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

Time seems to have been frozen in the eternal, sacred atmosphere of the Kunlun Mountains, where the years have passed without end.

Within the three Dao Palaces, the sacred power that had been brewing for countless years had reached a critical point, like a volcano about to erupt, yet it was blocked by an invisible and resilient membrane.

On the cloud bed, Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian, the three Daoist masters, slowly opened their eyes.

Their auras were even more profound and vast than before their seclusion, as if they had touched the core of the primordial Heavenly Dao, and every move they made carried the majesty of invoking the laws of heaven and earth.

However, deep within those deep eyes lay an indescribable confusion and... a barely perceptible anxiety.

"With the three corpses completely severed and the purple qi perfectly integrated, the principle that the primordial spirit resides in the void of the Heavenly Dao is now clear. However... there is still a layer between them and the attainment of the Primordial Dao."

Lao Tzu's indifferent voice echoed in the empty Taiqing Palace, carrying a hint of helplessness at having seen through the secrets of heaven yet being powerless to break through them.

Three flowers floated above his head, and his three incarnations appeared and disappeared, yet they could never completely merge into one, as if there was some kind of fundamental repulsion between the three.

In the Jade Purity Palace, a trace of solemnity also flashed across the majestic face of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable: "I govern order and establish principles and norms, but I find it difficult to determine the order of the three corpses within myself. Good, evil, and self are like the three realms of heaven, earth, and man, each with its own place and its own reason. Forcibly merging them will only cause them to lose their true nature and go against my way."

The phantom of the Pangu Banner fluttered behind him, but it could not sever the invisible barrier.

Inside the Shangqing Palace, the Tongtian Sect Leader's sword aura remained concealed, his brows furrowed with even greater sharpness, yet also carrying a hint of resentment: "Hmph! Destroying all laws, seizing a single thread, yet unable to sever the final cage on the path to sainthood! The three corpses stand apart, each with its own nature; forcibly merging them is like forging ten thousand swords into one furnace—losing their edge, what kind of sword is that?"

The Qingping Sword hummed softly on his lap, as if responding to its master's confusion.

The Three Pure Ones have all stood before the threshold of the Holy Realm. They have deeply comprehended the mysteries of the Primordial Purple Qi and have also mastered the method of entrusting their primordial spirits to the void of the Heavenly Dao.

However, that final step—completely merging the severed good, evil, and self into one, perfectly combining it with the primordial spirit entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, and thus truly achieving the sage's Dao fruit of primordial chaos—stood before them like an insurmountable chasm.

They could clearly "see" the radiance of the sacred realm, and even "touch" the door, but no matter what they did, they could not push it open.

This feeling is even more agonizing than when you are ignorant and clueless.

Just as the Three Pure Ones were immersed in this final bottleneck before becoming saints, and their minds were slightly turbulent, the gates of the Azure Jade Palace opened silently.

Qinglian appeared outside the Sanqing Palace and respectfully bowed: "Disciple Qinglian requests an audience with the three masters."

Sensing that her three masters had finished their deep seclusion, Qinglian couldn't wait to come over.

His purpose in coming here was precisely for the Treasure Sharing Cliff Stone Seal that had left him helpless.

"Come in," Lao Tzu's voice came, carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness.

As Qinglian entered the main hall, she keenly sensed the oppressive atmosphere within and the lingering confusion in the eyes of her three masters.

He understood perfectly, but said little. Instead, he respectfully recounted in detail his various attempts and confusions regarding the stone seal at Fenbao Cliff:

"...The treasure-sharing cliff that I obtained outside Zixiao Palace is made of chaotic stubborn stone, which is incomparably hard. It also retains the aura of the Dao Ancestor and the traces of the myriad treasures of the primordial world."

The disciple attempted to communicate with his primordial spirit, but it was like entering a chaotic quagmire, making it difficult to find the core.

It was refined with magical power, but the stone sank into the sea;

Even if one draws upon the true fire of Samadhi to smelt it, one can only bring it to a slight temperature, unable to shake it in the slightest.

This object is profound and cannot be obtained by brute force. I, your disciple, am dull-witted and have pondered deeply but have been unable to find a way to deal with it. Therefore, I have come to ask my esteemed teacher, how should this object be disposed of in order to make the most of it?

As Qinglian spoke, she flipped her hand and took out the grayish-white, palm-sized stone seal that resembled a cliff, holding it in her palm.

As soon as the stone seal appeared, a heavy, ancient aura, as if it had carried countless years and treasures, spread out, and the complex and powerful traces of Daoist charm on it were faintly visible.

The Three Pure Ones' gazes were instantly drawn to this peculiar stone seal. Although they were stuck in a bottleneck, their knowledge and wisdom as top beings in the primordial world remained intact.

Lao Tzu's gaze was profound. His divine sense swept over the stone seal, sensing the stubborn nature of the chaotic stone and the interweaving of countless complex Daoist rhythms. He frowned slightly: "Chaotic stone... Dao Ancestor's aura... Myriad treasures Dao traces... This thing is indeed extraordinary."

However, its origin is chaotic and disordered, and its Dao traces are mixed and impure. If it is forcibly refined into an offensive treasure... He shook his head.

"Aside from using force to suppress others and striking opponents with its weight and hardness, it is difficult to exert any other wonderful uses, and it is difficult to truly control its chaotic origin, and one may even suffer from it instead."

The phantom of the Tai Chi diagram rotated slightly behind him, seemingly deducing the possibility of refining it into an offensive magic weapon, but ultimately returned to calm, clearly not optimistic.

The majestic voice of the Primordial Celestial Venerable resounded, carrying a scrutinizing tone: "If forged into a defensive weapon, its foundation of primordial chaos stone, supplemented by the laws of the Great Dao, might create a top-tier defensive spiritual treasure. However…"

His gaze swept over the auspicious clouds and light of the heavens that were faintly visible above Qinglian's head. "Qinglian already has the auspicious clouds of the heavens protecting her, which is an innate treasure with unparalleled defense. In addition, there is the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda (also known as the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Pagoda) bestowed by my brother, which is the first treasure of acquired merit, and it is invincible when placed above her head. These two treasures complement each other, and their defense has reached the pinnacle."

"To expend even more effort to refine a defensive magic weapon from this chaotic and mixed material, which may not even surpass the previous two, would be a waste of time and effort, and not worth the cost." The illusory image of the Pangu Banner swayed gently, clearly rejecting the defensive approach as well.

The Tongtian Sect Leader kept his eyes fixed on the spiritual treasure Dao traces on the stone seal, which shimmered like stars but were chaotic and disordered.

His gaze was sharp as a sword, as if he wanted to peel away and analyze each and every trace of Dao. Gradually, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and an unusual light burst forth in his eyes—a spark of unconventional, boundless inspiration!

"Haha! Eldest brother, second brother! Your thoughts are all limited!"

The Tongtian Sect Leader suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, breaking the silence in the hall. "Why must it be refined into a mere offensive or defensive magic weapon? Its true value lies not in its chaotic, unyielding stone body, but in the myriad treasures of the Dao it carries!"

He pointed at the stone seal with his finger, his tone filled with excitement: "Look! These marks are the imprints of laws left by countless innate spiritual treasures and acquired supreme treasures collected by the Dao Ancestor and borne by the Treasure Distribution Cliff! They are proof of their existence, the 'memory' of their power! Although they are mixed, chaotic, and unsystematic, they are the most authentic microcosm of the 'Treasure Path' of the Primordial World!"

Laozi and Yuanshi were taken aback at first, but then their eyes lit up as if they had grasped the key to Tongtian's words.

The Tongtian Sect Leader became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes flashing with the wisdom of "seizing a single thread": "Why don't we do the opposite? Instead of trying to erase these traces of the Dao, let's take them as the core!"

Using this chaotic, unyielding rock as a foundation, and employing supreme methods, I will sort out, guide, and even… simulate these complex Dao traces of myriad treasures! I will refine them into a myriad-transformation spiritual treasure capable of changing at will!