Scheming

Golden Horned Boy removed the Diamond Cutter from the Plate-Horned Ox's nose.

With a look of utter disdain, he said, "Eldest Senior Brother really is strange. The master has countless Innate Spiritual Treasures, yet he does not want any of them and insists on this ring meant for an ox's nose."

As he spoke, he did not forget to shake the ox snot off the Diamond Cutter, his face full of contempt and disgust.

Before long, Golden Horned Boy delivered the Diamond Cutter to Chen Xuan.

At the same time, Laozi smiled and said, "Since I promised to give it to you, there is naturally no reason not to."

Chen Xuan was overjoyed and immediately reached out to take the Diamond Cutter.

"Grand Uncle Master, please do not misunderstand. This Diamond Cutter is the first magical treasure Grand Uncle Master has given this disciple, so naturally this disciple values it greatly."

As Chen Xuan spoke, he tucked the Diamond Cutter away, as though Laozi might take it back if he moved too slowly.

Taishang Laozi did not fuss over it and instead said, "Over the past thousand years, you have gained much in the Purple Cloud Palace. Unfortunately, you happened to miss the path of the Quasi-Saint.

"And this time, Master will be lecturing on the Saint's Path. I fear you will once again be completely lost.

"This is what they mean by one wrong step leading to wrong steps all the way. Let us see whether you will still dare to be lazy when listening to teachings in the future."

Chen Xuan chuckled. "Grand Uncle Master, everything has its own fate. This disciple has only been in human form for a few thousand years, yet my cultivation has already reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

"That speed would certainly be considered fast in the prehistoric world. If it were any faster, my foundation might become unstable, and I would suffer for it in the future."

Taishang Laozi nodded. "I did not expect your temperament to be so good. You are far superior to the disciples your master has taken in."

At the mention of Tongtian's disciples, Chen Xuan could not help sighing. "Grand Uncle Master, that is precisely why this disciple came to see you today.

"Although my junior brothers are all transformed Spiritual Beasts, to put it bluntly, they are still powerful members of the Demon Race.

"Moreover, this disciple has vaguely sensed that the Demon Race will face great Karma in the future.

"Therefore, this disciple hopes Grand Uncle Master will step in and persuade my master not to accept disciples so recklessly."

The way Taishang Laozi looked at Chen Xuan held nothing but approval. If there was anything else, it was fondness.

"I will do my best in this matter, but I cannot guarantee that I can stop your master.

"By the way, I have finished the tea you roasted last time. If you still have some, leave a few jars for me."

Chen Xuan was naturally not stingy with a few jars of tea. He immediately took out two jars each of the six varieties of tea, along with a large vat of Three Lights Divine Water.

To others, this Three Lights Divine Water was incomparably precious. To Chen Xuan, however, it was nothing special.

Even if he used it for bathing and cooking, he likely had enough to squander for several lifetimes.

"Grand Uncle Master, please accept this tea as this disciple's filial offering. However, there is something this disciple suddenly cannot understand, and I hope Grand Uncle Master can resolve my confusion."

With a wave of his hand, Taishang Laozi put away the tea before him and nodded at Chen Xuan. "Then let me hear it."

"Grand Uncle Master, Master and Second Uncle-Master often quarrel over trivial matters. If this continues for long, will it affect their relationship?

"If Master and Second Uncle-Master truly come to blows one day, whom would Grand Uncle Master favor more?"

Chen Xuan's question caught Taishang Laozi off guard. Although Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian constantly clashed, and had even fought before, Taishang Laozi had long grown accustomed to it.

Yet hearing it from Chen Xuan made Taishang Laozi feel there was another layer of meaning behind it.

For a moment, he could not figure it out, and his brow furrowed deeply.

"Grand Uncle Master, there is no need for you to worry about Second Uncle-Master and Master. After all, they are both grown men."

Chen Xuan's words brought a smile to Taishang Laozi's face.

Perhaps Taishang Laozi only smiled in front of Chen Xuan. At all other times, he wore a cold expression devoid of emotion.

"You are right. They are both grown men. If they want to fight, let them fight on their own. I will absolutely help neither side."

Chen Xuan secretly rejoiced. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

As long as you help neither side, there will be no Four Saints joining forces against the Immortal-Slaying Formation in the future.

He immediately smiled and said to Taishang Laozi, "Grand Uncle Master is right. Let them make trouble on their own.

"However, Grand Uncle Master must not go back on your word. This disciple will remember these words firmly."

This made Taishang Laozi feel as though Chen Xuan had somehow schemed against him.

Yet after thinking about it for a long time, he could not make sense of it, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

Chen Xuan was not feeling well either. His sea of consciousness suddenly trembled.

If his sea of consciousness had not been different from that of ordinary people, he would likely have fainted on the spot.

This was the Karma of scheming against Taishang Laozi. After all, Taishang Laozi would become a Saint in the future.

Chen Xuan naturally understood this. Gritting his teeth, he steadied his mind, bid Taishang Laozi farewell, and turned to leave Taiqing Palace.

"It seems I must find an opportunity to repay this Karma. Otherwise, my cultivation can only remain where it is." Chen Xuan could not help sighing.

At the same time, Laozi in Taiqing Palace watched Chen Xuan's departing figure and could not help shaking his head with a sigh.

"Why did he suddenly form Karma with me? Could it be that this boy truly schemed against me?"

Chen Xuan gathered all the new disciples Tongtian had taken in.

Looking at the thirty or forty people before him, Chen Xuan did not show the slightest trace of a smile. He coldly said, "State your names."

The moment Chen Xuan finished speaking, a Daoist wearing a golden hoop on his head stepped forward. "One of Master's Attending Seven Immortals, Golden Hoop Immortal, greets Eldest Senior Brother."

"One of Master's Attending Seven Immortals, Vairocana Immortal, greets Eldest Senior Brother."

"Master's registered disciple, Zhao Gongming, greets Eldest Senior Brother."

"Master's registered disciple, Lü Yue, greets Eldest Senior Brother."

One after another, they announced their names and identities. Some were familiar to Chen Xuan, while others he had never even heard of.

What puzzled Chen Xuan was that all of the Attending Seven Immortals had now arrived.

Yet not a single direct disciple had appeared. There was still only Duo Bao.

Of course, there was also Chen Xuan himself, one who existed outside fate.

Chen Xuan had originally believed that Tongtian only opened his gates wide to accept the Attending Seven Immortals and numerous Outer Sect Disciples after taking in the Four Great Direct Disciples.

Now it seemed that was not entirely the case. Tongtian did not accept disciples as indiscriminately as later generations claimed, taking in everyone who came.

Tongtian's threshold was still quite high. The only distinction was between direct disciples and Outer Sect Disciples.

His standards for direct disciples were absolutely higher than Yuanshi Tianzun's, perhaps not much lower than Taishang Laozi's.

As for his requirements for Outer Sect Disciples, that truly was teaching without discrimination.