Laozi stepped forward two steps, touched its head, and said, "That trace of azure light has turned you into a Green Bull. What exactly is this object?" He then looked toward the remnants where the golden light had scattered.
An ancient-looking staff, completely verdant and covered with ravines and gullies, lay quietly on the mountain summit.
Laozi raised his hand and the staff involuntarily flew into his palm. Laozi closed his eyes and sent his Primordial Spirit into the staff, and a stream of information flooded into his mind:
In the era before Chaos was opened, there was a Chaos Pine Seed, a creation shaped by the Great Dao. When the Pan Gu God opened the heavens, it happened to be when the pine seed was cracking and growing. Because it was chopped by the Sky-Opening Divine Axe of Pan Gu, it could not grow properly. Thus, it enveloped a mass of Chaotic Green Wood energy and fell onto the Primordial Land. The Great Dao, sensing the innocent suffering of the pine seed, fashioned it into the form of an Innate Spiritual Treasure. This led to the earlier scene.
Laozi opened his eyes, filled with infinite emotion, and softly said, "The Great Dao is impartial. Though you suffered this calamity through no fault of your own, you exist in another form in the Primordial Era. Today, I, as an Old Tao, swear here: when I achieve enlightenment, I must fully help you to escape the form of a Spiritual Treasure and transform into an Innate Taoist Body!"
The staff trembled ceaselessly, emitting thousands of feet of azure light, as if responding to Laozi.
Down the mountain, the teachings of the Primordial continued.
For thousands of years, all beings who knew of this place where the Great Power taught, gathered here. During this time, continual transformations took place, and Heavenly Thunders roared incessantly.
As Laozi descended the mountain riding the Green Bull, the Primordial just happened to stop teaching.
"Eh! The future generations do not deceive me. This mount of Laozi is indeed a Green Bull. And that staff really suits Laozi's image," Li Qingming thought to himself as he watched Laozi sitting on the Green Bull.
"Did big brother find any opportunity this time?" Tongtian asked anxiously.
"Indeed so! We should better talk while moving; this delay had me quite worried," Laozi said with a light laugh.
Immediately, the four dispersed the gathered beings and continued on their way, not noticing that several uninvited guests had appeared twenty miles behind them.
Seven days later, near the territory of the Desert North Dragon Clan.
"Halt those three! What business brings you through the territory of our Desert North Dragon Clan? You must come with us for an inspection before any further proceedings!" Several Dragon Clan members, with dragon heads and sturdy bodies, holding steel pitchforks, suddenly appeared in front of the four and shouted loudly.
Li Qingming observed that Laozi and the other two had somber expressions and remained silent, apparently disdaining to quarrel with these partially transformed little demons.
He then patted the brown bear he was riding, stepped forward a few steps, and said, "You little demons, what right do you have to inspect us? Leave quickly, and I shall spare your lives, otherwise, leave your lives behind!"
The leading member of the Dragon Clan, upon hearing Li Qingming's words, became furious, and his courage rose from his anger. He raised his Broad-Backed Blade and charged forward.
Li Qingming, thinking of ending the battle swiftly, raised his right claw, twisted a Magic Spell and pointed at the little demon in front of him. The Void exploded with a loud bang, and a thunderbolt as thick as an arm, carrying the momentum to destroy heaven and earth, shot directly at the little demon.
Ironically, the little demon, in its ignorance, attempted to block the Yuqing Divine Thunder with its Broad-Backed Blade. Little did it know, metal attracts lightning, especially a fine iron-forged Broad-Backed Blade.
"Ah!" An event quite in accordance with scientific principles occurred, the little demon had not even reached Li Qingming before it was scattered to the winds by the Yuqing Divine Thunder. The rest of the little demons, terrified, scattered and fled.
Seeing the main troublemaker dead, Li Qingming stopped. He turned and clasped his fists toward the Primordial Venerable, saying, "Master, I have not failed your command!"
"Why did you not kill them all?" Tongtian frowned and said.
"These little demons of the Dragon Clan have not offended me nor do we have any karmic ties. Why should we increase casualties unnecessarily?" Li Qingming stroked the small, delicate wings of the brown bear he was sitting on and continued, "Moreover, since these little demons have been able to cultivate to this extent, it has not been easy for them. It would truly be a pity to kill them."
Laozi stroked his beard continuously and nodded, his mouth full of praise: "Among our peers, we need to understand the heart of the heavens and hold compassion. Only with the heart of an innocent child can one achieve greatness!"
Although Primordial Venerable also followed in nodding, he still said, "Qingming my disciple, releasing this little demon is indeed a reflection of your kind heart. But have you considered that they belong to the Dragon Clan, and now we are in the Dragon Clan's territory. If this little demon reports us, we might still face some troubles!"
Tongtian quickly nodded and said, "Exactly, I am in agreement with my second brother!"
"Hehe, I have already given them a chance. If they still seek death, they can't blame me!" A cold light flashed in Li Qingming's eyes, his tone chilly.
Scale Armor Clan Holy Land, Desert North Ancestor Dragon Hall.
"Report to my lord, our underlings have reported that yesterday, four cultivators passed through our Dragon Clan's territory! Our underlings wanted to clarify things with them, but they were no match for those cultivators and almost lost their lives," a Dark Dragon Guard reported, kneeling on one knee to the Ancestor Dragon.
"Oh? Is that so!" Ao Long (Ancestor Dragon) rubbed his smooth chin and said to the Dragon Generals below, "You all represent me to investigate who exactly they are! Remember, treat them with courtesy. If it's just some ignorant little demons or minor daoists, just kill them outright. If they are individuals with great skills, it's a critical time for our Three Clans, it would be best if we could pull them into our ranks. If they disagree... hehe!"
"Ao Long Daoist, since we entered the Dragon Clan's territory, we haven't made any significant achievements yet, let us accompany the Dragon General this time. We will surely succeed quickly!" A hunched old man with a gloomy look in his eyes stood up and said.
Ao Long was overjoyed to hear this, saying: "Good! Then I will trouble Qiankun Daoist, I wish you success on your return!"
"Hehe, Ao Long Daoist, just wait a moment, I will be back soon!" Qiankun Ancestor said, grabbed the Dark Dragon Guard from the ground, soared into the sky, and headed towards the location of The Three Pure Ones.
"Ah! I said we should have killed them all! Look, trouble has come!" Tongtian sighed, sensing cultivators rapidly moving in their direction from not far behind.
"Third brother, you're just too keen on killing; you need to control that!" Primordial Venerable frowned and advised.
Li Qingming glanced at Tongtian, then at Primordial Venerable, and pondered to himself: "It seems these brothers do have some issues. Could it be that in future generations, Primordial Venerable's opposition to Jie Sect isn't just because he dislikes the Demon Race, but because he's at odds with Tongtian Sect Leader? How strange..."
"Shua!" Qiankun Ancestor set down the Dark Dragon Guard, and asked, "Is it these four people?"
"Yes, it's them!" The Dark Dragon Guard, having been carried in flight by Qiankun Ancestor for a day, was already exhausted in both body and spirit, collapsing to the ground upon landing.
"I shall question you all!" Qiankun Ancestor flung his black robe sleeves and asked, "The day before yesterday, was it you who attacked my Dragon Clan's guards?"
Seeing the old man in front of him whose cultivation was inscrutable, Li Qingming thought to himself that here was another old demon. But upon hearing this unceremonious tone, an inexplicable anger surged up in him, and he burst out cursing, "Go to your mom's hell, who do you think you are? Are you my uncle, or are you my aunt? You're asking me, and I must answer you? Do I owe you something? Did I sleep with your old mother, or did I cut off your life root..."
This series of classic curses left not only The Three Pure Ones dumbfounded but also the three mounts utterly flustered, not to mention Qiankun Ancestor.
At this moment, Qiankun Ancestor's eyes were shooting fire, his body trembling uncontrollably as he spit out a mouthful of dark green blood, and he roared furiously, "Junior, you're courting death!"
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