"Rumble, rumble—"
It was like the first thunderclap after Chaos began.
The ancient, unadorned gates of Purplecloud Palace, which had been tightly shut for countless ages, slowly swung open with a deep, heavy grinding sound.
A boundless, vast, and utterly profound aura of the Great Dao poured through the gap like floodwaters bursting through a dam.
Then—
A voice, utterly indifferent and seeming to ring in everyone's heart regardless of age or gender, resounded across the entire plaza.
"Enter."
Words Follow Law.
The moment that single word fell, the plaza, which had been fairly quiet, erupted into chaos.
It was like tossing a fresh chunk of bloody meat into a pack of wolves that had gone hungry for three days and nights.
What happened to the bearing of powerful immortals?
What happened to the restraint of enlightened cultivators?
In the face of the Sainthood Opportunity, all of it was tossed to the winds.
"Charge!"
"The Dao Ancestor is about to preach! Our opportunity is right in front of us—who dares stand in my way?"
No one knew who had shouted first.
In an instant, the plaza filled with streaks of light and surging magical power.
The Immortals, who had been maintaining order and exchanging pleasantries, now had bloodshot eyes. Their auras erupted to the utmost, and they looked as if they wished they had eight extra legs.
The Three Pure Ones moved.
Laozi charged ahead, the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda above his head, hanging down ten thousand streams of Mysterious Yellow Qi to protect him. The Taiji Diagram transformed into a golden bridge and crossed the void.
Primordial Heavenly Lord held the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, knocking aside everyone who dared approach.
Sovereign of Heaven turned into a streak of sword light, sharp beyond compare, tearing through space as he shot straight for the gates.
They had been formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and possessed deep roots. Now that they were unleashing their full speed, they instantly claimed the front of the pack.
Close behind them were the siblings Nuwa and Fuxi, their bodies gliding forward like swimming dragons.
Then there was Ancestor Hong Yun. Even this kindly old man was giving it everything he had, riding his Innate Fire Cloud at a speed that was not the least bit slower. He darted left and right through the crowd with a reckless abandon.
Even the brothers Di Jun and Tai Yi had forgotten all about whether they were hungry. They transformed into two golden streaks, trailing waves of heat as they burned a path through the packed crowd.
The entire plaza descended into chaos.
"Elder Brother! The gates are open! Hurry, hurry!"
Seeing what was happening, Zhunti leaped straight up from the Cold Jade Chair. He couldn't even be bothered to finish his Kirin Jerky. He tossed it aside, grabbed Jieyin by the sleeve, and was about to charge in with the crowd.
His little eyes, usually full of wisdom, were now brimming with anxiety.
Everyone ahead had already rushed inside. If they were even a little late, they wouldn't just miss out on the meat—they wouldn't get so much as a sip of the broth.
The Western Lands were impoverished. If they missed this opportunity, how could they compete with those filthy rich Eastern Lands cultivators?
Jieyin didn't say anything, but the Prayer Beads in his hand had stopped turning, and a golden lotus faintly appeared beneath his feet. He, too, clearly wanted to fight for sainthood.
Just as the two were about to use their Escape Technique and take off—
A broad, powerful hand pressed firmly down on each of their shoulders.
The force was so great that it felt like a Primordial Divine Mountain bearing down on them, forcing the two of them back into their seats just as they were about to take flight.
"What's the hurry?"
Taiyuan remained seated in his Cold Jade Chair. He even calmly swallowed the last sip of fine wine in his cup before letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Look at the people up ahead."
Taiyuan raised his eyelids and pointed toward the entrance, where people were crammed together like sardines in a can.
"Do those look like virtuous immortals who have come to listen to the Dao? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were refugees fleeing a famine, fighting tooth and nail for a bite of moldy bread."
"What are we?"
"We are the Lords of Western Enlightenment. We are men of learning. We must be cultivated and dignified."
"To meet a Saint drenched in sweat and with our clothes in disarray would be disrespectful to the Dao Ancestor."
If he'd said that in a later era, people would absolutely have roasted him for humblebragging.
But in this moment of chaos, his words carried the calm of someone sober among the drunk.
Zhunti hesitated. Up ahead, several Grand Luo Golden Immortals had been shoved so hard while fighting for a path that they'd lost their shoes. Their hair was disheveled, and they looked utterly wretched. It really was... rather unbecoming.
"But Elder Brother, that opportunity..." Jieyin still couldn't let it go.
"What's meant for you can't escape you. If it isn't yours, fighting for it won't help."
Taiyuan stood up, still in no hurry at all.
First, he slowly drew a handkerchief from his sleeve and carefully wiped the wine stains from the Cold Jade table.
Then he carefully put away the priceless Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade table and chairs, storing them in Sumeru Space.
Finally, he even straightened Zhunti's slightly crooked collar and brushed the dust off Jieyin's Daoist robe.
"All right, let's go."
By the time he finished, nearly everyone else had already squeezed inside.
With his hands behind his back, Taiyuan strolled toward the gates of Purplecloud Palace, taking measured, unhurried steps as if he were wandering through his own garden. His two younger brothers followed.
When they reached the entrance—
They saw a powerful rogue cultivator sprawled across the threshold like a rolling gourd. Someone up ahead had shoved him, though it was impossible to tell who had done it. He groaned in pain.
Everyone around him was busy rushing inside. No one had time to help him; some even tried to step over him.
Taiyuan stopped.
Instead of stepping over him, he bent down and kindly helped the rogue cultivator to his feet.
"Fellow Daoist, the ground is uneven. Take it slow."
"If you hurt yourself and can't listen to the Dao, that would be a real loss."
The rogue cultivator had thought he was about to be trampled into mince. He hadn't expected anyone to help him up.
He looked up and saw that it was the wealthy Western Lands cultivator who had been showing off in the plaza earlier. His eyes brimmed with gratitude, and he repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks. "Many thanks, fellow Daoist! Many thanks!"
Then he dashed inside in a flash.
Taiyuan watched the rogue cultivator's retreating figure and shook his head, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Being a good person these days was actually quite easy. You just needed everyone else to make you look good by comparison.
Just as the three of them were about to step over the threshold—
A sharp whistle tore through the air behind them, accompanied by a bone-chilling gust of wind.
A somewhat battered figure shot toward them, skimming almost along the ground.
The newcomer's face was pale, and dried blood clung to the corner of his mouth. His once-neat Demon Master robe now had several gaping holes in it, and he coughed up blood as he flew.
It was Kunpeng, who had been sent flying billions upon billions of miles by Taiyuan's Nine Dragon Chariot.
He had risked his life, burning his Origin Blood Essence through grievous wounds just to barely make it back before the gates closed.
Seeing Taiyuan and his brothers blocking the entrance as they ambled along, Kunpeng's eyes brimmed with venomous hatred.
Those three bastards!
They had not only badly injured him, they had nearly made him miss the moment the gates opened!
Now, seeing how leisurely they were being, he was even more furious.
"You Western barbarians really don't understand the will of Heaven!"
As Kunpeng passed them, he deliberately slowed for a moment and sneered maliciously. "The opportunity is right before you, yet you crawl along like turtles! If you don't want to listen to the Dao, why not go back to the Western Lands and eat dirt?"
He didn't dare stop after that, afraid that the terrifying chariot might come crashing into him again. His figure blurred and turned into a streak, rushing into the depths of Purplecloud Palace.
"That feathered bird called us turtles?" Zhunti roared in anger, pulling out the Blessing Divine Pestle and preparing to hurl it.
"Now, now, Third Brother. Why bother arguing with someone who's about to die—er, I mean, someone who's about to have a run of bad luck?"
Taiyuan stopped Zhunti once more. As he watched Kunpeng's frantic retreat, a trace of pity flickered in his eyes.
Go on, fight over them.
All of you, fight over them.
You think the cushions inside are seats that will lead you to sainthood?
Those first six seats are clearly six carefully laid traps set by Old Ancestor Hongjun!
And the one that Hong Yun will give up is the trap within the trap.
It's easy to sit down, but the Karma involved will have you working for the Heavenly Dao for the rest of your life—even if you become a Saint.
And that's not even mentioning signing a Heavenly Dao Grand Vow that's basically a contract selling yourself into servitude.
I, Taiyuan, came here from another world with a system and a farming empire to build. I haven't enjoyed this carefree life enough yet. Why would I become Hongjun's lackey for a worthless title?
You can fight over those labor contracts.
I'll just grab a little stool and watch from the back.
"Elder Brother, I thought he was being pretty nasty," Jieyin said, sounding aggrieved.
Taiyuan patted Jieyin's shoulder and said earnestly, "Second Brother, remember this: running fast isn't always a good thing. Sometimes it just means you're rushing to jump into a pit."
With that, he finally stopped dawdling.
He took a single step forward, crossing the threshold of Purplecloud Palace, the boundary between the mortal and immortal worlds.
The moment his foot touched the ground—
The system's wonderful mechanical voice rang out in his mind like heavenly music.
[Clang! The host has been detected maintaining absolute composure and elegance while everyone else frantically scrambled for a seat, refusing to follow the crowd and join the initial rush for the meditation cushions.]
[This "everyone is drunk, but I alone am sober" mindset embodies the essence of the steady farming genre.]
[Congratulations, host. You have received the following special rewards:]
[One: Single-use Karma Obscuring Talisman (Divine Grade).]
[Note: This talisman is extremely powerful. When used, it can completely block all causal investigations and perceptions by Saints and even the Heavenly Dao for one hour. Even if the host refuses an opportunity right in Hongjun's face, it won't be recorded in anyone's little black book, and the host won't be entangled in any unwanted threads of Karma.]
[Two: Chaos Spirit Jade Carefree Chairs ×3.]
[Note: How can anyone listen to such dull preaching without a comfortable chair? These chairs are built around a Chaos Primordial Stone core and come with full-body massage functions. They can even be adjusted into a "Ge You slouch" mode. Sitting in one will keep your back from aching and your legs from hurting, while automatically absorbing the Dao aura inside Purplecloud Palace, making truly laid-back cultivation possible.]
Hearing about these two rewards, Taiyuan nearly laughed out loud.
System, oh system, you really do know me inside and out.
With this talisman, I can leave unscathed no matter what kind of nonsense happens later.
And as for these Carefree Chairs...
Taiyuan glanced at the people inside Purplecloud Palace, who were nearly coming to blows over the six meditation cushions. He felt a thrill of satisfaction.
Go on, fight over those hard straw mats.
I brought my own genuine leather sofa!
Before you continue