Chapter 138: The Gifted Ginseng Fruit

At the summit of Shouyang Mountain, the Hall of Propagation Steles witnessed a miracle; the young cultivators' fingertips sparked Dao patterns that turned into solid battle spears, easily piercing the millennial mysterious iron.

When the purple‑clad Saintess's Tianlong law aura enveloped the mountains and rivers inside and out, refining the rampaging Chaos beasts into primal essence, the Golden Core cultivators finally realized that this was a revolutionary cultivation breakthrough across ages.

Although the Three Saint Ancestors were crowned by the Heavenly Dao's merit, they triggered a resonance between heaven and earth while contemplating the new method.

At the secluded retreat of the You Chao clan, the sound of void shattering occasionally echoed, and its life‑palace secret realm unexpectedly nurtured a Dao seed containing the laws of space.

Sui Huang further merged the Trail of Kindling Fire with the Crimson Sky Dao Treasury, and the civilization fire dancing at his fingertips has become the Sky‑burning Phoenix flame.

A hundred years later, on a full‑moon night, Zhou Yi stepped along the stellar path to the ancestral courtyard. Gazing at the three Saint Ancestors who had already condensed the Quasi Emperor Dao rhythm, a jade tablet bearing the Honghuang star map surfaced in his palm:

"In the Eastern Sea's Return Ruins, a Chaotic Azure Lotus will appear; in the Northern Abyss, the world‑ending Black Tide has surged for three eras. This expedition concerns the foundational destiny of the Human Race."

"Does the Saint Master intend to venture alone into the Return Ruins forbidden zone?" The purple‑clad Saintess's Dao pattern flickered between her brows, and behind her the Tianlong bottle's voidy silhouette inhaled and exhaled the essence of sun and moon, "Even a Quasi Emperor's body cannot withstand the Chaotic tide…"

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Yi manifested a Nine‑layer Emperor Ring, within which the primordial Qi cauldron of all things shattered the void: "I have reached the threshold of the Emperor Realm; this moment is both a chance to verify the Dao and to seize the Human Race's path to sainthood. I command all divisions: before Sirius shifts, no one may leave the protective clan formation."

When the first strand of purple Qi arrived from the east at dawn, Zhou Yi stepped onto a rainbow bridge forged by Dao principles and vanished into the heavens.

The three Saint Ancestors stared at the lingering Emperor Pattern in the void and discovered that the interwoven Dao traces faintly outlined the prototype of the celestial star array; it turned out the Saint Master had laid a world‑shaking scheme for the Human Race a hundred years earlier.

Zhou Yi quietly evaded the ears and eyes of the Human Race elders, publicly claiming to be in seclusion to contemplate the Great Dao, while in fact venturing alone deep into Honghuang's interior. His target is the Wan Huo Ancestor.

This benevolent act earned him compensation of Hongmeng purple Qi, yet also sowed the root of a lethal calamity. Now the Six Saints have returned to the heavens beyond heaven, and only that wandering purple Qi draws a pack of wolves to circle.

"The Five‑Village View of the Zhenyuan Great Immortal was originally the best sanctuary." Zhou Yi walked on clouds, sighing as he gazed at the distant fire‑cloud cave where crimson mist rose to the sky. That ancestor of Earth Immortals had a millennial close friendship with the Wan Huo, and the two Quasi Saints together could intimidate any petty foes.

Alas, with calamity fate entangling him, the Wan Huo Ancestor's Dao heart became clouded at the crucial moment, stubbornly returning to his natal cave to live in solitude.

As the sea of clouds churned, two soaring murderous Qi caused Zhou Yi's pupils to contract. On the left, a shadowy wind wrapped the northern chill of the North Abyss; on the right, blood‑Qi surged with the fetid wind of the Ming He Ancestor, master of the Sea of Blood.

The former resents Wan Huo for having once yielded his seat, breaking their holy bond; the latter has long sought the path to sainthood but never found the gateway. At this moment the two ancient titans arrive together, and the murderous intent outside the fire‑cloud cave has solidified.

"What of creating the Asura Race? Without Hongmeng purple Qi it is ultimately like a mirage." The Ming He Ancestor's blood‑stained robe fluttered, and the twin Abyssal Executioner swords behind him buzzed.

Beside him, the Great Peng Bird manifested its sky‑hanging wings, and the He Tu and Luo Shu evolved into the celestial star array.

The two Quasi Saints' imposing aura made mountains and rivers across ten thousand li tremble, yet no one noticed the third Dao breath hidden among the clouds.

A Chaos Pearl rotated in Zhou Yi's palm, quietly calculating the chance to break the impasse.

The Ming He Ancestor sat cross‑legged on the Sea of Blood lotus platform, lightly tapping his knee with his fingertip.

From distant clouds came the Great Peng Bird's characteristic wing‑cutting sound; a cold smile curled at his mouth—this North Abyss giant beast indeed could not contain its temper.

Two figures met on the Sunset Slope, thirty li outside the fire‑cloud cave; the mountain mist was shaken off by the Quasi Saints' pressure, scattering away.

"That benevolent old man has guarded the celestial treasure for eighty‑four thousand years; it's time for a new master." When the Great Peng Bird took human form, a demonic mark at his brow still glowed with a faint blue light.

The Ming He's sleeves emitted a buzzing from the twin Abyssal Executioner swords, while the Sea of Blood's illusion flickered behind him. Inside the cave, the Wan Huo Ancestor was now adding true Samadhi fire to the alchemical furnace, utterly unaware that calamity approached.

Zhou Yi stood on the clouds, looking down, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist.

The crimson mist halo blooming outside the Wan Huo cave reflected in his pupils, flickering brightly.

As the co‑ruler of the Human Race, he clearly recalled the omen the Heavenly Dao gave three days earlier during the Heaven‑sacrifice, the cause and effect of the primordial gourd vine, which must be answered today.

"Companion, why don't you appear?" The Great Peng Bird's roar shook the mountain, causing maple leaves to flutter down.

Beneath Ming He, the karmic fire red lotus had blossomed into twelve grades, turning half the sky a blood‑red hue.

When the Wan Huo Ancestor pushed open the cave door, he still held the freshly forged Nine‑turn Golden Core, and his purple‑gold Dao robe flapped loudly in the fierce wind.

"If the two companions wish to discuss the Dao, why must you bring your life‑bound spirit treasure?" Wan Huo pressed his chest, and celebratory clouds above his head revealed twenty‑four Sea‑Stabilizing Divine Pearls.

The Great Peng Bird suddenly let out a booming laugh; the North Abyss dark water turned into a sky‑covering giant palm that descended over them: "Stop playing foolish, hand over the Hongmeng purple Qi, and I'll let your primordial spirit reincarnate."

The Ming He's twin swords crossed, carving a scarlet cross; amid the Sea of Blood's surge, the entire mountain was lifted into mid‑air.

The Wan Huo's released Soul‑Scattering Gourd just spewed out dark‑yellow Qi, only to be ground to dust by the Abyssal Executioner sword's blade Qi.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi sighed lightly; the Human Emperor seal in his palm burst forth ten thousand feet of golden light. That Hongmeng purple Qi, tied to the Human Race's destiny, ultimately could not fall into the hands of demons.

"Dao Ancestor once said, 'Purple Qi travels east for thirty thousand li.'" Zhou Yi broke through the void to arrive, the Kongtong seal hovering above the three heads forming a barrier, "but he never said it could not alter destiny."

The Wan Huo Ancestor stared blankly at the suddenly appeared Human Emperor, the half‑way purple Qi he grasped suddenly scorching hot.

In Honghuang's western realm, fierce winds howled as three Dao silhouettes faced each other in the air.

The Great Peng Bird's twin wings churned up a thousand‑foot murky wave, and his fingertips twined with ghostly blue lightning: "Hand over the Hongmeng purple Qi, and I will grant you reincarnation."

From the Wan Huo Ancestor's sleeves leaked crimson mist, while the auspicious clouds beneath his feet seeped thin strands of black Qi.

He gazed at the two old friends opposite him, a sour‑sweet taste rising in his throat; the Enlightenment tea they shared three centuries ago still lingered warm, yet now the cold gleam of the Abyssal sword pressed against his vital point.

"When the Purple Sky Palace divided the saintly seat, did either of you ever see this humble Daoist step back a half‑step?" Wan Huo burst into a loud laugh, the vermilion gourd at his waist suddenly spewing eerie green mist. The Ming He Ancestor's karmic fire red lotus instantly withered three petals, startling him to retreat a hundred zhang.

The Great Peng Bird's true form manifested as a sky‑blocking darkness, and Yu Qiang's heavy water turned into myriad ice spears: "Forcefully urging the Soul‑Scattering Gourd, are you not afraid of sullying your merit‑filled golden body?"

Before the words finished, a phantom of a twelve‑grade world‑ending Black Lotus rose from behind Wan Huo, devouring all the sky‑filled ice spears.

"So you had already…" Ming He's pupils narrowed sharply, and the Abyssal sword in his hand began to tremble incessantly.

Wan Huo's sideburns turned frost‑white strand by strand, yet a relieved smile curled his mouth: "The Zhenyuan old friend's gifted ginseng fruit was finally saved."

Above the Ninth Heaven, thunderclouds roiled, and the Soul‑Scattering Gourd exploded with a boom.

Wan Huo transformed into countless red butterflies that vanished into the void, leaving only a half‑broken purple jade hairpin floating in the air; cracks in the pin seeped out Chaos breath that made even Saints' hearts flutter.

The Great Peng Bird and Ming He exchanged a glance, simultaneously crushing the Void‑Escape talisman and disappearing beneath the blood‑red sky.