Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 318 Old man, you've got some skills!
Since Yu Ding awoke in the prehistoric world, he had met with most of the high-ranking members of the Chan Sect, but he had never had the chance to meet the nominal vice leader of the Chan Sect.

The reason he is called the nominal deputy leader of the Chan Sect is that although he has the title of deputy leader, all affairs of the Jade Void Palace are managed by the Antarctic Immortal.

Therefore, Daoist Ran Deng usually practiced at his Daoist temple, Yuanjue Cave on Lingjiu Mountain.

Strangely enough, upon seeing the Taoist riding the deer, the name 'Randeng Taoist' came to mind.

Burning the lamp... Yu Ding looked up at the two people on the cloud, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, as what he knew about this vice leader floated through his mind.

Yu Ding didn't actually know much about this vice leader, including his background, methods, and supernatural powers. All he knew was what this person had shown during the Investiture of the Gods.
This includes, but is not limited to, sacrificing people to break the Ten Deadly Formations, and joining forces with the enigmatic Lu Ya to kill Zhao Gongming, turning the Investiture of the Gods from a minor skirmish into a major conflict that led to a complete breakdown in relations between the three religions, ultimately forcing even the Sage Heavenly Venerable to intervene.

Later, he led four of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect to the West, becoming the master of Buddhism, which evolved from the Western Sect, and was known as the Ancient Buddha Dipankara. He took charge of Buddhism in the era before Shakyamuni Buddha appeared.

As for this division commander's abilities...

Yu Ding's exact status is currently unclear, but judging from his extremely high seniority—being of the same generation as his master—Yu Ding's cultivation level is estimated to be at least at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Of course, Yu Ding classified the strength of these ancient predecessors as being at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Because Yu Ding always remembered his master's words: Even a pig, if it lived from the beginning of time until now, would have cultivated into a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Judging from his fighting history, Randeng has fought against Zhao Gongming, the Three Immortals of Sanxiao, and Kong Xuan, among other masters of the Chan Sect.
However, his performance was rather mediocre. Whether facing Zhao Gongming who possessed the Dinghai Pearl, the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation of the Three Immortals, or Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light, he was defeated in every one of them.

Although they were defeated, they were all basically unharmed, which shows that this person had a very strong sense of awareness in both fighting and retreating.

Of course, whether it's the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, the Yellow River Formation, or the Five-Colored Divine Light, these are all powerful weapons in the Investiture of the Gods, and are considered unsolvable methods if a sage doesn't use them.

The Twelve Golden Immortals were defeated by the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation. Therefore, the fact that the Taoist Ran Deng could retreat so easily is enough to show that he was extraordinary.

Now, before the Investiture of the Gods has even begun, we're already facing this one...

Yu Ding's heart sank. Although he had come up with this person a little early, he had been on guard against him for a long time, so he was not too flustered this time.

Even if we take a step back, he still has the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Qi and the Chaos Sword Qi; if we provoke him, he'll unleash them all at once...

Of course, with his master around, even if he were to cause a huge disaster, he would still say the same thing: "Don't panic." Although a disciple as obedient and well-behaved as him would never do such a thing.

In short, a teacher for a day is a father for life!

When faced with danger, his father was his greatest source of strength...

Jade Void Palace! The Rear Hall!

"I've got it! I've got it!"

In the center of the rear hall, a long banner floated up and down amidst chaotic energy, confidently declaring, "One plus one equals three when a man and a woman are together, because they'll have a child... Kid, right?"

"Uh……"

When Master Kongxu heard this answer, he was slightly surprised. There was no one else in the hall except him, so the person he was seeking confirmation from was naturally him.

After a moment of surprise, he looked up at the long banner in front of him and said with a bright smile, "Congratulations, senior...you got it right!"

To be honest, he was quite surprised when he first saw this treasure of the Chan Sect.

Firstly, they were shocked to see the legendary treasure, and secondly... the other party actually spoke?

Although this makes perfect sense—magical artifacts crafted by immortals can develop sentience, even spirits of treasures, let alone such innate treasures—he still felt…something was off.

It feels like the moment such a naturally gifted treasure opens its mouth, its prestige vanishes completely.

After spending time with it, he discovered that this thing could not only talk, but it was also a chatterbox, as if it had never seen a person in its past lives.

In particular, when the other party immediately remarked that Yuanshi's disciple was becoming increasingly humorless, he was truly stunned, almost making him think that someone had traveled into this treasure.

However, after his tests such as "seven monkeys riding on a tree and one monkey on the ground", "odd changes and even remains the same, the sign depends on the quadrant", and "one plus one equals three under what circumstances", he found that he was overthinking it.

This person's answers are completely unrelated to his own; he's just a chatterbox who's been 'suppressing' his words.

And this person's background and seniority are such that even his master has to address him as a fellow Daoist.

As for why the answer is irrelevant yet still says it's correct...

Come on, tell it you answered wrong, and I'll give you a sword strike if you want.
If you can survive, I'll be filled with emptiness and respect for you; you're a true man.

“Speaking of which, kid, I didn’t see you undergo the Golden Immortal Tribulation before you became a Golden Immortal. You shouldn’t be… a newly accepted disciple of Yuanshi, right?” Pangu Banner said.

Compared to a clone, an incarnation has a closer relationship with the original.

The relationship between the two is like breaking off a branch from a tree, planting it in the soil, and it grows into another tree... only much closer.

"Senior, there are some things..."

Kongxu didn't deny it, but smiled and said, "It'll lose its meaning if you say it out loud, don't you think?"

"Haha, that makes sense. I can't be bothered with it, but your questions are too simple. It's really boring."

Pangu Banner coughed dryly, then changed the subject, eager to try again: "Any more? Let's play a few more challenging ones to pass the time..."

Thinking for months is easy... Empty thought to himself, just as he was about to say something, his expression suddenly changed, and he stood up and said, "I'm sorry, senior, something has happened to me and I urgently need to see my master."

"What's the matter that's causing such panic?" Pangu Banner asked in surprise.

Kongxu said in a deep voice, "It's an extremely urgent matter, a matter of life and death!"

"Hey kid, you're... a bit of a spoilsport!"

Pangu Banner, who was in high spirits, suddenly became somewhat displeased. However, seeing that Kongxuzi was about to leave, he couldn't help but say, "What exactly is the matter? Tell me, and I'll see if I can help you resolve it. If it's a minor matter, there's no need to go to that guy Yuanshi..."

"Never mind, we can't kill Randeng right now..." Kongxu glanced at Pangu Banner, then turned around and said, "Never mind, although it's not a big deal, we must find our master. Please wait a moment, senior, I'll be right there. I'm sure I'll need your help in the future."

He and Pangu Banner are acquainted now, but they don't have a deep relationship. He would definitely refuse to let Pangu Banner kill Randeng.

"Boy, you look down on people... cough, you look down on me, don't you?"

Pangu Banner said in an unhappy tone, "Do you believe that even your master, that old fellow, has to ask me for favors!"

"I believe it, I believe it..."

Kongxu shouted without turning his head, and his figure disappeared into the main hall.

"Hey... a body sculpted from innate Jade Purity Qi? Do you think I'm blind?!"

Pangu Banner suddenly burst out laughing and whispered, "You're even copying your senior brother's tricks, but you've transformed yourself into your own closed-door disciple... Old man, you're quite the player!"

"Wait, incarnation..." Behind the main hall of Jade Void Palace.

Empty and with a strange expression, he stood before a doorway.

Many people don't actually know that this palace has a back door, and he didn't know that before either.

But after going to the back hall, when he was about to head to the central Jade Void Palace, he saw this back door.

Kongxu hesitated for a moment before tentatively saying, "Disciple Kongxu requests an audience with Master!"

Soon, the back door opened, and Kongxu was overjoyed, quickly arriving before Yuanshi in the chaotic energy at the center of the main hall.

"Master!" Kongxu called out cautiously.

"Do you know you were wrong?"

Yuan Shi opened his mouth, his deep eyes falling upon Yuan Shi.

Kongxu hurriedly knelt down and said, "Master, this disciple knows his mistake..."

"Why are you hindering your senior brother from accepting disciples?" Yuanshi asked.

Kongxu coughed lightly and said weakly, "This disciple is your last disciple, Kongxu!"

"Hmm?" Yuanshi looked up. So this is going on again and again?
Kongxu immediately straightened up and said, "Master, please allow me to report that Brother Yuding is Li Jing's master and Jinzha's grandmaster."

If Senior Brother takes that child as his disciple, what will he call him then? Won't Brother Yu Ding be on par with Master...? Where will that leave Master then?
Wouldn't that completely mess up the generational hierarchy? And to put it another way, Master, we can't just... treat everyone as their own, can we?

After speaking, Kongxu looked at Yuanshi Tianzun with a sincere expression.

Yuan Shi laughed in exasperation: "So you're actually thinking of your teacher after all?"

Kongxu said solemnly, "This disciple is thinking of all of us. After all, everyone being well is truly good."

"Alright, let's not talk about that for now. What about how you schemed against your senior brother step by step to injure him with the help of a Celestial Immortal?" Yuan Shi glanced at him and said.

Kongxu quickly said, "Master, Brother Yuding's intentions are truly commendable, so that Brother Manjushri will not dare to underestimate his enemies in the future. After all, the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods is coming..."

"Nonsense! Wasn't this something you planned all along?" Yuanshi stared at the void.

Empty-faced and aggrieved, he said, "This disciple is innocent!"

Yuanshi gave a light hum, raised his hand and pointed, and fragments of time flew around, replaying the scene of the two's great battle.

“Look, the Dragon-Hiding Stake is useless. I used the Space-Time Divine Talisman to close the distance between you. The movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation. After the battle started, Manjushri didn’t even have a chance to fight back. You still say you didn’t have a plan in mind all along?” Yuanshi snorted.

Kongxu said with a mournful face, "Master, I am Kongxu, not Brother Yuding. He did all the work. If you have any questions, please ask him."

"Hmph!" Yuanshi glanced at him and snorted softly.

Putting aside the fact that the two are fellow disciples, Yu Ding's performance in this battle, where he defeated the stronger opponent with the weaker one, was quite brilliant.

If one didn't rely too much on divine talismans, these words could even be taught to one's disciples.

After a long while, outside the back gate of Jade Void Palace, Kongxu sighed helplessly.

He now has every reason to suspect that Yu Ding created him just to take the blame and be scolded for him...

……

On the auspicious cloud, Samantabhadra glanced at Dipankara on the deer. After Dipankara nodded slightly, Samantabhadra stepped forward and asked from his high position on the cloud, "Are you the Great Void Immortal?"

As he spoke, he also released his divine sense to perceive the true nature of the jade cauldron below. Naturally, he would not take this person, who could even defeat his senior brother, lightly.

Despite having learned a great deal about the methods and strength of the Taixu Zhenren below from his senior brother Manjushri.

On the way to Yuxu Palace, he also analyzed the battle based on the senior brother's account and felt that the senior brother's defeat was mainly due to two reasons.

Firstly, needless to say, it's because the other party knows them well; they even had precautions against treasures like the Dragon-Hiding Stake.

The second reason is that he was too careless. But who would have thought that a celestial being would take the path of physical immortality? Taking the path of physical immortality is one thing, but he also has divine talismans for time and space. With divine talismans, he even dragged his senior brother along to undergo the Golden Immortal Tribulation...

Hearing this series of words sent chills down his spine, and he secretly gasped for breath.

While he was greatly surprised, he was also somewhat relieved that his disciple had not yet been born; otherwise, he would have been the one to experience this whole thing if he had come to take on a disciple.

After listening to his senior's account, to be honest, he wasn't confident that he could do better or more calmly than his senior.

This is why he invited Daoist Ran Deng to take charge, because although the other party has lost the Golden Immortal Tribulation technique, he has now become a Golden Immortal.

Even for powerful beings like them who have cultivated from innate beings, a mere Golden Immortal who has achieved sainthood through physical cultivation is someone they would not easily want to face.

"I am but a humble Taoist priest. I am honored to have a friend come from afar. Though he is far away, I will surely welcome him... Alas, I have failed to greet you properly."

Yu Ding cupped his hands in a slight gesture, feigning ignorance as he asked, "May I ask how you two are addressed, and what brings you here?"

"I am the Venerable Puxian of Jiugong Mountain, and this is the Deputy Headmaster of my Jade Void Palace, Randeng."

After introducing himself, Master Puxian said, "You are the one who obstructed my senior brother from accepting a disciple and injured him?"

"Well, it's true that I had a minor disagreement with Fellow Daoist Manjushri regarding the matter of accepting disciples, and we also exchanged a few words."

Yu Ding looked surprised and then changed the subject, saying, "But Fellow Daoist Manjushri was perfectly fine when he left. How come he was injured? Was he seriously injured?"
Our sparring was indeed quite intense; I was even beaten to the point of vomiting blood. But Fellow Daoist Manjushri was perfectly fine at the time. Besides, how could my meager cultivation possibly be a match for him?

Upon hearing this, Master Puxian flew into a rage and said, "You're spouting... utter nonsense! It's clear you intentionally tried to hurt someone."

He immediately pointed out that the other party had injured Manjushri, thus defining the nature of the matter.

Once the other party admits it, then their demands for justice will be perfectly justified and legitimate.

But who would have thought that the other party could easily dismiss the dispute as a minor skirmish with just a few words, while casually describing this serious assault as a friendly sparring match, leaving both sides injured...

"Hey, Brother Puxian, you can't say things like that. We were just having a normal sparring match between Qi cultivators. I'm very sorry that Fellow Daoist Manjushri was injured, but how can you prove that I was the one who injured him?"

Yu Ding looked wronged and said, "To put it another way, who saw this? And even if someone saw Brother Manjushri fight with me, who can prove that I was the one who injured him? Couldn't it be that Brother Manjushri encountered some other powerful enemy after leaving me and was injured by him?"

You've all seen that I only recently broke through to the Golden Immortal realm, while Fellow Daoist Manjushri is a powerful figure who is a true disciple of a sage? Really? Really?

"You've gone too far! How could you so shamelessly slander a weak and helpless celestial being and severely injure a true disciple of a saint?"

P.S.: Thank you everyone for the monthly votes, it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but I wrote until 4 a.m. the day before yesterday and couldn't fall asleep again. I was completely exhausted the next day. Sorry, sorry. I promise I will never stay up late again! If I do, well, just pretend you didn't see the last sentence!
(End of this chapter)