After several people discussed the ownership of the innate gourds, the seven innate gourds were fully nurtured. All the divine essence on the gourd vine flowed into the seven gourds, and the gourd vine slowly withered.
Seeing that the gourds had completely matured, everyone let the Three Pure Ones choose first, followed by Nuwa and Fuxi, Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, and Di Jun, Tai Yi, Xi He, and Chang Xi.
Li Yi did not stand on ceremony and was the first to choose a purple gourd.
Yuanshi chose second, picking a green gourd.
Tongtian chose third, for a cyan gourd.
Nuwa and Fuxi chose fourth, with Nuwa selecting a golden gourd.
Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi chose fifth, with Hong Yun picking a crimson gourd.
Di Jun and Tai Yi chose sixth, with Di Jun selecting a yellow gourd.
Xi He and Chang Xi chose last, obtaining a blue gourd.
Seeing that everyone had picked their gourds, Li Yi stepped forward and collected the withered gourd vine.
After collecting the gourd vine, Li Yi bowed to everyone and took his leave, saying:
"Everyone, we are returning to Kunlun Mountain. Farewell!"
After Li Yi finished speaking, he left for Kunlun with Yuanshi and Tongtian.
Seeing Li Yi and the other two depart, Di Jun and the other three also bid farewell and left with Tai Yi, Xi He, and Chang Xi.
When Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi saw that everyone else had left, they also bid farewell to Nuwa and Fuxi and left the place together.
Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi traveled together. After leaving Mount Buzhou, Hong Yun handed the crimson gourd to Zhen Yuanzi and said:
"Fellow Daoist, this gourd belongs to both of us, but you guarded me in Zixiao Palace, so you take it!"
Zhen Yuanzi glanced at Hong Yun and smiled:
"Are we still distinguishing between you and me? I have the Earth Book, and you don't have any good spiritual treasures. You should take this gourd to refine it into a spiritual treasure; it will give you an additional means of protection!"
Hong Yun looked at Zhen Yuanzi with complex emotions. Ever since Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi met, Zhen Yuanzi had been exceptionally good to him. The Ginseng Fruits in Wuzhuang Temple were sought after by others, yet Zhen Yuanzi had freely shared them with him.
This time, when listening to the teachings in Zixiao Palace, Zhen Yuanzi had gone all out to secure a good position for him, and now he was even giving him this rare innate gourd.
Zhen Yuanzi protected him like an older brother!
Zhen Yuanzi did not expect Hong Yun to think so much. Seeing the way Hong Yun looked at him, he quickly asked:
"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, what's wrong!"
Hong Yun quickly composed himself and said to Zhen Yuanzi:
"It's nothing! It's nothing! I won't return to Wuzhuang Temple with you. I've been away from Huoyun Cave for a long time, and I want to go back. I'll use some materials I've collected to refine this gourd!"
Seeing that Hong Yun was returning to Huoyun Cave, Zhen Yuanzi said to him:
"Very well. Since you are returning to Huoyun Cave, we shall part ways here! I will find you for the second sermon in three thousand years, how about that?"
Hong Yun nodded. Zhen Yuanzi bowed to Hong Yun and turned towards Longevity Mountain.
After watching Zhen Yuanzi's figure disappear into the horizon, Hong Yun headed for Huoyun Cave.
After everyone left, Nuwa and Fuxi also planned to return to Ziyang Mountain.
On the way, Fuxi suddenly remembered that Nuwa wanted to trade the gourd for the gourd vine with Taishang and asked:
"Little sister, why would you want to trade this gourd with Fellow Daoist Taishang for that gourd vine?"
Nuwa looked at Fuxi and said: SuDanNovel.com
"I don't know. I just felt that the gourd vine was very important to me, more important than the gourd, but I don't know why!"
Fuxi frowned upon hearing this and said:
"Even you don't know? That's strange!"
Nuwa sighed and said:
"Forget it! Anyway, Fellow Daoist Taishang has already agreed to lend it to me when I need it. It should be fine!"
Fuxi nodded, thinking Nuwa was right, and stopped thinking about it.
After Li Yi and the other two left Mount Buzhou, Li Yi immediately cut off a section of the gourd vine and sent it into the Chaos Bead to be planted with the Xi soil. He then watered it with the Three Lights Divine Water before feeling at ease and exiting the Chaos Bead.
Yuanshi and Tongtian saw Li Yi so hurriedly planting a section of the gourd vine into the Chaos Bead and asked in confusion:
"Big Brother, why didn't you plant the entire gourd vine?"
Li Yi looked at their confused gazes and explained:
"This gourd vine has other uses and cannot be planted entirely."
After speaking, Li Yi handed the gourd vine in his hand to Tongtian and instructed:
"Third Brother, this gourd vine is a gift from your brother. However, remember to take good care of it and do not lose it. Do not lend it to others without my permission."
Seeing Li Yi's serious expression, Tongtian knew that the gourd vine was extraordinary and immediately replied with equal seriousness:
"Brother, rest assured, Third Brother has noted it!"
Li Yi nodded with satisfaction, and the three flew towards Kunlun together.
After Li Yi and the other two returned to Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi and Tongtian accompanied Li Yi to Taiqing Palace. Li Yi looked at them and said:
"Why are you two not returning to your respective peaks and coming to me?"
Tongtian and Yuanshi exchanged glances. Tongtian chuckled and said:
"Big Brother, what do you think of my previous suggestion?"
Li Yi asked with a confused look:
"Suggestion? What suggestion?"
Seeing that Li Yi didn't know, Yuanshi said:
"Third Brother means to intercept Jieyin and Zhunti when the second sermon in Zixiao Palace takes place!"
Li Yi then remembered that Tongtian had indeed said something like that after they had chased away the two. He said:
"Do you two hate Jieyin and Zhunti that much? We don't have any major grudges with them, do we?"
Yuanshi scratched his head sheepishly and said:
"It's not exactly hate, but when I see them, I just feel like they deserve a beating! I don't know why?"
Tongtian also said:
"Right! Right! Right! I have the same feeling. I didn't expect Second Brother to feel the same way!"
Li Yi heard this and recalled that he had felt the same way the first time he saw Jieyin and Zhunti at Mount Sumeru. That was why, after obtaining the Bitter Bamboo and Bodhi tree branches, he couldn't help but give Jieyin and Zhunti a beating.
At that time, Li Yi thought it was because he was familiar with their actions in the Investiture of the Gods, and he had acted out of anger. However, now that Tongtian and Yuanshi had the same feeling, it was strange!
Could it be because these two were the founders of Buddhism, and the three of them were the patriarchs of Taoism, and the future conflict between Taoism and Buddhism was influencing them?
But that didn't make sense either! Neither Buddhism nor Taoism had appeared yet, so the conflict between Taoism and Buddhism could not have started to gestate from now.
Seeing that Li Yi was spacing out, Yuanshi and Tongtian waved their hands in front of him and softly called out:
"Big Brother?"
Li Yi then snapped back to reality and said:
"No!"
Tongtian and Yuanshi looked at Li Yi in confusion and asked:
"Why not!"
Li Yi knew that Jieyin and Zhunti becoming saints was Hongjun's plan. The three of them had not yet become saints, so it was not advisable to conflict with Hongjun. If the three of them blocked Jieyin and Zhunti from becoming saints, Hongjun might personally intervene and deal with the three of them.
Li Yi didn't know how to explain this to Tongtian and Yuanshi, so he decided not to explain and said:
"If I say no, then it's no! That's it! Come with me into the Chaos Bead to cultivate!"
Li Yi was afraid that Yuanshi and Tongtian would go to intercept Jieyin and Zhunti behind his back. So, after speaking, Li Yi didn't wait for their agreement and pulled them into the Chaos Bead together.