A Wrong Seen on the Road

"Disciples, look—this is where your master once battled the demon lord Luohu!"

Daojun Qing Xuan brought the two brothers to the western continent of the Primordial World. He had originally intended to seek out Da Bai, but Kong Xuan now required the Five Elements Origin Qi to break through to Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Thus, he took them both to Wuzhuang Temple to visit Zhen Yuanzi.

The two brothers gazed curiously at the shattered, ruined western continent below, their reverence for their master deepening with every glance.

"Master! You're truly formidable!" Peng Xuan couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

Kong Xuan nodded inwardly as well.

"Hahaha, your master is merely average—ranking second in the Primordial World is no trouble at all!" Qing Xuan pulled out a stick of Longevity Smoke, placed it between his lips, and declared with great pride.

It turned out that once, after finishing a hotpot, Qing Xuan felt something was missing. A smoke after a meal, and you're a living immortal—but with his current cultivation, he was already an immortal, yet he couldn't even enjoy a cigarette.

So Qing Xuan plucked a branch from a Yellow Middle Plum tree, added various Spirit Grass and Medicine, and refined this spiritual treasure, making it a Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

He named it Longevity Smoke because of one effect: when it burned down to one-third, a splash of water would make it grow back, making it utterly inexhaustible.

Moreover, since it was refined with Spirit Grass and Medicine, smoking it could extend one's lifespan—unfortunately, this effect was useless for Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

As Qing Xuan's cultivation grew higher, he felt himself becoming more and more unrestrained. Even some habits from his past life were no longer suppressed; he simply did as he pleased.

[Perhaps this is the taste of freedom!] Qing Xuan sighed inwardly.

"Sip, sip, sip—hah!"

"Disciples, have you refined the spiritual treasures I gave you earlier?" Qing Xuan took a drag and then asked.

"Master, I have refined all four Spirit Pearls." Kong Xuan raised his palm, and within it, four spirit pearls danced.

"Mm, Kong'er, above Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, one must cultivate the Laws. You naturally possess the Five Elements, so cultivating the Five Elements Law will come more smoothly to you.

These Five Spirit Pearls are only Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, but each pearl contains the Law of its respective element, helping you better comprehend the Laws.

It's a pity the Gold Spirit Pearl isn't in my hands—otherwise, with all five gathered, their power would rival a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure." Qing Xuan said with slight regret.

"It's fine, Master. I will find the Gold Spirit Pearl myself." Kong Xuan, hearing his master's words, first comforted him.

Then, pondering inwardly, he gained a clearer path for his future cultivation.

"Master, Master! The Nine Dragon Divine Fire Hood you gave me—I've successfully refined it too!" Peng Xuan, seeing this, quickly spoke up, lifting his head, waiting for Qing Xuan's praise.

"Refined it, so what? What's there to make a fuss about?" Qing Xuan said to Peng Xuan with some irritation.

"You refined one, your brother refined four, and you were still slower than him. What's there to be proud of? You're still not cultivating diligently!"

Qing Xuan looked at Peng Xuan. Though he was satisfied with his progress, he still refrained from praising him, using the excuse of tempering his character.

"Yes~ Master!" Peng Xuan felt a little wronged. He had worked hard too, yet his master wouldn't praise him. He thought to himself that later he'd go kill some Demon Beasts to vent his frustration.

The three traveled through the clouds, and Qing Xuan answered every question the brothers had about their cultivation. Just as they were nearing Longevity Mountain, a figure suddenly flew toward them from afar.

This person wore a red robe, had a dignified face, and flowing red hair. A red Dao mark on his brow clearly marked him as an Innate Being.

His face was full of worry as he flew toward Qing Xuan and the others, occasionally glancing back.

Qing Xuan, seeing this, guessed someone was chasing him. He thought to himself that in the Primordial World, it was best to mind one's own business.

At that moment, the man also spotted Qing Xuan and the others. Startled, he was about to change direction when a beam of golden light struck him.

"Ah!"

He cried out in pain and fell from the sky. Qing Xuan, seeing this, had a guess about that golden light, and his eyes lit up.

"Let's go, disciples. I'll take you to watch the fun!" Qing Xuan led the brothers downward, where they saw a figure standing beside the fallen man.

"Hehehe, young friend, I merely saw that you and I share a fate and wished to take you as my disciple. Why must you run?" Zhunti said with a smile.

"Pah! I clearly refused you, yet you still tried to force me. I, Lu Ya, am born from the Essence of Departing Fire on the Sun Star—I will not submit to the likes of you!" Lu Ya said indignantly.

He had been peacefully residing on the Sun Star when two fools woke him up. Following the principle of "if you can't win, flee," Lu Ya had come to wander the Primordial World.

Everything was fine until he reached Mount Sumeru in the western continent. This man suddenly popped out, babbling about fate and wanting to take him as a disciple.

Who would agree to that? But unexpectedly, though both were at the early Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage, he couldn't beat this man. The main issue was that the man had a bizarre spiritual treasure that actually swiped away his companion spiritual treasure, the High-grade Postnatal Spiritual Treasure 'Sunflame Wheel'!

Otherwise, relying on the Solar True Fire within the Sunflame Wheel, he might not have fled.

[So it really is Zhunti. Truly, when you turn your head, there he is, in the dim lamplight!] Qing Xuan sighed inwardly. It seemed the Gengjin Origin Qi would be his first prize.

With that thought, Qing Xuan decided he wouldn't let Zhunti escape today. The Primordial Halberd appeared in his hand.

"You two stay here. Your master is going to help those in need!" Instructing the brothers, Qing Xuan appeared in the air.

"Who bullies the weak here?"

"Who are you?" Zhunti, startled to find someone here, asked in shock.

"This Seat is Daojun Qing Xuan, master of the East Sea Three Immortal Islands!" Qing Xuan declared, looking at Zhunti.

"Hmph, I am Daoist Zhunti of Mount Sumeru.

This man has a fate with the West, and I am taking him as my disciple." Zhunti said with a straight face.

Qing Xuan looked at the two, knowing Zhunti wasn't entirely wrong. In the myths, Lu Ya later converted to Buddhism and became the Buddha's earthly agent, known to all as the 'Great Sun Tathagata'.

But if Qing Xuan remembered correctly, Lu Ya's conversion happened after the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, and since Jie Yin and Zhunti hadn't yet founded Buddhism, Lu Ya would surely escape this calamity.

"Pah, baldy! When did I ever agree to become your disciple? Shameless! Please, senior, make the call! This man, failing to take me as a disciple, planned to capture me first and then slowly convert me—truly vicious to the extreme!" Lu Ya, furious at Zhunti's shameless words, knelt before Qing Xuan and begged for help.

"Excellent! This Seat has always despised bullying the weak and going too far. Today, I'm stepping in!" Qing Xuan pointed his Primordial Halberd forward, looking disdainfully at Zhunti.