Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

The enhanced version of the Heaven-Covering Array was operating at its maximum within his body, giving him an intimate knowledge of every inch of Kunlun Mountain.

"Junior Brother Lin, this road..."

The Holy Mother of Tortoise Spirit behind her seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

Lin Zhu smiled without turning her head.

"Don't worry, senior sister, no one but us can find this path."

Fairy Yunxiao gently stroked a crystal-clear green bamboo by the roadside, her eyes filled with surprise.

"The concentration of spiritual energy here is more than ten times higher than that outside."

"Hmph, those hypocrites from the Chan Sect monopolized this treasure land back then, no wonder they were able to gain the upper hand in the Investiture of the Gods war."

Bixiao pouted, her tone full of resentment.

Xiao Qiong skipped and hopped to the front, then suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

Wow, so beautiful!

Following her gaze, everyone saw clouds swirling in the sky, with auspicious seven-colored clouds spreading out like brocade. In the distance, jade palaces and pavilions appeared and disappeared on the mountain peaks, with cranes circling and deer strolling about, creating an atmosphere of ancient immortals.

The Holy Mother of Wudang had a complex expression.

"This is the Kunlun Mountains from back then."

Lin Zhu looked around, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Such a good place, it would be a waste not to use it for raising pigs."

"puff"

Bixiao was the first to laugh out loud, followed by the other three women who couldn't help but chuckle as well.

Laughter echoed along the quiet bamboo-lined avenue, dispelling the previous somber atmosphere.

"Junior Brother Lin is right."

Yunxiao covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"The Kunlun Mountains have long since changed owners."

The group continued on their journey, and the scenery on both sides of the road became increasingly magnificent.

The exotic flowers and rare herbs exuded a refreshing fragrance, the spiritual spring gurgled, and from time to time, spirit beasts would curiously peek out to observe, but would quickly disappear into the mountains and forests after discovering strangers.

Suddenly, Lin Zhu stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Something's wrong."

"what happened?"

The Holy Mother of Tortoise Spirits looked around warily.

Lin Zhu did not answer immediately, but instead raised his hand to form a seal. A beam of azure light shot out from his palm, creating a ripple in the air in front of him.

As the ripples spread, the surrounding scenery began to distort and deform, as if the reflections on the water's surface were being disturbed.

"Spacetime distortion."

The Holy Mother of Wudang's expression changed.

"A priceless treasure lies ahead!"

Xiao Qiong suddenly sniffed.

"Brother, I smell a strange smell."

"What is the taste?"

Lin Zhu lowered his head and asked.

Xiao Qiong tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"It's like...like the taste of the outermost part of the sky, very faint, yet very special."

A glint of light flashed in Lin Zhu's eyes.

"Innate Qi?"

Just then, the Holy Mother of Wudang pointed into the distance.

"Look!"

Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that the space in front of them had been completely distorted, and the scene of the bamboo avenue was like a painting that had been erased, gradually disappearing.

Instead, there is an illusory space, and in the center of the space, a towering tree stands majestically.

The tree was tens of thousands of feet tall, its trunk as thick as a mountain, and its bark naturally formed mysterious Dao patterns.

Its roots do not penetrate the soil, but rather disappear directly into the void, as if drawing nourishment from chaos.

Strange flowers and fruits can be vaguely seen among the branches and leaves. The flowers are shaped like lotus flowers, and the fruits are like pearl stamens. The two characters "Huang Zhong" are clearly visible on each fruit.

"This is this"

The voice of the Holy Mother Tortoise trembled.

"Huangzhong Li!"

The Holy Mother of Wudang cried out in surprise, her usually composed demeanor now causing her to tremble with excitement.

"Huang Zhongli, the foremost among those with innate spiritual roots!"

Lin Zhu's pupils contracted sharply as countless records from ancient texts flashed through his mind.

The Huangzhong Plum, along with the Immortal Peach, Ginseng Fruit, and Fusang, is known as one of the four innate spiritual roots. It has existed since the beginning of time. Legend has it that it blooms once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to mature. Each time it produces only nine fruits, and eating just one can instantly become an immortal and gain eternal life.

"No wonder."

Lin Zhu muttered to himself.

"No wonder the Primordial Celestial Venerable went so far as to create heaven and earth, leaving behind this spacetime."

Bixiao's eyes widened.

"Senior brother, are you saying that this distorted spacetime was specially created by the Primordial Celestial Venerable? Just to protect this tree?"

Lin Zhu nodded.

"I'm afraid that's exactly right. The significance of Huang Zhongli to the Chan Sect is no less than that of the Four Swords of Zhuxian to the Jie Sect."

Fairy Yunxiao sighed softly.

"The fact that all twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect were able to achieve the Great Luo Golden Immortal status back then must have been related to Huang Zhongli."

Suddenly, the Holy Mother of Wudang burst into tears.

"If only... if only our Jie Sect had possessed such a treasure back then."

Lin Zhu walked to the side of the Holy Mother of Wudang and gently patted her shoulder.

"Senior sister, it's ours now."

These words struck like a thunderbolt, startling all four women of the Jie Sect.

Yes, the treasure that once belonged to the Chan Sect is now right before their eyes, within their grasp.

Xiao Qiong curiously ran to the tree and looked up at the strange fruits.

"Brother, can we eat these fruits?"

Lin Zhu walked over with a smile.

"Of course, but now is not the time."

He reached out and touched the tree trunk, feeling an ancient and powerful life force flowing through it.

"The fruit of the Huangzhong plum contains the laws of the Great Dao, and it would be too wasteful to consume it directly."

Lin Zhu explained.

"We need to find the right way to maximize its power."

The Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit seemed to be deep in thought.

Legend has it that the fruit of the Huangzhong plum can be used to refine the "Nine-Turn Golden Elixir," a single pill that can instantly transform a mortal into an immortal.

"Not only that."

Lin Zhu's eyes gleamed with wisdom.

"Its branches and leaves can be used to refine magical artifacts, its bark can be used to write celestial books, and even its roots can be used to set up unparalleled formations."

At the summit of Kunlun Mountain, clouds and mist swirl around.

Lin Zhu stood in front of an ancient tree that was entirely golden, his fingers gently tracing the mysterious patterns on the bark.

The patterns flowed across his fingertips as if they were alive, emanating a chaotic Daoist aura that made his heart tremble.

"This feeling"

Lin Zhu's pupils contracted slightly.

"It's exactly the same as the Chaos Green Lotus!"

“Indeed, this is the foremost innate spiritual root, Huang Zhongli.”

The voice of the Holy Mother of Wudang came from behind her. She walked slowly closer, her eyes filled with a complex light.

"Unexpectedly, the Primordial Celestial Venerable left it in Kunlun Mountain, instead of uprooting it and taking it away as rumored."

Lin Zhu withdrew his hand and turned to look at this senior from the Jie Sect.

"Holy Mother, what is so special about this Yellow Plum? Why is it shrouded in chaotic primordial energy?"

The Holy Mother of Wudang gently stroked the tree trunk and sighed.

"The Huangzhong Plum was the first spiritual root born when the world was created, and its fruit has miraculous effects. Before the Investiture of the Gods, the Primordial Celestial Venerable claimed it for himself and set up a chaotic restriction. Anyone who approached it without permission would be torn to shreds."

She paused, then continued.

"This tree blossoms once every ten thousand years, bears fruit once every ten thousand years, and takes another ten thousand years to mature. In thirty thousand years, it will only produce nine fruits. Each fruit can allow a mortal to ascend directly to become a true immortal."

"Directly becoming a True Immortal?"

Lin Zhu gasped.

"Wouldn't that be even more heaven-defying than the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir?"

"Nine Transformations Golden Pill?"

The Holy Mother of Wudang gave a cold laugh.

“The elixirs refined by Laozi are merely acquired products; how can they compare to innate spiritual roots? The fruits of the Huangzhong plum are also graded; look at those fruits that gleam with golden light.” She pointed to several golden fruits in the middle of the tree crown.

"That is the Golden Fruit. It blooms once every million years, bears fruit once every million years, and matures once every million years. Only six fruits are produced every three million years. Eating it will make one an immortal on the spot, without any aftereffects."

Following her gaze, Lin Zhu saw six golden fruits hanging from the branches, each seemingly containing a world and radiating a suffocating pressure.

"And what about the purplish-gold fruit higher up?"

Lin Zhu noticed three more mysterious fruits at the top of the tree canopy.

The Holy Mother of Wudang looked wary.

"That is the Purple Gold Fruit. It blooms once every ten thousand years, bears fruit once every ten thousand years, and matures once every ten thousand years. Only three fruits are produced every three hundred million years. Eating it can make one a Taiyi Golden Immortal, impervious to karmic forces and indestructible through countless eons."

"Three hundred million years"

Lin Zhu muttered to himself, his heart churning with turmoil.

"No wonder the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect are so powerful."

"you understood?"

The Holy Mother of Wudang gave a bitter smile.

"Back then, the Primordial Celestial Venerable gathered all the fruits of the Yellow Plum Tree and used them to cultivate the Twelve Golden Immortals. Although our Jie Sect had the power to attract ten thousand immortals, we lacked such innate spiritual roots to aid us, and ultimately..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Lin Zhu already understood.

The defeat of the Jie Sect in the Investiture of the Gods was likely due to fate, but Huang Zhongli was probably also a key factor.

"and many more!"

Lin Zhu suddenly narrowed his eyes and pointed to the very top of the tree canopy.

"There's also a purple fruit there, which isn't one of the three fruits you mentioned!"

The Holy Mother of Wudang looked in the direction he was pointing, and her expression changed drastically.

"How is this possible? I've never heard of a fourth type of fruit in the Huangzhong plum!"

The purple fruit hung alone at the top of the tree, its entire body shimmering with purple light, and its surface was shrouded in a chaotic aura, making it even more mysterious and unpredictable than the purple-gold fruit below.

"Could it be"

The voice of the Holy Mother of Wudang trembled.

"A contingency plan left behind by the Primordial Celestial Venerable?"

Lin Zhu's heart was racing.

"What the Virgin Mary means"

"If I'm not mistaken, this purple fruit could probably allow the consumer to directly advance to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm!"

The Holy Mother of Wudang spoke slowly and deliberately.

"A Great Immortal!"

Lin Zhu shuddered, his eyes flashing with intense light.

"No wonder the Primordial Celestial Venerable concealed this yellow plum from the heavens and left it in Kunlun Mountain."

He suddenly thought of something and turned to look at the Holy Mother of Wudang.

"Holy Mother, now that we have discovered this Yellow Plum, doesn't that mean..."

The Holy Mother of Wudang understood and nodded.

"Indeed, with this Yellow Plum, in time you will be able to cultivate a force that can rival any major power in the Three Realms."

Lin Zhu suppressed the excitement in his heart.

He was calculating quickly.

"If one can live for 300 million years, one can obtain three Taiyi Golden Immortal disciples; if one can live for a great kalpa..."

His voice grew softer, but the ambition in his eyes grew stronger.

"Lin Zhu, do you know what this means?"

The Holy Mother of Wudang looked at him solemnly.

"Such an opportunity is enough to make you a being on par with the Jade Emperor!"

Lin Zhu did not answer immediately, but instead paced slowly around Huang Zhongli, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

"Holy Mother, I have a question."

He suddenly stopped.

"Since the Yellow Plum is so extraordinary, what about the Ginseng Fruit Tree and the Peaches of Immortality? They are both innate spiritual roots, are they also..."

The Holy Mother of Wudang showed an expression of appreciation.

"You are very perceptive. Indeed, the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Orchard and Zhenyuan Daxian's Ginseng Fruit Tree must also hide unknown secrets."

Those fruits displayed in the open are merely a smokescreen.

"Sure enough!"

Lin Zhu clenched his fist.

"I knew it! How could the Heavenly Court secure its position as the supreme power in the Three Realms with peaches that ripen only once every nine thousand years? The true strength of those great beings lies hidden deep within!"

He looked at Huang Zhongli again, especially at the purple fruit, his eyes filled with greed and longing.

"pity."

Lin Zhu suddenly sighed.

"The ripening cycle of this kind of fruit is too long. Even if the great calamity of the Journey to the West begins, I may not be able to see the Purple Gold Fruit ripen for 300 million years."

The Holy Mother of Wudang pondered.

"Indeed, time is a big problem. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Lin Zhu asked anxiously.

"Unless a way can be found to accelerate the growth of spiritual roots."

The Holy Mother of Wudang seemed to be deep in thought.

Legend has it that the primordial energy can nourish all things; if one could irrigate with the primordial energy...

"The energy of chaos!"

Lin Zhu's eyes lit up.

"I once cultivated beside the Chaos Lotus and gained some insight into the chaotic energy. Perhaps..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a pang of heart palpitation.

The branches and leaves of Huang Zhongli rustled without wind, as if responding to his thoughts.

The Holy Mother of Wudang watched this scene in astonishment.

"The spiritual root has a spirit; it seems to be sensing your thoughts!"

Lin Zhu carefully reached out and touched the tree trunk again.

This time, he actively guided the remaining chaotic energy within his body and slowly injected it into the tree trunk.

"buzz"

The Huangzhong plum tree shone with a brilliant golden light, and the patterns on its bark seemed to come alive, flowing wildly.

The purple fruit shone brightly, illuminating the entire mountaintop.

"efficient!"

Lin Zhu exclaimed in surprise.

"It really can absorb chaotic energy!"

The Holy Mother of Wudang, however, had a solemn expression.

"Be careful! This kind of innate spiritual root has an enormous appetite; your chaotic energy is probably..."

Before she could finish speaking, Huang Zhongli suddenly generated a terrifying suction force, and the magical power within Lin Zhu's body surged wildly towards the tree trunk like water bursting its banks.

"not good!"

Lin Zhu tried to pull his hand away, but found that his palm was firmly stuck to the tree trunk and he could not move.

Upon seeing this, the Holy Mother of Wudang immediately made a hand seal and cast a spell, sending a beam of blue light toward the connection between the bamboo and the tree trunk, attempting to sever the connection.

However, the moment the blue light touched the tree trunk, it was bounced back by an even stronger force.

"This is a Chaos Restriction!"

The Holy Mother of Wudang cried out in surprise.

"A contingency plan left behind by the Primordial Celestial Venerable!"

Lin Zhu's face was deathly pale, and she felt her life force being rapidly drained away.

Just as he was about to give up, a beam of purple light suddenly shot out from the purple fruit at the top of the tree and entered his brow.

"what!"

Lin Zhu let out a cry of pain as a massive amount of information flooded into his mind.

He saw Huang Zhongli's origins, how Yuanshi Tianzun set up the restrictions, and even...
"I see."

Lin Zhu murmured, his eyes gleaming with purple light.

"The purple fruit is called the 'Primordial Dao Fruit,' and it can indeed help one achieve the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, but it requires..."

His voice abruptly stopped, as an even more powerful presence was approaching.

The Holy Mother of Wudang also sensed it, and her expression changed drastically.

"Oh no! The restriction imposed by the Primordial Celestial Venerable has been triggered! We must leave immediately!"

Lin Zhu forced himself to stand up and took one last look at Huang Zhongli.

"We will be back."

Having said that, he and the Holy Mother of Wudang transformed into two streaks of light and swiftly disappeared from the summit of Kunlun Mountain. (End of Chapter)