Yellow Dragon Takes a Master

Kunlun!

The primordial land's second-greatest sacred mountain, surpassed only by Mount Buzhou, which had formed from Pangu's spine.

Mists condensed from dense spiritual energy wreathed the mountain ranges. From time to time, spiritual rain fell, gathering into little streams that wound their way through the valleys.

More wondrous still, the Great Dao laws between heaven and earth were exceptionally active here. Runes manifested from those laws were imprinted throughout the mountains, for the living beings within to comprehend.

Nourished by the abundant spiritual energy, countless immortal herbs and spiritual medicines grew here. Some spiritual roots and immortal grasses were fortunate enough to absorb the Dao runes in the mountains, giving birth to intelligence and transforming into plant spirits that frolicked and played together.

At Kunlun's main peak stood three enormous palaces in succession: the Supreme Pure Palace, Jade Pure Palace, and Upper Pure Palace. They were the cultivation grounds of the Three Pure Ones, formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit.

A spatial rift suddenly appeared before the Supreme Pure Palace. Dressed in a yin-yang Daoist robe, the white-haired Supreme Pure rode slowly out of the rift atop an Azure Ox whose hide shimmered with azure light.

Two youths dangled from the Azure Ox's tail: Xuandu, the personal disciple of the Saint Supreme Pure, and Yellow Dragon, who had hitched a ride on the ox.

According to Yellow Dragon's plan, he would wait until all Three Pure Ones had become Saints and opened their gates to accept disciples and impart the Dao. Then he would climb Kunlun, pass the trials set by the Three Pure Ones, and enter the Jade Pure lineage.

Yet after attaining Sainthood, Supreme Pure had seen at a glance the bond of master and disciple between Yellow Dragon and Yuanshi. He had simply brought Yellow Dragon along with Xuandu. In the blink of an eye, heaven and earth shifted, and they had crossed from the shores of the East Sea to Kunlun's main peak.

Just as Yellow Dragon and Xuandu were marveling at Kunlun's dense spiritual energy and the clarity of its Great Dao laws, two figures suddenly appeared beside them.

The two figures first congratulated Supreme Pure. "Congratulations, Eldest Brother, on attaining the Sainthood that remains indestructible through ten thousand tribulations."

They were the other two of the Three Pure Ones: Jade Pure Yuanshi and Upper Pure Tongtian.

Seeing Xuandu, a member of the Human Race who had nonetheless deeply grasped the essence of Supreme Pure's Dao of tranquil non-action, and Yellow Dragon, who possessed a dragon's body yet was wreathed in merit and had a lucid Primordial Spirit, they could not help but praise them. "Eldest Brother, you have attained Sainthood and accepted two fine disciples. This calls for celebration."

At that moment, Supreme Pure looked at Yuanshi and smiled. "There are indeed fine disciples, but only one is mine. The other is your disciple."

Hearing Supreme Pure's words, Yuanshi looked again at Yellow Dragon and Xuandu before finally fixing his gaze upon Yellow Dragon. His fingers rapidly formed seals, and a moment later, a smile of understanding appeared on his face as he grasped the karmic ties.

Yuanshi looked at Yellow Dragon and made a casual gesture. A green dragon scale, ancient in appearance, slowly emerged from Yellow Dragon's body and drifted toward Yuanshi.

As though something had triggered it, light flowed over the dragon scale. A speck of light slowly floated out and descended upon the ground before the Supreme Pure Palace. With a flash, a carriage appeared upon the ground—entirely golden, majestic and grand, its body seamless as one. Pulling it were, astonishingly, nine true dragons.

This was the Dragon Clan's supreme treasure, the Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage. During the era when the three clans contended for supremacy, it had been the carriage prepared by the Dragon Clan for Ancestor Dragon after he unified the primordial land and ascended to the pinnacle. Unfortunately, Ancestor Dragon had failed to achieve his ambition, and the Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage had never been displayed before all living beings.

Yuanshi looked at the carriage, his face full of delight. He was exceedingly fond of the Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage. Turning to Supreme Pure and Upper Pure, he said, "Fellow Daoist Green Dragon has worried too much. Given our friendship, if he wished this little dragon to enter my lineage, he only needed to speak. Why offer such a grand gift?"

Tongtian, standing nearby, spoke up then. "Who told you, Second Brother, to say at the Purple Cloud Palace that those clad in scales and armor, born damp or hatched from eggs, were unworthy to sit beside you? Even Fellow Daoist Green Dragon of old knew that you disliked those 'clad in scales and armor.'"

Tongtian glanced at Yellow Dragon and added, "If Second Brother is unwilling to accept this little dragon into your school, why not yield him to me? I find this little dragon quite pleasing."

Looking at Tongtian's gaze fixed on Yellow Dragon, satisfaction had already spilled all over the ground.

"I never said I wouldn't accept him..."

Before Yuanshi could finish, Tongtian shot a meaningful look at the dazed Yellow Dragon. Yellow Dragon understood in an instant and hurriedly dropped to his knees, prostrating himself as he cried, "This disciple Yellow Dragon pays respects to Master!"

Looking at Yellow Dragon already kneeling on the ground, Yuanshi sighed and said, "Since you have entered my lineage, you must cultivate diligently and comprehend the Great Dao. From this day forth, the affairs of the Dragon Clan will have nothing more to do with you."

Yellow Dragon raised his head and said to Yuanshi, "This disciple will heed Master's teachings."

"Rise."

Yellow Dragon bowed to Yuanshi once more before slowly rising. He then saluted Supreme Pure and Upper Pure. "This disciple Yellow Dragon pays respects to Uncle-Master Supreme Pure and Uncle-Master Upper Pure."

Supreme Pure and Tongtian nodded slightly, clearly quite satisfied with this martial nephew.

Now a Saint, Supreme Pure said, "Second Brother, Third Brother, settle the affairs of your respective lineages. Come to my Supreme Pure Palace later, and we shall discuss the matter of the Saints' orthodox path together." With that, he led Xuandu into the Supreme Pure Palace.

Yuanshi told Tongtian to return quickly, then vanished with Yellow Dragon before the Supreme Pure Palace.

Yellow Dragon's vision blurred, and he found himself standing within an enormous hall.

The great hall was empty, save for a meditation cushion at its center and two people standing beside it.

Yuanshi sat upon the cushion. Pointing to one of them, an elderly man with white hair, a youthful face, and a coiling-dragon staff in hand, he said to Yellow Dragon, "This is your senior brother, South Pole." Then he pointed to the other, a sharp-eyed youth dressed in purple eight-trigram immortal robes. "This is your senior brother Guangchengzi. After I enter seclusion, you may seek either of them if you need anything."

Yellow Dragon saluted South Pole Immortal Elder and Guangchengzi in turn. "Yellow Dragon greets Senior Brother South Pole and Senior Brother Guangchengzi."

"South Pole, Guangchengzi, this is the disciple I have just accepted—your junior brother, Yellow Dragon," Yuanshi said, pointing at Yellow Dragon. His voice was calm, yet it reached both of them with perfect clarity.

South Pole Immortal Elder smiled and returned the salute. "I am South Pole. Greetings, Junior Brother Yellow Dragon. Now that we serve beneath the same master, we should look after one another."

Guangchengzi also returned the salute, his gaze carrying scrutiny and curiosity. "Guangchengzi greets Junior Brother. Junior Brother's foundation is solid and his merit profound. His future accomplishments will be without limit." His tone was composed, but his sincere recognition was clear.

Yellow Dragon quickly returned the salute. "Yellow Dragon has only just arrived. I hope for much guidance from my two senior brothers!"

Yuanshi said no more and went straight to the point. "Yellow Dragon, since you have entered my lineage, you must cultivate my Great Dao. This is the general outline of the Primordial Golden Canon. Focus your mind and listen!"

As his words fell, Yuanshi's lips did not move, yet supreme Dao true words resounded directly in the depths of Yellow Dragon's soul!

Every syllable exploded like divine thunder, yet also flowed like a cascading stream of clear light!

Vast, majestic, minute, and profound!

Countless mysteries concerning the "Dao"—expounding the Heavenly Dao, discerning the origins of all things, and the methods for mastering the laws of heaven and earth—transformed into immortal script after immortal script and branded themselves into Yellow Dragon's Primordial Spirit!

Yellow Dragon felt as though his Primordial Spirit had been cast into a furnace scorched by blazing flames!

The Dragon Clan mana he had cultivated within his body began to shudder and boil violently beneath the cleansing torrent of Yuanshi's Dao true words! Thread by thread, his former Dragon Clan mana was stripped away and refined.

In its place, a purer, more condensed Jade Pure mana, more in harmony with the Great Dao of heaven and earth, slowly began to grow and strengthen!

The process was agonizing beyond measure. His mana and Dao, cultivated over hundreds of thousands of years, were being reforged!

But Yellow Dragon gritted his teeth, immersing his mind completely in the torrent of the Great Dao while preserving a sliver of clarity. He circulated the Primordial Golden Canon technique, guiding the transformation of his mana.

He could feel it—his foundation was undergoing an immense transformation! His past accumulation had not vanished; instead, tempered anew by the orthodox Jade Pure Method, it became firmer, more substantial, with even deeper potential! It was like the foundation of a towering building being compacted solid all over again!

Who knew how long passed before the torrent-like true words of the Great Dao gradually subsided. Yellow Dragon's aura rose and fell unstably, at times profound and heavy, at times leaking pure Jade Pure immortal light.

He slowly opened his eyes. Divine light shone within them, clear yet unfathomably deep.

As Yuanshi watched the transformed aura around Yellow Dragon, the satisfaction in his eyes deepened. "The foundation of the Great Dao has been established. Your senior uncle, junior uncle, and I will enter seclusion to contemplate the Great Dao. South Pole."

"This disciple is here," South Pole Immortal Elder answered respectfully.

"Take Yellow Dragon to find a mountain peak in Kunlun. Establish a Daoist sanctuary there, cultivate with single-minded focus, stabilize his foundation, and comprehend the Primordial Golden Canon."

"This disciple shall obey Master's decree." South Pole Immortal Elder accepted the order.

Yuanshi Tianzun's figure had already vanished from the meditation cushion. In an instant, he and Tongtian appeared within the Supreme Pure Palace, and the Three Pure Ones entered seclusion together.