Chapter 49: The Primordial World Stirs with Ripples [4k] (Seeking First Subscription)

Inside the jade tower and treasure pavilion.

The lamps were filled with fragrant mist, their flames bright and flickering, while red clouds and smoke drifted everywhere.

Hongpao Daoren reached out to flick the smoke and clouds, causing ripples in space to gather and disperse in concentric circles.

He smiled and said, "Didn't I say? This body of mine is formed from a sliver of a thought scattered in the past, combined with a strand of Spirit Treasure origin. As for my true self, it is staying perfectly well with an old friend!"

"You think it is he who is unwilling to let go of the entanglement of karma? It is I who am unwilling to let go of the entanglement of karma."

He paused, looked at Fang Longye, and said with a pointed meaning, "However, I imagine he will want to thank you properly now!"

"Me?" Fang Longye said in disbelief.

"That's right, it is you. Although it was merely a coincidence of fate, he has no choice but to accept your favor."

Fang Longye knew deeply who the "he" in Hongpao Daoren's words referred to, which was why he felt somewhat dizzy.

He felt it was incredible.

What did I do?

Hongpao Daoren chuckled, not offering much explanation, and immediately cleared his throat, saying loudly, "Enough of that. If there is fate, you will know in the future."

"You and I have a connection; I see that what you have learned is quite miscellaneous, so I shall preach the Dao for you once."

Hearing this, Fang Longye felt a jolt of spirit, set aside the questions in his heart, and said with a grateful face, "Then this little dragon thanks the Ancestor."

After understanding the other party's identity, Fang Longye immediately cast aside his previous behavior of identifying as a demon dragon.

He kept calling himself "little dragon," trying his best to downplay his Demon Clan origin.

I am of the noble Dragon Clan, not some demon! At this moment, Qingshe suddenly stood up and left her seat.

She bowed with her slender body, kneeling before Fang Longye.

"Exalted One, this concubine has a request. Today, in the presence of the senior, I am willing to acknowledge you as my master. From now on, I shall be at your command, for life after life, never to betray you! Let heaven and earth bear witness to this vow!" Her voice was resonant and powerful, like the sound of metal and stone.

Seeing this, Fang Longye reached out to help her up, but was stopped by her.

She raised her cold, jade-like face, her entire demeanor cool and elegant, her expression resolute, and her beautiful eyes filled with an unchangeable sincerity as she said, "I hope the Exalted One will grant this."

With a beauty offering herself in such a way, how could he refuse? He immediately agreed.

As he agreed, heaven and earth bore witness in the dark. From then on, Qingshe was no longer a free soul.

Seeing Qingshe complete the ritual of acknowledging a master, Hongpao Daoren shook his head and laughed, "You little snake are quite sharp; I'll count you in~"

"Hurry and take your seat; the Ancestor is about to begin."

As for Fang Longye's amazement at her heart for the Dao, such emotions would naturally not exist.

The long passage of time alone made the perspectives of the two worlds apart.

In Fang Longye's eyes, what kind of resilient heart for the Dao was it to abandon freedom and even honor to gain progress on the path of the Dao? But in Hongpao Daoren's eyes, this was merely an opportunistic act. Being able to earn his evaluation of "sharp" was already rare.

Seeing the two sit down again, Hongpao Daoren began this sermon.

Earth Immortal Realm.

Xiniu Hezhou.

A spiritual mountain and treasure land, stretching boundlessly.

The high mountains were steep and extreme, with a magnificent momentum. Its roots connected to the Kunlun veins, and its peaks brushed the heavens.

White cranes often came to roost in the cypress trees, and mysterious apes often hung from the vines. The sun shone on the clear forest, with thousands of layers of red mist swirling; the wind rose in the dark ravines, with ten thousand paths of colorful clouds drifting.

Dragons roared and tigers whistled, cranes danced and apes cried. Deer emerged from the flowers, and Green Phoenix sang to the sun. It was truly a blessed land of immortal mountains, no different from Penglai or the Langyuan Garden.

This was the location of the dojo of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals—Wanshou Mountain.

In Wuzhuang Guan, there was a garden Grotto-Heaven.

One could see vermilion railings and precious balustrades, with winding paths and mountain peaks. Exotic flowers vied for beauty with the bright sun, and emerald bamboos competed in greenness with the blue sky.

A curve of green willows looked like trailing smoke; inside Liubei Ting, two Daoists were sitting opposite each other playing chess.

Hongyi Daoren was deep in thought.

Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Interesting~"

He immediately threw down a chess piece, tossing the board into a state where Yin and Yang were inverted and the stars and universe were overturned.

"You lazy fellow, are you deliberately taking back your move again?"

Seeing this, Huangyi Daoren scolded him with a smile, then reached out to move the pieces, restoring the board to how it was before.

"This time, you have wronged me. How can the manipulation of this Great Thousand World compare to the changing chess game of the Primordial World?" Hongyi Daoren lay lazily on a Cloud Couch.

Hearing this, Huangyi Daoren looked closely at Hongyi Daoren and said joyfully, "I didn't expect you to have broken through that layer, eliminated your obsession, and achieved a complete state of mind. It seems that in this epoch, you are truly going to attain the Dao."

As he spoke, he put away the chessboard he had refined from a Great Thousand World.

Hongyi Daoren remained in his lazy posture: "It was already time; it was just a matter of sooner or later, but I didn't expect that by a coincidence of fate, a little demon would obtain this share of my predestined connection."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Huangyi Daoren looked into the River of Time, seeing through everything.

"Interesting~ It is indeed interesting. No wonder you spoke like that just now."

"It is indeed a deep fortune; it was so coincidental~ The remark 'Who pities the poor deer' is mentioned by countless beings every instant, yet it just happened that he encountered you while you were eliminating your obsession."

"Look at his name again."

"Fang Longye? Haha! No wonder you said he was interesting! This is too fitting for the situation of entering the Second Tribulation of this epoch.

More importantly, he just happened to have an intersection with you, the future protagonist of the Second Tribulation. This destiny truly has the potential to stir up the winds and clouds."

"However, to you and me, this is but a trivial matter, counting as a bit of amusement. Only those who want to place bets will pay attention to it."

After observing the River of Time with great interest, Huangyi Daoren then brought up the main business: "How do you plan to deal with the entanglement with that person in Beiming?"

Hongyi Daoren smiled lazily: "Didn't that sliver of my thought say it! Now that person in Beiming will have to thank this little demon."

Then, he sat up straight and said with a serious face, "Speaking of which, for this entanglement of karma, the me of the past has to bear more responsibility."

"Think of that person in Beiming; what a moral person they were back then. They pioneered the secret technique of Reverse Innate, created the acquired demon script to educate all living beings, and protected all acquired races. Only then did those two brothers later succeed in integrating the ten thousand races by using that name."

"That seat should have been his to begin with, but because of my interference, he lost that position, which also caused him to waste all these years, unable to attain the Dao. I owe him."

"Now, this entanglement of karma should be resolved here and now."

"As for those two in the west, although I acknowledge that they, as martial brothers, are indeed compassionate, harbor the masses in their hearts, and possess great perseverance—if I were placed in their positions, I could not do as they have done." "But I do not owe them anything; what is owed to me must still be repaid. What they promised me in this Calamity will not be reduced by even a single bit."

"That is good; you, who were previously trapped by your obsessions, could not have said these words."

As the two conversed, they no longer concealed the Heavenly Secrets, which became clear in an instant.

Almost all the great beings who had stepped into the ranks of Great Divine Ability understood Hongyi Daoren's choice from the Heavenly Secrets.

Beiju Luzhou.

Inside Beiming Palace.

The smoke was dense and clouds congealed, with dazzling halos of light, like flowers viewed through mist, hazy and indistinct.

Layers of space-time were stacked, with the textures of Yin and Yang interwoven.

A butterfly danced gracefully, dreamlike and illusory, seemingly void yet real, finally transforming into a Qingyi Daoren.

He smiled leisurely at Kunpeng Ancestor, who sat at the head: "Now, this humble one has finally escaped the prison; it is a joyous and congratulatory occasion!"

Kunpeng Ancestor wore a black robe and sat upright on a cloud bed. His eyes were clear, as if he could see through everything; above his crown, three thousand purple-green rays swirled, transforming into a canopy that hung down high.

Countless light wheels swayed around his body, up and down, left and right, occasionally landing on the ground and then bouncing back, appearing both tangible and intangible, stirring up ten thousand ripples.

Behind his head, countless profound seal characters circulated, emitting sounds like drums, jade chimes, bells, and so on; the combination of these various wondrous sounds contained a sense of Great Freedom, Great Transcendence, and Great Magnificence.

Kunpeng Ancestor smiled: "It is merely a matter of being a step early or a step late; as long as that fellow Hongyun wants to attain the Dao, he will have to let go sooner or later. Because it is not that I owe him; it has always been he who owes me."

As his mind turned, countless seal characters emerged with the aura of Xuanhuang Merit, and ten thousand Dao Rhymes flowed, occasionally rearranging themselves to form various images.

Under the Great Sun, the Golden Crow spread its wings and shrieked across the sky; the moon shone on the deep pool, Xiangliu raised its nine heads high, and the swamp proliferated; Feilian rode the wind, assisting the Sage Monarch to reform the world; with a horse's face and human body, tiger patterns and bird wings, this was Yingzhao, who specialized in killing those who would not submit; the green jade Shangyang, with a slender body clad in armor, was peerless in elegance; Baize wrote books, the nine-tailed one offered strategies, and Jimeng followed the wind and rain, arrogant and unyielding, and so on and so forth...

Praises and eulogies from all space-time, past, present, and future, from the Demon Gods and Demon Sages above to the demon spirits and demon masses below, converged.

Ten thousand demons bowed their heads in unison, chanting the Demon Master in their mouths.

……

Both parties involved were completely indifferent.

The crowd of Great Divine Ability beings throughout the heavens, however, paid close attention to this.

Heavenly Court, Jinjue Yungong Lingxiao Baodian.

The floor was of glazed jade, unstained by a single speck of dust.

The star patterns of the myriad heavens were reflected within it, up and down, left and right, outlining profound traces; there was rhythm within the calm, and change within Yin and Yang, difficult to describe in words.

Upon the high throne sat the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable, with his crown curtains lowered to block his face; around his body swirled the aura of merit, layer upon layer, evolving into ten thousand phenomena—the movement of the sun and moon and the brilliance of the galaxy were all contained within.

He was listening to the report of his subordinate immortal official when his gaze flickered slightly; he let out an "eh" and pondered to himself.

Looking at the intertwined and mixed timelines in the River of Time, he smiled without a word.

"I did not expect that these two would actually reconcile. Just as the Second Tribulation of this era descends, such a change has occurred. It seems that for this Calamity, one of those two on Wanshou Mountain will inevitably become a Hunyuan being."

Soft whispers reached his ears; it was his Dao companion, Queen Mother of the West, who had supported him since he was a Daoist boy in the ancient times.

He also secretly transmitted his voice: "This is not surprising. Ever since that fellow Black Emperor stirred up the winds and clouds and the Human Dao struck against the heavens, opening the First Tribulation of the Myriad Heavens Era, this Primordial World has grown and perfected itself more and more. Not to mention one Hunyuan, even if these two promoted each other and ascended simultaneously, I would not be surprised."

"That is true. After all, in terms of friendship and entanglement, these two are no less than those two on Xumi Shan. However, looking at it this way, that lucky little demon is indeed a target for making friends and placing bets."

Jade Emperor shook his head and laughed: "Even without this incident, how could this little demon be ordinary? Look at his figure, appearing and disappearing, flickering in and out of that River of Time; I imagine he is also an old friend from the past, though I do not know who it is."

"Indeed, such a coincidence—at the critical moment when Hongyun was eliminating his obsessions, he spoke a word and forged a connection that is neither shallow nor deep. It seems that in this era, no one is willing to remain lonely!"

While the two conversed, Lingshan Shengjing, Difu Lunhui, Huoyun Dongtian,... all had their own reactions.

And Fang Longye, who was listening to the sermon under the incarnation of Hongyun, had no idea that he, a mere small Loose Immortal, had already entered the eyes of the great beings of the heavens.

Of course, one cannot blame him. It was truly too coincidental. At the critical moment when Hongyun was eliminating his final obsession, he miraculously intersected with the thoughts of the past.

In fact, his words and guidance were not the key. Even without his struggle and words with the mountain spirit, Hongyun could still have eliminated the obsessions left by the battles of the past on his own.

Perhaps seeing flowers, grass, insects, birds, beasts, or the scenery of mountains and rivers would have been enough to break through the obsession and complete his state of mind.

It just so happened that Fang Longye stepped up.

His remarks were not particularly extraordinary either. Such great truths could be expounded upon by anyone in the myriad worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

But as mentioned before, knowing the truth and truly realizing it are two different things.

Due to different encounters, everyone has obsessions that are difficult for others to understand. It might be a very simple truth, but under the weight of obsession, it is not simple for the person themselves.

Do not think that great beings will not get stuck in a dead end. The higher the cultivation realm, the heavier the obsession. Because it is not that they do not understand the truth, but that the great beings simply do not want to see through it.

Cultivation is about oneself; the further one goes, the more one believes in one's own ideas, and even if it seems wrong to ordinary people, one will still walk that path until it is opened up.

Because there has never been an absolute right or wrong. All things are relative.

In short, Fang Longye just happened to bump into it by luck, but in the eyes of some great beings who illuminate the past, present, and future, he clearly stepped up on purpose.

Even if it was not intentional, but a true coincidence, it was because his past life's origin had been arranged with this karmic connection by the world.

Thus, his background and origin in this world, because of the Golden Finger, were increasingly imagined to be lofty and profound.

Divine Light and auspicious clouds, colorful aura overflowing.

Endless Dao Rhyme grew and misted under the sermon of the Hongyun incarnation.

Fang Longye gained great realization; many whimsical ideas collided with his own learning, and under the Dao Rhyme, clusters of wisdom crystals were derived.

All-encompassing.

Seal characters danced within his primordial spirit, and everything he had learned was continuously integrated and fused under the sermon, finally forming the prototype of a Dao Scripture.

Removing the dross and selecting the essence, he finally created his own path.

Finally, the Dao sound dissipated.

Only the lingering echoes remained, combining with the surrounding spiritual Qi to transform into dots of light halos.

Body and mind were as if washed, completely pure.

As if all worldly vanity had been washed away.

Fang Longye's original aura, which had been as fierce and rushing as a gale, was instantly reined in, until in the end, not a single trace leaked out. His entire person became much gentler, as if he were nothing more than an ordinary mortal who knew nothing of cultivation.

After a long while, he opened his eyes; within them, Yin and Yang patterns and the flow of the Five Elements, along with the changes of the Four Symbols—wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—flashed and vanished. Finally, they returned to normal.

He stood up and bowed repeatedly to the Hongpao Daoren on the Cloud Couch before him.

The grace of imparting the Dao shall be engraved in my heart~ Kneeling and begging for the first subscription~ (End of this chapter)