Chapter 13

When Nuwa heard this, her eyes stirred slightly. The heavenly secrets she could glimpse—this youth had actually sensed them too? What startled her even more was that Lin Fan had precisely foretold the hour when the calamity would arrive.

How do you know?

The River of Destiny merely raised blood-colored ripples.

The youth answered calmly, but Nuwa began calculating with her fingers inside her sleeve. The day Jieyin and Zhunti attained the Dao truly did overlap with Hongyun's fated calamity. She looked at her younger brother, who had lowered his eyes to brew tea, and through the curling tea mist, she seemed to see a new trajectory of the Heavenly Dao.

After pondering for a moment, Nuwa asked softly:

You mean Jieyin and Zhunti will plot against Hongyun in the dark?

That's right.

Lin Fan answered with certainty.

Nuwa was still somewhat doubtful:

That doesn't make sense, does it?

Back then in Zixiao Palace, it was Hongyun who took the initiative to give up his seat to them, and only then did they have the chance to become the Dao Ancestor's registered**, obtaining Hongmeng Purple Qi.

With such a great kindness, how could they repay grace with enmity?

What a kind Sister. Lin Fan secretly shook his head. He did not directly refute her, but asked instead:

Sister, what do you think of those two's character?

To be honest... not much.

Nuwa answered reluctantly.

It was far more than "not much"—they were simply notorious far and wide.

In the Primordial World, when they acted, there was nothing they would not do: swindling, cheating, abducting, and deceiving.

That was why, after Laozi heard Lin Fan's words back then, he went straight to Mount Sumeru without another word.

With their way of doing things, what filthy deed could they not commit?

Since you think so too, then it's not strange for them to scheme against Hongyun.

Lin Fan lay there gnawing on a fruit and said unhurriedly:

For Hongyun's kindness in giving up his seat, they owed a cause and effect as vast as the heavens. How troublesome would it be to repay that cause and effect?

If Hongyun died, the cause and effect would be settled, and they could even get a Hongmeng Purple Qi for nothing.

For a deal like that, wouldn't it be profitable?

The more Nuwa listened, the more she felt it made sense.

Coming from Lin Fan's mouth, it became even more credible.

She smiled and pinched the little fellow's cheeks:

Little Lin Fan is so clever, seeing things so thoroughly.

Sister, since I'm this clever, can I make a tiny request?

Go on. Sister will agree to anything.

"Can you stop pinching my face? If you keep pinching it, I won't be handsome anymore."

Lin Fan ** as he even deliberately made the consequences sound very serious.

"No."

Nuwa refused directly.

There was no helping it—the feel was simply too good. She completely could not control herself.

If she could not pinch his face, life would lose all meaning.

Lin Fan was so angry his teeth itched.

"You just promised me. How can a Saint go back on her word?"

"Hm? What did Sister promise you? Why can't I suddenly remember?"

Nuwa blinked, looking utterly innocent.

Lin Fan could only sigh.

Sure enough, women were all unreliable.

After staying at Shouyang Mountain for a while, Nuwa returned to Wa Huang Palace. From afar, she saw someone waiting outside.

It was Sect Master Tongtian.

Seeing her return, Tongtian hurriedly stepped forward.

Nuwa's expression was indifferent. "Senior Brother Tongtian, is something the matter?"

"If it's still about the Human Teachings, please go back."

Tongtian smiled somewhat awkwardly. "Junior Sister, you've misunderstood. I didn't come for that."

"Everything that happened last time was my elder brother's fault. He spoke improperly and offended you."

"I apologize to you on his behalf."

Seeing his sincere attitude, Nuwa's tone softened a little. "No need. Senior Brother, just say what you came to say."

"Junior Sister, to be honest, I have recently been comprehending the Hongmeng Purple Qi, and I vaguely touched upon the opportunity to become a saint."

"But after thinking about it for ages, I still can't find the direction."

"I'd like to ask Junior Sister to help me calculate it."

Nuwa did not refuse. She tried to deduce Tongtian's opportunity, only to find the heavenly secrets chaotic, as if something were blocking them.

"I cannot see through Senior Brother's opportunity either."

Disappointment showed on Tongtian's face, and he was just about to take his leave when Nuwa suddenly spoke.

"Perhaps my younger brother Lin Fan knows."

Lin Fan?

That little child? How could he know the opportunity to become a saint?

Sect Master Tongtian's first reaction was that Nuwa was joking.

Nuwa naturally knew what he was thinking, and she could not be bothered to explain.

Believe it or not, as you please. My younger brother is a heaven-sent prodigy—why should I need to prove it to others?

It was enough that she knew it in her own heart.

Hmph!

She turned and stepped into Wa Huang Palace, and the palace doors closed silently.

Tongtian, left hanging where he stood, looked slightly awkward.

After thinking it over again and again, he still decided to make a trip to Shouyang Mountain.

Nuwa would not go so far as to trick him.

He had nothing else to do anyway, so he might as well see what was so special about this boy.

As soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, Tongtian perceived something unusual.

This Human Ancestral Land had originally been unremarkable among the mountains of the Immortals of the Great Desolation, nothing more than an ordinary Daoist field.

But now, spiritual energy pressed in from all sides.

Just strolling around the outskirts, he encountered dozens of Acquired Spiritual Roots.

This rate of development was far too abnormal. There had to be something fishy going on.

Tongtian investigated as he walked forward, and when he reached the core area, he suddenly stopped.

He saw a doll-like child, soft and round as a ball of pink powder, sitting cross-legged on the ground—it was none other than Lin Fan.

The child was holding the glittering golden Kongtong Seal in his left hand, and the area beside him was piled full.

Tongtian's pupils shrank. That was clearly the human race's supreme treasure, the Kongtong Seal!

The so-called walnuts were actually Thunder Spirit Fruits, produced by the Heavenly Thunder Divine Tree, their shells as hard as iron.

Yet Lin Fan swung the great seal, smashed open the shell, pinched up the purple-glimmering kernel, and tossed it into his mouth.

He ate with a merry crack-crack crunch, while Tongtian's eyelids twitched wildly at the sight.

Using a supreme treasure of merit to crack walnuts? This Little Ancestor really knew how to stir up monstrous trouble!

If anyone among his disciples dared use the Immortal Slaying Sword for such a thing, they would have long since been slapped across the face.

Lin Fan seemed to sense something and raised his head in greeting. "Huh? Exalted Immortal Tongtian came to Shouyang Mountain for sightseeing too?"

"I heard Junior Sister Nuwa praise the human race's new appearance, so I came specially to broaden my horizons," Tongtian replied, stroking his beard.

Sect Master Tongtian spoke.

Lin Fan answered casually and remained focused on peeling the walnut in his hand.

Seeing that Lin Fan was still using that object to crack walnuts, Sect Master Tongtian's brows furrowed slightly.

"Young friend Lin Fan, is the object in your hand the Kongtong Seal? How can such a supreme treasure be used like this?"

"As expected, your eyesight is extraordinary."

Lin Fan lifted the Kongtong Seal and shook it, his face full of pride.

"This is a Dharma treasure I refined. Doesn't it look especially mighty?"

The corner of Sect Master Tongtian's eye twitched.

A Dharma treasure?

This was clearly just a stubborn rock.

He truly could not bear to watch anymore. Another day, he would definitely have to tell Junior Sister Nuwa.

When this brat took a beating, he absolutely had to witness the spectacle with his own eyes.

Pressing down the stray thoughts in his heart, Sect Master Tongtian changed the subject.

"I've heard young friend Lin Fan has transcendent comprehension and unique insights into the Great Dao. I came today especially to seek your guidance."

"May I ask what you think, young friend?"

Lin Fan immediately understood.

By his reckoning, Sister Nuwa had already attained the Dao some time ago, and after founding the Human Teachings, her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.

Though the Sanqing showed nothing on the surface, in their hearts, they had probably long since been unable to sit still.

This one had probably comprehended something and was the first who could no longer hold back.

Setting down the stone in his hand, Lin Fan asked with a smile, "Daoist Friend Tongtian, did you come here for the opportunity to become a Saint?"

Sect Master Tongtian's expression tightened slightly.

He had not expected this youth to point straight to the crux of the matter.

This visit had originally been nothing more than a tentative try; success or failure would not have mattered.

But those words made anticipation sprout in his heart.

Without letting anything show, he asked in return, "How can you tell?"

"With your venerable status as a mighty quasi-Saint, if there were no important matter, why would you personally come to the Human Tribe?"

Lin Fan curled his lip. Wasn't this obvious?

Sect Master Tongtian pondered briefly, and it was indeed so, so he said no more.

"I wonder what insights Lin Fan has regarding the realm of Saints?"

Lin Fan blinked and replied, feigning confusion, "The realm of Saints? Senior Tongtian, what do you mean by that?"

"I'm merely a tiny Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. How would I dare make reckless comments on the Great Dao of Saints?"

Sect Master Tongtian's gaze sharpened slightly. He kept feeling this youth was deliberately hiding his true ability.

After a little thought, light flowed in his palm, and three golden elixirs wreathed in rosy radiance appeared.

"These are Six-Turn Golden Elixirs, made by Senior Brother Laozi himself."

"If you are willing to discuss the Dao with me, these three golden elixirs will be your thanks."

Lin Fan swept the golden elixirs with the corner of his eye and said, pretending to be calm, "Such a generous gift from Senior is truly more than I dare accept.

"For such precious immortal elixirs, this junior would feel unworthy to receive them."

You want to trade a few pills for the opportunity to realize Sainthood? Truly a wild fantasy.

Sect Master Tongtian understood in his heart, and with a sweep of his sleeve, he took out three Yellow Middle Plums.

The spirit fruits' skins were covered in dense purple markings, and surging Dao rhythms rolled like tides.

Legend said that if a mortal ate one, they could gain immortality on the spot.

If fully refined, one could even step directly into the realm of the Great Luo.

Lin Fan's throat moved slightly, and a trace of longing flashed through his eyes, but he still pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Seeing this, the sect master felt secretly annoyed.

This little slippery brat was truly greedy.

But for the sake of seeking the Hunyuan Dao Fruit, even more treasures would not be too much to lose.

He formed a hand seal and gave a soft shout.

Twenty-four bright pearls rose into the air.

Within five-colored rays of light, layer upon layer of illusory heavens were reflected—

they were none other than the Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Sea Calming Divine Pearls.

When unleashed, they could overturn heaven and earth, ** the myriad worlds.

"Speak freely. If your insights are unique, this treasure will be gifted to you."

Gazing at the resplendently radiant treasure pearls, Lin Fan finally broke into a smile and said, "In my view, the path to becoming a Saint is nothing more than understanding one's heart and seeing one's nature, proving one's own Dao through practice, and finally leaping out of the cage."

Great Saint Tongtian was carefree and unfettered, acting according to his nature, firmly believing that all things had their own fortunes and opportunities.

Since that was so, why not found a sect, spread the Dao far and wide, and save the world and ferry people across?

All living beings beneath heaven and earth, without distinction of high or low, noble or base, could hear the Dao and cultivate, seeking their own fortune. This was supreme merit.

Lin Fan spoke softly and gently, yet every word and sentence boomed beside Tongtian's ears like startling thunder.

For a moment, Tongtian fell into a daze, staring fixedly at the youth before him. These words had actually let him touch a mysterious thread of heavenly secrets, as if the clouds had been parted to reveal the sun. The Hongmeng Purple Qi within his Primordial Spirit trembled along with it, as though echoing his sudden enlightenment.

Seize a thread of heavenly secrets and deliver all living beings!

After a long while, a sharp light suddenly flashed in Tongtian's eyes. He let out a long laugh and soared straight up to the ninth heaven.

Today, I establish the Jie Sect.

I shall open wide the gate of convenience; all who are fated may enter among my disciples.

Jie Sect, stand!

The Great Dao's Heavenly Sound resounded through the universe. In an instant, purple qi stretched across the sky, and golden lotuses sprang up everywhere from the ground. Vast merit poured down like the Milky Way from the ninth heaven, and driven by the Hongmeng Purple Qi, Tongtian finally attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit.

Saintly might surged vast and mighty, awing all the heavens.

The Primordial World shook, and ten thousand immortals fixed their eyes upon him.

Lin Fan leisurely cracked walnuts, gazing at the spirited Tongtian atop the clouds and secretly marveling.

With this bit of guidance, Tongtian had already taken on his cause and effect. Given this great Saint's character, even if he did not help the human race in the future, he certainly would not become their enemy. It was quite a brilliant move.

Seeing that Tongtian was still intoxicated among the clouds, Lin Fan called out:

Saint, you had better come down quickly.

The wind is chilly up there. Be careful not to catch cold.

Catch cold? Tongtian smiled, not taking it seriously.

Then his heart suddenly shook—this was the Human Ancestral Land! The humans living here had always been frail in body and low in cultivation. How could they withstand such a powerful energy shock?

If he carelessly injured the innocent, that scene would be rather awkward.

Yet when his divine sense swept over the area below, the sight before him left him stunned.

Not only had these mortals not been affected by his Saintly might, each and every one of them looked perfectly composed. Instead, they had their heads tilted back, staring straight at him with the eyes of people sizing up some novel toy.

Daoist Tongtian froze for a moment.

Only after probing carefully did he realize that the entire human sacred land was enveloped by an Innate Grand Formation. The formation secretly accorded with the Five Elements Interaction and hid within the laws of space. He had arrived in such haste earlier that he had actually failed to perceive it.

This formation hid profound mysteries, and its defensive power could be called supreme. Even a Saint's might could hardly pierce through it.

Amid his astonishment, a strange look surfaced on Tongtian's face—Nuwa's attainments in the path of formations were **; how could she possibly lay down such a heaven-defying divine formation?

Filled with doubt, he landed directly in front of Lin Fan and asked, "Was this Innate Grand Formation in the Human Ancestral Land your Sister's work?"

"Naturally not." Lin Fan shook his head.

"Then who was it?"

"Who else could it be, besides me?"

Tongtian's pupils shrank slightly. A mere Primordial Unity Golden Immortal—how could he have comprehended such a top-tier formation?