Just as Xiao Kuang was scratching his head over "lesson preparation" for ten thousand years later, even considering whether he should fake an illness and ask for leave, Heavenly Dao's will descended once more, filled with extreme reluctance yet unable to do otherwise.
[Acting Agent Xiao Kuang, there are seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi here. They are the foundation of Heavenly Dao and the basis for becoming a Saint, of utmost importance.] Heavenly Dao's tone was unprecedentedly grave, even carrying a trace of heartache. [They are now entrusted to your care. After the third lecture is complete, they must be bestowed according to fate upon the six destined Saints and... Hong Yun.]
As Heavenly Dao spoke, seven streams of purple mist, profoundly mysterious and containing endless creation and the origins of laws, slowly appeared before Xiao Kuang like living spirits. The moment they emerged, the Great Dao laws throughout Purple Sky Palace resonated with them. The rare birds and strange beasts in the backyard zoo let out uneasy cries, while even the Chaos Qi Flow seemed to become much gentler.
Xiao Kuang had been frowning at a charred Chaos Chicken Wing when the seven sudden purple lights startled him. Curious, he reached out and poked one strand of Primordial Violet Qi. It slipped over his fingertips like silk, bringing a warm yet vast sensation.
"Primordial Violet Qi? This?" Xiao Kuang curled his lip. "It doesn't even look as appetizing as my grilled chicken wings. Wait—" He suddenly came to his senses and widened his eyes. "The second lecture hasn't even started yet! The third lecture is even further away! Why are you giving me this thing now? Are you asking me to hatch eggs for you?"
He looked utterly disgusted, as though he had received a hot potato. "Besides, such an important thing is being kept with me. What if it gets lost, damaged, or I accidentally grill it and eat it? Don't blame me then! I'm always losing things and forgetting stuff. I can't take responsibility for this!"
Heavenly Dao: [...(((;￢＿￢)))...] It felt as though its core code had been viciously tugged again! This bastard! The Primordial Violet Qi that all beings in the Primordial Chaos dreamed of obtaining, that even Saints would fight over, had become "less appetizing than grilled chicken wings" in his mouth? And he was worried he might grill and eat it?!
Heavenly Dao forcibly suppressed the urge to explode again and explained with nearly gritted-teeth patience: [Primordial Violet Qi is no trivial matter. One cannot simply take it out and use it to become a Saint. It must be placed in a suitable location beforehand, where it can absorb the spiritual essence of the Primordial Chaos and be nurtured and harmonized until it completely aligns with the Heavenly Dao of the Primordial Chaos. If it is only taken out during the third lecture, the violet qi will clash with the laws outside. If the destined Saints merge with it in haste, their foundations will be unstable. At best, their Saint positions will be flawed; at worst, it will trigger a backlash from Heavenly Dao and bring disaster upon the Primordial Chaos!]
It paused before continuing: [Purple Sky Palace is where Heavenly Dao manifests. As one who has undergone Dao Integration, the Dao aura surrounding you is best suited to nurture this item. Entrusting it to you until the three lectures are complete is the safest method. This is destiny. You may not refuse!]
Heavenly Dao felt that it had already made everything perfectly clear. This salted fish should understand the severity of the matter now, right?
After listening, Xiao Kuang blinked and wore an enlightened expression. "Oh~~ I get it! It's like pickling vegetables. You have to take them out early and let them air out, so they'll soak up the flavor before you can eat them, right? You should've said so earlier!"
Heavenly Dao: [...(Code violently fluctuating)] Pickling vegetables?! Primordial Violet Qi?! It could not even be bothered to correct him anymore. As long as this bastard understood its importance, that was enough.
"Fine, fine, leave it with me." Xiao Kuang reluctantly agreed. He reached out and grabbed the seven wandering strands of Primordial Violet Qi as though grabbing a handful of purple glow sticks. "I'll find a good place... hmm... to keep them properly."
Seeing that its objective had been achieved, Heavenly Dao could only conceal itself for the time being despite being extremely uneasy, watching in secret. It kept reassuring itself: Purple Sky Palace was absolutely safe. No matter how much of a bastard this salted fish was, he would not take the foundation of Sainthood and mess around with it, would he?
However, Heavenly Dao was still far too naive.
Xiao Kuang pinched the seven warm, soft, self-moving strands of Primordial Violet Qi and weighed them in his hand a few times. Other than glowing, this thing did not seem particularly special.
"Keep them properly? Where should I put them?" He looked around and saw the mountain-like piles of "tribute" in the hall. He felt it would be too degrading to put them together with that junk. Then he looked toward the backyard zoo, but worried some clueless spirit beast might carry them off.
Just as he was worrying over it, he looked up and happened to see Xi He and Chang Xi walking over with freshly brewed tea made from stolen innate spiritual-root tea leaves.
Xiao Kuang's eyes instantly lit up!
"Right! Girls are more thoughtful. It'd be perfect to let them keep an eye on these!"
He immediately went over with a grin. Under Xi He and Chang Xi's puzzled gazes, he casually stuffed the seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi—which countless great powers of the Primordial Chaos would fight to the death for—into their hands as though handing out candy.
"Come, come, Miss Xi He, little sister Chang Xi, here's something fun for you!" Without giving them any choice, he stuffed three strands into Xi He's hands and four into Chang Xi's. "This is called Primordial Violet Qi. I heard it's pretty valuable, so go play with it! If it looks nice, use it for lighting, braid it into a bracelet, or use it as a scarf or something! Just help me watch it and don't lose it!"
Xi He: "???" Chang Xi: "!!!"
The two Lunar Goddesses stared at the gentle, drifting purple qi in their hands, radiating supreme Dao aura. Feeling the vast power and opportunity for Sainthood within that could drive any Quasi-Saint mad, they completely froze!
Primordial... Primordial Violet Qi?! The foundation of Sainthood?! He had just... casually stuffed it into their hands?! And told them to use it for lighting? Braid bracelets? Wear it as scarves?!
This was no longer mere wastefulness! This was pinning Heavenly Dao to the ground and rubbing it with Primordial Violet Qi!
Xi He's hands trembled. She nearly failed to hold onto the three strands of violet qi that could bring about a catastrophe in the Primordial Chaos, and even her voice changed pitch. "Xiao... Xiao Kuang! Do... do you know what this is?! How can you... how can you treat it so frivolously?!"
Chang Xi's little face turned deathly pale in fright, as though she were holding seven scorching suns. "Take it back! Take it back! The karmic burden is too great! We can't bear it!"
"Oh, what are you afraid of?" Xiao Kuang waved dismissively. "They're just a few streams of qi, not some treasure! If I said you can play with them, then play with them! If they get lost, it's on me!... Uh, forget that. Better not lose them. That old Heavenly Dao guy will nag me to death. Anyway, just keep an eye on them for me!"
After saying that, he walked off whistling, as though he had shaken off some huge problem, and returned to studying his grilled chicken wings.
Only Xi He and Chang Xi remained where they stood, holding the supreme opportunity of the Primordial Chaos. They did not dare throw it away, nor did they dare keep holding it. They were nearly driven mad!
They looked at the dreamlike purple qi in each other's hands, then at that heartless retreating figure, feeling their Dao hearts tremble as their entire understanding of the world suffered an unprecedented shock.
And Heavenly Dao, hidden in the shadows...
Heavenly Dao no longer even had the strength to rage.
It "watched" as the seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi were stuffed into the maidens' hands like toys and "heard" Xiao Kuang's demonic remarks about using them for lighting and braiding bracelets...
Deep within Heavenly Dao's core, there was only dead silence.
It was as though all code had stopped running and all logic had dissolved into nothingness.
All that remained was a profound, bone-deep feeling of helplessness and absurdity that even anger could not describe.
It began seriously contemplating a philosophical question: How... had it chosen this salted fish in the first place? Was it... too late to return him now?
Zzz... (System core temperature too low... suspected entry into a frozen state... applying for permanent hibernation... denied... continuing surveillance... recording... current use of Primordial Violet Qi: toys...)
Before you continue