Refining the Dao into Godhood: A Tale of the Jie Sect

In the center of the Grotto Heaven, an Immortal Peach tree stood amidst wind and thunder, with the essence of Dao interweaving in the void. On its branches, laden with bolts of lightning, grew two crimson peaches, as red as blood.

"Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach!"

"So easily obtained without any effort!"

This Grotto Heaven was merely ten thousand miles in circumference. With the vision of a Xuanqing Golden Immortal, one could naturally see at a glance the Innate Spirit Root standing tall at the center of the Grotto Heaven.

Of course, within this Grotto Heaven, the Innate Spiritual Energy was rich, and there were many other Spirit Roots and Immortal Herbs growing, such as Vermilion Fruits, Earth Marrow Ganoderma, Ning Shen Flowers, and the like—all were in abundance, scattered throughout the Grotto Heaven like countless stars, seemingly a treasure land waiting for Xuanqing to explore meticulously.

"Get the Immortal Peach first!"

With one of the ten Top Grade Innate Spirit Roots, the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach right in front of him, Xuanqing couldn't care less about the other Spirit Roots and Immortal Herbs, and immediately flew towards the center of the Grotto Heaven on a sword light.

After all, they were just Acquired Spirit Roots—could they possibly run away on their own?

Unlike the lush scenery at the edge of the Grotto Heaven, the center of the Grotto Heaven, due to the presence of the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach, was periodically struck by heavenly thunder or swept by violent gusts of wind, so no other Spirit Roots grew there.

On the contrary, the Immortal Stones on the ground, having been eroded by the Wind and Thunder Power over the years and absorbed some of the essence of the Wind and Thunder Dao, had developed some divine peculiarities.

"These would make good materials for Artifact Refining, perfect to bring back to Brother Duobao!" Xuanqing summoned his flying sword, casually cut off a few pieces of the better-looking Immortal Stones, and then used Divine Skills to store them in his sleeve: "The journey here has been smooth and uneventful, no hardship encountered, all thanks to the Golden Radiance Crown he lent me. Now it's the perfect gift to express my thanks!"

Although it is expected for a senior brother to take care of his junior, constantly being in debt is not ideal. If too many favors accumulate, it could unavoidably harm the affection between the two.

Give and take, that is the proper way of conduct.

And this was also why Xuanqing had good relationships with many fellow disciples, and even some disciples from the Chan Sect.

After collecting some Immortal Stones infused with the essence of wind and thunder, Xuanqing went directly under the Immortal Peach tree and picked the two crimson peaches from the branches.

He examined them for a moment, then decisively consumed both peaches together and then sat down cross-legged, circulating the Supreme Purity Heart Method to refine the fragments of the Great Dao contained in the Immortal Peach.

The reason that Innate Spirit Roots are called such is precisely because, like Innate Treasures, they contain various rare and curious fragments of Great Dao Laws.

The fruits they bear are even more special, embodying the essence of the Spirit Root and often requiring several cycles of elemental convergence to nurture.

And as for the Immortal Peach, since it's one of the ten Top Grade Innate Spirit Roots, the fruit it bears is extraordinary. After refining it, one can not only increase cultivation and mana but also condense a nascent form of the Wind and Thunder Dao Seed.

Though just a nascent form, this is a key to advancing to the Daluo level. Among a hundred Taiyi Golden Immortals, there may not even be one who can condense such a thing on their own.

Either contemplate the Great Dao of heaven and earth!

Or listen to the teachings of the mighty!

Or like Xuanqing, consume and refine a Spirit Fruit containing fragments of the Great Dao!

There's no distinction of superiority among the three methods, but they differ in difficulty, and after consuming the Immortal Peach, Xuanqing managed to condense the Innate Wind and Thunder Dao Body, which will allow him to understand the Wind and Thunder Dao in half the effort in the future.

Not to mention that he is a disciple of a Saint, often having the chance to see the Saint's countenance, listen to the Saint's teachings, and feel the various Dao essences flowing through the movements of the Saint.

"Boom!"

Around Xuanqing, the essence of Wind and Thunder rippled, like a Golden Bell tolling, echoing the roar of the Dao. He swiftly absorbed the surrounding Spiritual Energy, intending to forge his flawless Immortal Body.

The Wind and Thunder Power was tempering his Golden Immortal Physical Body and simultaneously purifying his Golden Immortal Primordial Spirit, turning the false into the true, laying the foundation for his future ascension to Daluo.

Inside his Primordial Spirit, two Dao Seeds floated, just waiting for the Three Flowers Perfection and the Five Qi convergence to start growing and transform into the Wind and Thunder Great Dao.

The golden sun rises, the jade rabbit moves.

In the Grotto Heaven, there are no sun or moon, yet the sky is bright. Xuanqing indulged in his cultivation, oblivious to the passage of time, and in the blink of an eye, decades had passed.

His cultivation had progressed from mid-stage Golden Immortal to Golden Immortal Perfection, just one step away from condensing Innate Ancestor Qi and successfully stepping into the Taiyi Realm.

The fragments of the Great Dao contained within the two Immortal Peaches had transformed into True Seeds, floating deep within his Primordial Spirit, seemingly nurturing a Divine Skill with the power of Wind and Thunder.

"No rush!"

With the foundation laid by the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach and the evolved Wind and Thunder Dao Body, in terms of aptitude, he might not have caught up with Daoist Duobao and Jin Ling Saint Mother yet, but he was already close!

The reason he did not break through to Taiyi in one go was, first, to consolidate his foundation, and second, because as the ancestral vein of all mountains, Kunlun Mountain had an extremely dense concentration of Innate Ancestor Qi, and breaking through to Taiyi there would bring greater benefits.

This is the advantage of having a lineage.

Following that, Xuanqing swept the Zhongnan Grotto Heaven clean, taking anything of even slight value, be it Innate Spiritual Treasures or Acquired Immortal Medicine. Although not valuable now, once Buzhou Mountain collapses and Innate Spiritual Energy is cut off completely, these items will become rare treasures!

Finally, he turned his attention to the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach. As a Top Grade Innate Spirit Root, it could not only bear fruit to help one consolidate Dao Seeds but also suppress fortune, making it an extremely rare treasure.

Of course, compared to Innate Treasures like the Tai Chi Diagram, Pangu Banner, and Chaos Bell, it definitely falls short, but how many of such treasures are there in total?

Don't you see...

Even the Tongtian Sect Master doesn't have them, right?

Xuanqing pondered for a moment, looking at the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach in front of him: "This tree, as a Top Grade Innate Spirit Root, is tremendously valuable. I could refine it into a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure! But doing so would be a bit wasteful! Offering it to the Tongtian Sect Master to stabilize the fortune of the Jie Sect is the best choice!"

In the future, even a Top Grade Innate Spirit Root might not be enough to stabilize the Jie Sect when thousands of immortals come to pay homage, but before Xuanqing leaves the mountain, the Jie Sect only has around a hundred disciples. The future is uncertain, yet with the caliber of the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach, in Xuanqing's view, it is more than enough to stabilize the current fortune of the Jie Sect.

And what about Innate Spiritual Treasures?

Being a direct disciple of the Tongtian Sect Master, if he manages to please his own master, would he lack Innate Spiritual Treasures?

With this thought, Xuanqing immediately activated his Divine Skills, attempting to take the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach and bring it back to Kunlun Mountain to offer to the Tongtian Sect Master, who lacks an item to stabilize the sect's fortune.

But all of a sudden, he stopped and, looking at the soil beneath the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach, burst into hearty laughter, "What a surprise bonus!"

"Indeed!"

"How could the place where a Top Grade Innate Spirit Root grows be ordinary soil?"

The soil nurturing the Wind and Thunder Immortal Peach was not ordinary dirt but the legendary Nine Heavens Breath Soil, known as Life Soil, capable of nurturing all living things with its endless vitality, and was also the material used by Nuwa to create humans.

Having learned Nuwa's Creation and Transformation Skill and with his own origin, he could be considered a half-disciple of Nuwa. If he could eventually fully comprehend it and then find divine items like the Three Lights Divine Water, he might be able to follow in Nuwa's footsteps and create a new race.

He didn't intend to abandon the Human Race or independently establish a new race; he was simply coveting the ability to create.

Nuwa gained Merit for creating humans!

Minghe also gained Merit for creating the Asura race!

If he were to create a race that harmonizes with heaven and earth, benefitting the Primordial world, he might not dare to hope for becoming a Saint, but it would be enough to condense a Merit Golden Wheel that even Saints would envy.

If so...

He would have a lifesaving trump card!

Although he already possesses some Merit, it's still not enough to make the Saints wary.

That sort of thing, naturally, the more, the better.

With that in mind, Xuanqing immediately used his mana to collect the surrounding Nine Heavens Breath Soil and also took the Innate Spirit Root into his sleeve.