Sitting and Discussing the Dao, Clash in Chaos

Having secured karmic promises from Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, Xuan Wazi was thoroughly satisfied before turning his gaze toward Sect Master Tongtian, who stood nearby with his arms folded, seemingly calm but actually listening intently.

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian," Xuan Wazi said with a chuckle, extending a finger toward the humans in the valley below, who were eagerly digesting their inheritances, attempting to draw Qi into their bodies, and practicing combat techniques. "Your doctrine lies in seizing that single chance of transcendence for all living beings beneath heaven and earth. The Way of the Sword is sharp and unyielding; what it demands is the momentum to press forward without hesitation and cleave through every obstacle."

Tongtian followed his finger and looked at the young human children. Though weak, their eyes were resolute as they diligently swung their arms, imitating the combat techniques in their minds. He looked at the innate humans sitting cross-legged, spiritual energy faintly stirring around them as they clumsily yet unwaveringly circulated the foundational method of the Nine-Nine Profound Origin Dao Scripture... An indescribable feeling began to grow within his heart.

"Look at these humans," Xuan Wazi said, his voice carrying a guiding tone. "Though they are weak at birth, like candles in the wind, they seem insignificant. Yet they are tenacious, multiply quickly, and possess remarkable learning abilities. More importantly, they contain nearly limitless potential for growth and... change. This is the finest embodiment of 'vibrant vitality'! Though the Wu and Yao are powerful, their paths are already set, their overall structure nearly fixed. But for humanity, anything is possible!"

He paused, his eyes shining as he looked at Tongtian. "In this humble Daoist's opinion, the struggle for the future protagonist of the Primordial World will shift with the winds and clouds. Humanity may not lack a place in it! In fact... they may have great potential!" His meaning could hardly have been more obvious.

"And where lies your opportunity to establish a sect, Fellow Daoist?" Xuan Wazi raised his voice. "It lies in the four words, 'teach without discrimination'! Why be bound by origins and bloodlines? Countless living beings across this vast Primordial World struggle to survive. Who does not yearn for that sliver of opportunity to transcend? Your Interception Sect should throw open its gates and seize that variable beneath the Heavenly Dao for those who thirst for hope and refuse to submit to fate! And humanity, as a newly born race with boundless potential, can become the finest interpretation and foundation of your Interception Sect's ideals!"

"Seize a sliver of hope... teach without discrimination... throw open the gates... humanity as the foundation..." Sect Master Tongtian murmured, repeating Xuan Wazi's words. His Dao heart had always been clear, and his nature was straightforward. He was not like Laozi and Yuanshi, who placed extreme importance on origins and fortune. Xuan Wazi's words, combining the current situation with his ideals, struck him like enlightenment pouring into his mind, like a great bell resounding through his soul!

That was right! His Dao was meant to seize that escaped one and fight for a sliver of hope for all beings! Why did he have to limit himself to those supposedly blessed with profound fortune? Humanity had received a great Dao inheritance that pointed directly toward Hunyuan from the moment of its birth, and its future potential was limitless. Was that not the strongest embodiment of "vitality"? If he could guide them and bring them into the Interception Sect's lineage, would that not perfectly align with his doctrine?

In an instant, the fierce sword Qi around Tongtian involuntarily withdrew. It had not vanished, but instead became more condensed and profound. Dao rhythm formed its own cycle within him, faintly resonating with the flourishing vitality of the humans below. He had directly entered a shallow state of Dao enlightenment, forgetting both self and surroundings. Clearly, Xuan Wazi's words had stirred the deepest foundations of his Dao, allowing him to see a clearer and broader path toward establishing his sect!

Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi saw it all clearly from the side, and their hearts itched as though scratched by cats. Tongtian had obviously received the true teaching and found his direction! But what about the two of them?

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Wazi!" Hong Yun could no longer endure it. He nearly lunged forward and grabbed Xuan Wazi's sleeve, asking anxiously, "Senior Brother Tongtian already has a direction. Then what about Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi and me? Where exactly do our opportunities lie? I beg you to enlighten us!" Zhen Yuanzi's eyes also burned with longing.

Seeing their anxious expressions, Xuan Wazi laughed inwardly. On the surface, however, he deliberately sighed deeply, picked up the cup of long-cold "fake Enlightenment Tea" from the stone table, and slowly took a sip. He even smacked his lips, as though savoring Dao rhythm that did not exist.

Only under Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi's nearly murderous gazes did he set down the teacup and slowly say, "Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, it is not that this humble Daoist is unwilling to speak. It is simply that... your opportunities to become saints have indeed not yet arrived. They cannot be forced."

Seeing their faces instantly fall as though their spines had been pulled out, he added in a warning tone, "Especially you, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun. That strand of Primordial Violet Qi in your possession is the foundation of sainthood, but it is also something in which fortune and disaster accompany one another. As the saying goes, 'Within fortune lies disaster.' You are kind by nature, but because of that, you lack a measure of decisiveness and ruthlessness. If you forcibly comprehend it and attempt to become a saint through merit, I fear that not only will you fail to gain great freedom and great ease, but you will instead be bound more deeply by the Heavenly Dao, entangled in karma, and unable to control your own fate in the future. You may even... face a great calamity. By then, regret will come too late!"

Hong Yun's face turned deathly pale with a swish. Though he was a good-natured person, he was not foolish. Although Xuan Wazi had a sharp tongue, his words often struck the heart of the matter; he did not make baseless claims. Thinking of everything that had happened since receiving the Primordial Violet Qi, as well as Demon Master Kunpeng's cold gaze, a chill rose in his heart. "Th-this... what should I do? Could this Primordial Violet Qi actually be a death warrant?"

Seeing that he had frightened Hong Yun badly, Xuan Wazi abruptly changed his tone and began his usual humblebrag performance. Pointing at his own nose with an expression of utter helplessness, he said, "Look, don't I also have a strand of Primordial Violet Qi? But did I use it? No! I sealed it away completely! I felt that thing came with too many restraints and was far too restrictive! By relying on my own efforts—and the system's—bit by bit, I still reached the great perfection of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm, didn't I? I'm only one step away from Hunyuan Grand Unity! So there are countless paths to take. Why cling to a single flower... Uh, why obsess over one strand of violet Qi? All roads lead to Hunyuan! Change your perspective, and the world opens up!"

"Pfft—!!!"

The moment he finished speaking, Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, whose emotions had already been in turmoil, had just taken a sip of tea to calm themselves. Without wasting a single drop, they sprayed it all out! Two streams of tea traced graceful arcs through the air...

Xuan Wazi had long been prepared for this. As he spoke, he secretly used Spatial Folding, shifting his body by an almost imperceptibly tiny angle.

Hong Yun pointed at Xuan Wazi, his finger trembling as though he had some sort of seizure. His face was crimson with rage, and he could barely speak clearly. "You... you... you, you, you! Can I even compare to you?! Do you have any idea what kind of freak you are?! We're still struggling in the early stage of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm, with the road ahead shrouded in uncertainty! You're already at great perfection! Half a step into Hunyuan Grand Unity! And you're here talking down to us! Comparing people really can make an immortal die of rage! Wuwuwu..." By the end, this good-natured man had actually begun to sound tearful, showing just how badly he had been provoked.

Zhen Yuanzi clutched his chest and coughed violently, his face showing that he had been choked by the tea—and even more by Xuan Wazi's words. Even the composure of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals was nearly impossible to maintain. Pointing at Xuan Wazi, he held back for a long while before squeezing out, "You brat... how dare you... how dare you..." He was so furious that he could not even finish his sentence.

The two were filled with grief and indignation, feeling that Xuan Wazi was truly Not Being a Person! Was he here specifically to anger them?! They were agonizing over their Dao paths, while he was showing off and rubbing salt in their wounds!

However, at that moment, Xuan Wazi suddenly slapped his thigh. An expression of extreme "relief" and lingering fear appeared on his face as he cried exaggeratedly, "Oh, that was close! So close! Good thing this humble Daoist reacted quickly and dodged in time! If I had been sprayed all over by tea infused with the magic power of two Hunyuan Golden Immortals, wouldn't I have ended up in a sorry state? My Dao body would have been sullied!"

As he spoke, he pointed with a heartbroken gaze, as though witnessing some unspeakable tragedy, at Sect Master Tongtian, who was still immersed in enlightenment and completely unaware of everything around him.

"But... but Fellow Daoist Tongtian is the one suffering here! Look! Just look! This brand-new Azure Cloud Dao Robe was woven from ten-thousand-year ice silkworm thread. It is impervious to water and fire, yet now... sigh! The entire front has been soaked! What are we to do? When Fellow Daoist Tongtian wakes up, he will surely be heartbroken!" He pointed at the obvious water stains across Tongtian's blue robe, shaking his head and sighing as though it were some tremendous loss.

Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi followed his finger and instantly froze. Sect Master Tongtian's robe was indeed soaked across the front, with tea still dripping down. Combined with his solemn appearance as he remained immersed in Dao enlightenment, he looked exceptionally comical and... miserable.

And the culprits behind it all were the tea the two of them had sprayed out!

Then they looked at Xuan Wazi's shameless expression, acting as though it had nothing to do with him while even pretending to be "regretful" and "heartbroken." Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi felt an inexplicable fire blaze from the soles of their feet straight to the crowns of their heads!

New grudges!

Old hatred!

Along with the embarrassment and frustration of "accidentally injuring" Tongtian right before their eyes!

All their emotions erupted completely at that moment!

"Xuan Wazi! You utterly inhuman bastard!"

"You infuriate me! Today, I will definitely have it out with you!"

Ancestor Hong Yun roared and finally stopped holding back. Vast magic power surged from his body, and endless crimson clouds appeared across the sky. It was Hong Yun's innate divine ability—Hong Yun Soul Scattering Divine Light! Though the red radiance looked dazzling, it contained terrifying power capable of eroding souls and spirits and dissolving primordial spirits and magic power. It swept toward Xuan Wazi like a tide!

Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi's face darkened as well. With a flick of his Fly Whisk, the phantom of the Earth Womb Membrane beneath his feet instantly solidified, drawing upon the dragon veins of the earth across tens of thousands of miles! Rumble! One towering mountain phantom after another appeared from thin air, bearing the immense weight and unmatched pressure of the Primordial World's earth as they crashed down upon Xuan Wazi! Though he had not used his signature Sleeve Universe, the suppressive force of the earth veins drawn forth by the Earth Book was enough to make an ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortal weak in the knees!

The two Hunyuan Golden Immortals attacked in "anger." Though they had not used their ultimate killing moves, their momentum was still earth-shattering. Spiritual energy throughout tens of thousands of miles instantly fell into chaos, and even space began to twist slightly!

Seeing that they had truly attacked, Xuan Wazi was not afraid. Instead, his eyes lit up, and he burst into laughter, his voice brimming with excitement. "Excellent! This humble Daoist has just made some progress in cultivation, and my hands have been itching! I'll use you two Fellow Daoists to test myself and loosen up!"

Feeling the Soul Scattering Divine Light's corrosive power against the primordial spirit and the immense pressure of the earth-vein mountains, the great perfection Hunyuan Golden Immortal magic power within his body surged like a mighty river. Fragments of the Great Dao of Strength hummed within him, bringing boundless strength.

"There's not enough room here; we're too restricted! We should not disturb Fellow Daoist Nuwa's cultivation or interrupt Fellow Daoist Tongtian's enlightenment!" Xuan Wazi laughed loudly. "Let's go to the edge of Chaos and have a proper fight!"

Before his words had faded, he snapped his sleeve outward. An incomparably profound power of the Law of Space spread forth like an invisible net, instantly blocking the approaching Hong Yun Soul Scattering Divine Light and mountain phantoms for a moment while enveloping both Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi.

Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi felt the spatial laws around them fluctuate violently. The scene before them instantly blurred, stretched, and twisted! In the next moment, the stars shifted and the world turned. They had already left the region of Mount Buzhou and arrived in a gray void filled with chaotic Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, a place without above or below, north or south—the edge of Chaos beyond the heavens!

At the foot of Mount Buzhou, Nuwa gazed toward the direction in which the three had vanished. Sensing the spatial fluctuations that had instantly receded and the faint Chaos Aura that remained, she helplessly shook her head, though a faint smile rested at the corner of her lips. She glanced at Tongtian, who was still in enlightenment and knew nothing of what had just happened, then at her elder brother Fuxi, who wore a wry smile. She gathered her thoughts and continued using her saintly divine abilities to seek out and arrange suitable places for humanity to dwell.

Meanwhile, at the edge of Chaos.

"Xuan Wazi! Take this!"

"Take my Earth Vein Suppression Seal!"

"Hahaha! Perfect timing! Brother Hong Yun, your Soul Scattering Divine Light is too slow! Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, your mountain phantoms aren't solid enough! Take a punch!"

Boom! Bang! Thud! Smack!

Chaos Qi was churned by the violent forces like boiling water. Divine lights of every color, laws, and raw power collided madly, erupting with deafening blasts as a "friendly" spar between Hunyuan Golden Immortals unfolded within that eternal void.