Sitting and Discussing the Dao, Clashing in Chaos

After receiving the karmic promise from Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, Xuan Wazi was thoroughly satisfied. He then turned his gaze to Sect Master Tongtian, who stood off to the side with his arms crossed, appearing calm but actually eavesdropping intently.

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian," Xuan Wazi chuckled, extending a finger to point at the Human Race cultivators in the valley below, who were greedily absorbing the inheritance, attempting to guide Qi into their bodies, and practicing combat techniques. "Your teachings are about intercepting a sliver of hope for transcendence for all beings in the world. The Way of the Sword is sharp and unyielding; it demands an indomitable spirit that can cleave through all obstacles."

Tongtian's gaze followed his finger, observing the young Human Race children, small yet determined, striving to mimic the combat techniques in their minds. He saw the innate Human Race cultivators sitting cross-legged, their bodies faintly surging with spiritual energy, diligently circulating the Foundation Establishment technique of the Nine-Nine Profound Origin Dao Scripture with a raw but unwavering resolve. A profound, indescribable emotion stirred within him.

"Look at this Human Race," Xuan Wazi's voice carried a guiding tone. "Though born weak, like a candle flame in the wind, they seem insignificant. Yet, they are tenacious, reproduce rapidly, learn incredibly fast, and most importantly, they possess nearly boundless potential for growth and... variables. This is the epitome of 'vibrant life'! The Wu and Yao tribes are powerful, but their paths are set, their circumstances nearly solidified. For the Human Race, anything is possible!"

He paused, his eyes fixed on Tongtian. "In my humble opinion, in the future struggle for the protagonists of the Primordial Era, amidst the shifting winds and clouds, this Human Race may very well have a place! Perhaps even... a great destiny!" These words were quite explicit.

"And you, fellow Daoist, where lies the opportunity to establish your sect?" Xuan Wazi's voice rose. "It lies in the four words: 'teach all impartially'! Why be bound by one's origins or background? In this vast Primordial Era, countless beings struggle for survival. Who doesn't yearn for that sliver of hope for transcendence? Your Intercepting Sect should open its gates wide, intercepting that sliver of variable under the Heavenly Dao for those who crave life and refuse to be bound by fate! And the Human Race, as a nascent race with infinite potential, can become the perfect embodiment and foundation of your Intercepting Sect's philosophy!"

"Intercept a sliver of life... teach all impartially... open gates wide... Human Race as foundation..." Sect Master Tongtian murmured, repeating Xuan Wazi's words. He was already enlightened and straightforward, unlike Laozi and Yuanshi, who placed great importance on origins and fortune. Now, Xuan Wazi's guidance, combining the current situation with his philosophy, was like a sudden enlightenment, or a great bell resonating within his mind!

Yes! His Dao was precisely about intercepting that one sliver of escape, fighting for a glimmer of hope for all beings! Why must he be limited to those with "deep fortune"? This Human Race, receiving a direct path to Hunyuan inheritance at birth, with infinite future potential, wasn't this the most vibrant manifestation of "life"? If he could guide them, bring them into the Intercepting Sect's lineage, wouldn't that perfectly align with his teachings?

In an instant, the sharp sword Qi surrounding Tongtian involuntarily retracted, not disappearing, but becoming more condensed and profound. Dao rhymes formed a cycle within him, subtly resonating with the vigorous life force of the Human Race below. He had entered a shallow state of enlightenment, where the self and the external merged, clearly showing that Xuan Wazi's words had touched his deep Dao foundation, allowing him to see a clearer and broader path to establishing his sect!

Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi watched from the side, their hearts itching with impatience. Tongtian had clearly found his direction and received true guidance! What about them?

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Wazi!" Hong Yun could no longer hold back, practically lunging forward to grab Xuan Wazi's sleeve, asking urgently, "Senior Brother Tongtian has found his direction, but what about my and Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi's opportunities? Where do our destinies lie? We implore you to enlighten us!" Zhen Yuanzi also looked on with burning eyes, full of longing.

Xuan Wazi chuckled inwardly at their anxious expressions. Outwardly, however, he feigned a deep sigh, picked up the long-cold cup of "Pseudo-Enlightenment Tea" from the stone table, and took a slow sip, even smacking his lips as if savoring the non-existent Dao rhymes.

Under the murderous gazes of Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, he finally put down the teacup and slowly said, "Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, it's not that I'm unwilling to speak, but rather... your opportunities to become saints have truly not yet arrived; they cannot be forced."

He looked at their instantly deflated faces, as if their spines had been removed, and added with a tone of admonishment, "Especially you, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun. The Primordial Violet Qi in your hand is the foundation for becoming a saint, but it is also an object of both fortune and misfortune. As the saying goes, 'fortune conceals misfortune.' Your nature is kind, but this also makes you lack decisiveness and ruthlessness. If you forcefully try to comprehend it and attempt to become a saint through merit, I fear you will not attain great freedom and ease, but rather be more constrained by the Heavenly Dao, entangled in karma, and eventually lose control of yourself. Worse still... a great calamity may befall you, and by then, it will be too late to regret!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Yun's face turned deathly pale. Although he was a good-natured person, he wasn't foolish. Xuan Wazi, despite his sharp tongue, often hit the nail on the head and never spoke without reason. Recalling the events since he obtained the Primordial Violet Qi and the sinister gaze of the Demon Master Kunpeng, a chill ran down his spine. "Wh-what should I do? Could this Primordial Violet Qi be a death warrant?"

Seeing that Hong Yun was quite frightened, Xuan Wazi changed his tone and began his "humblebrag" performance, pointing to his own nose with a look of helpless resignation. "See, don't I also have a strand of Primordial Violet Qi? But did I use it? No! I sealed it deeply! I found that thing too restrictive and uncomfortable! Relying on my own efforts (and the system's help, and some trickery), I cultivated step by step, and I've already reached Grand Perfection Hunyuan Golden Immortal! I'm just a step away from Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal! So, there are countless paths, why cling to just one flower... uh, why obsess over one strand of Violet Qi? All roads lead to Hunyuan! Change your perspective, and the world opens up!"

"Pfft--!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, whose emotions had already been in turmoil and who were extremely anxious, had just taken a sip of tea to calm themselves. They immediately spat it all out without wasting a drop! Two streams of liquid shot out in beautiful arcs...

Xuan Wazi had long anticipated this. While speaking, he had subtly employed Spatial Folding, shifting his body by an almost imperceptible, tiny angle.

Hong Yun pointed at Xuan Wazi, his fingers trembling as if afflicted with a severe case of cramps. His face was flushed with anger, and he could barely speak coherently, "You... you... you you you! Can I compare myself to you?! Do you even know what kind of freak you are?! We're still struggling in the early stage of Hunyuan Golden Immortal, our paths are uncertain! You're already at Grand Perfection! Half-step Hunyuan! And you're lecturing us here! Comparing people is enough to kill an immortal! Wuwuwu..." By the end, the good-natured old man had started sobbing, clearly stimulated beyond measure.

Zhen Yuanzi also clutched his chest, coughing violently, his expression a mixture of being choked by the tea and being speechless from Xuan Wazi's words. The composure of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals was almost lost. He pointed at Xuan Wazi, finally managing to stammer, "You impudent brat... how dare... how dare you be so..." He was so angry he couldn't even finish his sentence.

The two were filled with grief and indignation, feeling that this Xuan Wazi was utterly unconscionable! He was clearly here just to anger them! They were agonizing over their Dao paths, and he was here showing off and twisting the knife!

However, at that very moment, Xuan Wazi suddenly slapped his thigh, his face displaying extreme "relief" and "fear," and exclaimed dramatically, "Ah! That was close! So close! Fortunately, I reacted quickly and dodged in time! Otherwise, if I were sprayed with tea containing the magical power of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal by you two fellow Daoists, wouldn't I be in a sorry state? My Dao body would be tainted!"

As he spoke, he cast a heartbroken gaze, as if witnessing some horrific scene, towards Sect Master Tongtian, who was still in enlightenment nearby, completely oblivious.

"It's just... it's just a pity for Fellow Daoist Tongtian! Look! Just look! This brand new Azure Cloud Daoist robe was woven from ten-thousand-year-old ice silkworm silk, impervious to water and fire, and now... alas! The front is completely wet! What is to be done? Tongtian Daoist will surely be heartbroken when he wakes up!" He pointed at the obvious wet stains on the front of Tongtian's green Daoist robe, shaking his head and sighing mournfully, as if it were an irreparable loss.

Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi followed his gaze and were instantly dumbfounded. Indeed, the front of Sect Master Tongtian's Daoist robe was soaked in a large area, still dripping water. Coupled with his current solemn and enlightened demeanor, it looked particularly comical and... pathetic.

And the instigator of all this was the tea they had just spat out!

Looking again at Xuan Wazi's "none of my business" attitude, and even his "sympathetic" and "heartbroken" smug expression, Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi felt an inexplicable rage surge from the soles of their feet to the crown of their heads!

New grievances!

Old hatreds!

Combined with the awkwardness and frustration of "accidentally" injuring Tongtian before their eyes!

All their emotions erupted at this moment!

"Xuan Wazi! You unfilial scoundrel!"

"You've angered me to death! Today, I shall fight you!"

Old Ancestor Hong Yun roared, disregarding everything else. His immense magical power surged forth, and a sky full of red mist appeared – Hong Yun's innate divine ability, the Hong Yun Soul Scattering Divine Light! The red light, though dazzling, contained the terrifying power to shatter souls and dissolve primordial spirits, surging towards Xuan Wazi like a tide!

Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi's expression also sank. He flicked his horsetail whisk, and the phantom image of the Earth's Membrane beneath his feet instantly solidified, drawing upon the dragon Qi of the Earth Veins for tens of thousands of miles! Rumble! Phantom images of majestic mountains appeared out of thin air, carrying the weight and unparalleled pressure of the Primordial Great Earth, suppressing down upon Xuan Wazi. Although he hadn't used his signature "Sleeve Universe," the Earth Vein suppression power evoked by the Earth Book was enough to make ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals' bones go soft and their muscles weak!

The two Hunyuan Golden Immortals attacked in "anger." Although they hadn't used their ultimate trump cards, the momentum was earth-shattering. The spiritual energy within a radius of ten thousand miles instantly became chaotic, and space itself began to warp slightly!

Seeing that the two had truly attacked, Xuan Wazi was not only unafraid but his eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily, his voice filled with excitement. "Excellent! My cultivation has just improved, and I'm itching for a fight! Let me test my skills against you two fellow Daoists and stretch my muscles!"

He felt the corrosive power of the Hong Yun Soul Scattering Divine Light against his primordial spirit and the immense pressure of the Earth Vein mountains. The magical power of his Grand Perfection Hunyuan Golden Immortal cultivation surged like a great river, and fragments of the Great Dao of Strength hummed within his body, bringing an infinite sense of power.

"It's too cramped to fight here, I'm too restricted! Lest I disturb Daoist Nuwa's cultivation or interrupt Daoist Tongtian's enlightenment!" Xuan Wazi laughed loudly. "Let's go to the edge of the Chaos and fight to our heart's content!"

Before his voice even faded, he suddenly unfurled his sleeve, and an incredibly profound spatial law permeated the air, like an invisible net, momentarily blocking the incoming Hong Yun Divine Light and mountain phantoms, while simultaneously enveloping Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi.

Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi felt the spatial laws around them fluctuate violently. The scene before their eyes instantly blurred, stretched, and distorted! In the next moment, the stars shifted, and they had left the vicinity of Mount Buzhou, finding themselves in a gray, chaotic void filled with disordered elements, with no discernible up, down, or sides – the edge of the outer Chaos!

Nuwa, at the foot of Mount Buzhou, gazed in the direction the three had disappeared, sensing the spatial fluctuations that had instantly receded and the faint Chaos Aura emanating from afar. She shook her head helplessly, a faint smile playing on her lips. She glanced at her brother Fuxi, who wore a wry smile, and then at Tongtian, who was still in enlightenment and unaware of what had just transpired. She then focused her mind and continued to use her saintly divine abilities to find and arrange suitable resting places for the Human Race.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Chaos.

"Xuan Wazi! Take this!"

"Eat my Earth Vein Seal!"

"Hahaha! Just in time! Brother Hong Yun, your Soul Scattering Divine Light is too slow! Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, your mountain phantoms are not solid enough! Eat my fist!"

Boom! Bang! Dong! Pa!

The Chaos Aura churned like boiling water under the onslaught of violent power. Various divine lights, laws, and forces collided madly, erupting with deafening roars. In this eternal void, a "friendly" spar at the Hunyuan Golden Immortal level was unfolding.