39. Chief of Male and Female Immortals in the Wilderness; Candle Dragon Seeks the Dao at Buzhou Mountain

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's voice rang out through Purple Heaven Palace, echoing through its halls. Then he flicked a finger, and two Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures transformed into streaks of light and shot through the air, coming to rest before Dong Wang Gong and Queen Mother of the West.

Golden scales shimmered across the Dragon Head Crutch, and the golden dragon head atop it breathed out Pure Yang True Fire. Pure Yang Dao Patterns were carved into every scale;

The Pure Water Alms Bowl glimmered with Starlight, reflecting the Starry Sky Array within its basin. Heavenly One True Water, Xuan Ming True Water, and five other spiritual waters spilled over its rim, condensing into a lotus. As it bloomed, ripples of the profound Law of the Great Dao of Water spread outward.

Both Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures had been acquired by Dao Ancestor Hongjun in his early years.

Now that he had become the first Heavenly Dao Saint and planned to integrate his body with the Heavenly Dao to advance further, these Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures were of no use to him.

"Thank you for bestowing these treasures, Dao Ancestor!"

Though Queen Mother of the West didn't care for the title Chief of Female Immortals in the Wilderness and had no particular ambitions, she was naturally delighted to receive a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure out of the blue.

Dong Wang Gong, meanwhile, was positively ecstatic, Pure Yang Qi surging and bubbling through his entire body.

But Dao Ancestor Hongjun's actions left the Three Thousand Purple Heaven Guests glancing at one another. Then, almost as one, they turned their eyes toward Di Jun and Tai Yi.

Everyone present knew that Dong Wang Gong and the two Golden Crows had long since incurred a karmic debt with each other, and had clashed several times.

"Return after three Eons."

As soon as his voice fell, Dao Ancestor Hongjun paid no heed to the Three Thousand Purple Heaven Guests' reactions. With a casual wave of his hand, time and space twisted, and he sent them all out of Purple Heaven Palace.

"The sun may have its shade, but it's still extremely close to Pure Yang. What a pity. What a pity."

Ziwei Star Lord's gaze swept over Tai Yi and Di Jun, his voice undisguisedly mocking.

He and the two Golden Crows had long been locked in an irreconcilable feud. If Dong Wang Gong hadn't protected him, they would have surrounded and killed him long ago.

Now that Dong Wang Gong had been granted a title by Dao Ancestor, Ziwei Star Lord was sincerely pleased for him.

"Hmph!"

Di Jun snorted, his expression darkening slightly.

He naturally resented Dong Wang Gong's position as Chief of Male Immortals, but the Dao Ancestor himself had decreed it. When under another's roof, one had to bow their head; he could only harbor his resentment in secret, while his ambition grew unchecked like weeds.

The other mighty figures wore varied expressions, but Candle Dragon had no interest in such empty affairs. Having lived through the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, he had long grown accustomed to struggles for power and profit.

Rather than stand around watching, he would do better to return to the Primordial World as soon as possible and pay Xuanyuan another visit.

When Dao Ancestor Hongjun had mentioned the Quasi-Saint Path earlier, Candle Dragon had been left with questions.

What was the difference between a Primordial Golden Immortal and a Quasi-Saint?

Quasi-Saint, Quasi-Saint... Did one have to switch to the Quasi-Saint Path to become a Heavenly Dao Saint? Was the path of a Primordial Golden Immortal a dead end?

Candle Dragon couldn't accept such a possibility. He had spent countless Eons cultivating to become a Primordial Golden Immortal. If his guess proved correct, wouldn't it invalidate all those years of cultivation?

Thus, remembering Xuanyuan's advice from before, he didn't want to waste another moment. He became the first mighty figure among the Three Thousand Purple Heaven Guests to leave.

As for the other mighty figures, some were still discussing the Dao Ancestor's teachings, some were exchanging insights and making friends, while others relied on their treasures for protection as they explored the Chaos in search of treasures...

They were simply not on the same path as Candle Dragon.

Clouds drifted like cotton wool over Buzhou Mountain Peak. Strong Winds formed from Chaos Residual Qi swept through the rocks, yet curved away three feet from the Jade Table. Xuanyuan and Tongtian sat cross-legged facing each other, while Immortal Fruits and spiritual roots gleamed on the table.

A hazy green light shimmered over the skin of the Ginseng Fruit, and crystal-clear droplets hung from the Jiao Pear. As the tender leaves of the Dongting Biluochun unfurled, they released Dao Rhyme Clear Qi. Even the Longevity Peach resting at the table's corner was steeped in faint Moonlight.

Aside from the Ginseng Fruit, the other spiritual roots and Immortal Fruits were the brothers' gains from recent years. Their grades weren't particularly high; most were Low-grade Innate Spiritual Roots and Medium-grade Innate Spiritual Roots.

The Jiao Pear was an Innate Medium-grade Spiritual Root, taken from the Central Land. Eating it cleansed the primordial spirit and kept it safe from the Heart Demon;

The Dongting Biluochun, taken from Snail Mountain in the Eastern Land, was an Innate Medium-grade Spiritual Root. Sitting quietly and contemplating it brought one closer to the Dao, calmed the Dao Heart, and aided cultivation;

The Innate Longevity Peach, taken from the Southern Great Earth, was a Medium-grade Spiritual Root. Eating it could extend one's lifespan by five hundred years.

"Fourth Brother, how long are we supposed to wait here? Will our fellow Daoists Zhen Yuanzi and Candle Dragon really come?" Tongtian toyed with the Fishing Drum in his hand, growing a little restless.

Now that they had obtained the Enlightenment Tea Tree, he hoped to seize the opportunity for Sudden Enlightenment and truly cross that threshold, advancing to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm.

"Don't be impatient, Brother. Haven't you heard that sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood? Discussing the Dao while we wait can build up our foundations, so when Sudden Enlightenment comes, we'll be ready to make the most of it... Look, he's already here."

Xuanyuan personally divided the Dongting Biluochun tea into three portions and poured it into three Jade Cups. Then, sensing something, he raised his head and looked east.

"Roar!"

A high-pitched dragon's cry came from the distant horizon, its rolling waves of sound like thunderclaps across the sky of the Primordial World.

The dragon's cry shook the snow blanketing Buzhou Mountain Peak, snow that had accumulated since the world was created from the frigid aura of the beginning. It fell in rustling sheets. Profound Clarity Qi flashed in Xuanyuan's eyes, and Tongtian looked toward the horizon as well:

The clear sky suddenly erupted in a strange sight. A Golden Sun and a Silver Moon hung side by side, high overhead. Where sunlight and Moonlight intertwined, ripples like waves spread across time and space, and even the Strong Winds blowing around them seemed frozen by the Power of Time.

In the next instant, a colossal shadow stretching for a thousand li emerged from the mist. Its face was proud and uplifted, its scales like Blood Jade edged in gold, and the opening and closing of its eyes seemed to set the Sun and Moon in rotation.

It was Candle Dragon, who had hurried back after listening to Hongjun's lecture.

He had also heard what Queen Mother of the West had said and reasoned that Tai Qing Lao Zi and Yu Qing Yuan Shi weren't particularly close to Xuanyuan and Tongtian. He therefore ruled out Kunlun Mountain and headed straight for Buzhou Mountain.

Seeing Xuanyuan at the peak, the Jade Table already set out, Candle Dragon couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He found himself even more convinced that Xuanyuan was unfathomably mysterious.

"Bzzz."

Sun and Moon radiance blossomed around him. In the next instant, he transformed into an Innate Divine Body wearing a red robe.

The Time-Space Fluctuation gradually settled, and the strange sight of the Sun and Moon appearing together across a radius of ten million li faded away. Only the Dragon Might lingering in the air remained, mingling with the fragrance of the Immortal Fruits on the Jade Table.

"Fellow Daoist Candle Dragon, it's been a long time."

Xuanyuan smiled and invited Candle Dragon to sit.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, since we parted at the East Sea, you said that once your cultivation advanced further, we could exchange insights again. Forgive my imposition, but I've come to trouble you today."

Seeing how Xuanyuan and Tongtian seemed to have prepared everything in advance and were waiting for him, and recalling how all the mighty figures of the Primordial World had rushed eagerly to Purple Heaven Palace while the two brothers hadn't stirred, Candle Dragon couldn't help but entertain a few guesses. He immediately cupped his hands and spoke courteously.

"Very well."

Xuanyuan nodded, then raised a hand and gently grasped at the empty air. The Chaos Pearl in his primordial spirit trembled, and the Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler appeared in his hand.

"Crack!"

He swung the ruler once, opening up a separate space-time. Chaos Residual Qi on Buzhou Mountain Peak gathered abruptly, while Pangu's Residual Might spread like an abyss. The two intertwined with the barrier around the space-time he had opened, forming a transparent dome that cut off all karmic ties and heavenly secrets from the surrounding area.

This was both a way to protect the Dao and to prevent their discussion from disturbing the other mighty figures of the Primordial World.

Xuanyuan had realized this method of cutting off karmic ties and heavenly secrets while cultivating in seclusion at Pangu Hall.

Due to his own cultivation level, even with the aid of treasures, he could only use it in places like Buzhou Mountain and Guixu Land, where Chaos Residual Qi and Pangu's Residual Might lingered.

Of course, if he directly brought out the Chaos Pearl and entered the Chaos World within it, that would be another matter.

"Fellow Daoist, this..."

Seeing Xuanyuan's methods, Candle Dragon's pupils abruptly contracted, and he was deeply shaken.

To command Pangu's Residual Might and Chaos Residual Qi was beyond even him, a Primordial Golden Immortal!