Fairy Jiujiu had come in high spirits and left in high spirits. Although she hadn't seen Li Yang, she had obtained a bottle of Old White Dry of Ganges Water.
Youqin Xuanya had come in high spirits but left disappointed. She hadn't seen Li Yang, and felt a little let down, but then she was moved by the firmness of Li Yang's heart in pursuing the Dao.
Junior Brother Li Yang is such a genius, yet he works so hard. Now he's even striving to Return to Dao. Xuanya, how can you afford to slack off?
Youqin Xuanya really was a master of filling in the blanks. She had easily built herself a lofty and noble resolve to pursue the Dao, and could even criticize herself. Still, she also had a question.
I've never had much contact with Junior Sister Lan Ling'e. Why do I have the vague feeling that she's a little hostile toward me?
Could she be worried that I'll disturb Junior Brother Li Yang's seclusion?
At the thought, a faint, almost-forgotten figure surfaced in Youqin Xuanya's mind. It was Yuan Qing.
A despicable man who had schemed against her for the sake of worldly power, while pretending to be a virtuous gentleman in public.
Then she recalled how Lan Ling'e had seemed wary and protective of Li Yang.
That makes sense. Only someone as wonderful as Junior Brother Li Yang would be treated with such sincerity by his fellow disciples.
As she thought about it and remembered the past, a trace of sadness stirred in Youqin Xuanya's heart.
Meanwhile, atop a mountain, a young Daoist in dark robes reached out and tapped the Taiji Diagram, marked with the Yin-Yang symbol. Then he looked puzzled.
"Little Diagram, my beloved Teacher said my future Junior Brother was going to die and told me to bring him a Nine-Turn Golden Pill. But where is he?"
The Yin-Yang fish on the Taiji Diagram spun without pause, and the Eight Trigrams array rose, reaching up to connect with the heavens and down to the earth. In the end, though, it found nothing.
"I don't know. Little Mage's presence flashed by once about a month ago, but I can't deduce his location now. I'm afraid only my lord knows exactly where he is."
The young Daoist was perplexed. "Why? Does my Junior Brother also have an Innate Supreme Treasure shielding him from the Heavenly Secrets? But when it comes to concealing the Heavenly Secrets, no one can match you, can they?"
"No. Someone can."
To his surprise, the Taiji Diagram disagreed, then raised one corner toward the sky.
The young Daoist's expression turned solemn. He knew who the Taiji Diagram meant.
The only one who could conceal the Heavenly Secrets so thoroughly, while preventing Teacher from doing anything rash, was the Heavenly Dao.
As for the Saints, there were only those two from Western Paradise.
One was indeed formidable, but the other was nothing special. It wasn't as if he hadn't fought him before.
So there could only be the one in Purple Sky Palace.
"I see. No wonder my future Junior Brother was so badly injured. I'm just curious—how did he manage that? And why did Teacher take a liking to him?"
The Taiji Diagram spun round and round, uncertain whether to say anything. After all, this seemed like Little Mage's embarrassing past.
If it told him, then what if Little Mage grew as powerful as Grand Master Xuandu in the future? It would be in for a rough time.
That was right: this man was the first disciple of the Grand Pure Sage, and even now, his only one. Before becoming a Saint, the Grand Pure Sage had taken in this Ancestor of Humanity. It was Xuandu who had broken through the barrier that kept him from becoming a Saint.
In other words, even if Grand Master Xuandu's cultivation hadn't been high, the Grand Pure Sage would still have valued him. And his cultivation was absurdly high, to boot.
"Come on, tell me!"
Seeing that the Taiji Diagram was keeping quiet, Grand Master Xuandu prodded it with a finger.
"All right, I'll tell you."
The Taiji Diagram was a little helpless. After hesitating briefly between the present Grand Master and the future Little Mage, it decided to come clean.
"Little Mage was injured because of that." The Taiji Diagram raised one corner again and pointed upward. Grand Master Xuandu nodded to show he understood.
"As for why my lord took Little Mage as a disciple, I'm not really sure. I only heard my lord say that Little Mage had used a fragment of a One-Revolution Golden Pill recipe and, through his own efforts, deduced the Three-Revolutions Golden Core."
Grand Master Xuandu furrowed his brow. He knew that couldn't be the reason. He understood his most beloved Teacher. Teacher had found taking him as a disciple bothersome enough—why would he take someone in just because they'd deduced the Three-Revolutions Golden Core?
But Teacher was a Saint, after all. Who knew what he'd seen?
"That is pretty impressive. He's a rare genius, but it's still far from the reason Teacher took him as a disciple."
"Hmm..."
At Grand Master Xuandu's words, the Taiji Diagram hesitated noticeably. He caught on at once.
"Tell me!"
"All right." The Taiji Diagram figured it had already told him everything else, so it might as well come clean. "Actually, Little Mage didn't just deduce the Three-Revolutions Golden Core. He also refined himself into one."
"Hmm???"
A string of question marks appeared above Grand Master Xuandu's head.
What did it mean, he'd refined himself into a Three-Revolutions Golden Core?
"That's a genius? Isn't he more like an ingredient?"
The Taiji Diagram said nothing in response to Grand Master Xuandu's jab.
Just listen to what you're saying. How am I supposed to answer that?
I might have to serve Little Mage in the future. I don't want to make trouble for myself.
Grand Master Xuandu hadn't expected the Taiji Diagram to answer. He just stretched, then yawned.
"Forget it. My Junior Brother sounds like an interesting person. I'll keep looking. He'd better not be dead. Besides, if I find him, things will be easier for me later."
While everyone was searching for Li Yang, a Little Dragon was wandering around the East Sea Dragon Palace. Before long, he spotted an Azure Dragon bragging to a group of other little dragons.
He was boasting about how he'd gone out and slaughtered his way through everything, teaching some immortal sect a lesson and all that. The Little Dragon frowned.
As soon as he approached, all the dragons hurriedly bowed.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The Little Dragon gave a quiet acknowledgment, then looked at the Azure Dragon and asked, "By the way, have all the invitations been delivered?"
The Azure Dragon replied respectfully, "Your Highness, they've all been delivered!"
"None left out?"
The Little Dragon had a nagging feeling that this Azure Dragon couldn't be trusted.
"Absolutely none." The Azure Dragon spoke with such conviction that he didn't seem like the sort to miss anyone. The Little Dragon relaxed a little. Who knew that the next thing he said would leave him dumbfounded?
"On this trip, there was one Human Teachings sect that had no respect. They dared to look down on our Dragon Palace, so I taught them a lesson."
The Little Dragon was shocked. The Primordial Wilderness was currently ruled by humanity and the Three Religions. How dare he teach the Human Teachings a lesson?
How could he be so dragon-damn bold?
He asked, "What lesson?"
The Azure Dragon declared proudly, "I deliberately told them the date we'd agreed on was a year later. That'll make the Immortal Crossing Sect look foolish and make them lose face."
"..."
A great deal of confusion arose within the Little Dragon's small body.
Who would really end up looking foolish here?
Putting aside how this made our Dragon Palace look petty,
couldn't all those other immortal sects see through this?
If anyone's going to look foolish, it'll be our Dragon Palace!
No wonder the Dragon Clan has fallen so far. With worms like you for company, how can the Dragon Clan ever be great again?
It seems I'll have to carry out my plan at this Monster Quelling Assembly.
I hope I can awaken the Dragon Clan from its drunken stupor, trapped in the glory of the past!
Before you continue