The primordial era began with the mythological age.

Chapter 116 Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, and the Black Emperor! (10,000-word update, please subscribe and vote!)

"Senior, this is a fantastic opportunity for you."

Looking at the innate spiritual light before him, Taiyi said.

On his shoulder, Qiongqi snorted, "Boy, don't test me. Since I said this magical treasure is for you, it's yours."

"However, you also need to keep your promises."

Tai Yi immediately smiled and said, "I am the most trustworthy person when it comes to keeping my promises."

"Moreover, this time we might conduct an experiment."

Having said that, without waiting for Qiongqi to ask any questions, he transformed into a ball of primordial yellow energy, wrapped the innate spiritual light in it, and then used the Fetal Transformation and Shape-Changing Divine Power to form a divine embryo.

"I trouble you, senior, to guard the area. If this succeeds, it will be the time for the ferocious beast lineage to be reborn!"

Qiongqi wanted to ask, but found that Taiyi's consciousness had completely subsided. So it had no choice but to leave the Chaos Skin, leave the cave, and lie down to sleep in the valley of Zhou Mountain.

Mount Tai.

With the matter concerning the Chaos Skin settled, Taiyi let out a long sigh of relief, but couldn't help but ponder to himself.

Who is the mysterious person?

"However, His identity seems to be no longer important at the moment, and His Majesty the Emperor may not have missed any clues about Him."

Qiongqi's every move is probably under the watchful eye of the Human Emperor, and he may well know about the matter of the Chaos Skin.

He had previously told the mysterious man that the Human Emperor was fighting against someone who was even more deeply hidden, and he was not making any unfounded claims.

"Then could the person who is even more deeply hidden be the mysterious being who led the Earth Lord astray back then, who is very likely a Heavenly Demon?"

Tai Yi harbored hidden worries.

However, he quickly adjusted his mindset, gathered with Houtu and others, and divided up the five spiritual treasures that Huang Shao, one of the Five Dragons, had brought back earlier.

These five acquired spiritual treasures consist of one superior-grade, two medium-grade, and two inferior-grade items.

Taiyi obtained a top-grade spiritual treasure, a precious sword named the Sun and Moon Yin-Yang Sword, which was bound by twenty-eight major Dao restrictions.

Hou Tu and Yi Di each received a mid-grade acquired spiritual treasure, while Ju Ling and Zhu Yan each received a low-grade spiritual treasure.

In total, Taiyi Clan now possesses three acquired spiritual treasures.

Tai Mo is a low-grade acquired spiritual treasure with ten major Dao restrictions, plus the Sun and Moon Yin-Yang Blade, and the bell hanging on the Demon Tree.

A superior-grade acquired spiritual treasure, imbued with thirty-six major Daoist restrictions, named the Soul-Cleansing Bell.

However, although the Heavenly Yin God is dead, the Taiyi Clan has not yet removed him from the Demon Tree.

Because he had a vague sense of danger.

This acquired spiritual treasure is probably beyond the control of even the Heavenly Yin God.

"What a treacherous bunch!"

Taiyi sighed inwardly.

……

After lingering on Mount Tai for another hundred years, the four people and the monkey finally bid farewell to Yunyang, Zhuxiang, and others, and embarked on their westward journey once again.

Taiyi remained unchanged, focusing on following the laws of heaven and earth, comprehending the Dao, visiting various deities, and spreading the Dao among the human race.

But the further west he traveled, the more he discovered that the local deities were exploiting the acquired races through sacrifices.

The more Taiyi saw, the more he understood the powerlessness of the Five Dragons.

All the gods, big and small, including the hairy god, have powerful backers and complex relationships, so much so that a single hair can affect the whole situation.

He was even glad that he was clear-headed back then and only fooled around in Longmen.

If he were to leave the Dragon Gate, many of the innate races that were initially polite to him and held him in high regard would likely turn against him first.

The clearer he saw things, the calmer he became.

Even as he watched those demigods enslave humanity and use them as slaves to carry out massive construction projects, he never intervened.

Wherever they went, they would pay a polite visit. If the other party was willing to befriend them, they would discuss metaphysics and Taoism and pass on the teachings to the human race, but they would never interfere.

However, thanks to their good relations with various innate races such as dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, the Taiyi clan and their companions received a great deal of courtesy along the way.

Thus, ten thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Taiyi stood atop a cloud, gazing at a majestic mountain range in the distance, and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a magnificent mountain! It rivals Mount Tai in every way!"

Houtu laughed and said, "This mountain is called Longevity Mountain, and there is a deity residing here."

Longevity Mountain?

Taiyi, in high spirits, quickly asked, "But I wonder who this deity is?"

Houtu smiled and said, "His name is Zhen Yuanzi. I saw him once at a Dharma assembly held by Your Majesty. He seems to be of similar birth to me."

really!

Taiyi laughed and said, "In that case, Houtu, you should introduce us to a couple of people."

Houtu rolled her eyes at him and said, "In the future, when people talk about who has the widest circle of friends in the world, it will be you, Taiyi!"

Along the way, she witnessed Taiyi's capabilities in this area.

Regardless of whether they are related or not, from the highest god-king to the lowest deity, they can all discuss metaphysics and Daoist principles, address each other as fellow Daoists, and are extremely popular.

Even the God Emperor treated him with great courtesy.

If I were to travel all over the primordial land, I'm afraid there wouldn't be anyone who wasn't a fellow Daoist!

Taiyi, however, was proud and laughed, "Having more fellow Daoists means having more paths to take!"

"Furthermore, when interacting with others, discussing profound truths and philosophical concepts, and mutually verifying each other's insights, everyone gains something, which is a win-win situation!"

As they were speaking, a streak of light emerged from Longevity Hill.

Everyone fell silent.

The light quickly arrived in front of everyone, revealing a deity dressed in golden armor.

The man bowed deeply to Taiyi and the others, saying, "Meng He of Wanshou Mountain has come to welcome you all on the orders of the Mountain Master!"

Taiyi immediately bowed and said with a smile, "Then we will be troubling you!"

"No bothering you, no bothering you!"

"The mountain lord was very pleased to learn that you were passing by."

The golden-armored deity then led the way.

The group transformed into streaks of light, traversing the void and entering the territory of Longevity Mountain. Before long, they landed at the foot of a mountain peak.

Taiyi saw a stone next to him with two Daoist inscriptions on it, bearing the words "Longevity". The inscriptions were completely natural, without any trace of carving.

"This stone, and the Daoist inscription, are both naturally formed."

A warm and gentle voice came from behind.

Taiyi and the others looked over and saw two figures coming down the stone steps.

A person dressed in a yellow robe, with a wooden hairpin in his hair, looked simple and unadorned.

The other person was dressed in a red robe, with a red face and red hair, and exuded a vibrant aura.

Looking at the two of them, Tai Yi already had a guess in his mind.

Then Tu stepped forward to greet them, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, we apologize for disturbing you!"

Zhen Yuanzi, dressed in a yellow robe, cupped his hands and smiled, "How could you say I'm bothering you?"

"Your presence today truly makes my humble abode shine with honor."

The man in red robes beside him also laughed loudly, "Absolutely! Absolutely!"

"Zhen Yuanzi and I have long desired to meet Fellow Daoist Taiyi and witness the sage's demeanor!"

Taiyi quickly replied, "It's all just empty praise. I'm truly ashamed to receive such compliments from you, fellow Daoist!"

"Hahaha, if Fellow Daoist Taiyi is ashamed, then we are so ashamed that we have no face to show ourselves."

The man in red robes laughed loudly, then took on the role of host, saying, "I am Hongyun, residing in Huoyun Cave. I have long admired you, fellow Daoist."

"He is Zhen Yuanzi, the master of Longevity Mountain."

Zhen Yuanzi quickly replied, "Brother Hongyun enjoys making friends and we are very close. He can be considered half a master of Longevity Mountain."

Looking at Hongyun, Julingshi felt that this person was comparable to his own virtuous younger brother.

After some introductions, Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun led Taiyi and the others up the mountain to a temple, which was not a shrine, but a temple called Wuzhuang Temple.

Hongyun explained to Zhen Yuanzi, "Zhen Yuanzi prefers tranquility. The power of temple sacrifices is too heavy, so he cultivates in seclusion here."

Taiyi then said, "Pure and serene, it resonates with the Dao!"

Upon hearing this, Hongyun immediately laughed and said, "That's right. That's why I think this place is much better than my Fire Cloud Cave, which is why I'm stubbornly staying here."

Zhen Yuanzi could only smile wryly upon hearing this, realizing he had truly made a mistake in choosing his friends.

As soon as everyone took their seats inside the temple, a boy immediately served them fruits.

The Taiyi clan members were immediately drawn to one of the items, a fruit with all five senses and four limbs, its Daoist essence contained within, and it was immediately recognizable as a fruit of innate spiritual roots.

Before Zhen Yuanzi could speak, Hongyun introduced, "This fruit is called the Ginseng Fruit. It flowers once every 30,000 years, bears fruit once every 30,000 years, and takes another 30,000 years to ripen. In a short span of 100,000 years, only thirty fruits will be produced."

"The secrets within can only be discovered after tasting it."

"Zhen Yuanzi usually treasures this, but today I'm fortunate to have the pleasure of tasting it again."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but laugh and scold, "I see you've been lingering here just for my fruit!"

Taiyi was also surprised that such a spiritual fruit was offered as a gift upon their first meeting; he was truly a sincere and virtuous man.

This ginseng fruit tree was probably the first top-grade innate spiritual root he had ever "seen".

Taiyi and his companions quickly thanked their host for his kindness.

Zhen Yuanzi said, "The first time you eat this fruit, it is most delicious. You will know once you try it."

The Taiyi family members all took the ginseng fruit and ate it.

Such a naturally occurring spiritual fruit must have an exquisite taste.

But the key lies in its immense innate power and the profound mysteries of Tao.

After eating the fruit, Taiyi and the others lowered their eyes.

For a moment, the temple was quiet and peaceful.

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. When Taiyi woke up, he saw that everyone else had already woken up and was looking at him.

Hongyun laughed and said, "This is the first time I've tasted this fruit. I've been enlightened for eight hundred years. Fellow Daoist Taiyi is truly blessed. It's something to be envied."

Taiyi then said, "It's because of a lack of wisdom that it takes so long."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Taiyi was secretly delighted to discover that Juling had actually broken through and entered the realm of Divine Lord.

Over the years, Julingshi also tried to comprehend the Great Dao of the Netherworld, but his gains were limited, so he gave up his plan to evolve the Netherworld. He was originally preparing to break through to the realm of the Divine Lord.

Now, a single ginseng fruit has just happened to enhance his cultivation and progress, a natural outcome.

……

After eating the fruit, the group began to talk about everything under the sun, including profound philosophical discussions.

Both Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun appeared to be at the Divine Lord realm, meaning they had cultivated to the Divine Lord Dao Fruit.

In reality, however, the two of them were unfathomable to Taiyi Clan in their respective innate mastery of the Great Dao, just like Houtu Clan.

This is the terrifying aspect of innate divinity.

The Dao Fruit realm does not necessarily represent their combat strength, especially when they possess an innate spiritual treasure.

In their respective birthplaces, relying on spiritual treasures and the authority of the Great Dao, it is common for them to fight against God Emperors, and they may not necessarily be afraid even when facing God Venerables.

Zhen Yuanzi and his companion were particularly skilled in the Earth element and the Fire element, as well as the Water element.

Of course, this only applies to Yu Shan; he is not ignorant of other paths as well.

On the contrary, whether it is Zhen Yuanzi or Hongyun, the blessed lands they created are all based on Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

It can also be seen from their discussions that Zhen Yuanzi and Hou Tu Shi are now following many similar paths.

That is, the earth's abundant support!

Hongyun, on the other hand, possessed the same Dao as Yidishi, but far surpassed Yidishi in it.

After the first exchange, Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but exclaim, "Fellow Daoist Taiyi truly lives up to his reputation. The breadth of his expertise far surpasses that of any of us."

Hongyun nodded in agreement.

Taiyi gave him the impression that he was omniscient and knew everything, and could conjure up all kinds of Taoist techniques with ease.

Moreover, it is not a case of being a jack of all trades and master of none.

He was only superior to Taiyi in the two paths of water and fire; in all other paths, he was inferior.

If one hadn't already known of Taiyi's reputation and recognized him as an outstanding figure capable of establishing his own path, one might have doubted whether their tens of thousands of years of cultivation had been in vain.

"I simply have a lot of shamelessness in making friends and discussing philosophy with others, that's why I am like this."

Tai Yi said modestly.

Hongyun shook his head upon hearing this: "I also enjoy traveling around and making friends with many fellow Daoists, but I have not achieved what you have achieved. It is evident that you possess an astonishing Daoist nature."

"Is your journey to the west to visit Fellow Daoist Houtu?"

Houtu laughed and said, "This is also one of the purposes of this trip. However, our purpose in traveling this time is to broaden our horizons and observe the ways of heaven and earth."

"Now we are heading west, and once we reach Zhou Mountain, we plan to climb it and enter the starry sky."

Taiyi's heart stirred, and he immediately invited, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hongyun, if you have the time, why not travel with us?"

Hongyun's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

He felt that he got along very well with Taiyi, and that if they could travel together, he might make more like-minded people, taste more delicious food, and see more wonderful places.

Zhen Yuanzi was also tempted, but he hesitated.

Taiyi noticed this and asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, do you have any concerns?"

Hongyun immediately burst into laughter: "Zhen Yuanzi also enjoys making friends, but he is quite embarrassed to visit people's homes and disturb them."

Social phobia?

Taiyi was speechless.

Julingshi immediately said, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, there's no need to worry. Leave the matter of bothering them to Taiyi. We'll just wait for our host to entertain us."

Houtu also laughed and said, "Absolutely!"

"Throughout our journey, Taiyi has taken care of everything, and wherever we have gone, nothing has gone wrong!"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi made up his mind to travel west together, but he also quickly said, "There's no rush to travel west. You should stay at Wuzhuang Temple for a few more days."

"While my place may not be as grand as Kunlun or Zhou Mountain, it still has several scenic spots worth seeing!"

……

The matter was settled.

Taiyi and the others temporarily stayed at Wuzhuang Temple, either to contemplate the mysteries of Taoism or to discuss and verify their own learning.

A thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth trembled, and Taiyi and others who were exchanging ideas were immediately alarmed and appeared in the air, looking towards the west.

A towering figure stood between heaven and earth, seemingly reaching to the sky and standing tall.

However, due to the surrounding light, no one could see his face clearly.

"Kyuzu clan, I don't accept it!"

"The divine path has ended, there is no way forward, why can't we find another way out?"

The Taiyi and Houtu clans were shocked.

At this moment, a detached voice echoed from the heavens: "Black Emperor, this is no excuse for you to collude with the Heavenly Demons and plot against your fellow cultivators!"

(End of this chapter)