Yuan Heng looked at the gourd in her hand, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled. “Hehehe, thank you, Master! Master is the best~”
Hongjun said nothing, merely indulging her. You are welcome, my good disciple. If you want it, just take it~
Yuan Heng drew out the remnant soul from within the gourd, patching the final missing piece of Hongyun's Primeval Spirit. She then gathered it using her own Dao, and before long, his Primeval Spirit was complete.
Looking at Hongyun's Primeval Spirit before her, a thought stirred in Yuan Heng's mind. She secretly took out her natal magic treasure, the Scale of Life Equilibrium, a mischievous grin on her small face.
Hehe... Let her try and see if she could use the All-Spirits Origin-Returning Technique...
“Rumble—”
The sky suddenly underwent a dramatic change, and terrifying thunder exploded. Streak after streak of Purple Heaven Lightning flashed through the clouds, as if warning her about something...
Yuan Heng: !!!
Ah, ah, ah! I don't dare to do it anymore, I don't dare! Master, help me! Help, help, help...
In Yuan Heng's mind, a tiny version of herself immediately fell to her knees and kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down her cheeks like rivers.
“Sigh... My disciple has a kind heart, but unfortunately, the mandate of Heaven cannot be violated. Hongyun bears a great karma; you must not act rashly.”
Yuan Heng respectfully cupped her hands, a look of docility on her face. “Yes, Master. Your disciple understands.”
She had originally wanted to see if she could use the vitality imprint to test how high a price it would take to resurrect Hongyun completely. She had not expected to receive a warning before she could even begin.
Sigh...
Her master sent a voice transmission telling her not to push her luck. Hongyun had his own destiny in the future, and she must not interfere too much.
Tongtian glanced at the tribulation clouds gradually dispersing in the sky and leaned closer to her. “Junior Sister, what happened just now? The Heavenly Dao...”
How did saving someone actually trigger tribulation lightning?
Yuan Heng looked at Tongtian, whose eyes were full of concern, and then at Zhenyuanzi, who was looking at Hongyun's Primeval Spirit with hope. She rubbed her nose sheepishly.
“It is nothing. Just now, I wanted to try and see if I could resurrect Fellow Daoist Hongyun, but I was warned.”
Tongtian: ???
Ah?
Hongyun is already in this state, yet he can still be resurrected?!
Seeing this, the sliver of hope in the depths of Zhenyuanzi's heart instantly shattered into nothingness. His voice was filled with bitterness. “Why is the Heavenly Dao...”
How unjust. Fellow Daoist Hongyun spent his entire life doing good deeds and was always humble and gentle, yet he never expected to meet such an end.
Yuan Heng looked at the deeply despondent Zhenyuanzi and spoke to comfort him, “Fellow Daoist, do not be sad. Fellow Daoist Hongyun will have an opportunity in the future and may be able to cultivate in this world once more.”
“Is that true?!”
Zhenyuanzi was utterly astonished, his eyes brimming with hope, while even Tongtian wore a look of disbelief.
That was right. Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng was the beloved disciple of the Dao Ancestor. Since she said so, perhaps this was indeed the Dao Ancestor's intention...
Zhenyuanzi rationalized Yuan Heng's words in his heart. It had to be so.
Fellow Daoist Hongyun would definitely return in the future!
Yuan Heng nodded. She gathered all of Hongyun's Primeval Spirit into his Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd.
Although this treasure was designed to counter primeval spirits and possessed immense killing power, since it could preserve a strand of its master's primeval spirit, it could naturally also store his soul within.
She handed the gourd to Zhenyuanzi, her tone tinged with a hint of regret. “Fellow Daoist, take Fellow Daoist Hongyun back with you. Place him within the Innate Spiritual Root in your backyard, and nourish him year after year with the essence of the ancient earth veins and innate spiritual rhythm...”
“Perhaps, one day, Fellow Daoist Hongyun will still be able to restore his spiritual intelligence.”
The person who returned would still be Hongyun. Even if he was reincarnated and re-cultivated, he would still be able to awaken the memories of his past lives.
Zhenyuanzi solemnly took it and nodded, his voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, for your assistance today.”
“I, Zhenyuanzi, will remember Fellow Daoist's kindness today. In the future, if Fellow Daoist has any need, I will climb mountains of blades and dive into seas of fire without hesitation!”
He sighed softly. “I hope that one day, Hongyun and I can gather with you again to play cards.”
Yuan Heng: ???
Do you two still want to target me?
An awkward smile instinctively formed at the corner of Yuan Heng's mouth. “Haha... There will be such a day. We will talk about it then, haha...”
“Fellow Daoist, please take Fellow Daoist Hongyun back quickly.”
Do not speak of such painful topics again.
Zhenyuanzi stowed the gourd away carefully. Holding the Book of the Earth, he set up a barrier, bowed to Yuan Heng with cupped hands, and after bidding farewell to Tongtian, he departed.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Tongtian, Yuan Heng gazed at Zhenyuanzi's departing figure, her brow furrowed in deep pity. Despite all her warnings, she had been powerless to change the outcome.
Forget it...
Tongtian looked at her sideways. Seeing that she was unhappy, he comforted her, “Junior Sister Yuan Heng, do not be sad. This is already the best possible outcome.”
“Fellow Daoist Hongyun's true spirit remains intact for the future. You have already done very well, Junior Sister.”
“Sigh...”
Yuan Heng sighed softly. “Today, I can finally be said to have personally experienced what Master meant by ‘minor details can be altered, but the grand trend is irreversible.’ ”
“Senior Brother Tongtian, tell me... I cultivate the Dao of Life, and I have always believed that life should be protected and living beings should be cherished...”
“If one day... all things wither, and though my heart cannot bear it, I am powerless to stop it, how should I deal with myself then?”
As she spoke, Yuan Heng manifested her words. A spiritual flower was born in her hand, bloomed, and finally withered and died.
The future of the Primordial World... will be difficult.
Looking at Yuan Heng, whose eyes were filled with sorrow, Tongtian was momentarily dazed. After a moment, he thought about it, and gently retrieved the seed of that spiritual flower from her hand.
He picked it up and placed it in his palm, showing it to Yuan Heng. “Junior Sister, this is where your Dao truly lies.”
Tongtian smiled. “In truth, you may not know this, but my impression of you actually originated from a tiny seed.”
“Back then, you had just taken form not too long ago. When you were giving back to the Primordial World, one of your spiritual butterflies landed in Eldest Brother's herb garden and brought a tiny medicinal seed back to life.”
“At the time, I even marvelled that your path was to ensure the continuation of life.”
Tongtian handed the seed back to Yuan Heng, raising his hand to rub her head in a slightly awkward, unfamiliar manner. “Junior Sister, do not blame yourself or doubt yourself over today's matter...”
He voice carried a gentle praise. “You have already done very well.”
How strange, why was his heart rate speeding up again?
Meeting Tongtian's sincere gaze, Yuan Heng was momentarily stunned. That was right. Had she not known the meaning of her existence long ago?
The Great Dao loved life, but that did not mean there was no death in the Great Dao. What she needed to do was protect them in life and leave behind their ‘roots’ in death.
How could she, out of soft-heartedness, wish to ignore the balance of life and death, forcing vitality to remain?
“What Senior Brother Tongtian says is true. Today, I was indeed too set in my ways.”
The frustration vanished from Yuan Heng's face, replaced by a joyful cheer. “I understand now!”
Tongtian: ???
Junior Sister, what did you understand?
Yuan Heng slowly closed her eyes. Invisibly, the Dao barrier in the depths of her soul shattered with a loud rumble.
Above the North Sea void, radiant spiritual light erupted from around Yuan Heng's body. The White Lotus of World Cleansing, the Grand Heaven-Measuring Ruler, the Qiankun Cauldron, and her three other natal treasures of the same origin tightly surrounded and protected her.
The foundation of her Dao reached great perfection in an instant, and she stepped half a foot into the ranks of Quasi-Saints.
Yuan Heng had been stuck at the peak of Daluo for a long time. She was about to make a breakthrough.
Tongtian: !!!
Junior Sister, there are countless people hiding in the dark. Do you really have to break through right here?
He helplessly grabbed the Qingping Sword and casually set up a barrier to protect her.
Then again, on second thought, Master might be watching from the shadows, and he was here too, so he couldn't really blame his junior sister for being so carefree.
Hongjun, who was indeed watching secretly: “...”
My disciple is truly exceptionally talented~
Rate on N.U.
