Looking at the three spiritual treasures born of the same origin in their hands, then hearing their disciple—martial nephew's—heartfelt summary—yeah, right—an indescribable warmth and emotion welled up in their hearts.
All formed from Pangu's primordial spirit, the brotherly bond they had shared through countless epochs was thoroughly ignited at this moment by this incredibly coincidental event and those words.
Laozi nodded, a trace of gratification flashing through his eyes. Though this disciple was a bit mischievous, he did not fail in the important matters. Yuanshi looked moved; it seemed he had truly wronged Chen Song just now. Tongtian patted Chen Song's shoulder vigorously. "Well said! Senior Disciple Nephew! Very well said! That's exactly right!"
Only then did Jieyin and Zhunti come to their senses. We're talking to your master and martial uncles here. Why did you jump in?
Zhunti stepped forward and rebuked him angrily, "You insolent child, I'm speaking with your elders. Since when was it your turn, a mere junior, to interrupt? Is this the rule of you Three Pure Ones' lineage?!"
At those words, Tongtian immediately exploded. Raising the Qingping Sword, he snorted. "Hmph. My senior disciple nephew respects his master and elders; he is a well-behaved and lovable junior. Yet you two still slander him here. Do you want to find out whether my newly acquired Qingping Sword is sharp enough?"
Chen Song was just about to defend himself when Laozi raised a hand to stop him, then scolded Tongtian, "Stand down!"
Then he turned to Jieyin and Zhunti. "You two are right, fellow Daoists. My disciple offended you both just now. Disciple, why aren't you apologizing to your two martial uncles?"
Chen Song pursed his lips and stepped forward with cupped hands. "My two martial uncles, I spoke without restraint just now. Please accept my apology."
His words were dripping with perfunctoriness.
I was wrong, I admitted it, and I apologized to you. I just won't change, hehe! But Master's move was brilliant! Not only did he remove the 'no manners' label they had slapped on him, he even turned the tables on them.
Sure enough, Zhunti was left speechless by that move, unable to figure out how to continue. Jieyin had to step in and smooth things over. "Martial Nephew, you overstate it. My junior brother and I were rash and careless first. How could we blame it on you, Martial Nephew? No blame, no blame."
"Do you two fellow Daoists have anything else to say?" Yuanshi's icy voice rang out as he fixed Jieyin and Zhunti with a cold stare. Laozi and Tongtian also turned their gazes toward the two of them.
Jieyin and Zhunti immediately wilted.
"N-No... nothing else..."
"A misunderstanding, it was all a misunderstanding... Farewell!"
The two streaks of golden light fled in embarrassment once more. Faint sobs could be heard in the distance: "It's bitter, the West is too bitter," and "When will the Heavenly Dao finally favor the West?"
The Three Pure Ones exchanged smiles. Holding their spiritual treasures, they ignored the other mighty cultivators watching from afar and continued flying toward Kunlun Mountain with Chen Song in high spirits.
Chen Song secretly rubbed his hands together like a fly. Done! The Three Pure Ones probably won't split up again now, right? The business of taking the Ancestral Witches to play Fight the Landlord and mahjong should be completely behind us now, right?
The Three Pure Ones returned with Chen Song to their Thatched Hut dojo on Kunlun Mountain, then hurried off into seclusion. They had just listened to the Dao Ancestor's Sermon and gained many insights, and each had obtained a treasure as well. First, they would enter seclusion and break through to the Quasi-Saint realm.
Before leaving, Laozi tossed Chen Song a book on Alchemy Techniques and told him to study it properly. He also strictly ordered Chen Song not to leave seclusion and run around until he had broken through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
Oh, right, and there were also those ten thousand copies of the Taiqing Heart Calming Incantation.
Chen Song pursed his lips but did not argue. After all, this was his own master. Besides, he had boasted that he wanted to carry forward the Three Pure Ones' lineage. Cultivation at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm was nowhere near enough.
Chen Song, who knew the primordial world well, knew that the Three Pure Ones would not have only one disciple. His master would later accept Grand Master Xuandu, Yuanshi would have the Twelve Golden Immortals, and the number of disciples under Tongtian would be downright terrifying.
He would definitely become the Three Pure Ones' First Senior Brother in the future, so he had to possess cultivation strong enough to command the scene.
Chen Song took out a Bodhi Seed, examined it twice, and swallowed it in one bite. Mm, it didn't taste like anything... After that, Chen Song entered meditation.
Hey! I want you to help me cultivate!
The primordial world did not mark the years, and a thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
A thousand years later, Chen Song slowly woke up.
Chen Song opened his eyes, and two condensed, almost tangible rays of Five-Colored Divine Light flashed through them before vanishing. He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, yet even that breath carried the Dao rhythm of the Five Elements cycling endlessly, lingering for a long while.
Whew... Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Breaking through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm is so hard! One Bodhi Seed still wasn't enough to let me break through? Is it because my Origin/Foundation is too good, making breakthroughs harder? Or is Zhunti just too weak, so the Bodhi Seed's effect isn't that great?
That made sense. Jieyin and Zhunti had not even been at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm before. They were far behind his master and martial uncles.
Otherwise, why would the two of them not dare to fight Martial Uncle Tongtian?
Zhunti: Can you stop bringing me up?
Forget it, forget it. So be it. He would first take a look at the Alchemy Techniques his master had given him.
Copying the Taiqing Heart Calming Incantation ten thousand times had been somewhat useful, at least. He had not stubbornly fixated on forcing a breakthrough to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
Then he wanted to dedicate a song called "Can't Learn It" to his bargain-bin master.
"What is... this?" Chen Song's brows had already knitted together. He couldn't understand it. He simply couldn't understand it!
He stood up and stretched his body. His joints crackled all over as vast mana surged through him; he had not moved in a thousand years.
"Forget it. I'm going out to stretch my legs!" Chen Song set down the Alchemy Techniques, hummed a tune, and walked out of the Thatched Hut.
"I just can't learn it~"
"No matter how much smarter I become~"
Chen Song stretched lazily, preparing to breathe in the fresh air atop Kunlun Mountain, air he had not smelled in a thousand years, while also pondering the book that was as incomprehensible as a heavenly tome—Taiqing Alchemy: Introduction to Giving Up...
Suddenly!
Three distinct pressures descended.
One flowed with yin and yang, profound and unfathomable. That was Master!
One seemed to expound the Heavenly Dao, orderly and structured. That was Second Martial Uncle!
One was incomparably sharp, its edge fully exposed. That was Third Martial Uncle!
The three auras rose steadily, instantly breaking through a certain threshold and reaching an entirely new, awe-inspiring level!
This was... a breakthrough to the Quasi-Saint realm!
Chen Song's heart surged with excitement. "Awesome!" His voice cracked. "As expected of my master and martial uncles!"
The Three Pure Ones emerged from their Thatched Huts almost simultaneously and entered the courtyard.
"Hahaha, Senior Disciple Nephew, I heard you singing something about not being able to learn. Did you encounter a bottleneck in cultivation?" Tongtian looked Chen Song over. Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal—decent, he supposed.
Yuanshi and Laozi said nothing, merely smiling at Chen Song.
"Well, Martial Uncle Tongtian, I guess you could say I've hit a bottleneck! But I'm already at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Maybe one day I'll whoosh and break through. The main problem is that I can't learn the Alchemy Techniques my master gave me." Chen Song scratched his head.
"What is so difficult about that? Your master is right here. If there is anything you do not understand, just ask him directly." Yuanshi did not think much of it.
Laozi stroked his beard and smiled. "What is it that you do not understand? Point it out, and I shall explain it to you."
"I don't understand any of it."
Laozi: ???
"I recognize every word, and I can understand all those alchemy ingredients. It's just that I don't understand anything related to making pills."
Laozi: This disciple was hopeless.
Closing his eyes, Laozi gave up.
"Fine. Your master will not force you, then."
Before you continue