Taking Four Disciples

After speaking, Zhao Gongming took a Five-Colored Feather from his robes. With a wave of Qing Xuan's hand, the feather flew before him.

Qing Xuan recognized it as his beloved disciple's feather and knew Zhao Gongming had not lied. He motioned for him to continue.

After the four siblings waited for Kong Xuan to leave, they set out for the East Sea Three Immortal Islands. They traveled carefully along the way and, though startled at times, arrived without danger.

However, a few days ago, while crossing the East Sea and nearly reaching the Three Immortal Islands, their third sister, Bi Xiao, had grown impatient. She caught some seafood from the ocean, intending to cook it.

But the Primordial Yin-Yang Flood Dragons discovered her. The two flood dragons followed Bi Xiao to the four of them, intending to capture them as provisions.

Zhao Gongming glanced at Bi Xiao. Seeing this, Bi Xiao stuck out her tongue, looking rather embarrassed.

"Then we siblings encountered Daojun's aid. We beg Daojun to accept us as disciples!" After speaking, Zhao Gongming knelt down, and San Xiao hurriedly followed suit.

Qing Xuan looked at the four of them. He had already intended to accept them. After all, he had heard plenty of tales about these siblings in his past life; it would not be an exaggeration to say their bond was stronger than gold.

As for their origins and talent, Zhao Gongming and Yun Xiao were both among the finest in the Primordial Wilderness. Since they had come to his doorstep, how could he refuse them? Still, Qing Xuan intended to test them first.

"Taking disciples is not impossible, but I will accept only one of you. Discuss it among yourselves," Qing Xuan said with a smile, wanting to see what choice they would make.

The four of them paled at once. Seeing this, Zhao Gongming said to his sisters.

"There is only one place. Yun Xiao, then you should enter my sect."

"I'll take our sisters elsewhere to find masters and cultivate."

Hearing this, Yun Xiao shook her head.

"Eldest Brother, say no more. We sisters have discussed it already. This place should belong to you. The three of us can seek teachers elsewhere."

"That's right, that's right! Eldest Brother, hurry and become his disciple. When you return after mastering your cultivation, make sure to look after me!" Bi Xiao added cheerfully.

Qiong Xiao did not speak, but she nodded as well, thoroughly agreeing with this decision.

"You all!" Zhao Gongming was deeply moved. Ever since the four of them had taken form on the same island, they had called one another siblings. They had lived together for a thousand years, and their bond ran deep.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Gongming gritted his teeth and said.

"If only one person can become a disciple, then I would rather not become one at all."

"This..." Yun Xiao hesitated. After all, they were now on someone else's territory. If they refused to become disciples, would they anger Daojun Qing Xuan?

Yun Xiao voiced her concerns to Zhao Gongming. He considered it for a moment before saying.

"Probably not. After all, Dao Brother Kong Xuan recommended us." Zhao Gongming then looked toward Qing Xuan.

"Reporting to Senior, we siblings have long decided to share one master. We have now failed to live up to Senior's favor. Please punish us!"

Qing Xuan was quite satisfied by the four of their choice.

"Hahaha! That was merely a test. If you had chosen to abandon the other three and become disciples alone, I would not have accepted any of you—and I would have personally destroyed you all!"

The four of them were horrified. They had not expected that they had just walked through the gates of Ghost Gate Pass.

"And now, I am quite satisfied with the four of you. Are you willing to take me as your master?" Though Qing Xuan was asking, his tone was full of confidence. He was certain they would agree.

The four were overjoyed. Their emotions rose and fell like clouds soaring into the heavens one moment and plunging to the earth the next. They knelt and kowtowed.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Hahaha! Rise. Above you, there are already two senior brothers. Your eldest senior brother is Kong Xuan, while your second senior brother, Peng Xuan, is the blood brother of your eldest senior brother."

"Zhao Gongming, you shall be my third disciple. Yun Xiao shall be my fourth disciple, Qiong Xiao my fifth disciple, and Bi Xiao my sixth disciple."

"Yes, Master!"

Qing Xuan then imparted the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Technique to them and had the four go to Penglai Immortal Island to choose residences before cultivating diligently.

After the four left, Qing Xuan began consolidating the gains he had received from listening to the teachings at Zixiao Palace.

This time, after hearing Hongjun explain the path of Severing the Three Corpses, Qing Xuan had a new idea. He had originally planned to attain Law-based Sainthood, but Sages would soon emerge one after another in the Primordial Wilderness. Though they would merely be Merit Sages, they were still not opponents Quasi-Saints could resist.

Therefore, Qing Xuan decided to draw upon the path of Severing the Three Corpses. He then took out the World-Purifying White Lotus, sensed an aura that shared the same origin, and began putting his idea into practice.

In the blink of an eye, several hundred years passed. Zhao Gongming and his three sisters had long grown accustomed to life on Penglai Immortal Island. With the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Technique, their cultivation had also improved tremendously.

Zhao Gongming and Yun Xiao had now both entered the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, while Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao were only one step away. At this moment, the four were gathered outside Zhao Gongming's cave mansion, eating hotpot.

"Eldest Brother, this Dragon Meat is so delicious! Hurry and cook more!" Bi Xiao ate while urging Zhao Gongming to add more meat.

Zhao Gongming smiled and tossed in the remaining Dragon Meat. "I wonder when Master will emerge from seclusion?"

"With Master's cultivation, he may emerge soon, or he may remain in seclusion for a very long time." Yun Xiao elegantly ate the spiritual herbs in the clear broth and spoke coolly.

"I hope Master breaks through and emerges from seclusion soon, so he does not miss the day Second Sister and I reach the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm," Bi Xiao said happily.

"Hmph, you are afraid Master will miss our breakthroughs and forget to grant us Spiritual Treasures, aren't you?" Qiong Xiao exposed Bi Xiao's thoughts.

"Hehehe, but Master said it himself. As long as we break through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, he will grant each of us a Spiritual Treasure."

"Besides, Eldest Brother's Sea-Calming Divine Pearls and Eldest Sister's Primordial Golden Dou are both High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. I wonder what sort of Spiritual Treasures he will give us?" Bi Xiao thought longingly.

"Since you are so eager to know, come to Penglai Immortal Palace. How about I give them to you early?"

Qing Xuan's voice suddenly echoed beside the four of them. They were overjoyed upon hearing it, knowing that their master had emerged from seclusion. They immediately flew toward Penglai Immortal Palace.

Meanwhile, Qing Xuan sat in Penglai Immortal Palace, sensing his early Quasi-Saint cultivation and feeling greatly pleased. He was pleased not only by the increase in his cultivation, but also by the clarity of his own path.

It turned out Qing Xuan had combined the path of Severing the Three Corpses with the World-Purifying White Lotus, which shared the same origin as him, and merged it into his body. This replenished his innate foundation, brought his comprehension of the Law of Strength to fifty percent, and allowed him to break through to the early Quasi-Saint realm in one stroke.

In all the Primordial Wilderness, Qing Xuan was likely the only one who could use this method. Only he had transformed from a Spiritual Treasure, while the other Innate Beings had transformed from some part of Great God Pangu.

Qing Xuan had transformed from the Chaos Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Green Lotus. The other Lotus Platform Spiritual Treasures had also transformed from lotus seeds. Thus, Qing Xuan could take the opposite path: by merging several Lotus Platforms into himself, he could break through his bottleneck.

"Minghe's Karmic Fire Red Lotus, Jie Yin's Creation Golden Lotus, and the World-Destroying Black Lotus, whose whereabouts are unknown and which may be in Hongjun's hands... Acquiring these Lotus Platforms will require considerable effort."

As Qing Xuan considered the locations of the other Lotus Platforms, his heart stirred with eagerness. Of them all, the easiest to obtain was Minghe's Karmic Fire Red Lotus.

"Right, weren't the Dust Whisk, Jade Ruyi, and Qingping Sword in the hands of the Three Pure Ones also formed from lotus seeds? Perhaps those can be considered as well."