Jieyin and Zhunti's Scheme, Three More Spiritual Roots Added to the Inner World

The battles in the starry sky—whether Kunpeng's earlier ambush on Dao Xuan, only for Dao Xuan to suppress him in turn with the Four-Colored Divine Light,

or Taiyi's enraged attack afterward, using the Chaos Bell against Dao Xuan, only for Dao Xuan to evade it time and again—

were all immensely powerful clashes, yet each ended in an extremely short time.

The first battle in particular had gone almost entirely unnoticed. Even for the latter battle, only a small number of great powers in the Primordial World had witnessed it.

For example, Kunlun Mountain was the sanctuary of the Three Pure Ones. At this time, they had not yet gone their separate ways and still lived there together.

The three brothers had each established a palace: Taiqing Hall, Yuqing Hall, and Shangqing Hall.

Within Taiqing Hall, Daoist Laozi of the Taiqing lineage happened to be using his divine sense that day to survey the heavens and wander through the world with his spirit.

He saw the entire battle between Dao Xuan, Kunpeng, and Taiyi.

Only after Dao Xuan vanished did the old Daoist withdraw his divine sense and open his eyes.

"An Innate Banana Tree that attained the Dao, Dao Xuan? How interesting. This person is unfathomable!" Laozi sighed, but said no more. He remained seated atop his cushion and closed his eyes once again.

Who knew whether he had resumed cultivating or begun roaming the world with his spirit again.

By coincidence, atop Sumeru Mountain in the western lands of the Primordial World, another Daoist was sound asleep, immersed in a great dream.

Suddenly, the Daoist awoke and murmured as though still talking in his sleep, "Dao Xuan?"

"What a formidable fellow Daoist."

This Daoist was none other than Jieyin, one of the two figures of the west.

After waking, Jieyin immediately summoned his junior brother, Daoist Zhunti, and said to him, "Junior Brother, an extraordinary figure has appeared in the Primordial World."

Jieyin recounted to Zhunti everything he had seen while wandering the world in his dream. After hearing it, Zhunti fell silent.

"Senior Brother, you said this man has been collecting branches from many spiritual roots. Could he be trying to grow the Ten Great Spiritual Roots himself?" Zhunti pondered before asking.

"It is naturally impossible to grow the Ten Great Spiritual Roots, and he is not merely collecting branches from the Ten Great Spiritual Roots."

Jieyin's face always bore that bitter expression. At this, he said, "However, I have a vague feeling that before long, this person will come to visit you and me."

"Visit us?"

Zhunti's heart tightened. His true body was the Bodhi Tree, one of the Ten Great Spiritual Roots. As for his senior brother, his true body had always been concealed and unknown to outsiders.

Yet Zhunti knew that his senior brother's true body was also one of the Ten Great Spiritual Roots: the Bitter Bamboo Spiritual Root.

One Bodhi, one Bitter Bamboo—two supreme innate spiritual roots. After the western lands had suffered their great calamity, the last remnants of its fortune had fallen upon them, granting them the chance to take form and attain the Dao.

And now, Jieyin said that Dao Xuan would soon come to Sumeru Mountain to seek out the two brothers.

Clearly, Dao Xuan had his eyes on their true bodies. Zhunti immediately furrowed his brow.

He had never doubted his senior brother's words. Especially since his senior brother's attainments in the Dao of karma far surpassed his own.

Since his senior brother said Dao Xuan would come, it was most likely true.

But Dao Xuan actually intended to covet his and his senior brother's true bodies. Even if he wanted only a branch, it still made Zhunti deeply displeased.

He was always the one going around taking advantage of others. Since when had anyone dared take advantage of him?

"What does Senior Brother think we should do if Dao Xuan comes?" Zhunti asked.

Jieyin shook his head. "Naturally, we refuse."

"Though we do not know his purpose, you and I both attained the Dao through spiritual roots. If others take part of our bodies, it may be enough to place us in danger. We must not be careless!"

Zhunti immediately relaxed and smiled. "Senior Brother, I had no intention of giving him anything either."

"Hmph!"

Zhunti snorted. "He merely attained the Dao through a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Root. We are a grade above him, yet he dares set his sights on us. He truly does not know his own limits."

"We will make our preparations. When he comes, we will ensure that he regrets it beyond measure."

Jieyin nodded but said no more.

Seeing this, Zhunti understood his senior brother's temperament. Generally, his senior brother was the one who devised plans and made decisions, while he was the one who carried them out.

This was the tacit understanding between the two of them: one handled internal matters, the other external matters, and their cooperation was flawless!

Thus, Zhunti turned and began making preparations, waiting only for Dao Xuan to come and walk into their trap before long!

Meanwhile, Dao Xuan naturally had no idea that the two men of the west had already begun laying an ambush for him.

Dao Xuan first left the starry sky and, in a streak of light, hurried without pause back to the Primordial Land.

Yet he still did not return to Chaos Island. Instead, he casually found another place on the Primordial Land to settle down.

A temporary cave abode, an array formation, then closed-door cultivation!

Then, with a flash, he entered the Inner World directly.

As soon as he entered the Inner World, Dao Xuan swept his sleeve, and three branches immediately appeared before him.

They were branches from the Starfruit Tree, Fusang Tree, and Moon Laurel Tree.

Just as he had done with the Ginseng Fruit Tree before, Dao Xuan separately placed the branches of these three great spiritual roots.

He threw the Starfruit Tree branch into the highest of the six Heaven Realms.

As for the Fusang Tree and Moon Laurel Tree branches, he naturally sent them to the Solar Star and Lunar Star within the Inner World respectively.

With the addition of three more Innate Spiritual Roots, Dao Xuan once again sensed that the Inner World's rate of evolution had increased.

As for the Four Divine Beasts, when they saw the three newly born spiritual roots,

Azure Dragon remained proud and dismissive. After all, no spiritual root could possibly be better than the World Tree.

As long as he guarded the World Tree, his strength would remain firmly first among the Four Divine Beasts.

White Tiger glanced at the three spiritual roots, but found them uninteresting. None of them suited his tastes.

Vermilion Bird, however, was somewhat conflicted.

On one side was the already matured Chaos Spiritual Root, the World Tree. Although Azure Dragon had monopolized most of the Innate Jia Wood Essence emitted by the World Tree,

she could still live very comfortably by picking up the scraps.

But on the other side, the Fusang Tree was undoubtedly the best match for her attributes. Though this spiritual root was currently only a Lower-Grade Innate Spiritual Root, merely a small sapling,

once it was cultivated, its future potential would be immense.

And just then, before Vermilion Bird could make a decision, Black Tortoise, in the Northern Extremity of the Inner World, made his move.

Among the three great spiritual roots, the Moon Laurel Tree's origin of gui water also greatly tempted him.

However, compared with the other three Divine Beasts, Black Tortoise possessed one advantage.

His enormous body suddenly split in two, transforming into a great serpent and a giant turtle.

Black Tortoise sent the great serpent flying toward the Lunar Star to tend to the Moon Laurel Tree.

As for the giant turtle, it naturally remained where it was, guarding the Myriad Transformations Treasure Lotus.