Primordial World, sacred land of Kunlun Mountain.
This was the Sanqing's cultivation ground.
Having witnessed the great calamity of heaven and earth, the inhabitants of the Primordial World understood that only those with powerful backing could survive here.
Since Xuan Yi and Nuwa were unwilling to take in any more disciples, the Sanqing became everyone's first choice.
For a time, countless Primordial World cultivators gathered beneath Kunlun Mountain.
They sought only the saints' mercy, hoping to be accepted into their sects and enjoy the saints' protection.
The Sanqing were all delighted by this sight. Yuanshi and Tongtian had long intended to take disciples, while Laozi had not wished to take any more. Yet with so many cultivators gathered here, would that not make the Sanqing's name even more renowned? He was greatly pleased as well.
Although Yuanshi and Tongtian were fellow disciples, their doctrines differed.
Yuanshi Tianzun believed that one should follow the Heavenly Dao. Only those with great perseverance and great merit were qualified to cultivate immortality. Furred and horned creatures did not deserve to receive his teachings.
He also set up several great formations in succession to test the cultivators' character.
In the end, only thirteen cultivators passed Yuanshi Tianzun's tests.
Yet one among those thirteen was particularly special. He had attained the Dao from an innate coffin and possessed the innate spiritual treasure, the Lingjiu Palace Lantern. He was one of the Three Thousand Mortal Guests: Randeng Daoren.
Yuanshi Tianzun had originally been unwilling to accept him. However, Randeng had passed his test before everyone's eyes. Refusing him now would be no different from slapping himself in the face. Yuanshi Tianzun valued face more than his own life, so naturally he would not do that.
Moreover, Randeng had learned the essence of Jieyin and Zhunti's shamelessness.
Seeing Randeng weeping and pleading so bitterly, Yuanshi Tianzun was helpless and could only agree to take him in.
However, he did not accept Randeng as a disciple. Instead, he placed him beneath Yuanshi as the Deputy Leader of Chan Religion, making him a special existence under Yuanshi Tianzun.
There were also the renowned Twelve Golden Immortals: Guangchengzi, Chijingzi, Huanglong Zhenren, Juliusun, Taiyi Zhenren, Lingbao Dashishi, Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun, Samantabhadra Zhenren, Cihang Daoren, Yuding Zhenren, Daoxing Tianzun, and Daode Zhenjun.
Of them, Yuanshi truly had not wanted to accept Huanglong Zhenren as his disciple, because Huanglong Zhenren had attained the Dao as a dragon. Yuanshi, who detested furred and horned creatures, disliked him greatly.
Yet Huanglong Zhenren had fate with Yuanshi and had passed the test. Gritting his teeth, Yuanshi Tianzun accepted him anyway.
Unlike Yuanshi Tianzun, Tongtian believed that all living beings under the Heavenly Dao possessed a sliver of hope. When transmitting teachings, one should not value only one's origins. All beings of the Primordial World should have the opportunity to cultivate.
Having received the Dao Ancestor's great kindness, he ought to widely accept disciples, spread the teachings of the Mystic Gate, and teach without discrimination.
With that thought, Tongtian Jiaozhu refused no one. Any living being who came to acknowledge him as master was accepted.
His personal disciples were Duobao Daoren, Jinling Shengmu, and Wudang Shengmu.
His outer disciples included Zhao Gongming, Yunxiao, Bixiao, Qiongxiao, and their fellow disciples.
He also accepted Wuyun Xian, Golden Hoop Immortal, Jinguang Xian, Qiushou Xian, Lingya Xian, Yuyi Xian, Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal, and the other Seven Immortals Who Attended Him.
In addition, he accepted countless nominal disciples. There were so many that Kunlun Mountain, a blessed land and heavenly paradise, became like a marketplace, with endless clamor ringing through it.
This displeased Yuanshi Tianzun, who had always valued one's origins, but he did not flare up on the spot.
Laozi, meanwhile, embraced tranquility and nonaction. He believed that Xuandu alone was enough as a disciple and did not participate in taking disciples.
Jieyin and Zhunti in the west were likewise recruiting disciples. However, compared to the bustling gates of the Sanqing and the others, very few people joined the Western Teachings.
After all, the west was too impoverished, practically a godforsaken wasteland. Naturally, few were willing to go there.
This made the already sorrowful expressions of Jieyin and Zhunti even uglier.
After the Sanqing finished taking disciples, Tongtian and Yuanshi often clashed over their disciples.
On this day, the two were arguing again.
The cause was simple. Yuding Zhenren, Yuanshi's disciple, had encountered disciples of the Interception Sect: a black tiger that had yet to take human form.
Yuding Zhenren, who thought highly of himself, looked down on them.
He sneered, "A bunch of furred and armored creatures dare stand alongside us?"
Lingya Xian of the Interception Sect heard these words and argued with him indignantly. The matter quickly reached Tongtian's ears.
Unwilling to accept this, Tongtian went to reason with Yuanshi.
"Senior Brother Yuanshi, we Sanqing are one family. The disciples we accept should love one another, yet your disciple went too far today. He actually humiliated my disciples. You should discipline him properly."
Unfortunately, Tongtian had gone to the wrong person. Like master, like disciple—this saying could not have suited Yuanshi Tianzun better. He felt even more disgust toward Tongtian's disciples and immediately wanted Tongtian to dismiss them all.
"Junior Brother, you are right. I will discipline these disciples properly. Still, I am also pleased that you have accepted disciples, but you must consider their origins. You have taken in a group of furred and horned creatures. If word gets out, do we Sanqing still want our reputation? You should dismiss them as soon as possible."
Hearing Yuanshi Tianzun say this, Tongtian was nearly furious enough for his lungs to explode.
His face immediately darkened.
"Senior Brother, I find your words improper. When the Dao Ancestor preached in the past, did he ever judge people by their origins and talent? Did he not treat everyone equally and teach without discrimination? Even the Heavenly Dao leaves a sliver of hope. Why should cultivating the Dao distinguish between high and low, noble and humble?"
Tongtian Jiaozhu's words completely negated the doctrine of Chan Religion.
Yuanshi Tianzun did not hold back either and immediately refuted Tongtian.
"Of course living beings are divided into high and low, noble and humble. Otherwise, why could we Sanqing become saints? Why did other living beings not become saints? Was it not because we were transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, with superior origins and talent? By that logic, Tongtian, your argument is utterly absurd."
"Living beings in the Primordial World do indeed differ in their origins, but is that not precisely why we need to spread teachings and accept disciples? If every living being in the Primordial World possessed excellent origins and talent, what would be the purpose of us Sanqing? Could it be that Second Senior Brother finds this absurd as well?"
"Humph! Tongtian! Stop quibbling! We established our sects to help living beings of low cultivation attain the Dao, but that does not mean every living being can attain the Dao. We should follow the Heavenly Dao and carefully instruct those qualified to attain the Dao. As for those furred and horned beasts, we absolutely cannot make exceptions. Have you forgotten the war between the witches and demons? Have you forgotten the war of the Three Clans? Which tribulation was not caused by these furred and horned creatures?"
"..."
The two argued back and forth without end.
Their quarrel soon drew Taishang over. However, this was no longer a conflict between Tongtian Jiaozhu and Yuanshi Tianzun's disciples. It had become a conflict of doctrine between the two, one concerning the teachings by which they had become saints. Taishang found it difficult to interfere and could only watch from the side.
"Since that is the case, those with different paths cannot make plans together. I will take my disciples and leave this place at once. Let time prove which of our doctrines is right and which is wrong."
As soon as he said this, Yuanshi Tianzun froze, and the great hall fell silent.
"Alas, so be it. We have already become saints, and Kunlun Mountain cannot accommodate three saints at once. I will leave as well."
Taishang, standing to the side, broke the silence. He too decided to move away from Kunlun Mountain.
Taishang and Tongtian bade Yuanshi farewell, then led their respective disciples into the Primordial World to seek their own cultivation grounds.
Yuanshi felt deeply disappointed and reluctant to part with them. After all, they had shared brotherhood for countless eras. Yet when it concerned the Great Dao he upheld, Yuanshi could not bring himself to ask them to stay.
Pangu's Sanqing had split apart! This matter caused no small stir throughout the Primordial World.
No one had expected even the Sanqing, as close as brothers, to part ways.
For a time, speculation about why the Sanqing had separated spread everywhere throughout the Primordial World. Meanwhile, Taishang and Tongtian found new cultivation grounds.
Laozi's new cultivation ground was called Shouyang Mountain. Though it could not compare to Kunlun Mountain, it was still an exceptionally rare blessed land and heavenly paradise. Laozi built Eight Sceneries Palace atop Shouyang Mountain and cultivated there with Xuandu every day.
Now, back to Tongtian and the others who had departed!
It could be considered a stroke of fate that Tongtian encountered an enormous Mysterious Turtle in the Eastern Sea!
This turtle was incomparably huge and had been born after the creation of heaven and earth.
Yet for some reason, this Mysterious Turtle had never been able to take human form. Having remained in the sea for countless years, its shell had become covered in all kinds of spiritual herbs.
When the Mysterious Turtle learned that Tongtian Jiaozhu was searching for a cultivation ground, he offered to let Tongtian establish his abode atop his shell. That way, he too could receive Tongtian Jiaozhu's protection.
Tongtian performed a divination and discovered that he was indeed destined to establish his cultivation ground there.
Tongtian immediately agreed and accepted the Mysterious Turtle's daughter as a personal disciple, granting her the name Guiling Shengmu in thanks for the turtle's contribution.
Thus, Tongtian Jiaozhu's fated fourth personal disciple, Guiling Shengmu, officially joined the Interception Sect.
Tongtian Jiaozhu built Biyou Palace upon the Mysterious Turtle's back and bestowed a name upon this Mysterious Turtle Island: Golden Ao Island!
Afterward, he began preaching the Dao. This attracted countless living beings from the Eastern Sea to listen. For a time, Golden Ao Island's name resounded throughout the Primordial World, drawing innumerable cultivators to become disciples. Tongtian Jiaozhu refused no one and accepted them all.
In merely a hundred years, the Interception Sect developed rapidly and showed signs of ten thousand immortals gathering in homage. This made Tongtian Jiaozhu extremely happy.
Yuanshi, who remained in Eastern Kunlun, set up several great formations around Kunlun Mountain and established Yuxu Palace as his cultivation ground.
Xuan Yi did not interfere with the Sanqing's separation. First, it was the Sanqing's family matter. Second, Kunlun Mountain truly could not bear the presence of three saints. So long as it did not affect the development of the Mystic Gate, Xuan Yi had no desire to meddle.
It was said that cultivation knew no passage of time, and in the blink of an eye, ten thousand years had passed.
That was especially true in the Primordial World. After all, the Primordial World did not count years. Tens of thousands of years were no more than the flick of a finger!
Several tens of thousands of years had passed since the Sanqing and the others separated. During that time, the Primordial World rapidly regained its vitality. The disasters caused by the collapse of the Heavenly Pillar had been smoothed away by time, and all living beings recuperated and flourished throughout the Primordial World.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
A burst of urgent bells rang out.
These bells had been set up by the Dao Ancestor for the convenience of summoning the saints.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Upon hearing the bells, the saints hurried toward Zixiao Palace, Xuan Yi among them.
After arriving at Zixiao Palace, the saints each found a Meditation Cushion and sat down, quietly awaiting the Dao Ancestor's arrival.
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