The moment Hongjun spoke, the entire Kunlun Mountain Peak fell into a terrifying silence.
Taiqing Laozi's hand froze halfway through stroking his beard.
He unconsciously tore off a strand of beard, which drifted gently down, yet he remained completely unaware.
Yuanshi Tianzun's face, frozen like an ice mountain for ten thousand years, went utterly stiff.
The shock in his eyes could no longer be concealed.
Tongtian Jiaozhu was even more dramatic.
He was holding a bowl of Dragon Phoenix Soup, enough to make Grand Unity Golden Immortals fight tooth and nail for it, preparing to feed his precious disciple another spoonful.
Upon hearing those words, his hand jerked violently.
The bowl of meat soup nearly splashed onto his own face.
Primordial Violet Qi?
The foundation of Sagehood?
For their little disciple... to play with as a toy?
Was Old Man Hongjun insane, or did he take them for ignorant country bumpkins who had never seen the world?
For that instant, the minds of the Three Pure Ones all crashed.
Who were they?
They were transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, possessing the finest origins in the Primordial World.
Of course they knew what Primordial Violet Qi meant.
It was the tangible manifestation of the Heavenly Dao Origin!
The sole proof required to become a Sage!
For this thing, countless mighty figures of the future Primordial World would die, and endless blood would be spilled.
Yet now, Hongjun had casually taken it out.
And said he would give it to a drooling infant as a toy?
Such extravagance could not be called anything less than outrageous!
But what scheme lay hidden behind that extravagance?
Almost simultaneously, the Three Pure Ones began frantically communicating through divine sense in the void.
"Big Brother! This old fellow is up to no good!"
Tongtian Jiaozhu's voice was the first to explode through their divine senses, filled with vigilance and hostility.
"What does he mean, playing with it? Once this Primordial Violet Qi enters my disciple's body, it means he'll be bound to it by karma!"
"Wouldn't every move my disciple makes in the future be constrained by his Heavenly Dao?"
"He wants to plant a nail in Kunlun Mountain in advance!"
"He wants to turn my disciple into a future thug for his Mystical Sect!"
The more Tongtian Jiaozhu thought about it, the angrier he became.
The three brothers had only just relied on their disciple's "selfless contribution" to prove the Dao of Chaos.
They had embarked upon the broad road of transcendence beyond the Heavenly Dao.
Yet this old fellow Hongjun wanted to drag their greatest benefactor back into the Heavenly Dao's cage with a single move.
How could they tolerate that?
"What Third Brother says is reasonable."
Yuanshi Tianzun's voice also turned cold.
"Hongjun's actions may appear generous, but they conceal malicious intentions."
"Lin Shen bears immeasurable merit for calming the calamity, and his fortune is richer than anything seen since ancient times."
"If he obtains this Primordial Violet Qi as well, he will certainly become a Sage in the future."
"A Heavenly Dao Sage would naturally become one of Hongjun's own."
"What a scheme. Truly, what a scheme!"
"Seeing that we three brothers refuse to enter his Mystical Sect, he intends to start with our disciple instead!"
Yuanshi Tianzun had always valued rules and detested such conspiracies and schemes the most.
In his eyes, how was Hongjun's move any different from that of Demon Ancestor Luohu?
One used sugar-coated bullets, while the other used blades, spears, and clubs. That was all.
Taiqing Laozi fell silent for a moment before sending a calm yet solemn message through divine sense.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, remain calm."
"Hongjun may have his own considerations."
"But one must always guard against others."
"We absolutely cannot allow Lin Shen to be tainted by this violet qi."
"That's right!"
Tongtian Jiaozhu answered decisively.
"My disciple's Dao is the Dao of freedom and ease!"
"It is the great Dao of eating whenever he wants and sleeping whenever he wants!"
"Why should he become some Sage, watched by the Heavenly Dao every day, having to consider karma even when he sneezes?"
"I'll be the first to refuse!"
In an instant, the three brothers reached a consensus.
This Primordial Violet Qi absolutely could not be accepted!
And Lin Shen himself was in complete turmoil at that moment.
Holy crap!
Primordial Violet Qi!
This was the ultimate cheat code that protagonists in webnovels fought to the death over!
A ticket to Sagehood!
With this thing, it was like getting Heavenly Dao VIP access.
Immortal and indestructible, unwearied through countless tribulations!
That old man Hongjun had opened with an absolute trump card?
He was way too generous!
Lin Shen's little heart pounded wildly.
He stared at the wisp of purple mist radiating a Profound Aura, and he was practically drooling.
If he absorbed it, would his cultivation soar straight into the sky and reach its peak in one step?
But after thinking it over, he hesitated.
Something was wrong!
This thing was a trap!
In the novels he had read in his previous life, Heavenly Dao Sages might have been powerful, but they also faced countless restrictions!
They could not act freely, nor could they interfere with the greater course of events.
Entrusting one's primordial spirit to the Heavenly Dao was, plainly speaking, becoming a highly ranked administrator working for the Heavenly Dao.
He had finally transmigrated to the Primordial World.
He had taken three of the thickest thighs imaginable as his masters.
He had begun living the lazy life of having clothes handed to him and food brought to his mouth.
If he became a Sage, wouldn't he have to start working again?
Would he have to manage things like the battle between the witches and demons, or the Investiture of the Gods calamity?
Would he have to scheme against others all the time?
Would he still have time to eat delicious food?
Would he still have time to sleep in?
Would he still have time to play with the toys his three masters gave him?
No!
Absolutely not!
I only want to be a carefree little baby!
Whoever wants to work can go do it!
Having thought it through, Lin Shen immediately made up his mind.
Whoever wanted this Sage position could have it. Lin Shen did not care for it at all!
He looked at Hongjun's old face, seemingly gentle yet concealing unfathomable depths.
The little abacus in his heart began clattering away.
He could not refuse directly. That would be too disrespectful to the Dao Ancestor.
He needed to express his stance in a way that fit his "three-year-old infant" persona.
Tactfully, yet firmly!
Thus, beneath the gazes of the Three Pure Ones and Hongjun,
Lin Shen made a move that none of them had expected.
First, he blinked his large round eyes.
He curiously glanced at the wisp of Primordial Violet Qi, which radiated endless temptation.
Then, as though he found it utterly unappealing,
he turned his little head and looked toward the bowl of Dragon Phoenix Soup still steaming in Tongtian Jiaozhu's hand.
He stretched out his chubby little hand.
Ignoring the wisp of Primordial Violet Qi that could shake the entire Primordial World,
he pointed directly at a Phoenix Wing that had been stewed until tender and soft.
"Yiya! Meat! Meat!"
In his indistinct baby voice, he clearly expressed his demand.
The meaning could not have been clearer.
Whatever the foundation of Sagehood or the origin of the great Dao, in Lin Shen's eyes, none of it compared to a piece of meat in Third Master's bowl!
At that moment, the air froze once more.
For the first time, a crack appeared in Hongjun's smile.
He had imagined countless possibilities.
He had considered that the Three Pure Ones might be wary and decline.
He had considered that this little fellow, young and ignorant, might rush forward and absorb it directly.
But he had never imagined
that this little fellow would ignore the opportunity to become a Sage for the sake of a piece of meat!
This... this was unreasonable!
This did not fit the logic of living beings in the Primordial World!
Could it be that, in this little fellow's understanding, the allure of the great Dao was inferior to the desire for food?
Hongjun's Dao Heart, serene and unmoving as an ancient well after merging with the Heavenly Dao,
rippled ever so slightly with a disturbance known as "disarray."
Meanwhile, after their brief astonishment, the Three Pure Ones were overwhelmed by towering joy and pride!
"Hahaha! Did you see that? What is my disciple?"
Tongtian Jiaozhu was the first to burst into wild laughter through divine sense.
"This is a crystal-clear Dao Heart! This is returning to simplicity!"
"In his eyes, a Sage position is no different from a common stone, and the great Dao is no different from meat soup!"
"This is a true childlike heart! A true supreme realm of the Dao!"
Yuanshi Tianzun also echoed excitedly through divine sense.
"That's right! My disciple was born walking upon the great Dao of Chaos that we opened!"
"He regards fame and profit as drifting clouds, while only his true heart is real!"
"How could Hongjun's shackles of Heavenly Dao Sagehood possibly bind a naturally carefree immortal like my disciple?"
Taiqing Laozi was even more gratified.
"Good! Excellent!"
"We were still worrying over how to refuse Hongjun."
"Who would have thought that our little disciple had already given the answer in the most direct and purest manner?"
"We had become attached to appearances."
The three mighty figures looked at Lin Shen, and the indulgence and pride in their eyes nearly overflowed.
Look!
This was a disciple of Kunlun Mountain!
What was a Sage position?
Could it be eaten?
Before fine food, everything else was but drifting clouds!
Such breadth of mind, such a realm, surpassed even the three of them as masters!
Tongtian Jiaozhu became even more smug.
He deliberately puffed out his chest and spoke in an exaggerated tone.
"Oh, Daoist Hongjun, I'm truly sorry."
"My disciple is young and ignorant. All he knows is how to eat."
"Afraid your treasure is beyond his fortune to enjoy."
As he spoke, he scooped up the Phoenix Wing, blew on it carefully, and fed it to Lin Shen.
"Come on, Beloved Disciple, eat some meat. This one's delicious!"
Lin Shen happily opened his little mouth and took a big bite, his mouth glistening with grease.
Hongjun watched the scene, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
He felt that today, he had suffered some kind of Dimensional Strike.
The Great Dao he had always taken pride in, the chessboard with which he controlled the world—
Before this milk-drinking baby who only knew how to eat, it all seemed so... laughable.
However, just as he was about to withdraw that wisp of Primordial Violet Qi and think of another way—
Another unexpected change occurred!
That wisp of Primordial Violet Qi that Lin Shen had ignored seemed to have suffered an immense humiliation.
It was the foundation of the Great Dao, the beloved child of the Heavenly Dao!
When had it ever suffered such indignity?
The purple mist suddenly began to tremble with a buzzing hum.
Then, it actually ignored Hongjun's control, transforming into a streak of purple light and viciously slamming straight toward the glabella of Lin Shen, who was focused on eating meat!
It wanted to forcibly acknowledge him as its master!
"Not good!"
The Three Pure Ones and Hongjun, four of the most powerful beings in the primordial world, all changed expression at once!
(PS: I have a question I'd like to ask everyone. I looked up some information and found that some sources say the River Diagram and Luo Script were Di Jun's accompanying supreme treasure, while others say they were Fuxi's accompanying supreme treasure. I hope someone can help clear this up. Thank you!)
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