"Second Brother, your Dao is merely a lesser Dao. Only by passing it on to all living beings can it become the Great Dao. Therefore, my Dao principle is the great talent, the Great Dao, the source of life, the Dao of life, and the Heavenly Dao. When these five Daos combine as one, they form the Sacred Dao!"
"What nonsense! How could those ignorant fools covered in scales and shells, who know nothing of Heaven's decrees, learn the Great Dao? How could they be worthy of learning my Dao principle? Everything Third Brother said is absurd!"
"Hmph, my Dao principle..."
Well, the moment Chen Tian entered the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, he saw Yuanshi and Tongtian arguing until their faces and necks were red, looking as though they could roll up their sleeves and throw down at any moment. The sight made Chen Tian's old face turn dark.
And Taiqing Laozi? That old bastard was actually sitting cross-legged to one side with his eyes closed, calmly resting his mind. He did not even try to stop them!
"Disciple? Disciple, you're out of Seclusion! Perfect timing. Come, come, come—quickly debate with your Second Master. Why is my Dao principle unacceptable?"
"Disciple, don't listen to your Third Master. His Dao principle is merely a lesser Dao, unfit for the grand hall. My Dao principle can reach the Great Dao. Quickly persuade your Third Master to abandon this lesser Dao!"
When Yuanshi and Tongtian saw Chen Tian arrive, they immediately tried to pull him onto their respective sides. That way, the other person would surely lose momentum!
They were not arguing over Dao principles anymore, but over sheer presence!
As the second eldest brother, Yuanshi naturally could not appear weaker than his younger brother Tongtian. And Tongtian? He looked carefree and rough around the edges, but the arrogance in his bones was exactly the same as Yuanshi's. As expected of true brothers!
In the original storyline, Yuanshi and Tongtian became irreconcilable enemies. But before the Investiture of the Gods, and even before the Witch-Demon Tribulation, the brothers had still shared a close relationship. After reaching the quasi-sage realm, however, especially after debating the Dao, they became like enemies. But that made sense. Their Dao principles differed, and as the saying went, those who followed different paths could not make common cause.
In truth, their principles were more or less the same. Both had inherited their respective Daos. Yuanshi had developed his from nothing into something. Even if he knew trouble would come later, he would still choose to follow Heaven's Dao, establish the Chan Sect, and expound upon Heaven's grace. Tongtian was different. He had also developed his Dao from nothing into something, but he had forcibly seized that single thread of life within Heaven's Dao and established the Interception Sect, intercepting the one that had escaped from Heaven's Dao!
So, their Dao principles were simply different. That was also why they would eventually split up in the original storyline. That was the first reason. The second was that Yuanshi disliked those covered in scales and shells. At that time, the many disciples of the Interception Sect had turned Kunlun Mountain, this Blessed Land, into a filthy mess. That was what made Yuanshi dislike them even more.
Finally, there was Kunlun Mountain itself. It could not bear the combined fortune of three saints. Chen Tian had once thought that Hongjun had schemed behind this, but that was not the case. After merging with the Dao, Hongjun had no idea what was happening in the outside world. Therefore, Hongjun had not plotted anything.
"What do you mean, what am I saying? I'm going to watch the show with Master Father. You two can keep arguing. Once you've argued enough, Third Master, go catch a ferocious beast and roast it." Chen Tian rolled his eyes, then sat beside Laozi and pulled out a handful of melon seeds to crack.
"..." Yuanshi.
"..." Tongtian.
"You unfilial disciple!!!" Tongtian and Yuanshi roared. Damn it! So the two of them had been arguing for ages while this bastard sat off to the side cracking... those things he called melon seeds?
Tongtian and Yuanshi suddenly felt as though they were monkeys. Laozi and Chen Tian were the spectators, watching two monkeys fight...
"Not that I'm saying anything, but Second Master thinks Third Master's Dao principle is inferior and unfit to be the Great Dao, while Third Master thinks Second Master's Dao is merely a lesser Dao. In my eyes, they're both about the same. Put simply, you two just have different opinions!" Chen Tian said while cracking melon seeds.
"Oh? Disciple, how do you come to that conclusion?" After hearing this, Laozi opened his eyes and looked at Chen Tian with a smile.
"Master Father, look. From Second Master's perspective, his Dao truly cannot be passed on to those covered in scales and shells. Why? First, because those covered in scales and shells are not Innate Deities. They are not even innate lifeforms. Their origins are therefore too low. With Second Master's arrogant personality, he naturally cannot choose people with low origins to pass on his Great Dao!"
Chen Tian explained with a chuckle, "Second, there is some personal baggage mixed in. Put bluntly, it comes from a private grudge! I remember Second Master once saying that after the three of you took human form, you went out to gain experience together. Unfortunately, you encountered the conflict between the dragons, phoenixes, and qilins. The disciples of the three clans injured all three of you. Third Master and Master Father were even severely wounded while saving Second Master. From then on, Second Master came to hate the three clans. The members of the three clans were all covered in scales and shells, with wet fur and eggshells, so Second Master came to despise all such beings in the Prehistoric World. That is also why Second Master dislikes those covered in scales and shells!"
Hearing this, Laozi and Tongtian both nodded. Even Yuanshi nodded. It was true! They had injured his elder brother and younger brother, so naturally he hated them. He even came to dislike all the scaled-and-shelled races in the Prehistoric World!
"And Third Master? His Dao principle is precisely about creating something from nothing and seizing a single thread of life from Heaven and Earth for the living beings of the Prehistoric World. Therefore, the living beings of the Prehistoric World include those covered in scales and shells. That is why Second Master and Third Master are arguing."
Chen Tian paused, then continued, "However, in my opinion, those covered in scales and shells can learn the Dao of the Three Pure Ones!"
"What?? You unfilial disciple! Say that again!!!" Yuanshi immediately blew his top. Damn it! After all that, he agreed with his younger brother? You unfilial disciple! Traitor!
"Hahahaha, my disciple truly understands me!" Tongtian naturally began laughing. Hehe, his disciple was doing great!
"Third Master, what the hell are you laughing at!!" But Chen Tian suddenly noticed him and rolled his eyes. "Those covered in scales and shells can learn the Dao of the Three Pure Ones, but it depends on what kind they are! You must understand that among the living beings of the Prehistoric World, some are unworthy of learning the Dao of the Three Pure Ones. Those scum deserve to die. All three Masters—no matter who they are—have both good and bad disciples! Therefore, I agree with Second Master, and I also agree with Third Master. Good living beings can naturally learn the Dao of the Three Pure Ones. Bad living beings are unworthy of learning it!"
After Laozi finished listening, he nodded. Yuanshi and Tongtian fell into deep thought.
It was indeed so. Living beings could be good or bad. Those covered in scales and shells who were good could naturally learn his Dao. As for the bad ones, he could simply kill them.
"So, Second Master and Third Master's Dao principles are both in conflict and not in conflict. After all, if anyone accepts disciples, they will want to accept the good ones, not take everyone indiscriminately as Third Master does." Chen Tian spoke slowly. "Of course, taking everyone is fine too. I can help manage them. If the bad ones continue committing evil, there will be no need to go kill a ferocious beast. We can roast and eat them right there."
"..." The Three Pure Ones. We get it now. After all that talk, you're simply too lazy to move—and you still want meat to eat!!
Just how wicked were you? The disciples we accept would be your junior brothers. You could actually eat them??
"I could eat them!!" Chen Tian seemed to know what the Three Pure Ones were thinking and spoke directly to them.
"Disciple, you..."
"All right, all right. It's still too early to accept disciples. Why are we discussing this now? I'm going to enter Seclusion and refine a magical treasure first." Before Tongtian could finish, Chen Tian stood up and waved his hand.
"..." Tongtian. Why did he suddenly feel as though he was the disciple, while this bastard was the master?
Before you continue