This Was Fate

Back in his own cave dwelling, Chen Xuan sat in the center. Daoist Duobao sat beside him.

Golden Spirit Holy Mother and Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman sat below him, cross-legged atop prayer mats.

The other junior brothers and sisters stood or sat, forming a densely packed crowd.

Seeing that everyone who should have come was present, Chen Xuan spoke. "I was fortunate enough to hear Grandmaster expound upon the orthodox teachings of the Mystic Sect. Unfortunately, because of my own laziness, I missed the path to Quasi-Sainthood.

"Today, I shall begin with the path of the Earth Immortal and share the orthodox teachings of the Mystic Sect passed down by the Dao Ancestor with all of you junior brothers and sisters."

With that, Chen Xuan began his lecture. He spent a full thousand years speaking solely on the paths of the Earth Immortal and Celestial Immortal.

Of those present, who had not already reached the Celestial Immortal realm or higher? Naturally, they found it dull and uninteresting, and some quietly turned and left.

Chen Xuan paid no attention to those who departed and began expounding on the path of the Mysterious Immortal. This lecture lasted another full five hundred years.

By now, not many people remained at Chen Xuan's side. There were only around a dozen left.

Looking at the dozen or so junior brothers and sisters before him, each with their eyes slightly closed as they earnestly contemplated his teachings, Chen Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

He then began lecturing once more. This time, he spoke of the paths of the Golden Immortal, Grand Golden Immortal, and even the Great Luo Golden Immortal.

After another full fifteen hundred years, Chen Xuan finally stopped his lecture.

He said, "Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. I have now taught you all the orthodox teachings of the Mystic Sect that I have mastered.

"How much you can comprehend will depend entirely on the depth of your own fortune."

Everyone rose at once and bowed to thank Chen Xuan, still offering him a Half-Teacher's Salute.

Golden Spirit Holy Mother said, "Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother. If not for your help, I do not know when I would have been able to break through to the Grand Golden Immortal realm.

"Unfortunately, Eldest Senior Brother's teachings on the path of the Great Luo Golden Immortal were too obscure and difficult. Golden Spirit did not understand a single sentence."

Chen Xuan smiled, then turned to Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman. "Mysterious Woman, how is your cultivation progressing?"

"Reporting to Eldest Senior Brother, ever since Master accepted Mysterious Woman as a registered disciple, he taught me the Supreme Purity Immortal Technique.

"Over these past few thousand years, I have gained some insight, and my cultivation has reached the Mysterious Immortal realm.

"After listening to Eldest Senior Brother's teachings over these three thousand years, my cultivation has now reached the initial stage of the Golden Immortal realm."

Chen Xuan nodded. Looking at the dozen or so junior brothers and sisters before him, even the weakest among them had reached the Golden Immortal realm.

This made Chen Xuan even more satisfied. With a wave of his hand, Ginseng Fruits appeared before them one after another.

"This fruit is called the Ginseng Fruit. You may consume them at once, then carefully reflect upon what I have just taught."

Daoist Duobao and the others looked at the Ginseng Fruits brimming with spiritual energy before them and immediately rose again to thank Chen Xuan.

At that moment, Chen Xuan transformed into a splash of water and vanished from his cave dwelling.

The next moment, Chen Xuan had arrived outside Shangqing Palace. He also held a jade tray with two Ginseng Fruits resting upon it.

Before Chen Xuan could knock, the gates of Shangqing Palace opened on their own. Tongtian directly called out, "Come in."

The moment Chen Xuan entered Shangqing Palace, Tongtian said, "Don't tell me you stole all of Zhen Yuanzi's Ginseng Fruits in one go?"

Tongtian could hardly be blamed for thinking so. He had been observing everything within Chen Xuan's cave dwelling.

Naturally, he knew that Chen Xuan had distributed Ginseng Fruits to Daoist Duobao and the others.

Chen Xuan smiled and shook his head. "What are you saying, Master?

"Your disciple would not dare offend Uncle Master Zhen Yuanzi for no reason. If I caused trouble, Master would have to clean up after me."

Tongtian nodded. "At least you understand reason. But where did all these Ginseng Fruits come from?

"Your master refuses to believe that Zhen Yuanzi would give you so many Ginseng Fruits, which he treasures as dearly as his life, all at once."

Chen Xuan pointed at the two Ginseng Fruits on the jade tray. "Master, you are absolutely right. Uncle Master Zhen Yuanzi is no ordinary miser.

"Your disciple went with Uncle Master Hong Yun, and he only plucked six Ginseng Fruits. Thinking back on it now, I still think he was incredibly stingy."

Far away at Longevity Mountain Five Villages Temple, Zhen Yuanzi suddenly sneezed several times in a row.

Tongtian looked at Chen Xuan with utter disdain. "For Zhen Yuanzi to pluck six Ginseng Fruits, you must have ridden on Hong Yun's coattails.

"Otherwise, with you alone, receiving even one would have been an enormous blessing.

"But since you remembered to bring two Ginseng Fruits back for your master despite receiving only two yourself,

"Today, I shall waive your punishment of facing the wall in reflection for three thousand years. You may continue roaming the Great Desolate Land."

Chen Xuan curled his lips. "Master, is it really okay to cheat your disciple like this?"

Tongtian's expression immediately changed. "Stop trying to fool your master. Since Zhen Yuanzi only gave you two Ginseng Fruits,

"Where did the Ginseng Fruits you just gave Daoist Duobao and the others in your cave dwelling come from?"

Chen Xuan chuckled. "Master, although Uncle Master Zhen Yuanzi is stingy, he ultimately gave your disciple a branch from the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

"I have now grafted it onto the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill Tree, so your disciple has an inexhaustible supply of Ginseng Fruits."

As soon as Chen Xuan finished speaking, the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill Tree appeared above his head.

Nine Revolutions Golden Pills shone brightly upon the tree, while Ginseng Fruits hung from its branches every so often.

One would not notice it without looking closely, but upon careful inspection, these Ginseng Fruits truly differed from those on the jade tray in Chen Xuan's hands.

A golden dot had appeared on the forehead of each Ginseng Fruit, as though it were a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill.

Tongtian could not help but be greatly shocked. Forgetting all about his dignity, he leaped straight up from his Cloud Bed.

At the same time, Taishang Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun were alerted by the sudden spiritual energy emerging within Shangqing Palace.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them appeared inside Shangqing Palace.

When they saw that Ginseng Fruits had actually grown upon the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill Tree above Chen Xuan's head, their faces were filled with disbelief as well.

Taishang Laozi impatiently urged Chen Xuan to recount the entire course of events.

Chen Xuan naturally concealed nothing and told the Three Pure Ones every detail of what had happened.

At the same time, he took out the two Ginseng Fruits that Zhen Yuanzi had prepared for Taishang Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun respectively.

However, the Three Pure Ones no longer cared about these spiritual fruits of heaven and earth.

Taishang Laozi directly asked, "Why did you suddenly think to graft the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill Tree together with a branch of the Ginseng Fruit Tree?"

"Grand Uncle Master, you do not know this, but when your disciple transformed and attained the Dao, while enduring the Heavenly Punishment lightning tribulation, four lines of a Gatha appeared in my mind."

Chen Xuan then waved his hand toward the air, and the four lines of the twenty-eight-character Gatha appeared in midair within Shangqing Palace.

They read: "The Ten Great Spiritual Roots are born as one; Five Directions Treasure Banners Transform into Wind. Gain four lotus platforms together, and only then attain the Immeasurable Creation Body."