The two successive Enlightenment Phenomena erupting from Mount Sumeru in the West were like two earth-shattering bolts of lightning, striking fiercely into the hearts of all the great powers of the Primordial World—especially the Three Pure Ones of Kunlun Mountain.
When Jieyin and Zhunti's grand Dao Sound of vows to establish a sect and become Sages resounded throughout the Primordial World, drawing forth Boundless Merit, the atmosphere within Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain had already grown grave to the extreme.
Sage Laozi remained expressionless, but the Taiqing Immortal Light around him, once harmonious and effortless, now rippled violently like a lake disturbed by a cast stone.
His hand unconsciously clenched around his whisk, revealing that his heart was far from as calm as it appeared.
"Establishing a sect... merit... grand vows..." he murmured, clear light flashing rapidly in his eyes as he deduced. "So the Primordial Violet Qi bestowed by Master can be used in this way."
Lord of the Heavens was initially stunned, but then intense defiance and fighting spirit burst from his eyes. "Jieyin and Zhunti have some nerve! They actually came up with the Method of Establishing a Sect and Making Vows!
"I underestimated them. But we can use this method as well!"
Yet the one with the fiercest reaction was Jade Clarity Primordial Lord of Heaven, who had always placed the greatest importance on lineage and reputation!
"Outrageous! Outrageous!" Primordial Lord of Heaven's face turned ashen, veins throbbing faintly at his temples. Yuqing Immortal Light surged violently around him, slicing crack after crack through the surrounding void.
"We are Pangu's Orthodox Lineage, the Dao Ancestor's Personal Disciples! In lineage, fortune, and cultivation, which aspect of us does not surpass those Heretical Paths that crawled out of that barren land in the West?!"
He abruptly turned toward Laozi and Tongtian, his voice filled with barely restrained rage and jealousy. "What virtue or ability do they possess?
"They merely relied on glib tongues to beg Saint Positions from Master, and now they use this...
"This almost shameless method of making vows to steal Heavenly Dao Merit and forcibly attain the Dao! They are simply... utterly shameless!"
He practically forced the final four words through gritted teeth.
In his heart, the actions of the Two Sages of the West were nothing less than opportunistic trickery, an insult to Pangu's Orthodox Lineage and Orthodox Xuanmen!
But before his words had faded—
BOOM!!!
From the direction of Mount Sumeru, the Heavenly Dao Sage aura that had only just stabilized suddenly surged again, undergoing a fundamental transformation.
An even more ancient, transcendent Primordial Grand Unity pressure, as though it did not belong to this world's Heavenly Dao, descended with overwhelming force!
Jieyin and Zhunti, having already become Heavenly Dao Sages, were forcibly attaining the Dao once more and becoming Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortals!
This time, even Laozi and Tongtian completely lost their composure!
"What?!" Sage Laozi shot to his feet. For the first time, disbelief appeared on his ordinarily placid face. "Refining their Saint Positions... and attaining Primordial Grand Unity again? They... how dare they?! How can they?!"
This had completely surpassed their comprehension! Attaining the Dao as a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal meant transcending the Heavenly Dao—how difficult was that?
Yet the Two Sages of the West had used this method, seemingly perilous but in truth carving out an unprecedented shortcut? Though dangerous, they had succeeded!
Lord of the Heavens was equally dumbfounded. Only after a long while did he mutter, "What audacity! What resolve! Jieyin and Zhunti hid themselves deeply indeed!"
At this moment, there was no longer any disdain in his heart—only profound shock and a trace of admiration that even he himself was unwilling to acknowledge.
As for Primordial Lord of Heaven, it was as though he had been struck by a thunderbolt. His entire body froze in place, his complexion shifting from green to red, then from red to white, before finally becoming livid and twisted!
"Primordial... Grand... Unity..." he said almost one word at a time, each filled with towering rage and extreme unwillingness. "They... those two bald donkeys!
"Shameless scoundrels! How dare they do this?! How can they do this!!"
He felt as though his dignity, along with the glory of Pangu's Orthodox Lineage, had been pressed to the ground and viciously trampled by the Two Sages of the West's two successive attainments of the Dao!
Since their Form Transformation, the Three Pure Ones had possessed the finest lineage in the Primordial World. They had entered under the Dao Ancestor's tutelage, held the Primordial Violet Qi—the foundation for becoming Sages—and cultivated bitterly through countless epochs. They believed Sagehood was within easy reach; it was merely a matter of timing.
But what about now?
Nuwa, their Junior Sister, had become a Sage before them. That could still be attributed to the mysteries of Creation.
But Jieyin and Zhunti—these two "heretical outsiders" whom they ordinarily looked down upon to some degree—had actually overtaken them from behind. Not only had they become Sages, they had fucking attained the Dao twice in a row!
Once as Heavenly Dao Sages, and once as Primordial Grand Unity!
Where were the Three Pure Ones supposed to put their faces now?! Where was Pangu's Orthodox Lineage supposed to put its dignity?!
Primordial Lord of Heaven in particular had always thought highly of himself, valuing dignity and orthodoxy above all else. At this moment, he felt the pent-up resentment in his chest on the verge of exploding—jealousy, anger, unwillingness, humiliation...
All kinds of emotions intertwined, causing even his Dao Heart to tremble violently.
"Senior Disciple Brother! We cannot wait any longer!" Primordial Lord of Heaven suddenly looked toward Laozi, his voice nearly a growl. "Must we wait until those bald donkeys of the West ride over the heads of us Three Pure Ones?
"We must establish a sect! We must immediately establish a sect and become Sages!"
Sage Laozi drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. His eyes regained their ancient-well-like depth, yet the resolve within them was more absolute than ever. "Second Brother is correct.
"The time has come. We Three Pure Ones shall establish sects and become Sages!"
Lord of the Heavens nodded heavily, Immortal Slaying Sword Intent soaring into the sky. "Exactly! Let all beings of the Primordial World know who the true Orthodox Mystic Gate is!"
Above Kunlun Mountain, three incomparably resolute yet restrained Primordial Grand Unity auras began to rise, stirring the winds and clouds.
The Three Pure Ones, these three members of Pangu's Orthodox Lineage, had finally decided, after being provoked by the Two Sages of the West, to embark upon that path to the heavens—establishing sects and attaining the Dao!
By now, the Primordial World had long since erupted into a complete uproar over the heaven-defying actions of the Two Sages of the West. Envy, jealousy, shock, awe, mockery...
All manner of gazes turned toward the West. Everyone knew that the heavens of the Primordial World were truly about to change.
The age of the Sages had arrived in spectacular fashion, and the Three Pure Ones' ascent to Sagehood was likely close at hand!
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