Eighty-fourth: Preparing for Enlightenment

  Suddenly hearing Laozi's words, Su Xin was stunned for a moment. After all these years, Su Xin thought that she had no chance of becoming a disciple under the Three Pure Ones' gate and only hoped to quietly stand by and receive some guidance, which would be a great blessing. Suddenly hearing Laozi willing to accept her as a disciple, she was so happy that she became stunned.

  Xun Daozi saw Su Xin staring blankly and quickly pulled her, saying: "Don't you hurry up to pay respects to Master!"

  Su Xin finally came back to her senses and respectfully gave Lao Zi a ceremonial bow. Lao Zi chuckled and stretched out his hand to help Su Xin up, saying: "From now on, you have officially become my disciple, and with your abilities, you should be considered equal to the other senior sisters." He then took out two precious items and handed them over to Su Xin, saying: "These two items are for you to use."

  He sincerely thanked and bid farewell to Laozi, then formally paid his respects to his master's uncle Yuanshi and Tongtian.

  Xun Daozi saw Su Xin obtain two treasures, one was a jade bottle and the other was a banana fan, both of which were clearly pre-heavenly objects.

  Su Xinxin obtained the treasure, and several people behind him couldn't help but feel envious. Tongtian glared at them and said: "When you have your Shifu's (master) cultivation level, I will also give you treasures." He then pointed to Xun Daozi and said: "Look at your Shixiong (senior brother), his body is full of precious treasures, but they were all obtained by himself, not given by the master. If you have the ability, go find treasures like your Shixiong."

  Yuanshi heard it and looked for Daz's face, which was still black.

  At once, several people behind Tongtian came over to pay their respects to Yuanshi, and also to Xun Daozi, Su Xin, and Jianmu.

  There were four people who came to pay their respects. The first one, with two buns on her head and a rich demeanor, called herself Duobao; the second one had a long beard and a dark face, wore a black robe, and tied his waist with a silk belt, calling himself Wuyun Xian; the last two were women wearing cloud-patterned clothes, looking elegant and beautiful, one calling herself Jinxing Shengmu, and the other calling herself Wudang Shengmu.

  Xun Daozi heard a few people introduce themselves, and also saw that his master, Yuan Shi, seemed to be displeased. In his heart, he was also startled: Could it be that Master really didn't like this demon beast transformed cultivator?

  Now, with the help of Daozong's eyesight, it can be seen that this treasure is indeed a transformed form of the Haohuang Xiu mouse; The Wuyun Immortal is a golden-haired turtle fish from the East China Sea transformed; The Golden Spirit Mother and the Unborn Mother are actually postnatal consciousness transformations like Zong Daozi and Su Xin.

  Xun Daozi was thinking about how to prevent a rift between his master and his uncle. In the previous life, in the chaotic world of Honghuang, Yuanshi was positioned as an anti-hero, shouting and killing, just because Yuanshi looked down on alien cultivators, saying they were "hairy and horned people, born from eggs and transformed". However, this phrase was actually said by Duobao in "Guang Chengzi's Three Visits to Biyou Palace" in the novel "Fengshen Yanyi", with the purpose of provoking Tongtian's anger and making way for the Jie teaching sect. In other parts of "Fengshen Yanyi", there was no mention of Yuanshi looking down on alien cultivators, but it did describe Laozi's disdainful words towards alien cultivators in the "Three Religions Conference Wanxian Array". But why did Yuanshi look down on these alien cultivators? If this point is not clarified, it will be difficult to resolve the rift between Yuanshi and Tongtian. This rift must be resolved, otherwise outsiders will take advantage of it and occupy the advantageous position, leading to regret.

  Zeng Dazui pondered in his heart and also paid respects to Duobao and others. Before he could speak in detail, Laozi called him into the thatched hut.

  Laozi was in his thatched cottage. Laozi, Yuanshi and Tongtian were sitting on a couch made of straw. Yuanshi asked Xun Daozi to sit under his hand.

  The old man raised the Taiji diagram and the Linglong pagoda together, and the light enveloped the thatched cottage.

  Laozi made some defensive preparations and then spoke to Xun Daozi, "I suppose your master has already told you about our current situation. Do you have anything to say?"

  Xun Daozi didn't think that Laozi would take himself so seriously, and even asked for his opinion. But he himself couldn't offer much help with the situation of the three of them. Yet when Laozi asked, how could he not say anything?

  Zengzi fell into deep thought. The three Laozi did not urge him.

  It's been a long time, Xun Daozi finally lifted his head and spoke: "Shibo, in this matter, I don't know what to say."

  Yuanshi said with a smile, "Go ahead and speak your mind, you've always been insightful. Your masters and I would like to hear your opinion."

  This made Xun Daozi even more terrified, and he hastily said that he didn't dare to ask. After thinking for a moment, he opened his mouth and asked: "I wonder if Master, Shibo, and Shishu have really reached the limit of Daluo Realm?"

  After getting a definite answer, Xuanzi said: "Then let's go all out! Shibo, Shifu, Shishu can work together to calculate again, in order to be foolproof. If there is no other way, then fight for this line of life!"

  Tongtian burst out laughing and said: "Alright, let's do it your way, let's have a contest!"

  Laozi nodded in agreement. Afterwards, the three Laozis joined forces again to calculate and verify the affairs of the Dao. After another round of calculations, it was still only the previous method that had a thread of life.

  After the calculation was decided, Laozi and his three men made their final preparations. Zidu took out two portions of Wudao tea leaves and handed them to Laozi and Tongtian, explaining the differences between the two portions. Laozi and Tongtian said it didn't matter, but in the end, Laozi wanted the portion that made up the full amount.

  Coming out of Laozi's house, he sought Dao and followed Yuanshi to Yuanshi's thatched cottage.

  Yuanshi sat down on a cloud bed and let Xun Daozi sit down as well. He opened his mouth and said, "What do you want to ask? Just say it!"

  Xun Daozi then opened his mouth and asked: "May I ask, Master, how do you plan to bring out the merits of opening up heaven and proving the way?"

  Yuanshi Dao said: "Establish teachings! The orthodox lineage of the Dao is in the human world."

  Zengzi asked again: "Can masters also be like this?"

  Yuanshi Dao said: "So it is!"

  Xun Daozi asked again: "Master, in establishing teachings and proving the Way, are there any flaws?"

  Yuanshi Dao said: "You must take on the responsibility of practicing and teaching, do not let the orthodox transmission be cut off. Otherwise, the Tao will not be able to elevate itself, and there will be no freedom from the body!"

  Xun Daozi said again: "Is there another way to bring out the merits of opening up heaven?"

  Yuanshi Dao said: "Nothingness, we are equal and pay homage to the gate of Hongjun Daozu, receive his Taoist teachings, but also undertake its responsibilities, bear the responsibility of teaching. This is cause and effect!"

  "If after Master has established his teachings and proven the Tao, but his disciples under him do not prosper, or if they initially flourish but then decline, what impact will this have on Master?"

  "When the disciples are not prosperous, the vital energy does not gather, and the Tao is difficult to advance; when they first prosper and then decline, the vital energy scatters and escapes, and there is concern that the Tao will not progress but rather retreat."

  Xun Daozi asked again: "Master, when you established the teachings, did Pan Gu's banner stabilize the Great Teachings' energy and prevent it from being lost?"

  Yuanshi smiled and said, "My 'Pangu Fan' is a pre-heavenly treasure that has the ability to suppress the great teachings of Qi Yun. I have calculated before, this 'Pangu Fan' is ultimately an attacking treasure, but in suppressing the great teachings of Qi Yun, it can't compare to your Shibo's 'Taiji Diagram'. Moreover, your Shibo also has the 'Linglong Pagoda', which is a post-heavenly treasure that also has the effect of suppressing the great teachings of Qi Yun. With these two treasures in hand, your Shibo can establish the teachings and ensure that the great teachings of Qi Yun are not lost. I was originally going to owe some, but because you are my disciple, as long as you don't abandon me and leave, this great teaching of Qi Yun can be preserved." After finishing speaking, he stroked his long beard and smiled.

  Xun Daozi quickly knelt down and said: "Disciple will never betray the kindness of Master, and will definitely help Master establish the most prosperous and united Great Church in Honghuang!"

  Yuanshi stretched out his hand, and with a gentle lift, he awakened Xunzi once more. He said again: "You and I, master and disciple, will not betray each other. Let us compete together for that one thread of life!" As he spoke, Yuanshi's body emitted a magnificent and vast aura, an unstoppable momentum.

  Xun Daozi's heart was also very excited. He asked again, "Master, Master Shu, if you establish a sect, what will suppress the great fortune of the teaching?"

  Yuanshi's expression was somewhat solemn: "Your Shifu has not yet found a good treasure to suppress the Da Jiao's aura, and he is also straightforward in his temper, likes to teach people. As a teacher, I worry that he will collect disciples of mixed quality in the future, which will ruin the aura. Today, seeing him collect several disciples, I carefully calculated that although there is some aura, there is a subtle wave hidden, and I don't know what the reason is. Your Shifu indeed has some worries!"

  Xun Daozi suddenly understood upon hearing Yuanshi's words. No wonder the legend of his past life said that Yuanshi looked down on the alien creatures under Tongtian Gate, and at this time, Yuanshi's concern about Tongtian's teaching was also sincere.

  Xun Daozi thought for a moment, took out the 'Qian Kun Ding', and said to his master Yuan Shi Dao: "Master, this 'Qian Kun Ding' should also have the effect of suppressing the Da Jiao's aura. Now I will give it to Master Shu to suppress the Da Jiao's aura, as a repayment for Master Shu's love and care for me in the past. Is that okay?"

  Yuanshi listened for a moment, looking at Xun Daozi, with an unusual light in his eyes, and even a hint of mist. After a while, he let out a long sigh and said: "Go, take it to your Shu uncle!"

  Xun Daozi left Yuan Shi's thatched cottage and headed towards Tong Tian's residence. Yuan Shi, however, remained still for a moment before beginning his practice.

  Xun Daozi arrived at the gate of Tongtian's thatched cottage and heard Tongtian's voice echoing in his mind: "Come in yourself!"

  Xun Daozi entered the door and went straight to the front of Tongtian's cloud bed. Just as he was about to pay his respects, Tongtian stopped him, saying: "Sit down yourself." After Xun Daozi sat down, Tongtian opened his mouth and asked: "What is it? Speak!"

  Xun Daozi said, "I have come to prove the way for my master." After finishing speaking, he handed over the 'Qiankun Ding' to Tongtian, and the divine soul that was used to refine the 'Qiankun Ding' also withdrew when it came out of Yuanshi's thatched cottage.

  Tongtian looked at Xun Daozi's hand holding the 'Qiankun Ding', then looked at Xun Daozi again, sighed after a long while, took over the 'Qiankun Ding' and said to Xun Daozi: "Master uncle won't say anything else, Master uncle will take this鼎!"

  Xun Daozi got up and bowed, then exited the Tongtian Thatched Cottage.

  Years later, Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian stood silently on the empty land outside the thatched cottage of the crowd in the cave mansion of Kunlun Mountain. Beside him were Xun Daozi, Su Xin, Duo Bao, Wuyun Xian, Jinling Shengmu and Wudang Shengmu. A little further away were several strange beasts.

  "Hmph, it seems we can't share a stage after all!"

  Tongtian also opened his mouth and said: "Well, I was thinking of building a palace on the Golden Turtle Island in the East Sea. Now it's just right to make it a Taoist temple. Two brothers, I'll take the lead first." After finishing speaking, with a big sleeve roll, he rolled up Duobao and four people, as well as Kui Niu, and with a flash of blue light, they were gone without a trace.

  Laozi spoke again: "That Sunyang has some fate with me, I will go there to build a Taoist temple. Second brother, you stay here!"

  Yuanshi raised his hand and bowed slightly, saying: "Then thank you, brother, for yielding!"

  Laozi nodded slightly and said to Su Xin: "You follow me to Shouyang Mountain first, help me tidy up the Taoist temple. When you want to find Daozi again, come back and see him then!"

  Su Xin listened intently, her face flushing red, and walked quietly to Lao Zi's side. Lao Zi summoned the green cow again, turned around and sat on its back, ready to leave. Xun Daozi quickly brought the spear-wielding dragon beast to Su Xin's side and bid farewell. Su Xin nodded silently with a soft "hmm". Suddenly, a colorful cloud rose up, carrying Lao Zi, Su Xin, and the two beasts into the air, rushing towards Mount Shouyang.

  Kunlun Mountain cave mansion at this moment only left Yuan Shi and Xun Daozi two people, as well as four unlikes, three-eyed snow lion beast, jade qilin three strange beasts.

  Silently watching Laozi, after Su Xin left, Xuanzang followed Yuanshi back to Yuanshi's thatched cottage, where the two sat facing each other.

  "Master, why are Master Bo and Master Shu not here to witness the Dao?"

  Yuanshi sighed and said: "Mount Kunlun cannot bear the weight of three mixed-yuan cultivators!" He then raised the Pangu flag to cover the house, saying: "The Heavenly Way does not permit it!"

  Xun Daozi was shocked to hear this: the Heavenly Way does not allow the Three Purities to be in the same Dao field, and it's likely that they don't want Xuanmen to become too powerful. Will there be conflicts between the Three Purities later on to balance things out?

  In his heart, he thought: Will Master's certification this time be unexpected? In the end, can only certify merit and virtue, but cannot contend for that one line of life? The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this one line of life was difficult to contend. He also thought about how to help his master, and as he thought, he suddenly remembered his performance when receiving the 'God-killing Gun'. He felt that this 'Hunyuan Seal' was not ordinary, and maybe it could help Master contend for that one line of life.

  Adhering to the principle of "more preparation, no harm", Xuan Zhen took out the 'Hunyuan Seal' and handed it over to Yuan Shi Dao: "Master, I think this 'Hunyuan Seal' may be helpful in your current cultivation. You can take it first, and when you cultivate with 'Tiqing Fuchen', there will be many opportunities."

  Yuanshi nodded and took over the "Hunyuan Seal". The two master and apprentice sat silently, waiting for the arrival of the moment of ascension...