“Amitabha, little friend Xihe, this humble monk shall now deliver you.” With a hand seal formed, a surge of golden light transformed into Buddhist symbols that descended to suppress her. If she did not evade, she would perish, her Dao extinguished.
If Xihe had been in her right mind, she would have dodged. But her cultivation was too weak, and her primordial spirit had been affected by the sinister Coffin of Suppressing Heaven. She only knew to retaliate, not to defend.
Just as she was about to be struck down, the imprint of Dijiang roared in fury: “Insolent fool! How dare you destroy my illusion!”
The Space Rule activated, and the surrounding shattered spatial blades sliced through everyone’s bodies repeatedly.
“It’s Dijiang! Run!” Jieyin and Zhunti fled in panic, and Kunpeng also scrambled for his life. They all inwardly cursed this treacherous woman for scheming against them, lying in wait here.
After all, it was only a strand of divine sense that had descended. Sensing that everyone around had fled, it bellowed: “Buddhist Sect, wait for my true form to come and battle you!”
The Witch Clan was most vengeful, and the Buddhist Sect had two members, making them a larger target. Naturally, Dijiang focused on them.
The void gradually quieted. At some point, a green sword light descended.
Tongtian sensed the post-battle aura around him and frowned slightly. “Little rabbit, are you still alive?”
After searching carefully to no avail, he sighed and flew away.
Time in the Primordial World flowed without measure. Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye, and the third lecture began once more. But this time… one of the six Prayer Mats was empty.
Tongtian sat on his mat, staring at the empty seat opposite him, the sharp glint of a sword never leaving the depths of his slanted eyes.
Zhunti had designs on that mat, intending to take the seat when Hongjun appeared, but he was nearly beheaded by a sword strike.
Clutching his bleeding neck in anger, he demanded, “Tongtian, how dare you act within the Purple Heaven Palace?”
“The Dao Ancestor once said that seats cannot be changed. If you offend the Dao Ancestor, I would not mind sending you on your way!”
“You…”
Jieyin restrained the furious Zhunti and looked at Tongtian. “Fellow Daoist, do you resent us for harming Fellow Daoist Xihe?”
These words were meant to pierce the heart. If Tongtian admitted it, all those whom Xihe had offended would immediately stand against him. If he denied it, as a swordsman, his thoughts would be obstructed, creating an obstacle on his Great Dao.
How could Tongtian fall into such a trap? Instead of answering, he countered with a question.
“I heard that you two fellow Daoists were beaten into seclusion at Mount Ling by Dijiang of the Witch Clan. When you attained the Dao, did you not vow to protect the beings of the West? By bringing such calamity upon yourselves and causing countless casualties in the West, I dare ask the Heavenly Dao: how should such actions be judged?”
The expressions of Zhunti and Jieyin changed drastically. Before they could utter threats, the Heavenly Dao suddenly trembled.
A portion of the merit behind Jieyin and Zhunti was silently severed. Both spat blood simultaneously, their cultivation plummeting from the mid-stage of Daluo to the early stage. Zhunti, having missed the opportunity of the Prayer Mat, had an unstable foundation to begin with.
This blow shattered his Daluo Dao Fruit, reducing him to a Taiyi Golden Immortal.
Amidst the shock of the entire hall, only Tongtian threw his head back and laughed heartily. “How satisfying!”
“Tongtian, severing our Dao Fruit means a fight to the death. You…”
Tongtian interrupted Jieyin, his expression mocking and arrogant. “It would be wise to watch your words. After today, with your current cultivation, are you even worthy of a fight to the death with me?”
Jieyin’s face changed, but he forced out a smile. “Fellow Daoist Tongtian jests. The Heavenly Dao’s punishment naturally has nothing to do with you, Fellow Daoist.”
“Hmph!” Tongtian snorted contemptuously and then closed his eyes in silence.
Kunpeng’s expression darkened. Even a fool could see why Tongtian targeted Jieyin and Puti. He had also attacked that wretched woman. Did Tongtian harbor hatred for him as well?
The Three Pure Ones had always been united. If so…
As his thoughts wandered, Hongjun appeared, and the lecture on the Saint’s Dao began.
Though she missed the Saint’s three lectures, this time the System did not issue a task requiring her attendance.
Xihe lay comfortably inside a seashell, eating the immortal fruits offered by the East Sea Dragon King.
A pair of exceptionally handsome man and woman with horns on their heads attended to her respectfully.
Currently, Xihe had already reached the cultivation level of a Daluo Golden Immortal. In the Primordial World, this was not considered particularly strong, but at least it allowed her to protect herself most of the time.
It could be said that misfortune turned into blessing. Three thousand years ago, when Dijiang flew into a rage, she was nearly sliced into mincemeat by spatial blades. At the critical moment, the Heaven-Suppressing Coffin protected its master, drawing her into the coffin and plunging into the East Sea.
The coffin contained its own world. The Heaven-Suppressing Coffin transported her to a relatively peaceful space, where the flow of time differed from the outside world.
She cultivated for a full 30,000 years before advancing to Daluo Golden Immortal, and incidentally refined thirty percent of the Heaven-Suppressing Coffin’s restrictions.
As soon as she emerged from seclusion, she saw a group of dragon clansmen surrounding her, only then realizing she was in the East Sea.
Thinking of those three drops of Ancestral Dragon essence blood, Xihe considered why not make arrangements in advance.
After the Witch-Demon Tribulation comes the God-Sealing Tribulation, and that famously formidable Nezha, who flayed the East Sea Third Prince’s tendons, triggered his own transformation.
Now, she had taken the East Sea Third Prince as her disciple, bestowed upon him the Ancestral Dragon essence blood, and helped him achieve enlightenment one tribulation ahead of time. When the time comes… who will flay whose tendons?
Thinking of this amusing prospect, Xihe’s mood improved considerably.
Sitting up, she looked at the brother and sister pair: “How is the transformation with the essence blood going?”
The two immediately bowed. Ao Bing’s expression could not conceal his excitement: “Thank you, Master, for bestowing the Ancestral Dragon essence blood. Currently, my bloodline has completely transformed. Advancing to Daluo is only a matter of time.”
Compared to Ao Bing’s reverence, the East Sea Little Princess, Ao Ling, was much more relaxed, directly throwing herself into Xihe’s embrace.
“Master, Father King has already advanced to early-stage Daluo because of the essence blood. Elder Brother is at Taiyi, and even your disciple has reached Golden Immortal! All of this is thanks to Master, for giving our dragon clan another chance to rise.”
Xihe stroked Ao Ling’s dragon horns, smiling meaningfully.
“Ling’er, from now on, you must not call me Master.”
Ao Ling was about to burst into tears: “Does Master only like Third Brother, looking down on this disciple’s meager cultivation?”
Xihe lightly tapped Ao Ling’s nose: “You little rascal, stop being clever. If I didn’t favor you, I wouldn’t have given you the Ancestral Dragon essence blood. It’s just… your opportunity lies with the Jie Sect. I also need you to go to the Jie Sect.”
“Jie Sect? What is that?” Ao Ling looked at her third brother.
Ao Bing also shook his head in puzzlement.
Xihe curled her lips: “After the Dao Ancestor’s three lectures, he will take the Three Pure Ones as his Direct Disciples. After they become Saints, they will establish the Human Sect, the Chan Sect, and the Jie Sect. The Jie Sect is Tongtian’s dojo, located on Golden Turtle Island.”
“Tongtian widely accepts all kinds of extraordinary beings as disciples, regardless of their Root and Foundation. I want you to enter the Jie Sect, take Tongtian as your master, and later… I will instruct you on what to do.”
Ao Ling exclaimed in astonishment: “Master, you even know about the Dao Ancestor taking disciples and who will become Saints?”
Xihe pretentiously pointed to her own eyes: “I was transformed from Pangu’s right eye and have awakened the Great Dao Double Pupils. Naturally, I can perceive some Heavenly Secrets. Don’t ask why, just do as I say.”
“Ling’er obeys!”
Xihe nodded: “I intend to return to Taiyin and then travel through the Primordial World. I will now go bid farewell to your Father King. Ling’er, Bing’er, cultivate diligently. Do not disappoint the Ancestral Dragon essence blood.”
Ao Ling’s eyes were full of reluctance, but she still nodded firmly.
A moment later, the Taiyin Sword flew out of the East Sea. Xihe wore a broad smile; the old Dragon King was truly a shrewd one.
To thank her, Xihe gifted her twelve Water-Calming Pearls before leaving—these were Top-grade Primordial Spiritual Treasures. Originally, there were thirty-six pearls, capable of evolving into myriad worlds. As for the remaining twenty-four, she recalled they were in the hands of Zhao Gongming, the chief outer disciple of Tongtian.
Which meant… they were likely now in Tongtian’s possession, bestowed later when he established his sect.
Tsk, she would have to find a chance to extort them someday. For now, she was in a hurry to return home and see her younger sister, whom she missed dearly after such a long separation.
Xihe returned to Taiyin, only to find the Moon Cassia Tree on the verge of withering and her younger sister clinging to life.
Filled with dread, Xihe wondered: How could this have happened?