A discarded disciple of the Chan Sect? I'll seize the destiny and prove myself to be a Primordi

The moment the oppressive forces collided.

Three vast and unparalleled divine powers descended simultaneously from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

The dragon and tiger jade ruyi and the Qiankun ruler are fixed in mid-air.

The scattered auspicious clouds solidified, the scattered celestial birds froze in mid-air, the spiritual energy on the summit of Kunlun Mountain became even more concentrated, and celestial music resounded all around.

Three figures stepped out from the void.

He was Laozi in the center, wearing a Taiqing fish-tail crown, a Yin-Yang Bagua Taoist robe, and a flat cane in his hand. His beard and hair were all white, and his face was ancient and simple.

On the left is Yuanshi Tianzun, wearing a jade lotus crown, a purple robe with eight trigrams, and holding a jade ruyi scepter with three treasures in his palm. His face is majestic and cold.

On the right is the Tongtian Sect Leader, dressed in a crimson robe with white crane motifs, a Qingping sword hanging at his waist, and a sharp, piercing aura between his brows.

The Three Pure Ones arrive together.

The Daoist Ran Deng's expression changed drastically. He put the Qiankun Ruler into his sleeve, took several steps back, and bowed deeply, saying, "Disciple Ran Deng greets the three sages."

The Golden Spirit Mother paused, withdrew the Dragon-Tiger Jade Ruyi, and knelt on one knee: "Disciple Jin Ling greets Grand Master Uncle, Second Master Uncle, and Master."

Ju Liusun and Cihang Daoren prostrated themselves on the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Yun Zhongzi knelt down, lifting his robe: "Disciple Yun Zhongzi greets Master, Grand Master Uncle, and Tongtian Uncle."

The room was deathly silent.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable's gaze swept over the cracked white jade steps, over the ancient apricot tree with its branches broken, and over the crowd kneeling on the ground.

Finally, the focus shifted to Dipankara and the Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit.

His face darkened inch by inch.

"Very good."

The sound was not loud, yet it silenced heaven and earth.

"I only spent half a day discussing Dao with my brother at the Eight Views Palace, and the Jade Void Palace was almost demolished?"

Yuanshi Tianzun turned his gaze to Tongtian Jiaozhu, his tone tinged with annoyance:

"Tongtian, what a fine disciple you've taken in! A quasi-sage, blocking the entrance to my Jade Void Palace, wielding an innate spiritual treasure, ready to fight or kill. If it weren't for the White Crane Boy sensing the danger and triggering the notification jade talisman beforehand..."

He paused, his voice growing even colder:

"Where do I put this saintly facade?"

Sages are immortal and indestructible, and they value the essence of the teachings and traditions above all else.

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit knelt on the ground, her face pale, biting her lip and not daring to raise her head.

The stern expression on the face of the Tongtian Sect Leader softened slightly, and he gave an awkward smile:

"Second brother, please calm down; I have failed to teach her properly. This girl has a fiery temper and acted impulsively."

He turned and glared at the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit:

"Jin Ling! You've cultivated for countless eons, reaching the level of a quasi-saint, yet you still act so recklessly? Why can't you talk things out properly instead of resorting to violence in front of your second senior uncle? Hurry up and apologize!"

Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother Jinling quickly kowtowed deeply to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable:

"Second Master Uncle, please forgive me. I was impetuous and disturbed your sacred space. I know I was wrong, please forgive me."

Yuanshi Tianzun snorted coldly.

Lao Tzu, who had been silent all along, finally tapped his flat cane lightly.

A muffled thud cleared everyone's minds.

"alright."

His voice was old and peaceful.

"Second brother, Tongtian is known to be very protective of his own, and everyone knows that. It's understandable that Jinling was a little anxious to protect her disciple."

He looked at the Holy Mother of the Golden Spirit:

"Jin Ling, your eagerness to protect your disciple is not a major fault, but there should be limits in everything you do. Yu Xu Palace is your second master's place of practice, the domain of a sage. How can you act so recklessly? I punish you by sending you back to Bi You Palace to face the wall for a hundred years and quietly recite the Huang Ting Jing. Do you accept this punishment?"

"This disciple is completely convinced and will respectfully obey the instructions of my Grand Master."

Laozi then looked at Julusun and Cihang Daoren.

His gaze remained calm, yet it sent a chill down their spines simultaneously.

"You two made a prior agreement when the three religions signed the Investiture of the Gods. You know the details of what happened in the North Sea. I will not punish you, but this will not be a repeat of the previous offense."

Ju Liusun and Cihang Daoren, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you so much for your leniency, Grand Master!"

Yuanshi Tianzun frowned, about to say something, but was silenced by a look from Laozi.

Yun Zhongzi sensed something was amiss. Laozi's words had a hidden meaning. They knew what the North Sea matter meant. Not only would they not punish him, but they would also make it a one-time exception.

Is there going to be a next time? But then, the attitude of the Tongtian Sect Leader left Yun Zhongzi even more confused.

The Master of Heaven waved to Jin Ling: "Why don't you thank your eldest master and come back with me!"

He then turned to Yuanshi Tianzun, cupped his hands in apology, and smiled apologetically.

"Second brother, I will take this unfilial disciple back and discipline him. There are a few immortal apricot trees in Biyou Palace. I will have someone send a few ancient ones later. Second brother, please don't get angry anymore."

Unable to retaliate, Yuanshi Tianzun let out a cold snort.

Something's not right, something's very wrong. Why does it seem like the Tongtian Sect Leader gained a huge advantage in this matter, while the Yuanshi Tianzun seems to have suffered a great loss?

This is not in line with the character of the Tongtian Sect Leader, nor with the style of the Primordial Heavenly Lord!

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit rose and walked behind Tongtian.

Before leaving, she suddenly looked up, glanced at Yun Zhongzi over the crowd, and nodded slightly.

Yun Zhongzi felt a chill run down his spine and bowed in return.

Just then, Lao Tzu turned around.

Those cloudy, ancient eyes, which had witnessed countless vicissitudes of time, gave Yun Zhongzi a deep look.

At a glance.

There was no oppressive aura, no magical power, and no superfluous emotions.

Yun Zhongzi felt that his entire being, from his physical body to his primordial spirit, and his soul, which had been cultivated for tens of thousands of years and had transmigrated here, had been seen through by this one glance.

Subconsciously, the Bewitching Immortal Array operated wildly, spreading out the magic power sealed within the Immortal Beans, layer upon layer, covering the primordial spirit.

A chill ran from the dantian straight to the Niwan Palace.

Fortunately, it was just one glance.

Lao Tzu withdrew his gaze, his face showing neither joy nor anger, and turned to leave into the void.

"Everyone, you can leave now."

The figures of the three Pure Ones simultaneously blurred and disappeared.

The sage's aura that had enveloped Kunlun Mountain slowly dissipated, celestial birds returned to the forest, auspicious clouds gathered again, and a gentle breeze rose once more.

Everything returned to calm.

The Taoist Ran Deng gave Yun Zhongzi a deep look, his face expressionless, and then turned and returned to Yu Xu Palace.

Ju Liusun and Cihang Daoren got up from the ground, their eyes filled with resentment as they looked at Yun Zhongzi.

"Junior Brother Yun Zhongzi, I have noted what happened today."

The two transformed into streaks of light and flew towards their respective dojos.

Only Yun Zhongzi remained in front of Yuxu Palace.

The white crane boy peeked out from inside the hall, glanced around cautiously, and then withdrew.

Yun Zhongzi stood still, his expression calm.

From beginning to end, Yuanshi Tianzun never even glanced at him. Despite the irrefutable evidence from Julusun and Cihang Daoren, Yuanshi Tianzun didn't even ask them a single question. The name "Yun Zhongzi" was never mentioned before the three sages.

It was as if he didn't exist.

But that one glance from me...

Yun Zhongzi suppressed the chill in his heart and dared not think any further. He only hoped to get through the Investiture of the Gods calamity as soon as possible, obtain the Chaos Bell, and have some power to protect himself.

He rode on auspicious clouds, pondering how to operate in the future while also thinking about the meaning behind Lao Tzu's glance that day, and slowly flew towards Zhongnan Mountain.

In front of Yuzhu Cave.

Just as Yun Zhongzi was about to step into the cave, his steps suddenly stopped.

Inside the cave, there were many strange and wonderful sights, and the spiritual energy was abundant. A precious pearl radiating spiritual light hovered in the air.

He had seen this bead several times before the throne of the Primordial Heavenly Lord; it was a gift from the Goddess Nuwa to the Primordial Heavenly Lord—the Spirit Bead.

Isn't this Nezha from the future? How did he end up here?

[Side Quest: Intercepting the Chan Sect's Luck Value of 6 - Lingzhuzi]

[Reward 1: Qinggang Sword, a common magic weapon]

Yun Zhongzi's eyes widened. "Such a powerful lightning bolt from the Spirit Pearl, can it be exchanged for an ordinary magic weapon in my hands?"

For Yun Zhongzi, who often goes out and feels like he's missing out if he doesn't pick up some spiritual herbs, having some is better than having none, so he just takes them.

Just then, Taiyi Zhenren's voice came from outside the door: "Junior brother, open the door, it's me, Taiyi."