Fleecing the Disciple

After exchanging pleasantries with the Three Pure Ones for a while, Xuan Heng brought Kong Xuan back to his own cave abode.

Six Ears was currently cultivating cross-legged atop a nearby mountain peak. Seeing Xuan Heng return, he immediately ran over, but the moment he drew close, he spotted Kong Xuan following behind Xuan Heng.

The little monkey's eyes went round as he asked, "Master, who is he?"

Xuan Heng introduced him, "This is my newly accepted disciple, Kong Xuan—your senior brother."

Hearing Xuan Heng's words, Six Ears froze on the spot.

Kong Xuan also looked at the little macaque before him, whose fur was entirely golden.

One had been born with six ears, the other with the Five Elements innate to his being. The instant their gazes met, even the currents of energy in the air seemed to pause.

Xuan Heng cast Six Ears a faint glance.

Six Ears immediately lowered his head and cupped his hands toward Kong Xuan. "Six Ears greets Senior Brother."

Kong Xuan returned the gesture. "Greetings, Junior Brother Six Ears."

Xuan Heng did not let them converse further. He directly brought Kong Xuan into the cave abode. The urgent matter now was to see just how severe the fire-baleful karmic burden on Kong Xuan truly was.

After returning to the cave abode, Xuan Heng waved his hand, and a meditation cushion appeared beneath his Dao platform. He gestured for Kong Xuan to sit.

Once Kong Xuan was seated, Xuan Heng waved his hand again. The Purifying White Lotus appeared above Kong Xuan's head, its purifying white light cascading down and causing the fire-baleful karmic burden upon Kong Xuan's body to emerge once more.

This time, Xuan Heng examined it far more carefully than he had in the parasol tree grove. He discovered that this fire-baleful karmic burden was not merely weighing upon Kong Xuan's shoulders; it coursed through his very origin, and even through the Five-Colored Divine Light, his innate divine ability.

Xuan Heng frowned deeply at the sight. Kong Xuan's condition was even worse than he had imagined. The karmic burden had already seeped into his origin; resolving it would not be a matter of a day or two.

Seeing Xuan Heng's troubled expression, Kong Xuan could not help asking, "Master, is my condition very bad? Is there any way to resolve it?"

Xuan Heng did not answer immediately. Upon seeing the fire-baleful karmic burden on Kong Xuan's body, a terrifying thought arose in his heart.

Though the Phoenix Clan's karmic burden had formed differently from the calamity aura spawned by Red Cloud's killing tribulation, their essence was the same: turbid energy precipitated by heaven-and-earth catastrophes, remnants of killing intent and karma.

Since his Profound Pure Immortal Scripture could help him absorb the lingering calamity aura from Red Cloud's killing tribulation, could it also help him absorb the fire-baleful karmic burden on Kong Xuan?

The moment this thought arose in Xuan Heng's mind, the Law Dao Seed within his brow began to tremble faintly.

Xuan Heng's heart jolted, and he suddenly understood. Perhaps accepting Kong Xuan as his disciple was not merely because Kong Xuan needed him—his Profound Pure Great Dao also required boundless karmic burden to temper itself.

With that thought, Xuan Heng raised his hand and brought forth the Calamity-Suppressing Gourd, then sent a beam of Profound Pure Immortal Light flying toward Kong Xuan's shoulder.

"Endure it."

Hearing Xuan Heng's words, Kong Xuan said nothing. He obediently closed his eyes and sat cross-legged upon the meditation cushion.

The Calamity-Suppressing Gourd flew above Kong Xuan's head, and profound blue Calamity-Suppressing Pure Light emerged from its mouth, pinning down the fire-baleful karmic burden on Kong Xuan's shoulder.

Xuan Heng then controlled the Profound Pure Immortal Light, attempting to peel away a portion of the fire-baleful karmic burden on Kong Xuan's body. In the end, he successfully stripped away a thread of black-red fire-baleful karmic burden.

Xuan Heng then guided that fire-baleful karmic burden into his own body.

The instant the karmic burden entered him, Xuan Heng groaned as though struck by a heavy blow, and the Dao Seed in his brow abruptly sank.

Xuan Heng had still underestimated the karmic burden the Phoenix Clan had incurred. This karmic burden was far more powerful than the calamity aura from Red Cloud's killing tribulation.

Within it was the karmic burden of the Phoenix Clan's slaughter, the fire baleful intent of Undying Fire Mountain, and the lingering obsessions left behind when countless birds perished during the Dragon-Phoenix Great Tribulation.

"Master!"

Kong Xuan had not expected Xuan Heng to directly draw the karmic burden into his body. He immediately opened his eyes and cried out in concern.

"Sit still. I'm fine."

There was no change in Xuan Heng's voice as he silently summoned both the Purifying White Lotus and the Calamity-Suppressing Gourd back to his side.

As the two great treasures exerted their power, the thread of fire-baleful karmic burden that had entered Xuan Heng's body was gradually purified.

Xuan Heng then began circulating the Profound Pure Immortal Scripture, guiding that purified thread of fire-baleful karmic burden bit by bit toward the outer edge of his Law Dao Seed.

As the fire-baleful karmic burden drew ever closer to his Law Dao Seed, a stabbing pain arose from the depths of his Primordial Spirit, like a red-hot needle piercing into it.

Cold sweat beaded across Xuan Heng's forehead, yet he did not stop. The Profound Pure Immortal Light slowly ground away at that thread of karmic burden.

The black-red hue upon the fire-baleful karmic burden gradually washed away.

In the end, only a faint trace of calamity aura origin remained.

Xuan Heng then guided this thread of calamity aura origin into his Law Dao Fruit.

As the calamity aura origin was refined by the Law Dao Fruit, the Law Dao Seed immediately became slightly more solid than before. Though the change was minute, it was indeed effective.

At Kong Xuan's shoulder, a small section vanished from the outermost layer of that karmic chain.

Kong Xuan opened his eyes in astonishment. He could clearly feel his body had grown somewhat lighter. Looking at Xuan Heng, he asked in shock, "Master? Did you just refine the karmic burden within my body?"

Kong Xuan's mind was profoundly shaken. It was common knowledge that living beings of the Primordial World avoided karmic burden as though it were a viper, yet not only had his master not fled from it, he had actually transformed it into a resource for cultivation.

Xuan Heng gently exhaled a breath of turbid air. Refining that thread of karmic burden had consumed quite a bit of his strength, but he was happy at this moment. Looking at Kong Xuan, he said, "For now, I can only refine the weakest layer of karmic burden on the outermost part of your body, and I cannot do too much at once."

After hearing Xuan Heng admit it himself, Kong Xuan fell silent. Xuan Heng truly could refine the karmic burden on his body. That meant that so long as there was enough time, the karmic burden upon him could sooner or later be completely cleared away.

As Xuan Heng looked at the remaining karmic chain on Kong Xuan's shoulder, he also came to understand something else.

From Red Cloud's death tribulation, to the karmic sin of the Phoenix Clan upon Kong Xuan, and then to the future Calamity of the Witches and Demons.

If he wished to prove the Dao through laws and cultivate the Great Dao of Profound Purity, then he could not avoid the great calamities.

Today's test proved that he was not limited to absorbing only the tribulation force and karmic sin that had entered his own body. So long as he could hold fast to his Dao Heart, he could also strip tribulation force and karmic sin from other living beings of the Primordial World, turning them into firewood for the road of his cultivation.

Xuan Heng put away the Purifying White Lotus, his voice lowering slightly.

"From this day onward, come to the lotus pond once every hundred years of cultivation. Your master will help you sort through the karmic sin upon you."

Kong Xuan solemnly kowtowed.

"This disciple obeys."

Feeling the faintly pulsing profound-blue Dao light atop the seed of the Law Dao deep within his Primordial Spirit, Xuan Heng felt slightly relieved. At least now, he had found a faster path.

Right now, Xuan Heng only wanted to shear the wool of the karmic sin on Kong Xuan's body, striving to break through to the Quasi-Sage realm as soon as possible and obtain a ticket of entry to take part in the great events of the Primordial World in the future.