Li Yu Gifts a Spiritual Treasure, Taiqing Pays a Visit

Li Yu watched the gates of the Purple Cloud Palace close, thinking to himself that when those gates opened again, the next calamity would arrive.

The Investiture of the Gods Calamity was the most brutal of all the calamities in the Primordial World. Even Saints had fought fiercely, forcibly shattering the Primordial Wilderness into the Four Major Continents.

He did not know whether, by then, he would possess the ability to protect himself beneath a Saint's methods. After all, he had a grudge against Zhunti. With the heavenly secrets thrown into chaos then, Zhunti might well come looking to cause him trouble.

With such thoughts in mind, Li Yu returned to Five Villages Temple with Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi.

After returning from this journey, Hongyun's cultivation had once more risen beyond the middle stage of the Quasi-Saint Realm. However, he was still some distance from the late stage and needed to cultivate patiently to reach it. If not for his troublesome injuries, he should have been like Zhen Yuanzi, already at the late Quasi-Saint stage—a bona fide great power in the Primordial World.

As soon as they returned to Five Villages Temple, the three first checked on Red Boy's cultivation progress during this period. He had already reached the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

"So much time has passed. Brother Li, where is the spiritual treasure you said you would give my grandnephew?"

Zhen Yuanzi was fairly satisfied with Red Boy's cultivation progress. It seemed that Red Boy had not neglected his cultivation while his elders were away, putting Zhen Yuanzi in a fine mood.

"I naturally will not break my word over something I promised. As his uncle, how could I?" Li Yu said with a smile.

As he spoke, he took the innate spiritual treasure, the Cosmos Ruler, from his sleeve and handed it to Red Boy.

"Brother Li, absolutely not! This spiritual treasure is far too precious. He cannot bear such a gift!"

Before Red Boy could decline, Hongyun stepped forward first to dissuade him. Naturally, he recognized the Cosmos Ruler. Though this spiritual treasure was not an ultimate-grade innate spiritual treasure, it was still among the precious kind. For a junior like Red Boy to wield it would be far too ostentatious.

"It is nothing serious. Just take this spiritual treasure," Li Yu said, looking at Red Boy.

Red Boy was immediately caught between a rock and a hard place. His father would not let him accept it, while Li Yu insisted on giving it to him. As a junior, it would be improper for him to go against either of them.

Seeing Red Boy in such a dilemma, Zhen Yuanzi burst into laughter. "Over these years, I have guided Red Boy in his cultivation, so I can be considered his master. In my view, there is no harm in accepting the Cosmos Ruler. Brother Hongyun, two votes against one. Do not make things difficult for the child."

After speaking, Zhen Yuanzi swept his great sleeve. The Cosmos Ruler immediately transformed into a streak of treasure light and slipped into Red Boy's sleeve.

"Thank you, Uncle, for bestowing this treasure!" Red Boy promptly thanked Li Yu, and after speaking, he was about to kowtow deeply before him.

Li Yu raised his hand slightly in the air, and Red Boy felt a gentle force supporting him. No matter what he did, he could not kneel.

"There is no need for this. The thought is what matters. In the future, cultivate diligently and do not disgrace this spiritual treasure. You should know that when the Cosmos Ruler was in my hands, it struck two great powers whose names shook the Primordial World. One was Daoist Randeng, and the other was Zhunti of the West, one of the future Six Saints," Li Yu said with a smile.

Seeing that the matter could not be changed, Hongyun said no more. He merely repeatedly instructed Red Boy to cultivate well and not disappoint Zhen Yuanzi's and Li Yu's expectations.

Afterward, Hongyun went into seclusion. There was still room for him to advance in cultivation, and with the sermon having just ended, he could make another push while the opportunity remained.

Having just obtained a spiritual treasure, Red Boy worked even harder at his cultivation so that he could wield the Cosmos Ruler as smoothly as his own limbs as soon as possible.

For a time, Zhen Yuanzi and Li Yu were the ones who became idle.

Li Yu could not rush his own cultivation of the Great Dao. He had to advance steadily, step by step. Should he make one wrong move, who knew how much effort it would take to make up for it later? In short, it was better to be slow than fast.

Zhen Yuanzi, meanwhile, spent his time studying his Ginseng Fruit Tree and Bitter Bamboo.

Both were innate spiritual roots, yet Bitter Bamboo clearly possessed greater intelligence. Zhen Yuanzi wanted to understand the mystery within, and while he was at it, see whether he could help Bitter Bamboo take form.

Innate spiritual roots were bound by the laws of Heaven and Earth, and very few could take form!

Zhen Yuanzi felt there was little hope for the Ginseng Fruit Tree, but Bitter Bamboo seemed to have great potential to take form.

Under such circumstances, Five Villages Temple remained as secluded and peaceful as ever.

One day, however, a cow's bellow suddenly rang out beyond the temple, shattering that tranquility.

"Taiqing has come to visit. Are fellow Daoists Zhen Yuanzi and Li within the temple?"

Taiqing?

Although they had both cultivated on Mount Kunlun in the past, Zhen Yuanzi did not believe his friendship with Taiqing ran deep enough for Taiqing to pay him a personal visit. Thus, this visit was likely related to Li Yu.

Li Yu pinched his fingers and calculated, immediately understanding why Taiqing had come. He said to Zhen Yuanzi, "It is nothing major. Brother Daoist, you may rest assured and let Taiqing enter the temple. Besides, he is a future Saint, so we cannot neglect him."

"Understood. My Ginseng Fruit will not survive this, then!"

After saying this, Zhen Yuanzi and Li Yu smiled as they went out together to welcome Taiqing and fulfill the duties of hosts.

Once outside Five Villages Temple, Li Yu saw Taiqing seated cross-legged upon the back of an Azure Ox. Beside him stood an entirely snow-white Immortal Deer, its eyes bloodshot as it stared at Li Yu.

"It is rare for Fellow Daoist Taiqing to visit. Everyone at my Five Villages Temple welcomes you wholeheartedly. Please come inside so we may speak," Zhen Yuanzi said with a smile, clasping his hands.

Holding the Coiling Dragon Cane, Taiqing dismounted from the Azure Ox and returned the gesture. "I have come uninvited and disturbed your peaceful cultivation, Fellow Daoist."

After exchanging a few pleasantries at the entrance, Taiqing followed Zhen Yuanzi and Li Yu into Five Villages Temple.

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun is also here, but he is currently in seclusion. It seems he will have to miss Fellow Daoist Taiqing this time."

"That is no matter. There will naturally be opportunities to meet in the future!"

As they spoke, the three arrived at the main hall and took their seats. Qingfeng and Mingyue brought out Ginseng Fruits, along with other spiritual fruits and fine brews.

"The Ginseng Fruit is a rare spiritual fruit in Heaven and Earth. I have long heard of it, but only today have I finally tasted it."

Taiqing smiled as he picked up a Ginseng Fruit. He took a bite, chewed several times, and after it entered his stomach, continued, "It truly is extraordinary. It is far better than my pills."

To receive Taiqing's praise made Zhen Yuanzi feel honored. He said, "It is only a pity that it bears too few fruits. Otherwise, I would certainly let Fellow Daoist Taiqing eat his fill."

The three chatted and laughed for a while, and the atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious. Only then did Taiqing reveal his purpose. "Fellow Daoist Li, the Azure Ox and Immortal Deer who came with me should not be unfamiliar to you. What do you think of this matter?"

The Azure Ox and Immortal Deer Taiqing spoke of were Lu Xue and her ox brother.

After leaving the Purple Cloud Palace, Taiqing had returned to Mount Kunlun. Not long afterward, having failed to gain any insight from the Primordial Purple Qi, he had developed the desire to travel the Primordial World. Heading eastward from Mount Kunlun, he encountered this Azure Ox along the way. After calculating on his fingers and finding that they shared some affinity, he had wished to take the Azure Ox as his mount.

However, the Azure Ox's Dao companion, the Immortal Deer, had some karmic ties with Li Yu. Taiqing had therefore made a detour to Five Villages Temple, intending to deliver the Immortal Deer to Li Yu.

"Ha ha!"

Li Yu laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Taiqing, raising one ox is the same as raising one more deer. Besides, the Azure Ox and Immortal Deer are Dao companions. We cannot possibly tear them apart, can we? Therefore, Fellow Daoist Taiqing, you should take them both back with you."