The Primordial Beginning Tianzun Breaks Down and Tries to Poach His Disciple? Tongtian: Baldy, Get Your Dirty Hands Off Him!

The bustle in the plaza on Kunlun Mountain gradually died down.

Zhao Gongming was just about to return to his cave and take a good look at that pool of Three Lights Divine Water.

Suddenly, Tongtian's voice rang in his ear.

"Gongming, come to Biyou Palace at once."

Zhao Gongming froze, feeling a little uneasy.

"Summoned alone?"

"Was I too loud when I shouted 'awesome' just now? Did I disgrace myself and offend the rules? Is Master going to lecture me?"

With a nervous heart, Zhao Gongming rode the clouds to Biyou Palace.

But the moment he stepped across the hall's threshold, before he could even see what was inside—

A figure dressed in a Yuqing Daoist robe—

moved with a swiftness utterly unbecoming of a Sage and rushed straight toward him.

Then—

A pair of warm, strong hands clamped tightly around Zhao Gongming's.

Zhao Gongming was stunned. He looked up—and nearly jumped out of his skin.

There stood his second martial uncle, Yuanshi Tianzun, usually stern and dignified, and a stickler for rules.

But now his eyes were red, and tears shimmered in them.

He gazed at Zhao Gongming with the tender look of a man who had found the son he'd lost many years ago.

"Boohoo..."

"Why? Why?!"

Yuanshi Tianzun's voice choked with grief.

"Why isn't such a fine disciple one of mine in the Chan Sect?"

"Such exquisite talent in the Dao of Artifacts, such a wonderfully unconventional way of thinking..."

"You were practically made for my Jade Void Palace!"

"Gongming, if you joined my sect, I'd even let you play with the Pangu Banner!"

Not far away, Tongtian sat on a cloud bed, his eyes as wide as bells. He looked utterly shattered.

"Holy crap?!"

"Second Brother, have you lost your mind?!"

Tongtian leaped to his feet and pointed at Yuanshi Tianzun.

"You were perfectly normal outside. Why did the tears start flowing faster than Medicine Master was spurting blood the moment we came in?"

"Poaching a disciple to his face? Have you no dignity as a Sage?"

"Let go! Let go right now! Zhao Gongming is my disciple. No one's taking him away!"

Zhao Gongming was at a loss in the face of this sudden display of affection.

He used every ounce of strength he had just to slowly wrench his hands from Yuanshi Tianzun's iron grip.

He was secretly thrilled, of course. A Sage was fighting over him!

But outwardly, Zhao Gongming put on a righteous, steadfast expression.

He stepped back, cupped his hands in salute, and said shamelessly,

"Thank you for your kindness, Second Martial Uncle!"

"But this disciple's heart is already set."

"I was born a member of the Interception Sect, and I'll die a ghost of the Interception Sect!"

"The Interception Sect is my home, and Master is my... well, anyway, I'm not changing sides!"

Hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun sadly wiped away nonexistent tears from the corners of his eyes and sighed.

Tongtian first looked pleased, but his expression soon changed.

He rushed over and smacked Zhao Gongming on the back of the head.

"Pah, pah, pah!"

"Those were just careless words! Let the Great Wind blow them away!"

Tongtian glared at him and scolded,

"What's all this talk of dying? What a bad omen!"

"You're supposed to attain the Primordial Dao! Don't say such unlucky things!"

Just as the master and disciple were sharing this heartfelt moment,

Daoist Zhunti, who had been silent nearby, suddenly coughed twice.

Smiling broadly, he sidled over, rubbing the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree in his hands. His face was full of compassion as he said,

"Ahem, actually..."

"I think your Martial Nephew Gongming has quite a connection with the Western Teachings, too."

"If you joined the Western Teachings, I'd offer you the position of vice-sect leader. The benefits..."

Clang—!

Before he could finish,

four murderous-looking immortal swords appeared behind Tongtian, and the Immortal Slaying Formation Diagram flickered into view.

Tongtian gripped the Azure Pine Sword and glared fiercely at Zhunti.

"Baldy, shut your filthy mouth!"

"It's one thing for Second Brother to joke around with me, but you're seriously thinking of poaching him?"

"Want me to flatten your Mount Sumeru?!"

Zhunti jolted in fright and hurriedly backed away, waving his hands.

"Just joking, just joking!"

"Senior Brother Tongtian, calm down! Do you want to ruin peace and stability across the Primordial Era?!"

Seeing that things were about to get out of hand, Laozi, who had remained serene all along, finally spoke.

"Enough. Everyone, calm down."

Laozi swept his whisk, and a force of nonaction dispelled the murderous air in the hall.

He turned to Zhao Gongming, his expression gentle, and got straight to the point.

"Gongming, I summoned you here today for an important matter."

"Your talent in the Dao of Artifacts is excellent. Though the treasures you craft are... unique, they greatly benefit your fellow disciples and can even dispel Tribulation Qi."

"We Sages have discussed it. We'd like you to lead a group on this trip down the mountain."

"Take Xuandu, Cihang, and Medicine Master with you."

Zhao Gongming was taken aback.

"Lead a group? Where are we going?"

Laozi's gaze turned profound as he looked east.

"To the Human Race."

"I've divined the secrets of Heaven. This Witch-Demon Tribulation seems to have a great deal to do with the Human Race."

"The Human Race was created by Junior Sister Nuwa and is also the foundation on which I established my sect."

"Now that the Human Race is newly born and frail, it may face annihilation in this tribulation."

"Xuandu was born among the Human Race. It's only right that he return and look after them."

"You four will travel together and look out for one another."

At the words "Human Race," Zhao Gongming's heart gave a sudden jolt.

He knew the original history of the Primordial Era, of course.

During the Witch-Demon Tribulation, the Human Race had been the greatest victim of all.

To forge the Witch-Slaying Sword, which could overcome the Witch Race's bodies,

the Demon Race had slaughtered humans on a massive scale and extracted their souls. It had been a scene straight out of hell.

"The Witch-Slaying Sword... the Human Race's calamity..."

Zhao Gongming's eyes narrowed.

Now that he had come to the Primordial Era and gained these abilities,

how could he live with himself if he stood by and watched the Human Race be slaughtered?

Besides...

Zhao Gongming glanced at the system panel.

"Xuandu, Cihang, Medicine Master..."

"All three of them are big clients!"

"If I can trick them... ahem, if I can help them craft a few more treasures, won't the system rewards just keep rolling in?"

With that thought, Zhao Gongming immediately cupped his hands and replied solemnly,

"This disciple accepts the order!"

"It's my duty to maintain peace throughout the Primordial Era and protect the Human Race!"

Seeing that Zhao Gongming had agreed, Tongtian breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, he wasn't reassured. He grabbed Zhao Gongming and went into full mother-hen mode, repeating his warnings again and again.

"Listen carefully, my disciple."

"The Interception Sect is your home, and there are lots of bad people out there."

"If anyone tries to sweet-talk you or make you grand promises, don't believe a word of it!"

"If you're treated unfairly, call for backup. I'll come rescue you with the Immortal Slaying Sword in hand!"

Yuanshi and Zhunti rolled their eyes at him.

"Enough already, Tongtian. Isn't this a bit much?"

"Who's going to eat your precious disciple?"

A little while later, Zhao Gongming took his leave of the Sages and walked out of Biyou Palace.

Three figures had been waiting outside the palace gates for quite some time.

Grand Master Xuandu wore a Daoist robe patterned with the Eight Trigrams. He looked serene, radiating an immortal air of nonaction.

Daoist Cihang had changed back into normal Daoist robes.

But when Cihang saw Zhao Gongming, his face still flushed unconsciously, and his gaze wandered.

Medicine Master's complexion had regained its color, and he looked much healthier.

He was still fiddling with that rattle in his hand. When he saw Zhao Gongming, he immediately flashed him a warm smile.

"Senior Brother Zhao!"

"Junior Brother Gongming!"

The four of them met up and exchanged greetings.

"Now that we're all here, let's set out," Xuandu said.

"The Human Ancestral Land lies along the East Sea. It's quite a distance from here."

"Let's go!"

The four of them each used their own abilities, transforming into streaks of light as they raced toward the East Sea.

As they traveled, Zhao Gongming looked at his companions and couldn't help reflecting.

"One's from the Human Race, one can transform into a magical girl, one can make people stupid, and then there's me, the artifact crafter..."

"This isn't a training trip. It's a gang of villains heading out to cause trouble!"

Several days later, they arrived near Shouyang Mountain on the shores of the East Sea.

This was the Human Race's ancestral land and the place where the greatest number of humans had gathered.

But before the four of them could even descend from the clouds—

Rumble!

A terrifying black demonic aura blotted out the sky and covered the earth.

It surged from the north, instantly shrouding the entire Human territory.

Within the demonic aura, the vague shadow of an enormous Kun, thousands of miles long, rose and fell, radiating the fearsome pressure of a Quasi-Saint.

"That is..."

Xuandu's expression changed sharply as he felt an oppression that seemed to come from his very bloodline.

Zhao Gongming narrowed his eyes, taking in the countless Demon soldiers and generals that appeared and disappeared among the clouds.

Then, gazing at the sinister, cold figure standing atop the clouds, he uttered a name.

"Master of Ten Thousand Demons..."

"Kunpeng!"