The Great Dao of Saints

In the pavilion, Tongtian chuckled and said unhappily, "Your disciples have quite the methods, my two junior brothers!"

Yuanshi also said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Are the two junior brothers here to pick a fight?"

Jieyin put on a pained expression and said, "Senior brothers, you misunderstand. Disciples have their own ways of communicating, and it's not something we instigated.

We have come today to seek enlightenment."

Taishang said calmly, "Junior brother Jieyin speaks the truth. Their affairs should be handled by themselves. If they lose in a debate, it is because their understanding of the Dao is inferior, and it will not harm them."

Tongtian snorted coldly and said nothing.

Yuanshi asked, "Enlightenment on what Dao?"

Zhunti said solemnly, "The Way of the Saint!

Master bestowed the Primordial Violet Qi upon us, saying we could achieve sainthood with it.

However, over the years, my senior brother and I have been in seclusion contemplating it, but we have gained nothing. Therefore, we have come to seek your guidance."

Taishang shook his head and said, "The Way of the Saint is profound and difficult to describe; we do not know either."

Nuwa chuckled lightly, "Brothers are having a heart-to-heart talk, why must senior brother be so secretive?"

"Very well! Since junior sister has spoken, I shall say a word."

Jieyin and Zhunti both looked at Taishang, a hint of worry in their hearts. Had he truly gained some insight? Were his previous words not just polite formalities? The two had contemplated for thousands of years in the Western Pure Land, yet had gained nothing, with no clue on how to achieve sainthood.

Taishang smiled and said, "The Way of Heaven is to benefit without harming; the Way of the Saint is to act without striving."

Yuanshi said, "The Way of Heaven is for clarity and order to exist; the Way of the Saint is to obey Heaven and follow destiny."

Tongtian said proudly, "Wielding a three-foot green peak, I question Heaven and Earth, and with the sword in my hand, I shall sever Heaven and seize the Dao."

Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa all fell into a trance. The three Great Daos became clear in their hearts: Taishang's Way of the Mean, Yuanshi's Way of Obeying Heaven, and Tongtian's Way of Defying Heaven.

Jieyin shook his head and sighed, "The three senior brothers have already understood their paths. The day of their enlightenment is not far off~ We are far behind."

Taishang, Yuanshi, and Tongtian's gazes met. The image of a small figure simultaneously appeared in their minds, and the three of them casually turned their heads away.

On a small island in the East Sea, the Kui Ox lay on the mountaintop, with Bai Jin lying beside it, resting his upper body on the Kui Ox's belly.

"Achoo~"

"Achoo~"

Bai Jin sneezed twice in a row, rubbed his nose, and muttered to himself, "Who's thinking of me again? Master or senior sister? Could it be my two martial uncles?"

He reached out and patted the large belly of the Kui Ox beside him, producing a drumming sound. "Hey~ Old Ox, have you made up your mind? There's no turning back once this opportunity is gone. Being a mount for a Saint, would that tarnish your status? Do you know what a Saint is?"

The Kui Ox's thunderous voice rumbled, "I know. Dao Ancestor Hongjun is a Saint, the Teacher of Heaven and Earth who preached the Three Thousand Daos."

"Exactly! How noble are Saints. Imagine this: you are leisurely strolling through the Great Desolation, and suddenly a few fierce gods rush out and surround you. What would you do then?"

The Kui Ox's thunderous voice rumbled, "Fight them."

"What if you can't win?"

"Then run!"

"What if you can't escape?"

The Kui Ox remained silent.

"Then you can only wait to die, right? But if you were a Saint's mount, it would be entirely different. You would only need to disdainfully glance at the fierce gods around you and then proudly say, 'I am the mount of a Saint.' They would all flee in terror, and then where in this vast Great Desolation couldn't you go? Why would you have to hide on this small island?"

The Kui Ox's breathing gradually became heavier.

Bai Jin continued to tempt it, "If you were Dao Ancestor Hongjun's mount, you could go to the Heavenly Court, and the Demon Emperor would greet you. You could go to the Wu Clan, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches would accompany you. Everywhere you go, everyone would show respect. With a single command, all beings would exist. Tell me, wouldn't that be magnificent?"

The Kui Ox nodded vigorously, "Magnificent!"

"Overbearing?"

"Overbearing!"

"Do you want it?"

"Yes!"

Bai Jin patted the Kui Ox's belly and said, "Then come back with me."

"But the Tongtian Daoist you mentioned isn't Dao Ancestor Hongjun."

Bai Jin flipped over and stood up, saying, "Hongjun is a Saint, and my Master will also become a Saint in the future. They are both Saints, what's the difference?"

The Kui Ox flipped over and stood up, its booming voice saying, "It seems there isn't!"

"That's right. When the Dragon Race of the East Sea heard I was looking for a mount, they all rushed to me. There were even dragon girls who offered themselves, vying to be the mount for a future Saint, meaning my Master.

But who am I? I, the dignified disciple of a future Saint, would I be swayed by such trivial temptations?! I sternly reprimanded them, making them deeply ashamed, and only then did I choose from the beings of the East Sea, vowing to give the numerous beings of the East Sea a fair opportunity."

The Kui Ox nodded and rumbled, "You are a good person. The East Sea Dragon Race is too despicable."

Bai Jin sighed, "It's not that the East Sea Dragon Race is despicable, but rather that the status of a Saint's mount is too precious. I only chose you because I saw you had a connection. If you are unwilling, I will have to choose from the East Sea Dragon Race."

With great regret and unwillingness, it said, "It's a pity my true form is not suitable to be a mount, otherwise, how could such an opportunity fall to you?!"

Looking at the Kui Ox with envy, he said, "I truly envy you exotic beasts of the Great Desolation!"

The Kui Ox's eyes flashed with smugness, and it said in a low voice, "Fine, I'll go with you! Just don't choose those Dragon Race from the East Sea, they're all too wicked. They actually dared to tempt you and ruin our opportunity."

A look of joy flashed in Bai Jin's eyes. Finally! It wasn't easy to trick Master's mount into coming with me. My mount's fate is finally decided.

Bai Jin floated onto the Kui Ox's back, patted its neck, and said, "From now on, as a Saint's mount, your status will be extraordinary. Your words and actions will be scrutinized by all sides, so you must be careful. Even if you feel negatively towards the East Sea Dragon Race, you can't say it. We need to be mindful of our status."

The Kui Ox raised its head and puffed out its chest, saying, "I understand. I am now a Kui Ox with status."

Bai Jin said happily, "Let's go! We're returning to Mount Kunlun. Do you know the way?"

"I do! I've traveled all over the Great Desolation."

The Kui Ox carried Bai Jin onto the surging sea and walked swiftly towards the continent.

A flash of inspiration struck Bai Jin, and he immediately asked, "Oh right, does your ox race have any other variants? Like powerful Green Oxen or Five-Colored Divine Oxen?"

The Kui Ox grumbled, "I, the Kui Ox, am a primordial beast, not part of the ox race. I have no relation to those inferior species."

"How many toes do your hooves have?"

"Two."

"Scientifically speaking, you are all classified as mammals of the order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae. You're all the same."

"What is science?"

"Science is a discipline that explains things. You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"I understand! It must be the Great Dao of a Saint."