His Roots Improve Again; His Master's Heaven-Defying Secret Art and the Possibility of Chaos-Demon-God Roots!

"You must not use my name as an excuse to do as you please, either."

"As disciples of a Sage, you must never bully others with your power. Otherwise, I would not let our teacher-disciple bond sway me."

Xuan Du and Xuandan respectfully cupped their hands in salute.

"We will obey your instructions, Master."

But Xuandan was thinking about what had happened earlier at the Dragon Palace.

He had forcefully faced Demon Sage Ji Meng and declared, "My master is Taiqing."

Thinking about it now, he still felt a rush of satisfaction from head to toe.

Now, his master said not to do as he pleased. Showing off shouldn't count as doing as he pleased, right?

Xuandan felt as if he had spotted a loophole.

Yuanshi had always been strict with his disciples.

He had merely offered a few words of advice, and the matter was now settled.

After speaking, Yuanshi suddenly looked at Xuandan, his eyes full of admiration.

Xuandan, meanwhile, furrowed his brow, utterly confused.

Wait, why is Second Uncle Master looking at me?

In the span of three breaths, he recalled every bad thing he had ever done.

Yuanshi smiled and suddenly spoke.

"Senior Brother truly has taken in a fine disciple."

"Junior Disciple, even when facing your fellow disciples earlier, you were still able to distinguish right from wrong."

"You did not let your feelings of camaraderie cloud your judgment. Well done."

Xuandan let out a long breath and replied with a beaming smile.

"Second Uncle Master is too kind. It's all thanks to Master and both my uncles leading by example and teaching me well."

As soon as he finished speaking, all Three Pure Ones smiled in unison.

Yuanshi laughed aloud, leaving the Chan Sect disciples dumbfounded.

Since joining the Chan Sect, they had barely seen their Master smile, let alone laugh so heartily.

He pointed at Xuandan and chided him with a laugh.

"You little smooth-talker, always spouting flattery. I haven't taught you anything."

"But what you did truly pleased me. This item is of no use to me, so I'll give it to you."

With that, a blazing flame radiating immense heat floated in front of Xuandan.

Xuandan felt the searing heat emanating from it and froze.

He examined the source of the flames closely, his expression turning to surprise.

The energy it contained was every bit as powerful as the Nirvana Divine Fire he had obtained at the Dragon Palace.

"Second Uncle Master, what is this?"

Seeing Xuandan staring blankly, Yuanshi smiled and explained.

"This is the Nine Heavens Profound Fire, one of the divine fires of the Prehistoric World."

"You cultivate the Alchemy Dao, so it will come in handy. Take it."

Xuandan's mouth fell open in utter astonishment.

Wait, he's just giving away the source of a divine fire of the Prehistoric World?

That's the Nine Heavens Profound Fire, one of the Ten Great Divine Fires of the Prehistoric World, no less powerful than the Nirvana Divine Fire or the Samadhi True Fire!

It had existed since the dawn of the Prehistoric World, dwelling within the Thirty-Three Heavens.

It could purify, ward off evil, and dispel demons. It was also incredibly useful for alchemy.

The Chan Sect disciples stared, their eyes wide.

Even Guang Chengzi, who was well-traveled and knowledgeable, couldn't help exclaiming in awe.

"The Nine Heavens Profound Fire is one of a kind in the Prehistoric World. In terms of rarity, it far surpasses the other divine fires."

"Junior Brother Xuandan must now be the only one besides Master to possess this divine fire!"

The Chan Sect disciples looked at Yuanshi with longing.

Xuandan wasn't even a member of the Chan Sect, yet he had been rewarded with the Nine Heavens Profound Fire.

Wouldn't their own rewards be even more precious?

The Chan Sect disciples felt their anticipation mounting, unable to stop wondering what their Master would give them.

Xuandan was overjoyed. He accepted the Nine Heavens Profound Fire and replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Second Uncle Master."

With the Nine Heavens Profound Fire's help, the power of his Blazing Heaven Fiery Flame could rise to another level.

It would also greatly benefit his Alchemy Dao.

Yuanshi nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze to the Chan Sect disciples.

His smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression.

He suddenly recalled the Chan Sect disciples' encounter with the Strange Beasts earlier.

"Guang Chengzi!"

Guang Chengzi, whose smile was as warm as a spring breeze, answered.

He was just about to thank Yuanshi for his reward when a stern reprimand greeted him instead.

"You rely too much on your magical treasures when facing enemies. From now on, focus on cultivating divine abilities and spells. No matter how good a magical treasure is, it is still an external aid."

Guang Chengzi was dumbfounded. He shot Xuandan a rather aggrieved glance.

"This disciple will heed your teachings, Master."

"Chi Jingzi!"

"Ah?!"

Yuanshi's sudden change of course caught the Chan Sect disciples off guard.

Their smiles vanished, and their faces fell.

They couldn't understand it. How could a junior disciple be treated more like family than his own direct disciples?

Smiles did not disappear; they simply shifted to the faces of other disciples of the Xuan Sect.

Laozi and Tongtian exchanged a glance, their expressions helpless.

They were brothers, born of the same origin, and knew Yuanshi's temperament well.

Yuanshi soon finished admonishing the Chan Sect disciples one by one.

Then his tone suddenly shifted, turning serious.

"The Three Sects Grand Competition will be held before long. You must not slack off. Cultivate diligently."

"I will do my utmost to teach you all. How much you comprehend will be up to you."

At his words, the disciples of all Three Sects froze in place.

Xuandan looked confused, too. What was the Three Sects Grand Competition?

As they stood there bewildered, Tongtian spoke up to explain.

"The Three Sects Grand Competition was an idea my two senior brothers and I came up with. Its purpose is to assess the results of your recent training in the outside world."

"It is tentatively scheduled to begin ten thousand years from now. Disciples from the Three Sects will draw lots and compete against one another."

"Better to lose face in front of your fellow disciples than lose your life while traveling the Prehistoric World!"

At this, the disciples of the Three Sects all looked excited.

During their travels in the outside world, they had encountered plenty of cultivators their own age.

They hadn't been able to tell on Kunlun Mountain, but once they descended, the standing of a Sage's disciples had become clear.

There were few among their peers in the Prehistoric World who could interest a Sage's disciple.

For now, only their fellow disciples seemed able to stir their competitive spirit.

Besides, who wouldn't want to give their good brother a sound beating in broad daylight?

Looking at the Eight Sceneries Palace, which had become as noisy as a market, Laozi waved his hand.

"All right, you may all return to your own abodes."

Yuanshi and Tongtian left with their respective disciples.

Soon, only Laozi and his disciples, Xuan Du and Xuandan, remained in the Eight Sceneries Palace.

Laozi rose to his feet and looked at Xuan Du and Xuandan, speaking softly.

"Come with me. We must make some preparations for the Three Sects Grand Competition."

Chapter 38: Another Improvement to His Roots, His Master's Heaven-Defying Secret Technique, the Possibility of Chaos Demon God Roots!

Xuandan and Xuan Du followed Laozi to the alchemy room.

The Samadhi True Fire in the Eight Trigrams Furnace had already gone out, but the room still felt stiflingly hot.

Laozi looked at Xuan Du and spoke softly.

"For you, cultivation has always been a gradual process, one step at a time."

"I am very pleased with you. Now that you have trained in the outside world with Xuandan's help, your state of mind has broken through, and your Dao Heart has grown firm."

"I believe you can break through before the Three Sects Grand Competition. Keep this item safe."

A Dragon Head Flat Crutch appeared before them.