Primordial Era: With unparalleled comprehension, I am the Ancestor of Stars.

Chapter 55 Nine Grades of Flowers, the Foundation for Proving the Dao

However, compared to Xihe, Changxi's will was not as firm, and her cultivation was also weaker. Although their cultivation levels were almost the same when they transformed, after the sermon, Changxi was a whole small realm behind Xihe. She was only at the late stage of the Great Luo Realm.

So naturally, it fell to the back.

After all, this is Mount Buzhou, where one is constantly under pressure. If one's cultivation level and willpower are insufficient, it will certainly be difficult to move forward.

Even Xihe couldn't do anything about this.

Even if she wanted to help, she was powerless to do so.

And if she insists on doing so, the final result will be that she herself will not be able to enter the Tai Xuan Palace!

Knowing this, Changxi, no matter how upset she was, did not want to be a burden to her sister, but silently climbed up alone.

Even if you can't get into the mountain gate, it's still good to go up as far as possible and see more stone tablets.

That was a rare and fortunate opportunity!

Under these circumstances, time quietly slipped away.

One thousand years, two thousand years, three thousand years...

It wasn't until nearly ten thousand years later that Yabuwa finally managed to touch the last stone tablet.

The moment she comprehended the stone tablet, she felt as if her primordial spirit, physical body, and vital energy had been elevated.

More importantly, she also gleaned a cultivation method from the stone tablet.

Unlike the quasi-saintly method of dismembering corpses!

But what shocked her even more was the transformation in her spirit and energy!

"Rebuild the foundation of your Dao, and let the nine grades of flowers bloom!"

"What kind of supernatural power or skill is needed to accomplish such a thing?"

"Nine is the ultimate number, signifying perfection in the primordial world. In other words... after ten thousand years of climbing, I have laid the foundation for attaining enlightenment?"

At this moment, Xihe was utterly shocked.

She originally thought that climbing the stone steps and gaining insights from the stone tablets along the way would be a great opportunity, and if she could become Taihao's disciple, that would be an even greater opportunity.

Unexpectedly, there was still good fortune waiting for her!

This gave her an extra grade of her original eighth-grade essence, energy, and spirit! This laid the foundation for her path to enlightenment!

This means that from now on, she has the potential to break through to the Hunyuan realm! It took Xihe a while to recover from the shock of the Three Flowers breakthrough, and only then did she have time to comprehend the Quasi-Saint Dharma she had just obtained.

Before she had even fully grasped the meaning, but had only just sensed it, Xihe was greatly shaken.

"This is not only the method for achieving quasi-sainthood, but also the method for attaining enlightenment!"

"Have I been accepted as a disciple by Senior Taihao?"

Xihe was overwhelmed with emotion, and her beautiful face flushed slightly with excitement.

"Just as I suspected, these 120,000-plus stone steps are indeed the entrance test!"

"So, I've mastered it?"

Just as she was thinking this, an extremely profound Daoist voice rang out from the Tai Xuan Palace.

"Foolish child, you haven't even stepped into the Tai Xuan Palace, let alone learned the Freedom Method. How can you say you've entered the gate?"

Upon hearing this voice, Xihe's delicate body trembled, and she quickly bowed, saying, "Disciple greets...Master!"

After she finished speaking, she looked back.

By this time, Changxi had been left far behind, and Xihe had no good way to deal with it. She could only silently pray for her younger sister.

Without further hesitation, she hurriedly stepped into the Tai Xuan Palace.

As soon as she entered, she felt the difference from Zixiao Palace.

Although Zixiao Palace is also a sacred place, it emphasizes the majesty of the Heavenly Dao, inspiring awe in people.

Tai Xuan Palace is different. Although it also has a sense of pressure, it is much smaller than that of Buzhou Mountain, which we have climbed all the way up. It is obvious that it has been deliberately weakened.

More importantly, the Tai Xuan Palace is filled with Taoist charm and spiritual energy so abundant it's almost tangible. It's as if you could find any place to sit cross-legged and gain a great sense of enlightenment.

This made Xihe sigh with emotion.

"Master truly lives up to his name; the wonder of his dojo surpasses even that of a sage!"

However, when Xihe followed the guidance of the qi and arrived at what appeared to be a preaching hall, it was not empty.

On the contrary, many monks were seated there.

Some of them are relatively familiar, such as Nuwa and Houtu.

There were also unfamiliar female cultivators who I had never seen before, but whose aura was extremely powerful and who were seated in the first position.

There are also other ancestral witches whom I only met once.

In addition, there was another cultivator who surprised Xihe greatly.

"Changxi?!" Xihe exclaimed in surprise, her voice filled with doubt.

"Sister!" Changxi also stood up with a happy expression.

"Changxi, you're not... I mean, you were clearly after me, how could you be ahead of me..."

Overwhelmed with surprise, Xihe became somewhat incoherent.

Fortunately, Changxi understood Yihe and knew that her sister did not mean to look down on her, so she explained.

"It was Sister Huo Ling'er who brought me up here, probably around nine thousand years ago? You have no idea how amazing Sister Huo Ling'er is! The stone steps are like nothing to her! She can even carry me along! By the way, Sister, is it difficult to climb up the stone steps to the end?"

Changxi blinked, completely unaware that there was anything wrong with her words.

Xihe took a deep breath and resisted the urge to scold Changxi, even though she was so worried.

As it turns out, she worried for over nine thousand years for nothing.

That's bad enough, but now I have to be provoked by Changxi.

But Changxi was completely oblivious, and even blinked and acted cute.

After calming down, Xihe quickly thanked Huo Ling'er. She didn't need to guess to know that Huo Ling'er must be the eldest disciple, otherwise her strength wouldn't be so unfathomable, and she wouldn't be in the top position.

Just then, an aura as vast as an abyss descended, accompanied by its infinitely majestic figure.

This figure was none other than Taihao!

Taihao glanced at Xihe, nodded in satisfaction, and then spoke.

"From this day forward, you will be my second disciple under the Taihao Sect!"

However, before Taihao could finish speaking and before Xihe could speak, Nuwa spoke first.

"Huh?"

At this moment, Nuwa's face was blank.

She sensed that something was wrong.

The second disciple?

"And what about me?"

Nuwa reacted instantly, with incredible speed.

According to Taihao, if Xihe was the second disciple, then wouldn't she be the third disciple?

How did a perfectly good senior sister become a junior sister?

And she's also the junior sister!

Nuwa was not convinced and wanted to fight back.

So she quickly expressed her doubts.

"Master, I'm not convinced! I joined the sect so early, why can't I be the senior sister?" Nuwa asked, puffing out her cheeks.

Even after so many years, Nuwa still hasn't grown up; she's still a little girl.

It seems like her personality might also be a bit...?

Taihao certainly couldn't say that this was why she was placed at the bottom, but instead gave her a serious reminder.

"Silly disciple, have you forgotten? You're still registered under your name!"

Registered?

Why does it sound like it was found?

Nuwa frowned, looking slightly annoyed.

However, Taihao's next words cheered her up again.

"You did very well on this trip to Zixiao Palace, and I am very pleased. Just tell me what reward you want, and I will do my best to fulfill it, as long as it's within my power!"

"Really!"

Nuwa's eyes lit up, her gloom vanished, and her joy was written all over her face.

If Taihao had told her that he could give her a priceless treasure, she would probably be grinning like an idiot by now.

Seeing this, Taihao felt even more certain that he had done the right thing.

Nuwa certainly cannot be the senior sister.

After all, compared to the dignified and composed Xihe, she was just a little girl!

Perhaps it's because they haven't experienced setbacks that they've retained a childlike heart?

In comparison, both Huo Ling'er and Xi He have experienced more.

Xihe goes without saying; since her transformation into human form, she has had few opportunities, and her talent is inferior to that of Nuwa and the other two. In Zixiao Palace, she is even more overshadowed by the exceptionally gifted beings like the Three Pure Ones, almost causing her to lose her Dao heart.

After all, others can easily sever their corpses, and even take another step on the path to quasi-sainthood.

But she didn't even reach the threshold of becoming a quasi-saint.

That is precisely why her will was so firm.

Although Huo Ling'er did not experience any major setbacks after transforming into human form, she spent every year in fear and anxiety before becoming Taihao's disciple.

Having instincts, one worries about them being erased; having consciousness, one worries about it being erased.

It's fair to say they couldn't have a moment's peace.

Nuwa was undoubtedly much better off. From the moment she gained consciousness until now, the only danger she had ever faced was almost being eaten by the little Taotie.

Apart from that, there were no other setbacks.

At the same time, it was precisely because Xiao Zantie left a very deep impression on her that she took on this form when she transformed.

"Does she perhaps think that the appearance of a little girl is a symbol of terror and intimidation?"

Taihao suddenly realized this, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Just then, Nuwa spoke with a hopeful expression.

"Master, I want a... supreme treasure, or if that's not possible... a few top-grade innate spiritual treasures would be fine too, I don't mind!"

Nuwa's embarrassed expression was completely inconsistent with what she said.

This made Taihao both angry and amused.

But there were some things that he had decided to give her anyway, so Taihao didn't keep her in suspense and directly took out a small cauldron with flowing laws.

"This is the Qiankun Cauldron, a supreme innate treasure! It shares similarities with the Mountain and River Map, but it cannot be said to form its own world; rather, it forms its own heaven and earth! It can contain all things and even reverse the acquired to become innate! Now I bestow it upon you; I hope you will use it wisely!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Nuwa eagerly took the Qiankun Cauldron, then shrunk it and held it in her shrunken arms, rubbing her cheek against it while grinning foolishly.

"Hehehe, I have a supreme innate treasure!"

Taihao shook his head helplessly and looked at Huo Ling'er.

"This is the Chaos Immortal Gourd, originally a fortuitous opportunity for you. It was formed by the fusion of seven mature gourds from a primordial gourd vine. It possesses the power to devour, melt, and decompose all things, making it a supreme innate treasure! Now, I will return it to you!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Compared to Nuwa, Huo Ling'er was undoubtedly much calmer.

However, there was also joy in her eyes, though it was unclear whether it was because she had obtained a supreme treasure or because the treasure had been personally crafted by Taihao.

Then, Taihao turned his gaze to Xihe.

But before he could speak, Xihe spoke first.

"Xihe has only been a disciple for a short time and dares not obtain spiritual treasures or even supreme treasures like her senior and junior sisters. As long as she can listen to the teachings and comprehend the Dao under her master's guidance, Xihe will be content!"

(End of this chapter)