Three Trials

Upon the high platform, three figures had appeared at some unknown moment.

Without a word being spoken, every living being in the square felt reverence rise in their hearts and bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Supreme Pure Sage, Eldest Uncle-Master!"

"Greetings, Jade Pure Sage, Master!"

"Greetings, Upper Pure Sage, Uncle-Master!"

The Three Pure Sages gave slight nods in acknowledgment.

The Jade Pure Sage's cold gaze swept over those below, lingering for an extra instant upon Di Jun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, and the others.

Di Jun and Taiyi suddenly felt the pressure upon them multiply. In an instant, they sensed a great terror looming above their heads, and their expressions changed drastically once more. Cold sweat even seeped down their cheeks. They hurriedly lowered their heads further, humiliation surging in their hearts—yet they did not dare reveal the slightest trace of it, only burying it deeper within.

Yuanshi said nothing more. With a gentle wave of the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi in his hand—

In an instant, heaven and earth shifted, and the cosmos turned upside down!

All the innate sacred beings present felt their vision blur, and the scene around them had already changed completely!

Yellow Dragon looked out and saw grayness stretching in every direction, while the sun, moon, and stars lay beneath his feet. Strands of Great Dao laws collided in the void, and countless Great Dao runes were born only to perish.

The three masters sat high upon cloud couches, with laws evolving all manner of phenomena around them.

Behind Eldest Uncle-Master, the yin-yang Supreme Ultimate Diagram revolved without end. Behind his master, a banner tore open Chaos. Behind Uncle-Master Tongtian, four Immortal-Slaying Swords cleaved through countless worlds!

Prayer mats condensed from wisps of Dao intent slowly appeared beneath the feet of the innate sacred beings.

Without needing words, everyone understood and took their seats.

Once they had all settled down, the entire space fell silent.

The Supreme Ultimate Diagram behind the Supreme Pure Sage burst forth, evolving Great Dao phenomena. Though the Supreme Pure Sage did not seem to open his mouth, a voice resounded within everyone's hearts.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao... Mysterious and ever more mysterious, the gateway to all wonders."

The innate sacred beings below listened as though intoxicated. Some furrowed their brows, some smiled, some suddenly understood; their expressions varied, but all were immersed in the Dao.

As the Supreme Pure Sage's voice faded and the phenomena had barely dispersed, the Jade Pure Sage's voice followed into their ears. Majestic and imposing, it directly expounded the origins of heaven, earth, and all things!

When the Jade Pure Sage finished speaking, the Upper Pure Sage laughed aloud. The longsword behind him gave a shrill cry, intercepting the sole chance within all things.

"The Great Dao has fifty; Heaven unfolds forty-nine, while man escapes into the one! All things possess a spark of life, and even the Heavenly Dao is incomplete. Thus, one must seize that sliver of opportunity and strive to cross to the other shore..."

The Dao of "Interception" seized the creations of heaven and earth, fighting for that single thread of opportunity for all living beings.

The Great Daos of the Three Pure Sages differed greatly, each being the Dao by which one of the Three Pure had attained sainthood.

Yellow Dragon sat upright upon his prayer mat, holding his breath and focusing his mind as he stuffed leaf after leaf of Dao Enlightenment Tea into his mouth. Yet the Great Dao the Three Pure were now expounding was utterly incomprehensible to a mere Golden Immortal like him; he could not even remember it. In the end, he could only consume tea and comprehend the faint traces of scattered Dao intent.

That day, the sound of the sages expounding the Dao gradually faded, and the various phenomena they had evolved returned to calm.

"Little fellow, it is time to wake up!"

Yellow Dragon, who had unknowingly fallen asleep, shuddered at the thunderous voice and instantly woke. Azure Dragon Patriarch stood before him, smiling at him with narrowed eyes.

Yellow Dragon suddenly noticed how abnormally quiet it was around him. Looking about, he found that they had already returned to the square of Three Purities Peak, while the innate sacred beings had long since vanished without a trace.

Upon the platform, the three masters had their eyes closed, their spirits roaming the Great Void.

The only ones awake in the square were Nanji, Azure Dragon Patriarch, and Yellow Dragon, whom Azure Dragon had awakened. The remaining disciples of the Three Pure and the Dragon Race were all asleep.

Azure Dragon took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and slowly led Yellow Dragon before the Three Pure.

The Three Pure all opened their eyes and looked at Azure Dragon. Yuanshi spoke, "Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon, you have not departed. Is there something you wish to say?"

Azure Dragon first bowed to the Three Pure, then said, "The three sages have established the Three Teachings and opened their gates wide. Azure Dragon has presumptuously remained behind, wishing to seek a chance for the Dragon Race's younger generation to take you as masters."

At this moment, the Upper Pure Sage at the side spoke. "Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon, if your Dragon Race has any juniors like Yellow Dragon, free of karmic sin and bearing merit, they may enter directly under my sect."

Azure Dragon shook his head helplessly. "The Dragon Race is now wholly burdened by karmic transgressions. As for merit, not a single member of the entire Dragon Race possesses any."

Seeing the bitter expression on Azure Dragon's face, the Jade Pure Sage said, "Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon, you and I have known each other for hundreds of millions of years. I know the plight of your Dragon Race. By taking in Yellow Dragon, the karma between you and me has already been settled."

Yellow Dragon suddenly stepped forward from behind Azure Dragon, knelt before the Jade Pure Sage, and pleaded, "Master, this disciple knows it is impossible to ask Master and Uncle-Master to directly accept the Dragon Race's juniors into your sects. But this disciple was born of the Dragon Race. I still wish to beg Master and Uncle-Master to grant the Dragon Race's younger generation a chance equal to that of other innate beings."

Hearing his disciple plead, the Jade Pure Sage pondered for a moment, then sighed. "You foolish child!"

After a brief pause, Yuanshi said to Azure Dragon and the kneeling Yellow Dragon, "It is not that I cannot grant the Dragon Race's younger generation a chance. However, the threshold of a sage's sect is not easily crossed."

"Any junior of the Dragon Race may participate in the trials we establish. Those who pass two trials may enter under my sect."

"Whether one can become my disciple depends entirely on one's own fortune."

Yellow Dragon looked again toward the Upper Pure Sage.

Seeing Yellow Dragon's pleading gaze, the Upper Pure Sage also nodded and said to Azure Dragon, "I intercept a thread of life for all spirits; the Dragon Race is no exception. My requirement will be simpler. Those who pass one trial may enter under my sect and cultivate my Great Dao."

Azure Dragon knew full well that this was already an immense grace the sages had bestowed upon the Dragon Race. He said to the Jade Pure Sage and Upper Pure Sage, "Many thanks to the two sages!" He then gave Yellow Dragon a few more instructions before taking the still-sleeping Dragon Race members and transforming into an azure dragon shadow that tore through the clouds and departed.

The Supreme Pure Sage, who had been roaming the Great Void with his spirit, slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the Jade Pure Sage and Upper Pure Sage beside him. "Since you two junior brothers have reached a decision, let us establish three trials. Those who pass may inherit our Great Dao and enlighten all spirits!"

The three sages then rose, awakened their sleeping disciples, and vanished from where they stood amid shifting light and shadow. They reappeared with everyone before towering stone pillars inscribed with endless, profound runes.

In Yellow Dragon's eyes, the Upper Pure Sage formed a sword with his fingers and wove them back and forth through the void.

In but a moment, Dao patterns spread and laws intertwined. A grand formation enveloped the mountain gate, giving rise to a world within that spawned countless illusions. Within were myriad spiritual treasures and spiritual roots, but also inner demons that bewildered the mind and layers upon layers of temptation. Yet it also contained a thread of supremely pure Dao intent. Every one who passed the trial would receive a wisp of Dao intent left behind by a sage, tempering their mind and spirit.

"This first trial tests one's Dao Heart! Those whose Dao Hearts are unsteady and whose Dao thoughts are impure will find it difficult to pass this trial!"

Jade Pure then flicked the Jade Ruyi. Jade-green radiance spilled forth, gathering beyond the formation into a long flight of jade steps that led straight to the mountain gate.

"This second trial scrutinizes one's foundations and examines one's karmic fortune! Those with shallow innate gifts and scant fortune will find every step difficult."

Finally, Supreme Pure swept his whisk, and an image of the Supreme Ultimate Diagram flew beyond the jade steps, evolving into ten thousand Dao.

"This third trial tests one's temperament! Those without an extraordinary disposition, unable to resonate with the Great Dao, will be unable to comprehend this diagram."