Seeking What He Desired, Tasting Ginseng Fruit

Sure enough, when Zhen Yuanzi lifted the Splendid Mountains and Rivers Map, hundreds of millions of radiant beams burst forth. Within that radiance sat ten infants, each only about a foot tall, naked from head to toe, with fully formed features. They smiled cheerfully, lifelike, chubby, and rosy-cheeked, utterly adorable.

These were Ginseng Fruits. Zhen Yuanzi had brought out ten at once, showing just how highly he regarded Dao Xuan.

Seeing this, Dao Xuan did not immediately reach for them. Instead, he took out a gourd from his sleeve, placed it before Zhen Yuanzi, and said, "Brother Dao has treated me with sincerity, so I dare not be discourteous in return."

"This was a gourd I obtained long ago on Mount Buzhou, from the Innate Spiritual Root known as the Gourd Vine. This gourd is rather unusual. It is still in its embryonic form, and Brother Dao may refine it into a treasure."

"Oh?"

Zhen Yuanzi was greatly startled upon hearing this. There was a reason he had treated Dao Xuan so graciously. When Dao Xuan came to visit, he had removed the concealment surrounding his heavenly secrets, allowing Zhen Yuanzi to foresee his arrival.

At the same time, Zhen Yuanzi had learned of Dao Xuan's true origin and knew that he was a great being who had attained the Dao after taking form from a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Root, the Banana Tree.

Zhen Yuanzi himself possessed the Ginseng Fruit Tree, one of the ten great spiritual roots and a top-tier Innate Spiritual Root.

Thus, Zhen Yuanzi felt that Dao Xuan shared some affinity with him. Moreover, Zhen Yuanzi cultivated the Earth Dao, while the Banana Tree from which Dao Xuan originated was a Four Symbols Spirit Root.

With affinity upon affinity, Zhen Yuanzi naturally treated Dao Xuan with exceptional courtesy, even bringing out ten Ginseng Fruits to entertain him.

But how could Zhen Yuanzi have expected that Dao Xuan would produce an item whose value was not the least bit inferior to his ten Ginseng Fruits?

Indeed, it was likely far more valuable than his Ginseng Fruits.

After all, to great beings such as themselves, Ginseng Fruits were merely a novelty to taste and satisfy their appetites. Once eaten, they were gone.

Yet that gourd had grown from the Primordial Gourd Vine, likewise one of the ten great spiritual roots.

And according to Dao Xuan, such a gourd only needed a little refinement to become an excellent Innate Spiritual Treasure.

How could Zhen Yuanzi possibly remain calm now?

Seeing that Zhen Yuanzi seemed about to decline, Dao Xuan hurriedly added, "Brother Dao, please do not refuse. I came this time with another matter to request of you. This gourd may serve as my recompense."

After hesitating for a moment, Zhen Yuanzi simply accepted the gourd. "Very well, very well. Whatever Brother Dao asks of me today, I will certainly do my utmost to fulfill it."

Dao Xuan could not help but sigh in relief upon hearing this, then said directly, "Brother Dao, do not agree so quickly. Please hear me out first."

"I came here hoping to obtain a section of branch from Brother Dao's Ginseng Fruit Tree."

"What?" Zhen Yuanzi's face immediately showed difficulty. He regretted speaking so absolutely just now. Had he known that Dao Xuan wanted this, he would never have agreed so readily.

But the words had already left his mouth. After thinking it over, Zhen Yuanzi still nodded. "Fine. It is only a section of branch. Since I have promised Brother Dao, there is no reason not to give it."

Zhen Yuanzi always kept his word. He immediately rose, waved his hand, and a flash of yellow light passed by. At once, the Ginseng Fruit Tree shook violently.

One of its branches fell from the tree.

Zhen Yuanzi caught it with his magic power and handed it to Dao Xuan.

Dao Xuan was overjoyed. He first put away the branch, then promptly took out drop after drop of Three Lights Divine Water. Without saying anything to Zhen Yuanzi, he cast them directly onto the wound where the Ginseng Fruit Tree's branch had been severed.

There were ten drops of Three Lights Divine Water in total.

As the ten drops fell upon it, the wound left by the severed branch on the Ginseng Fruit Tree began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"This, this..."

Zhen Yuanzi was both delighted and ashamed. He was delighted because he had believed that losing a branch would damage the Ginseng Fruit Tree's origin, requiring a very long time to recover.

But with the ten drops of Three Lights Divine Water Dao Xuan had given him, that lost origin would likely be replenished very soon.

It might even bring tremendous benefits to the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

What ashamed him was that he had actually felt regret just moments ago. Compared to Dao Xuan's actions, he felt vastly inferior.

Moreover, Dao Xuan's successive grand gestures left Zhen Yuanzi deeply astonished.

Originally, although he had treated Dao Xuan with great courtesy, it was because Dao Xuan had attained the Dao after transforming from a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Root.

Yet deep down, he had still felt that he stood a rank above Dao Xuan.

There was nothing strange about this. In the Primordial World, people were inherently divided into ranks. Even among great beings, differing foundations and origins naturally determined who stood higher and who stood lower.

No matter what, Dao Xuan had merely transformed from a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Root. Yet Zhen Yuanzi not only possessed the Ginseng Fruit Tree, which ranked above the Banana Tree, but also had the Earth Book, born alongside him from the Earth Womb Membrane.

Deep down, Zhen Yuanzi believed his foundation surpassed Dao Xuan's. Though he called Dao Xuan Brother Dao, he had truly regarded him with the bearing of an elder, wishing to guide and support him.

However, Dao Xuan's repeated actions, especially the treasures he had produced one after another, had utterly shocked Zhen Yuanzi.

Just how many good things did Dao Xuan possess?

When he looked at Dao Xuan again, Zhen Yuanzi only felt layer upon layer of mist shrouding him. He could not see through Dao Xuan's cultivation in the slightest.

Heavens!

At this moment, Zhen Yuanzi finally realized that Dao Xuan's cultivation might be above his own. Could he have already severed a corpse?

A Quasi-Saint?

That was right. Zhen Yuanzi was still at the perfected Great Principle Golden Immortal realm. During Hongjun's second lecture at Zixiao Palace, he had imparted the Three Corpses Severing Method.

By cultivating this method and entrusting one's obsession to an Innate Spiritual Treasure, one could sever a corpse, make a breakthrough, and advance into a Quasi-Saint.

Over the years, Zhen Yuanzi had comprehended this method and felt that his accumulation was sufficient. He could enter seclusion to sever a corpse at any time. Yet just as he intended to do so, he sensed the heavenly secret that Dao Xuan was about to arrive.

Thus, Zhen Yuanzi postponed it and waited for Dao Xuan to come calling.

But how could Zhen Yuanzi have imagined that the "junior" he believed to be at the same Great Principle Golden Immortal realm, and whom he assumed was likely far weaker than himself—

Had actually surpassed him and already broken through to become a Quasi-Saint. How was this a "junior"? He was clearly Zhen Yuanzi's "senior"!

That address of "Brother Dao" had truly not been wrong!

For a moment, Zhen Yuanzi felt utterly ashamed. Looking at Dao Xuan, he did not know what to say for a long while.

Seeing him like this, Dao Xuan vaguely guessed the reason. Although Zhen Yuanzi had treated him very naturally, Dao Xuan could still sense it to some extent.

Moreover, all of Zhen Yuanzi's actions had come from goodwill. Dao Xuan found it even harder to expose the matter. He immediately gave a light laugh and said, "Brother Dao, now that the matter is settled, it is time to properly taste these fruits of yours."

With that, Dao Xuan returned to sit beside the stone table. Zhen Yuanzi came back to his senses upon hearing this, felt slightly awkward, then smiled and sat down as well. "Brother Dao has seen something embarrassing. Brother Dao, please!"

As he spoke, Zhen Yuanzi picked up a Ginseng Fruit and raised it toward Dao Xuan in invitation.

Dao Xuan also picked up a Ginseng Fruit, made a token toast toward Zhen Yuanzi, and began to savor it.