After the cup of tea was finished, Zhenyuanzi's aura was seen surging.
Before long, a Taoist dressed in yellow robes and holding a scroll appeared before them.
After making a formal bow to everyone, he turned into a profound ray of light and entered Zhenyuanzi's spiritual platform.
Zhenyuanzi slowly opened his eyes, looked at Xiaoxuan, and smiled bitterly, "With this, my Wuzhuang Temple owes you, little friend, even more!"
First, the Ginseng Fruit Tree's origin had been replenished thanks to Xiaoxuan, giving it hope of gaining human form; then, aided by Xiaoxuan's Enlightenment Tea, Zhenyuanzi successfully broke through the barrier of the Daluo Golden Immortal, successfully severing a corpse and entering the Quasi-Sage Realm.
When a disciple shines, the teacher is the happiest.
Although Taishang had always been one for non-action and quietude, seeing Xiaoxuan bring such glory to the Three Pure Ones, his expression grew increasingly gentle. "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi is too polite. You were already on the verge of a breakthrough, and the Enlightenment Tea was merely the icing on the cake!"
Yuanshi Tianzun and Master Tongtian also shared in the glory, nodding continuously.
"Little Xuan'er, with such fine treasures, you didn't even think to bring them out earlier to honor your teacher and junior uncle. You truly deserve to be punished!"
Tongtian poured for himself, drinking the greater part of a pot of Enlightenment Tea, yet still looking unsatisfied.
"Junior Uncle jests. Ever since Wuyi Mountain, this disciple hasn't had the opportunity to take them out!"
After returning from Wuyi Mountain, the masters and disciples of the Three Pure Ones had retreated into seclusion one after another, indeed gathering little and parting much.
"Hoo!"
At that moment, Taoist Hongyun let out a long breath, a brilliant flash bursting in his eyes as he also reaped rich rewards.
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun is also not far from severing a corpse!"
Yuanshi Tianzun saw through Hongyun's progress at a glance and said with a smile.
"The Enlightenment Tea truly lives up to its legendary reputation!"
In the time that followed, the Three Pure Ones of Pangu, Zhenyuanzi, and Taoist Hongyun discussed the Dao and expounded the scriptures. The cultivation of all present improved, and although Xiaoxuan had the lowest cultivation level, his comprehension was peerless, naturally gaining the most.
In the span of a mere hundred years, Xiaoxuan had reached the late stage of the Daluo Golden Immortal, possessing combat power comparable to the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace.
After all, not everyone had the fortuitous chance to break through the barrier of the Daluo Golden Immortal, and those who possessed innate spiritual treasures to sever a corpse were even fewer and farther between!
The Three Pure Ones rose, bade farewell to Zhenyuanzi and Taoist Hongyun, and brought Xiaoxuan back to Kunlun Mountain.
In the Taiqing Palace, they discussed what they had gained from this outing.
Finally, the gazes of the Three Pure Ones fell upon Xiaoxuan.
"Xiaoxuan, can the origin of that Ginseng Fruit Tree help you attain the Dao?"
Taishang spoke up directly, without the slightest hesitation or concealment before Yuanshi Tianzun and Master Tongtian.
After all, the Three Pure Ones were at this time as close as brothers and belonged to one family.
Xiaoxuan's feelings for the Three Pure Ones, though differing in nuance, were all extremely sincere.
"Previously in Wuyi Mountain, this disciple accidentally absorbed the origin power of the Enlightenment Tea..."
Pouring out everything he had gained in Wuyi Mountain along with his conjectures regarding his future Dao path, the Three Pure Ones were all shocked. They stood up and came before Xiaoxuan, pointing their fingers at his spiritual platform to probe the changes in the Immortal Apricot within.
After a long while, the Three Pure Ones took their seats.
The three exchanged glances, and finally Taishang gave Xiaoxuan a meaningful look and said, "You go and cultivate on your own. Your two junior uncles and I have matters to discuss!"
After Xiaoxuan departed, Tongtian was the first to speak, "I truly never expected that although the Ten Innate Spiritual Roots of the Primordial are envied by the heavens, they can actually complement and mutually reinforce one another!"
"Indeed. If one could simultaneously obtain the origins of the Ten Innate Spiritual Roots, Xiaoxuan's Great Dao would surely be achieved!"
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded, giving his affirmation.
"Difficult, difficult, difficult!"
Taishang uttered the word "difficult" three times in succession, showing just how immense the challenge of this undertaking was.
"Elder Brother need not be so troubled. Xiaoxuan is a disciple of our Three Pure Ones, so this matter shall naturally be planned by the three of us brothers!"
...
In the side hall of the Taiqing Palace, Xiaoxuan sat cross-legged and took out a Ginseng Fruit, absorbing it into his spiritual platform.
The Immortal Apricot, which had continuously absorbed innate spiritual Qi to strengthen itself, flashed with light, and the Qiankun Ruler stirred in response.
The Qiankun Ruler emitted a dim light and landed upon the Ginseng Fruit.
The Ginseng Fruit shriveled at a visible speed, and the massive spiritual Qi within it, along with that trace of origin power from the Ginseng Fruit Tree, flowed through the Qiankun Ruler and poured into the Immortal Apricot.
The vital essence was transformed into wind and thunder Qi to nourish the three flower buds of the Immortal Apricot, but that trace of the Ginseng Fruit Tree's origin power was completely swallowed and absorbed by the Immortal Apricot, merging into its own being.
It was just that this trace of origin power was too weak, making the effect unremarkable!
Seeing this, Xiaoxuan took out all the Ginseng Fruits in one go and absorbed them into his spiritual platform.
Just as before, driven by the Immortal Apricot, the Qiankun Ruler refined more than twenty Ginseng Fruits together. Although the spiritual Qi contained in the Ginseng Fruits was immense, under the sorting of the Qiankun Ruler, it became exceptionally docile, and the Immortal Apricot absorbed it with extreme smoothness.
Nourished by such tremendous spiritual Qi, the three flower buds still showed no sign of blooming.
Even Xiaoxuan himself was extremely astonished!
One had to know that the more powerful a living being was, the more difficult reproduction became.
Even plants were no exception!
Consider the Ginseng Fruit: it required ten thousand years to mature.
As for the legendary Huangzhong Plum, it took a whole yuanhui to blossom, a yuanhui to bear fruit, a yuanhui to ripen, and yet another yuanhui before it could be consumed!
At this moment, the three flower buds had devoured the spiritual Qi of more than twenty Ginseng Fruits, yet showed not the slightest intention of opening.
From this, it could be seen that the grade of the Immortal Apricot, after absorbing the origin power of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, had advanced a step further.
Even if it could not compare to the Huangzhong Plum, the gap was not far off!
However, after devouring the origin power contained in the Ginseng Fruits, the Immortal Apricot did indeed acquire a portion of the Ginseng Fruit's characteristics.
Heavy and solid, yet brimming with vitality!
The Ginseng Fruit Tree naturally belonged to the wood element, governing vitality.
As for the heaviness of the earth, it came from absorbing the aura of the Book of Earth in Wuzhuang Temple over many long years.
Feeling every single change in the Immortal Apricot, the smile on Xiaoxuan's face grew increasingly radiant.
Among the Ten Innate Spiritual Roots, although Xiaoxuan's Immortal Apricot had only swallowed a trace of the Ginseng Fruit Tree's origin, it fully proved that Xiaoxuan's previous deduction was entirely correct!
Gathering the origin power of the innate spiritual roots could indeed give him hope of attaining the Dao!
He took out the withered Gourd Vine, and after pondering for a long time, still found no way to restore it.
"Three-Light Divine Water combined with Nine-Day Breathing Earth might just restore a trace of the Gourd Vine's origin!"
Xiaoxuan put the Gourd Vine away into his mustard-seed spatial pouch and began searching his memory for information regarding the Three-Light Divine Water.
The Three-Light Divine Water was formed after Pangu opened the heavens and split the earth, by absorbing the spiritual light of the sun, moon, and stars. It was divided into the golden Sunlight Divine Water, the silver Moonlight Divine Water, and the purple Starlight Divine Water.
Sunlight Divine Water wears away blood, essence, bone, and flesh.
Moonlight Divine Water corrodes primordial spirits and souls.
Starlight Divine Water disintegrates true spirits and consciousness.
When the three merged into one, it became the supreme holy medicine for healing, capable of subduing all "poisons" across the heavens and myriad realms.
A single drop of Three-Light Divine Water could bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bones!
Legend had it that the Three-Light Divine Water existed within Yuanshi Tianzun's Eight-Treasure Glazed Vase; another saying claimed it was in Yingzhou Island, nurturing the Grade-12 Purifying World White Lotus!
Dao Ancestor Hongjun had yet to give his third lecture and divide the treasures, and Xiaoxuan did not know whether Junior Uncle Yuanshi had obtained the Eight-Treasure Glazed Vase, so he could only place his hopes on the ethereal and elusive Yingzhou Island.