Friend, Please Stay

At this moment, Minghe's eyes had gone red with hatred.

They really didn't give him a damn bit of regard.

Yet he could only swallow this anger in silence and settle the score later.

As for the other great powers, witnessing this scene only worsened their impression of the West. Though all of them were unwilling to accept it, none dared to act presumptuously before the Dao Ancestor.

Seated toward the middle-rear, Yang Xuan took in everything.

Just as he had known in his previous life.

Red Cloud giving up his seat planted the cause of his future deadly tribulation. Zhunti obtaining a seat marked the beginning of the Western Religion's great rise.

He just did not know whether this "nice guy," Red Cloud, would still be able to preserve his life in the future.

His heart remained calm. Those six prayer mats were opportunities, but they were also shackles.

His Dao did not lie upon those prayer mats, but between the myriad heavens and worlds.

Yang Xuan drew a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and turned his gaze toward the figure on the high platform, one that seemed to pierce through heaven and earth.

Seeing that the six had settled into their seats, Hongjun gave a faint nod. Without further words, he began his lecture.

"I have attained the Dao and joined with the Heavenly Dao. Today, I shall expound the Great Dao and point out the path to transcendence for all beings of the Primordial World."

"In the beginning of heaven and earth, chaos first opened. The Great Dao is formless, yet gives birth to heaven and earth. The Great Dao is emotionless, yet governs the sun and moon. The Great Dao is nameless, yet nourishes all things..."

"What I speak of today is the boundless Great Dao of Hunyuan: Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Profound Immortal, Golden Immortal, Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, Quasi-Saint, Saint—each level advancing, each step climbing higher..."

The sound of the Great Dao rang through Purple Cloud Palace like great bells and grand chimes. Golden lotuses blossomed with every word, unfolding into countless manifestations.

Every word transformed into a golden rune that appeared in the void, spun in the air, and entered everyone's brows.

Yang Xuan felt his mind explode with a roar. Countless doubts concerning cultivation melted away beneath the sound of the Dao.

His understanding of the Dao of Creation found confirmation on an even higher plane through Hongjun's explanation.

Days and months flew by; within Purple Cloud Palace, the passage of time was unknown.

Hongjun's exposition began with the most fundamental laws and continued all the way to the secrets of supreme laws and the workings of the Heavenly Dao.

At times, he spoke of pill refinement and artifact forging; at times, of formations and talismans; at times, of the three powers of heaven, earth, and man; at times, of yin and yang and the Five Elements.

The three thousand seekers of the mortal world listened as though intoxicated, comprehending the Great Dao in sudden enlightenment. Some even broke through on the spot.

Of all this, Yang Xuan listened most intently to Dao Ancestor Hongjun's explanation of "Creation."

"The Dao of Creation is not merely the creation of all things. Creation is the beginning of heaven and earth, the mother of all things. Being is born from nonbeing; substance is born from the void.

"At the utmost limit of Creation, being arises from nothingness, and order is established from chaos. Yet Creation also has its end. When things flourish, they grow old; when old, they die; when dead, they return to nothingness.

"This is the cycle of the Great Dao, endlessly giving birth and continuing without cease."

Yang Xuan's heart shook.

Creating being from nonbeing, bringing substance forth from the void—this was the complete face of Creation.

What he had lacked before was precisely this link of "the void giving birth."

The seven-colored power of Creation intertwined with the power of the Three Luminaries, faintly showing signs of evolving to a higher level.

No one knew how many years had passed.

Hongjun's voice of the Dao gradually faded, and silence returned to the great hall.

"The first lecture ends here. In a thousand years, I shall lecture a second time. Return and contemplate well. You may come again then."

With that, Hongjun's figure gradually faded away and vanished into the void.

The three thousand seekers of the mortal world rose one after another. Some left in groups, some sat down where they were to consolidate their cultivation, and others gathered in small clusters to discuss their insights.

Yang Xuan rose and stretched his limbs. Though his cultivation had not broken through, his understanding of the Great Dao was already incomparable to what it had once been.

His early Golden Immortal realm had been completely stabilized, and he had even touched the threshold of the middle Golden Immortal stage.

Just as he was about to leave, Queen Mother of the West appeared before him.

"Fellow Daoist, did you gain anything from listening to the Dao?"

Queen Mother of the West's voice remained gentle, though it carried a touch more warmth than it had on Kunlun Mountain.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior. I have benefited immensely."

Grateful in his heart, Yang Xuan cupped his hands in thanks.

"That is good."

Queen Mother of the West gave a slight nod, then left Purple Cloud Palace and vanished into the depths of chaos.

Yang Xuan cast a glance behind him.

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti stood shoulder to shoulder at the very front, speaking in low voices as though discussing something.

Elsewhere, Dijun gave the six figures a deep look before leaving with his younger brother, Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

Minghe and Kunpeng departed separately in anger, their rage already directed toward the two from the West and Red Cloud.

Just as Yang Xuan was about to leave, Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi approached him.

Red Cloud wore a great crimson Daoist robe. His face was round, his smile kindly, and his entire bearing carried an easygoing air of detachment from worldly strife.

Zhen Yuanzi beside him was entirely different. Dressed in a green robe, his features were lean and refined, with a trace of elegance and composure between his brows. He held an ancient jade casket in his hand. Though it had not been opened, a faint aura of chaos seeped from within.

Yang Xuan's heart stirred.

These two—one was the future master of Five Villages Temple and ancestor of the Earth Immortals, while the other was the Primordial World's famed good man, the future Rogue Cultivator Red Cloud.

When he had read Primordial World webnovels in his previous life, his impression of Red Cloud had been the most complicated.

Because of a single benevolent thought, he had given up a Saint's seat, only to meet the end of body and Dao alike. Even his true spirit had failed to survive.

Now that he saw the man in person, Yang Xuan could not help feeling somewhat moved.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay."

Red Cloud walked over with a cheerful smile and cupped his hands in salute.

"This humble Daoist is Red Cloud, and this is my close friend, Zhen Yuanzi. Earlier, I saw Fellow Daoist conversing quite pleasantly with Queen Mother of the West. I was curious, so I came to disturb you."

Yang Xuan returned the salute, neither servile nor arrogant. "I am Yan Zhen. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Red Cloud and Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi."

Zhen Yuanzi nodded slightly, sweeping his gaze over Yang Xuan as a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

His cultivation was profound, and at a glance, he could tell that Yang Xuan was merely at the early Golden Immortal stage, truly among the lowest-ranked within Purple Cloud Palace.

But what sort of figure was Queen Mother of the West?

She was an innate great deity of the same generation as the Three Pure Ones. Even Dijun and Taiyi had to show her some respect.

Yet when she had spoken to Yang Xuan earlier, her manner had seemed as though she were treating him as an equal Fellow Daoist with whom to discuss the Dao.

This made Zhen Yuanzi suspicious.

He had always been meticulous and thoughtful, unlike Red Cloud's casual nature. Whenever he judged people or matters, he always pondered them three times over.

Red Cloud, however, did not think so much about it. He said frankly, "Fellow Daoist Yan Zhen, when I listened to the Dao earlier, I felt that the aura around you was rather similar to mine. I can't say exactly what it was, but I simply felt... that we were fated."

He scratched his head, smiling with simple honesty.

"I do not have any great ability. My instincts are simply accurate. I first met Zhen Yuanzi because of those instincts too."

Zhen Yuanzi shook his head helplessly, but he did not refute him.

Red Cloud's instincts were indeed very accurate.

Yang Xuan's heart stirred slightly.

Red Cloud saying they were fated was not merely polite small talk.

Yang Xuan cultivated the Dao of Creation. Though Red Cloud had no clearly defined Dao lineage, he had taken form from the first red cloud between heaven and earth. In essence, he had been born from an innate breath of qi and truly possessed countless subtle ties to the Dao of Creation.

Moreover, wasn't the future Red Cloud one of the supreme powers who would take away one of his gourds? How could that not count as fate?

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist."

Yang Xuan smiled faintly. "I am merely a Rogue Cultivator of the Primordial World, unworthy of such regard from Fellow Daoist."

"Worthy, worthy."

Red Cloud waved his hand. "I like the look of you, so I like the look of you. It has nothing to do with cultivation. Oh, right—when you spoke with Queen Mother of the West earlier, she seemed to value you highly. Are you old acquaintances with her?"

Yang Xuan shook his head. "I previously traveled through Kunlun Mountain and was fortunate enough to receive Queen Mother of the West's guidance in discussing the Dao. That counts as forming a small karmic affinity."

Zhen Yuanzi's brow twitched slightly.

Discussing the Dao?

Queen Mother of the West had discussed the Dao with a Golden Immortal?

If those words were spoken aloud, probably few of the great powers in the entire hall would believe them.

What level was Queen Mother of the West?

A peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, of the same generation as the Three Pure Ones.

For her to discuss the Dao with a Golden Immortal was like a great mountain discussing weight with a speck of dust. They were simply not on the same level.

Yet Zhen Yuanzi did not press further.

He could tell that Yang Xuan was not lying, or at least, was not deliberately exaggerating.

Then there was only one possibility.

Queen Mother of the West had seen something in this Golden Immortal that he could not see.

Red Cloud did not have nearly as many thoughts as Zhen Yuanzi. He merely clicked his tongue in wonder.

"To receive Queen Mother of the West's guidance, Fellow Daoist, your blessings and fortune are truly profound. I cultivated on Kunlun Mountain for many years, yet I only ever saw her from afar a few times. I never even managed to exchange more than a few words with her."

Red Cloud had cultivated on Kunlun Mountain?

Yang Xuan's heart stirred.

This was a detail he had never noticed in his memories of his previous life.

But upon further thought—

Red Cloud had taken form from the first red cloud between heaven and earth. Clouds had no roots and made the four seas their home.

Wherever spiritual qi was abundant, they would go. It was only natural that he had cultivated on Kunlun Mountain.