Ling Xiao: Let Them Come but Never Leave

Elsewhere.

At a certain immortal mountain in the eastern Primordial World.

The Three Pure Ones' eyes shone like torches as they sensed the commotion coming from the West. They could faintly see two mighty auras surging up from the Western World, soaring straight into the heavens.

"Jieyin and Zhunti have reached perfection!"

Yuanshi said with a grim expression. If the Twelve Ancestral Witches hadn't caused trouble, grievously wounded him, and seized his Daoist sanctuary, he should have reached the perfection of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm by now.

Before they knew it, the Three Pure Ones had actually been overtaken by Jieyin and Zhunti.

"To link the fortune of the West to themselves is an immense opportunity and a great merit. Jieyin and Zhunti truly have a knack for this."

Laozi spoke in a low voice, his expression solemn.

Such a method could only work in the West. It would never work in the East.

At that moment, he even felt a little envious. Being born in a barren land wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

The battle between Hongjun and Luo Hou long ago had destroyed the Western spiritual ley lines.

Now, it seemed that for Jieyin and Zhunti, it had been both a disaster and a blessing.

"We must work harder, too. We should strive to reach the perfection of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm before the Dao Ancestor begins his sermon."

The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, each seeing the urgency in the others' eyes.

As the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, they had no reason to be inferior to Jieyin and Zhunti.

Jieyin and Zhunti's breakthrough stirred the hearts of many mighty figures throughout the Primordial World.

Vast auras rose from such Daoist sanctuaries as the Sea of Blood, West Kunlun, Purple Mansion Island, and the North Sea.

With Hongjun's second sermon drawing near, these mighty figures worked even harder, all hoping to raise their cultivation to the perfection of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.

That way, when the Dao Ancestor taught the Dao of the Quasi-Sage, they would find it easier to comprehend and absorb.

On the Sun Star.

Ling Xiao was also greatly surprised. He hadn't expected Jieyin and Zhunti to learn how to make grand vows so soon.

By making a verbal vow and linking the fortune of the West to themselves, they had attained the perfection of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.

This sudden move had truly caught everyone off guard.

No wonder they would later make the Forty-Eight Great Vows and become Sages. The seeds had already been sown at this time.

At least the others who became Sages had done something useful. These two fellows had relied on nothing but their mouths.

If they'd been in his world, they would have made excellent pyramid-scheme bosses and masters of success studies.

Ling Xiao's gaze flickered. Three golden flowers appeared above his head, with a golden figure seated among them. Boundless Daoist charm surrounded it, carrying a sense of perfection.

He, too, had now reached the perfection of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. With just one further step in comprehending a law, he would achieve the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm.

The path of cultivating laws was exceedingly difficult. His progress was already quite fast.

But it still wasn't enough. He needed to go faster.

He had a score to settle with Jieyin and Zhunti. If the two of them became Sages in the future, they would cause him no small amount of trouble.

So he had to quicken his pace. Ideally, he would cultivate to the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal realm before Jieyin and Zhunti became Sages.

"Hongjun's second sermon is imminent. For all the mighty figures in the Primordial World, it will mean another leap in cultivation. I must reach the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm before them."

Ling Xiao thought this and was about to continue cultivating and comprehending the laws when he suddenly sensed two powerful auras approaching the Sun Star.

"Hong Yun?"

He knew one of them well. Then the other one was most likely Zhenyuanzi, right?

"What are these two doing here?"

Ling Xiao wondered, puzzled.

At that moment, Hong Yun and Zhenyuanzi had already arrived outside the Sun Star. Before they could speak, an ethereal voice came from deep within the star.

"Fellow Daoists, please come in."

"We're coming, we're coming!" Hong Yun replied with a smile.

A hint of surprise flashed through Zhenyuanzi's eyes. This Golden Crow named Ling Xiao seemed even more powerful than he had imagined.

Although he couldn't sense Ling Xiao's exact cultivation, his instincts told him so.

"Fellow Daoist Ling Xiao, let me introduce you. This is Zhenyuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple."

As soon as they met, Hong Yun enthusiastically made the introduction.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got down to business.

"What brings you two fellow Daoists here?" Ling Xiao asked with a smile.

"We came to help you. Jieyin and Zhunti have gathered the fortune of the West, so their strength is now unfathomable. I suspect they'll come looking for trouble with you, so I dragged Zhenyuanzi along."

Hong Yun spoke with complete seriousness, looking tense, as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Ling Xiao felt both touched and at a loss for words after hearing this.

"It's all right. If Jieyin and Zhunti dare come, I'll make sure they come but never leave."

He said it casually, not the least bit concerned.

Zhenyuanzi, standing nearby, looked taken aback by Ling Xiao's bold words.

Hong Yun clearly didn't believe him and was about to say more, but Ling Xiao raised a hand to cut him off.

"Thank you both for your kindness. I know what I'm doing. There's no problem."

Hong Yun said no more.

Zhenyuanzi, however, noticed something. The formation covering the Sun Star was faintly murderous, its workings profound and unfathomable.

This must be what Fellow Daoist Ling Xiao was relying on.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Ling Xiao, there's something else we'd like to ask of you," Hong Yun continued.

"What is it?" Ling Xiao asked with a smile.

"We'd like to borrow the soil from your Gourd Vine, to move the Ginseng Fruit Tree," Hong Yun said with a grin.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhenyuanzi panicked. "Fellow Daoist Ling Xiao, don't listen to him. I have no plans to do that for now."

From beginning to end, the idea of moving had been Hong Yun's. Zhenyuanzi had never considered it at all.

Ling Xiao laughed and said, "Whenever you need it, just let me know."

As the three of them chatted, Di Jun and Tai Yi arrived as well.

The newcomers introduced themselves to each other.

"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, how about we discuss the Dao together?"

Di Jun made the suggestion, eager despite his meager skills.

Of the group, his cultivation was the shallowest, but he still wanted to discuss the Dao.

"Big Brother, didn't you say you wouldn't leave seclusion until you reached perfection?" Ling Xiao called him out, making Tai Yi want to laugh. He could only stifle it, his shoulders shaking.

Di Jun's face turned beet red. He stammered, "With fellow Daoists visiting, I had to come out and greet them, at the very least..."

"Hahaha..."

Afterward, despite Di Jun's insistence, they all sat in a circle and began discussing the Dao.

At their level, discussing the Dao was commonplace. Sometimes, a single discussion could last several thousand years.

By verifying each other's Dao, they might gain unexpected insights.

Before they knew it, more than a thousand years had passed.

One day, the world, which had been peaceful, suddenly began to rumble. Chaos shook across the nine heavens, and a pillar of chaotic light descended, sweeping across the universe.

A purple palace appeared in the sky, illuminating the world as it emerged among the clouds like a mirage. Though no bells or chimes could be seen, eighty-one deep, solemn tolls rang out from the boundless vault of heaven, spreading in every direction.

At once, a host of mighty figures meditating throughout the Primordial World opened their eyes.

The Purple Heaven Palace had manifested. This meant the second sermon was about to begin.

For a time, the Primordial World was swept by rising winds and surging clouds, as auras burst into the sky from blessed mountains and treasured lands everywhere.

One mighty figure after another emerged from their Daoist sanctuaries, eager to hurry to the Purple Heaven Palace and hear the sermon!