Primordial Era: Reborn as a Qi Immortal, Steadily Cultivating

Chapter 149 The Path of the Outer Immortals and the Path of the Earthly Immortals

"Young friend...where did you come from with this gourd? Why does it contain the aura of my old friend Hongyun?"

Zhen Yuanzi could no longer maintain the composure befitting an ancestor of earth immortals.

As he took a step forward, his voice trembled slightly, a tremor he could not conceal.

Ma Yuan remained silent, simply gazing calmly at the ancestor of the Earth Immortals before him, a man whose Dao heart had long since been lost.

He also let out a soft sigh.

He then calmly raised his right hand and made a mysterious hand seal in front of him.

"Om-!"

At that moment, the ancient, gray-yellow gourd flashed with light.

A wisp of extremely faint true spirit was carefully drawn out from the gourd's primordial space by him with great magical power, and quietly floated in mid-air.

It was precisely at the moment I saw this wisp of my old friend's spirit that I was able to see it!
Zhen Yuanzi, a top-tier quasi-saint who was born at the beginning of the world, survived the Dragon-Han Tribulation, and listened to the sacred teachings in the Zixiao Palace.

His unwavering Daoist heart, which had long been aligned with the world, was completely broken at this moment!
"Red Cloud!"

His tall body trembled violently.

Those eyes, which had long been indifferent to the changes of time, turned crimson in an instant!
Two streams of hot, clear tears silently slid down his cheeks without warning!

His voice became hoarse and choked with sobs at this moment, filled with endless grief and self-blame!

"Foolish child! How...how could you have fallen to such a state!"

"It is my incompetence! It is my incompetence!!"

He looked up to the sky and let out a roar filled with endless grief and indignation!
The roar contained the regret and pain that a quasi-saint had suppressed for countless eons. Its mournful sound caused the entire Longevity Mountain to tremble violently, the wind and clouds to change color, and all the trees to grieve!
However, after the grief subsided, Zhen Yuanzi was still a top-tier powerhouse who stood at the pinnacle of the primordial world.

He realized in an instant that now was not the time to wallow in grief.

He could clearly feel that this wisp of remaining true spirit, which was already extremely weak, was being slowly worn down by an invisible force under the increasingly strict operation of the Heavenly Dao Laws!

He dared not hesitate for even a moment longer!

Suddenly, he made a hand seal, and his vast, ocean-like quasi-saint power erupted!
"Buzz!!!!"

An ancient scroll, entirely dark yellow and without any writing on it, slowly emerged from the auspicious clouds above his head without warning!
Earth Book, also known as Earth Membrane.

It is a genuine treasure on par with the Heavenly Book of Gods and the Book of Life and Death.

As soon as this treasure appeared, a profound Daoist aura, powerful enough to sustain all living beings, enveloped the entire Wuzhuang Temple in an instant!
Upon seeing this, a hint of curiosity flashed in Ma Yuan's usually calm eyes.

He could clearly sense that the power of this treasure had long surpassed the scope of ordinary innate spiritual treasures.

What flows on it is a power of the earth's origin that is completely different from the primordial heavenly way, yet equally supreme!

No wonder this treasure became the foundation for Zhen Yuanzi's survival and livelihood.

Its mystery is truly incredible.

While Ma Yuan was pondering, Zhen Yuanzi had already unleashed the supreme power of this treasure!

A gentle and profound aura of primordial earth slowly emerged from the Earth Book.

In mid-air, it transformed into a dazzling protective shield filled with endless vitality.

He carefully wrapped the wisp of crimson cloud spirit, which was already on the verge of dissipation, inside!
That invisible force of attrition, originating from the primordial Heavenly Dao, vanished into nothingness in an instant before this Xuanhuang protective shield!

After doing all this, Zhen Yuanzi finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The complex emotions of excitement and grief on his face gradually subsided.

He slowly put away the Earth Book that was floating in mid-air.

He then turned to face the Taoist in green robes who had stood calmly to the side the whole time.

His expression became more solemn and serious than ever before.

It happened right in front of the two Daoist boys who were already staring in disbelief.

He bowed deeply to Ma Yuan!
"My dear friend, you have shown me the great kindness of preserving my true spirit and reshaping my path!"

"I, Zhen Yuanzi, will never forget this cause and effect!"

"If you ever say a word in the future, young friend, I and Wanshou Mountain will do our utmost to repay you!"

Faced with such a solemn promise, which would move any powerful being in the primordial world.

"You flatter me, Master."

Ma Yuan smiled calmly and responded in a gentle voice.

"Although I have no close relationship with Fellow Daoist Hongyun, I have benefited from his legacy by chance."

"Now it is merely in accordance with cause and effect, unable to bear seeing its countless millennia of arduous cultivation utterly destroyed in this world. It does not deserve such a grand gesture from the Great Immortal."

Upon seeing this, Zhen Yuanzi immediately fell silent.

He simply imprinted this immense kindness deep within the very core of his Daoist heart.

"Great Immortal, although my brother's true spirit has been preserved, he is ultimately a rootless duckweed. I wonder if you have any good plan to help him return to the primordial world?"

Seeing this, Ma Yuan also spoke up at the opportune moment.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi shook his head in pain, a deep sense of powerlessness showing on his face.

"Difficult, difficult, difficult!"

He uttered the word "difficult" three times in a row, his voice filled with bitterness.

"Now the age of sages has arrived, the Way of Heaven is complete, and the laws are strict."

Although I can use the power of the Earth Book to temporarily isolate it from the erosion of the Heavenly Dao and protect its true spirit from obscurity.

However, in the end, only a wisp of its spirit remained; its primordial spirit and Dao fruit had been completely annihilated in the self-destruction. To allow it to return to the primordial world was tantamount to defying the heavens, an impossible task!

"The best course of action now is to use the Earth Book to carefully nurture its true spirit, and then slowly work on it later, waiting for that slim chance."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

However, he was thinking of another opportunity that might give Hongyun a chance to survive.

"Hou Tu transforms into reincarnation."

He secretly thought.

"When the great calamity of the Lich King ends, the Ancestral Witch Houtu will transform into the Six Paths of Reincarnation to restore the order of heaven and earth."

At that time, perhaps this wisp of Hongyun's true spirit can be sent into that cycle of reincarnation, where the power of creation can be used to rebuild her true spirit and allow her to live another life!

"Although this will result in the loss of all cultivation from the previous life, it will also completely wash away all karmic debts and cause and effect on the person. Under the new world order, it will allow them to embark on a new path, which may not be a bad thing."

However, Ma Yuan did not say these words aloud.

This matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration.

Zhen Yuanzi carefully placed the last remnant spirit of his close friend Hongyun within the primordial space of the Earth Book, nurturing it day and night with the ancestral energy of the primordial earth.

The pent-up frustration that had been building up between his brows for countless millennia finally began to dissipate somewhat.

He turned around and looked at Ma Yuan again.

This immense kindness cannot be fully expressed in ordinary words.

He immediately turned to the two young Taoist disciples who had been waiting quietly for some time and solemnly instructed them:
"You all go quickly to the orchard in the backyard, fetch the golden mallet, and knock down four ginseng fruits for me and this young friend."

"is teacher."

Upon hearing this, the two young disciples, though aware of the significance of Ma Yuan's actions, still showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.

They were well aware that their ginseng fruit tree was an innate spiritual root that had been born since the beginning of time, and how precious its fruit was.
Even his own teacher wouldn't easily indulge in such a treat.

Unexpectedly, four coins were to be made at once today to entertain Ma Yuan, a rogue cultivator who was visiting for the first time.

Such hospitality far surpasses ordinary ways of treating guests!

Although the two were deeply shocked, they knew how important this Taoist priest in blue robes was to their teacher, and dared not be the slightest bit negligent. They immediately and respectfully agreed, and quickly headed towards the orchard in the backyard.

Before long, a refreshing aroma of kiwi fruit wafted from the backyard.

The two young Taoist disciples carefully carried a tray carved from innate white jade and slowly walked back.

On the tray, four lifelike, extraordinary fruits, identical to those of a three-day-old child, were quietly arranged.

Zhen Yuanzi personally set up a futon next to the stone table under the ginseng fruit tree and placed the tray in the center of the table.

He then gestured "please" to Ma Yuan.

"I have no way to repay this great kindness. Only these few fruits are edible, and I hope you will not find them offensive."

Ma Yuan smiled calmly and sat down with ease.

"You're too kind, Great Immortal."

The two said no more and each took a ginseng fruit.

This was Ma Yuan's first time tasting such a rare delicacy. The fruit melted in his mouth, transforming into a warm and gentle earth elemental power that flowed through his entire body in an instant!

That immense primordial power continuously solidified his innate Five Elements Dao foundation and nourished his primordial spirit.

Its effects are so miraculous that they are even better than the peaches of immortality from the Western Kunlun Mountains!
Just one fruit is enough to save an ordinary Golden Immortal from tens of thousands of years of arduous cultivation!
"This person truly deserves to be called the most outstanding innate spiritual root in the primordial world."

Ma Yuan gave a heartfelt exclamation of praise.

Upon seeing this, Zhen Yuanzi also revealed a genuine smile on his face.

He personally poured Ma Yuan a cup of tea brewed from the Wanzai Spirit Spring. After tasting the tea and enjoying some fruit, he finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked:
"Having cultivated for so long, I have witnessed countless Daoist methods in the primordial world, and I have also listened to the great Dao of the sages in the Zixiao Palace."

However, I have never heard of or seen a profound method like that of a young friend, which allows one to completely transcend the secrets of heaven and remain untouched by cause and effect.

"May I ask you to enlighten me on a few questions?"

Like the Queen Mother of the West, he immediately discerned the most peculiar aspect of Ma Yuan.

Both are among the most powerful quasi-saints in the primordial world.

Zhen Yuanzi's personality is completely different from that of the Queen Mother of the West.

Ma Yuan felt that the Queen Mother of the West was someone who had long since seen through the changes of time and was untouched by the karmic consequences of the mortal world.

But the ancestor of the earth immortals before us is a truly passionate and virtuous person.

His every word and action comes from his heart, without any pretense.

Ma Yuan smiled calmly upon hearing this.

He knew that his extraordinary Dao of the Outer Realm could not ultimately escape the discerning eyes of the most powerful beings below the level of a sage, such as Zhen Yuanzi.

He immediately began to explain his Taoist philosophy to Zhen Yuanzi in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

"The primordial world, though seemingly vast, is in reality nothing more than a giant chessboard. All living beings are merely pawns, subject to the dictates of the Heavenly Dao, and have no control over their own destiny."

"The path I seek is to create a pure land outside this chessboard, a place where I can roam freely. I will merge my true spirit into it, transcend the primordial Heavenly Dao, and be free from its control. This is what is meant by 'beyond the mundane world'!"

Although his words were plain, they contained a supreme ambition that could move any powerful being in the primordial world!
It even carries a hint of challenging the will of Heaven.

Even Zhen Yuanzi, upon hearing of such an astonishing method of attaining enlightenment, couldn't help but feel a genuine shock in his eyes!

"What a grand vision! What a magnificent path to transcendence!"

Zhen Yuanzi clapped his hands in admiration, his voice filled with appreciation.

He no longer held back any of his knowledge and began to explain his Dao of the Earth Immortals to Ma Yuan in detail.

"The path I cultivate is completely opposite to that of you, young friend."

Young friend, you seek transcendence from the external world; I, however, seek integration from within.

Zhen Yuanzi's voice became deep and resonant, as if it had completely merged with the boundless earth beneath his feet.

"I, a humble Daoist, use my own Dao fruit to bear the earth veins of Longevity Mountain, and in the darkness, I merge with the ancestral veins of the primordial earth."

With great virtue, one can bear all things; with stillness, one can control movement.

As long as this primordial earth does not perish, I will not die, and will live as long as this world, hence the saying "living with the world as one with its ruler."

Ma Yuan listened quietly.

He knew that Zhen Yuanzi's cultivation level was probably even higher than that of the Queen Mother of the West in West Kunlun.

Therefore, this discussion was less about the two men mutually confirming each other's views and more about their own interpretations.

It would be more accurate to say that Zhen Yuanzi, a senior who had already reached the peak of Quasi-Sainthood, was pointing out the shortcomings in Ma Yuan's cultivation.

"Young friend, your lofty aspirations for the Great Way beyond this world are something even I admire."

However, in my humble opinion, while this path leads to great freedom, it also contains immense danger.

"Please enlighten me, Great Immortal." Ma Yuan immediately asked humbly for guidance.

Zhen Yuanzi nodded slowly, his gaze seemingly seeing through Ma Yuan's Dao Fruit origin.

“Young friend, your true spirit has transcended the river of time and is no longer part of the primordial heavenly way. This move may seem like jumping out of the chessboard, but it also means that you have completely lost the protection of this primordial world.”

His voice became distant and solemn, “From this day forward, your existence will no longer depend on this vast and boundless wilderness, but entirely on the world that you yourself have created.”

He looked at Ma Yuan intently and said, word by word:

"If that world exists, you will be eternal. But what if... that world no longer exists?"

"At that time, your true spirit will have no foundation in this world, and its final fate will be utter annihilation!"

These words pointed directly to the fundamental hidden dangers of the unorthodox path, causing Ma Yuan to feel a slight chill.

Zhen Yuanzi continued, “The path I cultivate is exactly the opposite of yours, young friend.”

This humble Taoist does not seek transcendence beyond the chessboard; he only desires to become one with the chessboard itself.

His Daoist aura resonated with the earth beneath his feet, and a profound and boundless aura spread out.

"The Primordial World is a top-tier world standing at the pinnacle of endless chaos. Its origin is so profound and its laws so stable that they cannot be shaken except by immeasurable eons."

As long as this world exists, I, this humble Taoist, will live as one with the world, enduring through countless eons.

While this approach may lack some of the drive and ambition, its strength lies in its stability.

These words revealed two completely different yet equally eternal paths to the supreme truth.

Upon hearing this, Ma Yuan also fell into deep thought.

He knew that Zhen Yuanzi's words were true, and this was precisely the biggest flaw in the Taoist path he had cultivated.

“I know that what you seek, young friend, is the supreme path of completely controlling one’s own destiny. I admire such a mindset,” Zhen Yuanzi said again when he saw Ma Yuan deep in thought.

"However, my young friend, you must also know that the path you are taking is a new path that has never been seen before, with no predecessors to prove it and no established rules to follow."

On the road ahead, every step will require you to explore on your own, and the difficulties involved will be a hundred or a thousand times greater than those faced by ordinary cultivators like us.

Even with my limited cultivation, I cannot offer much guidance on your path of cultivation.

Upon hearing this, Ma Yuan bowed again, his voice utterly sincere: "What the Great Immortal said is truly profound; I have learned a great deal."

Seeing that he was steadfast in his Daoist heart and unmoved by danger, Zhen Yuanzi's eyes showed even greater admiration.

"Young friend Ma Yuan, if you wish for your transcendent path to truly achieve perfection and completely eliminate the hidden danger of death and annihilation, the only way is to ensure that the world you create continues to grow and advance!"

He stretched out his hand, pointing to the vast and boundless primordial world, his voice becoming expansive and full of expectation.

"Young friend, you should travel extensively in this vast and boundless world, observe with a calm mind, and comprehend the supreme mysteries evolved from this top-tier world."

"When your world is able to advance into a true Great Thousand World, its laws will be so stable and its origin so profound that it will be comparable to this primordial world."

Only then will you truly achieve your great path beyond worldly concerns, the day of your perfect accomplishment!

(End of this chapter)