Volume One: The Calamity of the Lich Chapter 148: Qingxuan Bestows a Treasure, Zhenyuanzi Creates an Avatar

After Zhenyuanzi finished the ceremony, he looked at Qingxuan with some confusion and asked, “Master, didn’t you say you would take me on as a disciple in name only?”

At this, Qingxuan’s expression changed slightly. “So, you’re not satisfied with this outcome?”

Zhenyuanzi hastily apologized, “Master, forgive my presumption. I would never dare be dissatisfied—I'm simply overjoyed!”

Hearing this, Qingxuan’s heart was filled with comfort as he replied, “Enough, I won’t tease you. I said that then merely to give you hope. I never expected you would become so outstanding, so naturally, I cannot treat you as I did before. You are worthy of being my personal disciple.”

With those words, Qingxuan produced a number of items. “Now that you have formally become my disciple, I must not be stingy. These are spiritual roots I have collected over the years and cultivated with my own hands. They are most suitable for you.”

Zhenyuanzi looked and saw several spiritual roots, each of the highest innate grade. Within them, he sensed the dense laws of space, the five elements, and heaven and earth—all perfectly complementing his own path. At his current state, he could already tell their value, but should he one day attain enlightenment and become a Hunyuan, their true benefits would be fully revealed.

What left Zhenyuanzi most astonished was when Qingxuan pointed a finger to his brow, directly imparting a supreme secret art, inscribing it into his primordial spirit.

“This is a method I created myself, to aid beings in their pursuit of the Dao. It greatly increases the chances and success of enlightenment. Now you have understood your own path—though the future seems bright, the difficulty of achieving enlightenment is beyond imagination!”

“Since the dawn of time, only five have succeeded in this. Of them, only I and Yangmei truly attained it through our own power.”

“My greatest hope for you is that you too can achieve the Dao by your own strength; if not, you may use external assistance.”

“As for the others, you need only know of them—do not speak of this lightly. They are: Hongjun, who resides in the Purple Cloud Palace beyond the heavens and became a Saint of the Dao by harnessing the Primordial Purple Qi. As the first Saint of the Primordial World, he enjoyed great fortune, taught the Dao to all beings, merged himself with the Dao, and became the Ancestor of the Dao—the spokesperson for the Heavenly Way ever after.”

“The second is Houtu of the Wu tribe, who transformed herself into the cycle of reincarnation, performing great merit for all beings. Her compassion is rare among the denizens of the Primordial World, and she thus achieved the Hunyuan Golden Immortal.”

“Finally, there is Wangshu, who once sat with me in discussion of the Dao. She transformed herself into the Nether Moon of the Underworld, bringing hope to countless departed souls, and in so doing attained Hunyuan.”

After saying this, Qingxuan fell silent.

Zhenyuanzi then asked, “Master, who in the Primordial World now has the greatest chance of attaining enlightenment? How many Hunyuan might there be in the future?”

“Since you ask, let me explain the relationship between the Primordial World, Hunyuan, and Saints. Originally, the world’s source was insufficient to allow for unlimited Saints, let alone Hunyuan Golden Immortals like myself who roam freely.”

“But in all things there is a sliver of hope.”

“You mean, Master, that such a hope has now appeared in the Primordial World?” At this, Zhenyuanzi first paled, then breathed a sigh of relief. Anyone would be shaken to hear that the number of Saints and Hunyuan in the world is strictly limited.

“That’s right. You must have sensed the great change that recently swept the Primordial World.” Qingxuan looked at Zhenyuanzi—who, as the holder of the Earth Tome and cultivator of the Dao of Earth, is closer to the world than any other—and the latter nodded.

Qingxuan continued, “That was because I brought forth from the chaos a world not unlike our own, directly increasing our source many times over.”

“Moreover, what you are doing now also strengthens the world’s source. Otherwise, do you truly believe enlightenment would be so easily within reach?”

Zhenyuanzi was deeply shaken by these words. “No wonder—the more blessed lands I create, the closer I feel to the Great Dao!”

“You are indeed teachable. To only take without giving would simply deplete the world’s source, causing its status to fall and bringing about catastrophic tribulations.”

“Well, enough idle talk. Let me first help you master this method. It will be of great benefit to your future cultivation and enlightenment—do not miss this golden opportunity.”

With that, Zhenyuanzi saw Qingxuan produce a blue lotus.

“This is a matured lotus seed from my own Creation Green Lotus, which after ascending to a chaotic spiritual root bore this fruit. Though not quite an innate treasure, it is close. You, being born of the innate earth essence, can use this to create an avatar. Only then will your cultivation proceed smoothly in the future.”

With those words, Qingxuan activated a great time formation, then made a grasping motion at Zhenyuanzi, extracting a wisp of his primordial spirit to nurture it.

With Qingxuan’s help, and after what amounted to tens of millions of years within the formation, the avatar was finally created for Zhenyuanzi, and the remaining spiritual roots were refined as well.

“These spiritual roots, shaped by my own path of creation, must not appear casually in the Primordial World.”

Afterward, you should return to your Five Blessings Mountain and the Longevity Monastery, and establish it as a blessed land. You may also transform the Ginseng Fruit Tree into an avatar to guard the land—it is the most suitable spiritual root for you!”

With these words, Zhenyuanzi understood much: he was being advised to place these spiritual roots, not yet refined as avatars, within the blessed land so as not to bring unforeseen consequences to the wider world.

This was also why Qingxuan ultimately created the Spirit Tribe, rather than simply animating spiritual roots. The Spirit Tribe, having been recognized by the Great Dao, are a boon to the Primordial World.

“As for these spiritual treasures, they were crafted by me from materials found in the chaos, using my own methods. Consider them my gift to you as your master.”

Several treasures hovered before Zhenyuanzi, and Qingxuan personally helped him refine them at first.

Only after the refinement did Zhenyuanzi realize their value.

“Master, aren’t these…”

Indeed, all the treasures Qingxuan had given were of the highest innate grade.

“As my chief disciple, how could your treasures be anything less? For me, this is nothing!” Qingxuan waved it off with little concern.

“But aren’t these innate treasures? Aren’t they supposed to be impossible to forge?”

“Why so many questions? Your master has his own ways to create such things—why should it not be possible?” Qingxuan replied, feigning annoyance.

Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi dared not ask further and quickly stored the treasures away. Among them were innate treasures embodying the laws of space, the five elements, and heaven and earth.

“Oh, right, Master—I have a request!”

“Speak, and I will consider whether to grant it.”

At this, Zhenyuanzi shared his earlier thought: he wished for the Spirit Tribe’s help in establishing and guarding blessed lands, explaining his intentions to Qingxuan in detail.