Lin Shen's cultivation had broken through to the Refining Void into Dao realm. In the current Primordial World, he already counted as an expert of one region, more than capable of founding a sect or serving as a mountain god or land god.
Yet on the outside, he still looked like a three-year-old toddler.
A three-year-old toddler at the Refining Void into Dao realm—who would believe that if he told them?
Feeling the surging mana within his body and the divine ability called "Words Manifest Reality" in his mind, enormous waves rose in his heart.
That divine ability sounded absurdly powerful!
Words Manifest Reality! Wasn't that something only Sages could wield?
Though the system had marked it as "beginner," it was still terrifying enough.
He could not help wanting to try it.
He looked at his chubby little hands and silently thought, Grow a little taller. Just a little.
Nothing happened.
He tried speaking aloud again, calling out in his babyish voice, "Candy!"
No candy fell from the sky.
Lin Shen was a little disappointed.
After all that, was it just some shoddy counterfeit product?
[ Ding! The divine ability Words Manifest Reality (Beginner) requires the consumption of a vast amount of mana and mental energy. The host must also possess a clear understanding of the object spoken of and its laws. The host's current understanding of the relevant laws is zero, making it impossible to create something from nothing. ]
The system's prompt sounded in time and cleared up his confusion.
Lin Shen suddenly understood.
So that was how it was.
It was not that the divine ability was inadequate. I was the inadequate one.
That made sense. If I could make anything happen just by opening my mouth, wouldn't I become a Child of the Great Dao?
Still, this gave him a direction.
If he wanted to use this divine ability well, he had to study hard and understand all kinds of laws.
Knowledge was power. That saying applied in the Primordial World too!
Just as Lin Shen was studying his new divine ability, the Three Pure Ones recovered from their immense shock.
Tongtian Jiaozhu grabbed the "Gengjin Dao Mark Sword" floating in the air. Feeling the sharp aura and flawless Dao rhythm emanating from its blade, he trembled with excitement.
"It's real! It really is an Innate Spiritual Treasure! Hahaha!"
He threw back his head and laughed, his laughter echoing throughout Kunlun Mountain.
Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun hurried over. The two of them circled the sword, examining it over and over.
"Inconceivable. Truly inconceivable."
Yuanshi Tianzun stroked the blade, his tone full of amazement.
"Its Dao rhythm is naturally formed, without the slightest trace of artificial crafting. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, who could believe that it had been nothing more than an ordinary branch a moment ago?"
"The wonders of Lin Shen's Origin Qi have already exceeded the scope of our understanding."
Taishang Laojun came to his conclusion.
"It seems to contain the supreme laws of creation and transformation."
Creation and transformation!
Those five words made Yuanshi and Tongtian's hearts jolt.
Those were authorities possessed only by Great God Pangu!
When they looked at Lin Shen again, their expressions could no longer be described as merely looking at a treasure.
It was as if they were looking at a walking incarnation of the Great Dao!
Their stares made Lin Shen's scalp prickle, and he instinctively hugged himself tightly.
My three Masters' eyes are terrifying. They're not planning to slice me up and study me, are they?
"Yah!"
He let out a protesting cry, trying to wake his Masters from their shock.
"Ahem."
Taishang Laojun was the first to react. He realized that the expressions on all three of their faces might have frightened their little disciple.
He quickly restrained the gleam in his eyes, put on a gentle smile, and picked Lin Shen up.
"Beloved Disciple, don't be afraid. Your Masters are simply too happy."
He deftly took out a small white jade bottle and fed Lin Shen another drop of Life-Creating Elixir.
Lin Shen accepted it without hesitation, but inwardly muttered, I didn't even pretend to faint this time. Why am I getting more?
Could this be a fixed reward for exceeding the mission requirements just now?
How could he know that, in the eyes of the Three Pure Ones, his feat just now must have consumed an enormous amount of energy? If they did not feed him several more drops, they would feel guilty.
Tongtian Jiaozhu came over as well. He held the golden branch sword before Lin Shen as if presenting a treasure. "Good disciple, look! This is the treasure you blew into existence! From now on, it'll be your protective treasure. Whoever dares bully you, poke him with it!"
Lin Shen looked at the sword, which was taller than he was, and felt speechless.
I'm a three-year-old toddler. You want me to use such a huge sword?
I can't even lift it, okay?
He stretched out his little hand, pushed the sword away, and shook his head.
Tongtian Jiaozhu froze. "What? You don't like it? Do you think it isn't pretty?"
Yuanshi Tianzun could not stand watching any longer and said, "Third Brother, Lin Shen can barely walk steadily yet. How can he use a sword? You should keep this treasure for yourself."
After a pause, he added, "This sword was created through Lin Shen's transformation, so it has no destined affinity with you. Even if you forcefully use it, you will not be able to unleash its full power."
Hearing that, Tongtian Jiaozhu reluctantly put the sword away.
He knew his Second Brother was telling the truth.
This sword had been made by Little Lin Shen, so theoretically, it should belong to Little Lin Shen.
But Little Lin Shen could not use it yet, so as his Master, he could only "hold on to it for now."
After this experiment in Turning Objects into Soldiers, the Three Pure Ones gained an entirely new understanding of how precious Lin Shen was.
They realized that Lin Shen's ability was no simple "support." It was true "transformation"!
This brought their desire to protect Lin Shen to an unprecedented peak.
That very day, the Three Pure Ones held a "highest-level meeting" attended only by the three of them.
The meeting had only one core topic: how to nurture and protect Lin Shen comprehensively, without leaving a single blind spot.
Tongtian Jiaozhu spoke first. "I think we should strengthen Little Lin Shen's ability to protect himself! Starting tomorrow, I'll teach him the supreme Sword Dao. He'll cultivate Qi at three, become immortal at five, and by ten, he'll be able to slay a Great Luo with his sword!"
Yuanshi Tianzun immediately retorted, "Utter nonsense! Lin Shen is an Innate Spiritual Root that has taken form, and his true nature is peaceful. Having him cultivate your murderous Sword Dao would go against his nature! In my view, the urgent matter is to lay the firmest possible Dao foundation for him. He should begin with the most basic Yellow Court Scripture, clarify his heart and perceive his nature, consolidate his foundation, and nourish his origin."
Listening to his two younger brothers argue, Taishang Laojun slowly spoke. "What you both say makes sense, but neither of you has considered everything."
He made the final decision. "What Lin Shen needs most right now is not cultivation, but growth. His mind is that of a child. We cannot judge him by an adult's standards. Forcing his growth would only be harmful."
"Then what do you mean, Elder Brother?"
Tongtian and Yuanshi both looked at him.
"Let nature take its course."
Taishang Laojun spoke the essence of his Dao.
"Let him play, let him make trouble, and let him grow up without worries. Throughout that process, we only need to guide him from the side and allow him to naturally come into contact with the Great Dao and comprehend its laws."
"As for cultivation, every breath he takes increases his cultivation. Every time he plays may bring about a transformation. If we intervene by force, we would only lower ourselves."
Taishang Laojun's words plunged Yuanshi and Tongtian into thought.
Yes, they had both treated Lin Shen as an unparalleled treasure that needed to be planned out, forgetting that he was only a child who needed love and care.
They exchanged glances and saw guilt in each other's eyes.
"Elder Brother's lesson is correct. We were too attached to appearances."
Yuanshi Tianzun said sincerely.
"Then... we'll just let him play however he wants?"
Tongtian Jiaozhu was still a little unwilling.
"Yes, just let him play however he wants."
Taishang Laojun smiled.
"If you want to take him into the woods to raid bird nests, then do so. If Second Brother wants to teach him calligraphy and painting, that is fine as well. Let him choose for himself and discover the joys of this world on his own. All we need to do is clear away every obstacle for him, so he can do as he pleases in this Primordial World."
Do as he pleased!
In the danger-filled Primordial World, what an extravagant promise those four words were!
Yet when spoken by the Three Pure Ones, they seemed perfectly natural.
They had the strength, and they had the resolve!
Thus, Lin Shen's "slacker" life officially upgraded into an "immortal" life.
He was completely liberated.
His three Masters no longer surrounded him every day to "study" him. Instead, they took turns finding ways to play with him.
Today, Tongtian Jiaozhu would take him riding on Ink Qilin through the Kunlun Mountain range, chasing flocks of immortal cranes and frightening the multicolored deer into fleeing everywhere.
Tomorrow, Yuanshi Tianzun would spread out a massive jade painting scroll in Yuxu Palace and teach him to paint hand in hand.
Of course, Lin Shen only knew how to stamp little footprints across it with a brush, but Yuanshi Tianzun could discern some naturally formed Dao rhythm from those messy footprints and treasured them dearly.
The day after that, Taishang Laojun would take him to the alchemy chamber in Eight Sceneries Palace.
Lin Shen was very interested in all those bottles and jars. He often treated all kinds of precious spiritual herbs as toys and tossed them into the alchemy furnace.
Taishang Laojun did not get angry. Instead, he would simply take the opportunity to refine pills, often producing "surprise" pills with unusual effects.
Lin Shen played to his heart's content every day, and his babbling laughter filled the little palace.
A transmigrator with an adult soul, he had somehow truly become a carefree three-year-old child.
The feeling was strange, and also... comfortable.
He had nearly forgotten Lin Shen from his previous life, a corporate drone who had run himself ragged over KPIs and project reports.
Now, he was Kunlun Mountain's little tyrant and the treasured darling of the Three Pure Ones.
He would not trade these days away even for becoming a Sage!
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