Tongtian Leaves the Mountain

Just then, Xuan Ming and Houtu arrived at Kunlun Mountain.

Kunlun had always been the finest cave-heaven blessed land in the Primordial World, gathering countless Innate Beings.

But this was the era of the Three Primal Races, and most cultivators on Kunlun kept their doors shut.

It happened that the sword momentum from Tongtian's seclusion breaking out caught the attention of the two Ancestral Witches.

"It's those three brats!" Xuan Ming chuckled lightly and flew straight over.

In all the world, there were probably few who would dare call the Three Pure Ones "brats."

As for the Three Pure Ones themselves, Laozi looked like an old man, Yuanshi like a middle-aged one, and only Tongtian appeared relatively young.

"You again?" Yuanshi was somewhat annoyed—having been outdone by Tongtian already left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Last time, your auntie here had no treasures on hand, so you got the upper hand. Today, I've come to seek another bout," Xuan Ming said, brimming with confidence.

She saw through their cultivation levels at a glance. Aside from Tongtian, who barely passed muster, the other two were merely Mid Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

"Daoist friends, we brothers cultivate here in seclusion and have never left Kunlun. As they say, enmity should be resolved rather than nurtured. I think we should let it go," Laozi said, ever one for quiet non-action and averse to stirring trouble.

"You old man are quite honest. I came today only to discuss the Dao, not to fight to the death. Besides, you and I are both of Pangu Orthodox—it's the perfect chance to compare what we've learned," Xuan Ming said with a smile.

Only then did Houtu realize Xuan Ming's true intention. Though the Twelve Ancestral Witches possessed unmatched physical bodies, they cultivated no Primordial Spirit, which left many shortcomings.

Now, with the Three Pure Ones—also Pangu Orthodox—to debate the Dao, they could gain many insights.

"That works as well. We brothers have been working in isolation and lack experience in Dao discussion and exchange," Laozi said, no longer refusing.

The Three Pure Ones were originally one entity. Since it was a Dao debate, naturally all three brothers would act together, especially since the two opposing Ancestral Witches were Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

Xuan Ming and Houtu directly summoned their treasures. Houtu wielded the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, a top-grade earth-attribute Innate Spiritual Treasure with unmatched defense.

Xuan Ming, meanwhile, held the Twelve-Grade White Lotus of Purity, a treasure of formidable offensive power. Paired with Xuan Ming, the Ice Ancestral Witch, it lived up to its fearsome reputation.

The moment they clashed, the sky darkened and the earth dimmed. Thunderclouds rolled across the entire Kunlun region.

The immortals of Kunlun were shaken—what kind of great power was fighting on Kunlun Mountain?

It wasn't that they were overwhelmingly strong; even the clan leaders of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Races fighting wouldn't have caused such a commotion.

The reason was that the combatants were the Three Pure Ones, born from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, and the Ancestral Witches, born from Pangu's Essence Blood.

Even the Heavenly Dao, not yet fully awakened, stared intently at Kunlun Mountain. Perhaps even the Heavenly Dao couldn't fathom why these two sides had come to blows.

Far away in the Immortality Volcano, Li Xinghe suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. He secretly performed a divination and instantly understood everything happening on Kunlun.

But he wasn't worried. Both sides carried immense Fortune; they wouldn't die.

Still, he inwardly sighed. That girl Xuan Ming was full of clever tricks. No wonder she'd been so eager to travel—she'd been holding a grudge over the Three Pure Ones snatching the treasure.

Having a daughter was nothing but worry. He wondered if, during the Witch-Demon Calamity, someone moved against Xuan Ming and Houtu, whether he'd lose his temper and annihilate the Demon Race outright.

On Kunlun Mountain, the Three Pure Ones' Dao arts were unmatched. Though they hadn't yet taken Hongjun as their master, influenced by Pangu's Primordial Spirit, they could still cultivate on their own.

The two Ancestral Witches, one attacking and one defending, had already secured an unassailable position.

But the Three Pure Ones were no slouches either. As future sages, each was an undefeated existence at the same rank.

The two sides fought to a stalemate, each unwilling to concede.

"Our cultivation levels are higher than theirs, so why can't we beat them?" Xuan Ming fumed inwardly.

The Three Pure Ones, meanwhile, were even more embarrassed. Outnumbering their opponents yet unable to break through the Apricot Yellow Banner's defense.

One had to remember that Houtu was the Earth Ancestral Witch, who would later become an Earthly Dao Saint. Taken alone, she was no weaker than any of the Three Pure Ones.

Just then, Tongtian suddenly spoke: "Elder brothers, protect me."

Laozi and Yuanshi understood at once. The Three Pure Ones were one in spirit, their minds linked. They knew Tongtian intended to go all out to break the spell.

The Taiyi Fly Whisk and the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi flew out, directly blocking the radiance of the Twelve-Grade White Lotus of Purity.

At that moment, the Qingping Sword shot forth, a surge of world-opening intent bursting out.

A crack finally appeared in the defense of the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, and Xuan Ming and Houtu stumbled back in disarray.

Incredulity flickered in their beautiful eyes. They couldn't understand how Tongtian had breached the Apricot Yellow Banner's defense.

Even Laozi and Yuanshi were stunned. That sword strike just now—even they might not have been able to withstand it.

Xuan Ming was unwilling to give up and wanted to continue, but Houtu held her back.

"We admit defeat," Houtu said with a gentle smile. Tongtian had already held back; otherwise, she, as the banner's master, wouldn't have escaped so easily.

Little did she know that Tongtian was grateful to Li Xinghe for imparting the Dao. Since these two women were Li Xinghe's adopted daughters, there was no need to strike harshly.

"We three brothers outnumbered you, which was already unfair. Let today's battle be a draw," Laozi said.

Only then did Xuan Ming stop pressing. "Let's end it here. Until we meet again."

With that, the two women left Kunlun Mountain and continued their travels.

The Three Pure Ones, each lost in thought, prepared to go back into seclusion.

"Elder brother, second brother, I feel my cultivation has reached a bottleneck. I'd like to travel as well," Tongtian suddenly said.

His Dao was different from Laozi's and Yuanshi's—he needed to temper himself through battle.

Besides, now that he had reached the Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage, continuing to go into seclusion would likely yield little effect.

"Since Third Brother has found his own path, then go ahead!" Laozi said with a look of relief.

Yuanshi said nothing, only wishing to go into seclusion as soon as possible to advance to the Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage. Today's discussion had brought gains for everyone, and they all needed time to digest them.

Before long, Tongtian rode the Qingping Sword away from Kunlun Mountain, while Laozi and Yuanshi once again entered seclusion.

When Li Xinghe calculated this scene, he felt a secret delight in his heart.

It seemed his efforts had not been wasted.

Logically speaking, the Three Pure Ones, born from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, had deeper roots than the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

Moreover, in later ages, the Three Pure Ones would become saints, while some of the Twelve Ancestral Witches would barely reach the Quasi-Saint realm—the gap was immense.

Yet now, Xuan Ming and Houtu alone could already contend with the Three Pure Ones.

If all twelve Ancestral Witches joined forces, they could probably beat the Three Pure Ones until they howled.

Of course, this was mainly because the Three Pure Ones had only recently taken form and hadn't cultivated as long as the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

The Ancestral Witches in the Pangu Temple had always been cultivating at dozens of times the normal flow of time.

Another point was that only after Hongjun became a saint would the Three Pure Ones, as his direct disciples, see their strength skyrocket.

The true glory days of the Three Pure Ones would come after the lectures at the Purple Firmament Palace.

Still, Li Xinghe wouldn't be at a disadvantage. He didn't belong to this era, and there were many things he couldn't conveniently handle in person.

When the time came, it would be a contest to see whether the Three Pure Ones were stronger or the Twelve Ancestral Witches he had nurtured.

What's more, his hidden cards weren't limited to the Twelve Ancestral Witches—there were also the Chaos Demon Gods.

And even Tongtian was a piece on his board. That day when he had imparted the Dao, Tongtian must have gained some insight, which was why he had surpassed Laozi and Yuanshi.

There would be plenty more opportunities in the future. Tongtian would eventually be of one mind with him.

Thinking this far, he stopped dwelling on it. As for Xuan Ming and Houtu, Li Xinghe didn't continue to calculate their fates.

If everything were under his control, life would be far too dull.

Besides, the two great Ancestral Witches had enough strength to protect themselves. If they ever ran into trouble they couldn't solve, they would summon him.

Rather than wasting time watching over them, it was better to discuss the Dao with Yuan Feng. Now that he had also broken through to the mid Golden Immortal of the Origin stage, the road ahead would be one they explored together.