The Primordial Era: Starting from Being Forced to Become an Apprentice of the Three Pure Ones

Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, the Dao Ancestor's words, "The path to proving one's Dao through the laws has long been severed," caused many powerful beings to sigh inwardly.

Only seven strands of Primordial Purple Qi remained, and there were hundreds or thousands of cultivators present. Clearly, there were far more monks than porridge, and the chances of finding an opportunity were slim.

However, Li Bai did not feel such melancholy.

Firstly, he knew that his cultivation was still shallow and that he was far from reaching the realm of a saint, so forcing it would be useless.

Secondly, deep down, he didn't entirely believe that this path was truly dead.

In his mind, Yangmei Daxian was a being who had attained the Dao of Hunyuan Daluo Jinxian by using the laws of space.

If the path to sainthood through the laws of nature is truly and completely severed, then how did Yangmei Daxian become a saint?

Before the sighs had even subsided, countless gazes within the hall had already locked onto the six prayer mats at the very front.

By this point, who could not see the extraordinary nature of this futon?

Especially Hongyun and Kunpeng, one filled with regret;

One of them had a livid face and a gaze that seemed to want to devour Hongyun alive.

On the high platform, Hongjun's expression returned to normal, as if the coldness from before had never appeared.

"I am aware of the Dao of Heaven, and I believe that there will be disciples under my tutelage to carry on the Daoist tradition."

The Three Pure Ones were transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu, possessing the merits of creating the world and having a profound foundation;

Nuwa will have another great merit and opportunity in the future. All four of you will be able to become saints.

He paused, his gaze falling on the four people in the front row in turn:

"Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Nuwa, would you four be willing to become my disciples, my personal trainees?"

"This disciple is willing."

Upon hearing this, Nuwa's beautiful face lit up with joy, and she responded almost without hesitation.

Unlike the Three Pure Ones, she did not have the heavy burden of her origin as a "true descendant of Pangu".

In her view, being able to become a disciple of the Dao Ancestor and directly attain sainthood was an immense opportunity, so she naturally did not hesitate.

In contrast, the Three Pure Ones had much more complex expressions.

Lao Tzu's eyelids were lowered, Yuan Shi's face was ashen, and Tong Tian's sword-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

The three were transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu, and considered themselves to be the "true descendants of Pangu," possessing a proud and aloof Daoist heart.

Even if one becomes a disciple of the Taoist patriarch, one will inevitably experience moments of struggle and weighing of options.

However, in this silence, Lao Tzu, who seemed to be the most hesitant, was the first to take half a step forward.

He bowed deeply to Hongjun on the high platform and said:

"Disciple agrees."

Seeing that his elder brother had already agreed, Tongtian and Yuanshi exchanged a glance, and the last trace of hesitation in their hearts vanished.

The two rose simultaneously, bowed respectfully to Hongjun, and said in unison:

"This disciple also wishes to become a disciple of the master."

Hongjun nodded slightly, a faint hint of satisfaction flashing across his face.

Immediately, he waved his sleeves lightly, and four streams of purple energy, along with several phantom images of spiritual treasures, appeared out of thin air in his palm.

"Once you enter my sect, you will be protected by spiritual treasures."

Hongjun's gaze first fell on Laozi, and an ancient scroll interwoven with black and white slowly floated out:

"This is the innate treasure, the Taiji Diagram, which can stabilize earth, water, fire, and wind, and evolve the chaotic yin and yang. I hereby bestow it upon you to wield."

Then, he looked at Yuanshi, and a large black banner appeared:

"This is the Pangu Banner, a supreme innate treasure, possessing the power to tear apart chaos and create the world. Therefore, I bestow it upon you to wield."

Then, he looked towards Tongtian, where four longswords radiating murderous aura and an array diagram appeared. The intensity of the killing intent made many powerful figures in the hall shudder.

"These are the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the Zhuxian Formation Diagram. Once the formation is complete, it cannot be broken by anyone but the Four Sages. Therefore, I bestow it upon you to wield the power of slaughter."

Finally, he looked at Nuwa, and a scroll of magic treasures fell down:

"This is a supreme innate spiritual treasure, the Mountain and River Map, containing a world within. I bestow it upon you to protect yourself and practice the Dao, thus fulfilling the power of creation."

Below, countless eyes were fixed on the four purple wisps.

A burning passion, a yearning, a sense of resentment, and even a hint of hidden greed swirled endlessly in the eyes of the great beings.

The opportunity to become a saint is right before our eyes; who could remain unmoved?

However, before this collective desire could be translated into any action.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

Two muffled sounds rang out, and Jieyin and Zhunti stepped forward.

They knelt on the jade bricks of Zixiao Palace and kowtowed repeatedly to Hongjun on the high platform.

When Zhunti raised his head, his eyes were already red and filled with tears.

"Daoist Ancestor, have mercy! Please have compassion on the sentient beings of the West!"

Since the conflict between the Dao and the Demonic Path, Rahu's self-destruction destroyed the ley lines of our Western Lands, causing the spiritual energy to wither.

All things wither and decay; for billions of years, the western lands have suffered immeasurably, and living beings have had no path to cultivation.

"I have nowhere to seek the Way... I beg your mercy, give me a glimmer of hope in the West!"

The guide, standing nearby, also prostrated himself deeply, touching his forehead to the brick, and echoed:

"I beg the Dao Ancestor... to have mercy on my Western Paradise!"

As the two continued to weep and wail, the powerful figures in the hall all looked at them with disdain and mockery.

In the eyes of many innate deities, the behavior of Jieyin and Zhunti was no different from that of a common beggar, lacking any great spirit or dignity.

Everyone secretly laughed, certain that Hongjun was aloof and would never accept such a disciple.

However, the next moment, all the disdainful gazes suddenly froze.

Hongjun let out a soft sigh, his gaze falling to the two kneeling figures who remained motionless:

"That's enough. You two, though lacking great fortune, great merit, and a foundation of virtue, have no... "

However, considering your existence over countless millennia, I will make an exception and accept you two as my nominal disciples.

As soon as the voice fell, everyone present was astonished. Although he was not a direct disciple, he was a disciple personally acknowledged by the Dao Ancestor.

Before the cultivators could recover from the reversal, Hongjun waved his hand again.

Two streams of primordial purple energy, along with a twelve-petaled lotus platform, were pushed by Hongjun into the raised hands of Jieyin and Zhun Gao:

"This is the Primordial Purple Qi, the foundation for becoming a saint. This is the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit, unparalleled in defense, capable of suppressing destiny."

"I hereby bestow these upon you all. I hope you will cultivate diligently, so as not to fail the expectations of the beings of the Western Paradise, nor to waste this opportunity."

Jieyin and Zhunti trembled violently, looking up at the purple aura and supreme treasure in their hands:

"Disciple... thanks Master for his great kindness! I will certainly live up to your expectations and dedicate myself to the revival of the West, even at the cost of my life!"

The cultivators were stunned by what they saw and remained speechless for a long time.

Just a moment ago, the Dao Ancestor was listing the "three lacks" of the two Westerners, but the next moment he actually bestowed upon them the foundation for sainthood.

This sudden turn of events, followed by a glimmer of hope, caused many powerful beings to feel their resolve wavering.

This successful "precedent" instantly ignited the cultivators' extreme desire for the opportunity to attain sainthood.

Almost immediately after the two Westerners finished their bows of thanks.

"Thump!"

Styx suddenly stepped forward and knelt in the hall:

"Dao Ancestor, please bear witness! The Netherworld Blood Sea was formed from the tainted blood of Pangu, teeming with resentment and evil spirits, and devoid of any living beings."

Cultivation is arduous, and the path to the Great Dao is elusive! We earnestly beg the Dao Ancestor for mercy and to grant us a glimmer of hope!

Almost simultaneously, the Demon Emperor Jun and Donghuang Taiyi also abruptly stood up:

"Dao Ancestor! My demon race was born in the primordial world, and we have overcome many obstacles to achieve what we have today."

However, the wrath of Heaven is unpredictable, and calamities lurk in the shadows. The path ahead for the countless people of the Demon Court is fraught with difficulty! We humbly beseech the Dao Ancestor to show mercy and bestow guidance!

With one leader taking the lead, more voices followed.

……

Seeing this, Taibai shook his head inwardly, inwardly grumbling:

The Styx Ancestor possesses three innate spiritual treasures, and the Blood Sea is a natural training ground;

The Demon Court possesses countless spiritual roots and rare treasures, and even wields the Eastern Emperor Bell, a supreme treasure from the creation of the world... How can they complain about this?

Seeing that the powerful figures were becoming increasingly agitated, and the clamor for their petitions was growing louder, Hongjun finally raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd below:

"Since we all desire the Primordial Purple Qi, then let us leave it to fate."

After speaking, he slightly raised the fingers in his sleeve, and the last wisp of primordial purple energy appeared, which he gently pushed forward.

The primordial purple aura swirled continuously within the hall.

Every slight turn and pause affected the breath and heartbeat of the hundreds of cultivators below.

It drifted leisurely, passing rows of prayer cushions and powerful figures, its trajectory unpredictable.

At a certain moment, it stopped.

It hovered perfectly, right above Taibai's head.

Taibai felt his whole body tremble violently, and his mind went completely blank.

Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, all was silent.

All eyes were fixed on the "petrified" youth.

However, Taibai showed no excitement whatsoever.

He knew that under the Heavenly Dao, the positions of saints were predetermined, and there should only be six saints.

This seventh wisp of primordial purple energy, seemingly a chance to become a saint, is actually a "variable" under the Heavenly Dao, and even more so a death warrant.

Just like Hongyun's fate in the original trajectory, possessing a treasure is a crime, and he ultimately met his demise.

Hongjun, standing atop the high platform, frowned slightly the instant the purple aura stopped above Taibai's head.

He held the whisk, and his fingertips twitched very slightly.

The wisp of primordial purple energy hanging above Taibai's head emitted a faint tremor and slowly rose from above his head.

It transformed back into a wisp of purple light, drifting above the heads of all the cultivators in the hall.

A moment later, it landed steadily in front of Hongyun.

Seeing the purple aura fall into Hongyun's hands, Taibai secretly breathed a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but thank Hongyun.

After a moment of astonishment, Hongyun's ecstasy overwhelmed all caution.

He immediately reached out and quickly absorbed the wisp of primordial purple energy into the depths of his primordial spirit.

This scene was deeply imprinted on Kunpeng's mind.

His eyes were bloodshot, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Hongyun's back was no longer simple resentment, but had solidified into murderous intent.

Seeing the last wisp of purple energy being taken away, the other cultivators were also unwilling.

In an instant, several figures stepped forward, their eyes gazing eagerly at Hongjun, ready to plead once more for some protective spiritual treasures.

However, before the powerful beings could speak again, the Three Pure Ones had already taken action.

The three rose simultaneously, with Taiqing Laozi as their representative, and solemnly bowed to Hongjun, saying:

"Reporting to Master Qi. This child is named Taibai, and he is a disciple jointly taught by the three of us."

Upon hearing this, Taibai, who was standing behind, brightened up and understood immediately.

With a slight movement, he took three steps from behind Sanqing and knelt down steadily.

Immediately afterwards, under the watchful eyes of all the great beings in the hall, he bowed down, touched his forehead to the ground, and respectfully kowtowed three times to Hongjun.