Inside Wuzhuang Temple, the atmosphere abruptly shifted from grief to a rather... overly enthusiastic brotherhood ceremony.
Zhenyuanzi held Chen Song's hand, his eyes still red while his grin had already stretched to his ears. "Good brother! Today, you and I shall become sworn brothers of different surnames, bearing witness before Heaven and Earth and sharing fortune and misfortune alike!" With a sweep of his sleeve, an incense table rose within the temple. Three sticks of incense ignited without flame, their green smoke curling upward into the clouds. It was a simple but heartfelt sworn brotherhood ritual.
Chen Song was so moved by this top-tier Big Boss of the primordial world's sincerity—and wealth—that he nearly shed tears. Mainly because he was thinking about his future unlimited supply of Ginseng Fruit.
"Elder Brother!" Chen Song called out with heartfelt feeling, even more enthusiastically than when he had called Laozi Master.
"Second Brother!" Zhenyuanzi's reply was even more vigorous, as though he had found a long-lost younger brother—one who came with the glimmer of hope to save his dear friend.
No sooner had the ceremony ended than Zhenyuanzi began handing out a wildly generous brotherhood benefits package.
First, he had Qingfeng and Mingyue bring over two enormous jade platters piled high with plump, juicy Ginseng Fruit radiating enticing Dao rhymes. There were a full twenty of them! The fragrance made Big White's eyes go wide, its tail wagging like it had a motor attached, while drool pooled on the floor.
"Second Brother, take these as snacks for now. When you finish them, just pick more from the tree! Treat them like your own!" Zhenyuanzi declared grandly.
"Woof woof! A real dear uncle! Definitely a real dear uncle!" Big White howled and lunged forward, only for Chen Song to swiftly step on its tail. "Have some restraint! Aren't you ashamed to be a dog?"
Amused, Zhenyuanzi took out another item. It was a palm-sized seal, neither gold nor jade, entirely earth-yellow and exuding a heavy, steady aura. Its surface was carved with profound patterns of mountains, rivers, and earth veins.
"Second Brother, this is a secondary seal of the Earth Book."
Zhenyuanzi solemnly placed the seal in Chen Song's hand. "With this seal, you may command part of the primordial earth-vein power. It can be used for defense, earth escape, or even temporarily borrowing the terrain to form an array. Though it possesses less than one ten-thousandth of the Earth Book's true power, it will still provide another layer of protection as you travel the primordial world. I give this seal to you as a gift upon our meeting, and as a token of our bond."
Chen Song accepted the weighty secondary seal—weighty both literally and symbolically—and felt the vast power of the earth contained within. His heart blossomed with joy. What a treasure! This is practically a primordial-world super-permission key and defensive artifact combined!
Before he could thank him, Big White at his feet could no longer hold back. It stood on its hind legs and rubbed its wet nose against the Earth Book's secondary seal, its dog eyes full of longing. "Woof! Boss! This treasure smells... smells like it can grow lots and lots of delicious things! Could you... could you tie a string to it and hang it around my neck? I promise I won't lose it!"
Chen Song: "..." He looked speechlessly at Big White. "Do you think it's a dog tag? Tie a string to it? This is the Earth Book's secondary seal! It can command earth-vein power! Hang it around your neck, and do you want to become a mobile mountain range?"
But Zhenyuanzi burst into laughter, finding this dog nephew rather adorable. "No matter, no matter. Since my worthy dog nephew likes it, let him play with it. As long as he does not activate its power, it may serve as an ornament."
He was clearly in an excellent mood, to the point that even Big White looked pleasing to the eye.
Big White immediately cheered. Under Chen Song's stern gaze, it carefully cradled the Earth Book's secondary seal in its paws instead, then ran off to a corner to study how to match it with its collar.
The host and guest sat down once more, but the atmosphere was now entirely different. Zhenyuanzi held the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd as though holding his whole world. The sorrow on his face had been diluted by hope, yet the deep hatred in his eyes remained.
"Second Brother," Zhenyuanzi said in a low voice, "the enmity over Hong Yun shall not be borne beneath the same sky! Once I make another breakthrough and stabilize my realm, I will personally ascend to the Heavenly Court, crush the Northern Sea, and slay my enemies with my own hands!"
Chen Song cracked open a roasted pine nut he had brought with him and said leisurely, "Elder Brother, revenge must certainly be taken. But as the saying goes, a gentleman's revenge can wait ten years. Cultivators have even more time than that. Think about it: Di Jun and Taiyi are immensely powerful now, and the Demon Race Heavenly Court is at its height. If you confront them head-on, then even with your immense abilities and the Earth Book's aid, I fear you may not gain a decisive advantage. Instead, you might alert the enemy, or even... well, you understand."
He paused, observed Zhenyuanzi's expression, and continued with an indirect hint:
"The great trend of the primordial world is like the tide. It rises, and it falls. The Demon Race may seem to be at its peak now, with overwhelming fortune, but decline after prosperity is the natural law of Heaven. Look at the Witch Race—they are still watching from the side like tigers eyeing prey, aren't they? Some contradictions are carved into their bones from birth and will erupt sooner or later. Why should we rush to become the spearhead and spend our strength for someone else's benefit? Better to watch and wait, quietly accumulate power, and act only after problems arise within them—or... when Heaven decides it is time for them to leave the stage. Wouldn't that take less effort and yield better results?"
Chen Song spoke vaguely, but his meaning was obvious: the Demon Race would collapse sooner or later, so they only needed to wait to reap the benefits instead of rushing in to throw their lives away.
Zhenyuanzi was no ordinary figure. As the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, he naturally possessed a sense for the fortune of Heaven and Earth.
Previously, hatred had clouded his mind, but Chen Song's words now struck him like a sobering revelation. Indeed, though the Demon Race's fortune was flourishing, they were far from united. Their conflict with the Witch Race was growing sharper by the day, and they had many internal problems as well... The cycle of Heaven was inexorable, and retribution never failed. Why should he rush in and throw away his life?
He looked deeply at Chen Song, his heart shaken beyond measure. This newly sworn Second Brother of his seemed lazy and occasionally unreliable, yet his grasp of the primordial world's greater trends was downright terrifying!
Even an old great power like him had failed to see through this matter until he had been awakened. Could it be... that the Three Pure Ones had secretly instructed him? Or was this young man born with the ability to perceive Heavenly Secrets?
No matter what, Zhenyuanzi felt that becoming brothers with Chen Song had been absolutely the right move! Not only had it brought hope for Hong Yun's revival, it had also helped him avoid a calamity that his impulsiveness might have brought about.
This was not merely gaining a brother. It was like gaining a guiding beacon and a supreme lucky star!
"What Second Brother says... makes excellent sense!" Zhenyuanzi let out a long breath. The mad flames of revenge in his eyes subsided somewhat, transforming into a colder, deeper, more resolute gleam. "This elder brother has been blinded by fixation. Revenge truly requires long-term planning. Nourishing Hong Yun's remnant soul cannot be done in a day. Since the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd has come into your possession, keep it with you. I must trouble you to take greater care in nourishing old friend Hong Yun's remnant soul. This Daoist... this elder brother will take this opportunity to increase my strength and quietly await the right time!"
"Ah, Elder Brother, that's nothing. Just leave it to me. There will definitely be a chance in the future to seek a glimmer of life for Senior Hong Yun." Chen Song patted his chest and promised.
The more Zhenyuanzi looked at Chen Song, the more satisfied he became. The more he looked, the more he felt that gaining this brother was an absolute steal. He could not help patting Chen Song's shoulder again. "With Second Brother here, I feel much more at ease!"
Chen Song grimaced from the blows, but inwardly he was delighted. Done! I soothed my bargain Elder Brother, avoided trouble that might have dragged me in, and kept my long-term Ginseng Fruit supply and the right to use the Earth Book's secondary seal.
He glanced at Big White in the corner, which was trying to gnaw on the Earth Book's secondary seal like a chew toy. With a helpless sigh, he stuffed several Ginseng Fruit into his robe, cupped his hands toward Zhenyuanzi, and said:
"It's good that Elder Brother has come around. Then I won't disturb you any longer. I still need to continue traveling and, while I'm at it, find a mount for Second Martial Uncle."
At this moment, Zhenyuanzi found everything about Chen Song pleasing. Hearing this, he immediately said, "Second Brother, go take care of your business! Wuzhuang Temple will always be open to you! There will be all the Ginseng Fruit you can eat! Keep the Earth Book's secondary seal safe, and if you encounter trouble, remember to call Elder Brother!"
"Certainly, certainly!" Chen Song replied with a smile, then kicked Big White, who was still wrestling with the secondary seal. "Let's go, you stupid dog! Stop chewing it! That thing will chip your teeth!"
Big White reluctantly set down the secondary seal, picked up the largest Ginseng Fruit in its mouth, and trotted after Chen Song. Its barks came out muffled around the fruit. "Goodbye, Uncle Zhenyuanzi! I'll come see you again next time! I'll bring my new dog tag... ah, no, the Earth Book's secondary seal!"
Chen Song stumbled, then hurriedly dragged this embarrassing creature away. Raising his escape light, he made a swift getaway.
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