For the first time in eons, each of the Three Purities were gathered in the Three Purity Palace on Kunlun Mountain. In the main hall, Laozi sat in the seat of honor while Yuanshi sat on his right and Tongtian sat on his left.

“Eldest Brother, how about we switch seats?” Yuanshi said.

Tongtian glared. “We haven’t seen each other in eons, and this is the first thing you say?”

“You two, I believe we have important matters to discuss,” Laozi said without a shred of emotion in his voice. He glanced at Tongtian. “Third Sister, you summoned us here. Let’s hear what you have to say.”

Tongtian’s brows twitched. Why did Laozi sound so cold nowadays? Even if his emotions were dull, she should hear at least some affection. She glanced at Yuanshi, but he looked at her without any signs of noticing. ‘Perhaps it’s because I haven’t spoken to Eldest Brother for so long?’

‘Forget it,’ Tongtian thought. “Have you noticed the thoughts from the two in the West?”

“Of course,” Yuanshi was the first to reply. Disdain overflowed from his eyes. “They think they hid it well, but probably only Redcloud Ancestor and Nuwa can’t tell that they are altering the foundations of their teachings. I suspect they plan to establish their own path and take away part of the Immortal Path’s Karmic Luck.”

Tongtian blinked. She looked at Yuanshi. She thought only she knew of Jieyin and Zhunti’s plan thanks to her arrangement and knowledge of the general trend. Her gaze turned toward Laozi but he didn't show much of a reaction. Tongtian couldn’t tell if he knew or not because he always maintained the same expression, but Yuanshi’s knowledge surprised her.

Sure enough, she should not underestimate any Saint. Laozi probably also knew.

“Since that’s the case, let’s formulate the principles of the orthodox Immortal Path. As long as the two show any signs of breaking away, we will announce the orthodox path and prevent them from taking away too much Karmic Luck,” Tongtian suggested.

“And what should the orthodox Immortal Path be named?” Laozi asked.

Tongtian raised a finger to her lips. “Let’s just call it the Daoist Path.”

Laozi and Yuanshi tested the words on their lips before nodding. Once they settled on a name, they formulated the core principles of the Daoist Path.

When Hongjun imparted the Immortal Path to the three thousand guests in Violet Heaven Palace, he paid more attention to luck and fate. The three thousand congenital gods, who could reach his location in the chaotic boundary, represented their luck and power, so they were able to listen to his three sermons.

Tongtian, Yuanshi, and Laozi didn’t think the dao should be passed on lightly. Di Jun propagated the Immortal Path to all demons, and this resulted in a calamitous war that destroyed the pillar separating heaven and earth. Redcloud Ancestor didn’t spread the Immortal Path as wantonly as Di Jun, but he still had over ten thousand disciples, causing the Interception Sect to become embroiled in karma. Redcloud Ancestor may not be touched by karma, but the Interception Sect will suffer because of it.

The three inputted their own thoughts and ideas. Laozi valued fate, Yuanshi placed importance on roots, and Tongtian looked at the character. So those who pursued the Daoist Path must have luck, the correct fate, roots, and character.

The discussion took thousands of years. The Three Purities used their self-created cultivation method to create a unified method that encompassed all three. It didn’t mean the newly created method was the best, but the most broad. Anyone who cultivated it could switch to any of the methods created by them. They named the new cultivation method the Daoist Canon.

“Now that we have finished the tenets, when shall we establish the Daoist Path as the orthodox Immortal Path?” Laozi asked.

“Eldest Brother, have you gone rusty with time?” Yuanshi asked. “Can you not calculate that the next tribulation will arrive soon? The aftermath is variable. At its smallest, Golden Immortals might perish, but at its peak, even Saints will become involved.”

Tongtian nodded. She hadn’t deduced the heavenly secrets because she had foreknowledge.

Laozi didn’t say anything and started to pinch his fingers. The more he deduced, the more bent his brows became. “The heavenly secrets are murky. I feel like there is an invisible hand altering the variables.”

“Only a few individuals are able to hinder a Saint’s deduction of the heavenly secrets,” Yuanshi said.

“The one with the most obvious motive and power is Jieyin,” Tongtian said. She frowned and glanced toward the West. “Has his strength grown to this point? I can’t even speak his name behind barriers without arousing his attention?”

Yuanshi snorted. Nothing seemingly happened, but the barrier around Kunlun Palace increased in power. “He’s overestimating himself and seeking harm. He knows this is our territory, yet he still dares to stretch his claws here?”

“Forget it,” Tongtian said. “Like I said before. He’s the most obvious suspect, but we can’t underestimate any of the Saints. Nuwa seems content, but who knows if she is planning on reviving the Demon Clan or not, or whether she wants to take back more of humanity’s Karmic Luck? Redcloud Ancestor is busy expanding his influence. He knows he is monopolizing almost all of humanity’s Karmic Luck. Does he think that the other Saints won’t deal with him for interests? Everyone knows the West is eyeing the East’s prosperity.”

Tongtian sighed. “Although he is my friend, I cannot defend his actions. His friendship with Zhen Yuanzi also jeopardizes him even more. The Grandmist Violet Qis are gone, but everyone knows that he has Grandmist Gold Qi. Not everyone is Kong Xuan; it is inevitable that he will be targeted during the tribulation for the Grandmist Gold Qis.”

“Zhen Yuanzi is guilty of harboring jade, but don’t forget that you also have strands of Grandmist Gold Qi, Third Sister. As long as he releases the information, you will be targeted,” Laozi said.

The air tensed as Yuanshi’s expression darkened. “He dares. If Zhen Yuanzi forgot who made it possible for him to become the Realm Link King and leaks the information, I’ll teach him a lesson he will never forget. Any greedy bastard that targets Tongtian will have to go through me first!”

“Can you stop speaking like I’m a defenseless little girl? Compared to me, Zhen Yuanzi and Redcloud Ancestor are easier targets, okay?” Tongtian helplessly said. “My greatest worries aren’t about them, but him.”Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Laozi and Yuanshi narrowed their eyes. For Tongtian to worry about more than a Saint and not dare say his name, it could only be the Dao Ancestor Hongjun. “Does Third Sister have any clues?”

Tongtian shook her head. Could she say that in the legends of her previous life, Hongjun would seal the Heavenly Venerable of Numinous Treasures inside Violet Heaven Palace for instigating the battle that collapsed the world? Of course not. “No, just intuition.”

“Then we will have to be careful,” Yuanshi said. “Although the Saints of Heaven are divided now, we can even alter the Way of Heaven as long as we are aligned. However, that requires all the Saints of Heaven to remain.”

A sneer appeared on Yuanshi’s face. “I’m afraid he forgot one fact. We are the orthodox lineage of Father God. So what if a Saint of Heaven is lacking? As long as the Three Purities stand together, we can affect the Way of Heaven without the other Saints.”

Tongtian smiled. “Second Brother is right.”

The only one who didn’t join was Laozi. He still kept his calm expression, as if detached from all things.

“What’s wrong, Senior Sister? Why do you have such a forlorn expression?”

Sacred Mother Wudang turned around and saw Bixiao. “It’s nothing. I just can’t help but feel that something is going to happen in the future.”

Bixiao laughed. “What could happen? Because of Senior Sister’s meritorious teachings to Emperor Yu, the whole world knows of the Interception Sect. Not even the Liberation Sect or Human Way can compare. The Interception Sect is growing stronger by the day, and soon, Master will become the most powerful Saint.”

“Perhaps you’re right, I’m just worrying for nothing.”

Bixao stayed to talk a bit more before turning around and leaving. She had a lively personality and didn’t like to remain in quiet places.

From her location on Jin’ao Island, Sacred Mother Wudang's gaze captured almost the entire island. She saw the many disciples. Although most of them had left, the remaining ones still made the island lively, both good and bad. It was inevitable that factions formed with such a large amount of sapient beings. She and the other eight inner disciples were unaffected.

It would not be wrong to say that the outer disciples wanted to curry favor with the inner disciples. The outer disciples could only listen to Redcloud Ancestor’s sermon when he was in the mood, and couldn’t ask questions, unlike those who received personal guidance and bestowments.

Sacred Mother Wudang was aware of the hidden dangers. Although the outer disciples acted obediently in front of them and on Jin’ao Island, most of them were rogues once they entered the human world. There, they were venerated, held aloft as kings. As long as they didn’t act out in front of the current king of humanity, or slaughter humans wantonly, they could do whatever they wanted.

Sacred Mother Wudang sighed. No matter how powerful a sect was, if the foundations were rotten, it would not bode well. She hadn’t noticed it at first, but upon watching the rise and fall of the Xia Dynasty, she learned that all things had a beginning and an end. They would enter a period of rise and reach the peak, but once at the peak, it would fall into decline.

Understanding that concept improved her comprehension of the Law of Time. The Saints might be the only exception, but the exception does not necessarily apply to a Saint’s sect.

“Perhaps I should walk among the people,” Sacred Mother Wudang suddenly said. She did not know where the thought came from, only that it became her heart’s desire. She didn’t resist it and left Jin’ao Island.

Sacred Mother Wudang walked among the common people, just like how she traveled with Yu the Great all those years before. Along the way, she saw many sights, some of which she had experienced before, but some were new to her.

Not that those new experiences meant all was well. When the Realm Link King established the Earth Celestial League, many outer disciples of the Interception sect attained the position of earth celestials. The empyreans maintained the heavens and the earth celestials controlled the land.

In the Interception Sect, these disciples had to be careful and restrain themselves, but as earth celestials, they no longer had to pay attention to each and every word. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these disciples became reckless and indulged themselves. The peace of the land did not hinge on their hard work, but whether or not the locals pleased them.

If displeased, the earth celestial could directly cause the crops to fail, bringing famine. As the ruler of humanity, the Shang Dynasty should have come forward and pressured these earth celestials. After all, although the celestials controlled the lands, humanity was the protagonist of the world. Alas, the Shang Dynasty had begun to decay, and it no longer cared about the local populace.

Sacred Mother Wudang confronted them several times. In front of her, they would act meek and obedient, but she knew that once she left, they would return to their old ways. Perhaps to vent their frustrations, they would even act harsher.

Even when she threatened to have them expelled from the Interception Sect, these disciples didn’t care. In their eyes, they were already earth celestials, so what if they were expelled? They might live better as earth celestials than disciples of the Interception Sect.

Some people would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Sacred Mother Wudang had never felt so helpless. She wanted to seek help from her fellow disciples, but many of them weren’t concerned. In their eyes, it wasn’t a problem as long as their founder remained. Even her Eldest Senior Brother, Duobao, asked her to wait for Master to come out of his secluded cultivation.

Dread filled Sacred Mother Wudang’s heart. Ever since the end of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, she had felt uneasy. Whenever she saw her fellow disciples, especially Senior Brother Duobao, she couldn’t help but feel heartache. It was like an omen that refused to leave her.

The inner disciple of the Interception Sect continued her travels. Sacred Mother Wudang saw more and more impetuous acts from the outer disciples, but she never intervened. Intervening would only cause more harm for the local populace. Some of the earth celestials did their tasks well, but most of them belonged to areas with a sparse population. The ones that did their duty in the regions with large populations were a drop in the bucket.

One day, Sacred Mother Wudang noticed something amiss. She saw bald cultivators garbed in kasaya, handing out alms. In addition to alms, they were spreading out their tenets, ones that had some similarities to the Immortal Path, but distinct enough to be its own way.

Intrigued, Sacred Mother Wudang observed them. The more she observed, the more concerned she became. These cultivators appeared in lands with struggling populations. Thanks to their kindness and alms, the people grew faithful and even sought to join them.

Sacred Mother Wudang couldn’t help but frown. Was the Interception Sect’s crisis because of these unknown cultivators? If they successfully sway the people, then the Interception Sect’s influence would plummet. However, her heart soon calmed. So what if these people wanted to gather more followers? Could they compare to a Saint’s sect?

Her calm heart didn’t last for long when she saw a figure. The figure also donned a kasaya, and her violet skin was now a healthy white. Her clear eyes emitted compassion and pity. Although Sacred Mother Wudang hadn’t seen her in years, she recognized that figure.

It was Saint Zhunti’s disciple, Dishitian.

Dishitian seemed to have also sensed her and looked up. The two’s gazes clashed and invisible sparks appeared between them.

Sacred Mother Wudang couldn’t help but worry. The two Saints from the West were encroaching on the Interception Sect’s territory. She had to let Master know.

Suddenly, the clear sky darkened. Black clouds gathered about the Earthly Realm, lightning struck, and thunder roared.

Sacred Mother Wudang and Dishitian both looked up as the people fell to their knees and quivered in fear.

“It’s heaven’s wrath!”

“The gods are angry!”

Angry gods? No, not quite. Something had touched the bottom line of the Way of Heaven, causing it to howl in fury. Although Sacred Mother Wudang was not skilled in deducing the heavenly secrets, she didn’t need to with such obvious clues.

A silver river appeared in the sky. It trembled as violet light shot out of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The black clouds turned purple, and the light soared through the sky. The radiant beam entered the royal palace of the Shang Dynasty, coating one room in a flash.

The sound of an infant’s cry exploded in the hall.

Shang Dixin was born.