Zhenyuanzi went first.
He did not speak of the profound, abstruse Earth Law that led straight to the Primordial Chaos Great Dao. Instead, he began with how the Primordial Wilderness had emerged from Chaos, how the clear and turbid had separated, how Yinyang had given rise to the five elements, and how the five elements had brought forth all things.
His voice was grand yet gentle, as solid and dependable as the boundless earth. Every word carried his deepest understanding of and love for this world.
His vast but gentle divine sense mingled with the unique aura he possessed as an embodiment of the earth. Like warm sunlight falling on frozen ground, it steadily nourished the frail spark of awareness within the Golden Dragon, a spark that seemed ready to go out at any moment, and laid the foundations of its understanding of the world.
As Zhenyuanzi taught, golden lotuses sprouted from the earth in the courtyard, sweet springs appeared from nowhere, and streams of pure Houtu Vital Energy rose from deep below.
They became visible threads of yellow light that wound gently around the Golden Dragon and seeped into its scales. Even its Xuanhuang Golden Light seemed to grow more restrained and profound.
Zhenyuanzi taught for eighty-one days before finally pausing.
The spark of awareness within the Golden Dragon had steadied. Once faint and fragile, it was now like a flame sheltered inside a glass lamp rather than a candle in the wind. It remained small, but it no longer flickered, and a hint of composure had begun to emerge.
Lord Wanshouyuan followed.
He smiled faintly. Green light blazed around him, and the shadow of a towering tree appeared behind him. Its branches and leaves swayed, radiating boundless vitality.
He began to teach the way of Wood Vitality: how seeds broke through the soil, how tender shoots put forth branches, how all things grew and flourished, how the seasons turned in their endless cycle, and how infinite wonders of creation lay between life and death.
His voice was clear and full of life. Every syllable seemed to carry the freshness of morning dew and the fragrance of the woods.
His Dao resonance did not have Zhenyuanzi's weight.
Instead, it was like a spring breeze bringing rain, delicate and ethereal as it seeped into every corner of the Golden Dragon's body. It stirred the newborn awareness's instinctive yearning for life and vitality, guiding it to sense the subtle beauty of the world around it and feel the joy of existing.
As he taught, the Four Symbols Plantain Tree rustled in the courtyard, scattering green motes of light across the sky. Like countless tiny sprites, they streamed merrily into the Golden Dragon.
Flowers burst into bloom all around, and rare plants released their fragrance. The abundant vitality seemed almost tangible.
Lord Wanshouyuan also taught for eighty-one days.
The awareness within the Golden Dragon was no longer a mere spark. It had swelled several times over into a hazy cloud of light, from which faint traces of emotion had begun to emerge: delight and curiosity at being alive.
Hong Yun went last.
He had long since grown impatient. The moment Lord Wanshouyuan finished, Hong Yun eagerly took over. He had attained the Dao as a red cloud, and his innate nature had much in common with some of the power within the Golden Dragon—the energies of wind, water, and fire.
He spoke of the sky's boundless expanse, the freedom of the flowing wind, the ever-changing clouds and sunset glow, and the awe-inspiring power of thunder. He even wove in everything he had gleaned about merit and Profound Yellow Qi, holding nothing back.
His voice had neither Zhenyuanzi's weight nor Lord Wanshouyuan's clarity. It was airy and lively, now distant, now near, now high, now low, as free as a drifting cloud on the horizon.
His Dao was light and full of imagination. Through his words, he seemed to paint a vast, dazzling world for that unformed mind, drawing it to explore, understand, and embrace all its wonders.
As Hong Yun grew more animated, he even manifested part of his true form. A crimson auspicious cloud rolled above his head, turning by turns into wind and fire, then summoning distant rumbles of thunder. He brought the Dao of the sky vividly to life.
The cloud of awareness within the Golden Dragon greedily absorbed his Dao resonance, as though it were the perfect nourishment.
The three great beings took turns teaching, each drawing on his strengths.
They taught no single system of abstruse arts. Their lessons ranged across the fundamentals of understanding, living, and finding one's place in the world. They hoped to give this newborn mind a sound and complete foundation, gently nurture its dawning wisdom, and help it mature.
For the three of them, the process also offered a chance to revisit and examine the foundations of their own Dao. They, too, gained something from it.
Qingfeng and Mingyue listened from the side, utterly enthralled.
Though their masters taught only the most basic lessons, every word spoken by three Da Luo Golden Immortals was a gem of truth. The Great Dao was Simple, and these teachings were invaluable for consolidating their Golden Immortal cultivation and strengthening its foundations.
The two were also filled with childlike curiosity about the beautiful, majestic Golden Dragon that was still "being born."
Whenever one of their masters paused, the two young Dao attendants crept over to it.
Qingfeng was the bolder one. He would reach out a small, pale hand and carefully stroke the dragon scales, cool yet smooth and gleaming with Merit Golden Light. A strange warmth, drawn from the very source of life, flowed through his fingertips. It felt so comforting and familiar that he could not resist touching them again and again.
Mingyue was more cautious. Most of the time, he simply stared with round eyes as dark as grapes, studying the intricate, mysterious Runes formed naturally across the dragon's body, his little face full of wonder.
Only now and then did he work up the courage to dart out a fingertip and touch the tip of a dragon claw larger than his whole body. Then he snatched his hand back like a startled rabbit and hid behind Qingfeng, though he could not keep the excited, curious smile off his face.
The Golden Dragon's enormous body remained still and silent. Yet within it, the cloud of awareness was nourished by the three Da Luo Golden Immortals' unceasing, unstinting teachings, as well as the daily company and touches of the two lively, curious attendants.
It grew and took shape little by little, at a pace visible to divine sense, becoming clearer and more responsive.
The young mind began to grasp the Dao resonance around it more clearly. It also began to feel the faintest, almost instinctive affection for and reliance on those gentle touches...
Within Wuzhuang Temple, the sounds of teaching lingered without end. Golden Profound Yellow Light of merit intertwined with the green radiance of Wood Vitality, illuminating Zhenyuanzi's solemn face, Lord Wanshouyuan's serene figure, Hong Yun's eager expression, and the two attendants' innocent forms. Peace and sanctity filled the scene.
The three great beings waited with eager hope, while the two attendants watched with innocent curiosity. All patiently awaited the full awakening of an extraordinary life born of Pangu's Legacy and suffused with merit and Profound Yellow Qi.
Within this Grotto-Heaven of the Primordial Wilderness, time seemed to lose all meaning. Only the steadily growing light of awareness inside the Golden Dragon showed that a wonder of creation was unfolding.
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