Chapter 282: The Leisurely Dao of the Eternal Firmament and the Spirit Root

"You child, how truly dull. I was just enjoying a moment of peace, and you came crashing in, ruining my good mood for no reason."

Although Wangugucang said this while on the rocking chair, he did not move a muscle, still lying on his back, eyes closed comfortably as he tapped his legs.

Seeing this, Lingxiang felt a wave of stifled frustration in her heart.

This...

How is this the appearance a ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Artifact should have? He is clearly a lazy, good-for-nothing street loafer, and the key is that he is wearing the skin of her little Wuyang; the more she looks, the more she feels...

Her hands are itching!

Lingxiang forcibly suppressed the urge to go up and beat that look off his face, clenching her fists in secret, though her face remained smiling.

"Senior, that is not fair. I requested an audience with you repeatedly before, but you did not respond. I thought perhaps my cultivation was too shallow to convey my request, so I entered your dream to come here. I did not expect you to say such things; it is truly a misunderstanding!"

When you need something from someone, do not be impulsive!

Wangugucang glanced at the smiling Lingxiang, waved his hand to conjure a fan, and began to fan himself, yet his body remained lying on the bamboo chair, rocking away on his own.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You little girl, when I saw you earlier, you were clearly a person who cared about appearances. To think you can be so patient now; it is quite interesting."

Hearing this, Lingxiang did not show it on her face, but her mind began to race.

Although this old thing is a Spirit Artifact, he existed before Chaos. Even if he is not the equal of the Great God Pangu, he is no ordinary vegetation. Even the immortals of the Divine Realm probably do not catch his eye.

He is a refined spirit, after all. Having seen all kinds of people over so many years, her little schemes must have been seen through long ago. Rather than being secretive and making herself uncomfortable, it is better to be open and straightforward.

Thinking this, Lingxiang stopped putting on airs. Though she still smiled, it was vastly different from before—less flattery, more shrewdness, though the sorrow in her eyes remained hard to conceal.

"Senior, do you mean you enjoy listening to me ramble?" Lingxiang walked forward, brushed off her skirt, and sat on the railing under the veranda. "That is not impossible, but..."

Lingxiang deliberately left a suspenseful pause, but Wangugucang remained unmoved, still rocking comfortably.

Seeing Wangugucang had no reaction, Lingxiang rolled her eyes at him and continued: "Even a storyteller gets a reward for telling an old tale. If you want me to amuse you, I cannot be a performer for nothing, can I?"

Hearing this, Wangugucang raised his eyebrows and looked up at Lingxiang: "You went to such lengths to find me with impure motives, and now you use me as a shield. You are truly not cute at all."

Sure enough, this old fellow knows everything!

Lingxiang pursed her lips and said: "Since Senior knows the purpose of my visit, I will not beat around the bush. Please, Senior, do not be stingy and point me in the right direction."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Wangugucang clicked his tongue. The teapot on the table flew up, poured two cups of tea, and one of them drifted over to Lingxiang.

"It is a long story. Where should I begin?"

Lingxiang took the Tea Cup and took a sip; the steam from the hot tea misted her face.

"Let us start with this Life-Prolonging Pill. Please, Senior, keep it brief."

Pangu cleaved Chaos, dividing it into two; the clear rose to become Heaven, the turbid fell to become Earth, and thereafter, rivers, lakes, and seas were born. The Divine race descended, one of whom was named Taiyi, who purged the four seas of evil and created the Tiangong Jiuque, becoming the First Heavenly Emperor.

At that time, the spirits of ancient flesh were nourished by the remaining Turbid Qi, giving birth to all spirits, some good and some evil, each occupying a territory.

The Heavenly Dao was rugged, and evil spirits ran rampant, unrestrained and wicked. The God Taiyi could not bear to see the living beings of the world suffer, so he combined the power of the twelve High Gods, irrigated the land with the Yinhe to control the waters, and poured out ten thousand miles of vast waves.

The flooding lasted for hundreds of thousands of years before purity was finally restored. However, as Heaven and Earth had been connected by waterfalls for so long, they gradually showed signs of merging. To prevent the mixing of the clear and the turbid, the Ancient God Taiyi ordered eight gods to transform into the eight pillars of Heaven, and then, exhausting all his strength, he severed the Heavenly River, and Heaven and Earth finally came to rest. Taiyi's divine power was exhausted, and he returned to Chaos.

Since then, Heaven and Earth were reborn, and Spirit Qi gathered. The Phoenix Empress Nuwa was born in response to the spirit, and thereafter molded earth to create humans, and the human race began. As for the remaining Qi of Pangu, the clear and turbid alternated, and one Qi transformed into the Three Pure Ones: Taishang, Yuanshi, and Communication with Heaven.

From then on, all gods were born.

"Wait..."

Wangugucang was speaking with great enthusiasm, but Lingxiang interrupted him.

This old fellow is truly something. It is just a pill, yet he wants to start from the beginning of the primordial era. With the passage of time, who knows how long this will take.

Even if she wanted to listen, her Spirit Power would not allow it!

"I know you are learned in ancient and modern times, Senior, but what does this have to do with what I am seeking?"

Wangugucang glanced at Lingxiang and muttered without hesitation: "How impatient. If I do not explain these things clearly, how can I clarify the origin of this pill?"

Seeing Wangugucang's look of disgust, Lingxiang's mouth twitched, but she suppressed it and said: "The past is already gone. Please, Senior, keep it brief."

But Wangugucang curled his lip, turned into a wisp of green smoke, drifted back onto the bamboo chair, and lay down again, waving his hand: "Forget it, forget it. I have lost the mood."

Lingxiang rolled her eyes in anger but dared not act out, so she had to be patient and belittle herself: "You know my temperament, Senior. You are the Wangugucang, after all; why bother with a little girl like me?"

"Ah! I know, Senior must want to temper my temperament. I thank you for that, Senior. It is just that my cultivation is shallow, and the dream-entry technique is very taxing; I fear I cannot sustain your slow narration. Perhaps, for the sake of our connection, you could stop minding me, do me a favor, and keep it brief."

Wangugucang rocked his chair comfortably while fanning himself, not answering. After a long while, he finally hummed from his nose. The winding, melodic tune sounded somewhat like a theater performer, but to Lingxiang's ears, it was truly...

Piercing!

"That sounds reasonable; you have some self-awareness after all. You are right, why should I bother with you? If I send you away sooner, I can have peace sooner."

Wangugucang said this, picked up his Tea Cup and took a sip, then fell silent, just staring with open eyes at the old locust tree in the courtyard, as if immersed in a memory, or perhaps deliberating how to speak.

Lingxiang was very puzzled. Why would this old fellow care about an old locust tree? This place is the heart Pool of Zhao Wuyang; although it looks real, it is nothing more than a dream.

But perhaps not; after all, Wangugucang is an ancient spirit, who knows if there is some deep meaning?

Just as Lingxiang also looked at the old locust tree, trying to see some clue within it, she heard Wangugucang speak.

"You humans are truly strange. You are clearly endowed with the most spiritual of bodies, yet you insist on trapping yourselves in one place. It is truly laughable."

It was like a sigh, and also like extreme pity.

Lingxiang did not understand why Wangugucang would have such a sentiment, but she did not agree.

"Humans, a trip through the world is just a prison. Some cannot let go, so they linger and hesitate here," Lingxiang said with a smile, shaking her head and pointing forward. "But little Wuyang's heart gate has already opened. I imagine the Innate Qi has already cleared the meridians, so why should you worry, Senior?"

Ahead, a large gate stood wide open; although it was pitch black outside, faint starlight could be seen.

"If that is the case, then why are you distressed? Let nature take its course, and success will follow."

Hearing this, Lingxiang was even more confused: "This... what does it have to do with what I am seeking?"

"Qi is the essence of the soul, accompanying the Spirit Root. If the Qi is there, the Spirit Root is at peace. If a person's soul is incomplete, how could she have a sound Spirit Root?"