"Those not of our kind are sure to harbor different intentions. Huang Long, why are you agreeing with them?"
"Does having 'yellow' in his name mean he's no longer part of the dragon clan?"
"The Immortals of the Chan Sect are famous for their many magical treasures. In the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, treasures matter more than cultivation! Why is Tai Yi's combat strength so weak?"
"Why are there even comments saying Eastern Emperor Tai Yi and Ying Long are a couple? And why did Ao Guang get involved?"
Ye Qing casually picked up the clear tea beside him. After taking a sip, he could not help but complain.
He truly could not understand it. Though the stories of the Great Desolation were not official history, this unofficial history was far too biased.
"If I transmigrated into the Great Desolation, I would definitely make..."
As Ye Qing muttered while reading the comments, he set the teacup back onto the table.
The moment he let go, the cup slid over and tipped over. Warm tea instantly splashed across the power strip on the table, and electric current surged through Ye Qing's entire body along with the water.
"I, I..."
Before Ye Qing could curse, his vision went black.
When he opened his eyes again, Ye Qing discovered a middle-aged man standing before him. "I am Jade Pure Yuanshi. Today, I have enlightened you. Are you willing to return to Kunlun with me?"
"I..."
Having just opened his eyes, Ye Qing looked at the person before him and instinctively rubbed his head.
As memories flooded into his mind like a raging tide, Ye Qing found it somewhat hard to accept. He could not help asking, "Where... am I?"
Seeing Ye Qing's dazed expression, Yuanshi frowned slightly. He shook his head and said, "Forget it. Then we have no destined connection!"
With that, Yuanshi turned and prepared to leave.
Though Ye Qing was completely confused, it did not take him long to digest all the memories in his mind. Recalling what the man before him had said, how could Ye Qing not realize that he had already transmigrated into the Great Desolation?
Ye Qing hurriedly dropped to his knees and said, "Master, please do not blame me. I was wrong. Your disciple is willing!"
Hearing Ye Qing call him master, Yuanshi paused. He turned back in disbelief and asked, "What did you just call me...?"
"Master!"
As Ye Qing called out, he respectfully kowtowed to the ground once more.
Yuanshi stopped, turned around, and said to Ye Qing, "Interesting! Why do you call me master?"
Ye Qing did not know that in the current Great Desolation, people addressed others as teacher or revered master.
The word "master" had never appeared before.
Faced with Yuanshi's question, Ye Qing's mind raced through all the Great Desolation novels he had read, and he instantly found an answer.
Thus, Ye Qing lowered his head and respectfully said to Yuanshi, "Master has bestowed enlightenment upon me, making you like a father to me. Now, you wish to take me back to Kunlun and teach me, making you my teacher. Thus, master means both teacher and father."
After hearing this, Yuanshi's expression became somewhat strange. He raised one hand, closed his eyes, and began calculating.
A moment later, he nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "Fine, fine. I originally intended to take you in as an attendant, but it seems we were already destined to be master and disciple."
Ye Qing did not know that Yuanshi currently had no disciples, much less any descendants.
And this "formulaic" reply of his happened to greatly satisfy Yuanshi, who valued propriety and ritual.
After making his calculations, Yuanshi determined that he would indeed accept Ye Qing as his disciple in the future, so he moved the timeline forward.
Seeing Yuanshi's satisfied expression, Ye Qing excitedly prostrated himself again and said, "This disciple greets Master!"
Ye Qing's excitement was not an act.
After all, the Chan Sect was one of the safest sects in the Great Desolation. Its disciples possessed countless treasures, and Venerable Yuanshi was famously protective of his own.
Even when the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation arrived, it would not have much impact on the Chan Sect's disciples.
Besides, if you did not court death, you would not die.
As Ye Qing kowtowed for the third time, Yuanshi looked at the thoroughly proper Ye Qing with satisfaction and directly said, "Since you are the first immortal crane of the extreme southern lands and have now entered our Three Pure Ones' lineage, you shall be called Nan Ji from this day onward!"
Nan Ji!
He was actually Immortal Official Nan Ji!
What an unbelievably lucky start!
Hearing the name Yuanshi had given him, Ye Qing was so excited he nearly jumped up.
Who was Immortal Official Nan Ji? He was one of the earliest followers of Venerable Yuanshi.
In his early years, he served as an attendant boy. Later, he entered Yuanshi's sect, and after the Investiture of the Gods ended, he was even appointed one of the Four Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court—the Great Emperor Changsheng of the South Pole.
For the gods of the Heavenly Court, who cultivated through incense offerings, Immortal Official Nan Ji, who governed lifespan, fortune, and rank, had it absurdly good.
Thinking of this, Ye Qing's body trembled uncontrollably with excitement.
Yuanshi looked at Nan Ji, who remained prostrated on the ground, somewhat puzzled. However, he only assumed that Ye Qing placed great importance on ritual, and secretly felt pleased with his decision to accept a disciple.
Yet Yuanshi did not show it. He merely said with a cold expression, "Then let us return to Kunlun Mountain!"
Seeing clouds and mist slowly form beneath Yuanshi and himself, Nan Ji hurriedly rose, transformed into a massive immortal crane, and said, "Master, please get on!"
As he spoke, Nan Ji lowered his wings, stirring waves of spiritual mist, and gestured for Yuanshi to stand on his back.
Although Yuanshi was somewhat unaccustomed to Nan Ji's attentiveness, he had lived for countless years. His expression remained unchanged as he stepped onto Nan Ji's back.
Once Yuanshi was standing securely, Nan Ji let out a clear cry that pierced the heavens and flew toward Kunlun according to the memories in his mind.
As for winning over Yuanshi, Nan Ji, who came from a later age, had exceptional confidence in himself.
No matter how much Yuanshi cared about appearances or how difficult he was to please, could he really be worse than the leaders from Ye Qing's later age?
Besides, Yuanshi had not yet become a saint. No matter how he looked at it, victory was assured.
As they traveled, the scenery of the Great Desolation below seemed to be fast-forwarding, rapidly flashing past Nan Ji's eyes. Yet Nan Ji did not dare linger over the beauty, and obediently carried Yuanshi back to Kunlun.
Even along the way, Nan Ji did not dare glance at Venerable Yuanshi on his back. Yet Nan Ji did not know that Yuanshi's eyes were filled with satisfaction.
"That is the place!"
After they arrived at Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi pointed with his fingertip, and the precise location of the Three Pure Ones appeared in Nan Ji's mind.
Before long, Nan Ji descended with wings trailing spiritual mist, while Yuanshi slowly stepped onto the ground.
"Elder Brother! Third Brother!"
The moment Yuanshi spoke, two people emerged from the thatched cottage ahead and answered him.
"Second Brother!"
"Second Brother!"
So these were Laozi and Tongtian. I really want to take a good look at them, Nan Ji thought after transforming into human form.
But that was all he dared do—think about it. Nan Ji did not dare overstep in the slightest and stood respectfully behind Yuanshi with his head lowered.
Yuanshi was immensely satisfied with Nan Ji's behavior, but he kept it to himself and said to Laozi, "Elder Brother, during this journey, I discovered that I share a master-disciple destiny with this immortal crane, so I accepted him as a disciple. I hope Elder Brother will not blame me."
After all, Laozi, as the eldest brother, had yet to accept any disciples. It was somewhat inappropriate for Yuanshi to accept one first, so Yuanshi could only explain himself.
Before Laozi could speak, Tongtian examined Nan Ji and remarked, "Second Brother, this immortal crane has quite a good foundation. It is just that... he seems a little dull."
Laozi narrowed his eyes as he examined Nan Ji, stroking his beard with one hand. "His foundation is good, and he indeed shares destiny with you. There is no issue."
Seeing Laozi acknowledge it, Yuanshi nodded. Then he said to Nan Ji, "Why do you not hurry and greet your grandmaster-uncle and junior master-uncle?"
Having received Yuanshi's permission, Nan Ji did not hesitate. He generously knelt and saluted Laozi and Tongtian. "Disciple Nan Ji greets Grandmaster-Uncle and Junior Master-Uncle!"
"Not bad. He knows the rules," Laozi said with a nod.
Tongtian wanted to say something more, but when he saw Yuanshi glaring at him from the side, he could only say, "Mm. If anyone bullies you in the future, your junior master-uncle will stand up for you!"
Before you continue