After much deliberation, Zhen Yuanzi's desire won over his intuition and logic. Clasping his hand, he bowed to the Jade Emperor and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Eminence."
"A wise choice," the Jade Emperor said.
The space in the throne hall froze. Zhen Yuanzi tried to move but discovered that he had been petrified in place, like a statue. He couldn't even move his eyes.
Just as he was starting to worry, he saw the space next to the Jade Emperor distort and shatter. Out walked an exact copy of the Jade Emperor, except that she possessed argent hair and eyes and wore a scarlet robe.
After the shattered space behind her healed, Zhen Yuanzi regained his ability to move. "Your Eminence?"
"What, don't recognize me after I changed my hair?" Tongtian asked, a playful tug at the corner of her lips. Zhen Yuanzi glanced questioningly at the violet-robed Jade Emperor. "Her? She's my incarnation."
Zhen Yuanzi's eyes involuntarily locked onto Tongtian's incarnation. Typically, incarnations were formed from an immortal's qi and a strand of thought. The incarnation could only display a fragment of its original's power and was far more fragile. Corpses were, by far, far superior.
Of course, there were methods to increase the incarnation's power and durability, such as using a body part as a medium. A strand of hair or blood would work, but the more significant the part sacrificed, the more powerful the incarnation.
He didn't know how Tongtian created her incarnation, but it didn't lower Zhen Yuanzi's shock. Just a Saint's incarnation could easily kill him, a Quasi-Saint. Truly, all under Saints were ants. This deeper understanding of Hongjun's words only reinforced his determination.
Zhen Yuanzi silently watched as Tongtian took the Realmverse Atlas from her incarnation. She closed her eyes and imbued her thoughts and qi into the spiritual artifact. As she did so, he carefully studied what Tongtian was doing to see if he could glean anything.
His heart tightened as he sensed Tongtian's thoughts enter the core of the Realmverse Atlas. It was akin to a human slicing open up their chest, and letting another see their inner organs. Despite the gross violation of privacy, Zhen Yuanzi forced down any knee-jerk reaction to resist.
A sense of wonder and shock thundered in Zhen Yuanzi's mind as he followed Tongtian's thoughts into an unknown part of the Realmverse Atlas. Even though it was his lifebound spiritual artifact, he had never even detected this hidden secret.
Inside the concealed part of the Realmverse Atlas were five fluttering strands of qi. They glimmered with golden radiance, but that wasn't all. Each strand of qi emanated fluctuations of fire, water, wood, and metal. Each of the four elements by themselves could cause the hearts of even Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament to palpitate, but here, they only served as backdrops to enhance the central earthen aura.
Most importantly, Zhen Yuanzi could sense the innate charm that he had only felt once in his entire life. It was the time in Violet Heaven Place that planted a seed of calamity that nearly caused the death of his bosom friend, when the Grandmist Violet Qi chose Redcloud Ancestor.
Zhen Yuanzi opened his mouth, but no words came out. It was as if all moisture had left his throat. Finally, he managed to croak out, "Your Eminence, this is?"
"Shhh." Tongtian didn't answer him, but her incarnation placed a finger in front of her lips.
Tongtian's brows twitched as she placed her free hand atop the yellow book. Later, she made a grasping motion and pulled her fist back. Zhen Yuanzi stared unblinkingly at her fist. When she opened her hand, he saw five strands of golden qi. They tried to fly out of her palm, but they were trapped like caged birds.
"Y-Your Eminence, a-are those Grandmist Violet Qi?" Zhen Yuanzi asked, throat still dry.
"Have your eyes gone blind? These are clearly gold, not violet," Tongtian joked. After having her fun, she decided to stop toying with Zhen Yuanzi's feelings. "It's as you think. As long as you hold one, you have a chance at becoming a Saint."
"Truly?!" Zhen Yuanzi shouted. He could not be blamed for his excitement. Among the billions of lifeforms in the Three Realms, there were only seven individuals at the Saint level. No one else aside from these seven had attained that illusionary and sought-after realm. "As long as I can obtain one, I can become a Saint of Heaven?"
"When did I say you could become a Saint of Heaven?" Tongtian asked. "These are Grandmist Gold Qi, not Grandmist Violet Qi. According to my guesses, you can become a Saint of Earth."
Deciding not to play along anymore, she forced three of the five strands back into the Realmverse Atlas before throwing the spiritual artifact back to Zhen Yuanzi. Upon catching it, he immediately probed the artifact and, to his relief, discovered three strands of Grandmist Gold Qi within.
It was at this moment that Zhen Yuanzi recalled the two strands of Grandmist Gold qi still in Tongtian’s hand. Why, why did he agree for her to take two? He should have said one, but under Tongtian's deliberate pressure, he succumbed.
On the other hand, if he had not agreed, he would not have even discovered the Grandmist Gold Qi for eons. At least, that was how Zhen Yuanzi comforted himself.
The thought of asking for at least one strand of Grandmist Gold Qi popped into his mind, but Zhen Yuanzi woke up from his dangerous thoughts. Ignoring the fact that even if he added five Saints of Earth and Redcloud Ancestor, they would at most equal the Three Purities. Not to mention that all the current Saints did not slack off in their cultivations, so their strength still outstripped new Saints.
Zhen Yuanzi also knew how difficult it would be to improve in the Primordial Origin Realms thanks to Redcloud Ancestor's accounts. Redcloud Ancestor had only reached the peak of the Second Heavenly Layer, and according to him, Yuanshi should have reached the Fourth Heavenly Layer before the Titan-Demon Tribulation.
He clasped his hands. "Please explain the difference between a Saint of Heaven and a Saint of Earth to me, Your Eminence."
"That's not difficult. The world is composed of three components: heaven, earth, and man. Man is below earth, and earth is below heaven. Understand?" Tongtian asked.
Zhen Yuanzi's thoughts sped up. Among the three, there is a hierarchy. Does that mean a Saint of Earth is below a Saint of Heaven in status? His eyes widened. Tongtian mentioned heaven, earth, and man. If heaven and earth have Saints, what about man?
He sucked in a cold breath. How did Tongtian come by this knowledge? Redcloud Ancestor certainly did not. Did all Three Purities know because of their orthodox inheritance from Pangu?
Seeing Zhen Yuanzi fall silent, Tongtian waved her hand. "Alright, you can leave now."
Zhen Yuanzi had a belly full of questions, but hearing the clear dismissal, he obliged. "Then, I will go, Your Eminence."
After Zhen Yuanzi left, Tongtian stared at the two strands of Grandmist Gold Qi in her hand. Truthfully, she expected Zhen Yuanzi to haggle it down to one. If she knew he was so agreeable, she would have demanded three.
Still, what should she do with these two strands of Grandmist Gold Qi? Wutian had the talent and perseverance, but it was too bad he was human and thus was not eligible. Shuixing had the qualifications. The legs of his previous life, the Profound Turtle, became the four heavenly pillars that helped the Allheaven Jianmu Tree support heaven and earth.
In the end, Tongtian decided to return to the chaos and call for her two brothers.
"What's wrong? Did something happen again?" Yuanshi asked with worry.
Laozi didn't say anything, but his exasperated gaze said it all.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Tongtian stared at her two brothers. Despite only a short time not seeing them, Yuanshi looked close to breaking through to the Seventh Heavenly Layer, and Laozi seemed to have advanced further in the Intermediate Primordial Origin Realm. 'I have to redouble my effort and quickly enter the Fourth Heavenly Layer.'
She didn't say anything and revealed the two strands of Grandmist Gold Qi in her position. "It's nothing urgent, but I want to discuss how we should handle these two."
Neither Yuanshi nor Laozi was ignorant of the matter concerning the Saints of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Tongtian had already explained it to them during their last discussion in the chaos. Still, this was the first time there was proof of Tongtian's words since they never saw the Grandmist Silver Qi.
"No, Third Sister obtained it with your own efforts, you should decide what to do with it by yourself," Yuanshi said.
"Didn't I say that there doesn't need to be any differentiation between us? Aren't we siblings?" Tongtian asked. "Besides, Wutian isn't suitable, and I don't want him to feel down if Shuixing surpasses him. Not to mention Shuixing is still far from ready to become a Saint."
Yuanshi snorted. "If that little brat can't even withstand this, just kick him out of your lineage."
Tongtian's lips twitched. She turned toward Laozi.
"My only disciple is also a human. Thus, he is not qualified," Laozi said.
"What about accepting more disciples?" Tongtian suggested.
"As the founder of the Human Way, all my disciples can only be humans. They have no fate with the Grandmist Gold Qi," Laozi said.
Again, Tongtian's lips twitched. 'But you only have one disciple. Shouldn’t you accept more disciples?'
She didn't know if Laozi sensed her inner thoughts or not, but he turned around. "Third Sister, if there's nothing else, I'm going to leave now. In the future, don't summon me for inconsequential matters. I need to focus on my path."
"Don't be down," Yuanshi comforted Tongtian as they watched Laozi leave. "Eldest Brother is under a lot of pressure. He has his pride as the eldest of the three of us. Because he didn't become a pure Saint of Heaven like me, his progress is lagging behind, so he feels insecure."
"Perhaps," Tongtian said. It was not like she didn't understand. She, too, had her pride. Although she was the last to enter the Primordial Origin Realm with her true body, Tongtian never thought of herself as lesser than her brothers. Not only did she want to surpass Laozi but Yuanshi too.
"How are you faring?" Yuanshi suddenly asked. "I sense that you have already stepped into the Third Heavenly Layer. Are you okay? You must take each step carefully and steadily, not rush yourself. Otherwise, you might leave a problem in your foundation, wasting your time even more."
Tongtian rolled her eyes. "Have you forgotten? I was the first of us to enter the Quasi-Saint Realm. Naturally, I know the importance of patience."
"As long as you have confidence. We haven't discussed our ways for quite a while. Why don't we use this chance to compare our progress?" Yuanshi asked.
Tongtian nodded. Rather than having a discussion with a peer, it would be closer to Yuanshi guiding her due to his superior realm. Still, she did not hold any complaints. Contrary, she was moved by Yuanshi's act.
The two sat across from each other. Yuanshi spoke of his Way of Primordial Beginning and miraculous phenomenon relating to his understanding of the laws formed around them. What surprised Tongtian was the sheer number of laws he had partially comprehended and integrated into his Law of Chaos. From this, Tongtian gradually gained an understanding of how she should advance her comprehension and not just her realm.
After he was done, it was Tongtian's turn to explain her Way of Allheaven and the Law of Spacetime she comprehended. While explaining, Tongtian suddenly stopped as she sensed Yuanshi's aura suddenly rise to new heights.
'Did Second Brother enter the Advanced Primordial Origin Realm? Why don't I have this good luck?' Tongtian thought with disbelief.
When his aura calmed once more, Yuanshi smiled at Tongtian. "You really are my lucky star. Thanks to you, I managed to enter the Seventh Heavenly Layer ahead of schedule."
"Screw off!" Tongtian yelled in envy.
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Back in the Three Realms, Zhen Yuanzi returned to Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain. Once inside, he sealed not only the temple but the whole mountain, shocking his attendants. They wanted to ask if anything had happened, but to their dismay, they couldn't contact their master at all.
Zhen Yuanzi couldn't care less about his attendants at this moment. With shaking hands, he extracted a strand of Grandmist Gold Qi and stored it in his body. To his disappointment, he didn't gain sudden enlightenment or become a Saint of Earth.
He closed his eyes and recalled the Dao Ancestor's words. To become a Saint of Heaven, one had to sever three Corpses and merge them, use merit, or use pure power. Although the Dao Ancestor only said this was for a Saint of Heaven, it should still apply for Saints of Earth.
So far, he had only formed his Good and Evil Corpses, but even after eons, he had not made any progress on severing his obsession to form his Self Corpse. If he couldn't form his Self Corpse, then he should forget about becoming a Saint by merging his three Corpses.
Unknown to Zhen Yuanzi, he was unlikely to merge his three Corpses even if he had severed his obsession. To facilitate the fusion, the three spiritual artifacts used to form the Corpses had to have the same or similar origins. Otherwise, merging would become nigh impossible.
As for becoming a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin through power, Zhen Yuanzi dismissed it as well. The Dao Ancestor said that even Pangu failed. Although he had sought the Great Dao, he also knew his limits. Something Pangu failed at, he, Zhen Yuanzi, would undoubtedly fail too.
That left becoming a Saint of Earth through the use of merit. Zhen Yuanzi did not think it was disgraceful. Of the seven Saints, didn't five of them use merit? Nuwa, Taishang Laojun, Zhunti, Redcloud Ancestor, and Lingbao. Only Yuanshi and Jieyin became Saints by merging the three Corpses.
Zhen Yuanzi already had the perfect opportunity, the creation of the Earth Celestial League. In terms of merit, it should only be inferior to the establishment of the Heavenly Court. To be certain, he still wanted to discuss the matter with Redcloud Ancestor.
Just before contacting Redcloud Ancestor, Zhen Yuanzi paused. 'He won't attempt to steal my Grandmist Gold Qi, will he?'
Zhen Yuanzi shook his head at the ridiculous thought. He could still remember Redcloud Ancestor staying with him on Longevity Mountain before he became a Saint. If Redcloud Ancestor could trust him not to steal the Grandmist Violet Qi, then he should trust Redcloud Ancestor not to steal his Grandmist Gold Qi.
As Zhen Yuanzi expected, Redcloud Ancestor arrived at Longevity Mountain upon receiving his message. "What's wrong? Did you finally decide to form the Earth Celestial League?"
"It's more than that. Look at this." Zhen Yuanzi controlled two strands of Grandmist Gold Qi to fly out of the Realmverse Atlas.
As a Saint of Heaven, Redcloud Ancestor's sensitivity toward the two strands of qi was more acute than Zhen Yuanzi's. With the addition of his experience with the Grandmist Violet Qi, he could already faintly guess their purpose, but like Zhen Yuanzi, he made a similar mistake. "Grandmist Violet Qi?"
"Not quite," Zhen Yuanzi said. He quickly explained his visit to the Heavenly Realm and what occurred between him and Tongtian.
Redcloud Ancestor sighed. "As expected of Daoist Tongtian. But you were really hasty this time. Why did you agree so easily? Those two strands represent the position of two Saints. Two!"
Zhen Yuanzi made a bitter smile. "How could I know that the path to Sainthood was in my grasp all along? At most, I thought it would be some sort of earth qi she would take."
"I guess I can't blame you. Still, how did Daoist Tongtian discover the secret of the Realmverse Atlas?" Redcloud Ancestor questioned. "I couldn't discover a trace despite constant contact with it."
"Stop it, don't shame me anymore. Don't I have less excuse as it is my lifebound spiritual artifact?" Zhen Yuanzi asked. "Forget it. Let's iron out the details of the establishment of the Earth Celestial League."
As the two discussed the finer details, Redcloud Ancestor showed a sheepish expression. "When you form the Earth Celestial League, can you assign a few of my disciples to important positions? I keep telling them to be wary of contaminating themselves with karma, but they don't listen. To counteract the karma, I hope they can earn more merit."
"It's not that I want to lecture you, but you should really reign in your disciples. Don't forget that most of them are from the Demon Clan, and their Karmic Sin might affect the luck of the Interception Sect," Zhen Yuanzi advised.
"What can they affect at most? Saints are untouched by karma. As long as I'm present, the Interception Sect will exist," Recloud Ancestor said, ignoring Zhen Yuanzi's concern, much to the latter's consternation.
Zhen Yuanzi sighed. "Forget a few positions. If you want a strand of Grandmist Gold Qi, I can give you one too."
"How can I do that? The Grandmist Gold Qi is your fortune. Besides, I'm already a Saint."
"You might be a Saint already, but what about your disciples?" Zhen Yuanzi asked. "We need to build a stronger force, and I don't have any disciples. We can't always be suppressed by the rest of the Saints. I think Duobao is suitable to become a Saint of Earth. What do you think?"
Redcloud Ancestor hesitated. Zhen Yuanzi's proposal was very attractive to him, but he still rejected it in the end. "Duobao still hasn't reached the Great Firmament Realm. He'd have to be a Quasi-Saint to qualify."
"Okay, let's talk about it again after he enters the Quasi-Saint Realm," Zhen Yuanzi said.
After the two ironed out every detail, all the important forces and major powers received an invitation to the Earth Celestial Banquet from Zhen Yuanzi. His sudden and uproarious actions directly contrasted with his usual restrained conduct, causing all the major powers to guess at his intent—all except for the Three Purities