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

As Qinglian first advanced to the Great Luo realm, her body was filled with Daoist energy, and the pure Qi of creation blended seamlessly with the abundant innate spiritual energy of Kunlun Mountain, stabilizing this hard-won realm.

Instead of rushing to achieve quick results, he respectfully took his leave from the Three Pure Ones and, not far from the Three Pure Ones' Taoist Palace, built a simple Taoist palace in a place where spiritual energy gathered, nestled against the mountain.

Unlike the various grand and imposing palaces of the Three Pure Ones, this palace is built on a foundation of mountain rocks and tiled with green jade. The interior is spacious, containing only a futon and a cloud bed, which evokes the spirit of the Supreme Being's inaction.

He sat cross-legged on the futon, his mind sinking into his dantian. The azure lotus seed that held his primordial spirit was now becoming increasingly full and round, its twenty-four innate divine runes flowing with profound Daoist charm, like a miniature cosmic embryo, continuously absorbing the pure primordial energy of Kunlun Mountain, consolidating his Great Luo Dao Fruit. Each circulation of his magical power was in harmony with the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, perfectly integrated and unhindered.

Just as Qinglian was concentrating on consolidating her cultivation, the Three Pure Ones gathered in Yuqing Palace.

"This child has a special background. Although he was transformed from a lotus seed, his origin is ultimately that of the Twenty-Fourth Grade Creation Green Lotus. His path of creation and vitality is vast and boundless, and his solid foundation is truly rare."

Yuanshi Tianzun sat upright on his cloud bed, his majestic voice echoing in the spacious hall, carrying a hint of barely perceptible approval.

Upon hearing this, the Tongtian Sect Leader raised his sword-like eyebrows and said loudly, "Indeed! Guided by my Daoist principle of 'seizing a glimmer of hope,' his breakthrough to the Great Luo realm was as natural as water flowing into a channel. His brilliance was fully revealed, and he was determined to advance. Such a temperament is suited to cultivate my Shangqing Sword Dao! With the sword as a guide, even the life force of creation can be transformed into a sharp edge that can destroy all laws!"

Lao Tzu's gaze was calm, like a still well, and he slowly spoke: "Although his mind and nature were stimulated by the Daoist essence of Shangqing and broke through to a higher realm, his original creative energy is balanced, peaceful, and ever-renewing, which is in harmony with the wonder of 'quietude and non-action, following the natural way.' Cultivating my Taiqing Dandao, using the body as a furnace and the spirit as fire, to refine the creation of heaven and earth and return to one's original nature, is the right path."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, its ability to sacrifice its physical form to survive in dire straits, and to gain a glimmer of hope by taking the form of a lotus seed, embodies the true meaning of non-action."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable nodded slightly and replied, "What you say makes sense, elder brother. However, this child has taken form before us, and the three treasures that his body has divided into are in perfect harmony with the Dao of the three of us. This is a preordained destiny. His magical power operates smoothly and his foundation is solid. Moreover, he has the faint sign of domination. Only by cultivating the Dao of Jade Purity, discerning the secrets of heaven, and establishing the order of the Dao lineage, can we live up to the grand vision of his original creation."

For a time, the three Dao Venerables each held their own opinion, believing that the Azure Lotus was the most suitable to inherit their Great Dao Dharma.

Inside the Jade Purity Palace, the Daoist aura of Taiqing's non-action, the majestic light of Jade Purity's order, and the sharp sword energy of Shangqing subtly intertwined and collided. Although they had not actually fought, the struggle of Daoist thoughts had already caused the space inside the palace to tremble slightly.

The Tongtian Sect Leader, being the most impatient, seeing that the argument was deadlocked, said directly, "In that case, why not let Qinglian choose for himself! Let's see which master he'd like to follow in his cultivation!"

Laozi shook his head slightly, his voice still calm: "That's not appropriate. He has just entered the Great Luo realm. Although his Dao heart is firm, his knowledge is still shallow. How can he discern which Great Dao is most suitable for him? Forcing him to do so may lead to bias and mislead his path."

Yuanshi Tianzun pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his two brothers, and slowly said, "This child's origin is special, his foundation lies between the three of us. Ordinary methods, no matter which one they emphasize, are like looking at the sky through a pipe for him, making it difficult to fully realize the origin of his creation, nor to bear the potential of his profound foundation."

Upon hearing this, both Laozi and Tongtian fell into deep thought.

Indeed, Qinglian's situation is far too special. He is not a purely innate deity, yet he possesses the origin of the Qinglian; he is the manifestation of a lotus seed, yet he also carries the imprint of the Qinglian's eternal struggle; his magical power combines the harmony of Taiqing, the vastness of Yuqing, and the agility of Shangqing. A single method seems truly insufficient to fully match him.

A glint of wisdom flashed in Lao Tzu's eyes, as if a scene of creation from chaos had passed through them. After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice like the imperial pronouncements of the Great Dao, calming the subtle ripples of the Daoist aura within the hall: "Since that's the case... why not combine the strengths of the three of us and create a method tailored specifically for him?"

"Tailor-made laws?" Yuanshi and Tongtian looked at Laozi at the same time.

"Excellent!" A glint flashed in the eyes of the Primordial Celestial Venerable. "Take its essence and integrate it! Our lineages all originate from the Father God. Although there are divisions, our fundamental source is the same. By combining the power of the three of us, we can deduce a method that is all-encompassing and directly points to the origin of the Great Dao. Perhaps this can solve this problem!"

The Tongtian Sect Leader was also invigorated, clapping his hands and exclaiming, "Excellent! This plan is brilliant! It takes the foundation of non-action, elucidates the order of heaven, and intercepts the sharp edge, fusing them all into one! I want to see what kind of earth-shattering technique my three brothers and I can create with our cultivation!"

The Three Pure Ones are of one mind; once the thought arises, there is no more hesitation.

A pure aura rises from Lao Tzu's head, manifesting the illusory image of the Tai Chi Yin-Yang fish, which slowly rotates, evolving the "stillness" and "momentum" of the birth and death of all things;

The Primordial Celestial Venerable was surrounded by a surge of Jade Pure Celestial Light, which transformed into countless profound runes, arranging and combining to construct the "order" of the universe and the fundamental principles of the Great Dao.

The Tongtian Sect Leader pointed his fingers like a sword. Although the Qingping Sword was not drawn, thousands of invisible sword energies crisscrossed the void, demonstrating the "movement" and "change" of breaking through chaos, seizing life, and evolving infinite possibilities.

In an instant, the Taoist aura surged within Yuqing Palace, creating a magnificent and ever-changing scene.

Three supreme Dao thoughts, though of the same origin but different in nature, collided, merged, and evolved in the void, like three surging and roaring chaotic rivers.

Lao Tzu used the Taiqing Daoist philosophy as a foundation to harmonize Yin and Yang and to organize the meridians;

Yuanshi established a framework and set forth laws based on the Yuqing Dao principles.

The Supreme Purity Sword Intent infuses it with change and sharpness, giving it the opportunity to transcend.

Countless mysterious runes, Dao patterns, and sword marks appeared and disappeared in the void, each appearance and disappearance representing the annihilation and rebirth of a possibility.

This deduction process, though seemingly silent, is actually extremely dangerous.

If the Three Pure Ones were not of the same origin, with shared intentions and profound cultivation, a slight misstep could lead to conflicting Daoist thoughts and backlash against oneself. Time loses its meaning in the flow of Daoist energy; no one knows how much time has passed—perhaps a thousand years, perhaps just a moment.

Finally, the surging torrent of Daoist energy gradually subsided, and countless runes, Daoist patterns, and sword marks eventually converged and condensed, transforming into a mysterious and unfathomable phantom scripture that floated in the center of the Three Pure Ones.

The scriptures are simple and unadorned, yet they seem to contain the power to create the world, sometimes flowing like a clear spring, serene and far-reaching (Taiqing).

Sometimes it is like the operation of the heavenly rules, majestic and dignified (Yuqing);

At times, it is like a sudden clap of thunder, unstoppable (Shangqing).

The three distinct Daoist styles achieve a wonderful balance and unity in the scriptures, forming a seamless whole.

Lao Tzu looked at the scripture, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "This method takes the meaning of the Father God's 'Nine Revolutions' and integrates the wonders of our 'Mysterious Origin,' so it shall be named—'Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Technique'."

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded: "Nine is the ultimate number, and Xuan Yuan is the foundation of the Dao. This achievement has lofty aspirations and profound foundations. It should be able to help him deeply explore the potential of the origin of creation and reach the pinnacle of the Great Luo."

The Tongtian Sect Leader stroked the Qingping Sword at his waist and laughed, "Haha, this technique has the foundation of non-action, the framework of order, and the sharp edge of heaven-slaying; it is truly tailor-made for him! However..." He changed the subject, a hint of regret in his voice, "With our current level, this technique can only be perfected up to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. As for the Quasi-Saint path, we still need to listen to the Dao Ancestor's profound teachings after the second lecture at Zixiao Palace before we can further refine it."

"Indeed." Lao Tzu nodded. "The path to the Great Luo has been paved for him. What lies ahead depends on his own destiny."