Knowing that Hong Yun was now dead, Zhen Yuanzi sank into utter despair.
Zhunti and Jieyin wanted to leave, and he could not stop them.
In the end, helpless, he could only return to Wuzhuang Temple, sighing inwardly.
"My friend, oh, my friend, why did you have to put yourself through this? How could the primordial violet qi and the chance to become a Sage be so easy to obtain? How could the karmic burden of a Sage be so easy to bear?"
"When the Dao Ancestor did not take you as his disciple that day, I knew a calamity awaited you."
"Yet in the end, I still failed to protect you."
"Look at Tongtian of the Three Pure Ones. He knew all of this was a trap and refused to be tempted. Even with the primordial violet qi already in his hands, he could give it away freely. Ah, let it be."
Zhen Yuanzi let out a long sigh and returned to Wuzhuang Temple to enter secluded cultivation.
Meanwhile, the instant Hong Yun detonated himself, Laozi and Yuanshi were startled out of their secluded cultivation.
In truth, neither of them had gained any enlightenment all this time.
When they learned of Hong Yun's death, both were shocked.
After all, Hong Yun possessed primordial violet qi, bestowed upon him by the Dao Ancestor himself. Yet someone had actually dared to drive him to his death.
This could not help but deepen their sense of urgency.
Laozi stepped out of his cultivation grounds and saw Yuanshi emerging as well.
"Second Brother, have you finished your seclusion too? How has your study of the primordial violet qi progressed?"
Yuanshi shook his head, his expression rather grim.
Seeing that expression, Laozi guessed the answer without needing Yuanshi to say a word.
"This should not be happening. The Dao Ancestor bestowed this primordial violet qi upon us. By rights, we should have gained something from it. How could we have ended up like this, without the slightest result?"
Laozi could not help growing anxious as well. After all, those coveting the primordial violet qi had already begun to act. Hong Yun was merely a warning.
As time passed, everyone would grow increasingly restless.
The allure of the primordial violet qi would only become stronger.
Yet in reality, they had gained no benefit whatsoever from it.
Instead, their attempts to comprehend the primordial violet qi had even delayed their cultivation somewhat.
"Eldest Brother, could it be that this opportunity is not meant for me?"
Yuanshi began to doubt himself.
Laozi shook his head.
"I do not know. Perhaps the right opportunity simply has not arrived yet. There is no need to be like this. Why don't we visit Third Brother? We can see how he has been progressing lately."
After a moment's thought, Yuanshi nodded as well.
Within his cultivation grounds, Xu Tong had likewise detected Hong Yun's self-detonation.
But knowing the outcome beforehand, he was hardly surprised.
"Primordial violet qi, heh. Without Old Ancestor Hongjun's protection, it is nothing but a ticking time bomb."
Xu Tong saw the matter clearly.
"Only sufficient strength of your own can keep you alive and safe in the Primordial World. Everything else is empty talk."
With that, Xu Tong prepared to resume his secluded cultivation.
Yet life always had its unexpected turns.
Just as Xu Tong was about to resume his seclusion, a voice interrupted him.
"Are you there, Third Brother?"
Hearing Laozi and Yuanshi's voices, Xu Tong paused.
So Hong Yun really did startle these two out of seclusion just now?
They have probably realized that studying the primordial violet qi is getting them nowhere.
Xu Tong sneered inwardly. It would have been strange if it had achieved anything.
Nuwa had not created the human race. No matter how hard they studied it, their efforts would be useless. They could not establish their teachings out of thin air.
As for why the two had come to him, Xu Tong could more or less guess. They probably wanted to see how far his cultivation had progressed.
After cultivating all this time, he had already reached the peak of the quasi-sage realm. He was only one step away from breaking through to the primordial Daluo Golden Immortal Realm.
Whenever Xu Tong wished, he could take that step.
But he was in no hurry.
Breaking through to become a primordial Daluo Golden Immortal would cause an enormous disturbance, one that might even shake all heaven and earth in the Primordial World.
If Hongjun discovered him then, he would be in trouble.
However, Xu Tong had already devised a fallback plan.
He had the Chaos Bead.
This chaos supreme treasure could conceal him, allowing him to make his breakthrough inside it.
Together with the suppressive power of the Sage Dao Field, it should be enough to mask his aura.
"Are you there, Third Brother?"
Laozi's voice rang out again outside. Clearly, he had no intention of simply leaving.
Xu Tong shook his head with a smile, then waved his hand to open the gates of his cultivation grounds and let the two in.
"My brothers, I was comprehending the Dao just now and failed to notice you for a moment. Please do not take offense."
Xu Tong offered a casual courtesy. Laozi shook his head and sat down. Although Yuanshi was somewhat displeased, seeing that Laozi said nothing, he did not pursue the matter either.
"Third Brother, have you heard about what just happened?"
As soon as he sat down, Laozi brought up Hong Yun.
Xu Tong nodded.
Obviously. That enormous commotion shook the entire Three Realms. How could I possibly not have heard it?
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun has fallen."
"The primordial violet qi and the chance to become a Sage truly are dangerous."
"Looking at it this way, giving up the primordial violet qi was not such a bad thing after all."
Xu Tong spoke in half-truths.
Laozi froze at his words, unable to react for a moment.
He had intended to speak about the dangers of the Primordial World, then use that to ask how Xu Tong's cultivation was progressing.
How had the conversation suddenly turned to the dangers of the primordial violet qi?
But Laozi soon recovered.
He nodded.
"Indeed. Without fortune to protect you, possessing primordial violet qi is truly dangerous."
"How has your cultivation been progressing, Third Brother? Having spent so much creation merit, your cultivation should have improved considerably by now."
Laozi was not someone who gave up so easily.
Xu Tong shook his head. He had known this fellow would not let him off so easily.
But after what had happened last time, Xu Tong understood that he could not keep indulging this fellow. He merely offered a perfunctory reply. "I have made progress."
Those four simple words were all he said.
Laozi and Yuanshi both waited beside him, expecting Xu Tong to continue.
Who could have known that after those four words, Xu Tong would say nothing more?
It left Laozi simmering with frustration.
They exchanged a few pleasantries. In the end, seeing that he truly could not coax any information out of Xu Tong, Laozi had no choice but to leave.
This time, Xu Tong did not even see them off.
They were already drifting farther and farther apart.
To be precise, they had never truly been of one heart.
Watching Laozi and Yuanshi leave, Xu Tong shook his head without the slightest lingering attachment and returned to his cultivation grounds.
As his cultivation continued to rise, he was no longer walking the same path as them.
Inside his cultivation grounds, Xu Tong activated the Sage Dao Field's concealment, then took out the Chaos Bead.
Looking at the perfectly round Chaos Bead in his hand, Xu Tong's expression grew solemn.
"Next, I will begin refining the Chaos Bead. Once I have finished refining it, I will immediately begin my breakthrough to become a primordial Daluo Golden Immortal. Then, even with a Sage standing before me, I will have nothing to fear."
With his goal settled, Xu Tong once again entered secluded cultivation.
Meanwhile, the repercussions of Hong Yun's death were still far from subsiding across the Primordial Continent.
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