Primordial Era: From the Creation Lotus to the First Disciple of the Three Pure Ones

Qinglian, accompanied by the Six-Eared Macaque, traveled across the primordial land for hundreds of years.

The master and disciple trekked through mountains and rivers, traversed wild jungles, and crossed rushing rivers. They also encountered some unruly and ferocious beasts and demons that tried to block their way, but Qinglian easily dealt with them all.

Along the way, Qinglian not only continued to comprehend the ways of heaven and earth and verify the mysteries of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique, but also devoted most of her energy to teaching Liu Er.

Liu Er lived up to his extraordinary talent as one of the four mischievous monkeys and his extreme desire for a "way out".

He mastered the basic body-refining fist techniques and footwork skills taught by Qinglian, and his moves already showed some of the ferocity of the Wu Clan's combat techniques and the agility of Qinglian's own fighting style.

His physical body was considered top-tier even among Golden Immortals, with his blood and qi surging like a rushing river and his bones and muscles as strong as if they were forged from refined iron.

More importantly, under Qinglian's strict orders and his own painful lessons, he completely restrained his innate supernatural ability "Six Ears to See the Dark," no longer attempting to eavesdrop on the secrets of heaven and earth, but only using it to assist in environmental perception during battle. His temperament has also been tempered to become much calmer and more resilient.

Seeing Liu Er's rapid progress and the increasingly bright and hopeful light in his eyes, Qinglian felt very gratified.

He knew full well that combat skills alone would not be enough to survive the great calamities to come. It was time to return to Kunlun and seek the Dharma for his ill-fated disciple!

On this day, two streaks of light pierced the sky and landed outside the vast and boundless innate restrictions of the majestic Kunlun Mountains. They were Qinglian and Liuer.

Kunlun Mountain stands eternally, with three Taoist palaces suspended atop the sea of ​​clouds, exhaling boundless pure spiritual energy, permeated with Taoist charm, sacred and solemn.

The overwhelming pressure and pure Daoist charm emanating from the primordial spirit of Pangu made Liu Er, who was visiting this place for the first time, freeze, and his golden fur stood on end!

He was not intimidated by the imposing manner, but rather by the deepest fear and inferiority complex within his heart!

"Kunlun...the Sanqing Daoist Temple...the Daoist Ancestor..."

Liu Er's face turned pale instantly, and his body trembled slightly involuntarily.

Countless past experiences of being rejected by the mountain gate, reprimanded by powerful figures, and humiliated by Daoist disciples churned in his mind like nightmares.

The Taoist patriarch's saying, "The Dharma shall not be transmitted to six ears," was like a shackle of the heavens, tightly binding his fate.

He was afraid, afraid that this last place of hope, the birthplace of his master, would also shut him out because of the Dao Ancestor's golden words, or even... take his anger out on his master!

Qinglian keenly sensed Liu Er's unusual behavior and understood what was going on.

He stopped, but did not immediately activate the restriction. Instead, he turned around and looked at Liu Er's terrified eyes with a gentle yet firm gaze.

"Six Ears," Qinglian's voice was calm, yet carried a comforting power, "There's no need to be nervous, much less afraid."

He pointed to the majestic and sacred Kunlun Mountains, his tone carrying an undeniable pride: "This place is the authentic lineage of my master's sect, the direct descendant of the primordial spirit of Father Pangu! My master, the Three Pure Ones, are three parts of Father Pangu's primordial spirit, inheriting the legacy of creation and bearing the responsibility of teaching and guiding the primordial world! They respect the Dao Ancestor's grace in transmitting the Dao, this is proper etiquette. However…"

Qinglian abruptly changed the subject, her gaze sharp as lightning, revealing an arrogance stemming from her very roots: "My master, the Three Pure Ones, is a true descendant of Pangu! He possesses his own pride and responsibility! How could he disregard his true nature out of fear of the Dao Ancestor's prestige? The Dao Ancestor's words have their profound meaning, but they are not shackles of the Heavenly Dao! My master's actions are in accordance with Heaven and the people, and also seize a glimmer of hope! Since you are sincerely devoted to the Dao, have a resolute character, and have committed no great evil, there is a reason why I brought you back. Raise your head!"

Qinglian's words, like a resounding bell, shattered the fear in Liu Er's heart!

Especially the phrases "the true lineage of Pangu," "possessing inherent pride," and "seizing a glimmer of hope" rekindled a burning flame in Liu Er's gloomy heart!

Yes, Master's sect was formed from the primordial spirit of the Great God Pangu! They... might really be different!

"Yes, Master!" Liu Er took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the trembling in his heart. His eyes became firm again, and he straightened his back. Although he was still nervous, it was out of reverence for the sacred land, not out of despairing fear.

Qinglian nodded in satisfaction, made a hand seal, and activated the energy belonging to the Kunlun lineage within her body.

The innate restrictions that shrouded Kunlun silently parted, creating a portal. Qinglian, accompanied by Liu Er, stepped inside.

The purest innate spiritual energy rushed towards me, cleansing my soul.

Liu Er felt completely relaxed, as if every pore of his body was cheering.

He looked at the legendary Taoist temple with curiosity and awe. Every blade of grass and every tree contained the essence of Taoism, and the mountains, rocks and flowing water seemed to be expounding the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

Qinglian did not take Liu Er directly to the Sanqing Dao Palace, but led him to the vicinity of her simple Qingyu Dao Palace.

"This is my place of practice. You should stay here and find a suitable place to build a simple cave dwelling as your residence. Wait patiently until my master returns, and I will personally introduce you to the true methods of the Great Dao," Qinglian instructed.

"Yes, Master!" Liu Er felt reassured and immediately took action.

Although he lacked the immense magical power to split mountains and shatter rocks, his Golden Immortal cultivation and robust physique allowed him to quickly carve out a clean and tidy stone chamber—though not luxurious—on a mountainside rich in spiritual energy next to the Azure Lotus Palace. This was his first true "home" in the primordial world!

For countless years, the master and disciple remained in seclusion in the Kunlun Mountains, waiting.

Qinglian consolidated her mid-stage Great Luo cultivation and comprehended the deeper mysteries of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique.

Liu Er, however, was single-minded, diligently practicing the combat techniques taught by Qing Lian every day, honing his physical body, while greedily absorbing the pure spiritual energy of Kunlun Mountain, silently strengthening his foundation.

I don't know how many years have passed.

On this day, the sea of ​​clouds atop Kunlun Mountain suddenly surged violently! Three vast and boundless beams of pure light, exuding immense power, descended from the sky and instantly entered the three Dao Palaces of Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing! The spiritual energy throughout the entire Kunlun Mountain range rejoiced, the Daoist aura permeated the air, and celestial flowers appeared and disappeared!

The Three Pure Ones, the Daoist Venerables, have returned from their journey through the primordial world!

Qinglian sensed something and suddenly opened her eyes, a glint of light flashing in them: "Six Ears! Quickly follow me to welcome the Ancestral Master's arrival!"

"Yes!" Liu Er's heart tightened, and he quickly stopped his cultivation. He followed closely behind Qing Lian, transforming into two streams of light, and flew straight to the huge square in front of Yuqing Palace, where he stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.

A moment later, the heavy, ancient gates of Yuqing Palace opened silently. Three figures slowly stepped out.

Lao Tzu sits in the center, holding a whisk, his aura serene and non-active, profound as an abyss;

Yuanshi was on the left, his crown tassels adorned with pearls, his face majestic and imposing, his eyes piercing like lightning;

Tongtian sat on the right, with the Qingping Sword hanging at his waist, its sharpness concealed yet its aura compelling.

Three vast Daoist principles, distinct yet sharing the same origin, spread out, causing the heavens and earth to stand in solemn silence!

"Disciple Qinglian respectfully welcomes the return of the three masters (grandmasters)!" Qinglian and Liuer bowed simultaneously, their voices respectful.

The Three Pure Ones' gazes first fell on Qinglian. Seeing that his aura was smooth and unimpeded, his Daoist charm was restrained and profound, and his physical body was radiant with hidden light, their cultivation had clearly reached the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. A trace of barely perceptible admiration flashed in their eyes.

It seems that Qinglian's travels through the prehistoric world have yielded great rewards, and her foundation has become increasingly solid.

Immediately, the three gazes focused on the golden-haired monkey behind Qinglian, who was thin but stood upright, trying hard to control his nervousness.

The Six-Eared Macaque! Skilled at listening and discerning reason, one of the Four Mischievous Monkeys!

More importantly, he was the one whom Dao Ancestor Hongjun personally pointed out during the first lecture at Zixiao Palace that "the Dharma should not be passed on to six ears"!

The majestic gaze of the Primordial Celestial Venerable swept over Liu Er, as if he could see through all his past struggles and despair.

The Tongtian Sect Leader raised an eyebrow, observing with interest the strong muscles and suppressed flames in Liu Er's eyes.

Lao Tzu, however, remained calm and composed, like a still well.

"Qinglian," Yuanshi Tianzun spoke first, his voice like a celestial decree, scrutinizing, "Is this monkey the 'Six Ears'? What is your intention in bringing him back to Kunlun?" Although he had already guessed some of it, he still needed Qinglian to explain herself.

Qinglian stepped forward, her posture respectful yet without the slightest fear, and frankly recounted how she encountered Liu Er being bullied, how she felt pity for him because his plight was similar to her own struggles before she transformed, how she only taught him combat skills and body-refining methods for protection, and strictly forbade him from abusing his supernatural powers, as well as how Liu Er cultivated diligently and had a resilient mind.