Chapter 356

At this moment, the Primordial Qilin, still focused on its schemes, was unaware that the Ancestral Dragon had no intention of bringing along the now-lagging Qilin clan.

In this vast Qilin Realm, only the Primordial Qilin remained, happily pondering how to handle the Dragon clan once the Ancestral Dragon's people arrived.

The Heavenly Court's grand assembly was still drawing to a close, the banquet hall filled with guests, while the Twelve Ancestral Witches also welcomed their release after serving their sentence, their bodies slowly descending from the bronze pillar.

As for Zhenyuanzi, however, while being escorted back to the Heavenly Court, he was swept away by a strand of pure light—the qi of the Supreme Pure—and in the process injured his companions.

Many heavenly soldiers and generals witnessed this scene, for the other side showed no concealment whatsoever; the leading divine commander found himself in a difficult position, yet facing a sage, he could do nothing.

They could only, as Zhenyuanzi was about to depart, call out loudly: "We pay our respects to the Supreme Pure Sage; we hope the sage will not make things difficult for us—this person is a major criminal of the Heavenly Court, truly heinous."

"If we let him escape, we too will bear the responsibility; we hope the sage will show mercy and leave a decree so we can return to explain."

"Thanks to your esteem, Dao brother, Zhenyuanzi is certainly not someone who fails to understand reason; from now on, I hope you will look after him further and provide him a place to stay."

At one, one look `none, one mistaken version%!'`

In the next instant, two figures appeared before the many heavenly soldiers and generals, Zhenyuanzi among them; the newcomer was none other than the Supreme Pure One, the Moral Heavenly Venerable.

Zhenyuanzi merely gave a bitter smile and said:

At this moment, Zhenyuanzi was in a sorry state—his clothes were torn and ragged, his hair disheveled, he was emaciated to the extreme, only a glint of spirit remained in his eyes, yet it still revealed his extraordinariness.

"Within this avatar, I have not lacked even a fraction of my cultivation experience; with you, Dao friend, there will certainly be no concealment."

The Supreme Pure Sage naturally understood why Zhenyuanzi would say this, after all the world is too small to bear the fruit of the Grand Primordial Dao.

In the Heavenly Court, Di Jun gazed at the Supreme Pure document in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed; after much consideration, he ultimately destroyed it, saying nothing to anyone.

The sage's document might exempt them from punishment, but the cap of incompetence could not be removed.

"Dao brother, does the Supreme Pure Heaven you have opened perhaps draw reference from the Primordial Wasteland?"

The Supreme Pure Sage smiled, showing Zhenyuanzi the world he had opened; the two stood amidst Chaos, and with the sage's aid, this realm lay fully revealed to Zhenyuanzi's eyes. Gazing at the world before him, he observed the distribution of its continents and asked:

The Supreme Pure Sage merely shook his head and said: "Dao friend, you are fixated on form; the path of cultivation values precision over multiplicity—one Grand Primordial Dao suffices to far surpass myriad cultivators."

Upon these words, the countless heavenly soldiers and generals present all wore grim faces; whether the sage left a document or not, their loss of the criminal had become a settled fact.

"I have also expended considerable thought upon it, and it could be considered a place of outstanding spirit and vitality; however, it has only just been opened, lacking in living beings and thus short of vitality."

"If they have the gall, I don't mind bearing some infamy; moreover, with the starry sky as an excuse, I imagine they would understand."

The grudge of obstructing the Dao is unmatched under heaven; the Supreme Pure Sage intends for Zhenyuanzi to contribute to his cultivation, not to seek an enemy.

"Supreme Pure Sage, you jest; I have indeed committed a grave error, and such a fate is only fitting—even if it means death and the dissolution of my Dao, it is just deserts."

After a long while, Zhenyuanzi finally sighed and said:

"I naturally trust your words, Dao brother, but this is merely a thousand‑world system; even if it can bear the fruit of the Grand Primordial Dao, it would have no spare strength to support other great cultivators."

The two exchanged a smile and then proceeded together into Chaos; Zhenyuanzi did not ask about his future, and the Supreme Pure offered no explanation—momentarily, they were in perfect unspoken accord.

Since he intended to keep Zhenyuanzi in this realm as a pillar, he naturally needed to resolve Zhenyuanzi's rear‑line worries.

"We pay our respects to the Supreme Pure Sage; may the sage enjoy myriad blessings and health!"

"May Your Majesty's formation arts reach heaven and pierce earth; even with the starry sky now sealed, you can still draw in the three lights, maintaining the innate spiritual mechanism unbroken—your methods are truly unsurpassed."

"A mere Zhenyuanzi can hardly affect the situation; since the Supreme Pure Sage has intervened, I too find it hard to refuse."

"This realm is extraordinary; compared to the Primordial Wasteland, aside from size, there is hardly any difference—the Heavenly Dao is complete, spiritual vitality abundant, a fine place indeed."

Seeing this, the many heavenly soldiers and generals hurriedly bowed and said:

"For the great undertaking of the Heavenly Court, and to endure some hardship for the beings of the Primordial Wasteland, a little infamy—let me bear it."

Having them push the blame onto the sage, they would absolutely not dare do so; perhaps dying here could still leave some merit, yet they chose to survive.

"Now that your body is weak, first drink this bit of divine water to restore your vital energy before we continue."

"Alas, you and I have endured the hardships of an eon's assembly, yet at the critical moment we can only watch our achievements go to waste; from now on, the path of officialdom is cut off."

The Supreme Pure merely let out a long sigh, gave no reply, and with a flick of his finger a strand of spiritual light turned into a document that fell into the hand of the leading commander.

Zhenyuanzi did not decline either; his present state allowed no modesty, so he hastily lifted his gourd and gulped down its contents.

The commander firmly caught it, daring not to overstep in the slightest; only when the figure before him vanished did he rise, turn to the crowd, and say: "Let's go, return to the Heavenly Court to make our report."

Only then did Zhenyuanzi realize that the other party was a Primordial Wasteland sage, whose focus naturally lay in the Primordial Wasteland, unlike these wandering cultivators of theirs.

Zhenyuanzi also forced a smile and said: "If that is the case, then please excuse my overstep—I shall address you as Dao brother."

Seeing that Zhenyuanzi did not seem to be lying, the Supreme Pure Sage chuckled lightly and said:

Zhenyuanzi's voice was hoarse to the extreme; at this moment his body was nearly exhausted, like a lamp out of oil.

Speaking, the Supreme Pure Sage handed over a gourd; looking through its opening, one saw only that the water within emitted countless specks of starlight.

But Zhenyuanzi is no ordinary person; he too is one who hopes to prove the Dao, and to absorb this would naturally require granting him the possibility of attaining the Dao.

If it is truly as the Supreme Pure Sage's letter says, then Zhenyuanzi, from now on, will not return to the Primordial Wasteland; sparing his life would then be tolerable.

The Supreme Pure Sage merely replied humbly: "This item is still rather precious in the Primordial Wasteland, but for us it is not as hard to find as for ordinary folk; as long as one seeks with sincerity, one will surely reap much."

The two invited each other to enter the Supreme Pure Heaven together; thereafter Zhenyuanzi would no longer return to the Primordial Wasteland.

The ginseng fruit tree could still be obtained by trade, but the Earth Scripture was utterly impossible—it is formed from the primordial membrane of the Primordial Wasteland's earth, naturally unable to depart from it. As the words fell, the lieutenant retreated repeatedly, frantically denying any such intention, yet seeing the commander's sorrowful face, all that could be heard was his lament:

"Moreover, this is the sage's first intervention in the Primordial Wasteland; the Heavenly Court ought to grant some face, otherwise they would be facing five sages."

"Dao friend, take a look at my Supreme Pure Heaven—does it still meet your approval?"

Di Jun paced alone within the Hall of Heavenly Sovereignty, pondering tax matters; the revelry from the outer banquet drifted into his ears, never ceasing.

"Aside from a few islands, the land of this realm is also divided into four regions: the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, the Western Ox‑Celebration Continent, the Southern Benevolent Region, and the Northern Lotus Region."

"Should you ever break your promise in the future, Dao friend, you are free to depart; I will never place the slightest obstruction."

"Even if one is merely a quasi‑sage, I fear there would be no spare strength to support a few individuals; a Golden Immortal of the Great Luo must likewise be scarce, and for the sake of this poor Daoist alone to strangle this realm's future prosperity—would that truly be worthwhile?"

"Just report back like that! That's a sage—do you really intend to obstruct a sage?!"

The rarely seen Qi did not linger at the banquet; instead he went with Nüwa to the Nüwa Emperor's Palace, having not met for a long time, and now that he had found the opportunity, naturally they would not miss a chance to discuss the Dao.

The Supreme Pure Sage naturally had no concealment regarding this, speaking indifferently: "Indeed so; not only I, but anyone who harbors a desire, in the world they have opened, will inevitably emulate the Primordial Wasteland—only differing in degree."

"Sir, the criminal has now escaped; how then should we make our report?"

Zhenyuanzi remained silent; seeing this, the Grand Purity Saint opened his mouth and promised:

Zhenyuanzi helplessly laughed and said:

Seeing that Zhenyuanzi was not blinded by hatred due to the punishment of this yuanhui, the Grand Purity Saint could not help but feel pleased and said:

"Moreover, within the Grand Purity Heaven, I have no intention of managing it; furthermore, regarding the Dao of Immortals, I have many conjectures about it—this place is meant for experimentation, and I do not seek the future prosperity of the Great Dao."

The Grand Purity Saint pointed, and the artifact restrictions on Zhenyuanzi instantly loosened, allowing him to regain consciousness.

"What the Grand Purity Saint said is also true; in this wilderness, if one wants to find the ownerless Three Lights Divine Water, the only place where it can be steadily found is around the Cloud Dream Marsh."

"However, no matter what, the formation in the starry sky still needs to be fully mastered as soon as possible; otherwise, when facing a saint, one will always lack confidence."

"Such clarity is truly the fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi I know; you need not address me as a saint—just use our usual way of address."

On this point, their official careers are already cut off; everyone understands this implicitly, after all, no one would trust a person who does not dare to forget death.

The Grand Purity Saint looked at Zhenyuanzi before him, merely furrowed his brow in secret, and said: "Zhenyuanzi Daoist friend, you need not be like this; we have been acquainted for a long time, the initial fault has long been punished, and the Heavenly Court's actions are perhaps overly harsh."

Moreover, the treasures in Zhenyuanzi's hands, whether the Earthly Book or his ginseng fruit tree, have long belonged to the Heavenly Court, and Di Jun has absolutely no possibility of returning them.

"Since anomalies appeared in the starry sky, the Three Lights Divine Water has become increasingly rare in the wilderness, yet who would have thought that at this very time, one could still drink it so lavishly."

The divine general's expression was complex, his face showing both relief and joy as well as sorrow and anger; looking at the clueless deputy general beside him, he shouted:

"In the future, within the Grand Purity Heaven, I will not remain there for long; I will only leave an incarnation to hold the fort, and the supreme Dao fruit of this realm can naturally be left for you, fellow Daoist."

"Moreover, the Cloud Dream Marsh area still remains full of the Three Lights; although one cannot venture deep inside to search, looking around its periphery also reveals many omissions."

The Grand Purity Saint immediately rejoiced exceedingly and said: "Good."

"The matter of levying additional taxes still needs to be implemented as soon as possible across the myriad nations of the wilderness, taking into account their land area, spiritual energy, population, and national strength, and a plan should be drafted early."

"The remaining changes, great and small, still need to be worn away by time; refining the Chaos Qi has already added to its origin, and though it has only just been born, it is also renewed day by day."

"Zhenyuanzi thanks the Grand Purity Saint for the rescue; such a great kindness, Zhenyuanzi will never forget it for a lifetime; thereafter, if the saint has any use for me, Zhenyuanzi will surely sacrifice his life without hesitation."

"The affairs of the world, great and small, have not yet taken shape; if one does not wish to become like Pangu the Great God, transforming oneself into it to support heaven and earth, then for now this is all that can be done."

Only then did Zhenyuanzi look at the Grand Purity Saint in surprise, hesitate for a moment, and then ask:

And as the divine water entered his body, Zhenyuanzi's breath gradually returned to stability, and his originally near-exhausted body also took on a somewhat human appearance.

The Grand Purity Saint naturally heard Zhenyuanzi's words, and after listening, he slightly explained:

Di Jun did not include Nüwa and Kunpeng among them, because these two have too close a relationship with the Heavenly Court, and would not cause the Heavenly Court any irreparable loss.

"If you can consider it in this way, then this is naturally the best; Qi Huang, in the wilderness, truly possesses great merit."

"His benevolence extended throughout the wilderness, imposing no restrictions on those who went to seek it; this also counts as having established great merit for keeping this treasure within the wilderness."

He is not like the Twelve Ancestral Witches, who possess Pangu's bloodline and receive medicinal herbs from their clansmen; in terms of physical body, Zhenyuanzi falls short of them by more than a little, and it is quite normal for him to have ended up in such a state.

"Today, thanks to the Grand Purity Saint's rescue, merely preserving one's life is already a great fortune; moreover, how could one indulge in past suffering and hold resentment toward him?"

Seeing that the Grand Purity Saint was truly sincere, and Zhenyuanzi also recalling his kindness, after a brief consideration, he then agreed and said:

Moreover, within the Heavenly Court, he has many allies; if he wished to interfere in wilderness affairs, he could simply do so in the name of the Heavenly Court—why would he act so crudely?

The deputy general beside him, feeling somewhat embarrassed, said:

Otherwise, Zhenyuanzi might perhaps, due to a moment's kindness, remain in this realm and help the Grand Purity Heaven grow, but later he would inevitably develop petty grudges.

Zhenyuanzi, however, did not echo these words; after careful observation, he then praised and said:

As for the Heavenly Court's side, since he has stepped forward, with the dignity of a saint, Di Jun and the others will certainly not continue to investigate; the Grand Purity Saint still has this confidence.

Regarding the saint's Dao fruit, Qi is endlessly curious, not knowing how it differs from Hunyuan Wují Luotiān Zūnshén.

Taiyi, on the other hand, went to find Kunpeng; the two are also quite familiar, and can indeed be said to have conversed very happily.

Apart from Kunpeng constantly refusing Taiyi's sparring requests, it can be said that guests have arrived as if returning home.

Fuxi, meanwhile, remained at the banquet, continually dealing with the myriad tribal representatives who came; although everyone knows that the Heavenly Court has decided on this matter and there is absolutely no possibility of change, this does not prevent them from coming to give it a try.

(End of chapter)