Chapter 30 Innate Spiritual Root, Nine-Colored Soul Lotus
"Bang—!"
Lin Yang was thrown into the secluded chamber of the flying vessel.
Although he had lost his protagonist fate, he was still a Crimson Sun Divine Body.
Gu Qing intended to use the Chaos Treasure Bottle Seal to devour him, to see the true extent of its power.
"Are you afraid?"
At this moment, Lin Yang forced down his inner fear, pretending calm and indifference as he looked at Gu Qing, his eyes carrying a trace of contempt.
"Afraid?" Gu Qing was momentarily surprised.
"I may not be your match now, but one day I will defeat you. Is that why you want to cut weeds and root out their source?"
"Heh, who would have thought the mighty Starry Sky Divine Palace would fear a nobody like me, hahaha…"
Lin Yang laughed mockingly.
"Put away your petty tricks. Provocation means nothing to me."
Gu Qing shook his head, eyes full of ridicule.
This tired old tactic of Lin Yang's, if blessed with a protagonist's halo, might deceive minor villains.
But he was no villain.
He was the man destined for the woman of fate.
Lin Yang's smile stiffened, his eyes filled with unwillingness, his teeth grinding.
"Why…"
He could not understand why Gu Qing was nothing like the proud young heirs of great sects in his imagination.
Such geniuses, born of noble lineage, were always arrogant. Lin Yang had counted on this—just a little provocation and they would fall into his trap, becoming prey for him to slay.
This method of his had never failed.
Yet against Gu Qing, it was useless. Worse, Gu Qing only looked at him with the gaze one reserved for a clown.
"Rest in peace. Everything you have will now belong to me."
Gu Qing began plundering his treasures.
And indeed, there were many. Though broken, the artifacts were of high grade.
Most notable was a massive cauldron hidden within Lin Yang's body.
Its surface was covered with cracks, its three legs, ears, and lid all missing.
But it was still a divine artifact.
The Solar Divine Furnace.
Inside, a wisp of true solar fire remained.
It needed no explanation—these had surely been picked up by chance.
Lin Yang could gorge on pills recklessly and survive only because of this wisp of solar fire, which burned the elixirs into pure energy.
Fortunately for Gu Qing, the divine furnace and flame had lost their spirit and divinity. In other words, the Solar Divine Furnace could not choose its master and required refining.
But with Lin Yang's weak strength, he had not even refined the first restriction. At most, he could stir the solar fire within.
As for awakening the furnace's divine might—impossible. Even if Lin Yang were drained to a husk, he could not unleash a fraction of its true power.
Gu Qing swept his divine sense through, erasing Lin Yang's imprint.
Then, probing the Solar Divine Furnace, he discovered a divine-level cultivation method within—the Solar Dao Scripture, famed alongside the Starry Sky Divine Palace's Lunar Dao Scripture.
But since the Solar Divine Furnace had been lost, the Solar Dao Scripture had also been lost, leaving only the first half.
Later generations had pieced it together up to the Divine Fire Realm, but it was never as complete as the original.
Seeing this, how could Gu Qing not guess that the Sun Saint Son of the Starry Sky Divine Palace was meant to be Lin Yang's stepping stone, a minor villain to be trampled for his rise?
"I'm not reconciled…"
Lin Yang's eyes were bloodshot as he watched his foundation for rising to glory being stripped away.
In truth, he had been born with an ordinary mortal root—the lowest of all aptitudes.
That he reached this level, awakening the Crimson Sun Divine Body, was entirely due to the Solar Divine Fire.
He had endured countless trials of life and death, and the torment of being burned alive, only to painfully evolve into the Crimson Sun Divine Body.
In time, he even had the chance to evolve into a mid-grade divine body, a superior divine body, an ultimate divine body, even a sovereign divine body.
But now, all of it—all of his glory—was crumbling to dust in the face of Gu Qing.
Lin Yang truly could not accept it.
In his eyes, Gu Qing was just another greenhouse flower, the type he despised most.
How could he die at the hands of the very man he despised?
"You do die a little unjustly…"
If Su Qingyue had come with someone else, even the Sun Saint Son, Lin Yang might have lived.
The Moonwatch Holy Land and Su Qingyue would likely have protected him, perhaps even invited him into the Starry Sky Divine Palace.
After all, no heroine lacked sycophants or the classic "shield" role in her tale.
"Gu Qing, believe it or not, give me three years and I will defeat you."
Clinging to his last shred of hope, Lin Yang spoke coldly.
"No need to wait three years. I'll give you eighteen—come find me in your next life."
As he spoke, the light in Lin Yang's eyes dimmed, fading into despair.
Gu Qing formed seals with his hands, profound Dao rhymes surging around him, his being faintly merging with heaven and earth.
The radiance he released wrapped Lin Yang, forming into a bottle.
Ancient and natural, without any shocking visions, yet suffused with chaotic Dao essence, the treasure bottle seemed like the heart of the cosmos, the source of all things.
Gu Qing silently recited, "Open the attribute panel, remove the spirit tools and martial skills column."
[Name] Gu Qing.
[Realm] Mysterious Dan Realm sixth level.
[Constitution] Supreme Dao Bone, Chaos Star Body (under transformation… 22%).
[Talent] Innate Dao Seed, brilliance through the ages!
[Fate Pattern] Variable.
[Destiny] Unknown.
[Fortune] 203,500.
[Innate Divine Abilities] Chaos Treasure Bottle Seal, Yin-Yang Wheel, Star-Plucking Hand.
[Treasures] Reincarnation Halberd, Heaven and Earth Sword.
[Technique] Chaos Indestructible Scripture (original creation).
Gu Qing glanced over it, puzzled. "System, why didn't my Golden Gourd get added?"
[The host has not refined the Golden Gourd, so it is not considered your treasure. Of course, if the host requires it, it can be added manually.]
"The Golden Gourd still needs refining?" Gu Qing was surprised. Wasn't the Golden Gourd usable without refinement?
[Of course it needs refining. Only after refinement will it truly belong to the host. However, the host's current strength is too low and cannot refine it.] the system replied.
"What realm is required to refine it?"
[At least the Divine Fire Realm.]
"Forget it."
"Next time, add the Golden Gourd in and remove the Heaven and Earth Sword. Also, I want to draw a lottery."
[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining an Innate Spiritual Root, the Nine-Colored Soul Lotus!]
"What?"
Hearing the words "Innate Spiritual Root," Gu Qing was ecstatic.
Anything related to the innate was undoubtedly a supreme treasure.
"System, what use does the Nine-Colored Soul Lotus have?" he asked quickly.
[It nourishes and strengthens the divine soul, purifies it into an innate soul, enhances comprehension, dispels inner demons, and defends against divine soul attacks…]
The system explained the Nine-Colored Soul Lotus. In short, it was closely tied to the divine soul.
With the Nine-Colored Soul Lotus, Gu Qing would no longer fear divine soul attacks or worry about being possessed by ancient monsters.
The lotus not only nurtured the divine soul but also restrained it.
"Claim it."
As soon as Gu Qing spoke, the Nine-Colored Soul Lotus fell into his Purple Mansion, radiating dazzling nine-colored light, Dao essence permeating all around.
His Purple Mansion expanded at a visible rate, while his divine sense sublimated.
At the same time, his mind grew clear, and countless cultivation problems instantly unraveled.
He entered enlightenment.
"This boy is in seclusion again."
Ji Ning sighed helplessly.
Gu Qing, still so young, lacked the arrogance of youth.
Look at their Starry Sky Divine Palace's Sun Saint Son—every time he gained something, he couldn't wait to announce it to the world.
Riding his Nine-Dragon Chariot with grand pomp, he sought duels with geniuses everywhere to establish his fame.
"Where is senior brother?"
Three days later, Su Qingyue came looking for Gu Qing. Finding him absent, she asked Ji Ning.
"He is in seclusion," Ji Ning said coldly, though her thoughts were far from calm.
"This little girl looks smitten, surely wanting to invite Gu Qing for romance. Heh, a little sheep wanting to eat a big bad wolf—she will cry soon enough."
"Ah…"
Su Qingyue let out a soft sound, disappointment written all over her face.
Today she had put on battle robes, spent over five hours adorning herself, beautiful down to the last strand of hair.
She had come joyfully to invite Gu Qing to the Wanbao Pavilion's once-in-a-century auction. Who knew Gu Qing would be in seclusion yet again?
"What's wrong?"
At that moment, a clear, bright voice came from within the vessel.
Gu Qing walked over to them with a smile.
He was in excellent spirits. Though his realm had not broken through, his Purple Mansion had expanded several times, his combat power had multiplied, and his comprehension had increased geometrically.
He had also fused the Solar Dao Scripture, raising his foundation even further.
"Junior sister, you are truly beautiful today, like a fairy descended to the mortal world."
"Ah… really…" Su Qingyue's face flushed, joy bubbling within her.
Feigning calm, she said, "Senior brother, today is the Wanbao Pavilion's centennial auction. There must be many treasures. Would you like to attend?"
"Of course, I also want to go out and relax."
Hearing of the Wanbao Pavilion, Gu Qing suddenly thought of Chu Yao, that demoness in the truest sense.
He sent her a message, asking if she would be there, so he could make a deal.
"Wait, here are three billion high-grade spirit stones. Spend freely. If it's not enough, I still have some more."
Ji Ning handed him a storage ring.
Gu Qing had no great background. After joining the Starry Sky Divine Palace, he had been busy cultivating, likely with little wealth on hand.
That wouldn't do.
When walking with a beauty, how could one have an empty purse?
"Thank you."
Gu Qing felt touched.
Though Ji Ning spoke little, she was attentive, caring for him meticulously.
And she was remarkably generous.
He vowed that once he grew strong, he would repay her.
"No need. You two go."
Ji Ning's tone was calm.
As she watched the two walking side by side, talking and laughing, Ji Ning muttered in her heart, "This trip, they'll probably end up together. At this rate, maybe they'll even have a kid next year. What bad luck for me—a dignified Venerable Realm expert, and I'm stuck looking after two adults. Later I might even have to babysit for them…"
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