The protagonist, Xuan Wazi, straightened his robes. The lingering fear from the system revealing the truth had long since been replaced by the excitement of receiving guests. With a sweep of his sleeve, the doors of the hall opened silently. He laughed aloud. "Honored guests at my door bring glory to this humble dwelling! Three fellow Daoists, please, come in!"
Outside the door, the first to enter was Ancestor Hong Yun, whose face still bore traces of lingering fear. As he walked, he kept looking around, as though afraid that this Carefree Residence might be hiding some trap as well. Nuwa followed close behind. Her beauty was peerless, yet an unshakable melancholy hung between her brows. Primordial Violet Qi and the path to sainthood had clearly troubled her greatly. Sect Master Tongtian came last, striding in with the bearing of a dragon and tiger. His aura was more condensed and sharp than before, and his gaze was resolute. Yet upon seeing Xuan Wazi, a trace of complexity and inquiry still surfaced in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Xuan Wazi, sorry for disturbing you." Hong Yun was the first to cup his hands, his tone carrying cautious politeness.
"Your Carefree Residence is quite elegant and tranquil, Fellow Daoist." Nuwa nodded slightly, her voice clear and melodious.
Tongtian was more direct. He fixed Xuan Wazi with a blazing gaze. "Fellow Daoist, there were things left unsaid in the chaos earlier, and doubts remain in my heart. I came specifically to seek your guidance."
"Easy, easy. We're all family here, so why be so polite?" Xuan Wazi was brimming with enthusiasm, as if he were not the same person who had stirred up trouble at Zixiao Palace and Treasure Distribution Cliff. He led the three of them to sit before a tea table carved from Innate warm jade in the hall.
Without any visible movement, a set of ancient tea utensils appeared upon the table. He then took out some tea leaves shimmering with Dao resonance. This was not Enlightenment Tea, merely some fine spiritual tea he had collected over time. Yet after being lightly infused with the mana of a mid-stage Hunyuan Golden Immortal, it immediately gave off a refreshing fragrance that invigorated the mind.
"Come, come, try my treasured Cloud Mist Spirit Tips. They may not be a supreme delicacy, but they have a distinctive flavor of their own." Xuan Wazi brewed the tea with practiced ease, his movements flowing like drifting clouds and running water. He truly seemed to possess an air of transcendence—if one ignored the gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Hong Yun accepted the teacup and inhaled the fragrance. His mind settled somewhat, but he could not help sighing. "Ah, Fellow Daoist Xuan Wazi, you have no idea. Ever since returning from Zixiao Palace, my heart has been like a rabbit in a sack, constantly jumping up and down. That strand of Primordial Violet Qi feels like a hot potato in my hands. But if I do not take it, it is an opportunity for sainthood... What, what should I do?" He looked eagerly at Xuan Wazi, hoping for a definite answer.
Nuwa also took a light sip of tea before setting down her cup. Her beautiful eyes turned toward Xuan Wazi, her tone carrying a trace of confusion. "Fellow Daoist once said in the palace that the method of the Three Corpses carries grave hidden dangers, and that the Dao of Merit is not the best choice either. Then this Primordial Violet Qi bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, said to be the foundation of the Heavenly Dao... could it be that it too has some flaw?" She cultivated the laws of creation and possessed a meticulous mind. She had long sensed that Primordial Violet Qi was connected too closely to the Heavenly Dao to be merely an "opportunity."
Tongtian said nothing, merely sipping his tea in silence. Yet the faint sword intent radiating from around him showed that he, too, was waiting for Xuan Wazi's answer. This concerned the choice of his ultimate path.
Xuan Wazi looked at the three of them and chuckled inwardly, knowing that the main event had arrived. He slowly took a sip of tea before setting down his cup. The carefree smile on his face faded somewhat, replaced by an earnest expression that seemed to say, I'm only doing this for your own good.
"Since the three of you have asked, I shall speak frankly." He cleared his throat. "This Primordial Violet Qi is indeed the foundation of the Heavenly Dao. It contains limitless mysteries, can help one comprehend the Heavenly Dao, accelerate cultivation, and even... to a certain extent, lower the threshold for becoming a saint."
Hong Yun's eyes brightened at the first part, but when they heard the words "lower the threshold," Nuwa and Tongtian both frowned slightly.
"However—" Xuan Wazi abruptly changed course, his tone turning solemn. "Everything has its benefits and drawbacks. This violet qi was stripped by Dao Ancestor Hongjun from the Heavenly Dao. Its essence is bound extremely deeply to the Heavenly Dao! It is more like... a key, a key that opens the position of a Heavenly Dao Sage."
His gaze swept across the three of them as he spoke slowly. "If you use it directly as your foundation, refine it into your body, and become what is called a Heavenly Dao Sage, then congratulations. From then on, your primordial spirit will be entrusted to the Heavenly Dao. So long as the Heavenly Dao does not perish, the saint will not perish. You will possess nearly endless longevity and immense power within the rules of the Heavenly Dao."
Hong Yun listened with some longing, but Nuwa and Tongtian's expressions changed slightly.
"Yet," Xuan Wazi said in a low voice, carrying an inexplicable force of intimidation, "what is the price? The price is that your Dao will henceforth be deeply bound to the Heavenly Dao! Your will must, to a certain extent, conform to the greater trends of the Heavenly Dao! Your freedom will be restricted by the rules of the Heavenly Dao! From then on, you will no longer be purely 'yourself,' but a 'saint' within the Heavenly Dao's system! If the Heavenly Dao is damaged, you will suffer backlash as well. If you defy the greater trends of the Heavenly Dao, then even as saints, you will face the danger of perishing! Such saints may appear eternal, but in truth, they wear shackles. Where is their true freedom? Where is their true unfettered ease?"
His words were like thunder exploding beside their ears!
Hong Yun's face went pale, and the teacup in his hand trembled slightly. "F-Fellow Daoist means that if we use this violet qi, we become the Heavenly Dao's... hired hands? The kind who signed away their lives?"
Xuan Wazi nodded slightly. To put it bluntly, they would be nothing more than dogs on the Heavenly Dao's leash.
Nuwa took a deep breath, realization and lingering fear flashing through her eyes. "So that is how it is... No wonder whenever I sense this thing, I always feel that the 'Dao' contained within it does not wholly belong to oneself. If I used it to attain the Dao, then my Dao of Creation would likely become merely one link in the Heavenly Dao's operation, losing its limitless potential."
Tongtian snorted coldly. Sword qi burst forth around him, slicing the surrounding air with sharp hisses. "Hmph! So it is indeed! To be bound by another and denied freedom—such a saint is not worth becoming! My Dao lies in seizing that sliver of life, in being unfettered and unrestrained. How could I submit to such shackles?"
Xuan Wazi watched their reactions with satisfaction and added more fuel to the fire. "Furthermore, consider this, everyone. Why was Dao Ancestor Hongjun so 'generous' as to distribute such a supreme treasure among you? Was it truly nothing more than fate and compassion? Among the countless beings of the Primordial World, there are innumerable individuals with deep foundations and abundant fortune. Why were only those seated on the cushions chosen? Could there truly be no calculation of the Heavenly Dao involved, no intent for Hongjun to use this to lay out his plans and consolidate the Mystical Sect—or rather, consolidate his own authority over the Heavenly Dao?"
At these words, even Hong Yun fully awakened, breaking out in a cold sweat. Before, he had only thought it was a heaven-sent opportunity. Now that he considered it, such an opportunity concealed such profound calculation behind it!
"Then... then in Fellow Daoist's view, should this Primordial Violet Qi be completely abandoned?" Hong Yun asked, reluctant yet afraid.
"Not at all, not at all." Xuan Wazi shook his head and revealed an unfathomable smile. "I have said before that this thing is a key, a tool. The key lies in how it is used. Refining it directly to become a saint is the worst possible strategy, binding your own hands and feet. But if you merely use it as a guide, draw upon the mysteries of its Great Dao laws to aid your comprehension of your own Dao, or... at crucial moments, use it to trigger certain opportunities that require the 'recognition of the Heavenly Dao' to obtain, then rely primarily on your own strength to bear and surpass them—only then can you gain its benefits without damaging the foundation of your own Dao path."
He looked toward Nuwa. "For example, Fellow Daoist Nuwa, if your laws of creation reach a certain level, you may be able to trigger immense merit. At that time, use this violet qi as a guide to receive that merit, then use the merit to cleanse your primordial spirit and deepen your comprehension of the laws of creation. Walk a path of using laws to prove Hunyuan. Would that not be better than directly becoming a Heavenly Dao Sage?"
He then looked at Tongtian. "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, your ambition lies in the Dao of Strength. The merit of opening heaven is part of the origin of you Three Pure Ones and is even more fundamental. You may regard this Primordial Violet Qi as a whetstone, using the Heavenly Dao's sharpness contained within it to temper your Way of the Sword, clarify your heart, and see your true nature. When the time comes, you will naturally be able to sever the shackles and attain Hunyuan!"
Finally, he looked at Hong Yun. "As for Fellow Daoist Hong Yun... ahem, your fortune is indeed profound, but your temperament... ahem, you must be even more cautious. You may study this thing, but you must never use it as the foundation for attaining the Dao. Your destiny does not lie in this strand of Primordial Violet Qi. Fortune rests upon misfortune, and misfortune hides within fortune. When the time arrives, you will naturally attain the Great Dao." His words were tactful, but the meaning was obvious. With Hong Yun's softhearted nature, if he truly became a Heavenly Dao Sage, he would likely help count the money after someone sold him.
Hong Yun's old face reddened. He remained silent and awkward, but his eyes became much firmer. Clearly, he had taken the words to heart.
Nuwa and Tongtian's eyes shone brightly, as though clouds had parted to reveal the sun. They now possessed a clearer understanding of the road ahead. Xuan Wazi's words had not only pointed out the trap within Primordial Violet Qi, but also revealed a viable path for using its advantages while avoiding its harm!
[ Ding! The host has successfully guided Hong Yun, Nuwa, and Tongtian toward a deeper understanding of the hidden dangers of Primordial Violet Qi, preliminarily altering the destinies of key figures. Mischief evaluation: Excellent! Reward: Innate Spiritual Root 'Five Needle Pine' sapling ×1, Unfilial Points +666. ]
Hearing the system prompt, the protagonist was even more delighted inside, though his expression remained calm and detached. He raised his teacup. "Three fellow Daoists, the Great Dao is arduous and the road ahead is long. One must distinguish benefits from harms and remain true to one's heart. Come, drink tea. Drink tea."
The three of them raised their cups in turn. Each harbored their own thoughts, but the way they looked at Xuan Wazi now carried a little more genuine gratitude and conviction. This visit had been worth it!
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