Chaos first separated, and Heaven and Earth were opened up.
Clear Qi rose, spread through the Circulation of stars; turbid Qi sank, condensed into the thick Earth and Netherworld.
Those that were not yet separated between clear and turbid were known as Primordial Chaos Qi.
Yu Yuan was a strand of Primordial Chaos Qi drifting in the East Sea, who by chance gained the creation's Merit of Heaven and Earth, birthed Spiritual Wisdom, thus underwent Transformation and emerged, fortunate enough to take Golden Spirit Saint Mother as his Master, cultivated the supreme Great Dao, and has done so for over a thousand years.
After Yu Yuan introduced himself, Wen Zhong realized that everything the other party said corresponded to what his Master had told him.
Which is to say, the person before him was indeed his senior Disciple!
Once he let go of the wariness in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a hint of curiosity.
"Senior Brother is extraordinary at the root, and has endured a thousand years of hard Cultivation; your Dao Xing must be very profound by now, right?"
"Dao Xing?"
Yu Yuan smacked his lips and reached into the air to grab a smoke and light it.
He took a deep drag, keeping the poisonous smoke in his chest and throat for a good while before exhaling a thick, round ring of smoke.
"What does it matter if Dao Xing is profound or not, after a few hundred years we all die anyway! Oh, right, now even you have taken a Master, it probably won't even take a few hundred years now."
Wen Zhong was stunned, not expecting such a perplexing answer.
What does this have to do with me?
Sensing the irritating smoke in the air, he imperceptibly retreated a small step, puzzled, he said: "Master said, for us Cultivators, as long as we overcome the Immortal Formation Tribulation, we can become everlasting Profound Immortals; and after that, if we overcome the Three Calamities, we can join the ranks of True Immortals with undying True Spirits, who even upon death can enter reincarnation and cultivate anew.
After that, overcoming nine hardships and accumulating Merit, proving oneself to be an Earth Immortal, or Heavenly Immortal, can shine alongside the sun and moon, endure with Heaven and Earth, freely moving between Heaven and Earth... Why does Senior Brother say that in a few hundred years we will all die?"
"Yo, you're quite knowledgeable, huh?"
Yu Yuan took another puff of smoke, letting the poisonous fumes corrode his insides.
[Poisonous gas continues to corrode: Qi-Blood +102, Mana +233]
[Poisonous gas continues to corrode: Qi-Blood +99, Mana +295]
[Poisonous gas continues to corrode: Qi-Blood +98, Mana +248]
...
Wen Zhong waited for a moment, and seeing that Yu Yuan only cared about puffing and blowing smoke rings, and had no intention to explain, felt a bit suffocated, thinking to himself that this Senior Brother was truly strange.
Under his gaze, Yu Yuan finally moved the cigarette away, raised his eyebrows, "What are you looking at me for? What, do you want one too?"
Wen Zhong hurriedly shook his head.
"Don't be polite, your Senior Brother is not stingy."
As he spoke, Yu Yuan reached out his hand and handed him a cigarette, "Try this, it's a new product that I painstakingly created using Youxiang Qiluo, Heavenly Star Mantra, and a dozen other rare Spirit Grasses plucked from Nine Dragons Island. I guarantee that one puff will have you floating on cloud nine, letting you enjoy heavenly bliss without any need for Cultivation."
If I take a puff of that, I'm afraid I'll die, won't I?!
Although Wen Zhong didn't understand the names of the herbs mentioned, the sight of the blue smoke rising from the smoldering stick told him it must be highly toxic.
But this was handed to him by his Senior Brother, would it seem rude if he declined?
Just as he was anxiously uncertain about how to refuse, a band of Seven-colored Clouds flew over from the horizon, carrying a Treasure Car atop the radiant light which could be smelled from afar.
Before the Treasure Car was anywhere near, an icy female voice made its way there first.
"Yu Yuan! What are you up to!?"
It seemed that the Golden Spirit Saint Mother was rather angry, her voice reaching over like thunder, although all of it was directed at Yu Yuan, and the voice that Wen Zhong heard on the side remained as clear and pleasant as a bubbling brook.
Yu Yuan, while picking at his numb ears, begrudgingly said, "Master, you're really something, having such a temper as soon as you come back? Have I done anything lately that would provoke heaven's rage and people's resentment?"
By then, the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car had already drawn close, its exotic scent growing even more intense.
Wen Zhong, smelling the fragrance, felt refreshed and secretly relieved.
"What were you just doing?"
Golden Spirit Saint Mother spoke with an unfriendly tone, "If you want to smoke and drink, or go to the Dragon Palace to tease the Dragon Girl, I couldn't care less, but your Disciple here is but a mortal in flesh, can he withstand your toxic smoke?"
"Oh, it's just that."
Yu Yuan glanced at Wen Zhong, and between puffs of smoke, he spoke irritably, "Look, Disciple, see how biased Master is towards you. I was just joking with you, and she comes to scold me... It appears I really can't stay any longer in this damned Lansong Jie Sect, I should've run away to Kunlun to join my uncle Yun Zhongzi sooner!
Sigh, how did I ever let myself be coaxed into taking her as my Master? Right when I had just undergone Transformation, I should've gone straight to Kunlun to find my uncle!"
"I..."
The Golden Spirit Saint Mother seemed to choke for a moment, and from inside the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car, for the first time a heavy breathing could be heard.
Wen Zhong couldn't help but inhale sharply.
What is Senior Brother saying?!
He's supposed to be a strand of Primordial Chaos Qi that transformed, where would he get an uncle from?
And plus, isn't Kunlun the territory of the Chan Sect?
Is he... planning to defect from the sect?
Considering the severity of this matter, he quickly lowered his head to stare at his toes, so nervous that he even forgot to breathe, his little face turning beet red.
He lowered his head and did not see that the curtains around the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car parted on their own, revealing the figure of an exceptionally graceful woman.
Yu Yuan took a drag of his smoke, looking at his master with an indifferent gaze.
Even by his critical standards, the appearance of Golden Spirit Saint Mother could still be deemed peerless.
A pair of phoenix eyes contained an innate charm when smiling, but emanated an awe-inspiring authority when calm.
Her black hair was arranged in a luxurious bun, she wore a pale gold robe, a gold neck ornament, and a gold pattern on her forehead, all contributing to her regal and vibrant demeanor.
At that moment, her face was expressionless, but her eyes smoldered with rage, like a tranquil volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
She didn't pick up on Yu Yuan's thread of conversation, instead she asked in a deep voice, "Let's not talk about what just happened. I want to ask you, did you go to Nine Dragons Island a few days ago, destroy Lv Yue's medicine garden, and beat Zhou Xin and Li Qi back to their original forms?"
"So, Master is angry about that."
Yu Yuan exhaled a smoke ring, laughing as he said: "That day, I just wanted to pick some herbs for rolling into smokes. On my way past Nine Dragons Island, I found Lv Yue and the others' cultivation of the Plague Technique quite impressive, merely waving my hand resulted in instantly poisoning and killing thousands of people.
Feeling a bit itchy to demonstrate my skills, I sparred with them for a bit, but I accidentally reverted them back to their original forms."
The Golden Spirit Saint Mother rested her hand on her forehead, speaking in utter helplessness, "Taking human lives for the sake of cultivation is indeed wrong on Lv Yue's part, and there is nothing wrong with you stepping in to save people, but they are considered your senior uncles by generation; it wasn't right for you to revert them back to their original forms right off the bat..."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Yu Yuan said in surprise, "What does their taking lives have to do with me? I was merely sparring with them. What, they got beaten by me because they're no match and now have the face to come to you and complain?"
"They did send a complaint to Penglai Island, and just before this, I was reprimanded in Biyou Palace. Your great uncle said you pay no respect to your elders, you disobey the master's orders, and act recklessly..."
Yu Yuan curled his lip, "With all due respect, did my great uncle take some kind of benefit from Lv Yue and the others? Duobao Duobao, now I know where all his treasures come from."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Golden Spirit Saint Mother glared at him, "Your great uncle is not that kind of person... You know, Jie Sect doesn't have strict rules; what is important is the unity amongst disciples, so in this matter, you are at fault too..."
"Yes yes yes, I am at fault... Then please quickly expel me from the sect, this also makes it convenient for me to go to Kunlun and join my uncle Yun Zhongzi."
"Yu Yuan! Are you trying to infuriate me to death?!"
Golden Spirit Saint Mother's forehead throbbed with veins, glaring at her eldest disciple, "Get back to Tian Yuan Palace now! Immediately! And... stop smoking that awful smoke!"
"You can expel me from the sect, but you can't ask me to stop smoking!"
Yu Yuan protested loudly.
Wen Zhong, who had kept his head lowered, was now staring wide-eyed, not even daring to breathe heavily, his face turning purple.
The master was so angry, yet the senior brother dared to haggle.
"I am absolutely furious!"
Golden Spirit Saint Mother's voice came from inside the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car.
Sure enough, Master became even more enraged!
Wen Zhong was uneasy inside, pondering whether he should speak up to plead on behalf of his senior brother.
But then he heard Golden Spirit Saint Mother sounding resigned as if compromising, "Forget it, just don't smoke that trash in front of me from now on!"
"Yes yes yes! I will never smoke in front of you again."
Yu Yuan took the opportunity to put away, and the lit stick of herbs he was holding vanished without a trace.
"And one more thing!"
Golden Spirit Saint Mother stared at him, "If you run into situations like Lv Yue's at Nine Dragons Island again, don't take matters into your own hands. Report back to me, and I will take care of it properly."
"What does that have to do with me?" Yu Yuan was very puzzled.
Golden Spirit Saint Mother: "..."
In the end, she waved her hand wearily, "Alright, go and cultivate."
"Got it."
Yu Yuan nodded his head, turned around, and shot away like lightning towards the distant mountains.
Huh?
Wen Zhong raised his head in astonishment.
Is that all?
He had thought that this "openly defying the sect" senior brother would receive some harsh punishment, but in the end, there was nothing. It was as if the master couldn't bear to punish the senior brother too severely.
Yes, that must be the reason!
The senior brother had been apprenticed for over a thousand years, and the bond between him and the master must be very deep. So even if he said something somewhat excessive, the master couldn't bear to punish him.
Thinking this way, Wen Zhong breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, as the master said, Jie Sect was a harmonious and friendly order of Saints.
He had made the right choice coming here!