Chapter 619

Kunlun Mountain, Sanqing Hall.

Taishang Laojun sat cross-legged before the Eight Trigrams Furnace, eyes tightly shut.

The furnace fire burned pure blue, the fragrance of elixir overflowing in all directions.

Yet Laojun had no heart for refining pills.

His brows furrowed slightly, fingers rapidly calculating within his sleeves.

Chaos.

Utter chaos.

Since receiving the Primordial Beginning Purple Qi at Zixiao Palace, he had faintly sensed that his chance of Sanctification lay in the two words "Teaching".

The Great Wasteland newly settled, all things ignorant and unaware. If he could establish a teaching and teach the masses, there would surely be Massive Merit Descending.

He had originally locked his gaze upon the human race newly created by Nüwa.

The human race was frail, like a blank sheet of paper, most suitable as the foundation for teaching.

But today, he divined the Heavenly Secrets, yet discovered the human race's Qi Qi was already dead-bound to the Orc Clan Heavenly Court. That one-tenth of teaching Merit and Virtue originally belonging to him had actually vanished inexplicably!

Laojun opened his eyes, gaze piercing the void, looking toward the Western Wasteland.

"Heaven's numbers have changed."

He stood, a sweep of his wide sleeve, and the Eight Trigrams Furnace fire extinguished.

Tongtian Jiaozhu was outside the hall wiping the Qingping Sword; seeing Laojun emerge, he appeared slightly surprised: "Eldest Brother, is the pill refined?"

"Going down the mountain for a walk." Laojun's tone was flat; his figure flickered, already transformed into an ordinary old Daoist, vanishing from the Kunlun Mountain peak.

Tongtian curled his lips: "Acting all mysterious."

Western Wasteland, "He" Tribe.

Fine rain misty and drizzling.

A layer of verdant vines exuding the breath of creation wrapped the entire tribe tightly, seamlessly.

Laojun stood outside the vines, a flash of strange color passing through his eyes.

"Human Creation Whip... Junior Sister Nüwa is indeed protective."

He did not touch the vines; his figure transformed into a wisp of Clear Wind, passing through the barrier without the slightest hindrance, entering the tribe interior.

The moment he landed, a tempting fragrance of meat rushed at his face.

On the open ground, several bonfires blazed fiercely. Several women were roasting prepared wild beast meat on wooden sticks over the fires. Children clustered around the bonfires, playing and frolicking, no longer harboring the former fear of night and cold.

Laojun watched those jumping orange-red flames, the corner of his eye twitching slightly.

Fire.

This was not divine ability fire, but mundane fire.

He turned his head, looking toward a stone wall not far away.

On the stone wall, dense symbols were carved.

"Sun, Moon, Mountain, River, Water, Fire..."

Laojun's gaze wandered stroke by stroke, his breathing gradually growing heavy.

Writing.

Writing that bears Civilization, that opens spiritual wisdom.

"Teaching has already succeeded..." Laojun murmured to himself; his ten-thousand-year Ancient Well No Ripple Heart of Dao now surged with shocking waves.

Someone got ahead of him, passed on fire, created writing, completed the enlightenment of the human race!

Who?

The Yao Clan!

Laojun looked toward the Nine Heavens above at that coiling Purple-Gold Mandate Dragon, finally understanding why the Yao Clan could possess such grandeur.

Di Jun, or rather the expert behind Di Jun, had forcibly intercepted his Taishang Laojun's Sanctification opportunity!

Laojun took a Deep Breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

Opportunity seized, he could only contend again.

As long as he accepted that writing-creator as a disciple, guided the human race's Qi Qi back into the Profound Gate, there was still a turning point.

He released his divine sense, instantly locking onto a wooden house deep in the tribe.

Inside the wooden house.

Cangjie sat upright before a Stone Table, holding a piece of Wood Charcoal, currently delineating new character elements on a flat piece of Animal Hide.

His body emitted the aura of Late-Stage Taiyi Golden Immortal; the Human Creation Whip lay quietly coiled at his waist.

"Young friend."

A peaceful voice sounded within the house.

Cangjie's hand paused, he raised his head.

At some unknown time, a white-bearded, white-haired old Daoist stood before the table.

The old Daoist's whole body had not the slightest fluctuation of magic power, yet gave one a suffocating sensation as if facing the vast heaven and earth.

Cangjie stood up, right hand gripping the whip handle at his waist, expression vigilant.

"Who is Senior? What business brings you to my human race?"

Laojun looked at Cangjie, a trace of admiration revealed in his eyes.

Unflustered in danger, possessing Massive Merit and Virtue — a fine sapling.

"Disciple of the Poor Way Taqing."

Laojun did not conceal his identity. In the Great Wasteland, the two words Taqing represented absolute status and strength.

Cangjie's pupils contracted. Dao Ancestor's Chief Disciple, Future Saint!

"I have met Senior Taqing." Cangjie gave a bow, neither servile nor arrogant.

Laozi nodded, his gaze settling on the characters on the animal hide.

"Young friend creates characters, achieving the merit of teaching. Yet the human race is frail, its lifespan no more than a hundred years; even with written inheritance, it is hard to resist the erosion of time."

Laozi raised his right hand, a point of golden light flaring at his fingertip.

It was a round, flawless Golden Elixir.

"This is a Nine-turn Golden Elixir." Laozi's voice was calm, yet carried boundless temptation. "A mortal who consumes it becomes a Great Luo on the spot. If young friend is willing to enter Disciple of the Poor Way's sect, Disciple of the Poor Way can transmit the Golden Elixir Great Dao to you, letting the human race all cultivate to immortality, achieving longevity and eternal vision."

The air inside the room seemed to freeze.

Great Luo Golden Immortal. Longevity and eternal vision.

To any living being of the Great Wasteland, this was a temptation that could not be refused.

Laozi quietly watched Cangjie, waiting for his kneeling worship.

Cangjie looked at that Golden Elixir emitting an alluring pill fragrance, and fell silent.

Golden Elixir Great Dao.

If he could obtain this method, the human race could indeed quickly shed its frail constitution.

It was also one of his lifelong wishes.

But.

In Cangjie's mind, emerged that night's mountain cave with thunderstorm.

Emerged the scene of tribe members being torn apart by Asura.

When the Heavenly Court bestowed the fire seed, the Saint did not appear.

When the Wu Clan slaughtered the human race, the Saint did not appear.

Now the human race has characters, has a sacred object, has the Heavenly Court's divine protection, yet a Saint comes bearing a Golden Elixir.

In this world, where is there an Immortal Pill eaten for nothing?

With cause there is effect.

If he betrays the Yao Clan and defects to Laozi, how would he differ from that Wu Clan?

Cangjie took a deep breath, retreated half a step, and loosened the hand gripping the Human Creation Whip.

"Senior's kind intentions, Cangjie accepts in heart."

He stared straight into Laozi's eyes, voice hoarse yet exceptionally firm.

"The human race is newly born, treading on thin ice. The Heavenly Court bestowed fire, enlightening our wisdom; the Shèngmǔ bestowed the whip, protecting us fully. What we seek is not longevity and eternal vision, nor ascension in broad daylight."

"The human race only seeks a foothold on the Great Wasteland earth. To reclaim wasteland with both hands, to propagate with blood and sweat. Heaven's vigour is strong; the human race ought to strive unceasingly."

"The Golden Elixir Great Dao is good, yet it would wear away the human race's blood-nature. If everyone seeks longevity, who will build the homeland?"

Cangjie bowed at the waist, bowing deeply.

"Different paths, not plotting together. Senior, please return."

Refused.

A Taiyi Golden Immortal mortal refused the Future Saint's acceptance of a disciple.

Laozi's hand holding the Golden Elixir froze in midair.

In those ancient-well-no-ripple eyes, for the first time flashed an emotion of disbelief.

Strive unceasingly?

In this Great Wasteland where the weak are meat for the strong, a group of ants actually delude themselves into thinking they can strive by themselves?

Laozi looked at the Human Creation Whip at Cangjie's waist, and also sensed that vast Yao Clan Qi Qi hiddenly observing this place from above the Nine Heavens.

He understood.

The human race's hearts have already been thoroughly won over by the Heavenly Court.

Forced acceptance of a disciple?

That is a lower strategy.

Not only would it stain with cause and effect, it would also violate his Wuwu Dao. Moreover, Nüwa's Human Creation Whip is still on Cangjie.

"Strive unceasingly... a fine 'strive unceasingly'."

Laozi withdrew the Golden Elixir, expression complex.

He gave Cangjie a deep look, did not get angry, and did not persuade further.

Form dispersed, transformed into clear wind and departed.

Came with hope full, left with both hands empty.

Laozi knew, his path to sanctification had been dug out a section by a human.