A flush of shame then appeared on Xing Ling's handsome face as he exclaimed, "Hu Sanniang! Stop spouting nonsense!"
Hu Sanniang chuckled, strummed her pipa once more, and said coquettishly, "Am I not speaking the words of a fox? Am I not spouting lewd language?"
"You!"
Xing Ling's face contorted in anger, and he pointed a finger.
"Swish!"
A sharp, silver sword qi shot towards Hu Sanniang, slicing a shallow rift in the void.
"Zheng~"
Hu Sanniang swept a hand across the jade pipa in her arms. The pipa instantly resonated, sending forth jade-colored sonic waves like an incoming tide, surging and overlapping.
The silver sword light plunged into the sonic tide, causing the waves to ripple. The music trembled slightly before subsiding. The sound dissipated, the tide receded, and the sword vanished.
The Black Nether Ghost Child scoffed, "Who do you think you are? If not for the old ancestor behind you, who would even look at you?"
Xing Ling, enraged, glanced at Princess Ling Yao and reached for his sword, ready to fight.
"Alright, everyone, please be quiet."
Princess Ling Yao suddenly spoke, her voice like that of a young girl, yet tinged with the freshness of adolescence, clear and pure as spring water, reaching directly into people's hearts.
"The spiritual treasures have not yet appeared here. It's best if we don't fall out with each other, lest others take advantage."
With Princess Ling Yao's interjection, the others grudgingly fell silent, settling down to await the emergence of the spiritual treasures.
The spiritual energy tides in the sky grew increasingly vast, having continued unabated for ten thousand years.
And then, a hundred days later, the spiritual energy in the heavens and earth gradually dissipated, and the tides on the horizon slowly merged back into the void.
Newly arrived powerhouses in the vicinity, upon seeing these four individuals, dared not approach, even though they knew a spiritual treasure was about to appear.
After all, these four were beings that even the Taiyi Grand Cultivators hesitated to provoke.
The Black Nether Ghost Child and Hu Sanniang exchanged a glance and immediately rose.
Xing Ling also stood up and said gently to Princess Ling Yao, "Princess Ling Yao, it seems the spiritual treasure here is finally about to emerge!"
She nodded, not responding to the eager look in Xing Ling's eyes. As a princess of the Nine-Colored Deer clan and a former Saintess, her status remained exceptionally high.
She knew perfectly well what Xing Ling was plotting—he was after the Primordial Yin and Nine Spirits within her.
At this very moment, beneath the Chiming Forest, in the Valley of Rifts, one hundred and eight divine flowers bloomed. Tiny sprites flew out, circling the Red Leaf Chinese Tallow tree, their faces filled with anticipation.
The Red Leaf Chinese Tallow tree had now grown to a height of nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang, reaching the extreme of the superior spiritual root.
Amidst its thousand branches and myriad leaves, divine flowers finally blossomed.
They resembled the osmanthus flowers of September, fan-shaped with rounded tips. The outer surface was a pale yellow with fine textures, while the inner surface was pale white, smooth, crisp, and exuded a fresh, sweet fragrance.
As the flowers bloomed, a young man emerged from the divine tree. His appearance was ageless, his countenance naturally perfect, capable of captivating hearts at first sight.
Qing Ling opened his eyes, and the world naturally flowed into his gaze. The life force to his left was Yang, and the deathly energy to his right was Yin. Within the boundary of life and death, Yin and Yang, a floral pattern bloomed between Qing Ling's brows.
Upon seeing him, all the sprites joyfully exclaimed, "The divine being has emerged! The divine being has emerged!"
"Divine being, hurry! Many great beasts have arrived outside!"
"They all want to snatch away the Tallow and the Lotus! We must leave quickly!"
The peculiar pupils in Qing Ling's eyes gradually receded. His innate deficiency being replenished, his heterochromatic eyes transformed into black irises with white sclera.
"No need to rush. I will take you back now.
My homeland is in Xi Mountain in the Eastern Desolation. There, you will find sunset, myriad snakes, the sun and moon, and clouds and a hundred flowers. Would you be willing to accompany me?"
"Willing! Willing!"
"We are willing!"
"We want to go, we all want to go!"
Every single sprite clamored to go. They were naturally active and yearned for the world outside.
Qing Ling smiled, "Very well, very well. You all return to your flowers first, and I will take your home with me!"
The sprites busily and happily flew back into the hundred flowers, gathering their petals.
Only then did the valley return to tranquility.
A flash appeared between Qing Ling's brows, and the illusory projection of the Withered-Prosperous Dao Realm emerged. From the realm of life, a green light enveloped the hundred flowers, taking along with it a hundred zhang of the earth.
Turning around, he saw Bai Fu gazing at him with a look of wistful complaint.
"Divine being, have you forgotten me?"
Qing Ling's heart skipped a beat. He had indeed almost forgotten. He still had a little follower.
"Heh, don't worry, how could I forget you? Let's sort out these little fellows first before we can relax.
You come in too. When we return to Xi Mountain, I will help you achieve Golden Immortal status!"
Bai Fu's expression immediately became overjoyed. "Many thanks, Divine Being." His divine spark was incomplete, and despite cultivating diligently here for hundreds of thousands of years, he still struggled to break through to the Golden Immortal realm.
He transformed into a stream of light and also flew into the Realm of Life and Death.
Only then did Qing Ling turn his attention to the Red Leaf Chinese Tallow tree and say with a smile, "You too, come with me!"
The red leaves on the tree rustled, clearly indicating its excitement.
But amidst the rustling of a thousand leaves, a purple, ethereal divine lotus slowly floated upwards.
Qing Ling couldn't help but smile, "You want to come with me too?"
This time, his smile was one of genuine delight. A buy-one-get-one-free deal, life and death, a tree and a lotus. He would brave any risk!
The petals of the Purple Ethereal Divine Lotus opened and closed, expressing its intent. The powerful beings above the Chiming Forest made it uneasy, and they might descend to seize it at any moment.
It would rather follow this divine being who, along with the Tallow tree, seemed to be departing.
Qing Ling nodded, "That's possible, but you must become my spiritual root. Otherwise, as we travel the Primordial World, your innate energy will leak, and I won't be able to protect you."
Upon hearing this, the Purple Ethereal Lotus immediately unfurled its thirty-six lotus leaves, revealing its open heart.
Qing Ling saw this, extended a finger, and a drop of his essence blood fell into the heart of the Purple Ethereal Divine Lotus. As it fused, the thirty-six leaves bloomed and closed, the lotus rose and fell, and then returned to his palm.
He smiled, "Since you wish to join me, I shall not fail you."
With that, Qing Ling once again used the Withered-Prosperous Realm to collect the Red Leaf Chinese Tallow, placing it within the Realm of Life.
He turned and surveyed the valley. The Innate Azure Splendor Great Array had long since vanished into the spatial rift of the crevice. Apart from the rich spiritual energy, there were no other treasures here.
It was time to return to Xi Mountain.
Seven hundred and seventy-four thousand four hundred years. He had returned from slumber to the world, spent ten thousand years replenishing his spiritual essence, his divine spark complete. He was no longer a demigod. His divine spark filled, his cultivation advanced greatly. He could absorb and expel spiritual energy for six Yuan Hui cycles. By relying on the power of the innate spiritual root and merging with the natural forces of heaven and earth, he absorbed spiritual energy. Each breath he took was equivalent to a hundred years of his arduous cultivation.
Therefore, he was now a unity of Dao, God, and Dharma, finally entering the Taiyi realm. His three flowers and five qi were complete. Only the Withered-Prosperous Realm remained. Once it evolved into the Grand Unity Dao Realm, it would be his time to attain enlightenment!
Azure light shot into the sky, and radiant splendor ascended. Qing Ling took a step out of the Chiming Forest.
At this moment, Hu Sanniang, the Black Nether Ghost Child, Xing Ling, and Princess Ling Yao all turned their gaze towards Qing Ling, who had appeared amidst them.
Qing Ling, immediately being scrutinized by the four, chuckled, "I shall not disturb your endeavors, fellow Daoists."
Saying so, an azure light flashed, and he prepared to depart.
The four immediately made their move, in unison.
Xing Ling unleashed a sword strike, and starlight descended, as he brandished his sword and shouted, "Green Snake, release that spiritual treasure!"