Honghuang Town Yuanzi.

Chapter 50 Immortal Apricot (Combined Chapter)

Innate spiritual treasures were born from the innate laws that manifested when the great god Pangu created the primordial world and established the land, wind, water, fire, and time. They may also be chaotic things that fell into the primordial world and evolved, or fragments of heaven and earth that, when combined with the land, wind, water, and fire, gave birth to a trace of innate spiritual light.

In addition, some innate spiritual treasures arise from the interaction of the three realms of heaven, earth, and man, yin and yang, the five elements, and reincarnation.

As for the companion spiritual treasures of innate gods and demons!

Most of these innate spiritual treasures are formed when innate gods and demons were conceived, and the innate laws and innate spiritual energy that overflowed from them condensed into one object, ultimately becoming innate spiritual treasures.

Whether it is conceived or born of necessity, it is all pre-existing.

This is why innate spiritual treasures are so rare.

The twelve innate lotus varieties are: the Creation Green Lotus, the Destruction Black Lotus, the Merit Golden Lotus, the Karmic Fire Red Lotus, and the Purification White Lotus.

These five innate twelve-grade lotus flowers are also different.

The former was born from the lotus seed of the Chaos Green Lotus, while the latter was a primordial lotus flower that evolved from the primordial world. After being nurtured by the Chaos Spirit Spring for countless years, it slowly underwent strange changes and gradually transformed into a primordial twelfth-grade Pure World White Lotus.

It is both a primordial spiritual treasure and a kind of primordial spiritual root.

Therefore, the lotus seeds of these few innate twelve-grade lotus flowers can all be cultivated into innate spiritual treasures, making them extremely precious.

Upon hearing Zhen Yuanzi's words, Yun Zhongzi's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "If we use innate spiritual materials, innate energy, and innate laws, wouldn't it be possible to refine an innate spiritual treasure?"

Zhen Yuanzi chuckled and said, "If you refine it the way you say, you can at most refine a Dao-attaining magic weapon, which cannot be considered a primordial spiritual treasure."

Zhen Yuanzi thought of his Dao-attaining artifact, the Innate Yin-Yang Divine Diagram, which was refined using innate Qi and innate laws. It was somewhere between innate and acquired, and could not be considered an innate spiritual treasure, or even an innate artifact.

"The most important thing about innate spiritual treasures is the word 'innate'. Even if they are refined with innate spiritual materials, innate energy, innate laws, and innate spiritual fire, they still cannot be considered innate."

At this point, Zhen Yuanzi paused for a moment and said, "However, with fifty Great Daos and forty-nine Heavenly Evolutions, it is not necessarily impossible to refine a true innate spiritual treasure. For example, the legendary Qiankun Cauldron can reverse the innate and transform an acquired spiritual treasure into an innate spiritual treasure."

"The Qiankun Cauldron!" A burning desire flashed in Yun Zhongzi's eyes as he memorized the name of the Qiankun Cauldron.

Seeing this, Zhen Yuanzi reminded him, "When your cultivation reaches my level in the future, ordinary innate spiritual treasures will not be as useful as the acquired spiritual treasures you refine yourself. Moreover, although the Qiankun Cauldron can reverse the innate, everything in the universe has its gains and losses, so the Qiankun Cauldron will not be able to easily reverse the innate."

Otherwise, Nuwa would have already used the Qiankun Cauldron to refine a large number of innate spiritual treasures in her previous life, but Zhen Yuanzi had never heard of any innate spiritual treasure that Nuwa had refined using the Qiankun Cauldron.

Zhen Yuanzi changed the subject and continued, "Your true form is an auspicious cloud, naturally impervious to all evil."

"The innate sixth-grade white jade lotus that I bestowed upon you can be further cultivated with innate Ren water. When it blooms into a ninth grade, it will give birth to a trace of innate purifying divine light, which can purify the world's filth and is most effective in suppressing evil spirits and malevolent ghosts."

"It fits your background perfectly. In the future, you can transform it into a magical artifact, saving you a lot of hard work."

A sixth-grade innate white jade lotus can barely be considered an innate spiritual treasure; it's not particularly precious.

However, if it is a primordial ninth-grade white jade lotus, it is different. Not only can it nurture a trace of primordial purifying divine light, but it is also a good primordial spiritual treasure. It can be used as a magic tool for attaining enlightenment, or even as a vessel for the three corpses of the primordial spirit.

Otherwise, the Queen Mother of the West would not have exchanged a seed of a 12th-grade Pure White Lotus with Zhen Yuanzi.

"Disciple thanks Master for bestowing this precious treasure." Yun Zhongzi was deeply moved.

At this moment, how could he not know the preciousness of the sixth-grade innate white jade lotus?

"Haha." Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but laugh out loud, saying, "It's just a mere sixth-grade innate white jade lotus flower, nothing special."

Let alone a mere sixth-grade innate white jade lotus, even a ninth-grade innate white jade lotus or a ninth-grade innate black lotus would not be considered a great treasure to Zhen Yuanzi.

"These innate spiritual treasures also have different levels of quality, which can be roughly divided into innate supreme treasures, innate spiritual treasures, and innate magical artifacts," Zhen Yuanzi began to explain with great enthusiasm.

"The three may seem to differ by only one word, but in reality they are worlds apart."

Zhen Yuanzi sighed and continued, "Among them, the innate treasures are the strongest. The Eastern Emperor Bell of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi is an innate treasure."

"This Eastern Emperor Bell is the Chaos Bell, a supreme innate treasure. It is one of the three divine artifacts used by the great god Pangu to create the world. It can stabilize the earth, water, wind, and fire, suppress the primordial world, and its divine power far surpasses that of innate spiritual treasures."

"And the innate magical artifacts are the weakest, barely qualifying as innate, and are not particularly precious." Zhen Yuanzi said with some regret.

What he obtained back then was the innate twelfth-grade Destruction Black Lotus, not the innate supreme treasure God-Slaying Spear; otherwise, he could have rivaled Donghuang Taiyi's Donghuang Zhong.

Zhen Yuanzi introduced all the innate spiritual treasures of the primordial world, and finally talked about the differences between innate supreme treasures, innate spiritual treasures, and innate magical artifacts, which broadened Yun Zhongzi's horizons.

After saying almost everything, Zhen Yuanzi looked at Yun Zhongzi and said, "You have only just reached the Golden Immortal level and have not yet stepped into the Taiyi level. You should focus on your cultivation and not rely too much on external things."

"Also, although the Jade Pillar Grotto Heaven of Zhongnan Mountain is one of the thirty-six grotto heavens of the primordial world, it is not a place to stay for long. You should go back and pack your things, and return to the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain with your master as soon as possible to cultivate."

"It won't be too late for you to return to the Jade Pillar Cave in Zhongnan Mountain to cultivate when you reach the realm of the Great Luo Golden Immortal." Zhen Yuanzi thought for a moment and decided that it would be better to take Yun Zhongzi back to the Wuzhuang Temple on Wanshou Mountain to cultivate.

Firstly, Zhen Yuanzi had not yet passed down the true scriptures of Taoism.

Secondly, the Wu and Yao clans will inevitably start fighting again sooner or later, and countless lives will perish. It is not safe for Yun Zhongzi to cultivate in the Jade Pillar Cave in Zhongnan Mountain.

Upon hearing Zhen Yuanzi's words, Yun Zhongzi's face lit up with joy, and he was about to agree immediately.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered the spiritual root in the Jade Pillar Cave and said, "Master, there is a primordial spiritual root in the Jade Pillar Cave that bears two fruits, wind and thunder, but it has never ripened. I wonder if it is possible to transplant it to Longevity Mountain?"

Wind and Thunder Fruits!

A glint of light flashed in Zhen Yuanzi's eyes. This innate spiritual root should be Yun Zhongzi's Immortal Apricot, which can bear two fruits in its lifetime and contains the innate laws of wind and thunder.

If you eat both fruits together, you will gain a magical power of wind and thunder, which is very profound.

"Innate spiritual roots cannot be easily transplanted; it is best to leave them inside the Jade Pillar Cave Heaven." Zhen Yuanzi shook his head. The Jade Pillar Cave Heaven of Zhongnan Mountain has a protective array, and as long as no cultivators frequently enter or leave, it will not be easily discovered.

This innate spiritual root is connected to the earth's veins, and should not be transplanted lightly unless absolutely necessary.

Furthermore, each innate spiritual root has specific requirements for its planting environment.

For example, ginseng fruit trees must be planted in places where the innate earth element (戊土) or the innate wood element (甲木) converge, while hibiscus trees need to be planted in places where the innate fire element (丙火) converges.

Five-needle pines need to be planted in places where the innate five elements converge, while the star fruit trees in the Heavenly Court of the demon race need to be planted in places where the stars of the universe converge.

This is why Dijun and Taiyi never transplanted the Fusang tree to the sun, stars, or the Heavenly Court.

This innate immortal apricot root needs to be planted in an innate wind and thunder land; otherwise, the two fruits that grow on it may never ripen.

After Yun Zhongzi returned to Yuzhu Cave Heaven to pack his things, Zhen Yuanzi led him on auspicious clouds towards the southern edge of the prehistoric world.

Upon returning to Longevity Mountain, the two descended on auspicious clouds and arrived at Wuzhuang Temple.

Yun Zhongzi saw only small rivers, rocks, pavilions, and towers. Every five steps there was a ring, and every three steps there was a platform. In the backyard there was a towering tree with lush branches and leaves, on which hung strangely shaped fruits.

Not far away, a huge nine-headed beast lay on the ground, snoring contentedly.

When Qingfeng and Mingyue saw Zhen Yuanzi return with an unfamiliar Taoist priest, they immediately stepped forward to greet him and bowed, saying, "Qingfeng and Mingyue greet Master!"

"Get up." Zhen Yuanzi glanced at Qingfeng and Mingyue, then pointed at Yun Zhongzi and said, "This is Yun Zhongzi, my newly accepted disciple. From now on, you two can call him Senior Brother."

"You two should first help Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi choose a palace to settle down in, and then plant all the plants and trees that I have collected this time in the mountains."

Zhen Yuanzi turned to Yun Zhongzi and said, "First, follow Qingfeng and Mingyue to familiarize yourself with the temple environment. After some time, I will impart the true scriptures of Taoism to you."

After saying that, Zhen Yuanzi turned and left.

As soon as Zhen Yuanzi left, Qingfeng Mingyue curiously looked at Yun Zhongzi and greeted him, saying, "Qingfeng Mingyue greets Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi."

"Yun Zhongzi greets my two junior brothers." Yun Zhongzi returned the greeting respectfully, secretly astonished. The Qingfeng and Mingyue before him possessed extraordinary cultivation, seemingly surpassing his own, and appeared to be two Taiyi Golden Immortals.

At this moment, Qingfeng spoke again, saying, "Senior brother, please wait a moment."

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

As he spoke, Qingfeng walked up to the nine-headed beast, kicked it hard, and shouted, "You nine-headed beast, all you do is steal food and sleep all day long. You didn't even get up to greet the master when he returned. Now hurry up and pay your respects to Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi!"

After being scolded by Qingfeng, the nine-headed beast swayed to its feet, muttering something under its breath. Shaking its nine enormous heads, it looked curiously at Yun Zhongzi and said, "Nine Barbarians greet Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi!"

Looking at the nine-headed beast before him, Yun Zhongzi sighed inwardly. Another Taiyi Golden Immortal. He could only return the greeting once more and say, "Yun Zhongzi greets Junior Brother Jiuman."

"Senior brother, you don't need to pay attention to it. Let's go and choose a palace first." Mingyue glared at the nine-headed beast, clearly still holding a grudge about what happened last time.

"Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother Mingyue." Yun Zhongzi nodded in agreement quickly.

Seeing this, Qingfeng Mingyue led Yun Zhongzi into the temple, introducing the various spiritual roots, immortal herbs, and scenery along the way.

The nine-headed beast wasn't angry. It yawned, shook its nine enormous heads, and occasionally interjected, "Senior brother, you don't know this, but besides the ginseng fruit tree, our temple also has a primordial spiritual root."

When Yun Zhongzi heard Qingfeng Mingyue mention the ginseng fruit tree, he was already amazed. Compared to the innate apricot tree in his Jade Pillar Cave, the ginseng fruit tree was the true innate spiritual root with endless wonders.

Unexpectedly, there was another innate spiritual root in Wuzhuang Temple.

Upon hearing this, Mingyue rolled her eyes at the nine-headed beast and said, "Senior brother, don't listen to the nine-headed beast's nonsense."

"Although that innate gourd vine is an innate spiritual root, the several innate gourds it produced have long been picked by a group of powerful cultivators. Now, only one gourd remains on the vine, which the master has not yet picked."

"But this gourd vine has already suffered a great loss of vitality, and there is nothing mysterious about it anymore."

A naturally occurring gourd vine!

The Primordial Gourd!

Yun Zhongzi was greatly surprised. This innate gourd, with just a little refinement, could probably become a magic artifact for achieving enlightenment.

Its value is no less than that of its own innate sixth-grade white jade lotus.

The nine-headed beast retorted indignantly, "Regardless of the circumstances, that innate gourd vine is one of the ten great innate spiritual roots of the primordial world, how can it not be an innate spiritual root?"

After being retorted by the nine-headed beast, Mingyue was speechless and could only grit her teeth and curse inwardly.

One of the Ten Primordial Innate Spiritual Roots!

Yun Zhongzi wondered to himself what mysteries the other ten primordial spiritual roots of the Primordial World possessed.

"Hmph, Master just told you to help plant the plants. If I find out you dare to steal any, I will definitely report to Master and punish you severely." Mingyue's eyes lit up and she came up with an idea: to ask the nine-headed beast to help plant the plants.

The nine-headed beast was just about to steal a few plants later, but upon hearing Mingyue's words, its face immediately fell, and it became dejected, muttering under its breath, "Fine, I won't eat them then."

Yun Zhongzi watched the three of them bickering and found it quite amusing.

Before long, Qingfeng and Mingyue helped Yunzhongzi choose a palace near the backyard orchard.

"Although this palace is somewhat remote, it is next to the ginseng fruit tree in the backyard, so the innate wood energy is very strong, which is quite beneficial to your daily meditation and qi cultivation, Senior Brother," Mingyue said, pointing to a palace in front of her.

Yun Zhongzi felt the rich innate wood energy around him and was overjoyed. He thanked Qingfeng Mingyue and the nine-headed beast, saying, "Thank you, my three junior brothers!"

The three of them immediately helped Yun Zhongzi settle in.

However, Yun Zhongzi did not stay in the palace to rest, but instead planted the plants that Zhen Yuanzi had collected with Qingfeng Mingyue and the Nine-Headed Beast.

However, to their surprise, more than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the plants and trees in front of them showed no signs of decreasing. They didn't know when they would be able to finish planting them.

The nine-headed beast couldn't help but mutter, "Master, has this been a raid on the demon race's heavenly treasury?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Get back to work!" Qingfeng and Mingyue shouted at the nine-headed beast to shut up, asking it to stop talking nonsense.

The two of them had followed Zhen Yuanzi the longest, so they naturally knew things that outsiders didn't, such as the Phoenix Clan's treasure vault.

After spending these days together, Yun Zhongzi had become accustomed to the playful antics of Qingfeng Mingyue and the Nine-Headed Beast.

Seeing this, he simply shook his head and continued planting grass and trees.

After the group had planted all the plants, Zhen Yuanzi began to instruct Yun Zhongzi in cultivation, explaining some Taoist methods and correcting the mistakes he had made in his previous practice.

For most of the time, Zhen Yuanzi was helping Yun Zhongzi rebuild his foundation and comprehend the Dao, but he never passed on the true Daoist scriptures.

This is the biggest difference between disciples of great masters and independent cultivators: they value the understanding of the Dao and the realm of Dao practice, and de-emphasize magical power and supernatural abilities.

As the saying goes, magical power is easy to cultivate, but spiritual cultivation is difficult to advance.

Whether it's ginseng fruit or white jade lotus seeds, both can enhance magical power, but they are difficult to improve one's cultivation level.

Besides cultivating, Yun Zhongzi spent his days tending to the spiritual roots and immortal herbs in the temple with Qingfeng Mingyue and the Nine-Headed Beast. Occasionally, he would sneak out with Qingfeng Mingyue to play and make friends with several fellow cultivators. He lived a pretty good life.

(End of this chapter)