Yellow Dragon's eyes lit up. The innate mysterious yellow energy refined from the Mysterious Yellow Stone could not only help temper his body, but also be absorbed into the Mysterious Yellow World Pearl to strengthen its world origin.
"Generous of you, Senior Brother! It's a trade!" With a flick of his finger, he sent a jar of wine flying steadily toward Duobao.
"Straight to the point, Junior Brother!" Duobao was delighted. The Mysterious Yellow Stone was left over from his cultivation, and he no longer needed it. He swept the jar of Blood Jujube Wine into his sleeve as the stone flew toward Yellow Dragon. They exchanged a glance, each feeling he had gotten the better deal.
Before anyone else could speak,
Duobao opened his palm with a snap. Three grains of sand, glowing faintly purple, appeared in his hand. Each seemed to hold a miniature starry sky, its starlight dazzling. "Essence condensed from the power of the Zhou Tian Stars! I'll trade these for three tea leaves!"
Duobao really did live up to his name: he had treasures to spare!
Yellow Dragon swallowed as he looked at the Zhou Tian Star Sand Duobao had produced so casually. "Senior Brother Duobao, that's too much. Your Zhou Tian Star Sand is worth far more than the Dao Enlightenment Tea. But I do happen to need it, so I'll trade you ten leaves for the sand."
Yellow Dragon handed Duobao a jade box containing ten leaves of Dao Enlightenment Tea.
"No need to be so polite, Junior Brother," Duobao said, unconcerned. He took the jade box and tossed Yellow Dragon the Star Sand.
Watching them finish their trade, Golden Spirit waved a hand. A piece of crimson metal floated into the air. She fixed her gaze on Yellow Dragon and said in a clear voice, "Red Copper Ore Mother. Bury it in the Earth Veins of your training ground, and it can give rise to an innate red copper vein. I'll trade it for ten leaves of Dao Enlightenment Tea."
Without a second thought, Yellow Dragon sent a jade box flying straight to Golden Spirit.
Yellow Dragon traded another ten tea leaves to South Pole Immortal Elder for a section of dead tree root that looked like charcoal. It must once have been an Innate Spiritual Root, though no one knew why only a root with a trace of life remained. Even South Pole Immortal Elder, with his Great Dao of Longevity, had been unable to revive it.
Xuandu and Guangchengzi did not trade anything with Yellow Dragon.
Once everyone had finished trading,
Xuandu rose and bowed to the others. "I've gained a great deal from this Dao discussion. My thanks to all my senior brothers."
"Why don't we agree to hold one regularly? We could compare our understanding of the Great Dao, spur one another onward, and trade for things we need."
Duobao nodded in approval and turned to Nanji and the others. "That would work. Why don't we disciples of the Three Pure Ones agree to hold a Dao discussion every thousand years? We can take turns hosting. In a thousand years, I'll welcome you all to my training ground."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"Agreed!"
"Excellent!"
"That's how it should be!"
"I'm in!"
"Moo!"
Cheers rang out. Even the Azure Ox, still lying on the ground, voiced his approval.
South Pole Immortal Elder nodded with a smile. "Then it's settled. Once every thousand years, with Duobao hosting next. We can decide whose turn follows after the discussion at Junior Brother Duobao's training ground."
No one objected. A thousand years was not long for Golden Immortals like them—enough time to digest what they had gained and prepare for the next gathering. Among these core disciples of the Three Pure Ones, an unspoken understanding became a firm agreement.
The rosy light faded, and the great sun cast long shadows across Jade Pillar Mountain. South Pole Immortal Elder stood. "We've all gained much from this Dao discussion. It's been a success. May your cultivation advance, and may you reach the Taiyi realm soon!"
Everyone rose, cupped their fists toward Nanji, and said in unison, "Thank you, Senior Brother Nanji."
"Until we meet again in a thousand years, fellow Daoists!" South Pole Immortal Elder called. He swept his Coiling Dragon Staff through the air to see them off.
"No need to see us out, Brother!"
"Until next time, Senior Brother Nanji!"
Xuandu climbed onto the Azure Ox's broad back and patted him. "Moo!" With a low bellow, the Azure Ox stepped into the air and carried Xuandu skyward first, vanishing in a streak of blue light.
Guangchengzi nodded to everyone, then flashed away and disappeared. Duobao left with Golden Spirit. Treasure light flared around him, enveloping them both before they sped toward the depths of Kunlun Mountain as a dense yellow beam.
Yellow Dragon was the last to leave. He cupped his fists toward South Pole Immortal Elder, summoned an Auspicious Cloud, and flew into the clouds on the horizon.
In the Primordial World, the years passed uncounted.
In Yellow Dragon's courtyard within the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven, dense Innate Spiritual Energy gathered into a vast vortex overhead. At its center, Yellow Dragon sat cross-legged beside the Enlightenment Tea Tree, his eyes shut tight.
Hummm—!
A deep, immense vibration rang out. It was not that the sound was loud—the entire grotto space was trembling! The enormous vortex of spiritual energy suddenly spun faster, then collapsed toward its center and was swallowed by Yellow Dragon. His aura surged, and a far more powerful presence spread outward!
Yellow Dragon's eyes snapped open!
Mid-stage Golden Immortal!
After the Dao discussion ended, Yellow Dragon had spent several hundred years in seclusion before fully absorbing what he had learned. His cultivation had broken through to the middle stage of Golden Immortal.
In the Primordial World, the years passed uncounted, and a thousand years slipped quietly by.
The doors of the Supreme Pure Palace, shut for a thousand years, swung open with a boom. Three figures slowly emerged.
Yuanshi, standing on the right, glanced at Laozi and Tongtian. Then he took a single step and appeared high above Kunlun Mountain.
His expression was solemn as he looked out over the boundless lands of the Primordial World. He raised a hand, and the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi appeared in his palm. A profound aura spread from Kunlun across the Primordial World!
He spoke. His voice was not loud, yet every living being in the Primordial World heard it:
"Heavenly Dao above! I am of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi of the Jade Pure! The beings of the Primordial World do not cultivate the Great Dao, know nothing of heaven's order, and fail to understand the laws of heaven and earth! In accordance with the Heavenly Dao, I shall found a sect named 'Elucidation' to explain the workings of heaven and earth to all living beings! I shall take the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi as the treasure that bears witness to my attainment of the Dao, and use the Pangu Banner, the supreme treasure of creation, to secure the sect's fortune!"
"The Sect of Elucidation is founded!"
At the final word, a peal of thunder crashed across the nine heavens!
Boom—!
High above, the winds and clouds changed!
Boundless golden Merit, brilliant enough to hurt the eyes, poured down from the highest heavens like a river bursting its banks. Merit Golden Light engulfed Kunlun Mountain in an instant, staining half the sky of the Primordial World gold.
At the same time, an even vaster, weightier aura of Merit burst from Yuanshi's body. It was the Merit Great God Pangu had left behind when he opened the heavens!
The Merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao mingled with the Merit within him.
A profound wisp of purple energy—Primordial Violet Qi—flew from Yuanshi's body and became a bridge linking him to the origin of heaven and earth.
Complete laws of that origin appeared before him, surging and rearranging themselves for him to comprehend and command!
Beside him, the Pangu Banner stirred on its own. Currents of Chaos rolled across its surface, faintly revealing the creation of heaven and earth as it resonated with Yuanshi's Great Dao.
"I, Yuanshi of the Jade Pure, attain the Dao of a Sage today!"
No one knew how long it was before the dazzling golden light slowly faded. Yuanshi stood in the void, his aura utterly transformed. He was still himself, yet he seemed to have become the laws of heaven and earth. A will beyond all things, eternal and indestructible, radiated from him.
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