Guest at Wuzhuang Temple

Hongyun spotted the two young attendants and called out warmly, "Qingfeng, Mingyue! Old Ancestor is here, hurry up and come pay your respects!"

Qingfeng and Mingyue exchanged a look, their faces falling slightly. Seemingly accustomed to Hongyun's boisterous nature, they obediently stepped forward and bowed to him, "Greetings, Old Ancestor!"

Zhenyuanzi watched Hongyun acting so playfully even in front of others and felt a touch of helplessness. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Alright, Hongyun, stop teasing Qingfeng and Mingyue!"

"Qingfeng, Mingyue, come here. These three are fellow Daoists from Mount Sumeru in the West: Fellow Daoist Zhunti, Fellow Daoist Jieyin, and Jieyin's disciple, Jiang Yun. Pay your respects one by one!"

Qingfeng and Mingyue respectfully first bowed to Zhunti and Jieyin, who nodded with smiles.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Jiang Yun!"

Next, Qingfeng and Mingyue paid their respects to Jiang Yun. By seniority, Jiang Yun was in the same generation as Qingfeng and Mingyue. Jiang Yun was a direct disciple, and while Qingfeng and Mingyue were mere Daoist boys, Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi treated them like their own nephews. They were currently True Immortals, and since they were enlightened rather than born, their innate talent wasn't exceptional.

"Jiang Yun greets both fellow Daoists!"

Jiang Yun didn't act arrogant. He exchanged greetings with them, calling them fellow Daoists. After the courtesies, Zhenyuanzi led everyone into the Daoist temple.

Jiang Yun, Qingfeng, and Mingyue followed behind. Jiang Yun looked up at the imposing main gate, its grandeur impressive. The plaque above the entrance bore the three large characters: "Wuzhuang Temple."

Entering the temple, they first found themselves in a spacious front courtyard. A long bluestone path, seven or eight zhang wide, stretched before them. Trees were planted on both sides, their foliage creating a cool, shaded environment, giving the place a serene atmosphere.

At the end of the front courtyard stood the main hall. A massive incense burner was placed before it, swirling with smoke and emitting waves of sandalwood fragrance.

Upon entering the main hall, their eyes fell upon a large, dark sandalwood tablet inscribed with the characters for Heaven and Earth. Several meditation cushions were arranged in the center of the hall. This was clearly a place for worshipping Heaven and Earth, hosting distinguished guests, and practicing meditation and lecturing on the Dao. It exuded an air of solemnity and reverence.

Inside the hall, the group took their seats on the meditation cushions according to their status as hosts and guests. Zhenyuanzi instructed Qingfeng and Mingyue to fetch some spiritual fruits to be served as a platter.

Once everything was arranged, Qingfeng and Mingyue sat to the side.

Back in Purple Firmament Palace, Zhenyuanzi had been puzzled by Hongyun's act of giving up his seat. Later, after the incident with Kunpeng, his confusion had only deepened. Now, with the parties involved visiting Wuzhuang Temple, he seized the opportunity to ask.

"Fellow Daoists, back in Purple Heaven Palace, I wonder what was so special about those meditation cushions that led you to act as you did?"

Hearing Zhenyuanzi's question, Zhunti took the initiative to answer, "We didn't know of any secrets concerning the meditation cushions ourselves. The moment my junior brother and I entered the Purple Heaven Palace, we felt a connection to the cushions. Our intuition told us it was a great opportunity, crucial for the prosperity of the West. Ever since my brother and I took form, we have been striving to make the Western world flourish, which is why we had to resort to some means to ask Fellow Daoist Hongyun for a seat!"

Hongyun added after hearing this, "Actually, from the moment you three entered Purple霄 Palace, the cushion beneath me began to exert a resisting force. When the two senior brothers came beside me, I could barely suppress that power! At that time, I began to understand that I was not the fated person for the cushion, so when I saw you two wanting to ask for a seat, I prepared to give it up!"

Zhenyuanzi's entire being seemed to understand after hearing Hongyun's words. His tone carried a hint of relief as he said to Hongyun, "I was wondering at the time, with only six meditation cushions in the main hall, there must be some benefit. Since you occupied one, how could you so easily give it away! So it turns out destiny had already decided, and there was someone else!"

"I presume Kunpeng was in a similar situation to you!" Zhenyuanzi's words were filled with certainty.

"Precisely. Fellow Daoist Yuanshi of Jade Pure probably realized this as well, which is why he spoke up to help. He values destiny the most and emphasizes acting in accordance with the Heavenly Dao," Zhunti chimed in. Jieyin nodded in agreement, strongly endorsing Zhunti's statement.

"Looking at it this way, by giving up my seat so readily, I actually gained a great benefit and forged a good karma with you two. Alas for Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, knowing he wasn't the fated person, he insisted on defying heaven, and ended up with such a fate!" Hongyun said with great nonchalance, laughing heartily.

He was naturally a person who didn't dwell on trivial matters. When he roamed the Primordial Desolation, he was always kind to others. Regarding the matter of the meditation cushions, he had always approached it with a mindset of "blessed if I get it, resigned if I don't." This time, it was merely returning the item to its rightful owner, and he had even received a reward.

With the matter cleared up, their relationship seemed to grow even closer. Jiang Yun, upon hearing these hidden secrets, finally had a complete understanding of what had transpired in Purple Heaven Palace.

From this perspective, the karma Hongyun forged by giving up his seat wasn't actually that significant. The Saint positions were already predetermined by destiny. Even without obtaining the meditation cushion seat, it wouldn't have affected Jieyin and Zhunti's attainment of sainthood; their status as the rulers of the West was the key to becoming Saints.

However, as Jiang Yun listened, he noticed a point of doubt. If those six meditation cushions were already spoken for, why were the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa able to smoothly occupy their seats, while Jieyin and Zhunti had to go through such a ordeal to obtain theirs?

With this thought, Jiang Yun directly addressed the group, "Teacher, Martial Uncle, Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi, and Great Immortal Hongyun, your disciple has a point of confusion that I've been pondering and cannot resolve. I hope my elders can help me understand."

Jieyin asked with a hint of confusion, "What is troubling your mind? Speak freely, and I and the other fellow Daoists will try to offer some insight."

"Since Teacher and Martial Uncle are fated individuals, why did the three of us get lost in Chaos for so long, causing us to arrive at Purple Heaven Palace so much later than everyone else? The other great deities successfully obtained their meditation cushion seats, yet we had to go through unnecessary trouble."

Everyone listened to these words and pondered them silently.

When they were traveling to Purple Heaven Palace, they were lost in Chaos. Without Old Ancestor Hongjun's guidance, it's unlikely anyone would have been able to find Purple Heaven Palace. If that's the case, then whatever happened must be connected to the Dao Ancestor. They just didn't know what profound meaning lay behind the Dao Ancestor's actions.

They had some speculations, but no one dared to voice them.

Jieyin and Zhunti recalled Jiang Yun's previous words: Old Ancestor Hongjun's battle with Luohu had shattered the Western lands, creating a great karmic debt with the West, and the question was how to repay it.

Connecting these two matters, they couldn't help but have some conjectures.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Zhunti spoke up to change the subject, "This matter is likely a test from the Heavenly Dao for my junior brother and me. There's no need to dwell on it! Since we are rare guests at Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi's place, we haven't yet seen your companion Spiritual Root, the Ginseng Fruit Tree! Perhaps Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi could give us a tour!"

Upon hearing this, Zhenyuanzi's face lit up with pride. He rose and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Zhunti is so interested, I must certainly fulfill my duty as a host and give you a proper tour! Hahaha!"

Hongyun chimed in, joining the playful banter, "You all don't know, Zhenyuanzi's Ginseng Fruit Tree only bears thirty fruits every ten thousand years. It's not even enough for me to eat in one sitting!"

"And you have the nerve to say that! Every time the fruits are ripe, you rush to my Wuzhuang Temple, and all the fruits on my tree end up in your belly. Then you just pat your stomach and run off!"

"Hahaha..." Everyone listening burst into hearty laughter, deeply touched by the friendship between the two.

Following this, Zhenyuanzi led everyone to the backyard, preparing to show them the Ginseng Fruit Tree.