Primordial Era: Cultivation level equals the sum of the Jie Sect's total; the Three Pure Ones a

Upon seeing this, Xuandu was overjoyed.

Huangzhongli!

One of the ten innate spiritual roots, it takes 30,000 years to produce 30 fruits, and eating them can lead to the attainment of the Great Luo Dao.

If we obtain this tree, why should the human race lack Great Immortals?

Although the three Suirenshi had reached the peak of the Great Luo realm, most of the 100,000 elite human warriors were still hovering around the Xuanxian and Jinxian realms.

With Huang Zhongli's help, a batch of great talents could be created within a hundred years.

At that time, the strength of the human race will surely surge once again.

Not to mention...

Xuan Du's eyes brightened slightly.

Deep within his Purple Mansion, the Chaos Pearl trembled slightly.

This bead contains a world within it, where time flows a hundred times faster than in the outside world.

If you were to move Huangzhong plums into it, nourish them with the primordial energy, and accelerate their ripening with time...

It ripens once every 30,000 years?

No.

Inside the Chaos Pearl, 30,000 years is equivalent to only 300 years in the outside world.

After three hundred years, a batch of Huangzhong plums can be harvested.

In three hundred years, a batch of Great Golden Immortals can be created.

In three hundred years, the human race can have another hundred or a thousand Great Luo Immortals!

At that time, to what extent will the human race's fortune reach its peak?

When humanity awakens, will it be far off?

Xuan Du took a deep breath, suppressing the surging excitement in his heart.

He took a step forward.

Her green robe fluttered slightly, and her black hair cascaded over her shoulders.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing under the yellow plum tree.

The tree is hundreds of feet tall, with lush branches and leaves, and its golden trunk shimmers with light.

Thirty fruits hung from the branches, golden and fragrant.

Xuandu raised his hand, intending to carefully examine the origin of this tree.

Just now.

"Please spare me, senior!"

A voice rang out from among the plum trees.

The voice was childish, filled with fear, trembling, and pleading.

Xuandu was taken aback.

His raised hand suddenly stopped, his gaze narrowed, and he looked down at the tree trunk.

Its trunk is golden, with flowing Dao patterns, just like an ordinary innate spiritual root.

But the sound definitely came from inside the tree.

"Senior, spare my life! This junior meant no offense, I was just... I was merely cultivating here and have never harmed anyone!"

The voice rang out again, this time with even greater terror and trembling.

Xuan Du frowned slightly.

He extended his divine sense, which surged into the tree trunk like a tide.

In an instant, he sensed it.

Deep within the tree trunk, a faint yet clear fluctuation of spiritual consciousness trembled.

The spirit merged with the tree body, yet remained independent of it.

They have self-awareness.

They have independent thinking.

There is fear.

This is... sentience?

Did Huang Zhongli develop sentience?

Xuan Du's gaze narrowed slightly.

He knew perfectly well what this meant.

Innate spiritual roots are born of heaven and earth, transformed from chaos, and are inherently inanimate.

Even the ginseng fruit tree, the peach tree, and the hibiscus tree are all inanimate objects.

But this yellow plum tree in front of me has developed sentience.

Once it gains intelligence, it is no longer an inanimate object.

Instead... it's a demon.

Tree spirit.

Logically speaking, the moment an innate spiritual root develops intelligence, the Heavenly Dao should send down a tribulation of lightning to destroy it.

Because the laws of Heaven do not allow those with innate spiritual roots to become demons.

The innate spiritual root is the essence of heaven and earth, and should benefit all living beings.

If one becomes a demon and develops selfish desires, one will monopolize spiritual energy, devour the source, and cease bearing fruit and bringing blessings.

This is the predetermined course of Heaven, and it cannot be changed.

But this yellow plum tree in front of me is thriving.

Not only did it survive, it also developed intelligence and even begged for mercy.

Xuan Du's eyes flickered slightly.

He raised his eyes and looked into the void.

Through layers of void, through the innate grand formation, through the endless sea, he seemed to see the Purple Cloud Palace suspended in the heavens.

Heaven.

Why wasn't a lightning tribulation sent down?

A moment later, a smile slowly crept onto Xuan Du's lips.

He figured it out.

The Primordial Grand Array.

This island is protected by a primordial grand formation, keeping it isolated from the world and worth billions.

That great formation not only isolated outsiders, but also the perception of the Heavenly Dao.

Did Heaven sense the moment Huang Zhongli developed sentience?

I sensed it.

However, when Heaven sends down a tribulation of lightning, it is necessary to lock onto a target.

The innate grand formation completely concealed Huang Zhongli's aura, making it impossible for the lightning tribulation to lock onto him.

And so, the Huangzhong plum tree survived.

On this Yingzhou Island, within this innate grand formation, they quietly cultivated, quietly grew, and quietly developed sentience.

The multi-million dollar gathering went unnoticed.

Until today, he broke through the great formation and stepped onto this island.

Xuan Du withdrew his gaze and looked down at the tree trunk.

Deep within the tree trunk, that wisp of spirit was still trembling.

"S-senpai?"

The voice rang out again, tinged with probing and fear.

Xuan didn't say anything.

He simply gazed at the tree trunk, his eyes calm as still water.

The spirit felt uneasy under his gaze and trembled even more violently.

"Senior, spare my life! I truly have never harmed anyone!"

"This junior has been cultivating here and has never left this island!"

"This junior...this junior is willing to follow you, senior! I only beg you to spare my life!"

The voice was childish, yet the words were incoherent.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Du's eyes flickered slightly.

Recognizing a master?

follow?

He looked at the tree trunk, at the trembling spirit, and suddenly laughed.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a hint of amusement.

"Do you know that you possess innate spiritual talent?"

Xuan Du spoke, his voice calm.

The tree trunk trembled slightly.

"Junior...Junior understands."

"Do you know that the innate spiritual root giving rise to intelligence is intolerable to the Heavenly Dao?"

The tree trunk trembled again.

"Junior...Junior understands."

"Do you know that if Heaven discovers this, you will surely die?"

The tree trunk trembled violently.

The wisp of spirit was almost shrunken into a ball, its voice trembling with tears:

"I know! I know everything! That's why I've been hiding here and have never gone out! I beg you, senior, have mercy! I beg you, senior, spare my life!"

Xuan Du stared at it without saying a word.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"How long have you been sentient?"

The spirit was startled, then timidly said:

"Replying to Senior... this junior does not know either."

"I don't know?"

"Yes...yes."

"All I remember is that a long, long time ago, one day, I suddenly became able to think, to sense, and... to be afraid."

"Since then, I have been cultivating here and have never left."

"I don't know how many years have passed, how many cycles of rebirth..."

Xuan Du's eyes flickered slightly.

long long ago.

It can think, it can perceive, and it can be afraid.

That was the state of initial awakening of intelligence.

If what it says is true, that it has possessed sentience for countless eons, then its current cultivation level...

Xuan Du's divine sense was probed again.

This time, it's more detailed and more in-depth.

After a moment, his gaze narrowed slightly.

Early stage of Hunyuan Golden Immortal.

The spiritual consciousness of this Huangzhong plum tree has reached the early stage of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm.

Moreover, it did not cultivate any techniques; it simply absorbed spiritual energy instinctively and strengthened its spiritual consciousness instinctively.

If it knew how to cultivate, if it had a cultivation technique, it would probably already be at the peak of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm, or even the Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal realm.

The innate spiritual root is top-tier, the foundation is extremely deep.

The accumulation of hundreds of millions of yuan is enough to make any cultivator envious.

Unfortunately, it doesn't understand cultivation; it can only grow stronger by instinct.

Even so, he had already reached the level of a Primordial Golden Immortal.

Xuandu withdrew his divine sense and looked down at the tree trunk.

The wisp of spiritual consciousness trembled again as he looked at it.