Primordial World: Big shots are all my friends
Chapter 63, Listening to the Tao Successively

Chapter 63: Chapter 63, Listening to the Tao Successively

Primordial Venerable smiled as he watched the harmony below and said, "Please, sit down. The lecture on the Tao begins now."

Everyone sat upright and listened attentively.

"The Supreme Way is wordless, true emptiness has no color. Those who ponder it cannot grasp it, those who look for it cannot see it. Profound to the point of elusiveness, achievable through actions yet unreachable. Molding Heaven and Earth, following the path of creation, silent yet unswerving, filling the six vacancies, granting repose to all beings, and restoring life to the masses. So lofty, indeed! Can anyone but a Saint truly understand it?..."

As Primordial Venerable lectured, the void generated various phenomena, permeated with purple qi and the sound of the Great Tao, dignified and solemn.

The lecture lasted for three days, and at the end, Bai Jin bid farewell to his master and returned to Upper Pure Peak.

Just as he descended from the auspicious cloud in front of the palace gate, a voice suddenly echoed in the sky: "Brother Bai Jin, Brother Bai Jin, are you there? Ow~ there really are a lot of people at Upper Pure Peak."

Bai Jin looked up helplessly, wondering which idiot was yelling above, and then spoke out loud, "Which junior brother seeks me?" His voice resounded clearly throughout Upper Pure Peak.

A white cloud swiftly moved across the sky and descended in front of Bai Jin, bearing a small Taoist disciple with a silver horn.

The silver-horned little Taoist looked Bai Jin up and down curiously and asked, "Are you Brother Bai Jin?"

Bai Jin nodded and smiled, saying, "I am. May I ask where you have come from, junior brother?"

The silver-horned little Taoist bowed respectfully and said, "Brother, I am Yin Jiao, a Taoist disciple from Taiching Palace, serving under the Taishang Saint. I am here by the elder’s order to invite you to listen to the lecture."

Bai Jin’s eyes widened, thinking to himself – Another lecture?! Master just finished a lecture that I haven’t digested, and now Second Master is following up with another. Moreover, now Eldest Uncle wants to give a lecture too? Did all of you plan this together or what?

Yin Jiao, confused, called out, "Brother~ Brother~"

Bai Jin snapped back to reality, quickly snatching a handful of Merit Money and slapping it into Yin Jiao’s hand, smilingly said, "Thank you for making the trip, junior brother. I have just crafted a small trinket; take it and have some fun."

Yin Jiao chuckled to himself, wondering if his senior brother really saw him as a naive little monster, thinking to win his favor with a crafted Magic Treasure. Didn’t he know that crafting was our elder’s forte?

Yin Jiao looked down nonchalantly, and the coins in his palm were shimmering with golden light, full of tempting allure. His eyes suddenly widened – Merit?!

Before being taken as a Daoist Disciple by the elder, he and his brother had been cultivating arduously, and Merit was an unattainable treasure for them. He instinctively clenched his fist, swallowed his saliva, and said, "Brother, this doesn’t seem right?"

Bai Jin chuckled, "There’s nothing wrong with it. Since you’re a Taoist Disciple under Senior Master, we’re family. It’s only right for a senior brother to present a welcoming gift."

Yin Jiao nodded repeatedly, agreeing with him, as the glow in his hand flashed and the Merit Money disappeared instantly. He extended his hand invitingly with a smile, "Brother, please step onto the cloud."

Bai Jin stepped forward onto the cloud and said with a smile, "Thank you, junior brother."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all~" Yin Jiao piloted the White Cloud carrying Bai Jin towards Taiching Peak.

Aboard the cloud, Bai Jin curiously asked, "Why has Eldest Uncle suddenly decided to give a lecture?"

Yin Jiao replied immediately, "Our elder has just taken two new Disciples, and this time the lecture is for them. He especially sent me to invite you."

Curiously asking, "Brother, are you very close with our elder?"

Bai Jin smiled and said, "Have you ever heard a phrase?"

"What phrase?"

"Red flowers with white lotus and clean lotus leaves; the Three Religions are originally one family."

Yin Jiao shook his head in confusion.

"No matter if it’s Human Sect, Chan Sect, or Jie Sect, they are all from the same lineage. Although their doctrines differ, they originate from the same source. In the end, all paths lead to the same destination.

That’s why, although there are distinctions between Human Sect, Chan Sect, and Jie Sect, we are in fact all one family. It’s not surprising that Senior Master would call for me, right?"

Yin Jiao rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Do you think I’m foolish, Senior Brother? If that were the case, Master should have invited all disciples of Jie Sect and Chan Sect!"

Inside Shangqing Palace, Tongtian gazed into the distance, noticing that troublemaker Bai Jin has gone to attend another preaching. Should I find a Daoist Disciple for myself as well? Perhaps I should enlighten one right here in the palace? His gaze lingered within the palace halls.

Moments later, a cloud descended onto Taiching Peak, and Bai Jin, accompanied by Yin Jiao, entered the Taiching Palace.

Seated in the place of honor within the Tao Palace was the amiable Supreme Heavenly Venerate.

Below sat two figures, one in the front and the other behind, both on mats. The front one was a middle-aged man, and the one behind was a youth, both from the Human Clan.

Bai Jin knelt on the mat beside the middle-aged man and paid respects: "Disciple Bai Jin greets Master, wishing the Saint Dao everlasting prosperity."

Taishang said with a chuckling voice, "This is Bai Jin of the Jie Sect Outer Disciples, whose rank is equivalent to a Direct Disciple and who is also your Senior Brother. Aren’t you going to salute?"

The middle-aged man next to Bai Jin quickly got up and excitedly bowed, "Greetings, Holy Envoy Senior Brother!"

The young man behind also hurriedly stood up and bowed excitedly, "Greetings, Holy Envoy Senior Brother!"

Bai Jin stood up and returned the salute, smiling, "Just call me Senior Brother, there’s no need for any ’Holy Envoy’ titles. How should I address both of you, Junior Brothers?"

The middle-aged man quickly said, "Master gave me the Taoist name Xuandu!"

The young man also quickly said, "Master gave me the Taoist name Zhenwu."

In the future, these two would be known throughout the Primordial World: Great Master Xuandu and Emperor Zhenwu.

Taishang said with a smile, "Now that you’ve exchanged greetings, sit down and listen to the Tao!"

"Yes!" Bai Jin, Xuandu, and Zhenwu responded together and sat cross-legged on the mats.

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The named is the mother of all things. Therefore, always desireless, you see the mystery; ever desiring, you see the manifestations. These two are the same—but diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same, they are called mysteries, Mystery upon mystery—the gateway of the manifold secrets..." The mysterious sound of the grand Tao echoed throughout the Tao Palace.

Bai Jin, Xuandu, and Zhenwu all fell into a state of Enlightenment.

...

Two days later, a dark light streaked across the sky and with a loud boom landed atop a peak of the Kunlun Mountain Range—a Golden-haired Zombie, whose gloomy gaze surveyed the surroundings and murmured to itself, "The gathering of Xuanyin and evil spirits—perfect for my Taoist practice ground."

Stretching out a hand, four pitch-black Array Flags appeared in his palm. Holding the Array Flags, the figure transformed into a wisp of black mist and plunged underground, heading toward the belly of the mountain to set up the Mountain Gate Formation.

Not long after, an auspicious cloud arrived from the sky, hovering over the mountain peak with a delicate man standing atop—it was none other than Ci Hang Daoist.

Ci Hang looked down at the mountain peak exuding a cold, yin atmosphere and calculated the trends of the mountain range; his eyes lit up in joy as he muttered to himself, "This is a gathering place of yin energy, perfectly fitting my yin vein constitution. It can serve as my practice ground." With that, he flew downward.

The moment Ci Hang landed on the mountain peak, suddenly, a surge of black qi burst out from within the mountain, transforming into a Golden-haired Zombie. The two stared at each other for a moment, both taken aback. Why was there already someone here?