Chapter 9: No Spirit

The moment Zhurong's fist connected with Yuanshi's Three-Treasure Jade Scepter, an explosion echoed. The jade scepter flew back several meters, but Zhurong retreated over a hundred steps.

Zhurong's face turned ugly as he glared at this scene. He prepared to charge, but a voice caused his body to halt.

"Haha, Zhurong, you're too weak," Gongong said as he rushed forward. "Watch me."

Yuanshi's face didn't change, but he inwardly raised his guard. Zhurong had the power of a Golden Immortal at the Advanced Great Firmament Realm. He would have to be careful if he didn't have an artifact in hand.

Gonggong threw out a punch at the Three-Treasure Jade Scepter flying at him. A watery veil covered his fist. This clash sent the jade scepter even further back, and Yuanshi recalled it into his hold while Gonggong took nearly fifty steps back. His face showed surprise.

"Haha, what are you so proud of?" Zhurong asked. "If I used my flames, I wouldn't even have taken a single step back."

"I'd like to see how you would fair!" Gonggong roared.

Zhurong didn't reply with words but with action. Fire shrouded his entire body as he charged forward. Yuanshi sent the Three-Treasure Jade Scepter at him again, but this time it absorbed the flames on Zhurong's body and encased itself in red light.

Zhurong was knocked back a hundred steps again. "Is that all? You still dare claim to be the orthodox lineage of Pangu?"

"Don't get arrogant, we'll show you our true abilities now!"

Both Zhurong and Gonggong used their innate abilities and rushed toward Yuanshi. He still had a calm expression, but he was controlling the artifact with all his mind to entangle Gonggong and Zhurong and prevent them from charging at him.

Both Gonggong and Zhurong displayed abilities stronger than the average peak Golden Immortal of the Great Firmament despite not using any artifacts. If they used an artifact, the tables might have turned.

But strangely, neither did. Instead, Tianwu and Xuanming, the Titans of Wind and Rain, joined Zhurong and Gonggong in fighting Yuanshi.

The Three-Treasure Jade Scepter absorbed Gonggong's and Xuanming's waters and Tianwu's wind, increasing its power, but that was not enough to hold off all four. Two broke past his jade scepter and reached Yuanshi.

Yuanshi frowned. It really was a little troublesome to fight the titans. Not only did each one of them have a powerful innate ability, but all of them were equal to advanced Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament.

Just as the two titans punched toward Yuanshi, a cauldron appeared in front of Yuanshi. The attack didn't even force the Qiankun Cauldron back half a step. Yuanshi controlled the Qiankun Cauldron to swallow the two titans, but the two resisted and retreated and regrouped with the other titans.

The battle between Yuanshi and the four titans reached an equilibrium after this.

"They really are powerful. Second Brother would be in trouble if they used their artifacts. Why don't they use artifacts? Do you not have any?" Tongtian asked.

While Yuanshi fought Zhurong, Gonggong, Tianwu, and Xuanming, Tongtian had flown next to Houtu's head. Of the twelve titans, she had the least belligerent and benevolent temperament.

"We have discovered some artifacts, but they are useless to us." Houtu's voice was deep yet gentle, bringing a sense of comfort. "We titans don't possess spirits, so we can't refine and leave a spiritual imprint on artifacts of any grade and type."

Tongtian tilted her head. "This must be the price for your tyrannical bodies, but are you sure you should be telling me this? Our siblings are still fighting, after all."

Houtu smiled. "It's no big deal. You'll eventually learn of it. What's the harm in letting you know now?"

Tongtian nodded. Made sense.

She turned her gaze onto Di Jiang and Jiuyin. Of all the twelve titans, Di Jiang radiated the strongest aura. If she had to guess, he should have been equivalent to a peak Golden Immortal of the Great Firmament.

As if noticing her stair, Di Jiang turned towards her. Tongtian smiled and observed Jiuyin. He was the one she was truly interested in. Tongtian had already embarked on the path to understanding the Law of Time, Jiuyin's blood essence would aid her, and maybe she could figure out how to gain a strong body like the titans.

After it became clear that victory and defeat could not be decided without fatal injury or death, Di Jiang stepped forward and said, "Enough."

Zhurong, Gonggong, Tianwu, and Xuanming obediently stopped and returned to their position. Their expression showed their shock and surprise as if they were children that had been told that they were the smartest or the strongest.

Yuanshi snorted and stored the Qiankun Cauldron and held the Three-Treasure Jade Scepter back in his grasp. His expression was better than the four titans he had fought. Since he could fight four of them at once, didn't that mean he was better?

"I acknowledge you have the strength to back up your claims as Father God's orthodox lineage, but we are the true inheritors of Father God," Di Jiang said. His words contained no arrogance, on supreme confidence, as if he was stating a fact.

"That remains to be seen. As one, I can fight four of you, and so can my two other siblings," Yuanshi said, not willing to appear weak.

Di Jiang shook his head. "No, it's true that the three of you might be able to fight the twelve of us, but we have a trump card. Once we take it out, only death will await you."

"What's the trump card?" Tongtian asked curiously. Even if they did, can't they hide in Laozi's Heaven and Earth Pagoda? Its title as the number one defensive artifact was not for show.

"I can't say," Houtu said.

"Figures," Tongtian muttered.

After that, the Three Purities left. Although both parties acknowledge the other party's strength, coexistence was impossible. As the saying goes, there cannot be two tigers on one mountain.

Under Tongtian's suggestion, they decided to scale Buzhou Mountain again. In her words, "Since the tribulation is over and without those pesky qilins, let's take out time to scour Buzhou Mountain for treasures."

No one would think they had too much wealth, so Laozi and Yuanshi agreed.

When they arrived at Buzhou Mountain, they noticed the coercion had weakened. Perhaps in a few eons, it would completely vanish.

Tongtian sighed. She didn't know what her brothers thought, but she could still recall Pangu's stalwart figure as he cleaved the chaos with his ax. Even now, she could not comprehend or understand the complexity of his ax strikes. To think that not even such a mighty figure was immune to decay.

The essence radiating off Buzhou Mountain had noticeably weakened as well. Perhaps in the future, it might no longer be the number one spiritual mountain of the Great Desolation.

They searched Buzhou Mountain, but they only happened to chance upon a connate spiritual root, the Banana Tree. It bore four leaves corresponding to earth, air, fire, and wind; and several aromatic banana fruits.

"Since I practice alchemy, I'll take the fire banana leaf," Laozi said as he stored the banana leaf.

"I'll take the earth leaf," Yuanshi said.

"Then, I'll take the water leaf," Tongtian said. "What should we do with the final leaf? We can split the banana fruits but not the wind banana leaf."

After some deliberation, Laozi decided to take it. Since the fire leaf can control the flames for his alchemy, the wind banana leaf can be used to increase its strength.

"You don't mind if I take the rest of the banana tree, right?" Tongtian asked.

"Go ahead, but what are you going to use it for? It won't grow any more leaves, and without the leaves, it won't grow any more fruits," Yuanshi asked.

"It's still a good connate spiritual root. I'm thinking of fashioning the trunk into a sword," Tongtian said.

"...how are you going to turn it into a sword?" Yuanshi asked.

Tongtian gave a brilliant smile and handed the banana tree to Yuanshi. "Thank you very much for volunteering."

Yuanshi opened his mouth to reject Tongtian's solicitation, but seeing her smiling face, he could only swallow his bitterness. Out of the three of them, Tongtian had the most artifacts. Mostly because of his years of hard work.

After scouring the mountain a few times, the Three Purities did not find any more treasure, so they decided to leave and visit Fangzhang Immortal Island. While leaving, Tongtian couldn't help but look back.

"Did you sense something, Third Sister?" Yuanshi asked.

"No, it's nothing," Tongtian said and averted her gaze. 'I'll meet her in the future. There's no point to specifically search her out now.'

-line break-

Inside a cave on Buzhou Mountain sat two figures, one female and one male. Both had the lower halves of a snake. The cave was not an ordinary cave but held a vast valley full of plants and animals, an immortal grotto.

"Brother, have they left?" Nuwa asked as she turned towards her brother, Fuxi.

Fuxi's face was deathly pale, and his fingers were moving so fast that they seemed like blurs. When they stopped, Fuxi wiped off the trail of blood that started to appear at the corner of his lip. "They left."

"Did we have to hide from them? They didn't seem hostile," Nuwa said.

"But we can't leave it to chance. What if they are? In this world, there are many beings more powerful than us. The only way we can guarantee safety is to gain strength," Fuxi said. "We should enter the Great Firmament Realm as soon as possible."

"Okay," Nuwa said.

-line break-

The Three Purities traveled to the East Sea and entered the chaotic boundary between the Great Desolation and the chaos outside. With the protection of Laozi's Heaven and Earth Pagoda, they quickly reached Fangzhang Immortal Island.

Once there, Tongtian led the two to the center of the island. During the time she was away, the three Ninth-Ranked White Lotuses of Purification reached the limit. Without a miraculous encounter, they could only stay at the ninth rank.

"Last time I was here, I didn't have enough time to fully refine and control the array here," Tongtian said. "We'll talk about splitting the white lotuses after I take full control of Fangzhang Island."

"I'll take some of this Abyssal Sinwater and see what I can do with it," Laozi said as he used a gourd-shaped artifact he refined to store it. After storing it, he shook it a bit. "The water is too corrosive for the container. If I'm not careful, the artifact will be destroyed or corrupted."

Yuanshi also found a spot and began refining the banana tree into a sword. He still owed Tongtian over a hundred thousand swords. Briefly, he wondered if he could even refine that many before dispelling that thought, or else he would give in to despair.

Many years later, Laozi and Yuanshi stopped what they were doing and looked up. They could feel Fangzhang Immortal Island moving. Not long after, it entered the Great Desolation, and the chaotic sky that once shone above it turned into the sky of the Great Desolation.

Tongtian hadn't thought about it much, but day and night existed at the same time, which made for a strange sight.

"Okay," Tongtian said. "I've fully controlled Fangzhang Island. Even if you take out all the white lotuses that restrained it, the Abyssal Sinwater won't corrupt anything with the formation I placed above it."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take your pick," Tongtian said. "Oh, but leave a ninth-ranked lotus, two-sixth ranked, and three third-ranked white lotuses for me, okay?"

"Third Sister, this is what you found, there's no need to split it with us," Laozi said.

"What's the harm? Aren't we siblings? Good things are meant to be shared," Tongtian said. "Now, hurry and pick some. They don't mean much to me since I already have the Twelfth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification."

Under Tongtian's insistence, Laozi ended up taking a sixth-ranked white lotus. Yuanshi followed suit.

"Second Brother, take a few more. You've helped me refine so many artifacts after all. You deserve them," Tongtian said.

Yuanshi felt his heart soar at Tongtian's words, and a warm and fuzzy feeling rose in his chest. "Thank you, Third Sister. It's only natural that you found the Twelfth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification, it fits you perfectly."

"Hah?" Tongtian's face darkened. "Are you trying to call me a white lotus?"

Under Tongtian's angry gaze, Yuanshi quickly apologized. 'What did I do wrong? I just complimented her. I don't understand women.'

"Okay, since everyone got a share, let's search for the Penglai and Yinzhou Immortal Islands," Tongtian said. "Since Fangzhang Immortal Island had Abyssal Sinwater and the Twelfth-Ranked White Lotus of Purification, I wonder what the other two have."

Laozi's and Yuanshi's hearts moved at Tongtian's suggestion. They quickly agreed and moved out.

"Oh, don't forget to share the treasures found on the island like I did, hehe," Tongtian said with a smile, causing her brothers not to know whether to laugh or cry.

The three immortal islands should be connected, and Tongtian used her control over Fangzhang Immortal Island to search for the other two, but it seemed as if something was blocking their connection. They searched for many years, but they have not seen a hide nor trace of the other two immortal islands.

"Unless they are also in the chaotic boundary like Fangzhang Immortal Island?" Tongtian muttered to herself. Then, she looked up and turned her gaze towards the east.

A cloud of purple qi over thirty thousand li long arrived from the east. Following it, ten thousand flowers bloomed, their fragrance filled the Great Desolation; myriad beasts roared and chirped in unison as if to worship it; musical notes unlike any descended, each filled with the sound of the three thousand laws that formed the world.

"High above the nine clouds, the truth floats free."

"Within heaven and earth, I shall enlighten all beings."

"Pangu, born of Taiji, formed the two rites and four cardinal directions."

"One way passes to three peers, two lights illuminate all seekers."

"The founder of the Immortal Path, one Qi transformed to Hongjun."