Qing Xuan

"You Black Ruffian, if you've got any guts, quit dodging and fight me head-on!"

"You blockhead, why should I listen to you? I'm going to beat you to death today!"

"Black Ruffian!"

"Blockhead!"

They traded blows and insults, but the battle had reached its final moments. Both had begun to use their trump cards and unleash the last of their strength.

The Iron Eater Beast swung the Mysterious Iron Rod so swiftly that it formed an impenetrable screen. An invisible law swirled around the rod, attacking the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird from every direction.

Shao Siming exclaimed in amazement, "It's the Law of Strength!"

Donghua nodded at the sight. Though the Iron Eater Beast's Law of Strength was rudimentary, it was indeed that unfathomable Law of Strength.

The Three Thousand Great Daos was a figurative number. There might not be three thousand; there might even be more. But the most mysterious of them all was undoubtedly the Law of Strength.

Time and Space were both exalted and rare, but plenty of people cultivated them. Once they reached Grand Unity Golden Immortal, they even began to delve into Time and Space.

The Law of Strength, however, was incredibly difficult to cultivate. It relied entirely on insight and talent; it wasn't something one could cultivate just by wanting to.

Through sheer conviction and countless battles, one could form a wondrous Law of the Dao—intangible and imperceptible, yet present within the Great Dao.

"As the saying goes, 'One force can break all techniques.' That's the Law of Strength."

Pangu used the Law of Strength when he cleaved heaven and earth apart.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird revealed his true form and leaped through space, Yin Yang Two Energies swirling around his razor-sharp talons.

He launched attacks by leaping through countless pockets of space, but the Iron Eater Beast blocked them all.

Suddenly, an eagle's cry rang out. The Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird, who had just launched a sneak attack from behind, abruptly came at the Iron Eater Beast from the front, aiming straight for his heart.

The Iron Eater Beast was horrified. The Mysterious Iron Rod, carrying boundless force, smashed forward as he shouted, "Heaven Breaker!"

If that rod and those talons landed, one of them would lose his head and the other his heart.

Seeing this, Donghua decided he ought to intervene. It would be a shame for either of them to die here.

Just as their attacks broke through each other's defenses and were about to strike, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Stop!"

At that single word, both attacks froze, each missing its target by a mere inch.

Donghua and Shao Siming revealed themselves and appeared before the two. With a wave of his hand, Donghua separated them.

Released from their frozen state, the two collapsed to the ground, sweat trickling down their faces as they trembled with lingering fear.

Donghua understood how they felt. Without him, both of them would have died today.

There was great terror in the face of death.

"Black Ruffian!"

"Blockhead!"

"Black Ruffian! Black Ruffian! Black Ruffian!"

"Blockhead! Blockhead! Blockhead!"

The two came to their senses and immediately started hurling insults again, then rushed forward and grappled with each other.

This time, though, they used no magic—just a plain, mortal brawl.

They grappled and traded insults.

Donghua watched the spectacle from the side.

But as he watched, Donghua suddenly noticed that the two were getting farther and farther away from him and Shao Siming.

They were using their scuffle as cover to slowly retreat.

Seeing this, Donghua couldn't help shaking his head, thinking, There's not a single simple soul in the Primordial Wilderness.

Shao Siming had noticed too. With a quick step, she grabbed them both by the neck and hauled them back.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng said nothing, his expression turning gloomy.

The Iron Eater Beast, on the other hand, looked embarrassed. He rubbed his fur and smiled at Donghua and Shao Siming.

He looked utterly endearing.

"Greetings, Great Gods!"

Donghua glanced at the two of them and said, "All right, quit acting like that. I won't hurt you. I just thought it would be a shame for two talented people like you to die here, so I stepped in. If you still want to fight, go ahead!"

At Donghua's words, the two relaxed. After all, killing someone and taking their treasure was far too common in the Primordial Wilderness these days.

The Iron Eater Beast awkwardly scratched his head. "Thank you for saving me, Great God. I'm Xiong Er of the Iron Eater Beast clan."

The Golden-Winged Great Peng also dropped his gloomy expression and spoke boldly. "Thank you for saving me, Great God. I'm the son of Yuanfeng, the Golden-Winged Great Peng. I don't have a name."

Xiong Er was astonished by what the Golden-Winged Great Peng said. "What did you say? You're the son of the Phoenix Ancestor? How come I never knew she had a son?"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng heard this and looked extremely smug. He scoffed.

"What would a blockhead like you know? What could you possibly know?"

"Hmph, Black Ruffian!"

Just as the two were about to start arguing again, Shao Siming snapped impatiently, "Both of you, shut up!"

Once they had quieted down, Donghua said, "I am Tai Wei, and this is my younger sister, Tai Hua. Why were the two of you fighting so fiercely? If I hadn't been here today, you'd both be dead."

Hearing Donghua introduce them, Shao Siming immediately beamed.

The two of them chattered over each other as they explained what had happened. Donghua understood at once.

The Mysterious Yin Divine Flower had originally belonged to Xiong Er of the Iron Eater Beast clan, but by a twist of fate, it had been obtained by the passing Golden-Winged Great Peng.

"What have you decided to do?"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng didn't answer Donghua's question. He didn't think he had done anything wrong.

Treasures like spiritual herbs belonged to whoever was destined to obtain them. Xiong Er had waited so long, yet the flower had ended up in his hands. That meant the Mysterious Yin Divine Flower was destined for him.

Besides, whether or not fate had played a part, he would never hand it over after obtaining it.

It was just that these two Grand Unity cultivators were here, and he didn't dare say so. His cultivation was too low. Though his innate divine ability was powerful, it was useless against overwhelming strength.

He might be arrogant, but he wasn't stupid. A Golden Immortal like him trying to reason with a Grand Unity whose strength he couldn't gauge? That would be suicide.

Xiong Er thought for a moment and said, "Great God Tai Wei, since this Black Ruffian is the Phoenix Ancestor's son, I won't hold it against him. The Phoenix Ancestor did our clan a great kindness. It's only right that I repay her son in some small way."

Donghua nodded at that. Whether or not the kindness was real, Xiong Er's words were well judged and pleasing to hear.

"It's up to you to decide!"

After speaking, Donghua studied the Golden-Winged Great Peng for a while.

Then he suddenly said, "Golden-Winged Great Peng, you have excellent talent, but no worthy teacher to guide you. I'd like to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?"

Donghua truly wanted to take the Golden-Winged Great Peng as his disciple. The young bird had excellent talent, but his temperament and character were lacking. He still needed to be tempered.

With his innate Yin Yang Qi and spatial talent, as long as he didn't stray from the right path, he would at least become a Quasi-Saint one day.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately knelt. "This disciple pays respects to Master!"

With an opportunity like this, why wouldn't he seize it at once? Judging by the man's actions just now, he was at least at the peak of Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

In the Primordial Wilderness, Grand Unity Golden Immortals were unquestionably powerful. Only a few guests of the Purple Heaven Palace had reached Quasi-Saint, so there were certainly not many of them.

But the Golden-Winged Great Peng found that he had knelt, yet he couldn't bow his head.

Donghua laughed heartily. "You're the first disciple I've taken, which makes you the founding senior disciple of my lineage, Tai Wei's."

"As they say, there are no rules without order. My disciples won't be subject to overly strict demands, but there are three ironclad rules you must never break."

"First, disciples must never harm one another!"

"Can you do that?" Donghua brought the power of his primordial spirit to bear. The Golden-Winged Great Peng had no time to react and could only answer instinctively.

"As long as no fellow disciple harms me, I can absolutely do that."

"Good!"

"Second, my disciples must respect their teacher and honor the Dao. Can you do that?"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng replied, "I can."

"Third, my disciples must not slaughter the innocent or bully the weak."

At that question, the Golden-Winged Great Peng could no longer answer.

Seeing this, Donghua said, "My Dao is inherited, in a sense, from the Purple Heaven Palace. The Dao Ancestor is compassionate. I ask you not to slaughter the innocent to cultivate your heart. Not bullying the weak doesn't mean you can't contend with those weaker than you; it simply means you mustn't use superior cultivation to oppress them. In my view, cultivators should have a kind heart."

After hearing Donghua's explanation, the Golden-Winged Great Peng immediately said, "This disciple can do that."

Donghua was delighted. If the Great Peng couldn't do it, he would have had no choice but to refuse him as a disciple.

"Very good. Bow to me."

After the Great Peng finished paying his respects, Donghua stepped forward and helped him up.

"Now that you've become my disciple, I'll give you a Dao title. Mine is Tai Wei, so yours will be Qing Xuan. How does that sound?"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng was overjoyed. "Thank you, Master. From now on, this disciple's Dao title is Qing Xuan."