Sect Master Tongtian was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. He felt that the words sounded familiar, as though someone had said them to him before.
Oh, right. Li Er had told him that dawdling at the entrance was not manly. If he wanted to go in, he should just go in and be decisive.
He then straightened his clothes, pretending he had not come prepared for a visit, and casually carried a box of pastries in one hand, looking like he was merely dropping by.
Then he strode into Nüwa Palace.
The scenery within the palace was serene and tranquil.
Sect Master Tongtian followed the winding path. Before long, he arrived before a pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, Nüwa sat at ease. Her colorful robes shimmered brilliantly, like the most resplendent clouds on the horizon.
Her hair cascaded down like a waterfall, gently swaying despite the absence of wind. She was peerlessly graceful.
Her features were elegant and ethereal, her brows like mist, her eyes like autumn waters. A faint smile rested on her lips, while a trace of shyness flickered across her cheeks.
A pot of fragrant wine and several exquisite drinking dishes sat on the table, their aroma filling the air.
The moment Sect Master Tongtian saw Nüwa, his heart trembled slightly. He was instantly stunned by her bearing.
He had never seen Nüwa dressed like this before. At that moment, it seemed as though all the beauty in heaven and earth had gathered upon her alone.
He was dazed for a moment before coming back to his senses, knowing it was impolite to stare.
"Greetings, Junior Sister Nüwa. I have come as promised," Sect Master Tongtian said calmly, though a trace of vigilance flashed through his eyes.
He had not wanted to come in the first place, but he recalled Li Er telling him that Nüwa was someone best befriended if possible, and someone who must not be offended if friendship was impossible.
Moreover, he had obtained the Chaos Bell only because she had brought Taiyi over, so he had come to see what exactly was going on.
What made him wary was that the moment he entered Nüwa Palace, it had been completely sealed off, preventing the outside world from observing anything happening here.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Tongtian. Please, have a seat," Nüwa said gently. A trace of delight flashed through her eyes. At that moment, Tongtian's image perfectly overlapped with the ideal image in her mind.
An unusual blush appeared on her face.
Sect Master Tongtian set down his gift and asked directly, "May I ask why Junior Sister invited me here?"
Nüwa deliberately showed a troubled expression. She poured Sect Master Tongtian a cup of wine and said gently, "Recently, Senior Brother's pills have helped relieve my fatigue and improve my cultivation.
"I would like to ask Senior Brother about the method of pill refinement, so I can refine some myself. Of course, I will certainly offer an equivalent exchange."
Upon hearing this, Sect Master Tongtian revealed an expression of realization and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He understood the method, but he could not actually refine them.
"It is a small matter. No exchange is necessary."
Sect Master Tongtian generously handed over a jade slip containing the method for refining the pills.
Nüwa's eyes revealed a trace of surprise. Her favorable impression of Sect Master Tongtian deepened, but she did not take the jade slip. Instead, she said, "Senior Brother, I have another presumptuous request."
"Go ahead, Junior Sister. I will do my best," Sect Master Tongtian said seriously, his eyes full of vigilance. He always felt that this junior sister was up to no good.
Especially those eyes of hers, which seemed to carry threads that hooked at his soul.
"I would like to ask Senior Brother how to dissolve the medicinal effects of these pills. I hope Senior Brother can demonstrate for me," Nüwa said gently. Curiosity filled her eyes as she raised a hand and took out dozens of Passion Pills, placing them on a plate one by one.
Sect Master Tongtian frowned deeply. What was so difficult about dissolving the effects of a pill?
He immediately said, "It is a small matter. Junior Sister, please take the pills, and I will explain it to you.
"I—"
Sect Master Tongtian was dumbfounded.
He watched Nüwa swallow more than ten pills in one gulp. Was that how these pills were supposed to be eaten?
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother—what is wrong?" Nüwa asked somewhat shyly, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
"Nothing. This—I—"
Sect Master Tongtian was completely stunned.
Nüwa had just tossed more than ten pills into his mouth. They melted as soon as they entered.
Li Er had said that he could not eat too many of these. Eating too many was bad for the body.
"Senior Brother, you have taken the pills too. Now teach me how to refine their medicinal effects..." Nüwa said gently, her eyes soft and alluring as an unusual flush rose to her cheeks.
Normally, she only dared to take four at once. This time, she had taken more than ten. More importantly, she had successfully ambushed Senior Brother Tongtian and made him take more than ten as well. She refused to believe that Senior Brother Tongtian could withstand the pills' effects.
Sect Master Tongtian was overwhelmed with emotion. Junior Sister Nüwa was far too eager to improve herself. She wanted to break free from the Heavenly Dao's control. Although the pills did have some effect—
She really could not take too many! Li Er's pills could stack their effects together—
Now his entire body was burning hot as well...
Fortunately, Li Er had prepared top-grade detoxification pills for him. He also possessed the Karmic Fire Red Lotus, Nirvana Fire, and Chaos Flame. He could quickly resolve the medicinal effects.
"Mmm~ Senior Brother, my head feels so dizzy~ Senior Brother—"
Nüwa deliberately held her head and let her whole body fall backward.
Enduring the desire blazing through his body, Sect Master Tongtian hurried over to support Nüwa, intending to help her dispel the medicinal effects.
The next moment—
Sect Master Tongtian was utterly dumbfounded!
He was going insane!
Tongtian swore to heaven!! He had merely gone over to support her. Why had her clothes instantly become scraps!!
"Mmm~ Senior Brother, why are you taking off my clothes~ Senior Brother, Senior Brother—"
"Junior Sister, calm down. I will immediately—I—"
Sect Master Tongtian was numb.
He had been force-fed another handful of pills. Even now, he did not understand what was happening. He was simply an idiot.
"Hehe—Senior Brother, come on. Let's dissolve the medicinal effects together~"
Sect Master Tongtian: ...
Time brought fifty years along as he passed by the constantly shaking Nüwa Palace. He stroked his chin, took out a Passion Pill, and examined it seriously. In the end, he took fifty years to an inn to test its effects.
At a certain place on Mount Buzhou.
Grand Pure Saint slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. His third brother had been in Nüwa Palace for a full fifty years. It was time to find the person behind all this.
Most importantly, he knew that his third brother was actually traveling through the prehistoric world under the alias Pan Laosan.
"Big Brother, what is it?" Yuanshi Tianzun asked curiously. Why had his big brother suddenly stopped comprehending the method?
"The avatar I left in the Interception Sect, Lord Lao, sent me a message. He said Third Brother has been in Nüwa Palace for fifty years. It is time to find the person behind this," Grand Pure Saint said calmly, anticipation in his eyes.
"What about that Black Dog? His divine abilities are rather formidable," Yuanshi Tianzun said helplessly. With that damned dog around, it would be difficult for them to get close.
"The more formidable his divine abilities are, the better it is for us.
"When the time comes, you and I will reveal our origin auras. They will be the same as Third Brother's, and we will directly state that we are Third Brother's elder brothers," Grand Pure Saint said seriously, wisdom filling his eyes.
"This... will that work? Back when we dealt with the Western Sect, that Black Dog was sealed by Third Brother and did not sense our auras," Yuanshi Tianzun asked doubtfully. Yet his eyes lit up, as though he thought the plan was quite good.
Of course, an origin aura could not be faked.
"It will definitely work. Starting today, I will be Pan Laoda, and you will be Pan Laoer."
Yuanshi Tianzun: ...
Inside a secret small world on Mount Buzhou.
"When one is happy, even the dust on the ground seems to dance.
"When one is sad, even the lake behind one seems to run dry."
Li Er carried a fishing rod over his shoulder, humming as he walked along the riverbank, preparing to go fishing.
In the distance, Black Dog kept jumping about. No one knew why he was doing so. It seemed as though he were searching for some kind of aura.
Recently, Li Er had been in a very bad mood. That unreliable Third Brother Pan had not returned for fifty years. Worse still, he had sent Black Dog back with a female disciple.
That female disciple was called Xiao Wu. The first thing she said upon waking was that the master had told her to become his maid.
As long as she was not here to become his wife, it was fine.
That very day, he gave Black Dog a thorough beating. That damned dog had actually dared to spout such nonsense.
However, because Xiao Wu had appeared, those few fellows had begun cultivating even more desperately.
The assessments that had once terrified them now had them charging forward eagerly, because Xiao Wu's comprehension ability was terrifyingly high. She had the momentum of a latecomer overtaking those who came before her.
Just then,
Whoosh—
Black Dog instantly appeared before Li Er and said solemnly, "Little Master, there are two unfamiliar auras here. However, they seem very similar to the master's aura.
"It seems their origins are the same."
Li Er's expression turned serious. He raised his foot and kicked Black Dog aside. This damned dog was useless.
The visitors had already arrived right before him, yet Black Dog had not noticed.
However, the formation fluctuations around them relaxed Li Er considerably, because they were exactly the same as the formations he had developed.
Other than the few people inside the secret realm, the only way anyone could learn such formations was if Third Brother Pan had taught them. Otherwise, who could possibly have learned them?
That proved the newcomers were not enemies.
Moreover, judging by the way they had arrived, they had clearly received Third Brother Pan's guidance. They had been cautious all along the way, and even Black Dog had failed to notice their presence.
And the formations layered upon them... yes, they had the right flavor. There were just a tiny little billion too many of them...
This further confirmed that they were allies.
"May I ask how the two seniors should be addressed?" Li Er asked respectfully with a bow, curiosity appearing in his eyes.
Their origin auras were the same as Third Brother Pan's. Could they be his brothers? How many brothers did that fellow have?
It seemed he had forgotten to ask about his family circumstances. That had been an oversight.
Black Dog's fur instantly stood on end at the side, because he saw the two men not far away. Instinctively, he felt that he seemed to have seen them before.
Black Dog took a step back, preparing to flee with Little Master at any moment.
"I am Pan Laoer, and this is my elder brother, Pan Laoda. We came to find our younger brother, Pan Laosan. He has been away from home for fifty years without any news. We followed his aura and found this place.
"May I ask how you should be addressed?
"The Black Dog beside you is often with my younger brother. Do you know where my younger brother Pan Laosan has gone?" Yuanshi Tianzun said calmly, a strange light flashing through his eyes.
Inside, he cried out, Good heavens, I actually cannot see through this young man. His aura is perfectly unified, and faintly comparable to Third Brother's.
Could this fellow be a Saint???
Grand Pure Saint, standing beside him, showed a trace of worry. He thought to himself that he could not see through this man, which meant he posed immense danger. Moreover, he did not seem to be the one glimmer of life.
It gave him the feeling that his younger brother had made friends with some dangerous people of unknown origin.
Li Er showed an expression of realization upon hearing this. It was not that he lacked vigilance; it was simply that the origin auras they emitted were identical to Third Brother Pan's.
Origin auras were things that could not be imitated. They were as effective as an anti-fraud app.
There was also the fact that their names were so plain and unpretentious. They clearly came from the same line: Laoda, Laoer, Laosan...
"I am Li Er. Third Brother Pan has not returned for nearly fifty years either.
"However, you two elder brothers need not worry. He is probably traveling somewhere and enjoying himself.
"You two elder brothers have come from afar. Would you like to come to my home for a cup of tea?" Li Er said reassuringly, while inwardly cursing that unreliable Third Brother Pan.
That fellow had not even sent word to his family, making his two elder brothers worry. He needed to take this opportunity to learn more about Third Brother Pan's background.
"Then we shall impose upon you," Yuanshi Tianzun said, raising a hand in salute.
"Please!" Li Er made an inviting gesture, then casually kicked Black Dog aside again. That damned dog was trying to sniff the legs of the two elder brothers. It was far too rude.
"Please do not take offense, elder brothers. This is how Black Dog recognizes people. He is not trying to bite anyone."
Primal Celestial Lord: ...
Grand Pure Saint: ...
Very soon,
the three men and one dog returned to the secret small world.
A trace of amazement flashed through Yuanshi Tianzun's and Grand Pure Saint's eyes. Were the laws of this small world not a bit too outrageous? Their intensity was simply unimaginable.
More importantly, these laws were all new. They had never seen them before, which was even more shocking.
Although they had long known this secret realm was extraordinary, they were still stunned upon entering it.
"What is he doing?" Grand Pure Saint asked, pointing at Duobao, who was cultivating in the distance. A trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.
Duobao was dissecting his own body because Li Er had once told him:
If you did not even understand your own body's structure, how could you understand others by analogy and refine the most perfect Dharma treasures? You had to know that these Dharma treasures were your children.
Your children were like you, so you first needed to understand yourself. Whatever you were like, your future children would have similar traits.
Thus, Duobao had spent this period tempering his own body. However, his method of tempering was somewhat extreme. His primordial spirit had left his body, and he was using it to control itself as it dissected his physical body.
"He is studying his own structure. This way, please," Li Er explained seriously. He raised a hand and concealed the area where Duobao was. After all, Fat Li's current actions were rather frightening.
"And what about him?" Yuanshi Tianzun asked, pointing at Zhao Gongming. His eyes narrowed. Good heavens, he had cultivated the Nine-Nine Mystic Art to such a level.
Wait!! Was that his primordial spirit?? A primordial spirit could cultivate the Nine-Nine Mystic Art??
"Fat Zhao is tempering his primordial spirit. His primordial spirit is too weak, so this is targeted training," Li Er said calmly.
Yuanshi Tianzun: ???
Grand Pure Saint rolled his eyes. Good heavens, he said Zhao Gongming's primordial spirit was weak? A primordial spirit like that was still called weak?
His primordial spirit was carrying twenty-four small worlds while dancing a battle dance over there?
"Sigh—these disappointing disciples have made you two elder brothers laugh," Li Er said helplessly, a trace of guilt in his eyes.
There was nothing he could do. Third Brother Pan had only let them cultivate the methods of his Daoist School, yet the two elder brothers before him were clearly Quasi-Sage-level experts judging from their auras.
Truly, comparing people only made one furious.
Grand Pure Saint: ...
Yuanshi Tianzun: ...
Black Dog nodded in agreement from the side. "That is right. The three of them, one egg, and one bird combined still cannot beat me.
"But that is also because the master has never had time to teach them.
"You two are the master's elder brothers. Would you like to join our Daoism and become elders?"
"Your Daoism???"
Before you continue