Primordial World.
Kunlun Mountain, Three Pure Ones Palace.
Inside the hall, three Daoists sat upon their thrones. From left to right, they appeared old, middle-aged, and young. They were Supreme Pure Laozi, Jade Pure Yuanshi, and Upper Pure Tongtian, transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit.
At this time, the three of them had yet to part ways, and Kunlun Mountain was their shared daoist temple.
Their gazes were fixed upon the light screen, where a young man strolled leisurely through the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation. One had to know that every step within the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation was equivalent to passing through a tribulation.
After entering the formation, this young man had treated its tribulations as though they were nothing, advancing relentlessly. He was about to leave the formation.
The three had never seen a Golden Immortal with such an unyielding Dao heart and such formidable mental fortitude.
"Second Brother."
Master Tongtian suddenly looked toward Yuanshi Tianzun and said with a smile, "You know that my Intercepting Teaching lacks a treasure to suppress its Calamity Fate. This child has an extraordinary background and carries Daoist Meng Zhang's Calamity Fate. If he can join the Intercepting Teaching, it will greatly benefit its future."
Yuanshi Tianzun frowned slightly. His eyes blazed as he stared intently at the young man on the light screen. At a glance, he saw the young man's Calamity Fate above his head, red to the point of turning purple.
After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Third Brother, this child is indeed extraordinary. The tenacity of his Dao heart is truly rare. That is precisely why we should respect his choice and not make him resent us."
In other words, the young man should choose his own master.
Hearing this, Master Tongtian nodded thoughtfully and said no more.
While Yuanshi Tianzun and Master Tongtian spoke, the young man had already stepped out of the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation. Light flickered beyond the formation, as though celebrating his success. The young man looked toward the Three Pure Ones Palace, and a trace of longing flashed through his eyes.
The young man was named Meng Chen, and he was a transmigrator. After arriving in the Primordial Wilderness, he had become the son of Divine Lord Meng Zhang, the Azure Dragon Divine Lord—a legitimate second-generation dragon.
Logically speaking, with Divine Lord Meng Zhang as his father, Meng Chen had no need to take another master. He only needed to remain in the Eastern Celestial Pole and cultivate peacefully. In the future, once he inherited the position of Azure Dragon Divine Lord, he could live freely and at ease.
However, Meng Chen wanted to attain the Dao of Chaotic Origin.
In the Primordial World, all who failed to become Saints were ants. To become an existence comparable to a Saint, one had to become one of the Saints' own.
Meng Chen clearly understood that the Primordial World was Xuanmen's private property. For those outside Xuanmen to seek an existence comparable to a Saint and take a share of Xuanmen's benefits was no different from courting death.
Thus, he persuaded Divine Lord Meng Zhang to send him to Kunlun Mountain to take a master.
The person Meng Chen wished to take as his master was Yuanshi Tianzun. It was not because he was overconfident; he had connections.
Divine Lord Meng Zhang and Yuanshi Tianzun were friends.
Before Meng Chen came to Kunlun Mountain, Divine Lord Meng Zhang had already contacted Yuanshi Tianzun and asked him for a favor. Yuanshi Tianzun had no reason to refuse, because Divine Lord Meng Zhang had said that Meng Chen would inevitably inherit the position of Azure Dragon Divine Lord in the future.
Suppressing the four poles of heaven and earth would bring an endless stream of Merit and Calamity Fate. Even if Yuanshi Tianzun did not consider Divine Lord Meng Zhang's standing, he still had to consider the Merit and Calamity Fate.
All Meng Chen needed to do was pass the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation.
Meng Chen stepped into the hall and immediately saw the Three Pure Ones Saints seated high upon their thrones. He hurriedly bowed in respect and said aloud, "This junior, Meng Chen, pays respects to the three Saints."
Supreme Pure Laozi nodded slightly, his eyes carrying a measure of scrutiny. Smiling, he said, "For a young friend to remain so composed within the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation is truly no easy feat."
Master Tongtian's gaze also fell upon Meng Chen, and a faint expectation appeared in his eyes, as though he hoped Meng Chen would join the Intercepting Teaching.
Yuanshi Tianzun looked at Meng Chen and spoke gently. "Meng Chen, since you have passed the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation, you are qualified to enter the Three Pure Ones Palace. Among the three of us, whom do you wish to take as your master?"
He did not directly ask whether Meng Chen wished to take him as his master. If he had asked that question, then even if Meng Chen did not wish to take him as his master, he would have had to do so.
Saints could not be refused.
A Saint might be magnanimous and not take offense, but a Saint's disciples would certainly fight to the death with anyone who rejected their master. In their eyes, that was an insult to their master.
Meng Zhang raised his head slightly and looked respectfully at Yuanshi Tianzun. In a firm voice, he said, "In reply to Primal Sage Yuanshi, this junior is willing to enter your lineage. I hope you will accept me."
Upon hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun revealed a faint smile and nodded.
"Good. From this day onward, you shall be This Seat's eldest disciple. This Seat will teach you the Chan Sect's many profound methods without reservation. I hope you will cultivate diligently in the future and not disappoint this opportunity."
Although Master Tongtian was somewhat disappointed, he laughed openly. "So be it. This is also the affinity between you and Second Brother. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, simply come find this master-uncle."
Meng Chen hurriedly bowed to Master Tongtian, deeply grateful for his open-mindedness.
For a Saint to show kindness toward an ant was exceedingly rare. Meng Chen's father was a Primordial Saint, and he knew how Primordial Saints treated ordinary living beings.
Supreme Pure Laozi also smiled and said, "Now that you have entered the Chan Sect, cultivate well. The Chan Sect's rules must not be violated."
Meng Chen respectfully acknowledged his words.
Having successfully entered Yuanshi Tianzun's lineage, Meng Chen finally let out a long breath. Joining Xuanmen was like obtaining an official post and becoming a civil servant of the Primordial Wilderness. More importantly, he was now a legitimate Xuanmen disciple, qualified to become a Saint and attain the Dao of Chaotic Origin.
He had to hold this golden rice bowl firmly.
Although Meng Chen had successfully taken a master, the assessment continued. Meng Chen had reached the Three Pure Ones Palace in less than a day, while everyone else still suffered within the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation.
This assessment lasted three thousand years. One after another, people passed it, and one after another, more came to take part.
The Primordial Wilderness had countless living beings. Since the Three Pure Ones had opened their gates widely for the first time, they would naturally give all living beings more opportunities. They also needed to select suitable disciples to bring glory to their lineage.
Within the Three Pure Ones Palace, Meng Chen saw many figures renowned in his previous life for the first time.
Guang Chengzi, Chijingzi, Taiyi Zhenren, Manjusri, Heavenly Lord of Broad Law... The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect had ultimately taken their places. However, Yellow Dragon True Man failed to become a personal disciple. Along with Immortal Elder of the South Pole and Yun Zhongzi, he became a registered disciple.
There was no helping it. Though both were dragons, the gap between Yellow Dragon True Man and Meng Chen was far too great.
Yellow Dragon True Man belonged to the Primordial Dragon Lineage. The Primordial Dragon Lineage had attempted to replace the Heavenly Dao with its own Dao and turn the Primordial Wilderness into dragons, only to incur Heaven's wrath. Even Master Tongtian had been unwilling to accept dragons of the Primordial Dragon Lineage as disciples.
One had to know that the Intercepting Teaching's future daoist temple would be in the East Sea. Yet the Intercepting Teaching in the East Sea did not have a single member of the Dragon Clan. Was it that the Dragon Clan did not wish to take Master Tongtian as their master, or that Master Tongtian did not wish to accept the Dragon Clan as disciples? The answer was obvious.
Meng Chen, however, was different. He came from the Azure Dragon Lineage. Divine Lord Meng Zhang was a spirit of heaven and earth, not formed from a fiendgod's essence and blood like the Primordial Dragon. Given a choice between the two, Yuanshi Tianzun naturally chose Meng Chen.
On the Intercepting Teaching's side, Master Tongtian accepted Daoist Duobao, Holy Mother Jinling, Our Lady of Wudang, Holy Mother Turtle Spirit, Wuyun Xian, and many other elite pillars of the Intercepting Teaching.
In terms of personal disciples alone, the Chan Sect and the Intercepting Teaching were evenly matched.
It seems the Intercepting Teaching's reputation was ruined by those outer disciples who entered later. Still, one should not meddle in matters beyond one's position. This has little to do with me. I should first attain the Dao of Great Luo, become a great power of heaven and earth, and then make plans for the world.
Meng Chen remained extremely calm. He had no habit of dispensing sympathy indiscriminately.
He was only a Golden Immortal. What right did he have to sympathize with a Saint? For an ant, protecting itself was what mattered most.
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