In this episode, the Destined One encounters several bosses including the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum Spirit, Flint Vanguard, and Mother of Flamlings. This text will introduce the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum Spirit, Flint Vanguard, and Mother of Flamlings.
The Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum Spirit is a sprite found in the Flaming Mountains, specifically near the Tudigong temples in a clearing scorched by the three gates. Among the many plants that can be harvested there, the “Red Giant Ganoderma” is the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum Spirit. In Chinese culture, Ganoderma lucidum is considered an Immortal Herb, and it’s not surprising that after thousands of years of growth, it has transformed into a sprite.
Ganoderma lucidum, also known as red Ganoderma or Ganoderma grass, is a medicinal fungus commonly found in East Asia. It is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine due to its potential health benefits. The fruiting body of Ganoderma typically has an umbrella shape, and its colors range from reddish-brown to dark brown with a glossy surface. The cap is flat or slightly hemispherical with thin edges. The spores of Ganoderma are oval, thick-walled, and brown.
The name Ganoderma originates from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. According to legend, the Yan Emperor had a beautiful and kind daughter named Yao Ji. The Yan Emperor adored her, but she died young, and after her death, her spirit transformed into Ganoderma.
Ganoderma has been frequently mentioned in ancient Chinese culture. In the Legend of the White Snake, Bai Suzhen steals the “Thousand-Year Ganoderma” from the Old Man of the South Pole to revive Xu Xian, a story widely known. After centuries of penance, the white snake, named Bai Suzhen, transformed into a human form. She met Xu Xian on the Broken Bridge, where they fell in love, with her sister, the green snake, playing the role of matchmaker. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the couple celebrated by drinking wine and enjoying the moonlight. Overwhelmed by the alcohol, Bai Suzhen revealed her true form, which shocked Xu Xian to death. To save her husband, Bai Suzhen and the green snake fought fiercely against the mountain-guarding immortals to obtain the Immortal Herb, the “Thousand-Year Ganoderma.” Xu Xian was successfully resurrected after consuming it.
After unifying the “Six Kingdoms,” Qin Shi Huang fantasized about immortality. He consulted Guiguzi who revealed that the mystical island of Penglai housed Ganoderma lucidum, a magical herb capable of resurrecting the dead and granting eternal life to the living. Firmly believing this, Qin Shi Huang dispatched Xu Fu with three thousand men and women, along with sailors and craftsmen, to cross east to Japan (Penglai) in search of the Ganoderma lucidum for immortality.
During the Han Dynasty, in the third year of his reign, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty found that Ganquan Palace had fallen into disrepair, its beams decayed and fostering the growth of Ganoderma lucidum. The ministers praised that the emperor’s merits and virtues had moved heaven and earth, causing Ganoderma lucidum to grow within the palace. Overjoyed, Emperor Wu decreed that the people should tribute Ganoderma lucidum annually.
Ganoderma lucidum primarily grows in warm and humid environments, often on decayed wood, especially on dead broadleaf trees. It contains various bioactive components, such as those with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and cholesterol-lowering effects. It enhances immunity, fights cancer, and has antioxidant properties, including beneficial minerals like zinc, iron, and copper.
Like the Flint Chief, the Flint Vanguard was created by the Keeper of the Flaming Mountains for the Red Boy. In the Flaming Mountains, the Keeper of the Flaming Mountains indulged Red Boy, who clamored for his own Flint Vanguard modeled after the Stone Vanguard at Yellow Wind Ridge. Red Boy had seen the Stone Vanguard at Yellow Wind Ridge when he accompanied Guanyin Bodhisattva to seek Bodhisattva Lingji during their quest with Shancai Child. This is depicted in the Legend of the Divine Diagram and serves as a foreshadowing in the text, echoing with subsequent narratives.
The Keeper of the Flaming Mountains agreed to add Stone Guai for Red Boy, and not just any ordinary ones. Fearing that the Stone Vanguard alone might not be sufficient to amuse Red Boy, he impulsively created many more Stone Guai, including one of immense size with arms and legs strong enough to support its stony body. This gigantic Stone Guai, more formidable than the usual kind, mostly lay dormant in the river of fire, only emerging when fierce enemies intruded or upon his master’s call. However, Red Boy did not favor the creatures that the Keeper of the Flaming Mountains had unilaterally decided to create and mostly interacted only with the Flint Vanguard.
In the backstory of the Mother of Flamlings, a medicine gatherer became famous due to the renowned fire spirit sand. An Alchemist, carrying the Golden Elixir sand, sought his cooperation to capture the Mother of Flamlings. Initially, the gatherer refused but later agreed. Along the way, the gatherer resorted to using common tricks, which the Alchemist disregarded. Together, they found the nest, and the Alchemist used the fire spirit sand to lure out the Mother. During the fierce battle, the Alchemist sacrificed himself to protect the gatherer. The Mother of Flamlings died, and the Young Acolyte also perished. The gatherer obtained both the Golden Elixir sand and the fire spirit sand, greatly benefiting from them. Later, he wrote a book claiming he alone had slain the Mother of Flamlings. With her death, the Young Acolytes disappeared from that region for five hundred years, and the gatherer turned to writing. Clearly, the gatherer was portrayed as a selfish and contemptible character.
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