Primordial Era: From the Creation Lotus to the First Disciple of the Three Pure Ones

Chapter 62 Spiritual Root Nourishes the Soul and Continues the Predestined Fate

Zhen Yuanzi held the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd in his hands with utmost piety, as if performing the most sacred ritual.

He slowly walked to the ginseng fruit tree, chanting incantations and forming profound hand seals. A pure,

A verdant pillar of light, imbued with the original vitality of the ginseng fruit tree, cascaded down from the canopy, gently enveloping the broken gourd.

Under the emerald green light, the jagged cracks on the gourd's surface seemed to soften somewhat.

Zhen Yuanzi carefully, as if peeling an eggshell, used his great magical power in conjunction with the life force of the ginseng fruit tree to gently guide out the extremely faint fragment of dark red true spirit from the depths of the gourd!

The fragment of true spirit, exposed to the air, appeared even more fragile, as if a gentle breeze could scatter it.

It instinctively cowered, radiating fear and pain.

"Don't be afraid, old friend! We're home!" Zhen Yuanzi's voice choked with emotion, filled with endless tenderness and pity. He guided the wisp of true spirit slowly towards the thickest, most vibrant green branch of the ginseng fruit tree.

The branches and leaves of the ginseng fruit tree seemed to have a life of their own, unfolding themselves actively and extremely gently, forming a natural warm bed made of emerald leaves, emitting a soft halo of life, carefully wrapping and supporting that wisp of dark red true spirit, like a mother caring for her newborn baby!

Buzz—! The moment the dark red true spirit completely merged into the jade warm bed, the ginseng fruit tree burst forth with an even more dazzling emerald green light!

The immense life force surged into the fragments of the true spirit like a tidal wave!

That faint light seemed to have stabilized a little? Although it was still heartbreakingly faint, the sense of collapse that could dissipate at any moment was forcibly stabilized by a tenacious, supreme vitality originating from the innate spiritual root!

It's done! We've saved it for now!

Zhen Yuanzi let out a long, long sigh of relief, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He stood with his back to Qinglian and her disciples, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if trying his best to calm his surging emotions. Qingfeng and Mingyue were already in tears, sobbing silently.

After a long while, Zhen Yuanzi slowly turned around.

Although the sorrow on his face had not completely disappeared, hope rekindled in his eyes, and his gaze toward Qinglian was filled with unprecedented gratitude and closeness.

"Nephew Qinglian!"

Zhen Yuanzi's voice was still hoarse, but it was filled with the excitement of surviving a calamity. "This kindness and virtue is heavier than the primordial chaos! Without you, my old friend Hongyun's chance of survival would have been completely extinguished! I, Zhen Yuanzi, on behalf of my old friend Hongyun, thank you!" After saying this, he bowed deeply to Qinglian!

Qinglian quickly stepped aside and supported Zhen Yuanzi, saying, "Uncle-Master, you mustn't! This is my duty! Uncle-Master Hongyun is a lucky man, his life was not meant to end. I just happened to be there. The fact that Uncle-Master's spirit was preserved is entirely due to the great power of your Earth Book and the miraculous power of the Ginseng Fruit Tree!"

Zhen Yuanzi shook his head; he remembered this kindness.

He raised his hand and beckoned, and Qingfeng and Mingyue immediately understood, quickly approaching with a jade plate in their hands. On the jade plate were five fruits, each shaped like an infant, complete with limbs, clearly defined, and brimming with profound Dao patterns and boundless life essence!

It was indeed the innate spiritual root ginseng fruit! Moreover, judging from its shape and Daoist charm, it was more ancient and pure than ordinary ginseng fruit, clearly a top-grade fruit from the first batch that Zhen Yuanzi had treasured!

"This is the first batch of ginseng fruit that I obtained, and its essence is the purest."

"Nephew and this young friend (looking at Sun Wuzhen), you have traveled a long way and made great contributions. Please accept this as a small token of our appreciation to help you recover your losses!" Zhen Yuanzi's tone was sincere and left no room for refusal.

Qinglian knew this was a generous gift from Zhen Yuanzi to express his gratitude, so she no longer refused and, together with Sun Wuzhen, respectfully accepted it: "Thank you for your kind gift, Uncle-Master!"

The three of them sat down under the ginseng fruit tree.

Zhen Yuanzi inquired in detail about how Qinglian discovered the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd.

Qinglian then recounted in detail, without reservation, how she traveled through Wuyi Mountain, how she revisited the place to open the entrance to chaos, how she ventured into the chaotic currents to obtain the treasure gourd, and how she discovered the faint fluctuations of true spirit within it.

Zhen Yuanzi listened with mixed feelings, sometimes nervous, sometimes relieved, and he was full of praise for Qinglian's courage, thoughtfulness and loyalty.

When he heard that Qinglian had changed her plans and rushed to Wuzhuang Temple at full speed despite the danger of being discovered in order to save Hongyun's remaining spirit, his eyes showed even more gratitude.

"Is your purpose in traveling and verifying what you have learned, nephew?" Zhen Yuanzi asked, his gaze falling on Sun Wuzhen, whose aura was imposing and whose golden armor shone brightly.

"Exactly." Qinglian nodded. "Wuzhen's foundation is already established; he needs real combat experience to hone his skills and seek an opportunity for a breakthrough."

Zhen Yuanzi pondered for a moment, looking at Sun Wuzhen's heroic and extraordinary appearance, and his restrained fighting spirit. He also thought of how Sun Wuzhen had risked his life with Qinglian to save Hongyun (although not directly, they were still colleagues). His goodwill towards Sun Wuzhen increased greatly. He took out two treasures that shimmered with spiritual light.

One item is a short-handled staff that is entirely earthy yellow, neither gold nor stone, with an ancient and simple design and covered with mysterious Dao patterns. The staff head is cone-shaped and exudes an incomparably heavy power that seems to be able to stir the pulse of the earth. The Earth-Splitting Chisel (a superior-grade innate spiritual treasure) can draw on the power of the Earth element to chisel through the earth, split mountains and break peaks. Its power is fierce and unparalleled!

The other item is a pair of boots made entirely of strange yellow crystals, swirling with cloud patterns, and as light as a feather (a top-grade innate spiritual treasure). Wearing these boots, one can not only be as light as a swallow, but also travel thousands of miles in an instant by borrowing the power of the earth's veins, and even travel short distances underground. They are truly miraculous!

"Young friend Sun, your talent is extraordinary, and your fighting spirit is innate. These two treasures, one for offense and one for defense, are just what you need. The Earth-Splitting Chisel will help you defeat your enemies, and the Earth-Traveling Shuttle will help you maneuver. This is a small token of my appreciation; I hope you will accept it and use it to protect your path." Zhen Yuanzi handed the two treasures to Sun Wuzhen.

Sun Wuzhen stared wide-eyed at the two innate spiritual treasures before him, which shone with a dazzling light and exuded a powerful aura!

The sheer power of the Earth-Splitting Chisel ignited his passion, while the agility and speed of the Earth-Traveling Shuttle made him even more eager to try it!

He suppressed his excitement and looked at his master, Qinglian.

Qinglian nodded slightly: "Why don't you quickly thank Grandmaster Zhenyuan?"

Sun Wuzhen immediately knelt on one knee, raised his hands to receive the treasure, and said in a loud voice, "Disciple Sun Wuzhen thanks Grandmaster Uncle for his generous gift! This kindness and virtue will be etched in my heart!"

Zhen Yuanzi waved his hand, a rare gentle smile appearing on his face.

Master Qinglian and his disciples lingered at Wuzhuang Temple for several days.

Zhen Yuanzi warmly entertained them, providing a constant stream of spiritual fruits and immortal wines. He also exchanged some insights with Qinglian about the Dao of Earth and the Dao of Creation.

Sun Wuzhen seized the time to refine his newly acquired Earth-Splitting Chisel and Earth-Traveling Shuttle. Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he would ask Qinglian or Zhen Yuanzi for guidance, making rapid progress.

Several days later, Qinglian saw that under the nourishment of the ginseng fruit tree, the faint light of Hongyun's remnant spirit seemed to have solidified a little more (although it was still extremely fragile), and knew that with Zhen Yuanzi protecting this place, it was the safest place.

He and Sun Wukong have already achieved their goal for this trip, and it is not advisable for them to stay any longer.

"Uncle-Master Zhenyuan, I am relieved that Uncle-Master Hongyun's remnant spirit is protected by you and the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Wuzhen and I still need to continue our travels to verify what we have learned, so I will take my leave now, Uncle-Master." Qinglian respectfully took her leave.

Zhen Yuanzi knew their ambition was to travel, so he didn't insist they stay. He simply gave them a serious warning: "Nephew, Wuzhen, although the great calamity has temporarily ceased, the killing intent is still lurking deep within, and every step is fraught with danger. You two must be extra careful!"

"Do not mention the matter of my old friend Hongyun to a second person! Zhen Yuanzi will never forget this kindness! If there is ever a need for your assistance, Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain will do its utmost to help!"

"Disciples will remember Master's teachings!" Qinglian and Sun Wuzhen replied in unison, bowing in gratitude once more.

Zhen Yuanzi personally escorted the two to the outer gate of the temple. The heavy yellow light of the protective barrier opened a crack once more.

"Uncle-Master, please wait. We'll meet again!" Qinglian bowed.

"Take care, Grandmaster Uncle!" Sun Wuzhen also bowed respectfully.

The master and disciple transformed into two streaks of light, once again merging into the primordial world filled with calamity energy, and disappeared into the horizon.

The mountain gate slowly closed, and the protective yellow light once again enveloped Longevity Mountain.

Zhen Yuanzi did not immediately return to the temple. Instead, he went alone to the back garden and stood quietly under the ginseng fruit tree that was radiant and full of vitality.

He looked up at the emerald green branch that carried the dark red spirit.

Enveloped in the rich radiance of life, that faint red light resembled a sleeping star, tranquil yet tenacious.

After a long while, Zhen Yuanzi stretched out his withered palm and gently and tenderly stroked the rough yet warm trunk of the ginseng fruit tree, as if comforting a sleeping old friend.

A weathered voice, filled with endless emotion, lingering fear, and the joy of regaining what was lost, echoed softly in the quiet back garden, like a sigh that had traversed billions of years: "Old friend, old friend—if only you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"

If you had listened to me and stayed in Wuzhuang, you would not have suffered such a great calamity, ending up with your body and soul destroyed, leaving only a remnant spirit.

If it weren't for—if it weren't for Qinglian's profound good fortune, meticulous attention to detail, and deep sense of loyalty and righteousness, risking everything to bring you back—our friendship, spanning countless millennia, would truly have become a sorrowful wind scattered by the wind in this primordial world.

The ginseng fruit tree moved swiftly without wind, its emerald green branches rustling as if responding to its owner's whispers.

The leaf enveloping the dark red spirit closed slightly, emitting a softer halo, like a silent promise.

Zhen Yuanzi stood under the tree, his shadow stretching long in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Wuzhuang Temple fell silent once more, but this silence held a sense of anticipation and hope. Meanwhile, the departing Qinglian master and disciples, carrying new karma and missions, continued their journey into the even more unpredictable and treacherous primordial world.

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