Dao Ancestor Hongjun took out the dragon-headed walking stick, looked at Dongwangong in the distance, and said, "Dongwangong, you are predestined to be the leader of the male immortals in the Primordial World, and you shall rule over all male immortals here. Today, I bestow upon you the top-grade Innate spiritual treasure, the dragon-headed walking stick. You must understand the mandate of heaven and the dictates of the times, and manage the Primordial World on behalf of Heavenly Dao!"
"Queen Mother of the West, you are predestined to be the leader of the female immortals in the Primordial World. Take this top-grade Innate spiritual treasure, the jade golden hairpin, for your self-protection!"
Hearing this, Dongwangong was overjoyed. After taking the dragon-headed walking stick, he looked proudly at the three thousand guests in Zixiao Palace, as if these people were already prostrate at his feet and submitting to him as subjects.
In contrast, Queen Mother of the West bowed respectfully after receiving the jade golden hairpin and stepped back to one side.
Dijun and Taiyi exchanged a glance, clearly having already made plans in their hearts!
Seeing that Dao Ancestor Hongjun was no longer distributing treasures, the crowd hurriedly bowed and kowtowed again: "We implore the Dao Ancestor to bestow treasures upon us for self-protection!"
Seeing this, Hongjun nodded and said, "Though you who listened to the Dao in Zixiao Palace have no master-disciple fate with me, you have the reality of master and disciple!
Outside Zixiao Palace stands the treasure-allotting cliff, covered with treasures I have collected. Each of you may go and collect them according to your fate!"
Hearing this, the crowd rushed toward the treasure-allotting cliff!
After all, one can never have too many magical treasures; even if one cannot use them oneself, bestowing them upon disciples later would be excellent.
When everyone had left, Dao Ancestor Hongjun said to Xiaoxuan, who was still sitting calmly: "You boy, why didn't you go?"
"My teacher and my two uncles have gone, so it makes little difference whether this disciple goes or not!" Xiaoxuan replied respectfully. "Now that Grandmaster is distributing treasures, I wonder what has been prepared for your only grand-disciple?"
Dao Ancestor Hongjun chuckled, looking like an ordinary elder teasing his young grandson: "When the opportunity arrives, you will naturally know!"
With that, Dao Ancestor Hongjun waved his sleeve, and Xiaoxuan instantly appeared beside the treasure-allotting cliff, right next to the Three Pure Ones of Pangu.
By this time, countless magical treasures had long been carved up by the crowd. Seeing this, Xiaoxuan felt no disappointment at all; with a wave of his hand, he stowed the entire treasure-allotting cliff into his mustard-seed spatial dimension!
Upon seeing this, everyone shook their heads and secretly reproached themselves: How could the object used by the Dao Ancestor to hold treasures be ordinary? What a pity...
Just at that moment, the voice of Dao Ancestor Hongjun resounded once again across the heavens and earth.
"When heaven and earth were first opened, the Great Dao was incomplete. Bearing the mandate of Heavenly Dao, I have expounded the Dao three times in Zixiao Palace. With these three lectures concluded, I shall embody Heavenly Dao with my body to complete the measure of Heavenly Dao.
After embodying Heavenly Dao, I shall no longer manifest in the Primordial World, and shall not emerge except during a Great Tribulation.
From this moment on, Hongjun is Heavenly Dao, but Heavenly Dao is not Hongjun.
Heavenly Dao, merge!"
As the voice of Dao Ancestor Hongjun faded, countless golden lotuses of Merit descended from the heavens like a overwhelming flood, falling into Zixiao Palace.
Countless Dao scripts surged forth within Zixiao Palace, and an abstruse and profound aura gathered above it, finally forming a giant eye.
Cold, merciless, and indifferent to all things!
A few breaths later, both Zixiao Palace and the giant eye vanished without a trace.
Everyone was struck with shock and awe: "Is this the power of Heavenly Dao?"
……
Kunlun Mountain, inside the grand hall of the Taiqing Palace.
From this lecture, the Three Pure Ones gained immense rewards: personal discipleship under Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Sage status, and magical treasures!
Yet even so, the Three Pure Ones of Pangu all wore solemn expressions, glaring unkindly at their only disciple standing before them.
After a long silence, Taishang spoke leisurely: "Xiaoxuan, you are the chief disciple of us Three Pure Ones. How could you rashly provoke Grandmaster? If you had displeased Grandmaster, what would have become of us?"
In the Primordial World, lineage is held in the highest regard, and the bond between master and disciple is even heavier than that between father and son!
Although the Three Pure Ones knew that Xiaoxuan's action was for the sake of Tongtian, they still could not bear to see Xiaoxuan take such a risk.
"At that time, Grandmaster had not yet embodied Heavenly Dao, so naturally his heart was with us, and he would not haggle with a junior like me!" Xiaoxuan bowed and said with a cheerful smile, "If Uncle Tongtian lacks a treasure to suppress Karmic Luck, he will naturally be safe for a short time, protected by the lingering legacy of Pangu.
But as time goes on, I fear changes may arise!"
The Three Pure Ones of Pangu were all people of profound insight; how could they fail to understand this logic?
In the end, while feeling comforted in their hearts, the three could not help admonishing Xiaoxuan: "In the future, leave such major matters for us to plan; there is no need for you to take risks. Remember this, remember this well!"
Deeply moved by the earnest affection and care of the Three Pure Ones, Xiaoxuan nodded obediently in response.
"Xiaoxuan, you have been under my tutelage for a long time. Today I bestow upon you the off-ground flame-light flag and the Qiankun Map for self-protection!"
The off-ground flame-light flag is one of the Innate Five Elements Flags, so its utility goes without saying; although the Qiankun Map is not widely renowned, during the War of Investiture of the Gods, Taishang used the Qiankun Map to scoop up Yunxiao and suppress her beneath Qilin Cliff.
From this, it was evident that the Qiankun Map was no ordinary object either!
Knowing this to be his teacher's good intention, Xiaoxuan did not decline, directly expressing his gratitude as he accepted them.
"You rascal, you don't even know how to show a little modesty!"
Though Taishang chided him, his face beamed with smiles, clearly showing he was in an exceptionally fine mood.
"Since these are magical treasures bestowed by my teacher, would it not be a grave disrespect if this disciple refused to accept them?"
Seeing his teacher in high spirits, Xiaoxuan took full advantage of the moment to play the cheeky favorite.
Yet through such playful banter, the master-disciple bond grew even closer, dissolving much of the distance between them.
Seeing this exchange between Taishang and Xiaoxuan, Yuanshi Tianzun and Master Tongtian both looked on with envy, stirring up thoughts of taking disciples themselves.
"Xiaoxuan, since Eldest Brother has bestowed upon you the off-ground flame-light flag, I shall grant you this Wuji Apricot-Yellow Flag. If you can gather the Innate Five Elements Flags in the future and set up the Five Elements Grand Formation, no one below the level of a Sage will be able to harm you in the slightest!"
With those words, he handed the Wuji Apricot-Yellow Flag over to Xiaoxuan.
The Three Pure Ones of Pangu were of one body, and in Xiaoxuan's heart, Yuanshi and Tongtian were just like his own teacher.
Therefore, Xiaoxuan likewise accepted the Wuji Apricot-Yellow Flag without any hesitation, bowing in gratitude.
"Little Xuan'er, with the off-ground flame-light flag and the Wuji Apricot-Yellow Flag to protect your body, coupled with your true form as an Immortal Apricot, you have more than enough defense, but lack sufficient offense. I shall bestow upon you the purple lightning hammer, so that you are fully equipped for both attack and defense!"
Although books from his past life recorded little about the purple lightning hammer, they explicitly stated that it was Master Tongtian's beloved treasure—let alone bestowing it upon a disciple, he rarely even showed it to others lightly.
As Xiaoxuan took the purple lightning hammer, he smiled and said, "This purple lightning hammer is Uncle's beloved treasure. Can Uncle truly bear to bestow it upon this disciple?"
Tongtian's eyebrows bristled as he said, "You rascal! Never mind the purple lightning hammer—if you defect to my sect, I will bestow the Immortal-Slaying Sword formation upon you as well!"
Before Xiaoxuan could reply, Yuanshi Tianzun chimed in from the side: "I can also bestow the Pangu Banner upon you!"
The two uncles' antics genuinely left Xiaoxuan speechless.
Taishang glared at the two of them and said, "If you want disciples, go recruit them yourselves. Stop plotting against Xiaoxuan!"
Knowing Taishang's temperament, Yuanshi and Tongtian exchanged a glance and burst into hearty laughter.
Ever since Xiaoxuan became a disciple of the Three Pure Ones, ten thousand years had already passed.
Yet Xiaoxuan had never seen the Three Pure Ones interact in such a manner. While deeply moved, he secretly resolved in his heart: No matter what, he must never allow the three teachers to turn against each other as brothers like they did in his past life, leaving an opening for outsiders to exploit.
Just as Xiaoxuan's mind was racing with little schemes, Yuanshi Tianzun and Master Tongtian said, "Eldest Brother, the two of us also intend to take disciples and pass down our Daoist traditions. Would you be willing to join the two of us?"