Chapter 3: Qilin Cliff (Part 1)

  Since Pangu opened up the sky and earth, the vast wilderness has had countless sacred mountains and blessed lands. However, if we're talking about the top-notch sacred family's blessed land, it would have to be Mount Buzhou, which was transformed from Pangu's spine.

  Mount Buzhou stands atop the nine heavens, below it touches the nine underworlds, standing upright in the center of the vast and desolate land, supporting the sky and earth of the vast and desolate land. It is known as the Heavenly Pillar. Mount Buzhou is also where all the dragon veins and spiritual energy of the vast and desolate land gather. The demon tribe's emperor Donghuang Taishi led the demon tribe to occupy Mount Buzhou, establishing the Demon Tribe's Heavenly Court, thus forming a powerful force that rivals the Witch Tribe for dominance over the vast and desolate land.

  Moreover, the Holy Mother of the You tribe, Nüwa, also grew up in Mount Buzhou. Later, she even grasped the great Dao and created the human race, achieving the immortal and indestructible path of a saint. There is also her elder brother, the current Heavenly Emperor Fuxi, who also grew up in Mount Buzhou. It can be seen that Mount Buzhou is indeed the number one sacred mountain and blessed land of the Primordial Chaos, where talented people and spiritual energy converge.

  Unfortunately, the Witch Goddess was knocked down by Gonggong, one of the twelve ancestral witches, during the catastrophe, causing the pillar of heaven to collapse and Mount Buzhou to disappear. Later, although Nüwa used the four limbs of a giant turtle that had existed since the beginning of time to prop up the sky at the four extremes of the universe, the first mountain of the universe could not be restored.

  Now that Mount Buzhou no longer exists, the first one must be the current Kunlun Mountain, the Daoist temple of Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun.

  At the beginning, Pangu's primordial spirit transformed into three purities, forming Taichu Taishang Laojun, Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, and Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, who is now the leader of Tongtian Teachings. Afterwards, they all condensed their bodies on Mount Kunlun, then cultivated the Tao on Mount Kunlun until they attained enlightenment and became saints. If it weren't for the conflicting teachings of the Intermediary Teachings and the Exoteric Teachings at that time, Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Teachings' leader would not have argued endlessly, resulting in the separation of the Three Purities. Perhaps even now, Mount Kunlun is still a shared sacred site for the Three Purities.

  Every mountain has its core, and Kunlun Mountain is no exception.

  Qilin Cliff, the head of Kunlun Mountain's dragon vein, bears the power of heaven and earth's chaos, where the spiritual energy is most dense, also the place where Yuanshi Tianzun lectured on the Tao in stillness.

  Shen Gong Bao drove the auspicious cloud through the vast mist, and soon arrived at Qilin Cliff. In a breath, he could easily feel the thick spiritual energy, it was truly an aura of immortals, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed.

  Only see the Qilin Cliff standing on the top of Kunlun, standing on the cliff top can be seen below the smoke waves vast, cloud rolling and stretching between like a giant dragon hiding, constantly stirring the dragon tail.

  Shen Gong Bao's standing place was not the highest point of Qilin Cliff, but a usual place where Yuanshi Tianzun lectured on Taoism. Further up was Yuanshi Tianzun's quiet retreat. Without the Jade Summoning Order from the Heavenly Master, even the Golden Immortal disciples did not dare to disturb him at will.

  At this time, there was no one else in the Taoist temple because it was not yet time for Yuanshi Tianzun to start his sermon. It would still be a month before Tianzun's sermon. Shen Gongbao had undoubtedly arrived too early, but he had his own profound intentions.

  According to memory, every time Yuanshi Tianzun lectured, although Shen Gongbao was never late, he wasn't early either. In fact, he often arrived later than many other scattered cultivators from under Mount Kunlun who came to hear the lecture. This made Nanji Xianweng and other Golden Immortals unhappy, thinking that Shen Gongbao didn't respect his teacher. If Shen Gongbao wanted to change his image within the sect and make preparations for future plans, he needed to arrive early, on one hand to let everyone know he was changing, and on the other hand to build good relationships with his fellow disciples who arrived first.

  Upon seeing this, Shen Gong Bao sat down cross-legged and calmed his mind to meditate, contemplating the sacred teachings of Yuanshi Tianzun in his mind.

  Time passed slowly, and several days went by like this.

  Suddenly, Shen Gongbiao, who was in meditation, felt someone coming and stopped his practice to wait quietly for the arrival of the person. Before long, a Taoist with an unusual appearance and a strange face appeared in the air, riding on a deer and floating on clouds, with a fragrance blowing gently. It turned out to be Xianren Banshou, the ancestor of Buddhism, and also the deputy master of the Zhengjiao sect, the Taoist Randeng.

  There is a poem as proof: "One day, auspicious clouds of five colors fly without end; the sound of deer calls echoes in the empty valley for nine days. The purple fungus shows its beauty with thousands of layers of leaves. In the middle gate, the true man's appearance appears, his strange face originally different; the divine dance of the rainbow penetrates the Han Dynasty sky, the precious jade hanging from his waist without birth or death. Under the Lingzhi Mountain, the lamp is lit, and at times, he goes to the peaches to add years to his life."

  However, at this time, the Refining Light Taoist's cave was located in Lingyao Mountain, not far from the Western Sect, and still belonged to Taoism. After the Conquest of Gods, he would betray his sect and leave to become the Refining Light Ancient Buddha in the West.

  Shen Gong Bao hastily stepped forward and bowed, saying: "I respectfully welcome Master Burning Lamp!"

  But it is said that this lamp was a spiritual coffin transformed after the creation of heaven and earth, born with the innate spiritual treasure of Qiankun ruler, and also had the spiritual coffin lamp in its body. It has also listened to the great Tao of Hongjun Daozu in the Purple Mansion. According to legend, its blessings are also profound.

  Unfortunately, it was just a bit of bad luck. Not like the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, and the two saints of the Western world who achieved the great way of sainthood, nor like the two emperors of the demon tribe or the twelve ancestral witches who fought fiercely for hegemony. Although he died without regret, he did not become a quasi-saint in the middle period like Zhenyuanzi, nor did he establish the Asura sect like Minghe Laozu and achieve the position of a sect master.

  Belonging to the same Zixuan Palace, the gap is so great. Now, Reng Deng is even more reverent under the door of Yuanshi Tianzun, serving as the deputy master of the Xuanmen sect. Formerly a peer, now a superior, Shen Gongbao can't help but sigh.

  Although the lamp worshiped at the door of Yuanshi Tianzun, the crowd of golden immortal disciples still called him Master Lamp, after all, the lamp was a figure of the same period as Yuanshi Tianzun, only with slightly different luck.

  "I didn't expect fellow Taoist to arrive so early, I'm ashamed!" Burning Lamp was completely without airs, smiling and bowing his head in greeting to Shen Gongbao, displaying great familiarity.

  "As expected, a smooth talker. No wonder he said that the Dharma Master wanted to take the lamp across to the Western Pure Land, with this smiling face, he's absolutely a good salesman! Sheng Gongbao couldn't help but mock in his heart, but didn't think that his own smile was even more sinister than Rulan's."

  Without mentioning what was on his mind, Shen Gong Bao pretended to be ashamed and said: "Where, where, it's just that after being taught by Nanji Shixiong last time, I thought about my past behavior and felt that I had no face to meet the various Shixiongs and Yuanshi Laoshi. This time, I came early to wash my heart and change my ways, and start anew. I definitely won't deceive or bully fellow disciples again, nor will I be lazy and sloppy, so as not to shame the sect!"

  "Friends of Taoism now wake up, thinking that the teacher Yuan Shi will know later and must be overjoyed, congratulations!" Fu Deng smiled and said with a clasped hands.

  Shen Gong Bao naturally made a flattering expression, then said: "If I have been disrespectful to Master Rong Deng in any way, please forgive me, Master Rong Deng!"

  Feng Lamp waved his hand and said: "As long as fellow daoists don't treat Shendao like they used to, other fellow daoists will definitely accept him."

  Shen Gong Bao smiled awkwardly and sat down cross-legged with Ran Deng, quietly waiting for the arrival of others. At the same time, he also discussed Taoist scriptures with Ran Deng, but mostly it was Ran Deng who spoke while Shen Gong Bao listened. Although Ran Deng's luck had been poor, he had first heard the Tao in the Purple Cloud Palace and then spent many years cultivating himself, so his understanding of the Tao was naturally much deeper than that of Shen Gong Bao, a novice who had only been cultivating for over a decade. After listening to Ran Deng's explanation, Shen Gong Bao felt as if he were in a trance, benefiting greatly from it.