Chapter 525: Yellow Earth Planting the Heavenly Vine

Chen Shi's heart pounded wildly as he hurriedly followed Can'er toward the imperial garden. "I hope Wu Qi grows out properly, not as some plant-man creeping up the crape myrtle tree."

Hu Feifei was quite curious. She set down her memorials and followed behind them.

In no time, the three of them arrived at the rear palace's imperial garden. There, they saw vines hanging from the crape myrtle tree. The tree, several centuries old, had already been drained dry and withered.

Chen Shi looked up and saw a person dangling from the tree.

A completely naked person.

Hu Feifei let out a startled cry, quickly covered Can'er's eyes, picked her up, and fled as if escaping.

Chen Shi looked up to examine the scene. The man on the tree had a tall, well-proportioned body with delicate skin. Various bizarre shamanic ritual markings surfaced on his skin—the markings of the Immortal Art of Immortality, but far more detailed than any version Chen Shi had seen before.

Chen Shi's heart stirred. "I, Yang Bi, and Zhong Wuwang have all comprehended the Immortal Art of Immortality, but what we grasped only covers the bones. The true Immortal Art of Immortality develops from the inside out, starting from the bones to grow flesh and blood, the five viscera and six bowels, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, and skin. The physical body also has its own Immortal Art of Immortality, but that art evolves from the skeletal version! Only the Immortal Art of Immortality that encompasses both bones and flesh is the complete version!"

He inwardly regretted that if he had stayed here to observe Wu Qi's resurrection process, he might have obtained the complete Immortal Art of Immortality!

The man hanging from the tree was middle-aged, with handsome features. Though his eyes were closed, he exuded a noble and transcendent bearing—aside from the fact that he wasn't wearing any clothes.

His disheveled hair was slowly growing, and on his forehead was a stem—a gourd stem, embedded in his head.

Chen Shi froze, then flew up and touched Wu Qi's head.

The stem was indeed growing out of Wu Qi's head. More precisely, Wu Qi had grown out of the stem!

When the fruit ripens, the stem withers. Gourds aren't melons, but once the stem yellows and dries, the gourd is ripe and can be picked.

Chen Shi's expression twisted oddly. Wu Qi's growth method didn't involve sprouting from the soil and creeping along, but that didn't exactly make him breathe easier.

"When Wu Qi gets picked, there's definitely going to be a bald patch on his head."

Chen Shi steadied himself and tested, "Brother Wu Qi? Brother Wu Qi? Can you hear me?"

Wu Qi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear but dazed, aimlessly looking around.

Chen Shi called out a few more times before Wu Qi finally focused on him. The muscles on his face slowly moved, pulling into a smile.

He opened his mouth and spoke the first words of his life.

"Grandpa!"

Chen Shi blinked, thinking hard, feeling that something was off here.

"Xiao Chengzi! Xiao Chengzi!"

Xiao Chengzi quickly ran over. "Your Majesty commands."

"Find him some clothes."

Chen Shi ordered. "Make sure they fit well and look decent. Also, assign a few people to keep watch on him and report to me when he's ripe!"

Xiao Chengzi acknowledged and hurried off.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Wu Qi called out.

Chen Shi stood beneath the vine for a moment, then shook his head and walked away, thinking, "The Immortal Art of Immortality is the unparalleled supreme art that Wu Qi created by integrating shamanic ritual markings with the Three Purities' Dao techniques. This technique first restores the physical body, and only when the body is fully restored does the memory return. Wu Qi might just be recovering some childhood memories, mistaking me for his grandfather. When he ripens and the stem falls off on its own, he'll regain all his memories. No need to worry."

He took out the Purple Heaven Gourd. There was still one gourd seed inside.

"Where should I plant this gourd seed?"

Chen Shi felt troubled. The Empress of Earth had said the greatest function of the Purple Heaven Vine was to gather the world's spiritual energy and convert it into Grand Supreme Purple Qi. The best planting location would undoubtedly be within his own Realm of Emptiness, but Her Ladyship had also said that the Purple Heaven Immortal Lord made exactly that mistake—since the realm existed in the void with thin spiritual energy, the converted Grand Supreme Purple Qi was too meager.

If he planted it in the Xinxiang Imperial Capital, encountering an external enemy would definitely draw covetous eyes toward the Purple Heaven Vine, even attracting many unnecessary foes.

—Given how much Her Ladyship and the Purple Heaven Immortal Lord treasured the Purple Heaven Vine, this treasure was likely extraordinary. Casually planting it might even bring annihilation upon the Western Ox New Continent.

"The Purple Heaven Vine needs a fertile soil to take root. Perhaps I can find a fertile land and refine it into a portable treasure. That way, I can carry the vine with me. I can even judge whether a place is a sacred ground by how much Grand Supreme Purple Qi the vine converts."

Chen Shi blinked. The fertile soil capable of sustaining the Purple Heaven Vine would surely be astonishing. Ordinary soil probably couldn't even keep the vine alive, let alone allow it to grow.

"Her Ladyship said that the Fusang Tree in the Mysterious Yellow Sea grew from inside a Golden Crow's belly. The Golden Crow itself was the fertile soil, which was why it could support such an astonishing divine tree. Does planting the Purple Heaven Vine also require finding a similar powerful corpse to plant it in?"

He immediately dismissed this idea. The Western Ox New Continent simply couldn't provide such an immortal corpse. Even killing the Celestial Venerable probably wouldn't be enough to plant the Purple Heaven Vine.

Moreover, planting it in a corpse—when he summoned the vine, he'd have to summon the corpse along with it. That was horrifying to imagine.

"I'm no demonic cultivator. How could I do such a thing?"

Chen Shi thought it over and finally went to the high mound to seek an audience with the Empress of Earth, thinking, "Her Ladyship is called Empress of Earth. She must have a way."

Daoist Willow saw him coming from afar, a look of anticipation on his face. Chen Shi steeled himself and walked forward, cupping his hands in greeting. "Daoist Willow, please trouble yourself to announce me. Say that her godson is visiting."

Daoist Willow acknowledged but didn't move. "Your Majesty, about my three willow leaves..."

Chen Shi said, "Did you remember what I said before, Daoist? You didn't, did you? Well then, let me say a few simple words. Which words to say? After much thought, I feel these are the most appropriate. If there's anything to add later, I'll add it then. So then..."

Daoist Willow stared blankly at him as he walked past the tree and entered the Palace of Virtue.

"I just wanted my willow leaves back..."

He murmured to himself, "King Chen wouldn't really keep them, would he? Would he?"

Chen Shi entered the palace and breathed a sigh of relief. The Empress of Earth was still flipping through account books. Chen Shi noticed that the book seemed to be getting thicker and thicker.

"Your Majesty is bullying little Willow again."

The Empress of Earth looked up, a half-smile on her face. "He worked so hard to refine his magical treasure. Just return it to him, so he stops nagging you. He's pitiful enough—rooted here, unable to leave, only able to guard my gate, surviving on this palace's incense offerings. He has nothing to his name except three leaves. And you still have the nerve to keep them."

Chen Shi blushed. "It's not that I don't want to return them. It's that those three leaves were shredded by the Purple Heaven Immortal Lord's magical treasure. I nearly got trapped in Purple Heaven myself. Now I'm empty-handed, with no idea how to repay him. I do have one immortal artifact left, but it's probably not as good as his willow leaves."

The Empress of Earth thought for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty can repay him with three strands of Grand Supreme Purple Qi."

Chen Shi smiled. "Godmother, that's exactly why I've come. May I ask, Godmother, how should I plant this gourd seed?"

The Empress of Earth smiled. "Plant it in the soil, that's all."

Chen Shi said, "I'm afraid ordinary soil can't sustain such an immortal plant."

The Empress of Earth laughed. "Is there anything this palace's yellow earth can't grow? Just take it and plant it."

Chen Shi was overjoyed.

The Empress of Earth said, "Once you grow the Purple Heaven Vine, you must return to little Willow his three strands of Grand Supreme Purple Qi as soon as possible. Go now. Call little Willow in for me. I'll help smooth things over so he doesn't keep hounding you."

Chen Shi bowed in thanks, then walked out of the Palace of Virtue. Before Daoist Willow could even speak, he said, "Daoist Willow, Her Ladyship summons you inside."

Daoist Willow had no choice but to swallow the words rising in his throat and enter the Palace of Virtue.

Chen Shi left the high mound, returned to the mortal world, and headed straight for the yellow earth slope.

When Daoist Willow entered the Palace of Virtue, the Empress of Earth said to him, "Little Willow, His Majesty didn't intend to keep your willow leaves. He encountered danger while handling affairs for this palace and used your Celestial Immortal Three Ultimates Formation to block the Immortal Lord's magical treasure, resulting in its complete destruction. He felt indebted to you, which is why he dared not tell you. I've just scolded him and told him he must compensate you. He agreed—once he grows the Purple Heaven Vine, he will gift you the first three strands of Grand Supreme Purple Qi as repayment for the Celestial Immortal Three Ultimates Formation."

When Daoist Willow heard this, he felt a sense of loss and was deeply saddened.

After all, this set of treasures had taken him a thousand years to refine. Having them destroyed now left him feeling listless and dejected.

The Empress of Earth smiled. "Don't dwell on loss and gain. This Grand Supreme Purple Qi is extraordinary. You were originally an ordinary willow tree, only gaining enlightenment because you were planted before my temple. But your innate talent is too poor. You can never truly transcend. When the calamity opens, you will face your own tribulation, and you might not survive it. His Majesty's gift of three strands of Grand Supreme Purple Qi will be enough to transform you completely, making you far greater than before. In the opening calamity, you might just manage to keep your life."

Daoist Willow was both shocked and delighted, quickly bowing in thanks.

Her Ladyship laughed. "Why thank me? It was His Majesty who wanted to compensate you. If you want to thank someone, thank him."

Daoist Willow acknowledged with a bow and smiled. "When I next meet His Majesty, I will surely thank him."

The Empress of Earth waved her hand, and Daoist Willow departed.

The Empress of Earth continued flipping through the old account books, murmuring quietly, "Coming to the Western Ox New Continent was the right choice. This godson of mine is lively and energetic. This palace's long-accumulated dead accounts are about to see some activity. Time to send these old enemies on their way!"

Chen Shi arrived at the yellow earth slope. This yellow earth couldn't be disturbed by anyone. Chen Shi had tried before and couldn't even scrape off a bit of soil to take away. But this time, with the Empress of Earth's permission, it was much easier to dig and gather soil.

Before long, Chen Shi had excavated a five-foot-square clump of earth and eagerly planted the gourd seed.

"Too bad I don't have any Dao Spring water. If I could pour some Dao Spring after planting, it would definitely help the Purple Heaven Vine sprout roots and germinate faster... Huh?"

Chen Shi looked at the soil in surprise. A small mound had risen on the five-foot-square clump of earth. Something seemed to be moving beneath the soil, quickly pushing the dirt up and revealing two tender sprouts.

"Growing this fast?"

No sooner had Chen Shi thought this than he suddenly felt the world's spiritual energy converging from the direction of Qianyang Mountain!

He was on the yellow earth slope right next to Qianyang Mountain, and the spiritual energy was growing increasingly dense, rushing into his tender sprouts, even forming streaks of radiant light!

"Is the Purple Heaven Vine really this powerful?"

Chen Shi looked behind him but saw no radiant light. The spiritual energy there was also extremely sparse.

"No, it's Qianyang Mountain's spiritual energy—too abundant!" His heart jolted.

At the same time, in the Palace of Virtue, the Empress of Earth was also stirred, looking toward Qianyang Mountain.

"Such abundant spiritual energy from heaven and earth... Is this really a place where even birds wouldn't shit?" She stood up, a look of surprise on her face.