Xuan Wazi Points the Way

The radiance atop Treasure Distribution Cliff had faded, and countless spiritual treasures had each found their owners... my ass. Every last one had been swept up by Xuan Wazi.

The Primordial Great Powers left empty-handed, bitter and deeply hateful toward a certain name. They turned into streaks of light and departed for their respective sanctuaries. Where the vast Treasure Distribution Cliff had once stood, only empty Chaos Qi Flows remained, recounting the "catastrophe" that had just occurred.

Sect Master Tongtian walked side by side with Xuan Wazi, leaving that place that had left everyone sick at heart. Tongtian's expression was somewhat complicated. This ruthless fellow beside him had emptied Treasure Distribution Cliff, while he himself had gained absolutely nothing. What unsettled him even more were the Primordial Violet Qi and the path to sainthood.

When they reached a secluded stretch of chaotic void, Tongtian suddenly stopped. He straightened his slightly disheveled robes from the previous scramble, then solemnly gave Xuan Wazi a Daoist salute.

Xuan Wazi was happily taking stock of the mountain of "spoils" piled inside the Chaos Bead. Startled by this, he shifted aside to avoid most of the bow. "Hey, hey, Fellow Daoist Tongtian, what are you doing? I can't accept such a grand gesture. It'll shorten my life."

Tongtian straightened, his eyes blazing with sincerity and inquiry. "Fellow Daoist, you deserve this salute! If not for your sharp rebuke in Zixiao Palace, exposing the hidden dangers of the Three Corpses, Tongtian might have ignorantly stepped onto the wrong path. And atop Treasure Distribution Cliff, although your... ahem... methods were forceful, you also allowed us to see many people for who they truly were. Tongtian will remember this karmic debt of guidance and... well, warning."

He paused, his voice carrying a trace of irrepressible longing and confusion as he transmitted his words. "To be honest, Fellow Daoist, there is still a question that has troubled me for a long time. I hope you will not hesitate to enlighten me. Though Primordial Violet Qi is the foundation for attaining sainthood, the three methods mentioned by our teacher—merit and severing the corpses—are not what I desire, and both carry grave hidden dangers. I once heard you mention 'creation merit.' How can one draw upon the creation merit left behind by Father God Pangu, attain the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, and gain true great freedom and ease?"

At those words, Xuan Wazi's frivolous smile faded somewhat. He stroked his chin, his gaze distant, as though it had pierced through endless chaos to witness the magnificent scene of creation itself and the origin of the Three Pure Ones' birth.

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian," Xuan Wazi said slowly, transmitting his reply as well, "I understand what is in your heart. Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal—transcending the Heavenly Dao and becoming a Dao unto oneself—is indeed a supreme and wondrous realm. But the time has not yet come."

"The time has not yet come?" Tongtian frowned slightly.

"Precisely." Xuan Wazi nodded, his expression unusually serious. "The creation merit is Father God Pangu's gift. It lies deeply hidden within the very source of your Three Pure Ones' primordial spirits. It is also the great karma and great opportunity you carried from birth. It is not a dead thing; it is closely tied to your own Dao and to the evolution of the Primordial World. Forcing it out would be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow. Not only would it be difficult to achieve perfection, it could damage your foundation and even draw the Heavenly Dao's focused attention. The loss would outweigh the gain."

Seeing Tongtian's thoughtful expression, he continued, "You must wait until the Heavenly Dao turns and the great momentum of the Primordial World reaches a crucial juncture. When your own Dao deeply resonates with the Primordial World, and your comprehension of the laws you command reaches a certain level, the creation merit will naturally respond and surge forth. Then it will all fall into place."

"Remember this," Xuan Wazi said with emphasis. "Merit can be a raft to help you cross the sea of suffering, but it cannot be the other shore itself. Under no circumstances should you imitate... certain people who may appear in the future and rely solely on piling up merit to attain the Dao. Use the creation merit you draw forth only as an aid—to cleanse your primordial spirit, understand yourself, and deeply comprehend the laws of the Way of the Sword that you command. Follow Father God Pangu's example and walk the Dao of Strength! Though it will be incomparably difficult and fraught with dangers, once you succeed, your future will be limitless. Only then will you be a truly carefree immortal, free from the restraints of the Heavenly Dao!"

"The Dao of Strength... the laws of the Way of the Sword..." Tongtian murmured. The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, while invisible sword qi flowed around him of its own accord, tearing apart and driving back the surrounding Chaos Qi. It was as if he had seen a path of perfect clarity—a broad road leading directly to the supreme realm, though covered in thorns! This was the path that truly suited his doctrine of seizing a thread of life!

At that moment, a pale blue screen that only Xuan Wazi could see quietly appeared in his mind.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully provided deep guidance to Sect Master Tongtian regarding his Hunyuan path (Dao of Strength), greatly altering the fate trajectory of a key plot character. Trouble-making evaluation: Excellent!]

[Reward issued: Cultivation increase, early Hunyuan Golden Immortal → mid Hunyuan Golden Immortal!]

[Additional notice: Unfilial Points +888. The host's understanding of the Dao of Not Being a Person has grown increasingly profound. The host can now guide the greater momentum invisibly. The system is most gratified!]

A vast and boundless force, far purer than before, instantly poured from the void into Xuan Wazi's limbs, bones, primordial spirit, and Purple Mansion. The bottleneck of the early Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm shattered as easily as thin paper. His comprehension of the Great Dao of Strength Fragment became clearer, and the resonance between the Dao aura around him and chaos grew increasingly harmonious. The magical power he had slightly depleted while forcibly taking Treasure Distribution Cliff was not only instantly restored, but multiplied several times over! He felt that if he faced Eastern Emperor Tai Yi's Chaos Bell again, even without relying on the Chaos Bead's absolute defense, he could confront it head-on without falling behind.

Tongtian seemed to sense something. He glanced at Xuan Wazi in astonishment, feeling the other man's aura become immeasurably deeper and heavier in an instant, like an abyss or a mountain—utterly unfathomable. His heart grew even more solemn and respectful, and Xuan Wazi's origins and methods seemed ever more profound and inscrutable.

"Thank you for pointing the way, Fellow Daoist!" Tongtian bowed once more, this time with wholehearted gratitude and resolve. "Tongtian now knows how he should walk the road ahead!"

"Easy, easy." Xuan Wazi chuckled, feeling the surging power within him and the system's generous rewards. He was in an excellent mood. "Fellow Daoist, return and properly contemplate your Dao, refine your spiritual treasures, temper your Way of the Sword, and wait quietly for the right moment. I should return to my sanctuary as well and properly digest what I have gained this time." He patted the Chaos Bead at his waist meaningfully.

The two cupped their hands in farewell and each transformed into a streak of escaping light, departing in separate directions.

Yet just as Xuan Wazi leisurely made his way through chaos toward his own sanctuary, pondering how to deal with that pile of spiritual treasures and Treasure Distribution Cliff, a different scene was unfolding within the supreme and now-empty Zixiao Palace.

Above the cloud platform where Dao Ancestor Hongjun had vanished, a blurry phantom slowly condensed, faintly fused with the aura of the Heavenly Dao. Though it was not his true body, it carried Hongjun's will and endless majesty.

Before the phantom, the void rippled and revealed the scene of Xuan Wazi and Tongtian speaking in chaos, followed by the inexplicable surge in Xuan Wazi's aura. The Chaos Bead interfered, making their exact conversation impossible to hear, but Tongtian's suddenly enlightened expression, the sword qi piercing the heavens, and Xuan Wazi's abrupt increase in cultivation were all clearly visible.

Hmph!

A cold snort, as though it had originated from the Heavenly Dao itself, caused space and time throughout Zixiao Palace to faintly congeal.

"You Great Dao Anomaly! Xuan Wazi!" Hongjun's detached yet furiously enraged Dao voice emerged from the phantom. "First, you seized the foremost seat and disrupted the fortune of the seating arrangement. Then, you spouted wild words in the palace, shaking the foundation of the Immortal Path. Now you have even beguiled Tongtian, cut off his Heavenly Dao saintly path, and led him toward the crooked path of the Dao of Strength... Time and again, you have damaged the fortune of my Profound Sect and twisted the Heavenly Dao's predestined number!"

His gaze was icy as it pierced through endless void, firmly locking onto the figure leisurely flying through chaos. The killing intent around him was almost impossible to restrain.

"If the Heavenly Dao had not made it clear that this wretch bears the Chaos Bead, which conceals his heavenly secrets, and that he is a Great Dao Anomaly whose existence affects unknown variables—such that killing him directly might bring a fierce backlash from the Great Dao and violently disturb the origin of the Primordial World, hindering my plan to merge with the Dao... otherwise, I would have personally acted long ago, ground your bones to dust, and cast your true spirit into the endless abyss of return, never to be reborn for all eternity!"

Around Hongjun's phantom, the Heavenly Dao Laws wound and roared like countless cold chains as he calculated.

"However... an anomaly is still only an anomaly. You cannot leap beyond this great chessboard that is the Primordial World. Beneath the Heavenly Dao, the greater momentum cannot be changed, though minor momentum can be altered. Since you have entered this game, then play a proper match with me. Let us see whether you, this variable, can truly stir up great waves upon the chessboard of the Primordial World—and whether you can bear the price of playing against the Heavenly Dao..."

"We shall see."

The voice gradually faded. The phantom within Zixiao Palace slowly dispersed, returning the place to silence. Only the supreme Heavenly Dao, influenced by Hongjun's will, began quietly adjusting the trajectory of the future and laying down invisible nets.

Meanwhile, Xuan Wazi, already far beyond the range of Zixiao Palace and pondering whether to refine Treasure Distribution Cliff into a super brick, suddenly sneezed several times for no reason.

"Hiss... strange. Can a Hunyuan Golden Immortal catch a cold too?" He rubbed his nose and looked around suspiciously. Chaos was empty and still, with nothing unusual in sight. "It must be that old scheming bastard Hongjun cursing me behind my back! Forget it, I won't bother with him. I'll head back and enjoy myself first! Hehe, I made a killing this time!"

With a full haul and the joy of his breakthrough, Xuan Wazi disappeared into the depths of chaos, preparing to return to his "Carefree Residence," where he could properly count his spoils and consolidate his cultivation.