Chapter 184: Laozi and Tongtian's Worries

"Minghe has attained Sanctification?" Inside Sanqing Palace, Yuanshi Tianzun, who had just landed, wore a look of bewilderment.

Beside him, Laozi and Tongtian Jiaozhu both had their faces slightly darkened, their eyes filled with a mix of astonishment and a trace of irritation.

It was one thing for Tian Yuan to want to preach to the Primordial World, but now Minghe had actually attained Sanctification.

Nuwa created the Human Race and thus attained the Dao; Jieyin and Zhunti established a sect and made grand vows to achieve the Saint Fruit Position. They all obtained a Cushion in Purple Heaven Palace, were all considered disciples of the Dao Ancestor, and were all bestowed with Hongmeng Purple Qi, so their Sanctification was within expectations.

Minghe was merely an ordinary Innate Sacred; by casually creating some life and establishing a sect, he actually obtained great merit.

If anyone could succeed by imitating this, wouldn't these Heavenly Dao Saints become as common as dirt?

Laozi and Tongtian were already slightly resistant to Merit Sanctification, but because Jieyin and Zhunti attained Sanctification, they felt a sense of urgency and inexplicably took this step themselves.

Although Merit Sanctification is weak, it is fortunate that one can control the general trend of heaven and earth, and one's Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, making one immortal and indestructible.

In the entire Primordial World, their strength was second only to the Dao Ancestor, so they reluctantly accepted it in their hearts.

But now, the vision of Sanctification had just vanished, and another fellow had popped out.

No one knew if there would be more Heavenly Dao Saints in the future.

If it were all this easy and casual, then... The more they thought about it, the uglier the expressions on Laozi and Tongtian's faces became.

Yuanshi Tianzun, fuming with anger, turned his thoughts and instantly learned everything about Minghe, becoming even more furious at once.

"A rat hiding in the Sea of Blood is actually ranked alongside us, the Three Pure Ones!" Yuanshi Tianzun glared angrily toward the Western World.

Although the foundations of Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa were not as good as theirs, they were at least disciples acknowledged by the Dao Ancestor, so Yuanshi Tianzun reluctantly accepted them.

But this Minghe, hiding in the Nether Blood Sea—he was not a disciple of the Dao Ancestor, nor did he obtain Hongmeng Purple Qi; how could he also attain Sanctification?

Regardless of what the three were thinking, the joy they felt after attaining Sanctification vanished in the blink of an eye.

Tongtian frowned and asked softly, "Big Brother! Could that Minghe be the only variable?"

Back in Purple Heaven Palace, the Master once said that nine is the extreme, and excluding the Dao Ancestor himself, there should be eight Heavenly Dao Saints in the Primordial World.

Because there was a thread of a variable among them, only seven strands of Hongmeng Purple Qi were bestowed in Purple Heaven Palace.

If Minghe were that variable, it would be a bit too coincidental. Moreover, the time between their Sanctifications was not far apart; if he were the variable, it shouldn't have been revealed so quickly.

Hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun's expression softened slightly, and he hurriedly looked at Laozi beside him.

While annoyed, Yuanshi Tianzun was also worried about whether other fellows would follow suit and attain Sanctification.

Laozi, looking toward the Western World, shook his head slightly, and a silent voice emerged: "Minghe's Sanctification might be related to Junior Sister Nuwa."

"Junior Sister Nuwa?"

"How is it related to Nuwa?"

Tongtian and Yuanshi Tianzun were stunned, their eyes filled with astonishment.

The scene of Nuwa attaining the Dao was still vivid in their minds; after all, it was truly too bizarre.

Even now, they still could not understand why the merit that had been descending from the firmament was finally withdrawn.

With confusion in their eyes, Yuanshi and Tongtian immediately settled their minds.

In almost an instant, they opened their eyes simultaneously, their faces filled with immense shock.

By utilizing the power of the Heavenly Dao, the two traced back the scene of Nuwa attaining the Dao, and they saw the image of that time with their own eyes.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi, the one that originally belonged to Nuwa, had fled.

"Big Brother, how could this be?" Tongtian's expression was solemn, his eyes full of confusion.

Originally, he thought that Nuwa's Sanctification might be different from theirs, but he did not expect that she had not even absorbed the Hongmeng Purple.

The Western Two Sages were only Nominal Disciples, but Junior Sister Nuwa was, like them, a Personal Disciple of the Master.

Why did the Hongmeng Purple Qi bestowed by the Master flee? Was the withdrawn merit related to the flight of the Hongmeng Purple Qi?

At this moment, Tongtian Jiaozhu was filled with confusion and a trace of worry.

Merit Sanctification did not seem as simple as he had imagined.

Even the Hongmeng Purple Qi bestowed by the Master did not seem to be a simple law.

Laozi shook his head, feeling perplexed in his heart as well, but he raised his gaze slightly and looked toward Mount Buzhou.

Laozi had an inexplicable intuition that these matters were all related to the Stone Man of Buzhou Mountain.

Previously, when the Heavenly Tribulation arose in the world, and after becoming a Heavenly Dao Saint and entrusting his Primordial Spirit to the Heavenly Dao, he perceived the Great Calamity more clearly.

The Witch and Demon Clans were fighting and would both exit the stage of the Primordial World, and that Human Race was very likely the future protagonist of heaven and earth.

It was just that, apart from the first great battle, the Witch and Demon Clans were unlikely to have a chance to meet again now.

The Wu Clan had all been taken into the Buzhou Mountain Consciousness Space by Tian Yuan; now, only two Ancestral Witches, Dijiang and Xuanming, remained on the Primordial World land.

As for the Demon Court, because of Tian Yuan, they were now all huddled in the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Although there were Demon Race members sent down to the Primordial World land, they were almost all in a state of being left to fend for themselves.

Having changed the Heavenly Tribulation with his own strength, and with Nuwa recently having a close relationship with Tian Yuan,

the changes that occurred to Nuwa were definitely related to Tian Yuan.

"Was that strand of Hongmeng Purple Qi of Junior Sister Nuwa obtained by Minghe?" Yuanshi Tianzun stroked his beard, his eyes filled with strangeness.

If this were the speculation, it would still be acceptable; only by possessing Hongmeng Purple Qi could one have a chance at Sanctification.

However, because of this, their Junior Sister Nuwa was shrouded in many mysteries.

"Big Brother! It seems we still need to make a trip to that Mount Buzhou when we have time!" Tongtian also figured out the key to this, his eyes full of brilliance.

Earlier, he had been quite shocked by Tian Yuan, and now that he had attained the status of a Heavenly Dao Saint, he knew even more about the other's extraordinariness.

This Stone Man of Buzhou Mountain was definitely a great variable of the Primordial World.

To intercept a glimmer of survival for all living beings was his Dao; Tian Yuan seemed to have forcibly reversed the fate of the entire Wu Clan.

Although the heavenly secrets were severely affected by the Heavenly Tribulation, as a Heavenly Dao Saint, Tongtian knew very well the fate of those who faced the calamity.

In the Opening Heaven Tribulation, three thousand Chaos Demon Gods perished; in the Beast Calamity, the Fierce Beasts that ravaged the Primordial World land were reduced to the lowest level; in the Dragon-Han Calamity, the Primordial Three Clans—Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin—exited the stage of the Primordial World.

And now, in the Witch-Demon Calamity, the Witch and Demon Clans would inevitably vanish from the Primordial World.

Yet Tian Yuan, by his own strength, changed the fate of the vast majority of the Wu Clan; this is no longer merely seizing a glimmer of survival.

"Indeed! That stone man repeatedly interferes with the Great Calamity and alters the great trend of heaven and earth; he ought to be wiped out." Yuanshi Tianzun narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded in agreement.

For some reason, Yuanshi Tianzun was extremely annoyed by that stone man.

Tongtian Jiaozhu frowned instantly and said in a deep voice, "Second Brother, that is incorrect. Heaven and earth naturally have variables; once they have changed, they should no longer be considered the great trend."

"Third Brother! We are already Heavenly Dao Saints and should naturally understand that the Witch-Demon Calamity is a fixed destiny of heaven and earth. Now that Tian Yuan has captured all the Wu Clan, who will answer the calamity? Such variables must be strangled." Having said this, Yuanshi Tianzun gave a cold snort.

He had originally thought that Tongtian's words meant he intended to capture that stone man, but it seemed he felt a sense of mutual appreciation for him.

If not for the sake of the Sanqing's reputation, he would want to go to Mount Buzhou right now and kill that stone man on the spot.

"The Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Dao is forty-nine; where does the talk of fixed destiny come from?" Regarding his own Dao, Tongtian had no intention of backing down in the slightest.

Yuanshi Tianzun was angry, a look of fury appearing on his face: "Our Primordial Spirits are entrusted to the Heavenly Dao; we should naturally act in accordance with Heaven. How can we act against Heaven?"

"Second Brother..." Laozi, standing to the side, watched Yuanshi and Tongtian arguing again, a sense of inexplicable irritation rising in his heart.

The surface cause was the argument over Tian Yuan, but in the end, it was still a matter of their two doctrines.

Sweeping his gaze into the distance, Laozi shouted in a deep voice: "Enough! Do not let others make a joke of us, the Sanqing."

The two arguing also discovered figures fleeing from outside Kunlun Mountain, and both snorted and ceased speaking.

The void tore open, and two figures arrived together, landing in the Sanqing Palace; they were the two Sages of the Western Region, Jieyin and Zhunti.

Approaching closely, the two cupped their hands and loudly congratulated them: "Congratulations to the three Senior Brothers for achieving the status of Heavenly Dao Saints; we shall all share the Saint Fruit Position!"

Their expressions were all smiles, but the meaning behind their words was pointed.

Clearly, Jieyin and Zhunti were still somewhat annoyed that the Sanqing had not appeared when they originally became Saints.

At the most glorious moment of their lives, the absence of the Sanqing was truly a slight regret.

Laozi's eyes were half-closed, and he nodded slightly; Yuanshi Tianzun gave a light snort, his expression remaining arrogant; only Tongtian Jiaozhu cupped his hands to return the greeting.

Looking at the still-haughty Sanqing, Jieyin and Zhunti felt depressed in their hearts, yet they were helpless.

As fellow Heavenly Dao Saints, all three held supreme treasures in their hands, and they still could not defeat them.

The two, whose peripheral vision met, did not mind, but Zhunti suddenly spoke: "Senior Brother Laozi, do you know the origin of that Tian Yuan?"

Laozi, who had been sitting quietly at the head, raised his eyes slightly, and Tongtian and Yuanshi beside him also looked over with attention.

Jieyin and Zhunti had been Saints for some time; according to their personalities, they had definitely already gone to Mount Buzhou to look for Tian Yuan.

In their sensing, Tian Yuan was still on Mount Buzhou; it seemed that stone man truly had a great mystery.

However, after only a glance, Laozi returned to sitting quietly without moving, and Yuanshi had no intention of speaking either.

Tongtian was not as calm as the two of them, but he just said casually: "Zhunti! If you have something to say, say it; stop beating around the bush!"

Looking at the three people in front of him, Zhunti looked depressed, then said with a solemn face: "That Tian Yuan is the transformation of the Heavenly Pillar, Mount Buzhou."

As soon as the words fell, the expressions of the Sanqing changed slightly, and Yuanshi Tianzun shouted loudly: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Mount Buzhou stands between heaven and earth; if it were truly to transform, the momentum would surely be massive. How could it avoid everyone's perception?

Moreover, Mount Buzhou bears all things in heaven and earth; there is fundamentally no possibility of it transforming.

Laozi and Tongtian did not speak, but brilliant light flashed in their eyes, revealing quite a bit of shock.

Facing Yuanshi Tianzun's denial, Zhunti did not speak again, only sitting quietly.

The few people in the scene were all Heavenly Dao Saints; even if they could not discern everything, they could certainly feel the relationship between Tian Yuan and Mount Buzhou.

Combined with what they had seen earlier, there was absolutely a high probability that Tian Yuan was the transformation of Mount Buzhou.

And only this situation could explain why Tian Yuan rose so quickly.

No one spoke again, and the Sanqing Palace became incomparably quiet.

Whether it was the Western Two Sages who had known for a long time, or the Sanqing, all were digesting this heaven-shaking secret.

Mount Buzhou stands between heaven and earth; to the Primordial World, it is not merely a Heavenly Pillar, it represents the unyielding will of the Pangu Great God.

Such an origin is not a whit inferior to the Sanqing.

In the current heaven and earth, being able to transform and emerge, no one can ignore it.

On Mount Buzhou, Tian Yuan withdrew his gaze and said to Nuwa: "Let's go, let's go back to the Consciousness Space and see."

Nuwa naturally understood the meaning behind Tian Yuan's words, nodded slightly, and in the blink of an eye, the two disappeared from the scene.

"Gungun, you take Yinglong for a walk on Mount Buzhou; I'm going too!" Huluwa gave an order and likewise disappeared from Mount Buzhou immediately.

At once, only Gungun, who still had wide eyes, and Yinglong remained on the scene.

Returning to the Consciousness Space, Tian Yuan and Nuwa did not hesitate in the slightest and fled directly toward the Netherworld.

Just as they passed the Naihe Bridge, the two looked at each other, their expressions becoming somewhat grave.

To the west of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, a large mass of blood mist was shrouded, rapidly spreading toward the surroundings.

Within it, one could vaguely see a Blood Pool, emitting an inexplicable aura; it was actually the Nether Blood Sea.

Seeing Tian Yuan and Nuwa appear, Houtu hurriedly greeted them: "Dao Brother! Sister Nuwa! What is going on?"

Sensing that there was a change in the Netherworld, Houtu had come immediately to investigate.

However, the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk was severely damaged, and she had not yet taken that step; Houtu only felt an unusual aura surging into the Netherworld, but knew nothing else.

"Minghe has become a Saint!" Tian Yuan replied, then briefly recounted what had just happened.

"What???"

Houtu gave a cry of surprise, her expression changing repeatedly; that person in the Purple Heaven Palace had made a move.

Nuwa on the side did not speak, but waved her hand, and vast magic power surged forth, yet it could not resist the spread of the blood mist.

Seeing that Nuwa's methods were useless, Houtu also said in a deep voice: "I have already tried; I simply cannot stop the manifestation of the Sea of Blood."

Regarding the scene before him, Tian Yuan was not surprised and said softly: "The Sea of Blood is inherently a part of the Netherworld; it is naturally difficult for us to resist its manifestation."

The first moment it appeared, he had tried to suppress it with the will of Mount Buzhou, but it had likewise had no effect at all.

Hearing this, Houtu and Nuwa both had their expressions sink.

If Tian Yuan says there is no way, then it is absolutely impossible to resist the diffusion of the blood mist.

Seeing the solemn expressions of the two, Tian Yuan smiled and said, "The Sea of Blood also carries a great function in this world; this act may not necessarily be a bad thing. The only thing that needs attention is not to let this blood mist spread to other places."

Mount Buzhou is the heart of the Primordial World, and the Earth Veins and Spiritual Veins are the meridians and blood vessels spread across the earth, so the Sea of Blood is the waste treatment center of the Primordial World.

Everything harmful to heaven and earth will return to the Sea of Blood.

More importantly, the manifestation of the Nether Blood Sea will certainly accelerate the recovery of the Earthly Dao.

Hearing these words from Tian Yuan, Houtu's eyes also lit up.

But looking at the constantly expanding blood mist, she vaguely felt an inexplicable threat.

After a slight hesitation, Houtu still spoke of the intuition in her heart.

Regarding this, Tian Yuan was not surprised and said softly, "That Minghe must be an Earthly Dao Saint, and it is certain that he intends to contend for the position of Lord of the Earthly Dao."

Minghe was born in the Nether Blood Sea and is undoubtedly a candidate for an Earthly Dao Saint, but the Sea of Blood suffered from the schemes of Hongjun.

Nuwa also knew the implications and turned to look at Houtu: "Sister Houtu, there is no need to worry. With our help, why fear that mere Minghe!"

"Indeed! You should accelerate your cultivation; if you can Proving the Dao to Hunyuan, everything will be easily resolved!" Tian Yuan also nodded.

Once the Sea of Blood is completely manifested, not to mention rooting out Minghe's will, Tian Yuan can easily suppress it alone to prevent the blood mist from spreading.

Moreover, it will not take long before he can Proving the Dao to Hunyuan and step into the Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal Essence Refining Stage.

Once that step is taken, who else in the Primordial World can stop him?

Houtu nodded heavily, her eyes filled with determination.

(End of this chapter)