"Fellow Daoist, you should have already broken through to the Dao-Slaying Realm, right?" the Queen Mother of the West asked, her demeanor dignified and holy, her eyes ethereal.
Nangong Zheng nodded slightly and smiled, "Not bad, we succeeded by sheer luck!"
In fact, all the holy lords in the World had guessed that Nangong Zheng must have already severed his Dao; otherwise, how could he have killed several holy lords, including even the Dark Night King of Zhongzhou!
"Fellow Daoist is indeed exceptionally talented. In today's World, to be able to sever one's Dao successfully is truly rare," the Queen Mother of the West smiled.
She was very polite. Nangong Zheng's cultivation was now unfathomable, and he was revered as the King of the Eastern Wilderness. Even a Great Completion King would have to show him respect. Once you understood his strength, all the holy lands would have to be wary of him.
"This is nothing. The World is about to undergo a great change, and it's only a matter of time before you all take this step." Nangong Zheng smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.
The Queen Mother of the West revealed a strange expression. Nangong Zheng's cultivation was indeed extraordinary; he had even predicted the changes about to occur.
"To be honest, fellow Daoist, I wish to borrow a few strands of blood from Brother Nangong to nourish that wondrous stone in my Jade Pool." The Queen Mother of the West returned to the main topic, her skin glowing with rosy light as she looked at him solemnly.
"So that's how it is!" Nangong Zheng suddenly realized and immediately understood what they were planning to do.
In the Jade Pool, there is a strange stone with nine orifices and eight holes, which is very special. The Jade Pool attaches great importance to it, and from ancient times to the present, the Yuan Tian Masters have preached scriptures and expounded the Dharma on it.
Within that wondrous stone, a sacred spirit was being nurtured. The people of Yaochi sought blood to nourish that celestial stone, hoping it would be born soon to protect Yaochi.
"No problem!" Nangong Zheng nodded. To him, a little blood meant nothing.
"In that case, thank you very much, fellow Daoist. Of course, we will not let Brother Nangong shed blood in vain. You may make any requests you may have."
The Queen Mother of the West smiled. Now that Nangong Zheng had completed his Dao-severing, the divinity in his blood must be even more extraordinary, and it could have miraculous effects on the divine stone.
"To be honest, I do have a request; I wish to obtain some water from the Jade Pool," Nangong Zheng said.
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West said, "I will do as you say, fellow Daoist!"
"Then I'll trouble you to lead the way!" Nangong Zheng said.
"Please follow me, fellow Daoist!" The Queen Mother of the West stood up, and Nangong Zheng followed closely behind. Then, a group of elders from Yaochi surrounded them and walked towards a secret place in Yaochi.
Ahead, the air is shrouded in mist, and the surroundings are filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers, as if in a mythical World. Strange and exotic beasts resembling ancient phoenixes, unicorns, and celestial horses roam this place, undisturbed by humans.
They arrived at the sacred Jade Pool, the Immortal Pool!
The religion's name comes from the Immortal Pool. There was an Immortal Pool in the ancient Yaochi area, and there is one here as well. It is said that they originated from the same place.
In the past, the Immortal Pool in the ancient land of Yaochi was famous throughout the World. It was the most famous Immortal Pool in the Northern Region, filled with spiritual energy, and even formed a source.
All the holy sites that refine medicine come here to ask for water; it can be called a divine pool!
Especially in ancient times, this pool was incredibly miraculous, probably comparable to the Spring of Life, possessing the power to bring the dead back to life and to heal flesh and bones.
Unfortunately, around 80,000 to 90,000 years ago, the sacred spring's spiritual power diminished, and it was no longer as potent as before.
This area is like a fairyland, extremely dreamlike. Ordinary people must stop here and cannot get any closer. Generally, only the high-ranking members and successors of Yaochi can come and go in this place.
Beside the Fairy Pool stands an ancient tree, vigorous as a writhing dragon, tens of meters tall, stretching towards the sky, rooted in the pool, lush and verdant, bearing several fruits.
Its fragrance is pervasive and refreshing; it's clearly a priceless medicinal treasure.
This peach tree in the Jade Pool is unfortunately not the same peach tree as before, but rather a fruit formed from the dead peach poison.
Beneath the peach tree, there was a gleaming stone with nine orifices and eight holes, seemingly breathing in and out the essence of the sun and moon. It looked incredibly mystical, as if it were alive.
This stone, imbued with the essence of heaven and earth and the spirit of the sun and moon, has been nurtured for countless years. It already contains a sacred embryo, which the Jade Pool has been cultivating with all its might, hoping to bring it into the World!
Near the strange rock, orchids, dragon grass, and several ginseng plants grow.
"Fellow Daoist Nangong, this is the stone!" The Queen Mother of the West pointed to the strange stone with nine orifices and eight holes.
Nangong Zheng curiously examined the strange stone with nine orifices and eight holes, circling it several times.
"When heaven and earth are in harmony, and creation is in its most exquisite form, such a celestial embryo has been born. It is truly rare!" Nangong Zheng exclaimed.
"This is a 'benevolent spirit.' Our Yaochi sages have chanted scriptures for it day and night to purify it. If it is born, it can protect Yaochi and ensure its prosperity for ten thousand years!" an elder of Yaochi said with a smile.
Nangong Zheng smiled but didn't say anything, though he was somewhat unconvinced.
When a being reaches the pinnacle of power, and there are no longer any checks and balances in the World, the thought of good or evil follows one's own heart.
During the reign of the Great Emperor Wushi, a holy land nurtured a holy spirit. The holy spirit's birth directly destroyed that holy land. If the Great Emperor Wushi had not intervened to suppress it, it might have caused a great disaster!
Immediately, Nangong Zheng's gaze fell upon the Nine-Aperture Stone Man. He remembered that in the original story, when Ye Fan was invincible, he could have been born, but he never was...
Of course, Nangong Zheng wouldn't say much, since this was Yaochi's business. Besides, this being was estimated to be five thousand years away from being born. By then, if it became emperor, this stone wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
Nangong Zheng raised his hand, forcing out a few drops of crystal-clear blood from his fingertips. The blood emitted a soft light, and the life force was extremely vigorous, with endless vitality permeating the air.
Then, his fingertips traced patterns on the strange stone, imprinting mysterious designs that intertwined to form a complex pattern—this was the Origin Heaven Divine Art.
Sizzle!
His blood dripped down and quickly seeped in, causing the divine stone to tremble slightly and accelerate its absorption of the essence of heaven and earth.
It trembled incessantly, emitting joyful chirps, and its radiance grew even brighter, as if the life within it was about to burst forth from the stone at any moment.
The group from Yaochi was all very excited. As expected of the blood of a Dao-slaying level figure, the effect was extraordinary.
"Fellow Daoist Nangong, you are also proficient in Origin Techniques?" The Queen Mother of the West was somewhat surprised, as she had never known that Nangong Zheng also knew Origin Techniques.
"I know a little bit," Nangong Zheng said with a smile.
"Brother Dao, you are too modest!" The Queen Mother of the West thought this was a humble way of putting it, but little did she know that it was indeed so. Although Nangong Zheng had obtained the Origin Book, he had not cultivated it much and could only have a preliminary understanding of it.
Immediately, the Queen Mother of the West sent over a bottle of Immortal Pool Water. Although it was not much, it was the essence of the water, brimming with spiritual energy and vitality. It was clearly a treasure from the Jade Pool. Although it couldn't compare to Ye Fan's divine spring water, it was still quite good. It was a rare treasure in the World
"Something's wrong! That stone is shaking again!" Suddenly, someone came in and reported to the Queen Mother of the West.
"Bring that stone here..." The Queen Mother of the West suddenly had an idea and said this.
Immediately, someone brought a stone and placed it next to the nine-aperture stone figure by the Immortal Pool.
"Brother Nangong, please take a look at this stone!" said the Queen Mother of the West.
This is an extraordinary stone, colorful and dazzling, with a powerful life force.
"This stone king is becoming more and more active, and it has almost crossed the void several times. If it weren't for the suppression by the Western Emperor Tower, it would have disappeared long ago." The Queen Mother of the West sighed.
Nangong Zheng's eyes flashed, and he took a step forward, arriving in front of the Stone King!