Cultivating Overseas, A Saint's Aid Turns Misfortune into Blessing

Li Yu had not expected to encounter an innate spiritual root in a place like this.

Unlike innate spiritual treasures, if innate spiritual roots were handled improperly, all one's efforts would amount to nothing.

Zhen Yuanzi had yet to dare touch his Ginseng Fruit Tree. He said he would wait until he became a Quasi-Saint before transplanting it to a new Daoist sanctuary. With that in mind, Li Yu also gave up on using this Bitter Bamboo to refine a magic treasure.

This Bitter Bamboo differed from innate spiritual roots such as Ginseng Fruit and the Flat Peach Tree. It could not bear fruit, so the only way to deal with it was to refine it into a treasure. Fortunately, Li Yu had no plans to establish a sect. With the Pure World White Lotus, Cosmos Ruler, and Innate Gourd already in his possession, he had enough for now and was in no hurry to deal with the Bitter Bamboo.

If he found more innate spiritual roots in the future, it would not be bad to create an innate spiritual root garden.

Setting aside the matter of the innate spiritual root, Li Yu inspected the island. Just as Qiongxiao had said, it was quite suitable as a place for cultivation.

Li Yu had visited Zhen Yuanzi's Daoist sanctuary, seen Nüwa's sanctuary on Phoenix Perch Mountain, as well as the sanctuaries of the Three Xiao Sisters. He arranged the island according to his memories of those places, striving to turn it into a proper immortal island.

After spending some time building his Daoist sanctuary and planting all manner of rare herbs, spiritual flowers, and immortal fruits, he sent a message to the Three Xiao Sisters, informing them of the situation here.

Once he had dealt with these trivial matters, Li Yu began his secluded cultivation on this overseas immortal island.

Li Yu's cultivation had already advanced to the Perfected Golden Immortal Realm. He wished to make a breakthrough into the Quasi-Saint Realm. During Hongjun's first sermon at Purple Cloud Palace, he had already imparted to the living beings of the Primordial World the method of opening the door to Quasi-Sainthood.

This secluded cultivation lasted for many more years. Then one day, dark clouds suddenly gathered above the immortal island, electric serpents danced wildly, and rain poured down like waterfalls, creating a scene resembling hell on earth.

At that moment, Li Yu was still comprehending the Dao at a critical stage of his cultivation. Yet, as though he sensed the approaching danger, he instinctively activated the Pure World White Lotus.

The enormous lotus platform, half-illusory and half-real, shielded Li Yu within it.

But at that moment, an unexpected change occurred. The Innate Gourd Hongjun had bestowed upon him flew above Li Yu's head on its own, and vast Chaos Qi poured from its mouth, enveloping Li Yu.

Suddenly, wind and thunder roared. Bolts of lightning fell from the dark clouds, striking toward Li Yu.

Heavenly Punishment!

Since Pangu had opened heaven and earth, Heavenly Punishment had appeared in the Primordial World for the first time!

Even when the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans had ravaged the Primordial World beyond recognition during the previous calamity, they had not drawn Heavenly Punishment. Yet Li Yu's cultivation breakthrough had brought this upon him.

However, the Heavenly Punishment Lightning Tribulations, filled with an aura of destruction, could not break through the Chaos Qi.

The lightning struck the Chaos Qi like mud oxen sinking into the sea, like spring snow melting away. In utter silence, it dissipated into nothingness.

The Heavenly Punishment Lightning Tribulations continued to fall, as though they would never end.

After a long time, the Chaos Qi expelled by the Innate Gourd suddenly surged back, transforming into a fierce gale that actually blew away the tribulation clouds.

The dark clouds dispersed, the lightning vanished, the rain ceased, and the sun shone brightly.

The Chaos Qi returned to the Innate Gourd, which slipped back into Li Yu's sleeve. Before long, Li Yu opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of clear qi.

Li Yu rose to his feet and looked beyond the heavens, his gaze seemingly piercing through endless Chaos to see the Saint within Purple Cloud Palace.

Li Yu offered a distant salute and said, "Many thanks to the Saint for your aid!"

Within Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun watched everything that had happened to Li Yu in the Primordial World, then slowly closed his eyes again. His expression remained unchanged, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Though Li Yu had been immersed in Dao comprehension just now, he had instinctively sensed the danger outside in a vague manner. After his cultivation ended, he performed a divination and learned everything that had happened.

After thanking Hongjun from afar, Li Yu took out the Innate Gourd again, his expression complicated.

He had originally still harbored a sliver of hope.

That Hongjun had simply bestowed this thing upon him. But now, it seemed obvious that Hongjun had left something in reserve. For the moment, Hongjun bore him no ill intent, yet Li Yu still did not dare lower his guard completely. A Saint's schemes and calculations were simply too profound. This was not something he could handle merely because he had foreknowledge and understood the general course of the Primordial World.

"At the end of the day, my strength is still insufficient! Beneath Saints, all are ants. That saying truly is right!"

Afterward, Li Yu cultivated in seclusion on the island for a while longer, stabilizing his cultivation.

Several years later, Li Yu opened his eyes from quiet cultivation. After performing a divination, he discovered that guests had arrived at the immortal island.

Outside the island, Qiongxiao and Bixiao stood upon a cloud and called out, "Brother Li, are you on the island? Qiongxiao and Bixiao have come to visit!"

These two sisters had most likely snuck out again!

Li Yu immediately waved his sleeve, and a golden rainbow bridge extended from the island to beneath Qiongxiao and Bixiao's feet.

"Two fairies, do not remain outside. Please enter the island!" Li Yu's voice drifted up from below.

Qiongxiao and Bixiao exchanged glances, both delighted as they stepped onto the golden rainbow bridge and entered Li Yu's Daoist sanctuary.

Many of the spiritual fruits Li Yu had planted before entering seclusion had ripened. Some had even ripened several times over, yet he had never tasted a single one.

Since Qiongxiao and Bixiao had come to visit today, Li Yu picked several rare and precious immortal fruits beneficial to cultivation to entertain them.

"These spiritual fruits are wonderful. They are far more precious than the spiritual fruits on our island!" Bixiao praised them repeatedly after eating them.

"Of course. Some of these spiritual fruits are actually older than I am. They are spiritual plants from the early days of the Primordial World, and I fear they can no longer be found now," Li Yu said with a smile.

The sisters Qiongxiao and Bixiao were not as composed as Yunxiao and often left their island to play. Li Yu took this opportunity to hear some interesting tales of the Primordial World from them.

As they talked, the subject turned to the Dragon Clan. Li Yu took the opportunity to ask, "Those two young dragons did not trouble you again afterward, did they?"

"They did not. After those two vile dragons fled, the matter was left unresolved. But the Dragon Clan has still been making major moves these past years. They have subdued many aquatic clans and now count as the overlords of these seas," Qiongxiao said.

After chatting with Qiongxiao and Bixiao for a while, it seemed that nothing significant had happened in the Primordial World. Of course, it was also possible that the two sisters simply did not know. As for the Dragon Clan, their actions were within expectations, so Li Yu did not give them much thought.

After all, the two had snuck out while Yunxiao was in seclusion. They did not dare remain outside for long, fearing that Yunxiao would emerge and discover their absence. Thus, they did not stay with Li Yu for long before returning to Three Immortals Island.

Before leaving, Bixiao coveted some of the spiritual fruits in Li Yu's Daoist sanctuary. Not only did she pick many of them, she also transplanted some varieties that were not one of a kind.

Bixiao's actions embarrassed Qiongxiao terribly. This younger sister was simply too shameless—she ate, took, and even pulled them out by the roots!

Li Yu did not mind much. He did not care about these things, nor did he begrudge giving some away. Bixiao's outgoing nature was rare indeed. Of course, it might also be one of the causes of the calamity that would befall the three sisters in the future.

If they were all as steady as Yunxiao, perhaps they could avoid the fate of calamity.