Tongtian Cult Master looked at Ancestor Minghe and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Minghe, the Human Book concerns the entire Primordial World. It is not something you can lay your hands on. You should go back and recover from your injuries."
Though Ancestor Minghe was deeply unwilling, there was nothing he could do in the face of a Saint like Tongtian Cult Master.
Left with no choice, Ancestor Minghe sighed, cupped his hands to Tongtian Cult Master, then quietly slipped into the Sea of Blood to tend to his wounds.
"If you've got the guts, don't run! Come out, and let's fight another three hundred rounds!"
Li Xiao pointed at the Sea of Blood and shouted provocatively.
Within the Sea of Blood, Ancestor Minghe ground his teeth in fury, but what could he do?
Li Xiao was Sage Tongtian's personal disciple. Even if Ancestor Minghe had a hundred times more courage, he would not dare touch him!
I'll endure it. I'll endure it... Ancestor Minghe drew a deep breath and suppressed the rage in his heart.
Shameless... Houtu glanced sideways at Li Xiao again, inwardly despising him. After hesitating for a moment, she cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master and said, "Thank you, Saint, for saving me!"
Had Tongtian Cult Master not appeared just now, Houtu would likely have truly been in danger!
Over this Sea of Blood, Ancestor Minghe's combat strength was indeed extraordinary!
Sage Tongtian nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Houtu, do not take it to heart. It was merely a small matter."
Houtu smiled, glanced toward the end of the Sea of Blood, and cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master. "Sage Tongtian, I still have some matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first."
With that, Houtu prepared to leave.
Tongtian Cult Master was slightly taken aback. Looking at Houtu, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Houtu, are you heading for the end of the underworld?"
Houtu froze for a moment, then nodded. "That is right. I sensed that something at the end of the underworld seems to be calling to me..."
Li Xiao opened his mouth, wanting to speak.
Tongtian Cult Master frowned as he looked at Houtu. "Fellow Daoist Houtu, forgive this humble Taoist for speaking plainly, but now is not the best time to head to the end of the underworld. If you go now, I fear..."
Though Tongtian Cult Master did not finish his sentence, his meaning was already clear.
Ancestral Witch Houtu frowned slightly. "Saint, what do you mean?"
"Fellow Daoist Houtu, this humble Taoist speaks only out of good intentions. You must heed these words, or else you will fall into a place of eternal damnation!"
Tongtian Cult Master looked at Houtu with a grave expression.
Beside them, Li Xiao was dumbfounded. What's going on? Why is Master stopping Houtu from entering the underworld to transform into reincarnation? Could it be that Master calculated something?
Houtu turned her head and stared deeply at the underworld. Then she turned back to Tongtian Cult Master and cupped her hands. "Thank you for your words, Saint. I understand. But when will the right time come?"
Tongtian Cult Master hesitated for a moment, then looked at Houtu. "Very well. For the sake of our shared days as guests of Purple Cloud Palace, this humble Taoist will help you once more. As for when the time is right, I will have Li Xiao inform you."
"Me?"
Li Xiao's old face twitched fiercely.
Houtu glanced at Li Xiao, then cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master. "In that case, many thanks to Sage Tongtian!"
Tongtian Cult Master nodded, looked toward Li Xiao, and swept his sleeve. He rolled Li Xiao up and returned to Biyou Palace.
Houtu turned back and gazed deeply once more at the end of the underworld. Forcibly suppressing the impulse in her heart, she transformed into a streak of light and returned to the Witch Clan.
After Tongtian Cult Master brought Li Xiao back to Golden Ao Island, Li Xiao bid him farewell and returned to Penglai Immortal Island.
As for the other two immortal islands, although they were also Li Xiao's cultivation grounds, he did not visit them often.
One day, Li Xiao was basking in the sun, pondering how to conceal things from the Heavenly Dao and establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation, when several streaks of light shot toward him.
The lights faded, revealing four figures: Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao sisters.
"Fifth senior brother, this humble Taoist has come to drink with you..."
Zhao Gongming carried two jars of wine and laughed heartily.
But when he approached Li Xiao, his expression changed slightly. "Fifth senior brother, you... you broke through again?"
"Mm. Last time I was sleeping, and I accidentally broke through to the middle stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm."
Li Xiao spoke as if it were nothing.
Pfft...
You could break through while sleeping?
And he had accidentally broken through?
This was truly infuriating beyond comparison.
Zhao Gongming's fragile heart suffered ten thousand points of damage. Letting out a breath of stale air, he forced a smile. "Senior Brother Li Xiao, come. Today, let us drink three hundred jars of fine wine to our hearts' content..."
"Come, drink!"
Li Xiao had something on his mind and was in a foul mood, so he pulled Zhao Gongming over to drink with him.
After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food!
Zhao Gongming had already collapsed onto the table, sleeping soundly.
Only Li Xiao remained, drinking alone in silence.
How can I hide this from the Heavenly Dao? I'm afraid I'll have to forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation. But forging the Six Paths of Reincarnation will be incredibly difficult!
I heard that the Chan Sect possesses a Jade Void Artifact Refining Manual. If I can get my hands on it and master the artifact-refining methods within, perhaps I really can forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation!
As Li Xiao drank alone, Yunxiao once again heard his inner thoughts.
"Jade Void Artifact Refining Manual? Forging the Six Paths of Reincarnation?"
Yunxiao raised her brows, her heart stirring slightly.
He drank cup after cup alone, and before long, Li Xiao fell asleep as well.
Yunxiao looked at Qiongxiao and Bixiao. "Sisters, I have something to do on Golden Ao Island. Watch over our two senior brothers."
"Go ahead, Sister!"
Qiongxiao said.
Yunxiao immediately rose to her feet, transformed into a streak of light, and headed toward Golden Ao Island.
Upon arriving at Golden Ao Island, she entered Biyou Palace and met Tongtian Cult Master. Cupping her hands, Yunxiao said, "Your disciple Yunxiao greets Master!"
Tongtian Cult Master swept his sleeve and laid down layers upon layers of restrictions. Looking at Yunxiao, he hurriedly asked, "Yunxiao, did you hear anything useful again?"
Yunxiao cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master. "I did hear something, but..."
"But what? Ah, Yunxiao, hurry and tell me! You're going to worry your master to death! In this Primordial World, what could possibly stump your master? Hurry up and say it!"
Tongtian Cult Master was famously impatient and hurriedly pressed her.
Master, don't talk so big. You'll have trouble backing down later... Yunxiao took a deep breath, looked at Tongtian Cult Master, and cupped her hands. "Master, this disciple heard Senior Brother Li Xiao's inner thoughts. He said... he wants to forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation..."
"What? Forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation? This..."
Tongtian Cult Master's face twitched violently. His eyes widened as he looked at Yunxiao in disbelief, then he curled his lips. "That brat really dares to dream. How could the Six Paths of Reincarnation possibly be forged?"
Yunxiao's eyes twitched fiercely as she gave an awkward smile. "He... he first needs to obtain the Chan Sect's Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual..."
Pfft... Upon hearing this, Tongtian Cult Master nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. His face flushed bright red, and for a long while, he could not say a word.
Li Xiao's idea was quite good, but putting it into practice was harder than ascending to heaven!
Everyone in the Primordial World knew that the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect did not get along. For Tongtian Cult Master to obtain the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual from Primordial Heavenly Venerate would likely be harder than ascending to heaven...
Provoking Immortal Elder Nanji and Yunzhongzi
Tongtian Cult Master had no solution, but Li Xiao left Three Immortal Island and tried to find an opportunity to obtain the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual.
Within the Chan Sect, aside from Primordial Heavenly Venerate himself, Yunzhongzi possessed the greatest skill in artifact refinement.
Yunzhongzi had copied nearly every treasure in the Primordial World and was known as the Primordial World's master imitator.
Therefore, Li Xiao's destination was clear: Yunzhongzi of Zhongnan Mountain.
Li Xiao did not delay along the way, traveling on clouds the entire distance.
When he arrived at Zhongnan Mountain, he saw that it stretched for hundreds of millions of miles, its breadth and height unknowable. Divine peaks pierced the heavens, clouds and mist drifted ethereally, and faint rosy light filled the air as auspicious aura rose in billowing waves. It was clearly a rare immortal mountain and blessed land.
Faint sounds of Dao teachings could be heard from within the mountains.
Though the sounds were weak, they were unquestionably orthodox Mystic Gate cultivation methods.
"Oh? Is someone teaching the Dao here?"
Li Xiao raised his brows and followed the sounds on a cloud.
Before long, he arrived at an immortal mountain, where he saw two people seated cross-legged, playing Go and discussing the Dao.
They were none other than Yunzhongzi and Immortal Elder Nanji.
Below them were three spirits: a tiger demon, a deer demon, and a Sheep Demon.
Immortal Elder Nanji and Yunzhongzi are rather friendly toward demons...
Li Xiao silently smirked.
Because Primordial Heavenly Venerate disliked the Demon Race, those covered in scales and armor or born from dampness and eggs, the Chan Sect rarely accepted demons and other nonhuman beings as disciples.
But Immortal Elder Nanji and Yunzhongzi were exceptions.
Immortal Elder Nanji had accepted two disciples: his mount, the Immortal Deer, and White Crane Boy. Both were demons.
White Crane Boy, in particular, had served at Primordial Heavenly Venerate's side year-round.
As for Yunzhongzi, he seemed rather easygoing.
Otherwise, he would have driven away the tiger demon, deer demon, and Sheep Demon long ago!
"Oh? A tiger demon, deer demon, and Sheep Demon? Could they be the three spirits of the Chechi Kingdom from the future—Great Immortal Huli, Great Immortal Luli, and Great Immortal Yangli?"
Li Xiao froze as he recalled the three demons who would later destroy Buddhism and seek the Dao.
Those three demons possessed considerable skill and could summon rain, wind, thunder, and lightning. They clearly wielded orthodox Mystic Gate techniques. Li Xiao had not expected them to have learned their divine abilities from Yunzhongzi and Immortal Elder Nanji.
This truly surprised Li Xiao.
Upon the great bluestone, Immortal Elder Nanji and Yunzhongzi continued playing Go, seemingly unable to see anyone else.
In the end, Yunzhongzi narrowly won by one stone, defeating Immortal Elder Nanji.
"First Senior Brother, thank you for letting me win, thank you for letting me win! Hahaha..."
Before you continue