"I am Xiaoxuan, greetings, Fellow Daoist!"
As an expert at the Daluo Golden Immortal level, Xiaoxuan had felt nothing as the person approached, which showed that the youth before him, despite his tender and youthful appearance, possessed astonishing cultivation.
At the very least, it was no less than Xiaoxuan's!
"I am Xiaoshi, greetings, Fellow Daoist!"
A flash of surprise crossed the white-robed youth's eyes as he quickly returned the greeting.
Ever since he transmigrated into the Primordial World several millennia ago, Xiaoxuan had spent the long stretches of time in cultivation, leaving him with a pitifully small circle of acquaintances.
Though he was meeting this youth for the first time, his impression of him was exceptionally good. Coupled with the other's profound cultivation, Xiaoxuan naturally wanted to form a friendship with him!
"Fellow Daoist, how about we travel together through Mount Buzhou?"
"I couldn't ask for anything better!"
Walking side by side, the two made their way across Mount Buzhou.
Xiaoshi was widely traveled and seemed to have every matter, great or small, in the Primordial World at his fingertips. As for Xiaoxuan, armed with his advantage of foresight, he always held unique insights into everything.
The two conversed most congenially, feeling they had met too late in life!
Just like that, nearly a hundred years passed.
Over the century, the two of them somehow failed to encounter a single member of the Demon Clan. Even when members of the Wu Clan caught sight of the pair, they merely cast meaningful glances before vanishing.
With the battlefields of the Wu and Yao scattered everywhere, the two of them had remarkably spent a hundred years of peaceful time within Mount Buzhou.
"Fellow Daoist, I have matters at home. I must take my leave now!"
Xiaoshi made a Daoist salute and spoke.
Though their personal friendship ran deep, Xiaoxuan knew nothing of Xiaoshi's background. Hearing this, he could only nod with regret and say: "I shall await your esteemed arrival in Kunlun Mountain!"
Xiaoshi straightened his robes, transformed into a streak of golden light that shot into the distance, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Such swift escape arts! Fellow Daoist Xiaoshi is truly extraordinary!"
Having spent over a century wandering Mount Buzhou without Xiaoshi's company, Xiaoxuan originally planned to travel elsewhere when a sudden stirring in his heart arose, as if some destined opportunity were right before his eyes.
Fingers calculating, he deduced that the Gourd Vine, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, would bear ripe fruit today.
Thus, Xiaoxuan hurried toward the location of the Gourd Vine.
By the time Xiaoxuan arrived, several people had already reached the Gourd Vine ahead of him, and quite a few at that!
"Disciple Xiaoxuan, paying respects to Master, and greetings to several Martial Uncles!"
Those who had arrived first at the Gourd Vine were none other than the Three Pure Ones of Pangu, Nuwa, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and the Primordial World's ultimate good guy, Taoist Hongyun!
After paying his respects, Xiaoxuan stood behind the Three Pure Ones, gazing together with the others at the Innate Gourd Vine.
Before long, the gourds on the vine flashed with light, clearly indicating they had ripened!
The Three Pure Ones and the others seemed to have agreed upon it beforehand, stepping forward one after another to pluck the gourds.
When Taoist Hongyun plucked the purplish-red gourd, the Innate Gourd Vine withered rapidly, and the gourd that had originally radiated a purple-black light gradually dried up, losing its former luster.
Everyone seemed to have anticipated this outcome, merely examining the gourds in their hands without a word.
Seeing this, Xiaoxuan grew anxious. Pointing with his left hand, he drew a wisp of vitality from his Immortal Apricot spirit root and infused it into the withered Innate Gourd Vine.
How could a withered gourd vine ever be saved by this mere scrap of vitality?
In the end, the gourd vine, along with the purple-black gourd that had withered before ripening, tumbled together onto the ground!
"What a shame!"
Xiaoxuan stepped forward, gathering up the Innate Gourd Vine and the purple-black gourd. Seeing that none of them had noticed the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil beneath the vine, he swept it into his mustard-seed spatial pouch as well.
Since Taiyi was the Eastern Emperor of the Demon Clan, he exchanged casual pleasantries once the matter concluded and departed straight away.
Nuwa also exchanged a few words and took her leave under the pretext of entering secluded cultivation.
Only Taoist Hongyun, taking a great interest in Xiaoxuan, conversed amiably with the others!
"Fellow Daoist Three Pure Ones, little friend Xiaoxuan, why don't we head to Wuzhuang Temple and discuss the Dao with Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi!"
Zhenyuanzi was Taoist Hongyun's dearest friend, and Hongyun knew nothing of standing on ceremony as he continued, "The Ginseng Fruit at Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi's place is a rare treasure indeed, how could we not taste it!"
"Ginseng Fruit?"
Among the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, Xiaoxuan had transformed from an Immortal Apricot, and the Gourd Vine had completely withered, leaving only a dead stem.
In later legends, the Huangzhong Plum was in the hands of Yuanshi in Kunlun Mountain, yet Xiaoxuan had never laid eyes on it.
Presumably, Yuanshi had not yet acquired that spiritual root at this time!
Eager to make more friends, Xiaoxuan felt his eyes light up at Taoist Hongyun's mention of the Ginseng Fruit, clearly unable to refuse!
"Indeed, the Ginseng Fruit is also known as the Grass-Return Pill, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots!" Taoist Hongyun laughed heartily and said, "Putting aside the effects of the Ginseng Fruit, its flavor alone is truly lingering and unforgettable!"
As he spoke, he smacked his lips, saliva nearly spilling out.
Though they had no deep friendship with Zhenyuanzi, seeing Xiaoxuan's interest, the Three Pure Ones could only nod and say: "In that case, we shall go and impose upon Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi!"
Taoist Hongyun smiled. "Splendid! You are honored guests indeed, so Zhenyuanzi will have to thank me properly for this!"
With that, the group hurried toward Wuzhuang Temple.
...
To the left of the mountain gate of Wuzhou Mountain stood a stele inscribed with ten large characters.
"Blessed Land of Wanshou Mountain, Heaven of Wuzhuang Temple!"
The group pressed on, and upon the temple gates hung another pair of couplets: An immortal mansion of eternal youth, the Daoist home sharing the lifespan of heaven!
"Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi is truly a man of refined taste!"
At that very moment, the gates of Wuzhuang Temple swung wide open.
Zhenyuanzi made a Daoist salute and said, "Honored guests have arrived, and Zhenyuanzi offers his greetings here!"
The Three Pure Ones returned the bow with a salute, while Taoist Hongyun swaggered and waved a hand, instructing the two boy attendants beside Zhenyuanzi: "Honored guests have arrived, why don't Qingfeng and Mingyue go and harvest a few Ginseng Fruits!"
Powerless against his dearest friend, Zhenyuanzi could only gesture for Qingfeng and Mingyue to go.
"Martial Uncle, I wonder if this disciple might tag along to catch a glimpse of the Ginseng Fruit tree?"
Zhenyuanzi paused for a moment before replying: "Little friend, please feel free as you wish. Qingfeng and Mingyue, host our honored guests well!"
"We obey the Patriarch's decree!"
...
Zhenyuanzi led the way, escorting the Three Pure Ones and Taoist Hongyun into the main hall of Wuzhuang Temple.
"I observe that the auras of you three Daoist friends are profound and obscure; have you caught a glimpse of the mysteries of the Quasi-Sage?"
The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances and nodded in unison. "Indeed. The three of us brothers were fortunate enough to succeed in cutting our corpses a step ahead. Surely Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi and Fellow Daoist Hongyun are not far from cutting your corpses as well!"
Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun smiled and nodded lightly. "In that case, shall we discuss and expound upon the Dao?"
The Three Pure Ones nodded in praise, and the group proceeded to discourse and exchange insights on the Dao within the main hall, which need not be detailed further.
Qingfeng and Mingyue, wielding their golden striking mallets, accompanied Xiaoxuan all the way to harvest the Ginseng Fruit, explaining the profound marvels of the Ginseng Fruit along the way.
"This Ginseng Fruit tree of our Patriarch is one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots in the Primordial World.
The Ginseng Fruit, also known as the Grass-Return Pill, blossoms once every three thousand years, bears fruit in another three thousand years, and takes yet another three thousand years to ripen.
Every ten thousand years, it yields a mere thirty fruits!
Once these Ginseng Fruits ripen, they drop upon meeting metal, wither upon meeting wood, dissolve upon meeting water, scorch upon meeting fire, and sink into the earth upon meeting soil!"