Millions of years passed in a flash.
Yuanyi World.
Gu Penjing discovered that the Yuanyi Spiritual Pool had harvested a drop of golden divine source.
The effect of this surprised Gu Penjing.
After using the first harvest of divine source and the Water of Life he produced to nourish the Tree of Life in the Yuanyi Realm, something miraculous happened.
The consciousness fluid within the leaves of the Tree of Life awakened, and true spiritual intelligence was born.
Gu Penjing couldn't help but feel immense joy.
…
Over the years, Gu Penjing had some pleasant exchanges with his newly awakened descendant from time to time.
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"Father , why don't you let me call you Mother ?"
"Because i am male."
"Father, is there any difference between males and females?"
"The biggest difference is that females can give birth to offspring, while males cannot."
"Father, why are there only males and females in the world?"
"Because aside from special races, beings in this world can only be male or female."
…
"Father, why can't Xiao Sheng transform now? Xiao Sheng really wants to run and fly like an animal~!"
"Because your cultivation is too low. Wait until you reach the Golden Immortal level!"
…
"Father, Xiao Sheng has become a True Immortal~!"
"Good, Xiao Sheng is awesome!"
…
One day, Xiao Sheng suddenly asked, "Father, why can other trees bloom, but Xiao Sheng can't?"
Gu Penjing was momentarily stunned by the question, then smiled gently.
"Maybe it's because you're still young as the Tree of Life, so you can't bloom or bear fruit yet," he comforted.
Until one day…
Xiao Sheng's consciousness suddenly reached out to Gu Penjing, speaking in an excited tone.
"Father, fate has blossomed, fate has blossomed..."
"Stop. What do you mean, 'fate has blossomed'?"
"I'm blooming!" Xiao Sheng replied seriously.
Gu Penjing froze.
Feeling Xiao Sheng's sincerity, he immediately halted his cultivation and projected his consciousness into the Yuanyi Realm.
"This… no way, it's already blooming?"
Looking at Xiao Sheng's 10,086-zhang body(33.62km), he saw thousands of green flower buds hanging from its treetops.
"Then why can Xiao Sheng bloom, but I haven't bloomed all these years?" Gu Penjing wondered in confusion.
"Do trees have genders too?" he mused.
"Father God, am I beautiful today?" Xiao Sheng asked joyfully, spiritual sense swirling with excitement.
"Yes, very beautiful!" Gu Penjing responded. Then he asked, "Tell me, how did you make yourself bloom?"
"It's simple. Xiao Sheng wanted to bloom, so Xiao Sheng bloomed~!" came the cheerful answer.
"…."
Gu Penjing was speechless.
He had long wondered whether the Tree of Life could bear fruit.
Though uncertain, he believed most trees bloomed and bore fruit.
He had looked forward to it.
But after millions of years, nothing ever happened.
Now suddenly, Xiao Sheng bloomed, completely overturning his assumptions.
Could there really be male and female Trees of Life?
Gu Penjing thought carefully and still felt it didn't make sense.
If there really are genders… how could Xiao Sheng bloom alone?
Maybe he should ask Patriarch Yangmei someday. That old Daoist also had the innate spiritual root: Space Willow.
Willow trees should bloom… right?
He shook his head, setting aside these tangled thoughts.
His consciousness returned to his body.
Gu Penjing took out two divine artifacts of Shinto — the Temple of the Gods and the Clay Tablet of Destiny.
Previously, he had only used spiritual consciousness to comprehend the laws within them.
Now, as he physically examined them…
He didn't expect that the Yuanyi Realm — no, the entire primordial desolation world and its subsidiary realms — were suddenly enveloped in golden light.
For nine full seconds, all worlds were bathed in this divine brilliance.
When the light faded, Gu Penjing realized something was wrong and tried to retrieve the Temple and Tablet.
But the moment he did, a mystical force tugged at his consciousness.
"Father, Xiao Sheng feels a magical force calling Xiao Sheng!" Xiao Sheng spoke curiously.
…
Gu Penjing paused. After confirming there was no malice, he said gently:
"I'll go take a look first. Xiao Sheng, stay here and don't act rashly, okay?"
"Okay~ Xiao Sheng understands!"
So, Gu Penjing split off a trace of his divine consciousness and followed the pull.
…
In fact, it wasn't just Gu Penjing.
Nearly all sentient beings across the primordial desolation world had sensed the golden brilliance.
Then, many Innate Sacred Beings also felt the same mysterious pull.
Some were curious, some cautious.
Sensing no threat, they too sent out a wisp of consciousness to investigate.
…
Western Continent of the primordial desolation.
The Demon Ancestor Luohou, seated cross-legged on the Twelfth-Grade Black Lotus of Destruction, suddenly opened his eyes.
His sharp gaze brimmed with pride and demonic might.
"The aura of this force… it disgusts me!"
With a cold snort, he immediately severed the weak pull.
But just as he thought to ignore it, his expression changed.
"Strange… my innate sacred aura vanished?!"
Then he grinned wickedly.
"Interesting… this makes my demonic essence even purer! Hahaha~"
…
Yujing Mountain.
"Hmm? Why is Shinto's luck suddenly surging again?" Hongjun muttered, puzzled.
Originally, Shinto's influence had been waning. His own Immortal Path and Luohou's Demonic Path were rising.
But now, Shinto's luck exploded like a dormant volcano.
Its momentum threatened to eclipse both Immortal and Demon paths.
Alarmed, Hongjun began deducing the source of the power.
Yet the deeper he calculated, the more horrified he became.
If he followed the pull…
His Immortal Path might collapse instantly!
Panicking, he cut the connection.
At once, his innate sacred aura faded, though his immortal essence became purer.
He trembled.
"Shinto…" he muttered, gazing into the void.
---