Ye Changqing knew Venerable Primordial's nature well. When he preached at Purple Sky Palace, he had displayed his lofty arrogance to the fullest.
Back when the Three Pure Ones were still together, he had looked down on Jie Sect Disciples, calling them "beasts covered in fur, horned creatures, and winged egg-born beings."
Chan Sect Disciples had always considered themselves the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, regarding Jie Sect Disciples as members of unorthodox, heretical ways.
Yet during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, it was the supposedly heretical Jie Sect Disciples who acted with honor and integrity, while Chan Sect Disciples resorted to sinister and vicious tactics.
Take the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Ao Island before them. They had laid out the Ten Ultimate Formations and waited foolishly for the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect to come break them.
Daoist Randeng's method of breaking the formations was to use human lives to test them first.
Han Ehu and Xue Dulóng might not have been well-known, but they were still Third Generation Disciples of Chan Sect. And just like that, they became cannon fodder.
Fang Bi and Fang Xiang had been Yin Shang generals, mere mortals, yet they too were thrown into the Ten Ultimate Formations and lost their lives.
Despite such ruthless behavior, Daoist Randeng kept insisting he was helping them attain the righteous fruit.
During the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, Chan Sect Disciples and Jie Sect Disciples fought one another fiercely.
Whenever Chan Sect Disciples couldn't win in a one-on-one fight, they ganged up on their opponents. When they lost even then, they resorted to underhanded tricks.
Zhao Gongming was the perfect example. First, Daoist Randeng ambushed him.
Later, Daoist Lu Ya and Jiang Ziya used the wicked Seven Arrows Book of Nail-Head to curse him to death.
Chan Sect Disciples would send stronger fighters when the weaker ones lost, then older ones when those fighters lost. In the end, even Venerable Primordial himself could join the fray.
In the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, the Three Fairies of Sanxiao trapped the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect, sealing the Five Qi in their chests and severing the Three Flowers above their heads.
Twelve men bullied three women, and still lost.
Perhaps Chan Sect wasn't humiliated enough, because Venerable Primordial and Laozi actually threw away all shame and used their seniority to bully the Three Fairies.
Pah!
Could anyone of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage really do something so disgraceful?
Speaking of which, the cause of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation deserved a mention.
The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect had been stuck at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm for fifteen hundred years, unable to slay their corpses. Thus, they had incurred the Mortal World Killing Tribulation.
To help his disciples overcome this crisis, Venerable Primordial dragged the entire Interception Sect into it.
Could any decent person do such a thing?
What a truly upright and honorable Sage!
Venerable Primordial had even taught the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect three methods for surviving the tribulation.
The first method was to kill oneself and pass through the tribulation.
The Twelve Golden Immortals, who naturally valued their lives, wouldn't do that.
The second method was to kill someone else and pass through the tribulation.
They could kill someone else and put that person on the Investiture of the Gods in their place.
The innocent Niangniang Shiji had become one of True Man Taiyi's victims this way, taking his place on the Investiture of the Gods.
The third method was to have someone close to them die in their place.
And so the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect had all gone down the mountain to take disciples around the same time.
Tu Xingsun, Yang Ren, Yin Jiao, Yin Hong, and the others had all ended up on the Investiture of the Gods, taking the punishment for their masters.
The despicable deeds committed by Chan Sect Disciples were too numerous to count. Every time Ye Changqing thought of them, he was filled with indignation.
Society was simple; people were complicated. But Chan Sect Disciples weren't people—they were just dogs.
The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation coincided with the change of dynasties. When immortals fought, mortals suffered.
King Zhou of Shang was truly pitiable. A Human Emperor had met his end burned alive at Deer Terrace.
From then on, the human way declined. The human race had only Son of Heaven, and no more Human Emperor.
Chan Sect called him a depraved tyrant who was obsessed with beauty, but his harem had only a few concubines, and he had only two sons, Yin Jiao and Yin Hong.
Meanwhile, the enlightened King Wen of Zhou, Lord Ji Chang, had the blessing of a hundred sons.
Later, Bi Gan had his heart cut out and loyal officials were framed, all because he had been bewitched by Daji, the fox spirit.
Compared to Chan Sect's filthy conduct, King Zhou of Shang wasn't even cruel. He was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
Sigh!
Jie Sect Disciples were still far too naive...
The more Ye Changqing thought about it, the angrier he became. He decided that, while he was still alive, he would change the minds of every Jie Sect Disciple.
He still didn't know whether the system could be trusted, so he needed a backup plan.
"Senior Disciple Brother!"
Just as Ye Changqing was lost in thought, a fragrant breeze swept over him. A graceful figure cried out in surprise and threw herself into his arms.
His body was still terribly weak. The impact nearly killed him on the spot.
"Cough, cough..."
Ye Changqing coughed twice before catching his breath. He saw that it was Bixiao.
He was about to speak, but something felt off.
Huh!
It had only been a little while since he'd last seen her. When had this girl gotten so... well-endowed?
"Bixiao, Senior Disciple Brother hasn't recovered from his injuries. Don't be so reckless!"
A scolding voice came from the entrance to Azure Palace. It was Yunxiao and Bixiao, who had returned as well.
Bixiao quickly let go of Ye Changqing and brought out a great heap of spirit fruit and immortal medicine, setting it in front of him.
Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, Ye Changqing had no choice but to pick one up and take a bite.
Not wanting to disappoint his junior sisters, he forced himself to eat everything they had gathered.
All together, it was enough to make a small mountain. He nearly ate himself to death.
"Senior Disciple Brother, how do you feel?"
Bixiao asked, watching him expectantly.
Yunxiao and Qiongxiao were watching him too.
Though they had already guessed the result, they still held on to a sliver of hope.
Ye Changqing smiled and teased them. "These spirit fruits are pretty good..."
"Big, white, and round!"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Bixiao's chest.
Bixiao's little face flushed, and she took on the shy air of a young maiden.
The Ten Heavenly Lords nearby were dumbstruck. Was this really that lawless, hot-tempered little demoness?
They still remembered the last time Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal had flirted with her. She'd nearly skinned him alive and torn him limb from limb.
Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Zhao Gongming had chased him for three days and three nights.
In the end, he had no choice but to flee to Sect Master Tongtian, and only then had he managed to save his life.
Oh, so it was Senior Disciple Brother!
Then it was fine...
"Cough!"
"Azure Palace is too stuffy. Come take a walk with me."
To ease the awkwardness—and, more importantly, to get away from the Ten Heavenly Lords, who were acting like a bunch of third wheels—Ye Changqing suggested they go for a walk.
A million li east of Golden Ao Island stood an immortal island suspended above the water.
Radiant light flowed across the island, and divine splendor shone forth, drawing countless sea creatures to worship it.
The island was called Three Immortal Island. It was the Three Fairies' home.
A streak of light crossed the sky and descended onto Three Immortal Island.
If the creatures below could see through the streak of light, they would have witnessed the lofty Three Fairies of Sanxiao—so revered in their eyes—acting as porters and carrying a bamboo sedan chair.
An old man sat in the sedan chair, looking as though he were on the verge of death.
Ye Changqing was rather helpless. He had planned to wander around Golden Ao Island, but the three sisters had dragged him here instead.
As soon as they landed, the Three Fairies activated the island's protective formation, barring all other creatures from entering.
Could they have improper designs on him?
Still, that wasn't so bad. At least nobody else would disturb them.
He planned to test whether the system could be trusted on the Three Fairies first.
He could also start by changing the Three Fairies' mistaken views about Jie Sect Disciples.
In the three-thousand-li Peach Blossom Forest, Ye Changqing leaned against a peach tree. A gentle breeze stirred, sending peach blossoms swirling down in a rain of petals.
The Three Fairies sat around him like well-behaved students, silently watching him. Before long, they were entranced.
Ye Changqing smiled, drank a cup of rough wine, and asked them, "Do you want to know where I came from?"
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