inspire-indiana Chapter 22 The Visit of Kunpeng, the Potential of the Gourd Vine
Chapter 22 The Visit of Kunpeng, the Potential of the Gourd Vine
"Buzz!"
The next instant, the sound of the Great Dao resonated throughout the entire Lingxiao Palace.
The last vestige of life force on the gourd vine suddenly revived, and a shimmering green light flowed over the withered vine like water. The originally yellowish and brittle vine shone with a warm, jade-like luster, showing signs of renewed vitality.
Xihe and Changxi immediately sensed the change in Lingxiao and quickly got up to surround him.
Xihe, dressed in a moon-white, wide-sleeved fairy dress, had a graceful figure. Her usually aloof and unapproachable face had long since faded away in front of Ling Xiao, leaving only joy and tenderness.
Her beautiful eyes gazed at Ling Xiao, her jade fingers gently brushing away stray hairs from her temples, and she said softly, "Brother Dao has deciphered the mysteries of the Great Dao and determined the path for tomorrow. This is truly a great joy."
Chang Xi rushed to Ling Xiao's side, grabbing his arm tightly and cheering excitedly. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with bright admiration as she said in a clear voice, "Big brother is amazing! In just three thousand years, you've deciphered such profound mysteries of the Great Dao. You'll definitely surpass the Dao Ancestor and become the most powerful saint in the prehistoric world!"
In Chang Xi's heart, his elder brother Ling Xiao was the most powerful being in the primordial world. Even if his cultivation was not as good as that of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun now, he would surely surpass him in the future.
—Isn't this unreserved trust the purest example of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?
Ling Xiao snapped out of his daze, looked at the two smiling women beside him, gripped the gourd vine in his hand, and his eyes were full of gentle smiles.
He traced the seven gourd marks remaining on the vine with his fingertips, his mind sinking in once more, gradually realizing:
The three thousand Great Daos are not inherently superior or inferior; their power depends entirely on the individual's own attainment in comprehending them.
The classification of the Great Dao is a difference in the mechanism of the rules of heaven and earth; but how far an enlightened person can go depends on the depth of their own cultivation of the Dao.
Speaking of which, a joke arose in later generations:
What does it mean when a group of mechanic-driven monsters turns out to be a stat-driven monster?
To put it another way, when your Uncle Pangu saw other demons back then, they were either manipulating time or reversing the future. They were all incredibly powerful and had peculiar mechanisms.
He was very frustrated and sat in the chaos for a long time, but still couldn't comprehend any laws. In a fit of anger, he crushed the other 2,999 demon gods to death, and then split the chaos in two with an axe, claiming it was some kind of law of power, and even stubbornly saying that he had comprehended some kind of great path of power.
It's just that it's very strong, right?
Of course, it's just a joke after all. The Great Dao of Pangu, the Father God, is indeed the supreme Dao that created heaven and earth, it's true and not false...
Shaking his head, Ling Xiao cleared his mind, suppressing distracting thoughts.
The Great Way of Power can indeed break through all laws with one force, using absolute power to break through all the rules and obstacles in the world;
However, if there is a path that would allow him to walk more smoothly and perfectly, with fewer twists and turns on the road to enlightenment, why would he choose to suffer without any hardship?
For him, the perfect path of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, which is cyclical and endlessly regenerating, is ultimately more in line with the origin of this world than the single path of the Sun or the path of fire, and also holds a broader space for ascension.
"Perhaps I can refine this gourd vine into a second treasure for achieving enlightenment."
A thought suddenly occurred to Ling Xiao, and his eyes gleamed even brighter.
The innate vitality on this gourd vine is indestructible and is currently in a mysterious state that is neither alive nor dead. It withered and fell in grade earlier because the spiritual energy was exhausted after the seven gourds were picked. Naturally, it can make up for its innate deficiency through acquired means.
If one finds rare and precious materials that are compatible with Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, and gradually integrates them into the vine to reshape its origin, it is not impossible to refine this gourd vine into a growth-type treasure that can prove its own Dao in the future!
The innate gourd vine and the Western Bodhi tree are listed together as the ten innate spiritual roots of the primordial world.
Ling Xiao was resolute.
The treasures made from this gourd vine will certainly not be inferior to the Seven Treasures Tree made by Daoist Zhunti from the branches of Bodhi tree. The two are just different paths leading to the same goal, one focusing on the vitality of Jia wood and the other on the creation of Yi wood.
Having made a plan in mind, Ling Xiao did not immediately go into seclusion.
After all, to truly dedicate oneself to refining such a treasure would take several eons, and at this moment, less than a eon had passed since his wedding to Xihe and Changxi.
"The Kunpeng of the Northern Sea has come to pay a visit to Fellow Daoist Lingxiao!"
Just then, a powerful voice pierced through the golden flame barrier surrounding the Sun Star, echoing from outside the Lingxiao Palace. It carried the aura of the Northern Sea's deep winds, yet remained polite and showed no sign of offense.
The three immediately got up and walked out of the palace gate. Looking up, they saw a colossal creature suspended among the stars in the distant, primordial starry sky.
The wingspan of that roc was unknown, spanning thousands of miles. Its back was like Mount Tai, and its wings were like clouds hanging from the sky. It was none other than the Kunpeng of the Northern Sea, which "struck the water for three thousand miles and soared up ninety thousand miles on the whirlwind."
Its golden-iron feathers gleamed with a dark, cold light, and when its wings were slightly spread, they stirred up the flow of starlight and created howling winds.
His golden eyes, when they opened and closed, exuded an innate, sacred, and domineering aura, yet he forcibly suppressed it, leaving only a hint of kindness.
"Kunpeng? What is he doing here?" Xihe frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her clear and beautiful eyes. She said softly, "Since our birth, we have been cultivating in seclusion in the starry sky and have had little contact with the many gods of the primordial land. We only saw him once when we listened to the Dao at Zixiao Palace, and we have no relationship with him."
"Yes, why would he come to visit you out of the blue, brother?" Chang Xi tilted her head, looking puzzled, and unconsciously grabbed Ling Xiao's sleeve.
"Guests are welcome, no need to worry." Ling Xiao said calmly, transforming into a great sun rainbow and soaring into the sky to meet the Kunpeng in the starry sky.
Since the visitor had come in accordance with proper etiquette, stating his name and requesting an audience, and had not failed in the slightest, he was not an unwelcome guest. Naturally, he could not lose face as the Lord of the Sun.
"Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar? Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, please come in." Lingxiao stood in the starry sky, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Kunpeng from afar, and said with a smile, his demeanor calm and composed.
"In that case, I will disturb your peaceful cultivation, fellow Daoist."
With a flap of his wings, Dapeng transformed into an old man in a black robe with a hooked nose and triangular eyes. He bowed to Lingxiao and then followed him to land on the Sun Star.
As soon as he landed, he looked up and saw the towering divine tree that stretched for hundreds of millions of miles—the Fusang Divine Tree, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots.
The hibiscus tree had intertwined roots and branches that stretched into the sky, its trunk reaching for the heavens and its golden leaves hanging down to the sky. In the Taoist temple beneath the tree, the golden flames of the sun and the moonlight of the moon blended together, without any heat. Instead, it was peaceful and serene, with the Taoist aura flowing endlessly.
A hint of undisguised envy flashed in Kunpeng's eyes, and he sighed inwardly: Everyone says that the Sun God Lingxiao has profound blessings, and seeing it today, it is indeed true. He couldn't find a single such top-grade innate spiritual root even after searching the entire Northern Underworld; the difference in their foundations is truly enormous.
Thinking this way, his belief that Ling Xiao could help him plan for meritorious deeds became even stronger.
But what followed was a deeper sense of unease—he had nothing of value, not even a decent innate spiritual treasure, so why should Fellow Daoist Lingxiao offer his full assistance?
Kunpeng, though his mind was churning with thoughts, showed no sign of it on his face. He followed Lingxiao into the main hall of Lingxiao Palace, where the host and guests took their seats.
Seeing that he was frequently distracted after taking his seat, fidgeting with his fingers and looking uneasy, Ling Xiao assumed that he was still planning to take revenge on Hongyun, Jieyin, Zhunti and others, so he didn't think much of it and personally poured spiritual tea for his guest.