After Fang Yang beat Great Demon Jiuying into fleeing in panic, he did not continue searching for heavenly dao fragments.
After all, the Primordial World was boundlessly vast, and searching like this would make it truly difficult to find anything.
Thus, Fang Yang returned directly to Kunlun Mountain and calmed his divine mind to refine the supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus.
In this manner, two thousand years passed quietly!
On this day, Fang Yang, who had already refined the Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus, was as usual lying on a large rock and taking a lazy nap in the sunlight, feeling extremely comfortable.
“Buzz!”
Suddenly, three rainbow streaks shot over and landed in front of Fang Yang in the blink of an eye.
It was the Three Pure Ones!
Compared with three thousand years ago, their dharma power had grown even more profound. Ethereal laws emanated from their entire bodies, giving others an unfathomable feeling.
After three thousand years of secluded cultivation to digest the Great Dao they had heard in Zixiao Palace, Lord Tongtian and Primordial Heavenly Venerable had unexpectedly broken through from the mid-stage daluo golden immortal Realm to the daluo golden immortal great perfection Realm, while Laozi had successfully severed his good corpse and attained the early quasi-saint Realm.
All of them had broken through two minor cultivation realms!
This showed just how tremendous their harvest had been when Hongjun lectured on the Great Dao!
“Congratulations to master, eldest martial uncle, and second martial uncle on your greatly increased cultivation!” Fang Yang sprang up from the large rock and cupped his hands toward the Three Pure Ones with a smile.
“Indeed! The Great Dao Teacher Hongjun taught was profound and unfathomable. Many obscure and difficult aspects of the Dao that had previously troubled us were resolved, so our cultivation naturally increased greatly!” Laozi said with a slight nod and a smile.
Clearly, his improved cultivation had put him in an excellent mood!
“Hmph! Brat, seeing our greatly increased cultivation, are you regretting it?”
At this moment, when Lord Tongtian thought of Fang Yang’s performance in Zixiao Palace, his expression darkened as he lectured, “If only you had listened properly back then. Otherwise, with your aptitude…”
“What?!”
Lord Tongtian had originally intended to scold Fang Yang, hoping to bring him back to the right path.
Unexpectedly, after carefully examining Fang Yang, his words abruptly stopped. Instead, as though he had discovered the most inconceivable thing, he widened his eyes and instinctively cried out in shock.
At this time, Laozi and Primordial Heavenly Venerable seemed to have noticed something as well, and all three stared at Fang Yang.
Afterward, they fell into deathly silence!
Only three pairs of deep eyes remained fixed intensely on Fang Yang!
“Hiss~!”
After a long while, the Three Pure Ones simultaneously drew in a sharp breath.
It seemed that only this could somewhat calm their turbulent hearts!
“Nephew-disciple Fang Yang, you… when did you break through to the early taiyi golden immortal stage?” Primordial Heavenly Venerable asked in shock.
“Moreover, I observe that Nephew-disciple Fang Yang’s dharma power is profound and pure. You certainly did not break through by consuming heavenly materials and earthly treasures!” Laozi also widened his eyes in shock as he added.
Lord Tongtian did not speak. Instead, he grabbed Fang Yang’s arm and examined him carefully from head to toe, excitement flickering in his deep eyes.
“Master, what are you doing?”
Fang Yang said speechlessly, “Why is that look in your eyes so… lecherous?”
At this moment, Lord Tongtian’s eyes were shining brightly, and his greenish gaze resembled that of a hungry wolf. Being watched so intently by such a grown man made even Fang Yang feel uncomfortable.
“Early taiyi golden immortal… Hahahaha, it really is the early taiyi golden immortal stage!”
Lord Tongtian first began laughing wildly in excitement. Then, as though he had finally reacted to Fang Yang’s words, he glared at Fang Yang. “Brat, how dare you call your master lecherous?”
“Could it be that you think your wings have hardened just because you broke through to the early taiyi golden immortal stage?”
Despite his words, there was not the slightest trace of reproach in his expression.
“Tch, I’m merely telling the truth!” Fang Yang said, curling his lips.
He paid no attention whatsoever to Lord Tongtian’s angry glare.
“Brat, you even make fun of your master!”
It was clear that he was not angry at Fang Yang’s words. Instead, he felt that Fang Yang’s personality was very similar to his own—free-spirited, uninhibited, and possessing an unyielding pride.
“Your master truly does not know what to say about you! In Zixiao Palace, you refused to sit on the meditation cushion and even snored away soundly, resulting in not the slightest progress in your cultivation for thirty thousand years!”
“Yet after returning, in just three thousand years, you suddenly broke through from the mid-stage golden immortal Realm to the early taiyi golden immortal stage in a single bound!” Lord Tongtian muttered.
This time, he no longer asked Fang Yang exactly how he had broken through.
Because he had figured it out.
How Fang Yang broke through was his own secret, as well as his own opportunity.
As long as Fang Yang grew stronger, he would share in the glory.
“Nephew-disciple Fang Yang is blessed with profound blessings and fortune and enjoys the Dao’s Favor. Even I am quite envious!” Laozi smiled kindly at Fang Yang and joked for once.
“Indeed. In merely three thousand years, you broke through from the mid-stage golden immortal Realm to the early taiyi golden immortal stage. Such a rate of cultivation progress can truly be called extraordinary talent!” Primordial Heavenly Venerable added.
“Hmph! Though you have made a breakthrough, you are still far from strong enough!”
Seeing Laozi and the others praising Fang Yang, and apparently worrying that Fang Yang would become arrogant because of it, Lord Tongtian deliberately snorted and belittled him.
“If possible, I would rather not break through!” Fang Yang muttered.
“What?”
However, Lord Tongtian seemed to have heard Fang Yang’s words, and immediately widened his eyes.
“Hahaha, master, you saw it yourself. Even without listening to the dao in Zixiao Palace, my cultivation realm advanced by leaps and bounds. How about I simply stop going to Zixiao Palace?” Seeing Lord Tongtian’s furious expression, Fang Yang laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
“This…!” Lord Tongtian’s words caught in his throat.
Speaking of this, he felt that Fang Yang was truly an oddity!
Clearly, listening to the dao in Zixiao Palace would certainly bring him tremendous benefits and was a great opportunity, yet Fang Yang would rather sleep soundly for thirty thousand years than listen.
The key point was that after refusing to listen to the Great Dao, Fang Yang had returned to Kunlun Mountain and, in three thousand years, broken through from the mid-stage golden immortal Realm to the early taiyi golden immortal stage!
This left Lord Tongtian hesitating for a time over whether he should still take Fang Yang to Zixiao Palace for listening to the dao.
Yet he was unwilling to let Fang Yang miss listening to the dao, since it was such a tremendous opportunity!
“Disciple, the Great Dao Teacher Hongjun taught was truly profound and unfathomable, and it will greatly aid us cultivators on the path of cultivation. Come with your master to listen once more. This time, listen properly and deeply ponder and comprehend the principles within!”
“If you gain nothing again, your master will not take you there anymore in the future. How about that?”
In the end, Lord Tongtian came up with a compromise.
“That’s right, Nephew-disciple Fang Yang. You should go one more time!” Laozi also spoke up to persuade him.
“In any case, we have already been mocked once. Even if you gain nothing this time, what harm is there in our being mocked once more?” Even Primordial Heavenly Venerable, who had always cared most about preserving his dignity, spoke solemnly.
Clearly, they were all sincerely acting for Fang Yang’s benefit!
Even if… it meant losing a little face.
“All right!”
Seeing this, Fang Yang’s heart warmed, and he nodded solemnly.