Laozi's Teaching Met Resistance; Lu Chen Borrowed the Jade Disc of Creation

"What business brings this immortal to visit?"

Gu Chen wore a black, long-sleeved fitted outfit. Lu Chen had modified it based on the training clothes from his previous life. Since there was no cloth in the Primordial World, it had all been woven from silkworm silk. Gu Chen possessed the only garment of its kind.

Although the Human Race now had a method of cultivation, it was Martial Dao rather than the immortal path. The Fleshly Secret Realm was precisely the stage that required vast quantities of qi and blood for nourishment.

Therefore, Human Race martial artists could not fast and had to eat and drink.

Martial artists likewise lacked the immortal techniques that could conjure physical objects, so they also needed clothing to cover and shield their bodies.

Likewise, because the coastal region was flatland located in the buffer zone between the Dragon Clan and Witch Clan, its territory was somewhat sensitive. There were not many mountains for the Human Race to excavate and turn into cave dwellings.

Thus, they imitated cave dwellings and built thatched huts like Lu Chen's.

The ones who invented these three things were Fire-Driller, Nest-Builder, and Life-Knower.

The three of them were likewise among the first three thousand innate humans created by Nuwa.

Having created these three things that would have broad and far-reaching effects on the future of the Human Race, they were also revered by the other humans as ancestors. They were known as the Three Civilizational Ancestors, symbolizing the forebears who had made outstanding contributions to the development of Human Race civilization.

They stood alongside Gu Chen, the Martial Ancestor, in fame.

That spark of fire, a hemp garment, and a thatched hut were all nourished by merit and transformed into merit treasures.

The Human Race's fortune rose with the tide, growing even denser.

"The Dao Ancestor expounded the immortal path in the Primordial World, yet you did not follow that path and instead established Martial Dao. I wish to see what your Martial Dao is truly like."

The old man's expression was calm, but his words carried a trace of arrogance and indifference.

This man has come with ill intent. He is likely one of the mighty figures Father spoke of, but I do not know whether he comes from the Demon Race or is a Rogue Cultivator.

Hearing this, Gu Chen sensed not the slightest aura from the old man, who seemed like nothing more than an utterly ordinary elder. A thread of vigilance rose in his heart.

Father had briefly told him about the major powers of the Primordial World and had also said that the Human Race was nothing but the lowest little fry in this world.

Yet though the Human Race stood at the bottom, he believed it was only because they had only just been born. Given enough time, he was confident the Human Race would not be inferior to the witches or demons.

"Martial Dao is merely a minor path I created for the Human Race to strengthen their bodies. Compared to the immortal path expounded by the Dao Ancestor, it is no different from a grain of rice beneath the blazing sun—hardly worth mentioning."

Gu Chen spoke humbly, even somewhat disparagingly of himself.

There was no helping it. The Human Race's foundation was currently weak. Though he was the Martial Ancestor, he had only reached Marrow Cleansing, corresponding to the Golden Immortal realm in the Primordial World.

When one was weak, the only option was to play the grandson. Father had once told them, a gentleman taking revenge ten yuanhui later was not too late.

When weak, one could appropriately make oneself softer and smoother around the edges.

"I have been among your Human Race for some time. Though Martial Dao is easy to enter, advancement in cultivation requires vast years of tempering, and its increase to lifespan is not particularly significant. I wish to spread the immortal path among your Human Race. Those who enter the immortal path shall enjoy unbroken blessings and longevity. Are you willing?"

The old man nodded, seemingly believing Gu Chen's humble words, and spoke slowly.

Seeing the old man's lofty manner, as though passing his immortal path to the Human Race was an act of charity, Gu Chen could not help but feel a flicker of anger rise within him.

This bull-nosed old Daoist is truly shameless.

Gu Chen took out a rune stone and held it in his hand.

"Thank you for your generous favor, Immortal. Our Human Race is lowly, and the immortal path is beyond our reach. Of course, that is only my personal view. If Immortal wishes to spread the immortal path among the Human Race, I will not obstruct you."

"..."

The old man's expression darkened, and a chill surfaced in his eyes.

Naturally, he had tried what Gu Chen said. Yet all along the way, even Human Race children had shown no interest in his immortal path and had rushed headlong toward Martial Dao.

They had even said that the immortal path was nowhere near as suitable for Human Race cultivation as the Martial Dao created by their Martial Ancestor. They had even tried to pull him into practicing Martial Dao with them.

Though their words made perfect sense, the old man could not endure it. Countless beings in the vast Primordial World wished to hear him preach, yet when he had personally offered to teach the Human Race, he had actually been rejected.

The old man's cold gaze flickered slightly.

Should I force the matter?

No. Nuwa stood behind the Human Race. If he acted against them, he might provoke Nuwa's wrath. Should he anger Nuwa, banishing him from the Human Race would be no more than a single sentence from her.

After all, Nuwa was the Human Race's creator and Holy Mother. Her words carried such power.

"Do you know Fuxi's whereabouts?"

The old man abandoned the thought of acting, yet still asked somewhat unwillingly.

As for seeking Nuwa, he did not dare. What he was doing amounted to dividing her fruit, so he could only act in secret.

Since approaching through the Human Race would not work, and the path through the Holy Mother could not be taken, only the Holy Father remained.

When he had divined the Human Race, he had calculated the existence of their Holy Father, yet he had not discovered who that Holy Father was.

If he could not calculate it, then that person's skill in divination must be roughly comparable to his own, capable of concealing the heavenly secrets.

Moreover, that person's relationship with Nuwa must be exceptionally close. Otherwise, why would Nuwa permit someone else to divide the Human Race's fortune?

He guessed that person was likely Fuxi!

In terms of relationship, Fuxi was Nuwa's elder brother. Being called the Human Race's Holy Father was not excessive; indeed, it was only natural.

In terms of cultivation, while he was stronger than Fuxi, Fuxi was proficient in divination and had sufficient methods to conceal the heavenly secrets and prevent him from making calculations.

Thus, at this moment, the old man firmly believed that Fuxi was the Human Race's Holy Father!

"?"

A puzzled look appeared on Gu Chen's face.

Who was Fuxi?

He did not know!

Since the old man could speak that name, they must know each other. If they knew each other, why had he come to ask Gu Chen?

"I do not know."

Gu Chen honestly shook his head.

Seeing that Gu Chen truly did not know, the old man did not make things difficult for him and turned to leave.

After seeing the old man depart, Gu Chen carefully sensed his surroundings before hurrying toward Lu Chen's secluded residence.

"You mean an old man with extremely high cultivation came to find you, wanted to preach to the Human Race, and after you refused him, asked you about Fuxi's whereabouts?"

A surprised look appeared on Lu Chen's face.

If he had guessed correctly, the old man Gu Chen spoke of should be his senior uncle Laozi. After all, Laozi had preached among the Human Race and established the Human Cult to become a Sage.

But why had he not sought Lu Chen? Why had he gone to find Fuxi instead?

Could Senior Uncle think Fuxi is the Human Race's Holy Father?

Lu Chen secretly guessed. The more he thought about it, the closer he felt he was to the truth.

A look of astonished amusement involuntarily appeared on his face.

Seeing Lu Chen suddenly smile, Gu Chen asked in confusion, "Holy Father, could that old man be harmful to our Human Race?"

"He truly brings no good to the Human Race."

Though Laozi was his senior uncle, Lu Chen had no intention of speaking well of him before Gu Chen.

Before becoming Sages, everyone was beloved kin and close friends. After becoming Sages, for the struggle over lineages, even blood brothers could raise the butcher's blade and scheme against one another in the shadows.

Furthermore, Laozi's intentions were impure to begin with. There had been rumors in Lu Chen's previous life that, because Laozi had awakened first, he had secretly taken a thread each of Yuanshi's and Tongtian's origin essence to cultivate One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones.

Whether it was true could not be verified, but his senior uncle was indeed a ruthless man with a kindly face and a black heart.

"You need not interfere in this matter. Let nature take its course."

Lu Chen spoke slowly.

Lu Chen had never considered deliberately obstructing Laozi's path to Sainthood. Laozi's Sainthood, together with the Sainthood of the Three Pure Ones, was a great trend promoted by the Primordial World itself. At most, it could be delayed; Laozi's opportunity to become a Sage could never be severed.

With World-Opening Merit as his foundation, as long as it was drawn out from the depths of his Primordial Spirit, he could rely on that immense merit to become a merit Sage in an instant.

Besides, Laozi was still his senior uncle. Laozi had once taught him the Dao of alchemy and had bestowed upon him the grace of teaching. Lu Chen could not bring himself to repay virtue with resentment.

"Understood."

Gu Chen nodded and turned to leave.

After Gu Chen departed, Lu Chen's figure became illusory before ultimately turning into a wisp of immortal qi and dispersing between heaven and earth.

Riding the clouds, he raced back toward Kunlun Mountain at full speed. Laozi had already reached the Human Race, and Sainthood was within arm's reach. He needed to deliver the Jade Disc of Creation to Tongtian and use its power to help Tongtian swiftly comprehend the complete Sword Dao, proving Grand Primordial Luo through the power of the sword.

Otherwise, by then, two of the Three Pure Ones would have become Sages, and those two shameless figures in the West would have also become Sages, while Tongtian alone remained short of Sainthood. Then they would return to the old days, when everyone else was a Quasi-Saint while Tongtian alone was a Great Luo.

No, it was different from that.

When Tongtian had been a Great Luo, Yuanshi and Laozi had merely been Quasi-Saints, and only the few of them had lived on Kunlun Mountain. But becoming a Sage was entirely different. Becoming a Sage meant establishing a lineage and accepting disciples, and afterward Kunlun Mountain would grow crowded with people.

If Tongtian still possessed only the strength of a Primordial Golden Immortal by then, those of them who were his disciples would inevitably have to bow their heads before others.

He did not want someone to point at his nose and call him a scaled-and-horned creature, only for him to swallow his anger out of fear of a Sage's might.

Lu Chen returned to Kunlun Mountain. Before he could even go to Three Pure Ones Hall, Tongtian, dressed in green robes with his hands behind his back, appeared atop Kunlun Mountain, standing upon the void as though he had known Lu Chen would return and had come specifically to welcome him.

"Disciple greets Master."

Lu Chen cupped his hands and bowed.

"You have played enough. Now that you are back, cultivate in peace. If you calm your heart and comprehend the Great Dao, it is not impossible for you to make further progress."

Tongtian smiled as he spoke slowly.

"Mm."

Lu Chen nodded. Sensing the terrifying sword pressure that occasionally emanated from Tongtian's body—hundreds or thousands of times more frightening than when he had last seen him—he was secretly shocked and asked aloud.

"Master, could it be that you..."

"No."

Tongtian shook his head.

"How difficult is it to take that step? Even Great God Pangu failed to achieve it back then. How could I do so so easily? At present, I have only taken half a step..."

Looking at Tongtian's seemingly melancholy yet secretly smiling expression, Lu Chen felt that Tongtian simply wanted to show off before his disciple.

But he had no proof.

Great God Pangu proved the Great Dao. You are only proving Grand Primordial Luo—how can you compare yourself to him...

Hearing Lu Chen's inward complaint, the melancholy Tongtian had deliberately displayed cracked slightly. He dearly wished to step forward, seize Lu Chen by the collar, and demand, "Will it kill you to praise your master once?!"

"Master, I have something here that may help you take that step."

The melancholy on Tongtian's face was instantly replaced by shock. With one step, he appeared at Lu Chen's side and asked excitedly, "Is what you say true?!"

"Of course it is true!"

Seeing Tongtian's excited appearance, Lu Chen found nothing strange about it. After all, this concerned proving the Dao; no matter how exaggerated one's reaction might be, it would not be surprising. Yet he sighed faintly in his heart.

Fortunately, after arriving in the Primordial World, he had never developed the feeling that he alone was heaven and earth's protagonist. Otherwise, seeing his master like this might have shattered his Dao Heart. Compared to him, Tongtian seemed much more like the protagonist.

Tongtian had not taken a single step onto the path of Three Corpses Severance, yet had entered the Primordial Golden Immortal realm through his own strength. Then, when his cultivation reached a bottleneck, the Dao Ancestor had personally entered the scene and, through Lu Chen's hand, sent him the Jade Disc of Creation containing the Sword Dao.

Was this not precisely the protagonist's routine?

"Come with me!"

Tongtian quickly recovered from his excitement and took Lu Chen to a newly created cave dwelling. It was extremely simple. There was not even a complete jade bed, while the walls were covered in mottled sword scars containing dense Sword Qi and profound sword intent.

The instant Lu Chen entered, it was as if his body had been surrounded by Sword Qi. He could clearly feel its sharp edge.

Lu Chen looked at Tongtian in confusion. "Master, this place is...?"

"This is where I usually practice swordsmanship."

Tongtian casually sat on the ground.

"What is the item you spoke of?"

Lu Chen summoned the Jade Disc of Creation from within his spiritual platform.

"I never expected you to possess such a fortuitous opportunity!"

The moment Tongtian saw the object above Lu Chen's head, he recognized the Jade Disc of Creation. Shock and envy appeared on his face as he sighed.

"I have many magic treasures here, Master. See which one you fancy. Or take them all—I can give them all to you."

Tongtian did not immediately take the Jade Disc of Creation. Instead, with a sweep of his sleeve, many magic treasures floated into the air.

Lu Chen glanced at the lights radiating from the magic treasures.

"Purple-Electric Hammer, Primordial Golden Dipper, Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls..."

Without exception, these were all top-grade innate spirit treasures. Aside from the Green Duckweed Sword and the Four Swords of Execution, Tongtian had brought out his entire fortune.

"Master, I will take this one."

"Good."

Tongtian put away the other magic treasures, leaving only a small hammer radiating purple light and covered in lightning patterns floating before Lu Chen.

This was the top-grade innate magic treasure, the Purple-Electric Hammer.

Lu Chen accepted the Purple-Electric Hammer. He chose it rather than the Primordial Golden Dipper or the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Pearls, first because both of those had owners. The Primordial Golden Dipper belonged to Yunxiao, while the twenty-four Sea-Calming Pearls belonged to Zhao Gongming.

Taking them would not be appropriate. Moreover, though those treasures were excellent, they did not suit him.

He had always valued refinement over quantity when it came to magic treasures. His current methods were limited, and he possessed no treasure of slaughter. The Purple-Electric Hammer had no other function; it was purely a treasure of slaughter, making it perfect for Lu Chen.

Tongtian accepted the Jade Disc of Creation and went into seclusion...

Lu Chen did not return to the Human Race. The three-thousand-year period had now passed, and the Human Race no longer required his care. Thus, he simply remained on Kunlun Mountain to cultivate.

Then one day, the sky shook...