Chapter Thirty-Seven: Resonance with the Earth’s Veins

The Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth was born as the first merit of Pangu’s creation of the Great Desolation, a reward from the Dao itself, impossible to replicate. Thus, only the Heavenly Primordial Pagoda and the original spirits of the Three Pure Ones possess it. All along, Qingxu believed that the combination of the Pagoda and the Primordial Qi within the Three Pure Ones constituted the entirety of such power in existence. Yet now, with an unexpected twist before him, hope stirred within his heart.

“The Xuanyuan Alms Bowl? Why would the ancestral Wu Zhu Rong send people to seize it? To my knowledge, the Wu tribe does not cultivate primordial spirits; innate spiritual treasures are nothing but useless trinkets to them.” Qingxu voiced his doubts.

“My benefactor is unaware,” Dafeng replied, his tone laced with indignation. “This Xuanyuan Alms Bowl was birthed at the dawn of heaven and earth, and with every great kalpa, it produces a single drop of Xuanyuan Pure Water. This is the supreme material for forging divine weapons and blades, capable of elevating their quality by several tiers when used for tempering. Zhu Rong’s ambition knows no bounds; he has always sought to surpass the twelve ancestral Wu. This time, it is said he quarreled with Gong Gong and seeks to forge the Blade of the Fire God. To seize the Xuanyuan Pure Water, he stirs up trouble. Our clan has guarded the Pure Water through an entire kalpa—how could we possibly yield it?”

“Xuanyuan Pure Water?” Qingxu’s thoughts turned swiftly. Piecing together all he had heard, he could now see the whole picture. It was likely that the Yellow Turban Giants evolved by relying on the Pure Water, though at great risk. Dafeng, pressed by dire circumstances, had risked everything for it.

“Zhu Rong seeks to forge the Blade of the Fire God—there are indeed such accounts in the myths of my previous life.” Though many details differed from those records, the general outline was similar: Zhu Rong, determined to defeat Gong Gong, forged the Wu Blade and thus triggered the great conflict between water and fire. This strife would later erupt when Houtu incarnated as the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

“This Xuanyuan Pure Water is truly a rare treasure of heaven and earth, but after all, with every great kalpa it is produced anew. To become mortal enemies with the Wu tribe over it seems hardly worthwhile.”

“Ah, but benefactor does not know—all things must end. This batch of Xuanyuan Pure Water has nearly reached its limit. Soon, another drop will be born, and then our clan will have a golden giant of its own. If we let Zhu Rong have it, we will never again possess Xuanyuan Pure Water.”

Having heard all this, Qingxu finally understood. He had thought himself lucky to stumble upon a treasure—a drop of Pure Water every great kalpa was nothing to scoff at. Now, however, he realized his joy was premature; truly, there is no such thing as a pie falling from the sky!

“No wonder the heavenly sages do not fight for it—the real benefits are gone. The meat has already been eaten, and now only the soup remains; to drink even that comes with no small trouble. Still, I’m already half-involved; it’s impossible to wash my hands of it now. If I can walk away with an innate spiritual treasure, all the better.” Thus, he consoled himself in his frustration.

“Fellow Daoists, I, too, resent the tyranny of the Wu tribe. If it is within my power, I will do my utmost to shelter the Giant Spirit Clan from extinction in the future.” He dared not make the promise too absolute. Immortals are not like mortals; such vows are not made lightly. If he failed to fulfill his word, Heaven itself would record it, severely affecting his path to enlightenment.

The brothers Dafeng and Dashan understood they were asking much. The Wu tribe’s power was unmatched in the Great Desolation, arguably the greatest force in existence. Only the Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the heavenly sages could face them alone. For Qingxu to make such a promise was truly extraordinary.

“We brothers bow in gratitude before our benefactor!” With that, Dafeng and Dashan kowtowed repeatedly, overcome with gratitude.

“There’s no need for this—you are, after all, about to present me with an innate spiritual treasure. Such formality is unnecessary.”

Qingxu’s polite words landed awkwardly on the ears of the two giants, and both faces flushed with embarrassment. Seeing this, Qingxu felt a sudden pang of foreboding.

“Well… about that innate spiritual treasure, there’s a bit of… ahem… an issue…” Dafeng stammered awkwardly.

“What issue? Speak plainly. I have already given my word, and will not go back on it. You can rest assured on this point.” With Heaven as witness, there could be no retraction now; to break faith was not the way of the cultivator. Qingxu could only inquire anxiously as to the problem.

“Alas! Since the dawn of creation, the Xuanyuan Alms Bowl has been rooted in these red rock hills, fused with the earth’s veins. If the treasure is removed, the land itself will suffer grievous damage, and the resulting karmic backlash…” The more they spoke, the more ashamed the brothers became, their faces burning red.

To harm the veins of heaven and earth was to incur the wrath of both, and such karmic retribution was no trivial matter.

Qingxu nearly cursed aloud—he was fortunate it was himself, for anyone else would have been utterly deceived. These two of the Giant Spirit Clan were truly shameless: the meat was gone, and to drink the leftover soup one must shoulder a mountain of karmic debt, damaging the entire red rock region’s land veins. The postnatal karma from such an act would be considerable.

“But while others might flee from such karma, I need not fear—I possess the Great Karma Art, and with azure and crimson thunder at my command, what have I to dread? Still, I mustn’t let on that I am unperturbed.” Thus he calculated inwardly, while outwardly putting on a troubled expression.

Seeing the clouded look on Qingxu’s face, the brothers’ guilt only deepened. They felt they had wronged him greatly—he had acted with heroic righteousness, while they offered in return only an empty promise of an unusable treasure, and even asked for his protection against the Wu tribe. It was, indeed, shameful. Yet, for the sake of their people, they had no choice; even their lives were forfeit to this cause.

“Benefactor, we previously used a small amount of Xuanyuan Pure Water to catalyze the birth of a golden giant. Now, the two remaining portions have absorbed some essence of life. If combined and used to assist the Xuanyuan Alms Bowl, they may produce a drop of Pure Water. Should you wish to refine a celestial artifact in the future, this could be of some use. Please accept it as a token of our gratitude,” Dashan said.

“Yes, yes, my brother speaks the truth,” Dafeng echoed. “It’s better this way. Otherwise, our very lives would be at risk.”

“Benefactor, you mustn’t refuse. We used only a small portion of the Pure Water—less than a drop—so for now, our lives are not in danger. But in time, death is inevitable. Better to put it to use than waste it.” Seeing Qingxu hesitate, Dafeng grew anxious.

With a sigh, Qingxu could not help but admire the two giants, even as he realized he had been outmaneuvered. They truly gave their all for the Giant Spirit Clan, striving selflessly even in the face of death, never forgetting their people’s welfare. In contrast, the humans of later ages, rife with intrigue and betrayal, rarely produced such characters.

“Benefactor, please accompany us to the hidden place. Even if the treasure cannot be taken, perhaps a drop of Xuanyuan Pure Water can still be produced.”

With that, Dafeng and Dashan led the way, Qingxu following close behind as they made for the secret place of the Giant Spirit Clan. The Xuanyuan Alms Bowl was fused with the land’s veins, but it was the supreme treasure of the red rock hills, the wellspring of the Giant Spirit Clan’s survival, and the key to the Yellow Turban Giants’ existence. It was carefully hidden and fiercely protected—without a guide, it would be nearly impossible to find, requiring a painstaking search.

“I did not expect so many matters to be entangled in this, but in the end, the benefits to me are great. The Giant Spirit Clan commands respect; when I am able, I will surely protect them.” So thought Qingxu. This time, he had gained much: not only had he refined the Jade Void Palace Lamp with twenty-one layers of innate restrictions, but he was soon to obtain the innate treasure, the Xuanyuan Alms Bowl, and a drop of Pure Water. Of course, he had also incurred a heavy karmic debt with the Wu tribe, and future troubles were inevitable. But as a disciple of the Saints, what could the domineering Wu tribe do to him?

The tragic end of the Wu and Demon tribes was decreed by Heaven, immutable even by the Saints themselves. Qingxu understood this well, which gave him the confidence to shoulder such weighty karma. This was the advantage of being under a Saint’s protection: with the momentum of the great Dao, even the greatest karmic retribution could be washed away.