"If I told you that these five Chaos Supreme Treasures were once all my magic treasures..."
"What would you think?"
Zhou Xuan lounged halfway back in his chair, gently blowing on the tea in his celadon cup. As steam curled around him, his tranquil face was veiled in mist, making him seem all the more unfathomable.
He spoke as casually as if he were recounting some trivial matter.
But Sun Wukong and Zhao Gongming exchanged a sudden glance. In each other's eyes, they saw unrestrained shock and horror.
"M-Master, you're saying that all five Chaos Supreme Treasures were your magic treasures?"
"Gasp! Master, this is no small matter. Please tell us everything."
Sun Wukong raised a thick eyebrow, disbelief and fervor written across his face. Zhao Gongming hurried a step closer, too. Their eyes burned as they stared intently at Zhou Xuan, as though they wanted to pry his next words straight from his throat.
Zhou Xuan took an unhurried sip of tea. Only after the scalding liquid slid down his throat did he speak at his leisure:
"Let's start with the Jade Disk of Creation. It was my innate magic treasure. From the moment I was born, it hung around my neck and never left me."
His voice was calm and even, but to his disciples, his words rumbled like thunder. So the Jade Disk of Creation had been Master's innate magic treasure! How powerful!
"Back then, I was asleep in the chaos when a huge, black, thick, slippery earthworm secretly crawled up my neck, bit through the cord, and ran off with the Jade Disk of Creation in its mouth!"
As he spoke, a long-suppressed anger flashed across his brow. His knuckles tapped the teacup silently.
"In all my years, I've never seen an earthworm so shameless!"
Even Zhou Xuan, who was usually so unruffled, couldn't help gritting his teeth as he spoke.
The Jade Disk of Creation might have been his only clue to returning to the world he'd lived in before transmigrating. And that damned earthworm had stolen it!
At that, Zhao Gongming suddenly understood. His expression changed, and he ventured, "Master, I've heard that Hongjun's true form was a giant earthworm, also called a qushàn... Could the one who stole the Jade Disk of Creation have been Old Ancestor Hongjun?"
Zhou Xuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade. He said coldly, "It was that old thief Hongjun! This matter isn't settled. Sooner or later, I'll storm Purple Heaven Palace and make that old thief kneel and repent!"
At those words, Sun Wukong, who had been holding his breath, sprang to his feet. His eyes widened like bronze bells, every hair on his body stood on end, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.
"Master, Hongjun's a... a damned bastard! A good-for-nothing who couldn't even father a son with a proper dick! I'll cultivate with all my might. One day, before you even have to lift a finger, my staff will teach him how to behave!"
Zhao Gongming drew a deep breath, his chest heaving and resentment surging in his eyes. He exclaimed repeatedly, "Everyone believes Dao Ancestor Hongjun to be upright and honorable, teaching the Primordial Wilderness and earning boundless merit... But who'd have thought he was a thieving, hypocritical scoundrel! Master, I may be insignificant, but I'm willing to follow you and attack the old thief, tearing away his mask of righteousness!"
At that, Zhou Xuan laughed out loud, his voice ringing like a bell. He patted the armrest, and the tea rippled in his cup.
"Good! You truly are my disciples!"
His gaze was deep as he changed the subject. He gave a cold snort, smiling faintly.
"But I don't take a mere Hongjun seriously! If the Heavenly Dao weren't protecting him, I'd have torn Purple Heaven Palace apart long ago and made him kneel and beg for mercy. Even a thousand cuts wouldn't satisfy my hatred!"
He lifted his teacup and took a delicate sip. Through the curling steam, his gaze seemed deeper than an abyss.
"Once I cultivate to the Hunyuan Wuji Divine Venerable realm and rise above the Heavenly Dao, I'll make him pay for his blood debt!"
Zhao Gongming's heart surged like a raging sea. He couldn't help asking cautiously, "Master, I have a question... Are there realms above the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal? I thought Saints were already invincible in the world."
At that, Zhou Xuan's lips curved in a faint smile. He slowly shook his head, his voice resonating like an ancient bell.
"Above Saints are the Hunyuan Taiji Celestial Venerable, the Hunyuan Wuji Divine Venerable, and even more powerful realms: the Hongmeng Great Dao Saint Venerable and the Chaos Great Dao Supreme."
"Only by attaining the Chaos Great Dao Supreme realm, proving the Dao once and for all and transcending the Great Dao, can one truly be immortal, undying, and eternally invincible."
Zhao Gongming's lips parted. After a long moment, he clicked his tongue, secretly drawing in a sharp breath.
In the world he'd known, Saints were supreme and eternal, the only ones of their kind. He'd never imagined there could be such lofty realms above them to strive for!
His heart raced, and he hurriedly asked, "Master, what realm have you reached now?"
Zhou Xuan looked calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority as he answered slowly, "I'm currently a Hunyuan Taiji Celestial Venerable."
Zhao Gongming's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help asking, "What about that old thief Hongjun? What realm is he?"
Zhou Xuan gave a cold laugh, his voice low. "Hongjun integrated himself with the Heavenly Dao. He's a Sage of Dao Integration."
Zhao Gongming and Sun Wukong exchanged a glance, both looking confused. Zhou Xuan noticed and let out a soft sigh. His tone held a hint of disdain.
"A Sage of Dao Integration is, in plain terms, also a Hunyuan Taiji Celestial Venerable. But unlike me, that old thief Hongjun is constrained by the Heavenly Dao. Even if he eventually merges completely with it—becoming one with the Dao and thoroughly devouring the Heavenly Dao—his cultivation can rise no higher than its level. He'll never truly surpass or rise above the Heavenly Dao."
He set down his teacup, his voice turning colder.
"The Method of Slaying Three Corpses he passed down was fundamentally flawed! Though figures like the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti were Heavenly Dao Saints, with realms roughly equivalent to Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortals, their true spirits were entrusted to the Heavenly Dao. They seemed immortal, but in reality, they were bound by it."
"If the Heavenly Dao commands them to go east, they can't go west. If it wants them on their knees, they can't straighten their backs! If it wants them to eat shit, then they have to eat shit!"
"Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao made the rules. They said Saints couldn't enter the Primordial Wilderness in person, so Saints had to obediently remain in the chaos. Hongjun said Buddhism would Spread East and Buddhism would attain Great Prosperity. So they had to act according to the Heavenly Dao's will!"
At this, he gave a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over his two disciples like a blade.
"Back then, Sect Master Tongtian established the Interception Sect to seize a sliver of hope for all living beings. But how did it end? He defied the Heavenly Dao, and the Interception Sect was wiped out, its disciples decimated."
The scent of tea spread quietly through the room. Only Zhou Xuan's voice remained, cutting like a bitter wind.
"Those who become Saints through the Method of Slaying Three Corpses and become Heavenly Dao Saints make no further progress in cultivation. They can advance no further! Unless the Heavenly Dao grants its favor, there will never be a second Sage of Dao Integration."
Sun Wukong and Zhao Gongming felt their scalps prickle, but they didn't miss a single word. They hardly dared to breathe.
Zhou Xuan glanced at them again, then gave a soft cough and relaxed his tone.
"I proved the Dao through the laws. The moment I became a Saint, I was a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal. I'm not bound by the Heavenly Dao, so I can keep rising above it step by step. Not only will I surpass the Heavenly Dao, but one day I'll even break through the Great Dao and attain eternal immortality."
Only then did Sun Wukong suddenly understand. He slapped his forehead and grinned, his white fangs gleaming.
"That was close! Thank goodness I'm cultivating your method of proving the Dao, Master. If I'd learned that old thief's Method of Slaying Three Corpses, the Heavenly Dao would've toyed with me for the rest of my life. I'd never have become a truly free monkey!"
Zhao Gongming clutched the horsetail whisk in his hand, his face flushed as he said quietly, "So that old thief Hongjun used a flawed method of cultivation to keep all living beings in check. He truly deserves to die!"
A trace of satisfaction flashed in Zhou Xuan's eyes as he looked at his two disciples. He continued coldly, "When Hongjun lectured at Purple Heaven Palace for three thousand years, it was nothing more than a conspiracy between him and the Heavenly Dao. He passed down the Method of Slaying Three Corpses to shackle all the beings of the Primordial Wilderness and weaken the foundations of the land."
As his words fell, the air in the room seemed to catch fire. Sun Wukong and Zhao Gongming felt fury surging in their chests, impossible to suppress.
"That despicable Hongjun! You white-haired old fool, you gray-bearded old thief—you truly deserve to die!"
"I've never seen anyone so shameless!"
Benefactors, please give me monthly tickets and recommendation tickets!
My thanks to all my benefactors!
Before you continue