Chapter 25: Divine Ability and Three Flowers

  But just as Tongtian misspoke, he revealed that he had dozed off during the original lecture, and Yuanshi's face turned black with rage. Zhuanggong and Nüwa covered their mouths to stifle a laugh, while Fuxi suddenly enlightened, muttering "I knew why Tongtian was so honest, not even shouting out to interrupt." Laozi shot Tongtian a glance of angry yet resigned eyes. It was still Zhenyuanzi who explained kindly: "Just now when talking about the true body of Xiong Daoyou, I mentioned that fleshly divine powers can also harm one's primordial spirit and true soul, but only briefly touched on it before moving on to another topic. Perhaps Tongtian didn't notice."

  Tongtian heard the words and was overjoyed, saying to Yuandao: "Second brother, you hear this? This is what Xiong Daoyou mentioned before. I already knew about his true body, it's clear that I wasn't distracted, just didn't notice."

  The original silence, with Laozi's helpless gaze at each other, without a word.

  "How come I don't remember saying that? Was it during the fourth time my mind wandered off? Just as I thought I understood that physical divine abilities are a minor path and could impress Second Brother, Master Xiong's side can actually harm the true spirit with physical divine abilities?" Tongtian is also a clever person, able to count how many times his mind has wandered off. But just how many times did Tongtian's mind wander off?

  Laozi heard this and immediately lowered his head, silently drinking tea.

  Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but smile and whispered to Nüwa: "Tongtian Daoist is really lovely." Nüwa glared at him fiercely without saying a word, but thought to herself: "You're not much better than him even when you're being silly."

  Yuanshu was furious and shouted: "Shut up for me, just listen quietly on the side, where are there so many useless words?"

  Tongtian shrank his neck and said in a low voice, "It's not that you guys are boring when discussing Taoism every day, how can you stay awake without dozing off? Who would have thought that today's discussion of Taoism would be so fast-paced, and so many issues were raised in such a short time? If it were the Three Flowers discussing Taoism, it would be fine, but listening to you guys talk like this makes me drowsy."

  Zhenyuanzi saw that Yuanshuai was about to lose his temper, so he hastily mediated: "Yuanshuai Daoist friend, don't get angry. Although our conversations are often dull and don't match Tongtian's personality, I sometimes feel dizzy listening to them, it's no wonder Tongtian doesn't like it. Today, with Xiong Daoist friend here, the atmosphere is much more lively and dynamic, Tongtian shouldn't be distracted."

  "Exactly, exactly! If I found what you said interesting, would I be distracted?"

  Yu Zhengping glared at him, about to scold him, but Laozi let out a sigh and said, "Alright, you brothers don't need to argue anymore, it's just making fools of yourselves in front of your fellow Taoists."

  Tong Tian heard this and hastily sat up straight, putting on a cute expression, but shook his head helplessly and didn't say anything else.

  Laozi said: "Just now I heard Zhenyuanzi say that Xiong Daoyou was injured by his physical body's divine power, shaking his true spirit, but I don't know what the reason is?"

  Zhuang Xiong smiled and said, "I also discovered it unintentionally. When I first created the technique, I thought of Pangu's scene of opening up the sky, and since my physical strength was unmatched, I felt that it would be a pity to abandon it, so I created a set of physical techniques, but only for entertainment purposes, without any other thoughts. On the day when I fought with Hongyun, in order to vent my anger, I didn't use my magical powers, and only relied on my physical strength to fight, but unexpectedly, I still injured Hongyun severely. At that time, I was furious and didn't think much about it, but later, I felt that something was off, so I often practiced and thought about it, but still couldn't understand it. Later, I thought, how could Pangu, a great god, kill 3,000 demons and open up the sky with just his divine lightning technique and physical strength? There must be something extraordinary about his physical strength that we haven't discovered yet. So, I thought of the three of you, as fellow daoists who have inherited Pangu's legacy, do you know anything about this?"

  Zhen Yuanzi rolled his eyes and interjected, "In that case, wouldn't I be suffering from an unprovoked disaster?"

  Zhuang Xiong hastily said: "Lately I've been thinking about this matter a lot, and from time to time I practice it, but for the moment it's going smoothly, and there are many faults."

  Zhenyuanzi couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "Forget it, it's all in the past. What's the point of bringing him up again? Let's just listen to the opinions of the three Daoist friends instead."

  The old man couldn't help but smile bitterly: "What insight is there? My three brothers and I have obtained the inheritance of the Heavenly Father, but what we inherited cannot be directly cultivated. Or perhaps Brother Xiong also knows that the divine abilities of the Primordial Chaos Demons are either innate or destined, and cannot be practiced by others. We too need to sort out and comprehend before gaining anything. The information was originally chaotic, and we only thought that the Primordial Chaos Demons didn't cultivate the Tao, so being killed by fleshly divine abilities is not unusual. That's why we haven't researched fleshly divine abilities."

  Zhuang Xiong said, "I knew you guys didn't study hard enough. If it weren't for the divine transmission of Pangu's great god, or if there was a heavenly way to suppress it, how could you only barely reach the Daluo realm? Isn't that failing to live up to the name of the heavenly favored son? You should know that Pangu's divine ability is most skilled in physical divine ability and universal thunder. But you guys are only cultivating the Dao method, truly picking up sesame seeds but losing watermelon."

  Yuanshuai also had some thoughts and exchanged a glance with Laozi, saying: "In that case, it seems we took the wrong path?"

  Tongtian also said: "It turns out that there is such a saying, but at the time we were so focused on minor details that we lost sight of the bigger picture. In that case, it seems that we still need to re-cultivate our physical and spiritual abilities."

  Zhuang Xiong smiled and said, "The three Daoist friends are incarnations of the original spirit, and it's normal for people to have preferences for certain Daoist methods. The path to enlightenment is numerous, and we can't see clearly who is right or wrong. However, since the three Daoist friends are currently at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, if they don't understand the way forward for the time being, it's not a problem to cultivate and try again. Maybe they'll discover something new. After all, it's better than struggling on one path. With the current cultivation level of the three Daoist friends, even if they were to re-cultivate their physical body's spiritual connection, it wouldn't take much time. Moreover, they can temporarily abandon some useless combat techniques and wait until they see the way forward before cultivating again."

  The three Qings looked at each other and bowed their heads in unison, saying: "Thank you for your guidance, fellow Taoist."

  Zhuang Xiong hastily dodged to the side, laughing and saying: "What kind of pointing is that? It's no harm to speak directly to the three Daoist friends. I've been craving this ancient great god's transmission of fleshly techniques for a long time, and I've always wanted to exchange ideas with the three of you. If the three Daoist friends don't mind, it would be perfect to study together."

  Tongtian smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have spent countless years cultivating your physical body, and your experience is more than that of my three brothers. If you were to recultivate your divine powers in the flesh, it would be impossible without your guidance."

  Laozi smiled and said, "Third brother is right, the divine body of a Daoist friend is also created by Guan Sheng's opening of heaven, and our inheritance can be considered to have the same origin. Now that we are rebuilding our physical bodies, it is thanks to the guidance of Daoist friends. One thing does not bother two masters, let us have a good exchange."

  Yuán also smiled and said beside: "Great kindness".

  Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but say, "My physical body is basically a single word - grinding. It's been polished to perfection over countless years. What they call 'divine ability' is just a way of fighting, and this time I've really gotten lucky. Not only can I witness the birth of the Nine Turns Mystic Skill, but I can also perfect my own skills. Truly, it's a wonderful fate."

  Not to mention Zhuang Xiong's self-satisfaction, the Three Pure Ones may not know what Zhuang Xiong is thinking, but are they really foolish? Unbeknownst to them, Zhuang Xiong has taken advantage of the situation. Although Zhuang Xiong witnessed Pangu opening up the sky, it was an external event. With his cultivation and experience, how could his created techniques compare to Pangu's legacy? Moreover, with only about 10,000 years of experience, how much guidance could he provide to the Three Pure Ones? The Three Pure Ones agreed to let him participate for two reasons: firstly, they were grateful for Zhuang Xiong's reminder, and if they truly gained something from their cultivation and improved their Dao, it would be thanks to Zhuang Xiong's credit. Secondly, Zhuang Xiong had the merit of opening up the sky and had a remarkable background, with no fear of falling or decline. After countless years, even if it was just a matter of grinding away, he would surely achieve something extraordinary. Now, playing the emotional card was a win-win situation for him, but as for how much benefit he could gain, that depended on Zhuang Xiong himself.

  Three people, including Zhenyuanzi, stood by and saw several people talking enthusiastically, directly ignoring them. They couldn't help but exchange bitter smiles. Fuxi was impatient and dissatisfied, shouting: "You few great Luojin Immortals went to discuss the divine powers of the flesh, what are you making us few small Taizhen Golden Immortals do? Don't you look down on us? Are you unwilling to discuss the Tao with us?"

  Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but smile wryly. The old man hastily said, "It's just that I was too engrossed for a moment and neglected several fellow Taoists. Please forgive me."

  Nüwa smiled and said: "Fellow Taoist is too polite. Although we bystanders are bored, we also gain something."

  Zhenyuanzi said, "Not bad, I was originally a Wuxu earth spirit, this body's strength is not small either. Now seeing Xiong Daoyou's magical powers, I'm also somewhat envious and want to understand it."

  Laozi said, "So be it. When we first saw the new road, our hearts were itching with impatience. We wanted to discuss the Tao with Xiong Daoyou and San Hua. The three of you can sit aside and contemplate, and you will gain something. If the three of you are bored, the scenery of Kunlun Mountain is not bad either. The three of you can tour the mountain and discuss the Tao, which is also good. But don't worry about us."

  Zhenyuanzi and Nüwa said in unison: "We were just about to meet a few major Daoist practitioners."

  At this point, San Qing didn't stand on ceremony and found a spacious area to sit down. Zhuang Xiong quickly gave Nuwa an apologetic glance and also sat down. The three of them just looked at each other and smiled, and suddenly the five elements rose into the air, and three flowers emerged from the top of their heads. What a wonderful sight! Only then did it become clear that Zhuang Xiong's auspicious cloud was over 6,000 feet tall, although not as wide as the other three clouds. However, it was a brilliant golden color with a mix of primordial colors, exuding an aura of majesty and grandeur that was truly eye-catching. The cloud had no embellishments, but it was born with a proud air. The three large lotus flowers were divided into gold, jade, and green colors, delicate and beautiful, with dew drops about to fall off. On top of the golden flower floated an ancient, mysterious small cauldron that rose and fell, emitting waves of invisible pressure. A folding fan floated on the jade flower, dancing in the wind, while a sharp sword with a soaring sword aura was on the green flower. These were Zhuang Xiong's predestined spiritual treasures: the Pre-Heavenly Supreme Treasure Qiankun Cauldron and the top-grade Pre-Heavenly Spiritual Treasures Qiankun Fan and Qiankun Sword. The majestic Qiankun Staff stood upright to the left of the three flowers, like a loyal guardian standing at attention, straight and upright.

  Nüwa saw that Zhuangzi's three flowers were already in sight. At this time, they all looked up at the top of Sanqing, and saw that the old man's head was a magnificent purple color, noble and elegant, with a vast expanse of purple clouds hanging down, suspended with countless small purple lanterns, faintly visible, and in the center stood three purple flowers, each as big as a millstone, with an aura of nobility. In the middle of the flower floated a miniature Huangdi Pagoda, which was the Tian Di Huang Linglong Treasure Pagoda. The other two flowers had a sword and a cane floating on them, but at this time, Laozi had not yet obtained the Xiantian Treasure Map. The cane was Laozi's original top-grade Xiantian spiritual treasure, also his future Chengdao law instrument, but it looked like an ordinary ancient object, with unknown magical powers. The sword was majestic and extraordinary, but Zhuangzi couldn't guess what it was for a moment. He secretly wondered, and later generations didn't hear about Laozi having any precious swords either?

  The original Qingyun was a jade-colored cloud, even if it wasn't enough to be 10,000 feet tall, it was at least 9,000 feet. On the Qingyun cloud, golden flowers were blooming everywhere. The Qingyun cloud was warm and moist, the golden flowers were dazzling, as if the earth had returned to spring. In the middle of the three flowers, they were also jade-colored, looking smooth and unparalleled, round and jade-like, revealing a hint of righteous energy, truly having the air of a gentleman. The jade flower was about the size of a millstone, but at this time, it still hadn't obtained the Pangu fan. On top of the central jade flower, there was a warm and moist jade ruyi that was spinning around. On the left side of the jade flower, there was actually an unknown origin treasure sword. The sword had a cold aura that made people feel pressured, but it was also warm and moist like jade, truly one-of-a-kind. Zhuang Xiong didn't understand for a moment. On the other hand, there was a small flag, which Zhuang Xiong saw clearly. That yellowish-brown color and the air it revealed were unmistakably the famous Yu Xu Hang Huang flag from the legend of the gods. Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but feel surprised in his heart. According to legend, this treasure was taken by Yu Xu himself from the Bao Cliff when the treasures were divided among the gods. How did it end up in his hands now? Was the legend wrong or did the author really not know what treasure to give Yu Xu and had to bring out the Yu Xu Hang Huang flag ahead of time?

  Zhuang Xiong's strange behavior couldn't help but attract several more glances, yet again caught by Lao Zi, who couldn't help but feel a surge of doubt.

  Zhuang Xiong took a closer look, and the auspicious cloud that pierced the sky was only over 8,000 feet tall, with a single piece of cyan color, full of vitality. Among them, countless jade beads were dotted, and at a glance, they looked light and lovely. The three green flowers were slightly smaller than the original two people, but the middle green flower had a sword energy that pierced the sky, which was exactly the Qingping Sword, the ultimate treasure of Tongtian's cultivation. On one side of the green flower, there was a purple electric hammer floating with purple electricity, and on the other side, there was a banner-like treasure that made Zhuang Xiong's eyes narrow, his pupils shrink, and even his heartbeat seemed to skip a few beats. The treasure was a large black flag with six tails, densely covered with strange talismans, emitting a gloomy aura that captured people's hearts, making them feel uneasy at first sight. Zhuang Xiong immediately thought of the name "Six Souls Flag" and couldn't help but feel a tremble in his heart, secretly becoming vigilant.

  The three of them, Zhuan Yuanshi's children, Nuwa and Fuxi, knew that they would eventually take this step anyway. Having more experience could also help them avoid taking a detour. Moreover, after the appearance of the Three Flowers on top, the heavens were even clearer in the area shrouded by it. At this moment, it was an opportunity not to be missed, and comprehending the Heavenly Way would be twice as effective. So, the three of them didn't stand on ceremony and found a comfortable place to sit down and comprehend.

  But then Laozi saw that Zhuang had seen the original Heavenly Treasure, and his face changed color. He couldn't help but laugh and say: "Brother Xiong, you seem to recognize not only my treasure, but also those of my two brothers? They rarely go out, and their names are not well-known. Those treasures have never been used before, so I don't know how you knew about them. My curiosity is piqued, and I'm losing interest in discussing the Dao. Please enlighten me, Brother Xiong."