The strange phenomenon Li Qingxu had triggered continued for several hours.
Only after it faded, and the enormous phantom disc above the Three Pure Ones Hall vanished, did he open his eyes.
Before listening to the Dao, he had been just one step away from the Golden Immortal realm. During these three hundred years of listening, he had gained immensely, but he had been stuck at a bottleneck because he had yet to fully comprehend his own Dao.
Now that he had broken through the bottleneck, his cultivation surged after all the groundwork he had laid, carrying him straight to the Mid Stage Golden Immortal realm. He was even close to the Late Stage.
When the others sensed the aura Li Qingxu now gave off, Winged Immortal and the others who had mocked him earlier felt their faces burn, as if they had been slapped.
Grand Master Xuandu, meanwhile, looked at Li Qingxu with a complicated expression.
When Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Tongtian Cult Master had taken disciples, Taiqing Laozi had mentioned that Primordial Heavenly Venerate had taken in a Human with only mid-stage Heavenly Immortal cultivation.
At the time, he hadn't paid much attention to it. He had simply thought Li Qingxu was a fellow clansman who'd gotten lucky.
But now, just as he had broken through to the Early Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, Li Qingxu had advanced from mid-stage Heavenly Immortal to mid-stage Golden Immortal—two entire major realms!
Such a rapid rate of cultivation left even him feeling a sense of urgency.
And Grand Master Xuandu wasn't the only one feeling that way. Guangchengzi did too.
He had thought that, with his foundation and cultivation, the position of Chan Sect's foremost Personal Disciple was already his for the taking. In fact, deep down, he had already considered himself the Chan Sect's Eldest Senior Brother.
But Li Qingxu's performance made him feel as though his position was in jeopardy.
With everyone's eyes on him, Li Qingxu cleared his throat and straightened up. He bowed respectfully to Taiqing Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Tongtian Cult Master.
"Thank you, Eldest Uncle, Master, and Martial Uncle, for imparting the Dao to your disciple."
Taiqing Laozi gave a faint nod, a touch of warmth in his eyes.
"Qingxu, I am the Human Sect's leader, and you are of the Human Race. Would you consider joining my Human Sect and taking me as your master?"
As a Heavenly Dao Saint, Taiqing Laozi had naturally seen that Li Qingxu's foundation had undergone another transformation, and that he seemed to have comprehended a special Fate Law.
With Li Qingxu's current foundation and comprehension, as well as his own abilities, Taiqing Laozi was confident that if Li Qingxu joined his sect, he could nurture him into the foremost person beneath sainthood, surpassing even Zhen Yuanzi and Ancestor Minghe.
Before Li Qingxu could answer, Primordial Heavenly Venerate furrowed his brows.
"Elder Brother, Li Qingxu has already joined my sect. How can he take another master?"
Taiqing Laozi laughed and stroked his beard. "Second Brother, you're mistaken."
"You and I belong to Xuanmen, and we're brothers. Why draw such a clear line between us?"
"Besides, I lead the Human Sect. Since Li Qingxu is of the Human Race, it's only natural for him to join my sect."
With that, he turned his expectant gaze back to Li Qingxu.
"Li Qingxu, what do you say?"
"If you agree, you will be my second Personal Disciple."
At Taiqing Laozi's words, Grand Master Xuandu's expression shifted, and his fist clenched three times tighter inside his sleeve.
Guangchengzi appeared unruffled, but his heart skipped a beat.
Grand Master Xuandu worried that if Li Qingxu joined the Human Sect, he would lose standing in Taiqing Laozi's eyes.
Guangchengzi, on the other hand, hoped Li Qingxu would accept and join the Human Sect. Then no one would be able to challenge him for the position of Chan Sect's Eldest Senior Brother.
The other disciples of the Chan and Jie Sects were also shaken. They hadn't expected Taiqing Laozi to change his mind and personally invite Li Qingxu to join the Human Sect.
After all, Taiqing Laozi was the foremost of the Six Sages. He was not only a master of alchemy, artifact refinement, and formations, but also wielded two Supreme Treasures—the Taiji Diagram and the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda. His cultivation far surpassed that of the other Sages.
And since Grand Master Xuandu was currently Taiqing Laozi's only disciple, Li Qingxu would surely receive far more resources if he joined the Human Sect than he would in the Chan Sect.
Li Qingxu bowed deeply to Taiqing Laozi. "Eldest Uncle, I will remember your kindness."
"But as the saying goes, 'Once a teacher, forever a father.' Master took me as his disciple and taught me the Dao. I am a member of the Chan Sect, and that will never change."
Li Qingxu spoke calmly, but every word rang with conviction. He didn't hesitate at all.
He refused so firmly, first, because he truly felt grateful to Primordial Heavenly Venerate.
Primordial Heavenly Venerate placed great importance on one's foundation, yet he had still taken Li Qingxu as a Personal Disciple when Li Qingxu had only had a middling Innate Being Foundation and Heavenly Immortal cultivation. He had taught him the Dao and warned him not to stray from the right path.
Second, Taiqing Laozi pursued the Dao of Pure and Non-Action.
If Li Qingxu joined the Human Sect, Taiqing Laozi might later stop him from interfering in the affairs of the Human Race.
Seeing how firmly Li Qingxu refused, Primordial Heavenly Venerate secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with approval.
Li Qingxu now had an outstanding foundation, exceptional comprehension, a steadfast Dao Heart, and a deep sense of loyalty. He was truly a talent worth cultivating.
If Li Qingxu's cultivation weren't still somewhat behind Guangchengzi and Jade Cauldron True Man's, making it difficult to convince everyone, he would truly have considered naming him the Chan Sect's foremost Personal Disciple and passing on his mantle to him one day.
A trace of regret crossed Taiqing Laozi's eyes when Li Qingxu refused, but he quickly returned to his usual calm and said no more. He only gave a slight nod, showing that he respected Li Qingxu's choice.
Among the other Chan and Jie Sect disciples, some admired Li Qingxu's loyalty, while others thought him foolish for passing up such a better opportunity.
"You have each gained something from listening to the Dao for three hundred years. But after returning to your Dao Fields, you must continue to study and cultivate diligently if you wish to fully integrate the Dao we taught."
Taiqing Laozi's gaze swept across the gathering as he addressed the disciples.
"Yes!"
The disciples bowed in unison. Then Taiqing Laozi announced another momentous piece of news.
"In five hundred years, the Human, Chan, and Jie Sects will hold the Xuanmen Dao Discussion Conference at Kirin Cliff. All disciples may spar and compete."
"The ultimate victor will be the foremost among the third-generation disciples of Xuanmen."
As soon as Taiqing Laozi finished speaking, a glint flashed in the eyes of Guangchengzi, Grand Master Xuandu, and the others. They were clearly eager for the title.
A faint smile appeared on Duobao Daoist's face. He looked certain of victory.
He had become Tongtian Cult Master's disciple before Tongtian Cult Master proved the Dao and became a Saint. Now, he had reached the Mid Stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and possessed various powerful Innate Spiritual Treasures.
In his view, neither Guangchengzi nor Grand Master Xuandu posed much of a threat.
The title of Xuanmen Third Generation Eldest Senior Brother was already his for the taking.
Though Li Qingxu's cultivation still lagged behind Duobao Daoist, Guangchengzi, Grand Master Xuandu, and the others, he too was eager to compete.
He knew Primordial Heavenly Venerate cared deeply about appearances. With his current cultivation, he couldn't repay his master for teaching him the Dao in any other way. But if he could become the foremost among Xuanmen's third-generation disciples, he would surely bring honor to his master.
Besides, he would one day need to stop the Demon Race from slaughtering the Human Race, and travel the Primordial World to seize opportunities and gain advantages based on what he remembered from his previous life.
With the title of Xuanmen Third Generation Eldest Senior Brother, he would have another layer of protection in everything he did from then on.
Before you continue