Looking at the Lotus Platform with its flowing halo of light in his palm, Nan Ji would be lying if he said he was not tempted.
As everyone knew, the Thirty-Six-Petal Chaos Verdant Lotus had produced four lotus seeds.
Aside from the Twenty-Four-Petal Verdant Creation Lotus before them, there were also the Twelve-Petal Golden Lotus of Merit, the Twelve-Petal Crimson Lotus of Karmic Fire, the Twelve-Petal Black Lotus of World Destruction, and the Twelve-Petal White Lotus of Purification.
With any one of them, one could sit upon the Lotus Platform and be innately invincible, with peerless defense.
But...
After thinking carefully, Nan Ji asked, "Master, are you giving this to me?"
"Mm!"
Yuanshi looked at his usually clever disciple and nodded.
"Then..."
Spiritual energy surged in Nan Ji's hand, and the Twenty-Four-Petal Verdant Creation Lotus in his palm immediately separated once more into a flower, white lotus root, and lotus leaf.
Then, following the method of the Three Pure Ones Primordial Scripture, Nan Ji began refining the three items.
"You brat..."
Seeing Nan Ji refine such a treasure in this manner, Tongtian was so furious that he wanted to accuse him of ruining a priceless treasure.
But then he remembered that the treasure had already been bestowed upon Nan Ji, so it was not his place to say anything.
Perhaps because it had been destined by the Heavenly Dao, the items soon transformed perfectly into three treasures.
The lotus flower became a pristine Jade Ruyi, the lotus root became a flat staff, and the green lotus leaf became a sharp sword.
Supporting the three items with his magic power, Nan Ji bowed to the Three Pure Ones. "Eldest Uncle, this flat staff is for you!"
As he spoke, Nan Ji took the flat staff and placed it in Laozi's hand.
"Master, this Jade Ruyi is for you!"
"Uncle, this one is yours!"
He then handed the Jade Ruyi and Qingping Sword to Yuanshi and Tongtian respectively.
"You... sigh..."
The instant Laozi accepted the flat staff, he sensed that it was something destined by the Heavenly Dao to belong to him.
Yet Laozi could not bear it, and could only let out a sigh.
Yuanshi and Tongtian likewise sensed, the moment they accepted their treasures, that they had originally been items ordained by the Heavenly Dao.
Yet after receiving the treasures Nan Ji had given them, an indescribable emotion welled up in all three of them.
Yuanshi remained silent, but Tongtian said angrily, "You brat, you finally got a presentable treasure, and you ruined it just like that. Honestly..."
Before Tongtian could finish scolding him, however, he felt Yuanshi's unfriendly gaze.
With an exceptionally strong will to survive, Tongtian immediately forced himself to stop talking.
Nan Ji chuckled and scratched his head awkwardly. "Right now, only Eldest Uncle has the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. Master and Uncle do not have anything yet, so how could I possibly feel right accepting it?"
What he did not say was: Red flower, white lotus root, green lotus leaf—the three teachings were originally one family. If you start arguing in the future, I'll use this against you!
However, Nan Ji knew that his master had always cared deeply about his pride. Seeing that Yuanshi was still silent, Nan Ji walked on his own toward where the lotus had originally been.
Once there, Nan Ji continuously waved both hands at the ground. The impurities expelled from the primordial spirits of the Three Pure Ones slowly gathered in his hands.
Then, as Nan Ji refined them, the mass of impurities gradually stretched into a long shape before finally becoming a plain, unadorned staff.
After finishing the refinement, Nan Ji reached out with both hands and gripped the staff.
"Besides, it's not like I have nothing!"
"Look, I've gotten a huge bargain here."
"This was formed from the impurities of Pangu's primordial spirit. It can foul primordial spirits, induce inner demons, and is indestructible!"
"I call it the Soul Slaying Staff!"
As he spoke, Nan Ji held the staff before the Three Pure Ones and showed it off.
Nan Ji was not wrong. The Three Pure Ones had originally been transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit, and their own primordial spirits were nearly flawless.
The impurities refined with Pangu's Marrow spiritual liquid were half the impurities of the Three Pure Ones' primordial spirits and half the residue of Pangu's Marrow. They were truly rare.
Moreover, Nan Ji knew that the three teachings would flourish in the future. As the senior brother of all three teachings, if anyone disobeyed him, he could give them a tap with the Soul Slaying Staff, as though the Three Pure Ones themselves were taking action. Would disciples of the three teachings dare to resist?
Though the Soul Slaying Staff looked like something an old man would use...
Still, at the thought of that future scene, Nan Ji could not help grinning.
"Sigh... you..."
Naturally, Yuanshi did not know about Nan Ji's little plans for the future.
He merely saw his disciple holding the impurities Yuanshi himself had refined, smiling so happily, and could not help feeling a trace of bitterness in his heart.
But Yuanshi knew that the three brothers had no presentable treasures at the moment, and that Nan Ji was only being filial. He therefore spoke first. "Eldest Brother, Third Brother, please lend me a drop of your blood essence!"
The Three Pure Ones had been together ever since taking form, so Laozi and Tongtian instantly understood Yuanshi's intention.
"Good!"
"Of course!"
As they spoke, a drop of blood essence floated out from Laozi and Tongtian's bodies.
As the blood essence was forced out, Laozi's face turned slightly pale, while Tongtian breathed unevenly as if he had just suffered a severe illness.
With a wave of his hand, Yuanshi drew the Soul Slaying Staff from Nan Ji's grasp.
Nan Ji had been delighting in the thought of disciplining Duobao and Guangchengzi in the future, but the Soul Slaying Staff suddenly flew from his hand. He immediately cried anxiously, "Ah, no, Master... don't..."
Yuanshi remained silent as he forced out a drop of his own blood essence, then controlled the three drops of blood essence and merged them with Nan Ji's Soul Slaying Staff.
However, as the Soul Slaying Staff was refined, Yuanshi's aura gradually became unstable.
Seeing this, Laozi and Tongtian both acted, refining the Soul Slaying Staff together with Yuanshi.
Watching everything before him, Nan Ji did not know what was happening, but he could tell that it was taking considerable effort from the Three Pure Ones.
Nan Ji anxiously shouted, "Eldest Uncle, Master, Uncle, don't! It's just one of my little treasures. Don't wear yourselves out over it!"
But the Three Pure Ones ignored Nan Ji and continued to form hand seals with complete concentration.
Seeing the Three Pure Ones' paper-pale faces and receiving no response, Nan Ji did not dare make another sound. He could only pace around anxiously.
In an instant, as the Three Pure Ones' movements gradually slowed, the Soul Slaying Staff floating in the air began to change from dim and ancient-looking, slowly giving off streams of radiant light.
Yuanshi stretched out his hand, and the Soul Slaying Staff flew toward Nan Ji. "Take it!"
The moment the Soul Slaying Staff entered his hand, Nan Ji nearly failed to catch it.
Good heavens!
It was so heavy! Compared to before, the Soul Slaying Staff was utterly transformed.
After receiving the Soul Slaying Staff, Nan Ji kowtowed to the Three Pure Ones. "This disciple thanks Master, thanks Eldest Uncle, and thanks Junior Uncle!"
"Mm." Laozi nodded.
Yuanshi looked at Nan Ji and said, "With our blood essence added to it, this item may not be innate, but it possesses endless wondrous uses. Refine it well!"
Holding his chest, Tongtian said with exaggerated movements, "Little Nan Ji, don't say your uncles haven't treated you well! Your uncle only has twenty drops of blood essence in total!"
Then, after glancing at Laozi and Yuanshi, Tongtian said, "No, no, I can't do this anymore. Your uncle needs to meditate and recover! Little Nan Ji, go play around nearby by yourself first!"
After saying that, Tongtian casually cast a great formation, enveloping himself, Laozi, and Yuanshi within it. Then he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began meditating to recover.
Laozi and Yuanshi also looked at Nan Ji before closing their eyes.
Seeing this, Nan Ji was truly moved.
Before this, he had deliberately tried to curry favor with the Three Pure Ones. In the Great Desolation, who did not want to live well?
But after spending time with the Three Pure Ones, Nan Ji discovered that they truly treated him exceptionally well.
And the master he called Master was truly different from the "teachers" of later generations.
Thinking this, Nan Ji sincerely bowed three times toward the Three Pure Ones, who were meditating with their eyes closed.
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