Tongtian Resolves Their Doubts, the Water-Fire Gourd

The Grand Pure Sage offered no explanation. A dazzling immortal light descended from the heavens, and moments later, Xuan Yin had been teleported back to Upper Clarity Peak.

Clearly, this Sage did not wish for Xuan Yin to set foot within the bounds of Taiqing Peak.

"That was..."

Having returned to Upper Clarity Peak, Xuan Yin could still sense, across the endless void, an incomparably vast power filled with the aura of the Heavenly Dao.

As the Grand Pure Divine Thunder fell, the Journey to the West World, which had originally been destroyed, actually began to reform. In an instant, the Grand Pure Sage's Dao wove the foundations of a world. Samsara cycled endlessly, as though the world-ending calamity had never happened at all—as though it had merely been an Illusionary Dream born when Xuan Yin broke through to the True Immortal Realm!

Yet the As-You-Will Golden-Rod Staff in his hand constantly reminded him that this was no dream. For a Heavenly Dao Sage, destroying or creating a world took but a single thought. With a mere turn of the hand, they could overturn everything.

"Martial Brother!"

Duobao Daoist's voice rang out from the void behind him, startling Xuan Yin awake and preventing the Sage's immense power from shaking his Dao heart.

"Martial Brother!"

Xuan Yin hurriedly bowed.

Though he had been occupied with undergoing his tribulation just now, he had also noticed that Buddha Tathagata of the Journey to the West World had been enlightened by Duobao Daoist into another self.

"Everything has its ordained course!"

Duobao Daoist wore a smile, seeming to know what Xuan Yin wished to ask. He immediately said, "But the doctrine of our Jie Sect is education for all, to carve out a sliver of life for all living beings! This time, thanks to Martial Brother Xuan Yin, I was able to enlighten another self from the future deduced by Senior Uncle-Master, thereby perfecting my own Dao Fruit! Come, accompany me to see Teacher. We can also ask him to resolve our doubts!"

"Yes!"

Xuan Yin immediately nodded.

Before long, the two arrived at Shangqing Hall and met Sect Master Tongtian.

"This is your opportunity."

Sect Master Tongtian gave a slight nod and had Water-Fire Boy bring out two Prayer Mats, gesturing for them to sit. He then began explaining the cultivation of the Grand Unity Realm.

"A Grand Unity transcends the cycles of time, space, and Samsara, stepping beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements. Naturally, the Dao they cultivate is no longer bound by time and space!"

"Your Senior Uncle-Master's deductions are unparalleled. The future he deduced should be the one among countless timelines closest to the future of the main axis of time and space!"

"Beneath the Heavenly Dao, there are ordained courses. Yet within the unseen, there is also a trace of change. The future is ultimately but flowers reflected in a mirror and the moon in water. Other than certain crucial points in time, everything can be changed!"

Sect Master Tongtian's words undoubtedly confirmed some of Xuan Yin's guesses. Back when he had heard Xuanyuan's name from First Kirin, he had already known that Grand Unity beings existed across all dimensions of time and space.

As the future Human Emperor, Xuanyuan was undoubtedly one who would attain the Dao in the future. Yet the nature of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal allowed him to exist eternally throughout all time and space.

Perhaps, at some unknown point in time, he was silently observing the present, merely lacking the foundation to manifest in the world.

Grand Unity Golden Immortals possessed the ability to interfere with the past, but the Heavenly Dao did not permit such conduct. Otherwise, the history of the Primordial True Realm would descend into chaos.

However, the Heavenly Dao would not stop what had already happened, much less reverse time and space. These were also some of the changes the Heavenly Dao permitted to exist.

Put another way, minor trends could be changed, but major trends could not. So long as it did not affect other Grand Unity beings' attainment of the Dao, trigger temporal paradoxes, or bring about a world-ending calamity, the Heavenly Dao would turn a blind eye.

Within the rules, you could do whatever you wished... But as a living being of the Primordial True Realm, the first thing you had to obey was the order of the Heavenly Dao!

The Grand Unity Realm gathered timelines together in preparation for the final leap into Grand Unity. In truth, this was how Grand Unity cultivators of the Primordial True Realm refined their true selves, making their own Dao the sole Dao across all worlds.

No two leaves in the world were identical, and neither were any two Grand Unity beings. Even if two people cultivated the same Laws of the Great Dao, they would develop different traits and properties.

Sect Master Tongtian patiently explained the mysteries of the Grand Unity Realm to Duobao and Xuan Yin, while also answering some of the doubts in their hearts.

At last, he looked to Duobao Daoist and earnestly instructed, "Buddhism is originally Dao, and the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm is one that draws on the strengths of all paths. However, the methods of the Buddhist Sect ultimately involve those two. Before breaking through to Grand Unity, you would do best not to touch them. One misstep could affect your foundation!"

"After Grand Unity, it will be of no concern. If you can become a venerable ancestor and take charge of the Buddhist Sect in the future, that would count as quite a good opportunity!"

"Just do not forget: education for all, carving out a sliver of life for all living beings—that is enough!"

The Grand Pure Sage could see that Duobao Daoist was fated with the methods of the Buddhist Sect, so Sect Master Tongtian naturally could also see the Buddha-nature upon Duobao.

However, his Dao was destined to prevent him from stopping it. In his view, if his disciple's Dao could surpass his own Dao of education for all, then it would truly surpass the Dao of the Exposition Sect.

"Yes!"

Duobao Daoist hurriedly nodded.

After instructing Duobao Daoist, Sect Master Tongtian looked at Xuan Yin and said, "You have only just broken through to the True Immortal Realm, so there is no need for you to be as anxious as Duobao. The road ahead is still long! But since your Senior Uncle-Master has taken the initiative to give you a High-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure for protection, I, as your teacher, cannot fail to show something in return!"

He removed the purple-yellow gourd at his waist and explained, "This is the Water-Fire Gourd. I forged it by refining an Innate Gourd with the Water-Fire Kirin. Since you have formed a bond with First Kirin, I shall give this treasure to you! However, before you break through to the Golden Immortal Realm, you must not take the initiative to refine it!"

Sect Master Tongtian had originally planned to bestow a spiritual treasure upon Xuan Yin only after he broke through to the Golden Immortal Realm. But since the Grand Pure Sage had already granted him a Magic Treasure, it would not do for him, as Xuan Yin's teacher, to continue turning a blind eye.

An Innate Spiritual Treasure possessed a status comparable to Grand Unity and an exceptionally strong spirituality. With the slightest carelessness, one could be influenced by the Laws of the Great Dao contained within it.

However, the Water-Fire Gourd was somewhat different. The two kirins within, one of water and one of fire, had voluntarily fused with the spiritual treasure in order to seek protection.

They could be regarded as part of the spiritual treasure, but they could also be regarded as two Dharmapala deities.

Even if Xuan Yin did not refine it, the two kirins would act at critical moments.

"Thank you, Teacher, for bestowing this treasure!"

Xuan Yin was overjoyed. He had previously heard from Kui Niu that the two kirins housed within the Water-Fire Gourd were Water-Fire Boy's parents. Both possessed cultivation at the peak of Grand Unity, and their strength was anything but ordinary.

Moreover, the gourd itself was a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure with forty-five restrictions. Even within the Primordial True Realm, it was exceedingly rare.

At the same time, Taiyi and Cihang of the Exposition Sect were also receiving Primordial Heavenly Venerate's teachings.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate sat upright upon a Cloud Bed and passed a divine ability to Cihang. "The Heavenly Dao has revealed that you will form a bond with the Buddhist Sect in the future. This is the great trend and cannot be altered! However, the methods of the Exposition Sect are your foundation. Today, I shall teach you the Dao Yi Seal from the Yuanshi Nine Seals. Even if you enter the Buddhist Sect in the future, so long as your original heart remains unchanged and your foundation is not altered, you will be able, one day in the future, to overturn cause and effect, steer Cihang back to the Dao, return to the shore of Dao, and reenter the underlings of the Exposition Sect!"

"Yes!"

Cihang hurriedly closed his eyes and began comprehending it.

Though he had caught a glimpse of the future, since the Sage had spoken, he merely needed to obey. Perhaps this was a rare opportunity for him.

Immediately afterward, Primordial Heavenly Venerate taught True Person Taiyi the Myriad Incarnations Technique and the Voice-Hearing Suffering-Relief Art, seemingly intending to follow the Great Trend of the Heavenly Dao and nurture True Person Taiyi toward becoming the Heavenly Venerate of Saving Suffering.

However...

The karma involved was far too complicated. Even a Sage might not necessarily be able to sort it out clearly!