Different Paths Cannot Be Walked Together

"I practice non-action and governance, so I naturally dislike noise. Xuandu is enough for the Human Sect; there's no need to take on any other disciples!"

Laozi stroked his beard and said.

Upon hearing Laozi Tzu's words, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi and Cult Master Tongtian were not surprised.

They knew Laozi's temperament well; Laozi always advocated governing by non-action, devoted himself to the Tao, and disliked noise.

Thinking about it this way, a large part of the reason he was willing to take Xuandu as a disciple was that the Human Sect was just beginning to be established. If it developed to the point where there were no disciples at all, it would not be very appropriate. That's why there is now Xuandu, the only remaining Human Sect.

"The Chan Sect currently has no disciples, so it is natural to recruit some in order to spread its doctrines."

The Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi, with a solemn expression and a majestic face, said rather arrogantly, "However, if I am to take on disciples, I will certainly choose those with excellent backgrounds and outstanding talents, and I will definitely follow the will of Heaven to seek a match made in heaven!"

After all, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi believed in following the will of Heaven.

He has always been proud of inheriting the Primordial Spirit of the great god Pangu.

In his view, among the billions of living beings on the Primordial Wilderness Land, there is a good and a bad. Even if the master were to accept disciples for the Chan Sect, he would only accept those who are outstanding and have great wisdom.

"I disagree with what my second senior brother said!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi finished speaking, Cult Master Tongtian disagreed. He shook his head and said, "The Primordial Wilderness Land is teeming with countless creatures, naturally a mixed bag, but all creatures possess spirits. If one seeks the Dao, that's sufficient. Why make such a sweeping judgment and directly deny those with inferior innate wisdom?"

"My Jie Sect, the Jie Sect, has no taboos whatsoever. I believe that true teaching is for all, regardless of background! I am willing to educate all beings and extract one aspect for them!"

"Anyone who sincerely seeks the Way may become my disciple!"

The Cult Master Tongtian had his reasons for saying that, after all, teaching without discrimination had always been his principle.

In his eyes, all the billions of living beings in the Primordial Wilderness Land are equal and should be treated equally. As long as they sincerely seek the Dao, they are destined to be taught.

Therefore, whether it is Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi or Cult Master Tongtian, they each have their own path, and neither is right or wrong.

When the two paths met, they were indeed different, and a disagreement arose.

Therefore, after hearing the words of the Cult Master Tongtian, the Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi's expression changed, and he rebuked in a low voice. "Third Brother, we were transformed from the Primordial Spirit of the Great God Pangu, and are of the orthodox lineage. How can you recruit disciples arbitrarily without considering their aptitude or innate wisdom? If you do this, won't you ruin our reputation?"

"Second Senior Brother, don't say that! Although we are the orthodox lineage and hold this position, having achieved Sage before all living beings in the world, we should naturally think of the billions of living beings still existing in the Primordial Wilderness Land! Isn't it what we should do to educate and enlighten them with our teachings?" Cult Master Tongtian refused to give in.

"How... how could you think like that! We hold the Great Dao in our hands, why don't we pass it on to those who are truly capable? Those who are not worthy, even if they obtain our Dao, they will find it difficult to comprehend its meaning. Wouldn't that be a waste?"

As he said this, a faint anger began to rise in the heart of the Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi.

"That's not the case! Master Hongjun said that the Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, and one is lost. There is still a glimmer of hope. How can we draw conclusions directly and erase the opportunity that should belong to them?" The Cult Master Tongtian was also somewhat annoyed.

"We respectfully address you as..."

Thus, in the Three Pure Ones Grand Hall, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi and Cult Master Tongtian began to argue about this, and the debate went on and on.

They both believed their own path was correct and wanted the other's approval.

Upon seeing this scene, Xuandu, who was standing next to Laozi, was terrified. His clothes were soaked with sweat. He pursed his lips tightly, not daring to make a sound, and remained completely silent.

As Laozi watched the two of them arguing incessantly, he also frowned, a rare hint of displeasure appearing on his face.

Since the Three Pure Ones attained enlightenment, they have never had any major disagreements or quarrels; they have always had a harmonious relationship and are of one mind.

Such a scene has never occurred before.

However, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was his second brother, and Cult Master Tongtian was his third brother.

Both sides are his relatives, and he is in a real dilemma.

Besides, he has never liked making trouble or arguing; by his very nature, he would never get involved in such matters.

So Laozi followed his heart and simply closed his eyes, seeking peace of mind from what he could not see.

As for Lin Yunji, who was standing on the other side, he saw that Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi and Cult Master Tongtian were arguing as if they were about to fight. The two Sage were red-faced, glaring at each other, and neither of them would give in!

He couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness rising in his heart.

"And so it begins!" Lin Yunji muttered.

He knew perfectly well that neither Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi nor Cult Master Tongtian was right or wrong.

After all, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.

Since we each hold our own views, why bother fighting?

"Master, Second Martial Uncle, you are both Heavenly Dao Sage now. It doesn't look good if word gets out that you're arguing so fiercely over this!"

They were still arguing Lin Yunji finally spoke up. His words, though slightly sarcastic, were quite reasonable. "Since your paths are different, why not each take on disciples from their own sect? Why keep arguing?"

"Whoosh!"

Upon hearing Lin Yunji's words, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi and Cult Master Tongtian had no choice but to stop.

However, they all looked quite unwell.

"Hmph! I can't be bothered with him!" The Cult Master Tongtian snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and walked straight out of the Three Pure Ones Hall.

Faced with the Cult Master Tongtian's domineering attitude, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi's expression changed slightly.

He paused for a moment before saying to Lin Yunji, "Nephew Yunji, why is your master acting like this? I'm still his senior brother!"

"You're much better at treating him than I am, okay?" Unexpectedly, Lin Yunji shrugged and said this instead.

Upon hearing his words, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi's lips twitched. "Hmph, you brat..."

He was somewhat speechless.

After all, his anger towards the Cult Master Tongtian wasn't because of the Cult Master Tongtian's attitude, but because he disagreed with the Cult Master Tongtian's philosophy. He believed that when accepting disciples, quality should be valued over quantity; they should be carefully selected and strive for excellence. How could one accept disciples without even considering their aptitude?

"Second Master Uncle, then how will you choose the ladder?" Lin Yunji asked with a relaxed smile, seeing that Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was still angry.

I'm preparing to...

The Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi opened his mouth, intending to say something, but suddenly stopped. He looked at Lin Yunji as if he had thought of something, then curled his lips, coughed twice, and said, "Nephew Yunji, what do you think of your Second Uncle's treatment of you?"

Lin Yunji pondered for a moment, then replied seriously, "It's alright. They gave me an Eight Treasures Glazed Glass Bottle that I've never used before."

Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi: "..."

He thought about it carefully and realized that he had indeed given Lin Yunji a bottle back then, and it was just a Acquired Spirit Treasure.

Upon thinking of this, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi couldn't help but blush, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face.

However, we can't entirely blame him!

After all, when the Cult Master Tongtian took Lin Yunji as his disciple, he was penniless and had very few possessions, let alone any good Lingbao.

In comparison, this Eight Treasures Glazed Glass Bottle is actually the best!

However, after Lin Yunji obtained many good things at the Treasure-Dividing Cliff, it was no longer enough.

Later, Lin Yunji even took the Treasure-Dividing Cliff with him, which contained many Law Treasure.

With so many fine items on him, he had no interest in that Acquired Spirit Treasure.

Moreover, he clearly possesses exceptional skills and unique insights into the Great Dao, but whenever he tries to preach to Lin Yunji, the kid comes up with countless excuses, runs away faster than a rabbit, and acts as if he'd rather hide than listen, preferring to go to sleep!

"Cough cough cough..." Thinking of this, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi couldn't help but cough a few more times to cover up his embarrassment.

After a long pause, he spoke again, "Look, nephew Yunji, could you do your second uncle a favor?"

"Help? What kind of help? Second Uncle, just say what you mean! Since it's your business, I'll naturally agree!"

To everyone's surprise, Lin Yunji agreed without even thinking about it.

Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was speechless, feeling uncomfortable all over.

If he knew, he would have just said it and Lin Yunji would have agreed immediately. Why did he have to beat around the bush and ask that question?

This wasn't him asking for trouble; instead, hearing the comment, "It's alright, you gave me an Eight Treasures Glazed Glass Bottle that I've never used," made him feel ashamed!

"I know you are quite knowledgeable about formations, so I would like to ask you to help me set up a large formation. Since I have many restrictions on the selection of disciples, setting up a large formation to help me test the beings that come will make things much easier."

"Let me set the limits and test them?" Lin Yunji was somewhat taken aback that Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi would make such a request.

After all, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was going to take on disciples, and the fact that he entrusted such an important matter to Lin Yunji showed him immense trust!

"That's right. I've always had a lot of faith in your judgment. If I could ask you to help set up a grand formation, I'm sure we could select some outstanding individuals to join my Chan Sect!" Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi then explained.

"Since my second senior uncle trusts me so much, how can I not help him!"

Lin Yunji smiled and said, "Second Uncle-Master, what do you think of this grand formation? Could it be used to test them?"

"Boom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he set up a small array on his right hand.

Although the formation was small, it was incredibly ingenious and profound. As the formation patterns flowed, endless winds, waters, and fires surged forth, and Chaos storms raged within it.

Although the formation only appeared on Lin Yunji's palm, it exuded an incomparably terrifying aura that permeated the Three Pure Ones Grand Hall.

Xuandu, whose cultivation level was relatively low, couldn't help but tremble when the formation appeared. His face turned pale instantly, and he became unsteady and weak, almost collapsing to the ground.

He managed to calm himself down, but his eyes were full of apprehension.

The aura emanating from there was truly terrifying to him.

However, as the small array condensed and appeared in Lin Yunji's palm, Laozi's eyes, which had been slightly closed, suddenly opened.

He stared intently at the formation, then couldn't help but gasp, exclaiming, "Hiss! This... this is the Wind and Thunder Divine Formation from Treasure-Dividing Cliff?"

No wonder his expressionless face changed instantly, and even the Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was stunned, staring blankly at Lin Yunji for a long time before recovering and asking with some uncertainty, "Nephew Yunji, you actually... you actually know how to set up the Wind and Thunder Divine Formation?"

"Hahaha, Second Martial Uncle, that's just a baseless claim! If I didn't know how to set up this Wind and Thunder Divine Formation, how could I have dared to step directly into the array before the Treasure-Dividing Cliff? I even managed to take the Treasure-Dividing Cliff away from it."

Lin Yunji into laughter, as if he thought the Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was telling a joke.

These words made Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi's lips twitch involuntarily.

"Hoo!" Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, finally managing to calm himself down.

Then, with a hint of helplessness, he said, "Nephew Yunji, putting aside how you came up with this formation, if you were to use the Wind and Thunder Divine Formation to select those who wish to become your disciples, I'm afraid very few beings would be able to pass!"

"Let alone passing through... I doubt many living beings would dare to go in..." Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi then muttered.

"No, no, Second Master Uncle, that's not how it's said. Didn't you previously insist on striving for perfection? If those who come don't even dare to enter, how can such cowardly people be allowed to join the Chan Sect? Or, those who cannot pass through prove they are not destined to be with Second Master Uncle, so how can they be allowed to stay?"

Lin Yunji curled his lips and looked at Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi teasingly.

"That's what I said before, but nephew Yunji, this is the Wind and Thunder Divine Formation! Its power is immense. Not to mention those living beings, even cultivators at the Quasi-Sage realm might not be able to pass through it!" Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi was somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Second Uncle, Second Uncle, your demands are so inconsistent!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yunji pursed his lips.

"Boom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he clenched his right hand, and when he opened it again, the Wind and Thunder Divine Formation on his palm had changed its appearance.

The array patterns on it actually rotated slightly; some were missing, and others changed positions.

In a short while, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi could see that the number of variations in the formation had decreased from 360,000 to 3,600, and the formation's power and strength had diminished.

Moreover, upon closer observation, one can sense that the power of the altered formation is not fixed, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, constantly changing.

"I've modified this Wind and Thunder Divine Formation according to my Second Martial Uncle's ideas, making it easier for you to select talent. Now, anyone above the Mystic Immortal Realm realm can enter, and the formation's strength will change according to the cultivator's cultivation level."

"Besides these, this formation can also help you test the aptitude and background of those who enter. Different beings will display different colors upon entering: red, blue, purple, gold, and five colors. If it displays five-colored light, then the background of the entrant is excellent."

"Second Uncle-Master, are you satisfied with this? If not, then I can't help you anymore!"