txolops Chapter 23 The Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Gains Intelligence
Chapter 23 The Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Gains Intelligence
Upon hearing Zhen Yuanzi's thanks, Hongyun quickly waved her hand, her crimson Taoist robe fluttering gently with the movement, like the soft ripples of rosy clouds in the sky.
His face was filled with utmost sincerity, his eyes seemed to burn with intense passion, and his voice was clear and urgent as he spoke:
"Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, there's no need for such politeness! We were born together and are as close as brothers."
Since I was a ignorant and unformed being, I drifted aimlessly between heaven and earth, nothing more than a rootless and adrift red cloud. It was my fellow Daoist who did not abandon me, and every day on the summit of Longevity Mountain, he expounded the Daoist teachings of the earth, using the profound and mysterious sounds of the earth's veins to help me gather my spiritual wisdom and clarify the path ahead.
Without the guidance of fellow Daoists, how could Hongyun have broken through the illusions and attained the Great Luo Dao Fruit?
After I took human form, my fellow Daoist knew that my origin was fire and that my nature was in harmony with wind and thunder. He then gifted me the Four Symbols Banana Tree, a perfectly compatible innate spiritual root, which helped me advance greatly in my cultivation and stabilize my origin.
My efforts in protecting you this time were but a small token, utterly insignificant compared to the profound kindness you have shown me, and I am utterly unworthy of even a word of thanks from you!
He spoke extremely fast, as if afraid that if he spoke even a fraction slower, he would appear insincere.
The crimson Taoist robe had faint cloud patterns flowing across it, reflecting his eyes and brows, which were brightened by his eagerness, and even imbued the surrounding spiritual energy with a layer of warmth.
Wanshou Yuanjun smiled calmly, her blue Taoist robe fluttering without wind, the longevity pine and cypress patterns embroidered on it seemed to come alive, emitting a refreshing fragrance of wood.
He continued, his tone calm and natural, as if stating something self-evident:
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun is absolutely right. Moreover, you and I are originally one, originating from the same source, so why should we distinguish between each other?"
"My actions for you, your actions for me, are all natural expressions of my heart. Protecting you is protecting myself. How can there be any talk of 'being an outsider'?"
His gaze was clear and gentle, and when he looked at Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun, it carried an indescribable bond and tacit understanding. He was the incarnation of Zhen Yuanzi, and he truly shared the same origin with the two. His words came from the heart, without any hesitation.
After transforming, Zhen Yuanzi's face was ancient and dignified, and his aura was as powerful as Mount Buzhou. Upon hearing this, a gentle smile slowly spread across his eyes, like a boulder thrown into a deep pool. Although the surface was calm, it possessed the power to sink into one's heart.
He said no more, only nodded slightly. Some feelings transcend words, etched deep within each other's souls, needing no words to express, yet unforgettable for eternity.
His sleeves trembled slightly, and the surrounding earth's energy hummed softly, as if responding to this unspoken affection.
However, just as the three of them were merging their breaths, relaxing their minds, and immersing themselves in this timeless bond—
Almost simultaneously, the three Great Luo Golden Immortals, whose cultivation was all-powerful, turned their gazes to one side of the courtyard!
There, a nine-clawed golden dragon quietly coiled, its majestic body radiating a vast and pure golden light of merit, illuminating half of the courtyard in splendor.
It was originally an inanimate object, formed from the last breath of Pangu, the father god, after creating the world, by mixing immeasurable merits of creation with the primordial energy of the Yellow Mother. It can be called the first wonder of the primordial world. Although it has an extremely majestic appearance, it has always lacked the most fundamental spiritual wisdom and light, merely possessing its form.
But right now!
A faint yet incredibly clear and distinct spiritual fluctuation, like the first drop of clear, sweet dew seeping from beneath a frozen wasteland after the snow melts in early spring, quietly and tentatively seeped out from the deepest part of the dragon's originally flawless but lifeless body!
This fluctuation was extremely immature, ignorant, and chaotic, like the first wisp of yin and yang energy intertwined at the beginning of creation, or like the subtlest tremor before a newborn baby's unconscious yet world-shaking cry after leaving the mother's body.
It carries a kind of initial and pure curiosity and exploration of this world, so faint that it is almost overwhelmed by the vast merit and primordial energy, but it does exist with unparalleled tenacity!
It is no longer a mere collection of inanimate energy, but has truly shown signs of developing intelligence and awakening wisdom!
"This is..." Hongyun's face instantly lit up with surprise, her eyes fixed intently on the golden dragon, almost holding her breath.
He was the most unrestrained and eager of men, and he had the greatest curiosity and goodwill toward such newborn intelligence.
The Azure Light in Wanshou Yuanjun's eyes flashed intensely, and the life force of the Wood element naturally flowed around her, resonating with the ginseng fruit tree, the spiritual root of heaven and earth. After carefully sensing it for a moment, she nodded, her clear voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible surprise:
"This is indeed a sign of the budding of spiritual intelligence. How wondrous, truly wondrous!"
It seems that the immense vitality and rhythm of the Great Dao that were unleashed when the original form took shape just now shook the universe and affected all living beings.
In addition, Wanshou Mountain is one of the ancestral vein nodes of the primordial world. Now, influenced by the formation of the original body's Dao, it has gathered extremely rich innate spiritual energy and earth vein essence that are almost liquefied.
Through a series of fortuitous events, its essence, dormant for countless eons, was unexpectedly nourished, giving birth to this glimmer of true spiritual wisdom.
Zhen Yuanzi stepped forward slowly, his steps steady, each step seemingly undulating in sync with the earth's veins of the entire Longevity Mountain.
He extended his palm, which seemed to carry the veins of the earth and was etched with the patterns of mountains and rivers, and gently placed it on the huge dragon head without actually touching it, so as not to disturb the fragile newborn spirit with his own heavy aura.
He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. The earthy yellow divine light around him flowed slightly, creating a subtle resonance with the dark golden light on the surface of the golden dragon's body.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and spoke calmly, his voice like a roar from the depths of the earth:
"Excellent! Excellent! This thing has extraordinary origins, a legacy from the Father God, imbued with merit and nurtured by the primordial chaos. If it can develop sentience and shed the shackles of inanimate matter, it will have received true creation, and its future achievements will be limitless. This is an unexpected joy and a tremendous opportunity."
The three Great Luo Golden Immortals exchanged glances, each seeing a deep interest and anticipation in the other's eyes.
At their level, ordinary events in the primordial world could hardly stir their hearts, but what was happening before their eyes was unprecedented since the beginning of time!
A golden dragon, forged from the last breath of the Father God Pangu, the merit of creating the world, and the primordial energy of Xuanhuang, is about to gain sentience!
They were all very curious about what kind of being this golden dragon, which contained such complex and noble power and could be called the most peculiar creation in the primordial world, would be once it truly developed complete intelligence.
Is his nature as profound as the earth, as lofty as the universe, or as auspicious as merit? How astonishing will his innate supernatural powers be? Will he inherit some unimaginable legacy from Pangu?
"Since that's the case, let's lend it a hand and accelerate the process of its spiritual development. We can also lay a supreme foundation for it and guide it toward goodness and the Way. Let's not fail to live up to the legacy and merits left by our Father God."
Zhen Yuanzi immediately made his decision. As the landlord and the eldest, his words were met with approval from Hongyun and Wanshou Yuanjun.
Thus, within the serene and auspicious Wuzhuang Temple, imbued with spiritual energy, a "preaching" ceremony, arguably the highest-level and most unique in the primordial world, began.
The audience was neither any powerful being from the primordial era, nor any ordinary cultivator or spirit, but a strange golden dragon about to gain sentience.