Mount Sumeru

Xuanqing nodded. He knew about this.

Moreover, it had been the most important turning point since his birth in Honghuang.

"From then on, every top-tier great power in Honghuang had been racking their brains to find that final wisp of Primordial Purple Qi," Zunti continued.

"But Primordial Purple Qi is the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao—formless and intangible. How could one search for it? The only way is to deduce the secrets of Heaven and glimpse the course of the Heavenly Dao's workings."

"And the most direct way to stir the Heavenly Dao is to obtain boundless merit, or to bear towering fortune. Then, the Heavenly Dao will naturally look upon you with favor."

By this point, Xuanqing understood seven or eight parts out of ten.

"So Patriarch Styx created the Asura Clan because he wanted the Heavenly Dao Merit of founding a race?"

"Precisely!" Zunti nodded approvingly. "My martial nephew truly is clever—you understand at the slightest hint."

"About a hundred years ago, Senior Brother and I sensed unusual activity within the Blood Sea. That Styx used his own blood essence as a catalyst, fusing it with the endless innate Sha Qi in the Blood Sea and the lingering resentment of Chaos Demon Gods to create the Asura Clan."

"He even drew upon a rift in the void, allowing the filthy blood and foul miasma of Honghuang to flow endlessly into the Blood Sea as the Asura Clan's source of power, helping them comprehend the true essence of the Dao of Slaughter."

At this point, a strange smile suddenly appeared on Zunti's face. Unable to hold it back, he gave a soft chuckle.

Seeing this, Xuanqing grew even more curious. "Why are you laughing, Martial Uncle? Was there some other twist to the matter?"

Zunti smiled and shook his head without speaking.

Jieyin Daoist, standing beside him, sighed and took over. "Martial Nephew, Daoist Styx's calculations were excellent. Unfortunately, he miscalculated one thing."

"Only by following the great tide of the Heavenly Dao can one obtain immeasurable merit."

"But the Asura Clan he created was founded upon Sha Qi and resentful thoughts, with slaughter as its nature. Once this race emerged, not only did it gain no merit, it instead added endless karmic burden to heaven and earth."

"Rather than drawing down merit, he drew down heavenly tribulation."

Xuanqing immediately understood.

So the motive that had driven Styx to create the Asura Clan ahead of time had been that wisp of Primordial Purple Qi.

"And what happened afterward?" Xuanqing pressed.

"Afterward?" A complicated expression appeared on Jieyin's face. "That Daoist Styx was indeed a top-tier great power, formed from Pangu's tainted blood and born in the Blood Sea. He forcibly endured the heavenly tribulation."

"Though his Yuan Qi was severely damaged, disaster became a blessing in disguise. Tempered by the heavenly tribulation, his Dao of Slaughter shattered and then rose anew. His cultivation reached the utmost limit of the Quasi-Saint realm—only stronger than before, not weaker."

Xuanqing listened in secret alarm.

This Patriarch Styx truly was ruthless. A heavenly tribulation that others avoided like the plague, he had actually swallowed as a tonic.

The waters of Honghuang were truly unfathomably deep.

Having understood the entire chain of events, Xuanqing bowed to the two men once more.

"Thank you, Martial Uncles, for clearing up my doubts. This junior has been enlightened."

Having said that, Xuanqing immediately continued.

"However, there is still one matter this junior does not understand. How did you two Martial Uncles know that this junior was in danger in the Blood Sea, and arrive in time?"

The moment those words came out—

The smiles on their faces remained, but their gazes became somewhat meaningful.

The two exchanged a glance, then turned to look at Xuanqing in unison.

Zunti even gave a sly chuckle. The sound sent a chill down Xuanqing's back, making every hair on his body stand on end.

It felt like a little chick being watched by two weasels.

"Martial Nephew, well..." Zunti drew out his words, deliberately keeping him in suspense.

Jieyin Daoist was the one who finally spoke. He waved a hand, cutting Zunti off.

"Junior Brother, don't frighten our martial nephew."

He turned to Xuanqing. The smile on his face was much gentler, yet Xuanqing always felt that something was hidden behind it.

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"Let us not discuss this for now. Mount Sumeru in the Western Lands is no longer far from here. Since Martial Nephew has come from afar, why not return with us and stay for a few days, so that we may fulfill our duties as hosts?"

"As it happens, Junior Brother and I have a few little trinkets. Consider them a meeting gift from your Martial Uncles."

"Once we reach Mount Sumeru, we can have a proper talk. What do you say?"

Go to Mount Sumeru?

Xuanqing's heart was clear as a mirror—these two definitely harbored no good intentions.

The invitation sounded courteous, but Xuanqing could not shake the feeling that something was off.

Leaving aside anything else, the things Jieyin and Zunti had done during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation were simply too ugly to look at.

And now that he was the Great Disciple of the Chan Sect, he naturally had to protect the sect's reputation.

He could not let his junior brothers and Junior Sisters be taken away by those two.

But then again—

After all, they had just helped him out and pulled him from Patriarch Styx's grasp.

This favor was as real as it got.

If he turned around and left now, it would be far too disrespectful—and would make him seem guilty besides.

Besides, he truly was curious about the legendary barren Western Lands.

There was no harm in taking a look.

With his current cultivation, plus the name of his Master, Yuanshi Tianzun, so long as he did not court death, they presumably would not dare do anything to him.

With that thought, Xuanqing made up his mind.

Smiling, he cupped his hands toward the two men once more. "Since my two Martial Uncles have invited me so warmly, it would seem ungrateful for this junior to keep refusing. Then I shall impose on you for a few days."

"Hahaha, good! My nephew is forthright!" At once, Zunti's smile grew even brighter, his warmth all but overflowing.

He stepped forward and affectionately took hold of Xuanqing's arm, as though Xuanqing truly were a beloved nephew he had not seen in many years. "Come, come, come, nephew—this way. Let me tell you, though Mount Sumeru cannot compare to the immortal realm of Kunlun Mountain, it has a few sights of its own."

Jieyin gave Xuanqing a slight nod, satisfaction flashing through his eyes.

And so, half-willing and half-reluctant, Xuanqing was pulled along by Zunti as he followed the two deeper into the Western Lands.

The farther west they flew, the colder Xuanqing's heart became.

Barren!

It was simply too barren!

When they had just left the edge of the Blood Sea, the land had at least held some traces of green, along with mountains, rivers, and streams.

But as they continued deeper in, the terrain began to grow desolate.

The mountains were bald, bare rock exposed to the elements and eroded by fierce winds until they were riddled with holes.

The ground was cracked, enormous ravines crisscrossing it in every direction, bottomless as the ugly scars of the earth.

Even the spiritual energy in the sky had grown thin and chaotic.

Threads of Demon Qi were mixed within it, making one feel unwell even after drawing it into the body.

How was this some blessed immortal land? It was worse than the most impoverished mountains and vile waters!

Xuanqing had grown accustomed to Kunlun Mountain, where immortal qi drifted thickly through the air, Spiritual Roots covered the land, and even a random stone contained spiritual essence.

Compared side by side, the difference was immediately clear.

He truly could not imagine that Jieyin and Zunti had risen to prominence from a place like this.

How much perseverance... how powerful a Dao Heart must one possess to attain the Dao and become a Sage in such an environment?!

Xuanqing could not help but feel several degrees more respect for the two of them.

Sure enough, anyone who could attain the fruit of Sagehood must possess tremendous strength and patience.

Zunti seemed to sense the change in Xuanqing's mood. Pointing at the desolate land below, he sighed and took the initiative to explain, "Nephew, you must find this laughable. My Western Lands truly cannot compare to the immortal realms of your East."