Chapter 37

The rest chimed in:

"Exactly! Tai Cang is unworthy of our Jie Sect. We would rather accept Master's punishment than beg him!"

"That traitor turned against his word and targeted fellow disciples over trivial matters back then, causing our Jie Sect to lose all face. I would rather die than beg him!"

Wudang, Jinling, and Guiling remained silent. They knew Tai Cang was not at fault. Duobao and the others had repeatedly suppressed him, and even their master, Tongtian, had never treated Tai Cang fairly, even when he

Seeing Guiling and Jinling hesitate for a moment before leaving with Wudang, Zhao Gongming and the others were left in the hall, their faces dark as they clenched their fists and cursed Tai Cang under their breath, their eyes brimming with boundless hatred.

Tai Cang's furious roar rang through the valley as he pushed the Nine Revolutions Cang Skill and the Grand Clarity Bright Jade Body to their limits, forcing all the innate turbid qi contained within the Ancestral Witch essence blood out of his body.

Tai Cang let out a long breath. Looking at the essence blood within him, now reduced by more than half, a smile appeared on his weary face. At last, it's done!

Without the interference of innate turbid qi, these two drops of essence blood could finally be completely refined.

When that time came, his bloodline would surely improve greatly. Perhaps he could even take this chance to comprehend the laws of space and time.

Looking around, he saw that the entire valley had become a dead zone under the erosion of turbid qi. The spiritual qi of heaven and earth was so thin it was nearly exhausted.

He could not stay here any longer.

He needed to find another blessed cave.

Tai Cang swept his sleeve and withdrew the restriction. Just as he was about to set off in search of a new place to cultivate, he heard three calls from the horizon:

"Junior Brother Tai Cang!"

Wudang and the other two arrived on clouds. The instant they saw Tai Cang's cultivation, all three changed expression. Grand Unity Golden Immortal Great Perfection?!

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Junior Brother!" The three women suppressed their shock and congratulated him in unison.

Wudang, Jinling, Guiling?

Why had they come?

Tai Cang raised an eyebrow slightly and cupped his hands indifferently. "Greetings, fellow Daoists."

Faced with their warmth, he neither addressed them as Senior Sisters nor showed any intimacy. Ever since deciding to leave the Jie Sect, he had been nothing more than a cultivator of Cang Gate bearing the Jie Sect's name in vain.

"Junior Brother!"

Hearing the distance in his words, Wudang hurried forward. "Manjushri and the others, acting on Second Senior Uncle's orders, forced their way into the Upper Clarity Palace. They injured our sect members and dragged everyone to kneel outside the Primordial Clarity Palace as punishment. We beg Junior Brother to lend us aid!"

Jinling and Guiling also bowed. "Please help us, Junior Brother!"

A conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects? Manjushri had arrested people?

Tai Cang's divine sense instantly swept toward the Primordial Clarity Palace. Before he could withdraw it, a voice transmission entered his mind:

"This is a grudge between the two sects. You need not interfere."

Primeval Lord of Heaven!

Tai Cang's heart shook violently. A Saint had personally warned him. Could it be... the calamity of the Three Pure Ones splitting apart was about to arrive early?

Tai Cang withdrew his divine sense. He thought to himself that this matter had nothing to do with him, and he had no desire to involve himself in it. Looking at Wudang and the other two, he said calmly, "If the three of you wish to save them, you should first find out the reason."

"Could it be that you believe a Saint would bicker with mere registered and inner disciples?"

"I advise the three of you to investigate the matter first. Otherwise, such incidents will likely happen again."

Before his words had even faded, Tai Cang had risen on a cloud and vanished beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.

"Junior Brother Tai Cang!"

Wudang and the other two still wanted to stop him, but they could only

A moment later, Tai Cang finally came back to his senses and reached out to accept the gourd containing the Nine Revolutions Golden Pills, sending his divine sense inside to inspect it.

Eighteen!

There were a full eighteen Nine Revolutions Golden Pills.

His body trembled slightly, and emotion appeared in his eyes. He solemnly bowed toward the Grand Clarity Palace. "Thank you, First Senior Uncle, for this generous gift."

After Golden Horn Boy took his leave, Tai Cang put away the golden pills and immediately entered seclusion to refine the Ancestral Witch essence blood.

At the same time, Wudang and the other two learned the full story from those who knew. They were both shocked and furious. They had never imagined that these Jie Sect disciples would act so recklessly. Not only had they caused trouble within the Upper Clarity Palace's territory, they had even dared to barge into the Primordial Clarity Palace and attempt to seize Guangchengzi and the others' treasures.

After learning the truth, the three women no longer concerned themselves with the matter and each announced their seclusion for cultivation.

Though this conflict was temporarily quelled, it planted the seed of hostility between the Chan and Jie Sects. Their contradictions grew increasingly intense from then on, eventually becoming irreconcilable and leading to the Three Pure Ones splitting apart, with the two sects becoming bitter enemies.

A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

At the peak of a cliff, Tai Cang let out a sharp cry. After a hundred years of arduous cultivation, he had finally completely refined the essence blood of Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin.

But he did not immediately leave seclusion. Instead, he immersed himself in comprehending the laws. Fragments of law contained within the two drops of Ancestral Witch essence blood continuously circulated through his sea of consciousness as Tai Cang focused completely on enlightenment.

**Ding! Congratulations, Host, for comprehending the Law of Space!**

**Ding! Congratulations, Host, for comprehending the Law of Time!**

As the system notifications sounded, Tai Cang slowly opened his eyes.

It's finally done!

He rose to his feet with a smile on his lips. The Law of Time flowed through his left hand, while the power of space coiled around his right. The two supreme laws shone against one another in his palms. At this moment, Tai Cang felt power surging through him, and the strength of his physical body was already comparable to that of a Great Witch.

"Yuan Shi!"

"Tongtian!"

Two furious roars interrupted Tai Cang's thoughts. Looking up, he saw Yuan Shi and Tongtian, the two Saints, battling fiercely above the Kunlun Mountains. A battle between Saints

Tai Cang was now about to face the Heavenly Tribulation. If he remained in the Kunlun Mountains, he might be drawn into the conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects, affecting the success of his tribulation crossing.

At this thought, determination flashed in Tai Cang's eyes. He immediately rose on a cloud and headed straight for the Grand Clarity Palace. The conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects could erupt at any moment. Cang Du, Duobao, and the others might break free from the Time-Space Roulette at any time. He had to leave this land of trouble as soon as possible. Only four hundred years remained before the Nine Calamities descended. He needed to find a quiet place to await the calamity and ensure nothing went wrong. If Duobao learned when he would undergo tribulation, complications would surely arise.

Before long, Tai Cang arrived outside the Grand Clarity Palace. Just as he was about to enter and pay respects to Laozi, two figures descended from the sky and blocked his path.

Yuan Shi!

Tongtian!

Tai Cang's heart jolted as he thought to himself, Why have these two Senior Uncles suddenly stopped fighting and come here? Could First Senior Uncle have stepped in to mediate? Though filled with doubts, he still bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Second Senior Uncle."

Yuan Shi and Tongtian merely nodded faintly before entering the Grand Clarity Palace side by side, their bodies still radiating tense hostility. Tai Cang gave a wry smile. With the Three Pure Ones gathered to discuss important matters, it was truly inconvenient for a second-generation disciple like him to disturb them.

As he hesitated, Golden Horn Boy emerged from the hall holding a jade talisman. "Senior Brother Tai Cang, Master ordered me to give this to you."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Golden Horn." Tai Cang accepted the jade talisman. When he examined it with his divine sense, the three words Western Kunlun appeared in his mind.

It turned out Laozi had already seen through his predicament and directed him to temporarily take refuge at Queen Mother of the West's cultivation grounds. Though Western Kunlun belonged to the Kunlun mountain range, it lay beyond the Three Pure Ones' jurisdiction and was the secluded cultivation ground of Queen Mother of the West, once the leader of the female immortals. Back then, Queen Mother of the West and East Prince Gong had jointly established the Heavenly Court. Unfortunately, East Prince Gong had fallen at the hands of Di Jun and Tai Yi, and the Heavenly Court had vanished like a fleeting blossom. Thankfully, under the protection of the Three Pure Ones, Queen Mother of the West was able to retreat to Western Kunlun and cultivate in seclusion.

Western Kunlun was indeed an excellent choice. Tai Cang put away the jade talisman and solemnly bowed toward the Grand Clarity Palace. "Thank you, First Senior Uncle, for your guidance." With that, he bid Golden Horn farewell and rode a cloud westward.

Behind him, Tongtian's indignant voice faintly echoed from within the Grand Clarity Palace. "Eldest Brother, judge this fairly! Second Brother has bullied my Jie Sect disciples so outrageously..."

Yuan Shi's cold snort followed. "Those furred and horned creatures have corrupted the sect's traditions. If they are not severely punished, where will the Three Pure Ones' dignity remain!"

"Yuan Shi, they are my disciples. I should be the one to discipline them. Why must you overstep your authority?"

"Tongtian, should I not discipline your disciples for you? Those disciples of yours repeatedly trespass into my Primordial Clarity Palace's territory. What kind of conduct is that!"

"They are merely juniors newly entered upon the path of cultivation. You are a Saint, yet you insist on arguing with them to this extent?"

"..."

"Enough!"

Seeing their dispute intensify, Laozi, seated in the place of honor, suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "You are Saints. When matters arise, you should remain calm and composed. Yet today's conflict has already made the Chan and Jie Sects bitter enemies."

"For cultivators, what matters is the Dao heart, Dao fruit, and Dao practice. Your quarrel of tempers has already stirred old grudges between the two sects. Since that is so, there is no meaning in having Duobao, Guangchengzi, and the others continue cultivating in the Time-Space Roulette."

"Release all the disciples immediately and take them back to discipline them strictly. The contest for Pangu's Destiny ten thousand years from now is of great importance. If you lose, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Within Western Kunlun, Tai Cang traveled upon the clouds. He saw verdant mountains layered one upon another, clear springs babbling, and countless female immortals transformed from plants and trees moving among them.

Some of these female immortals gathered morning dew, while others played among flower fields. Their flowing robes fluttered like startled swans. As Tai Cang paused to admire the sight, he suddenly heard a soft call:

"Fellow Daoist Tai Cang!"

Looking up, he saw a female immortal at the Da Luo realm riding toward him on a cloud. She gave a graceful bow. "Her Majesty sent me to welcome you."

"Thank you for leading the way, Immortal Maiden."

As Tai Cang returned the bow, he secretly examined her. This woman possessed extraordinary bearing, so she was likely Queen Mother of the West's personal disciple. Queen Mother of the West was a first-generation disciple of Cang Gate and belonged to the same generation as the Three Pure Ones. This woman could also be considered his fellow cultivator of the same generation.

After passing through layer upon layer of palaces, they finally reached the main hall. Queen Mother of the West reclined against a jade couch, her magnificent robes gleaming with a regal splendor. Tai Cang hurriedly circulated the Cang Skill to steady his mind and bowed.

"Tai Cang of Cang Gate pays respects to Senior Queen Mother of the West."

Queen Mother of the West lazily raised her eyes, her vermilion lips parting slightly. "Fellow Daoist Laozi truly has a discerning eye. Your cultivation is no weaker than that of a Da Luo. Though you have only just broken through to the Taiyi realm, the vigor of your blood and qi rivals that of a Great Witch. Even ordinary Da Luo cultivators may not be your match."

The female immortal standing nearby looked startled at those words and could not help casting several more glances at Tai Cang.

"You flatter me, Senior." Tai Cang answered humbly. Before a great divine expert like her, nothing could be concealed.

Tai Cang cupped his hands in return, his expression calm as still water.

The moment his physical body had broken through, he had been certain that he possessed true Da Luo battle power. If not for avoiding the uncertainties of the Nine Calamities during tribulation crossing, he would have nothing to fear even if Duobao and the others emerged from seclusion already at the Da Luo realm.

Steady in temperament, neither arrogant nor impatient.

Queen Mother of the West nodded slightly. Her gaze lingered on Tai Cang for a moment before she parted her vermilion lips. "Fellow Daoist Laozi has already told me of your circumstances."

"Xiao Xi, take Tai Cang to the Purple Orchid Pavilion to stay for the time being."

"Yes, Master."

Xiao Xi bowed gracefully, then turned to Tai Cang. "Fellow Daoist, please follow me."

"Thank you."

Tai Cang bowed once more to Queen Mother of the West before following Xiao Xi out of the hall.

After the two disappeared from sight, Queen Mother of the West's lips curved upward. Her fingertips lightly stroked her wine cup as she murmured softly, "An interesting little fellow. With such a body, his yang qi must surely be abundant..."

Passing through layer upon layer of restrictions, Xiao Xi led Tai Cang before the Purple Orchid Pavilion.

"This is the Purple Orchid Pavilion. It was transformed from a Lingbao, so Fellow Daoist may rest easy here." Xiao Xi reminded him gently. "However, this pavilion is Master's cherished possession. I hope Fellow Daoist will not damage it."

Tai Cang was somewhat surprised, but he still solemnly agreed. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. Tai Cang will certainly be careful."

Xiao Xi was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and turned back, a trace of fighting spirit flashing in her eyes. "Master said Fellow Daoist can rival a Da Luo cultivator. After you cross your tribulation, would you be willing to spar with me?"

Tai Cang hesitated briefly when a notification suddenly sounded in his mind—

**Ding! Mission issued: Defeat Xiao Xi. Reward: One use of One-Click Max Level Privilege.**

He immediately changed his answer with a smile. "It would be my pleasure. I hope Fellow Daoist will guide me when the time comes."

"It's a deal."

Xiao Xi smiled sweetly and drifted away. The restrictions then closed, completely isolating the Purple Orchid Pavilion from the outside world.