Chapter 22: Purple Gourd!

"Brother, your comprehension... is just too amazing, right?"

"It is precisely because of Duobao's answers that all the doubts and half-understandings of the two in the Purple Cloud Palace were resolved over the past thousand years."

"Not only that, Duobao strived for perfection, offering his own unique insights that gave the two an epiphany and presented them with an opportunity to advance further."

"Peak of Great Luo Golden Immortal!! This is an achievement that takes thousands, even tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years to attain."

"They discussed the Dao with Duobao once, and succeeded in just a thousand years."

"This is simply inconceivable!! \"The Dao methods of Elder Brother and Daoist Zhenyuanzi are profound; I, the younger brother, dare not claim credit! \""

"Duobao's gains were enormous."

"After a discussion of the Dao, he actually solved the problem of his lacking Dao methods."

"It made up for his deficiencies in the Way of the Five Elements and completed his understanding of Dao methods."

"In short, this Dao discussion gave him enormous gains, leaving him only a hair's breadth from the peak of Golden Immortal."

"However, he currently only has two of the Five Directions Banners."

"To achieve complete five qi, he must continue to strive."

"Although there are myriad difficulties, Duobao is also filled with firm conviction."

"\"Zhenyuanzi thanks you, fellow Daoist, for dispelling my doubts; your comprehension is the highest I have ever seen in my life, even the Three Pure Ones' Daoist fellows cannot match it! \""

"\"Although you are only at the Golden Immortal level now, fellow Daoist, your comprehension has already reached the Great Luo level; I, your humble Daoist, am impressed! \""

"Zhenyuanzi was filled with intense shock at Duobao's high comprehension."

"It was something he had only ever seen in his lifetime."

"\"Yes, younger brother's comprehension, I, the elder brother, am deeply impressed! \""

Hum! Before Duobao could say anything, he saw several rays of spiritual light shoot out from the glabella of Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi.

They appeared simultaneously before Duobao.

"Younger brother, although we are sworn brothers and need no formalities, you have indeed helped elder brother a great deal, saving much time; therefore, as elder brother, I must properly thank you—these several treasures here are all yours!"

"Yes, Duobao brother, Zhenyuanzi here is also immensely grateful; let's not waste words on pleasantries—these treasures here are all yours, just take them!"

"Elder brothers, this must not be done!"

"I haven't done anything, just..."

"Since you two elder brothers are being so polite, and I happen to need these things, then I, the younger brother, will not stand on ceremony!"

Duobao originally intended to be polite.

After all, compared to the two, the benefits he gained were even greater.

Great Luo Dao methods! They can be encountered but not sought.

Moreover, they were created by a Sage; even Hongjun may not necessarily know their subtleties.

Yet he is still the one who benefited the most.

Under these circumstances, how could he still feel embarrassed to ask for those treasures?

However, upon seeing those several treasures, he immediately changed his mind.

Even fearing that the two might regret it, he simply waved his hand and collected them all.

Although he tried hard to restrain himself, he could hardly conceal his excited heart.

And Hongyun, upon seeing Duobao collect those treasures, Zhenyuanzi was overjoyed.

Although one or two of those treasures would be greatly useful to them, compared to that, the advancement of cultivation and the insight into Dao methods are more important.

"That's right, brothers; why stand on ceremony?!"

All three were overjoyed.

Afterward, Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi bade farewell and left.

They needed to return to secluded practice, and on that basis further strengthen their Dao methods.

Soon, Duobao stood alone on a mountain peak, gazing at the surrounding towering peaks that pierced the clouds, took a deep breath, and vanished on the spot.

Decades later, in an extremely secluded valley,

Duobao, after making preparations and activating his treasure robe, then sat cross-legged in a solemn manner.

His mind and spirit settled, finally coming to rest in his divine sea.

There, a gourd vine flashing with seven-colored rosy light coiled around his immortal infant, slowly rotating. "Many... thanks, many, thanks......"

Upon seeing Duobao appear, the gourd vine trembled slightly, transmitting a faint feeling of gratitude.

"No need for thanks; it's not easy for an innate spiritual root to give birth to spiritual consciousness—how could I watch you be torn apart by them?"

Duobao's words were full of temptation.

He immersed himself for a while.

The gourd vine suddenly moved.

It actually suddenly burst forth with brilliant rosy light.

Immediately afterward, it began to grow without limit.

In the blink of an eye, it became vast enough to cover the sky and block the sun, enormously huge.

But those seven sparkling gourds gradually shrank, eventually turning into seven palm-sized little gourds.

The flashing seven-colored rosy light illuminated the entire divine sea.

I originally thought this gourd vine would give birth to seven gourds, letting him alone obtain seven gourds.

However, the following scene left Duobao astonished, feeling utterly inconceivable.

Only to see, those seven gourds actually began to gradually merge.

They seemed to have an order, merging one after another.

Soon, a palm-sized, purple little gourd appeared in Duobao's divine sea.

And just at the moment the brand-new purple gourd appeared.

Suddenly, an anomaly arose.

The purple little gourd, as if possessing spiritual intelligence, shot out from Duobao's forehead and appeared in the outside world.

Duobao focused his gaze and felt greatly surprised.

The main body of the seven-colored gourd actually showed countless vortices.

Accompanied by strand after strand of an overwhelming, nearly uncontrollable suction force, an endless influx of innate spiritual energy came howling from all directions.

In the blink of an eye, a massive spiritual-energy vortex formed above his concealed grand formation.

And the very center of that spiritual-energy vortex was precisely that purple little gourd.

While Duobao was utterly shocked, he also felt an intense anticipation.

That tiny gourd could actually absorb so much spiritual energy—it was simply unbelievable.

But it is precisely because of this that its extraordinary nature is revealed.

What further astonished Duobao was that, as the purple gourd continually absorbed spiritual energy, numerous profound Dao markings began to appear on its surface.

Those markings were initially faint and barely visible, almost impossible to see.

But as the absorbed spiritual energy increased,

the markings became ever clearer and more distinct, as if engraved upon it, vivid and lifelike, and some of the markings even began to wriggle.

Moreover, as time passed, those markings on it grew ever more active; vaguely, Duobao even sensed the flavor of the Dao.

In this way, three hundred years passed in an instant.

The purple gourd's suction force grew stronger, and the purple radiance it released became even more overbearing.

Its Dao markings became ever more active, ever more vivid and lifelike.

Strand after strand of overbearing Dao resonance permeated it.

Releasing all manner of mysterious auras.

This caused Duobao to startle suddenly.

But before Duobao could react,

that purple gourd, after having absorbed the final strand of spiritual energy, shuddered violently and then shot up into the air.

It transformed into a bolt of purple lightning and came before Duobao.

Immediately, it did something that both startled and delighted Duobao immensely.

(End of chapter)