The Primordial Era: Starting with Becoming a Disciple of the Queen Mother of the West

Chapter 135 Black Bear Little Demon

The clear sound of jade chimes echoed from the solitary peak of Qinghei Mountain.

Within half a day, the sound could be heard throughout a radius of 100,000 li.

The first to be alarmed were the rogue cultivators who eked out a living by clinging to the cliffs and deep valleys on the outskirts of Qinghei Mountain.

These people live hand to mouth, and for a low-grade spiritual herb, they often fight to the death.

The slightest misstep could result in either being devoured by a ferocious beast or dying at the hands of a calamity cultivator.

Upon hearing the Daoist voice from the mountains, everyone's hearts tightened at first, thinking that the powerful figure from Qinghei Mountain had become angry and was going to clear out the outer areas.

Upon closer listening, it was discovered that the master of the mountains had come out of seclusion to preach the Way, regardless of background or origin; anyone with a heart for the Way was welcome to come and listen.

As soon as the news spread, the surrounding mountains were in an uproar.

Not only did the local cultivators spread the word, but even people from more remote settlements set off overnight, fearing that they would miss the opportunity if they were a step too late.

It should be known that the primordial world is vast and boundless, and great beings reside high in the clouds. For a lowly cultivator to hear a single word of true teachings is truly as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Many people spend their entire lives groping in the dark, unable to even discern the path to spiritual practice.

Now that a great cultivator of the Xuanmen sect at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm is giving a sermon, it is truly like a blessing from heaven.

In an instant, streaks of light rose from outside Qinghei Mountain.

Some arrived shakily on broken magical artifacts, while others struggled to ride the clouds. Some demon cultivators with shallow cultivation simply revealed their true forms and ran wildly through the mountains and forests, afraid of missing this rare opportunity.

By midday, the white jade platform in front of Qinghei Mountain was already filled with cultivators who had come to listen to the teachings.

Looking around, there was a dense, dark mass of people, numbering at least tens of thousands. After the cultivators took their seats, everyone composed themselves and held their breath. The place was so quiet that even the rustling of their clothes could be heard, for fear of being impolite and disturbing the master of the mountain.

On this white jade platform, almost every kind of cultivator from the lower levels of the primordial world was gathered.

At the very front sat an old immortal with white hair. His vital energy was weak, clearly indicating that his lifespan was nearing its end, yet he had yet to cross the threshold of the Xuanxian realm.

At this moment, his eyes were closed, his hands were tightly gripping his knees, and his face showed a desperate look, clearly regarding this sermon as the last hope for his life.

Looking to the side, there was a little demon that had only recently taken human form.

The demon cultivator had beast ears on his head and his long tail was not yet fully retracted. His expression was one of bewilderment mixed with awe. He could only imitate others by sitting cross-legged and even his breathing was extremely soft.

There was also a female cultivator sitting alone on the edge, looking reserved, having come alone. She held a low-grade flying sword in her hand the entire time, her back...

His back was ramrod straight.

These people come from different backgrounds and have different origins, but they have all gathered here today and want the same thing.

Seeking a glimpse into the Dao.

When the appointed time arrived, the protective array of Qinghei Mountain rippled slightly.

The pure energy gathered in mid-air and instantly condensed into a white jade platform.

Xuan Yao, dressed in a dark-colored ice silk Taoist robe, slowly emerged from the void and sat down on it.

He did not deliberately display the power of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, nor did he bring forth any magnificent phenomena such as heavenly flowers falling and golden lotuses springing from the ground.

Only the faint flow of five-colored Dao light around his body, the Qi of the five elements of spleen earth, lung metal, kidney water, liver wood, and heart fire, transformed into a Taiyi Dao wheel behind his head, clear and harmonious, naturally possessing the peaceful atmosphere of the orthodox Xuanmen sect.

Xuan Yao lowered his eyes and looked at the cultivators below the stage with a calm expression. He simply flicked his whisk and began to speak.

The sound of the Dao emanated from the mouth, like a clear spring flowing into a valley, echoing in all directions.

What he was talking about was neither some profound formation nor a deadly sword technique.

For these low-level cultivators who haven't even reached the threshold of the Profound Immortal realm, if we were to immediately preach the profound and mysterious methods that lead directly to the Great Luo realm, it would be nothing more than castles in the air. Not only would they not understand it, but it would also easily disturb their minds and damage their foundations.

Therefore, what Xuan Yao is talking about today is the principle of using blessings and virtues to ward off evil.

Let's start with the most basic concepts of cause and effect, good and evil, and then talk about what it means to follow the will of Heaven and the times, and what it means to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune.

In the primordial wilderness, the evil energy is deep. In order to seize a chance, rogue cultivators are most likely to have a burning desire to kill. When they are burdened by karma, they often die inexplicably, and even their true spirits cannot find peace.

Xuan Yao then tried to explain the principles he had gradually come to understand during his years of hard work and struggle in the outer mountains of Xikunlun in a simple and detailed way.

They were taught how to protect their spirit when evil energy invaded their bodies.

Teach them how to leave themselves some room for maneuver in the midst of battle, so as not to put themselves in a desperate situation.

They were also taught how to mitigate calamities with virtuous thoughts, so that even if they could not avoid them, they could still have a better chance of survival.

This principle, though not particularly groundbreaking, is the most applicable.

The Daoist teachings, like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, fell slowly and steadily into everyone's ears and seeped into their hearts.

The cultivators below the stage gradually became engrossed in listening.

When the white-haired old immortal heard the crucial part, his whole body trembled slightly, and two lines of turbid tears rolled down his cheeks.

He had been trapped in hardship for many years and had resigned himself to a hopeless life. But today, after hearing these simple truths, the confusion in his heart eased a little, and he vaguely saw a glimmer of hope for the future.

Although the newly transformed demon could only half understand what was being said, it felt the restless demonic energy within its body gradually calming down with the sound of the Dao.

The previously chaotic and hazy consciousness has become much clearer than before.

The lone female cultivator had also unknowingly released her grip on the flying sword.

Her shoulders and back, which had been taut like a bowstring, gradually relaxed, and she sank into a rare tranquility.

Many cultivators spend their entire lives struggling and tumbling in the bottom of the primordial swamp, never truly coming into contact with the orthodox cultivation principles of the Xuanmen sect.

Hearing this teaching today is like rain after a long drought for them.

This sermon lasted for three days.

For three days, Baiyuping remained completely silent, with only the Xuan Yao Dao sound echoing endlessly in the valley.

As the mountain winds passed, the clouds gathered and dispersed, and day and night turned, yet not a single cultivator below the platform was willing to leave their seats.

On the evening of the third day, as the sun set, the evening glow spread across the mountain peaks, and Qingheishan was also bathed in a faint golden light.

Xuan Yao paused slightly, finished explaining the last point of the truth, then put away his whisk and dispersed the Dao wheel behind his head.

"This concludes today's sermon. Now go yourselves and reflect upon it carefully."

As soon as the words were spoken, the cultivators below the stage seemed to wake from a dream.

The next moment, tens of thousands of rogue cultivators prostrated themselves on the ground, respectfully bowing and paying their respects to the white jade platform, expressing their gratitude for the teachings.

No one dared to utter a single word, nor did anyone dare to shamelessly step forward to curry favor.

These people are used to struggling in the lower levels of society, so they naturally know best how to behave appropriately.

It is already a rare blessing that a great being is willing to open a platform to preach.

If one doesn't know when to advance or retreat, and harbors other thoughts, then one is not seeking an opportunity, but rather courting death.

So after everyone got up, they all lowered their heads and kept quiet, some in groups of three or five, others alone.

Before long, beams of light rose one after another, and the once packed Jade Plain was mostly empty. Half an hour later, as the sun completely set in the west and dusk gradually enveloped the mountains and forests, the open space in front of the mountain became deserted.

Xuan Yao sat upright on the Dao platform, about to get up and return to his cave, when his gaze swept casually across the room, but he suddenly stopped.

In the vast Baiyuping, there is actually one person who has not left.

The man huddled in a corner at the very edge, kneeling there all alone.

But it was a black bear spirit.

To be more precise, it was a black bear that had not long since taken human form.

This demon was extremely tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. When it knelt there, it looked like a section of black iron tower.

During those three days of sermons, he was actually quite confused and did not fully understand many of the great truths.

But he listened very attentively, memorizing every single word, afraid of missing even a single one.

At that moment, he knelt obediently on the jade brick.

A pair of small eyes were hidden beneath thick, dark eyebrows, and his expression was wooden, yet it revealed an indescribable stubbornness.

Xuan Yao stood on high ground, looking at the clumsy black bear, and a slight stirring occurred to him.

The Taiyi Golden Immortal's Daoist heart is perfectly harmonious, and worldly thoughts have long since subsided.

But the rough figure before him reminded him of himself many years ago.

At that time, he was just a newly awakened black tiger, struggling to survive in the outer mountains of Xikunlun, and almost became food for a great demon.

Later, when the Queen Mother of the West preached at Yaochi, she allowed the surrounding mythical birds and beasts to listen.

At that time, Xuan Yao also knelt at the foot of the white jade steps of Yaochi, listening intently to the sound of the Dao.

At that time, he was even more disheveled than the black bear in front of him.

Having not yet obtained the Dharma, he lay prostrate on the ground in his true form as a black tiger, desperately suppressing the ferocity and malevolence in his bloodline, hoping only to find a way out from the voice of the Great Dao.

Ultimately, he was no different from the black bear in front of him back then.

Equally clumsy.

Equally stubborn.

Besides the desire to seek the Way, there is nothing else to rely on.

Time flies, and the landscape changes.

The black tiger who once knelt at the foot of the steps listening to the teachings has now become the Taiyi Golden Immortal preaching on the platform.

Now, below the stage, there is another seeker of the Way, empty-handed.

Seeking the Dao in the primordial world has never been easy.

Countless lives are trapped in the mire, unable to even look up at the stars, let alone climb high and gaze into the distance.

Xuan Yao stared at the black bear for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.

He did not turn away in a huff, but slowly rose and walked down the white jade platform step by step.

Before long, Xuan Yao arrived in front of the black bear spirit.

When the black bear spirit saw that this lord had actually walked up to him, he was first stunned, and then his face showed fear.

Xuan Yao looked down at him, his tone calm.

"Everyone has left, why are you still kneeling here?"

"Why won't you leave?"