I, the spirit of the primitive land, have the ability to understand the universe and prove the origin of the universe
Chapter 8 - Perfection of the Golden Immortal Realm, Enlightening One’s Dao in Wuzhuang Temple

Chapter 8: Perfection of the Golden Immortal Realm, Enlightening One’s Dao in Wuzhuang Temple

With a single bite, a rich fragrance burst forth, and sweet, delicious juice filled the mouth. An unending stream of immortal essence erupted across the tongue, coursing through every limb and bone.

Zhong Yue had no time to ponder. He immediately activated the Source Heaven Divine Art, cycling his mana and refining his physical body.

In no time, he finished consuming the first ginseng fruit.

Without pause, he reached for the remaining two fruits on the table and swallowed them one after the other.

Mana surged, his physique tempered—his internal aura rose sharply, and his cultivation climbed higher still.

No one knew how much time passed before a full and harmonious aura began emanating from within him. Zhong Yue’s cultivation and body had both stepped into the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm.

Even after this breakthrough, he did not stop. He continued to circulate his mana.

Only when the lingering spiritual power of the ginseng fruits had been completely absorbed did he finally cease.

Upon waking from his meditative state, he saw that Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun had been waiting for quite some time. Offering a slight bow, he expressed a brief apology.

Hongyun said nothing. Both men simply nodded in return.

Unexpectedly, Zhen Yuanzi suddenly opened his mouth to speak.

“Since fate has brought us together today, what say we engage in a discussion of the Dao?”

Upon hearing this, Hongyun laughed heartily and nodded.

“Excellent.”

Within the room, Zhong Yue had more or less figured out what was going on. Ultimately, it all stemmed from his restoration of the western earth vein.

Because he had repaired the land’s meridians, virtue had been conferred upon him. His fortune had deepened as well. Thus, the moment he left the west, he encountered these two well-known kindly figures—Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun.

Rather than calling it coincidence, it was more accurate to call it a blessing from Heaven.

Yet because of this, he now felt rather embarrassed.

After all, he had eaten someone else’s ginseng fruit and now was also benefiting from hearing the Dao. It truly felt a bit excessive.

But as things stood, he couldn’t very well refuse outright, so he could only grit his teeth and go along with it.

“Very well~”

Hearing his assent, Zhen Yuanzi immediately took the lead as host, offering the opening discourse.

“In the beginning, when Heaven and Earth first split open, the primordial chaos was sundered, giving rise to…”

Zhen Yuanzi began expounding. Though not as majestic as a Saint’s teachings, he was nonetheless a Da Luo being.

Moreover, he had previously listened to a Saint’s Dao, so the moment he began speaking, infinite spiritual energy descended.

In an instant, Wuzhuang Temple was filled with the sounds of the Dao. Auspicious light streamed in all directions. Purple qi surged from the east for thirty thousand li, spreading across the entire Mount Wanshou.

Zhong Yue sat upright among it all, attentively listening to Zhen Yuanzi’s exposition.

There was no denying it—this discourse from a quasi-saint was of immense benefit, especially since Zhen Yuanzi himself cultivated the Dao of Earth. When compared and contrasted with Zhong Yue’s own path, he gained even more insight.

What’s more, though his cultivation wasn’t high, his comprehension was unparalleled. Occasionally, he would interject with a comment or two, creating a dynamic and reciprocal exchange.

However, the moment he spoke, both Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi couldn’t help but glance at him repeatedly.

A short while later, Zhen Yuanzi concluded his teachings. Looking at Zhong Yue, his eyes brimmed with approval.

“Young friend, your talent is extraordinary. Though not an innate divine being, your insight is in no way inferior to one. If you were to receive true instruction, your future accomplishments would surely be astounding.”

Beside him, Hongyun nodded as well, smiling at Zhong Yue.

Zhong Yue froze. Even with a slow reaction, he now understood Zhen Yuanzi’s intention.

He wanted to take him as a disciple.

Everything that had happened until now suddenly became clear. The overly friendly behaviour now had a reason.

After all, they were both manifestations of the earth vein and cultivators of the Dao of Earth. Coupled with extraordinary talent, who wouldn’t be moved?

In all honesty, if the roles were reversed and he encountered someone like Zhen Yuanzi, he too might be inclined to take them as a disciple.

Yet the more things made sense, the more headache-inducing it became.

Taking a master—he had never considered it.

With a heaven-defying comprehension, what he lacked was merely time, not a teacher. For Heaven and Earth themselves were his instructors.

But now he had eaten the ginseng fruits and listened to the Dao—this karmic debt had already been formed.

The only fortunate thing was that Zhen Yuanzi had yet to make his intention explicit. It seemed he was giving him a way out.

At this thought, Zhong Yue’s old face flushed slightly, and he immediately put on a look of innocence.

“Senior, you flatter me. Compared to your wisdom, this junior still has much to learn.”

Feigning ignorance—that was Zhong Yue’s strategy.

Only this way could he avoid dampening the other’s enthusiasm while tactfully declining the offer.

In the hall, Zhen Yuanzi was briefly stunned. He hadn’t expected to be refused.

Still, as one who had truly attained the Dao, though it was regrettable, he said nothing further.

Whether one becomes a disciple or takes on a disciple must be based on mutual willingness.

He had wished to take Zhong Yue as a disciple because their paths aligned and Zhong Yue had happened to appear before him—fate, one might say.

But since Zhong Yue had declined, it signalled that their fate was shallow and not to be forced.

Nonetheless, following this rejection, the atmosphere in the room grew a little awkward.

Just as the atmosphere grew slightly awkward, Hongyun suddenly spoke up.

“You two are just so fake—pushing and pulling like that. Not fun at all! Drink, drink!”

His playful interruption immediately broke the tension and livened up the mood.

Zhong Yue and Zhenyuanzi exchanged a knowing smile, then raised their cups and drank heartily.

Due to the matter of taking a disciple, Zhenyuanzi no longer showed quite the same attentiveness toward Zhong Yue, though his overall attitude did not noticeably change.

Once Zhenyuanzi had finished his discourse, it was Hongyun’s turn to speak.

Hongyun, the incarnation of the first wisp of red clouds from Heaven and Earth, was divinely born, and his path and teachings were similarly extraordinary.

Particularly enlightening was his exposition of the Dao of Pure Clarity, from which Zhong Yue gained immense benefit.

Moreover, from the Dao Hongyun preached, Zhong Yue sensed something crucial—his own path seemed to have veered off-course.

Indeed, he was the embodiment of the earth’s leyline, and cultivating the Dao of the Earth was not incorrect.

But recalling the descriptions of leylines from his previous life—what was the realm above Earth’s leyline?

Kunlun? Buzhou?

No, neither of them.

It should be the Paradise Realm, a world unto itself, a Heaven-blessed domain.

What defines such a Paradise Realm?

Space, dimension, miniature worlds… It does not merely embody the Dao of the Earth; rather, it should encompass myriad principles and sustain all living beings.

To put it plainly, it should be—Heaven and Earth (Qián Kūn).

【You engaged in a discussion on the Dao with the first innate cloud and, inspired by the principle that pure Yin cannot give birth and pure Yang cannot flourish, you realised that persisting solely on the path of Earth would hinder your cultivation. Thus, you attempted to comprehend the Innate Dao of Pure Clarity.】

【Relying on your heaven-defying comprehension, you deduced and grasped the Dao of Pure Clarity. By merging it with the Dao of the Earth, you succeeded in realising your own path—Qián Kūn (Heaven and Earth).】

As countless streams of information surged through Zhong Yue’s mind, a burst of Dao force radiated from within him.

In that instant, Zhong Yue seemed to transform into the very incarnation of the Dao itself, startling Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun back to awareness.