Chapter 056: Primordial Harmony

“This earthen spiritual stone was casually formed by my junior, Di Yuanzi; it was not created from any spiritual vein, so please don’t laugh at us, fellow Daoist.” A young boy, handsome and dressed in brocade robes with a golden crown, stepped forward confidently. “I am Jin Yuanzi, greetings to Daoist Wei.”

He performed the customary greeting between fellow Daoists.

Wei Dongting hurriedly returned the gesture.

“Master Jin Daoist.” He realized he could not discern the other’s cultivation level and quickly corrected himself, addressing the youth as ‘Daoist Master’ instead of ‘fellow Daoist,’ lest he offend a senior. To casually conjure such a large piece of earth-type spiritual stone—what kind of cultivation was that? For a moment, Wei Dongting’s heart raced wildly.

Jin Yuanzi nodded. Aside from his own master, he need not be courteous to anyone else.

“As a guest from afar, please follow us to the Daoist grounds for a seat.”

“I am grateful for your hospitality.” For a fleeting moment, Wei Dongting almost hesitated to step forward.

“Please.”

Jin Yuanzi led Wei Dongting and Qing Jin through a side door into the guest courtyard. The scenery here was exquisite, distinctly marked by a foreign style. Stone sculptures of various fish and mermaids, and shells, were vivid and lifelike.

Once the hosts and guests were seated in the flower hall, several exquisitely plump children about five or six years old entered, carrying trays of tea.

Wei Dongting looked closely—astonishingly, they were all fat-headed fish. He was momentarily speechless.

“I have no particularly fine tea here. This is Danhong tea, originally from the deep sea. My master transplanted some in the courtyard, and I plucked and processed it myself for guests. Please do not disdain its simplicity,” Jin Yuanzi said.

“Not at all, not at all.” Wei Dongting accepted the hot tea, almost reluctant to drink it. This was an eighth-grade spiritual delicacy; he would much rather take it home for slow enjoyment, cultivating diligently afterward to fully absorb its benefits and spiritual power.

But as a guest in their Daoist grounds, he could only force himself to drink it.

He gulped the spiritual tea down in one go.

Wei Dongting then spoke, “I’ve come today to inquire about the name of your master. Also, as your Daoist grounds are established within the territory of the human race, what are your master’s future plans?”

Jin Yuanzi frowned slightly at the question. “In truth, my master is devoted to cultivation and has no interest in worldly matters. But those who presume to step on my master’s face and act arrogantly will find it impossible. As for the human territory, a mere ten thousand years ago, this was not even your domain. Forty thousand years ago, it belonged to the Green Ghosts; a hundred thousand years ago, to the Scarlet Tigers. Further back, another thirty to fifty thousand years, this land was but a vast sea.

My master established these Daoist grounds eons ago, merely slumbered for a while, but never died.”

Wei Dongting, hearing this, hastily said, “We mean no offense. We simply acknowledge that this is now human territory; if your master needs anything, we are willing to trade.”

Jin Yuanzi nodded. “That is acceptable. The tides of history change; though this is now human territory, you must not harbor any delusions of commanding my master. My master was born noble, not someone your insignificant tribe can provoke.”

Wei Dongting’s expression changed drastically.

“If you do not believe me, relay my words to your Daoist court. I still remember, over ten thousand years ago, before my master entered slumber, he gifted a stone book to your human leader—what was his name? I believe it was Helan Gulei.”

Wei Dongting shot up from his seat. “The Eastern Pavilion Stone Book?”

“What Eastern Pavilion Stone Book?”

“Is it the stone book engraved with the Yuanchen Divination technique?” Wei Dongting asked urgently.

“Yes, you know of it?” Jin Yuanzi looked at him curiously.

“So it was your master?” Wei Dongting exclaimed with delight. “Your Daoist grounds moved from Eastern Pavilion Mountain to here?”

“The subterranean water spiritual vein beneath Eastern Pavilion Mountain inexplicably dried up, so we had to relocate. If the earth and water veins here also dry up, we’ll move again,” Jin Yuanzi replied matter-of-factly.

“But aren’t other ancient Daoist grounds unable to move? They must remain rooted in a spiritual vein,” Wei Dongting asked, puzzled.

“That’s because their foundations are weak.” Jin Yuanzi spoke with certainty. If one’s foundations are strong, as with himself, one can retract the tendrils into the earth veins at will and transform into a bead to be carried anywhere by their master.

“Weak foundations?” Wei Dongting grew more confused, while Qing Jin listened avidly, eager to absorb every ancient secret revealed.

“How do you think a Daoist ground is established?” Jin Yuanzi asked.

“By finding a spiritual vein and constructing the Daoist ground according to its topography and using formations,” Wei Dongting replied.

“That’s where you’re mistaken. ‘Daoist ground’—it must have Dao before it has ground. First, forge a blessed land infused with the aura of the Great Dao, then build barriers around it to constrain spiritual energy, thus forming the ground. Look at my master’s Daoist ground; it is an embodiment of his foundational Dao.

Any living being here has the opportunity to comprehend my master’s Great Dao.”

His Majesty used the power of light to forge a new Daoist ground, endowed with the aura of the light attribute’s Great Dao. Thus, Jin Yuanzi claimed this was the manifestation of his master’s foundational Dao.

Wei Dongting, hearing such doctrine for the first time, pondered and voiced his doubts.

“Does every Daoist ground possess its master’s Dao?”

“Not necessarily. It depends on whether the ground is fully integrated with its master. Here, the ground is one with the master—Primordial and at will. The master forged the entire ground as a single entity, making it easy to take away.”

“The entire Daoist ground forged as one entity?” Wei Dongting was deeply shocked. He had observed this place; it covered at least hundreds of acres. Could such a vast structure truly be moved at will?

“Are you wondering how our Daoist ground can be taken away?” Jin Yuanzi asked.

“Ahem...” Wei Dongting was embarrassed.

“I’ve already told you—the ground, once forged, reaches the level of Primordial unity and flexibility. It can freely transform in size. At present, it’s only hundreds of acres; it could easily expand to thousands, even tens of thousands of acres. But my master does not wish to disturb the creatures of the lakebed, so he shrank it to its current size.

In fact, it could be reduced to the size of a fist.”

Wei Dongting drew a sharp breath.

“Is that truly possible?”

“There are Daoist masters who can make their entire grounds intangible, turn them to mist or earth, and absorb them directly into their bodies.” Jin Yuanzi, having lived long, was exceptionally knowledgeable.

Wei Dongting, faced with such an eloquent and boastful artifact spirit, was no match; he was left astonished and bewildered.

Not only him, but Qing Jin felt as if the doors to the mystical had been opened, filling him with longing for cultivation.