As Taishang's cry echoed, the golden light, formed from the crushed merit, slowly coalesced into the likeness of Yao Ji!
Tong Tian's jaw dropped in shock!
"This! This! This!"
"Where did elder brother find this? I searched even the Netherworld and couldn't find her soul. How is this possible?"
Tong Tian had not expected that the soul of Yao Ji, which he couldn't find no matter how hard he tried, would be summoned back by his elder brother's mere shouts.
Taishang ignored Tong Tian's astonishment. As the golden light gathered and condensed into Yao Ji, he suddenly formed a hand seal and struck Yao Ji's body, shouting, "Settle!"
After finishing, Taishang looked at Tong Tian and explained:
"You couldn't find her soul because she is a person destined by heaven, existing outside the realms of heaven, earth, and man, and beyond the five elements!"
"Yao Ji is the foundation upon which Shen Nong established medicine. Therefore, I could not intervene until the Shen Nong Medical School was established!"
Tong Tian's eyes lit up at this.
"Elder brother, can I then take Yao Ji as my disciple?"
Taishang rolled his eyes and looked at Tong Tian speechlessly, finally spitting out a single word!
"Scram!"
Yuanshi looked at Yao Ji's golden soul and turned to Taishang, asking:
"Elder brother, with only a soul, it will be difficult for this young girl to remain in this world for long!"
Taishang nodded:
"Indeed. Her physical body is beyond repair. Therefore, I must fashion a new body for her!"
Just then, Yao Ji stirred slightly and looked at the three of them, her expression changing!
The Three Pure Ones were the ancestral fathers of the human race, revered in all human tribes. Yao Ji naturally recognized them as the figures her tribe worshipped daily!
Yao Ji immediately knelt on the ground!
"Greetings, ancestral fathers of my tribe!"
Seeing Yao Ji awaken, Taishang was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected her to wake up so quickly!
While Taishang was lost in thought, Tong Tian immediately told Yao Ji to rise. His gaze towards Yao Ji was filled with the loving affection of a father.
Seeing Tong Tian act this way, Taishang felt that he was not being treated as an outsider at all. It was he who had saved Yao Ji, so if anyone was to be her master, it should be him.
As soon as Yao Ji got up from the ground, her first words caught the Three Pure Ones completely off guard!
"Three ancestral fathers! Are you dead too? So this is what it's like after death! It seems no different from being alive!"
Looking at Yao Ji's innocent demeanor, the Three Pure Ones could only silently comfort themselves in their hearts.
"Children speak without malice! Children speak without malice!"
Taishang coughed lightly, pulling Yao Ji back from her own world.
"Yao Ji, do not speak nonsense. Look, what is that?"
Yao Ji followed Taishang's pointing finger and saw the Shen Nong tribe at the foot of the mountain.
Yao Ji finally came to her senses. Upon closer inspection, she realized this was the same Wu Mountain she used to visit often as a child!
Yao Ji looked at Taishang in disbelief.
"Ancestral father, what is happening?"
Taishang smiled slightly and explained to Yao Ji what a soul was!
Yao Ji nodded upon hearing this and looked down at her own body.
Seeing Yao Ji's dejection, Taishang spoke:
"Yao Ji, your physical body is ruined and cannot be used again. I shall create a new body for you. Do not resist!"
Yao Ji immediately looked up at Taishang upon hearing this.
"Ancestral father, can I still be saved?"
Taishang nodded gently!
Yao Ji was overjoyed at this.
"Whatever ancestral father decides, I am ready!"
Hearing this, Taishang instructed Yao Ji to lie down on the ground. Once she was lying down, Taishang produced a Huang Zhong Li fruit.
"Yao Ji, in your life, you learned the cultivation methods from your father Shen Nong. Today, I bestow upon you a spirit body of divine wood!"
After speaking, Taishang brought the Huang Zhong Li fruit to Yao Ji's brow and gently squeezed it. The fruit cracked open, transforming into streaks of yellow light that enveloped Yao Ji's soul.
When Taishang saw that the yellow light had completely covered Yao Ji's soul, he formed hand seals and murmured:
"Green wood grows, ceaselessly! Drawing it into the body, even rotten wood turns green!"
After speaking, Taishang ceased his hand movements. A green hexagonal star pattern emerged from his hands and slowly moved towards Yao Ji's brow.
The hexagonal star pattern vanished the moment it touched Yao Ji.
Concurrently, all the plants on Wu Mountain began to wither. Streams of green light flowed from all directions, pouring into Yao Ji's body!
Yuanshi and Tong Tian looked at the withered plants and turned to Taishang in confusion!
"Elder brother intends to use this Wu Mountain to reconstruct a body for Yao Ji? Why not draw a little green wood energy from various parts of the world? That way, this mountain wouldn't become barren!"
Taishang heard this, retracted his hands, and smiled faintly!
"Second and third brothers, rest assured, Wu Mountain will not be barren. This mountain has a destiny with Yao Ji, and Yao Ji has another fortune to find here."
Yuanshi and Tong Tian looked at Taishang, bewildered. Taishang did not explain further, but instead watched Yao Ji taking shape on the ground.
Yao Ji's body on the ground was rapidly forming: first her head, then her neck, chest, arms, abdomen, and thighs!
In a short while, she was completely formed. Tong Tian looked at Yao Ji on the ground, her entire body a lush green.
Tong Tian looked at Taishang with disdain.
"Elder brother, if you can't do it properly, why not trouble fellow daoist Nu Wa? Look at what you've made, it's hideous!"
Taishang's face darkened, and he slapped Tong Tian on the back of the head. Tong Tian yelped in pain.
"Shut up! If you think you can do better, you do it!"
Tong Tian rubbed the back of his head where he had been hit.
Taishang looked at the fully formed Yao Ji and, with his right middle and index fingers forming a sword, pointed at Yao Ji's brow on the ground.
As Taishang's sword finger descended, Yao Ji's body began to shed its green color from her brow, revealing the natural hue of a human body.
The moment the green color completely faded, Yao Ji on the ground suddenly opened her eyes. Seeing this, Taishang waved his right hand, and a piece of clothing appeared on Yao Ji's body.
After Yao Ji's physical body was successfully sculpted, a light drizzle began to fall on Wu Mountain.
The withered plants on Wu Mountain, which had died due to Yao Ji's body reconstruction, burst forth with boundless vitality after being showered by this rain!
Not only did their color change from yellow to green, but they also began to grow at an astonishing rate!
As Taishang turned around, Yuanshi followed suit. Only Tong Tian remained looking at Yao Ji.
Taishang glared at him, and Tong Tian reluctantly turned around, muttering to himself:
"Why are you glaring at me? Afraid I'll fall for her? Honestly!"
After the Three Pure Ones turned away, Taishang spoke softly:
"Yao Ji, put on your clothes!"
Yao Ji obediently put on the clothes and then came before Taishang to thank him.
Taishang looked at Yao Ji kneeling before him and immediately asked:
"Yao Ji, are you willing to take me as your master?"
Tong Tian looked at Taishang in disbelief.
"Elder brother!"
Taishang ignored Tong Tian and looked at Yao Ji on the ground.
"Yao Ji!"
Yao Ji immediately kowtowed to Taishang.
"Yao Ji is willing!"
After receiving Yao Ji's reply, Taishang turned to Tong Tian.
"Third brother, you see? It is Yao Ji who wishes to take me as her master!"
Tong Tian looked at Taishang's smug smile and reluctantly snorted.
"Hmph! As if anyone cared! I have plenty of disciples anyway!"
Yuanshi, hearing this, slowly chimed in from the side:
"Some people, when they can't get something, they say they don't want it. Alas, such is human nature!"