The air inside the Jade Void Palace seemed to freeze.
Yuanshi stared blankly at Cihang, who stood below him in a frilly skirt.
Behind Cihang stood a female version of Di Jun, complete with twin ponytails.
Yuanshi's expression was complicated: shock, astonishment, distaste, and finally a helpless sigh.
"This magic treasure's power is indeed impressive."
"It can actually ignore space and time, directly condensing part of a Great Expert's power..."
"Just in terms of power, it's enough to let Cihang run rampant in the Golden Immortal Realm."
"Only..."
Yuanshi Tianzun rubbed his throbbing temples and sighed inwardly.
Why does the effect look so strange?
This is utterly improper! It's outrageous!
"Our Chan Sect has always cared about its image. If we have to fight like this..."
"I'm afraid I'll lose every last bit of face!"
Just as the atmosphere in the Jade Void Palace had grown unbearably awkward,
a crimson streak of light swept in, wrapped in the force of wind and fire.
It charged through the gates of the Jade Void Palace without the slightest restraint.
Before its owner even appeared, his voice rang out.
"Second Brother, Second Brother! Those two baldies from the Western Teachings said they wanted to bring their disciples here for a discussion of the Dao. What do you think?"
"I was thinking..."
Sect Master Tongtian stormed in.
He headed straight for the cloud bed, ready to plop down without a care.
But he had only made it halfway through his sentence when
his gaze happened to sweep across the center of the hall.
He froze in place as if someone had cast a binding spell on him.
His eyes flew wide open.
He stared fixedly at the figure in the pink Magic Fairy Skirt,
and at the twin-tailed Di Jun, who was striking a finger heart and acting cute.
"Holy crap?!"
Sect Master Tongtian sucked in a sharp breath.
Pointing at Cihang, he looked at Yuanshi Tianzun in utter shock.
"Second Brother, you've been keeping this under wraps! When did you take on a new female disciple? You didn't even tell me. That's cold!"
Sect Master Tongtian narrowed his eyes.
He carefully sensed the aura of the magic image and grew even more astonished.
"True Sun Fire, the majesty of an Emperor—this is Di Jun's aura?"
Tongtian's imagination ran wild. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed as realization dawned.
"I get it! This is your new disciple, and she's that old bird Di Jun's daughter!"
"Honestly, Di Jun's so inconsiderate. When did he have a daughter? He didn't even invite me over for a drink!"
"And I thought we were buddies. But Second Brother, your disciple's outfit is certainly... distinctive."
Yuanshi Tianzun had been doing his best to maintain a Sage's dignity.
But at Tongtian's utterly absurd analysis, he finally lost it.
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
Pointing at Tongtian, he laughed so hard his shoulders shook, completely abandoning his dignity.
"Third Brother, oh, Third Brother! That brain of yours—hahahaha!"
Sect Master Tongtian looked baffled and scratched his head.
"Second Brother, what are you laughing at?"
"Did I get it wrong?"
"Isn't she Di Jun's daughter?"
Yuanshi Tianzun finally managed to stop laughing.
He wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes.
Then he pointed at the pink-clad figure below, who looked ready to dig a hole and bury himself in it, and teased,
"Open your eyes and take a good look! Who is that?"
"That's Cihang!"
"And that female version of Di Jun..."
"That's a magic image. Do you know what a magic image is?"
At those words, Sect Master Tongtian practically jumped into the air.
"What?!"
He flashed over to Cihang and circled him three times.
He examined him from head to toe, scrutinizing him carefully.
Cihang was wearing a Magic Fairy Skirt and holding a fairy wand.
His face was so red it looked ready to drip blood.
He was so mortified he could barely keep from fainting.
Cihang pleaded, his voice trembling with tears.
"Third Martial Uncle... please... don't... don't look..."
After Sect Master Tongtian confirmed who he was,
he exclaimed, "It really is Cihang?!"
He looked at Yuanshi Tianzun with deep dismay.
"Second Brother, you've lost your mind!"
"You're still young. Sure, Sages have endless lifespans, but you still have to think about your reputation!"
"How could you lead your disciples down such an unorthodox path?"
"He was a perfectly good Chan Sect Golden Immortal, and you turned him into this?"
"How's he supposed to show his face in public after this?"
Yuanshi Tianzun's expression darkened. He scolded him irritably,
"Shoo, shoo! Stop trying to pin this on me!"
"This is all because of your good disciple!"
Sect Master Tongtian blinked.
"My disciple? Who? Duo Bao? Jin Ling?"
"They couldn't do something like this, could they?"
Yuanshi Tianzun snorted.
"Zhao Gongming!"
"This Divine King Magic Immortal Stick was custom-made by Zhao Gongming for your good Martial Nephew!"
Sect Master Tongtian was shocked all over again.
"Gongming?!"
He remembered the trashy sword Jin Ling had been holding earlier.
Then he looked at the Balala Magic Fairy Stick before him.
"Tsk... That kid Gongming actually has a talent like this?"
"To refine a magic treasure into something like this..."
"Not only is its power heaven-defying, even its side effects are so inventive?"
Instead of blaming him, Sect Master Tongtian's eyes gleamed.
"A genius! He's definitely a genius!"
"He managed to talk a Chan Sect disciple into becoming like this..."
"And even got him to use it willingly."
"That kid Gongming has a bright future!"
"I'll have to keep an eye on him from now on!"
After Sect Master Tongtian pressed him with curious questions,
Cihang had no choice but to endure his embarrassment
and explain the magic treasure's ability to summon projections of powerful beings and forcibly transform its user into a woman.
After hearing the explanation, Sect Master Tongtian nodded repeatedly, full of praise.
"Brilliant! Turning an opponent's strength against him while irritating him at the same time—this magic treasure is right up my alley!"
Seeing how much his third brother was enjoying the show,
Yuanshi Tianzun shook his head helplessly.
He waved to the disciples below, who were struggling to hold in their laughter, and said,
"That's enough. Today's inspection ends here."
"You may all leave. Go back and properly reflect on what you've learned today."
The disciples were relieved. They bowed and took their leave.
As everyone headed out,
Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun walked behind Cihang.
Looking at the pink skirt still swaying as he walked,
he couldn't resist muttering under his breath,
"Reflect on what we've learned?"
"What are we supposed to reflect on? How to become a sissy?"
"Pfft—"
"Hahahaha!"
Pu Xian, Taiyi, and the others immediately lost it.
They burst into long-suppressed laughter.
"Wenshu!!!"
Cihang let out a shriek of mortification.
He no longer cared about his image. Clutching his skirt,
he sped away on a beam of light.
He moved even faster than he had when summoning Di Jun.
Once the disciples had left, the Jade Void Palace grew quiet again.
Only the brothers Yuanshi Tianzun and Sect Master Tongtian remained.
Yuanshi Tianzun picked up his teacup and took another sip.
His expression had returned to a Sage's calm.
Only a trace of amusement still lingered in his eyes.
"Third Brother, about what you said earlier regarding the Western Teachings..."
Sect Master Tongtian dropped his playful demeanor and grew serious.
"That's right. Jie Yin and Zhun Ti..."
"They sent a jade slip saying they wanted to bring the disciples of the Western Teachings to Kunlun Mountain for a discussion of the Dao."
"Hmph. What discussion of the Dao? I think they're just here to freeload."
"The West is barren, so they're surely coveting the fortune and spiritual treasures of our East."
"They want to use a discussion of the Dao as an excuse to show off."
"And see if they can poach a few disciples while they're at it."
At that time, the Three Pure Ones had not yet gone their separate ways.
Their relationship with the Two Sages of the West wasn't particularly good,
but they still maintained a show of courtesy.
After all, they were all disciples of the Dao Ancestor.
They had only recently attained the Dao, and things hadn't yet reached the point of open hostility.
Yuanshi Tianzun set down his teacup, a proud glint in his eyes.
"Never mind."
"If they want to come, let them."
"Our East is blessed with outstanding people and a wondrous landscape. The disciples of the Three Teachings are all exceptional."
"How could they compare with those unorthodox methods of the Western Teachings?"
"Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to show all the beings of the Primordial Era who the Orthodox Xuanmen is."
Yuanshi Tianzun waved a hand and said calmly,
"Pass down my decree and announce it to the disciples of the Three Teachings."
"Three months from now, the Western Teachings will visit. We'll hold a Dao-discussion gathering on Kunlun Mountain."
"Make sure everyone prepares properly. Don't disgrace the Three Pure Ones!"
Sect Master Tongtian chuckled, a crafty gleam in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Second Brother."
"We're sure to give the Western Teachings a huge surprise at this discussion of the Dao!"
"After all, we have a secret weapon now!"
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