Li Xiao grinned. "Of course, absolutely! A stunning beauty like Sister Yunxiao came to see me in person. Naturally, I'm delighted beyond measure!"
"Pah!"
Yunxiao spat lightly, her pretty face flushing red.
With Sister Yunxiao here, how am I supposed to cultivate the Jade Void Artifact Refining Manual?
Even if I master artifact refinement, the materials needed will be incredibly difficult to obtain!
The Six Paths of Reincarnation correspond to the Heavenly Human Path, Human Path, Asura Path, Hungry Ghost Path, Hell Path, and Beast Path! The best material for the Heavenly Human Path would be Di Jun's Heavenly Emperor's Throne, but how am I supposed to snatch the Heavenly Emperor's Throne from beneath Di Jun's ass?
The Human Path should correspond to Empress Nuwa. After all, Empress Nuwa is the Holy Mother of humanity. If I could obtain the Human Creation Whip and cut off a piece of it, that would be ideal. But getting the Human Creation Whip from Empress Nuwa... that difficulty is no less than plucking my teacher's beard clean!
The Asura Path corresponds to Ancestor Minghe's Asura Clan. Rumor has it that deep within the Sea of Blood stands an Asura Stele. To take it, I'd have to defeat Ancestor Minghe... Hiss...
As for the Hungry Ghost Path, Buddhism has the art of reincarnation, so it should correspond to the Hungry Ghost Path. Hmm, Buddhism is the present-day Western Sect. I'll need to take some treasure symbolic of the Western Sect, preferably the water of the Eight Treasures Merit Pool. The difficulty... fine, it's no less than marrying Empress Nuwa!
The Hell Path requires the Heavenly Dao for suppression, and the one corresponding to the Heavenly Dao... Hiss, naturally, it is Ancestor Hongjun. Fine, plucking the Dao Ancestor's beard... even my teacher probably couldn't manage that, could he?
The Beast Path corresponds to the Demon Race. I heard that when Demon Master Kunpeng created the demon script, he obtained a Demon Mark Golden Pillar. If I could take that pillar... Sigh, what a headache, what a headache...
Li Xiao ignored Yunxiao and continued studying the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual, though Yunxiao heard every word of his thoughts.
Yunxiao's pretty face twitched violently as she thought, Refining the Six Paths of Reincarnation truly is harder than ascending to heaven.
The owners of those six corresponding items were either Saints or peak Quasi-Saints, and one of them was even the Dao Ancestor. Good heavens, how was this supposed to work?
For a moment, Yunxiao had a headache as well.
"Um... fifth senior brother, carry on with your work. I won't disturb you any longer!"
Eager to report the matter to Tongtian Cult Master, Yunxiao rose and took her leave.
In Yunxiao's eyes, such a difficult matter should not be borne by Li Xiao alone. Tongtian Cult Master had to know so they could think of a solution together.
However, Yunxiao felt that this matter alone would be enough to give Tongtian Cult Master a terrible headache!
After all, it involved far too many figures, even the Dao Ancestor. Plucking hairs from the Dao Ancestor's mouth would be difficult—extremely difficult!
Li Xiao focused intently on studying the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual and merely nodded faintly.
Elsewhere, Candle Dragon returned to the Dragon Palace with an expression so gloomy it was frightening.
The Four Dragon Kings had all gathered together, for this matter concerned the future fate of the Dragon Clan.
"Ancestor, how did it go?"
After hesitating, Ao Guang clasped his hands toward Candle Dragon and asked.
Candle Dragon's old face darkened. Light flickered uncertainly in his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Hmph, that Li Xiao may have been fooling me. He never took my Dragon Clan's affairs to heart at all!"
The Four Dragon Kings' old faces twitched violently.
Upon hearing this, the hot-tempered South Sea Dragon King, Ao Qin, flew into a rage. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Hmph, that Li Xiao has some nerve, bullying my Dragon Clan like this! I'll go reason with him!"
"Come back!"
Candle Dragon shouted in a deep voice.
Only then did Ao Qin turn back.
Light flickered uncertainly in Candle Dragon's eyes as he looked at the Four Dragon Kings. "Li Xiao did verbally agree to help us, so we cannot dismiss him outright. If you go make trouble now, Ao Qin, you'll cut off one path to survival for my Dragon Clan!"
"Moreover, Li Xiao is Sage Tongtian's fifth personal disciple. The Jie Sect is flourishing now, known as the gathering place of ten thousand immortals. If you go stir up trouble on Penglai Immortal Island, aren't you afraid of poking a hornet's nest?"
Candle Dragon glared at Ao Qin irritably and spoke in a deep voice.
Ao Qin opened his mouth, then clasped his hands toward Candle Dragon. "It was this little king who failed to consider matters properly. Please punish me, Ancestor!"
Candle Dragon waved his hand, too lazy to argue with Ao Qin. The light in his eyes still flickered as he said in a deep voice, "However, we cannot hang ourselves from Li Xiao's tree alone. We must seek other paths..."
"Ancestor, this little king has one possible path. I wonder... whether it might work?"
After hesitating, Ao Guang clasped his hands toward Candle Dragon.
Candle Dragon raised an eyebrow and looked at Ao Guang. "Oh? Ao Guang, what path do you have?"
Ao Guang clasped his hands toward Candle Dragon and said, "Ancestor, True Person Huanglong of the Chan Sect is a yellow dragon in his true form. This little king has had some dealings with him. Why not ask him for help? If we can gain Sage Yuanshi's protection, our Dragon Clan will surely escape the erosion of the karma of the Heavenly Dao..."
Candle Dragon's eyes lit up as he said happily, "This path will work. Ao Guang, quickly contact True Person Huanglong and build a good relationship with him..."
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Ao Guang clasped his hands toward Candle Dragon.
Candle Dragon looked at Ao Guang and asked, "Ao Guang, I heard your third princess is exceptionally intelligent and breathtakingly beautiful?"
"Yes, Ancestor. Her name is Ao Li. Why have you suddenly mentioned Ao Li, Ancestor?"
A faint sense of foreboding rose in Ao Guang's heart.
Ao Li was his most beloved princess. He did not want anything to happen to her.
Candle Dragon glanced at Ao Guang and recounted what Li Xiao had said about lacking someone to serve tea and pour water.
Ao Guang cried out in alarm, "Ancestor, you want Ao Li to serve that Li Xiao? This..."
Candle Dragon took a deep breath. Light flickered uncertainly in his eyes as he said, "Sigh, there is no other way. It would also benefit our Dragon Clan if Ao Li went to Penglai Immortal Island..."
"This..."
Ao Guang grew anxious.
Candle Dragon frowned deeply and said in a grave voice, "Hmph, the Dragon Clan has reached a critical moment of life and death. How can you be unwilling to part with even one child? Besides, having Ao Li follow Li Xiao is not necessarily a bad thing. Li Xiao is, after all, Sage Tongtian's fifth personal disciple..."
Though deeply unwilling, Ao Guang still clasped his hands and said, "Yes, Ancestor!"
However, Ao Guang grumbled inwardly, Ancestor, this won't do. You went to Penglai Immortal Island, gained nothing, and even gave away a Dragon Maiden for free.
Then, Ao Guang went to make arrangements.
That day, Li Xiao was cultivating when a crisp voice suddenly came from outside the immortal island.
"Is the Immortal Master within his abode?"
Li Xiao came back to his senses. He was first startled, then remembered what he had discussed with Candle Dragon and finally understood why a beautiful Dragon Maiden had come calling...
Tongtian Cult Master's Precious Darling
On Golden Ao Island, within Biyou Palace.
Tongtian Cult Master swept his sleeve and laid down layer upon layer of restrictions. Looking at Yunxiao, he hurriedly asked, "Yunxiao, did you hear any useful information again?"
Yunxiao clasped her hands toward Tongtian Cult Master and said, "Teacher, I heard Senior Brother Li Xiao's thoughts. He said something about the future of the Dragon Clan being related to some Human Emperor, something about the Human Totem..."
"Human Emperor?"
Tongtian Cult Master raised an eyebrow. He stretched out a hand and pulled through the void, and a vast river appeared from nothing.
Yet that great river was not made of water, but of brilliantly colored lines.
Yunxiao's pupils contracted sharply. She knew that this was the River of Time.
Then Tongtian Cult Master's primordial spirit emerged from behind his head and entered the River of Time.
Traveling through the River of Time was a Saint's method!
Clearly, Tongtian Cult Master had entered the River of Time to search for the Human Emperor Yunxiao had mentioned.
After an unknown amount of time, Tongtian Cult Master's primordial spirit emerged from the River of Time and returned to his body.
Tongtian Cult Master slowly opened his eyes. Light surged violently within them as he muttered, "So that was it. No wonder Nuwa gained such tremendous fortune. Yet Nuwa does not understand the heavenly principles. She actually abandons the root for the branches and helps the Demon Race instead. What a pity, what a pity..."
Clearly, Tongtian Cult Master had already deduced that humanity would become the future protagonist of heaven and earth in the primordial world.
As for the two races of witches and demons, they would likely withdraw from the stage of history just as the three innate races of the Dragon-Han era had!
After a pause, Tongtian Cult Master looked up at Yunxiao and asked again, "Yunxiao, what else?"
After hesitating, Yunxiao said, "Teacher, Senior Brother Li Xiao... has already obtained the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual!"
"What? How... how did he obtain it?"
Tongtian Cult Master cried out in alarm.
Li Xiao had long used the Chaos Bead to conceal the heavenly secrets, so even Tongtian Cult Master did not know Li Xiao's methods.
Yunxiao grinned awkwardly. "Well... Senior Brother Li Xiao's thoughts did not mention that, so this disciple does not know either..."
"This..."
Tongtian Cult Master was dumbfounded, his old face twitching violently.
One had to know that the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual was a treasure of the Chan Sect. The Chan Sect and Jie Sect were not yet completely at odds, but their relationship was hardly good. Even for Tongtian Cult Master, obtaining the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual would have been extremely difficult!
In truth, after learning that Li Xiao needed the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual, Tongtian Cult Master had spent this time considering how to obtain it. Yet after thinking of many methods, he found none effective and thus did not act on them!
He had never expected Li Xiao to accomplish what even he could not!
"Senior Brother Li Xiao should have obtained the Jade Purity Artifact Refining Manual some time ago..."
Yunxiao added.
Tongtian Cult Master's old face twitched violently. Light flickered uncertainly in his eyes as he muttered, "That brat truly keeps surprising this humble Taoist..."
There is something even more surprising waiting for you!
Yunxiao smiled bitterly inwardly. Looking at Tongtian Cult Master, she clasped her hands and said, "Teacher, this disciple also heard Senior Brother Li Xiao's thoughts. He said... said that refining the Six Paths of Reincarnation requires certain materials..."
"Oh, materials? That is easy enough. Just tell me what is needed!"
Tongtian Cult Master said casually.
Don't speak so confidently. Teacher, you may not be able to produce them later... Yunxiao's eye twitched hard as she looked at Tongtian Cult Master and said awkwardly, "Senior Brother Li Xiao said that the Six Paths of Reincarnation are the Heavenly Human Path, Human Path, Hell Path, Hungry Ghost Path, Beast Path, and Asura Path..."
"The Six Paths of Reincarnation?"
Light surged violently in Tongtian Cult Master's eyes. Looking at Yunxiao, he asked, "Mm, what materials exactly are needed?"
Yunxiao grinned awkwardly. "Well... the Heavenly Human Path needs... needs Di Jun's Heavenly Emperor's Throne to refine..."
"What?"
Tongtian Cult Master's old face twitched violently. He stared wide-eyed at Yunxiao and cried out, "The Heavenly Emperor's Throne? Th-this... how is this humble Taoist supposed to obtain it?"
Before you continue