Chapter 172: Tracing the Roots, Returning to the Origin

"Tracing Origin Dao Fruit Prototype?" Immortal Fairy repeated.

"Tracing the source, returning to the origin."

Even after the explanation, Immortal Fairy still didn't understand: "What's the use of this?"

Lu Yang chuckled: "Wait, I'll find someone to test it on, then you'll know what it does."

Lu Yang stretched comfortably. To comprehend the Dao Fruit prototype, he had isolated his perception of time. He had no idea how long this seclusion had lasted, but it certainly wasn't short; his body felt stiff.

He stepped out of his cave, and the morning sun was particularly dazzling.

"Why are there so many herbs?"

Lu Yang was startled. As far as he could see, there were medicinal fields stretching from the mountaintop all the way down to the foot of the mountain. The herbs cultivated there were extremely old, so much so that even top-grade spirit stones might not be enough to buy them. Each plant, if placed outside, would be fiercely contested by Integration-stage cultivators.

"How long have I been in seclusion? How did Tianmen Peak turn into a medicinal garden?"

Yun Mengmeng, wearing a straw hat, was bending down, holding a jade bottle. She aimed the bottle's mouth at a leaf tip, collecting dewdrops rolling on the leaf surface.

"Second Boss, you're out of seclusion?"

Yun Mengmeng hurried across the medicinal field with her jade bottle to Lu Yang. "Just in time to try the dew I just collected."

"Dew?"

"Was Sister Mengmeng collecting dew just now?"

"I just discovered it recently; morning dew is very delicious."

Lu Yang was puzzled: "Why don't you just collect it directly with a spell?"

Collecting dewdrops one by one with a jade bottle seemed troublesome; a spell could gather several bottles in an instant.

"That's called living."

Lu Yang nodded, pretending to understand. Although he didn't grasp it, he respected it.

He drank the dew in one gulp. Whether it was psychological or genuinely tasty, he said, "It really is delicious."

"Right?"

"What's with this medicinal field? Did the herb garden move to our Tianmen Peak?"

"It was getting a bit troublesome for me to keep going to the herb garden to gather ingredients for cooking, so I planted some on the mountain with Xiao He. They're growing exceptionally well; one-year-old herbs look like they're ten years old."

"Xiao He said it's because I have the Immortal Dao Fruit prototype, and she has the Longevity Dao Fruit prototype, both of which can promote herb growth."

This reminded Lu Yang of the Immortal Fairy's Immortal Dao Fruit's allure to the little Medicine Kings.

"Oh, right, Big Boss, Second Boss, let's go over there; there's something good." Yun Mengmeng suddenly remembered something and, without explanation, pulled Lu Yang toward the mountainside.

Reaching the mountainside, they saw a vibrant array of colorful flowers encircling the entire Tianmen Peak. The fragrant scent was intoxicating.

"What is this?"

"It's to celebrate your emergence from seclusion, Second Boss. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Xiao He and I came up with this. The medicinal fields from the foot of the mountain to the peak have twelve different flowering periods. Starting in January, the herbs at the foot of the mountain bloom, and it continues until December when the herbs at the peak bloom."

"This way, Second Boss, no matter when you emerge from seclusion, you'll always see flowers," Yun Mengmeng explained with an innocent smile on her face.

Immortal Fairy floated out, casually remarking with a hint of indifference, "Looks quite nice. Is it specially for Xiao Yangzi?"

Without thinking, Yun Mengmeng replied, "It's for Big Boss too! It hasn't been easy for you either, staying with Second Boss during his seclusion."

"Hmph, as long as you know it wasn't easy for this Immortal."

Yun Mengmeng felt Big Boss's reaction was a bit odd, but she didn't pay much attention. "Second Boss, you've been in seclusion for so long. Is this seclusion finally over?"

"Of course! Who do you think I am?"

"You've condensed a Dao Fruit prototype? What does it do?" Yun Mengmeng asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Lu Yang hesitated for a moment, feeling awkward about trying it on Yun Mengmeng. "Let's find Old Meng. We'll try it on him."

On the way, Lu Yang asked, "Isn't Senior Qing He here?"

"The Ancient Creation Realm in the Demon Realm has many lost herbs, right? Xiao He felt there weren't enough varieties, so she went there to look for more."

The Ancient Creation Realm was where Jiang Lianyi once slept. It contained many ancient herbs. Lu Yang had once thought about bringing some out, but those ancient herbs were too delicate to adapt to the outside environment.

Presumably, Qing He had a way to make them adapt.

Most members of the Immortal lineage arrived at Meng Jingzhou's cave, coincidentally encountering Meng Jingzhou himself, who had just walked out and was stretching.

"Old Meng, just out of seclusion, have you broken through?" Lu Yang didn't even need to use his divine sense to perceive Meng's cultivation; from the look on Old Meng's face, clearly eager to show off, Lu Yang was certain he had broken through.

"Just average, only mid-Tribulation Transcending stage," Meng Jingzhou said modestly on the surface, but read the implied message from Old Lu's eager expression.

"Did you break through too?"

"Just a Half-Immortal, no need to make a fuss."

"You actually succeeded?!" Meng Jingzhou was astonished. Before his seclusion, he had heard that Lu Yang was traveling the world specifically to find clues for condensing a Dao Fruit prototype.

He never expected that as soon as he emerged, Old Lu would already be a Half-Immortal with mid-Tribulation Transcending stage cultivation.

"Want to find a place to spar?"

"Let's go!"

Both had made breakthroughs and wanted to test their current abilities.

They chose a desolate area deep within the Wen Dao Sect. Yun Mengmeng sat on a tree, watching the battle.

"Let's be clear first: we'll rely on our own abilities. You don't use Formless Fist, and I won't borrow cultivation from my ancestors."

Meng Jingzhou recalled the last time they fought, how Old Lu shamelessly played dirty, borrowing not only cultivation but also the Immortal Dao Fruit prototype with Formless Fist. It would be a miracle if he could win against that.

"Alright."

The uninhabited area was surrounded by mountains, with a vast lake in the center. The two stood on the lake surface as if weightless, and the lake remained as calm as a mirror.

Meng Jingzhou's muscles bulged, veins popped, and his body tensed like a leopard, waiting for its prey to make a move.

Lu Yang drew his Azure Edge Sword, imbuing the essence of the Tracing Origin Dao Fruit prototype into its blade.

Seeing Lu Yang make a move, Meng Jingzhou, who had been preparing for a long time, suddenly exerted force. With a boom, a massive wave rose from the lake. His speed was far greater than the wave, making it look as if the colossal wave was chasing his footsteps!

Lu Yang simply executed a seemingly ordinary sword move, striking Meng Jingzhou's seemingly impenetrable body. Meng Jingzhou raised his hand to block!

The Azure Edge Sword cut Meng Jingzhou, leaving only a shallow sword mark and a drop of Pure Yang True Blood!

"Old Lu, didn't you eat? Your strength is lacking!" Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily. Such an injury could be healed with a single thought for him!

Lu Yang's lips curved into an inscrutable smile. "Is that really so?"

Meng Jingzhou was stunned. "What do you mean?"

Before he could finish speaking, his expression drastically changed. His newly broken-through cultivation realm was gone!

In the blink of an eye, he dropped from the mid-Tribulation Transcending stage to the early Tribulation Transcending stage!

"What's going on!?"

Meng Jingzhou was certain he wasn't under an illusion; he had genuinely fallen in cultivation realm!

Lu Yang still wore that smile on his face.

This time, Meng Jingzhou finally understood what Lu Yang was smiling about.

"The Dao Fruit prototype I condensed is the Tracing Origin Dao Fruit prototype: tracing the source, returning to the origin. Everything is in a cycle; life is like this, and cultivation is also like this."

"To explain it more directly, it makes you return to when you first broke through to the Tribulation Transcending stage."

Meng Jingzhou's pupils contracted. Returning to the origin, lowering cultivation—what a heaven-defying ability!

Immortal Fairy suddenly understood, finally grasping the purpose of Xiao Yangzi's Dao Fruit prototype, and she was delighted.

"Isn't this just suppressing the enemy's realm to lower than your own, and then defeating them? Xiao Yangzi, you've learned the essence of the Invincible Pill!"

Lu Yang: "..."

"Immortal Fairy, how did such a profound and mysterious ability become so common in your mouth?"