wa used all his strength and threw it over his shoulder. With a thunderous bang, the ferocious beast crashed heavily to the ground.
Amid the fierce battle, Er Wa focused completely, his eyes fixed on every move the ferocious beast made, not letting a single detail escape him.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he discovered the ferocious beast's weakness.
He hurriedly shouted, "Third Brother, attack its eyes!"
Hearing the order, Third Baby leaped into the air and charged toward the ferocious beast's eyes alongside Da Wa.
Si Wa and Wu Wa immediately understood. They cast their techniques at once, gathering the powers of water and fire together.
In an instant, thick mist spread out, completely shrouding the surrounding area.
The ferocious beast was suddenly trapped in the fog, its vision obstructed.
It angrily shook its head, searching everywhere for its enemies.
At that moment, Third Baby brandished the High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the Vajra Soul-Piercing Spear, and burst from the mist, thrusting toward the ferocious beast's eye like a bolt of lightning.
"Awoo!" The ferocious beast let out a pained howl as one of its eyes was pierced.
It clutched its eye and struggled wildly.
"Now, brothers! Attack together!" Da Wa shouted.
The Calabash Kids each unleashed their magic treasures, firing at the ferocious beast from all directions.
With only one eye left, the ferocious beast's vision was blurred. Faced with the small, nimble Calabash Kids, it found it difficult to catch sight of them and could only blindly swing its claws.
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