Looking at Lin Fan with a pleasant tone, Patriarch Hongjun said, "Very well. You are the direct disciple of the second-generation disciples of my Xuanmen, and my grand-disciple."
"Among the three thousand visitors of Zixiao Palace, your generation is the lowest, yet it wouldn't do to treat you unfairly."
With that, Patriarch Hongjun flicked his hand, and a small triangular flag appeared in his palm. Surrounded by flickering and fading lotuses of fire, it was clearly no ordinary item at all.
Patriarch Hongjun proclaimed, "This is the Flame-Light Banner of the Southern Ground, one of the Five Flags of Heaven and Earth, and it is a supreme Xiantian Spirit Treasure."
"Since you are the junior, I bestow this upon you for your self-protection."
Seeing that Lin Fan still stared at him with burning eyes after taking it, a look of helplessness crossed Patriarch Hongjun's face. He had no choice but to produce a dark, pitch-black spear and say to Lin Fan, "This is also a supreme Xiantian Spirit Treasure, the God-Killing Spear."
"Although this treasure is a supreme Xiantian Spirit Treasure, its primary purpose is slaughter, targeting the primordial spirit. Its destructive might is comparable to a Xiantian supreme treasure."
"I now give this to you as well. Use it with care."
"Many thanks, Patriarch."
Lin Fan bowed in profound joy.
He had thought that getting a single treasure was already the stroke of a lifetime of good fortune, but he had never expected such an unexpected bonus.
Watching Lin Fan foolishly grinning from ear to ear as he caressed the treasures, everyone inside Zixiao Palace stared with eyes blazing like wolves, astonished at how deeply Lin Fan had won Hongjun's favor.
Everyone thought to themselves, "It seems it's best to provoke this brat as little as possible from now on."
After all, no matter how formidable one's own strength might be, it was no match for having such a powerful backer!
Besides, the kid's own strength wasn't weak either. It was definitely wise to steer clear of him.
Beholding Lin Fan's silly grin, Patriarch Hongjun was in high spirits. Stroking his beard, he said, "My little grand-disciple, I notice you still address yourself by your given name and lack a Dao title. Now that you are the head of my Xuanmen's second-generation disciples, it is only fitting that you have one."
"Shall this old man overstep his bounds and choose a Dao title for you? What do you say?"
Hearing this, Lin Fan jerked his head up, looking at Patriarch Hongjun with a flash of pleasant surprise.
With a Dao title personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor—along with personal treasures to boot—who in the Primordial World would ever dare lay a hand on him again? One had to remember that Hongjun was destined to represent the Heavenly Dao. Who among the living beings of the Primordial World would dare oppose the Heavenly Dao? Even the Saints would have to think twice before touching him in the future.
And as for the disciples taken in by Saints in days to come, which of them would dare fail to show him utmost respect? Which of them would dare bare their fangs at him? He wouldn't even need to lift a finger; their own Saint masters would personally step in to purge the sect of such insolence.
This time, his little life was completely secure. He could safely turtle up until later ages and then make a triumphant comeback in an urban setting.
Absolutely unbeatable!!!!!!
However, in the Primordial World, respecting one's teachers and honoring the Dao was a fundamental duty. A Dao title was a token of initiation bestowed upon a disciple by their elders; logically, it should have been Master Shangqing who chose one for Lin Fan.
Thus, Lin Fan looked toward Master Shangqing.
Little did he expect that even before his gaze could fully land—
Master Shangqing slapped Lin Fan across the back of the head in a fit of exasperation and scolded, "You wretched creature! Having your name bestowed by the Patriarch is the utmost honor! Why haven't you kowtowed in gratitude yet? Looking this way and that, what on earth are you trying to pull?"
Having disciplined Lin Fan, Master Shangqing hurriedly turned to Patriarch Hongjun above and said, "Master, show mercy! This wretched creature is simple-minded and doesn't know any better. Please forgive him and bestow a Dao title upon this wretch!!!"
"I beg Patriarch to show mercy!!!" Lin Fan fell to the ground and kowtowed.
"Very well, very well..." Patriarch Hongjun laughed.
"You are the head of my Xuanmen's second-generation disciples, and you were formed from the bloodline of Pangu, making you practically a descendant of Pangu and the bloodline of the Three Pure Ones."
—Xuanqing!!!"
"Today, this old man grants you the name——Xuanqing!!"
"What do you think?" asked Patriarch Hongjun.
"Many thanks, Patriarch, for bestowing my name!"
"From this day forth, I am Xuanqing," Lin Fan kowtowed to Patriarch Hongjun.
Disregarding the astonished gazes of the crowd, Patriarch Hongjun continued, "Ten thousand miles outside Zixiao Palace, I have placed the Treasure-Dividing Cliff. Upon it rest numerous Xiantian Spirit Treasures. You may all go and try your luck to see if you can make any gains."
The moment the Dao Ancestor's voice trailed off, the Three Pure Ones and Xuanqing vanished in a flash, and the rest of the assembly scrambled out of Zixiao Palace in a chaotic rush.
Before long, the Three Pure Ones and Xuanqing arrived before the Treasure-Dividing Cliff. Master Taiqing produced the Taiji Diagram and swept it through the air, instantly gathering dozens of Xiantian Spirit Treasures in a single stroke.
Master Yuqing waved the Pangu Banner, sweeping up dozens of renowned Yuxu supreme treasures of later ages—such as the Primal Box, the Three Treasures Ruyi, and the Eight-Trigrams Purple-Ribbed Fairy Robe—into his pouch.
Master Shangqing also produced the Immortal-Slaying Four Swords, sweeping them in a circle over the Treasure-Dividing Cliff, and wrapped them in the Immortal-Slaying Formation Diagram. Instantly, over a hundred Xiantian Spirit Treasures were reeled into his collection.
Xuanqing followed suit, pulling out the Flame-Light Banner of the Southern Ground bestowed by the Dao Ancestor and waving it over the Treasure-Dividing Cliff. In an instant, more than a dozen Xiantian Spirit Treasures destined for him were reeled into his palms.
Once the Three Pure Ones and Xuanqing had finished gathering the supreme treasures, Nuwa and the others arrived at the Treasure-Dividing Cliff.
Nuwa enveloped the area with her Mountain and River State Diagram, instantly tucking dozens of Wuhuang treasures into her pouch.
As for the rest of them, aside from the Western Duo who managed to collect a few Xiantian Spirit Treasures, the majority returned empty-handed.
The remaining thousands of masterless spirit treasures on the Treasure-Dividing Cliff suddenly transformed into streaks of light, shattering the Chaos and heading toward the Primordial World to await their destined owners.
Seeing that there were no more spirit treasures left and that the lectures had concluded, everyone departed the Chaos and returned to their respective Primordial Daoist domains, leaving only the Saint disciples such as the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa behind.
As the others dispersed, Master Taiqing approached Lin Fan and said, "Xuanqing, you possess the bloodline of Pangu, you are a descendant of us Three Pure Ones, and you are the head of the Xuanmen's second-generation disciples. You entered our Three Pure Ones' sect several eons ago."
"As your senior grand-uncle, I have never given you a welcoming gift. Today I shall make it up to you. Tell me, which of your senior grand-uncle's treasures have caught your eye? Speak freely, and your senior grand-uncle will not refuse you anything," Master Taiqing smiled.
Xuanqing bowed to Master Taiqing with cupped hands and said, "I dare not decline a gift from an elder. This disciple thanks senior grand-uncle."
"I ask that senior grand-uncle bestow upon me the Eight-Scenery Palace Lantern."
Hearing this, Master Taiqing handed the Eight-Scenery Palace Lantern over to Xuanqing.
Beside them, Master Yuqing also smiled and said, "Since your senior grand-uncle has already bestowed a treasure, I, as your second senior grand-uncle, ought to do the same."
"Tell me, which of my possessions has caught your eye?"
With that, he laid out dozens of Xiantian Spirit Treasures he had just acquired from the Treasure-Dividing Cliff, leaving them for Xuanqing to pick through at will. This left the Western Duo standing nearby green with envy; if not for a lack of strength, they likely would have resorted to outright robbery.
After looking them over once, Xuanqing addressed Master Yuqing: "I ask that second senior grand-uncle bestow the Golden Lantern of Qingyun upon me."
Upon hearing this, Master Yuqing handed the Golden Lantern of Qingyun to Xuanqing.
Then, Master Shangqing stepped up before Xuanqing and said, "From the moment you took human form, you entered my sect. In the past, as your master, I spent most of my time in closed-door cultivation and failed to show you enough concern."
"Do you harbor any resentment toward your master in your heart?!"
Hearing this, Xuanqing hurriedly knelt and kowcowed, saying, "What kind of words are those, Master? Ever since I took form, I was left alone and helpless in the Primordial World. It was Master who did not abandon me, took me into the sect, brought me back to Kunlun, and gave me a complete home. This disciple is endlessly grateful; how could I ever dare resent Master?!"
"To this disciple, Master is both teacher and father. Tell me, is there any principle in heaven and earth of a son resenting his father?"
Xuanqing's words were so deeply sincere that everyone could not help sighing inwardly: "Master Shangqing is truly blessed to have taken in such a wonderfully filial disciple!"
Deeply moved, Master Shangqing said, "Good child, ever since you entered our sect, as your master I have never bestowed upon you a treasure for self-protection."
With that, he produced an item and said to Xuanqing, "This is the Immortal-Battering Pestle, a supreme Xiantian Spirit Treasure. I bestow it upon you now for your self-protection."
Kowtowing, Xuanqing accepted it.
"Good child, rise!" Master Shangqing waved his hand, and Xuanqing was lifted to his feet by an invisible force.
Catching sight of Nuwa and the Western Duo not far away, Xuanqing's eyes rolled as a smile immediately bloomed across his face, and he stepped forward.
He bowed to Nuwa and said, "This disciple pays respects to Senior Sister Nuwa, and wishes senior sister an early attainment of the Saint Dao, eternal youth, and stunning beauty."
Indeed, all women love compliments. Hearing Xuanqing's flattery, Nuwa's face instantly broke into a radiant smile as she produced an item and said, "Please rise, nephew. I accept your auspicious words. Senior sister has this little unremarkable trinket here; take it and play with it."
She even patted Xuanqing on the head, clearly having taken him in as a true nephew.
After accepting it, Xuanqing turned his gaze toward the Western Duo, bowed with cupped hands, and said, "This disciple pays respects to Senior Uncle Jieyin and Senior Uncle Zhunti, and wishes both senior uncles an early attainment of the Great Dao and the glorification of the Western World."
With that, he stared intently at the two of them. Jieyin wore a troubled expression and, after struggling through several moments of hesitation, produced an item. "Nephew, spare the formalities. Here are two lotus seeds of the Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus. An ordinary person who consumes them can instantly attain the realm of Golden Immortal without any side effects. Consider this a welcoming gift from the two of us to our nephew!"
Jieyin deliberately emphasized the word "two," terrified that Xuanqing might pull the exact same stunt on Zhunti.
Even looking at those two golden lotus seeds made Taoist Zhunti's heart ache fiercely. The West was impoverished to begin with; in Zhunti's eyes, these weren't mere lotus seeds—they were two flesh-and-blood Golden Immortal disciples!
Just as Xuanqing took them, he put on an aggrieved expression and said to Master Shangqing, "Master, I am a Daluo Golden Immortal. What does Senior Uncle Jieyin mean by giving me golden lotus seeds? Is he trying to make me destroy my own foundations and recultivate?"
He then stared innocently at Jieyin and Zhunti with a bewildered look, coaxing a bright, delighted smile out of Nuwa standing nearby.
Master Shangqing strode over to Xuanqing and gave him a smack across the back of the head, scolding, "A gift from an elder cannot be declined! Whatever your two senior uncles give you, you simply accept it. Even if you can't use them, you shouldn't say such things right to their faces! You wretched brat, you truly have no manners. See how I deal with you when we get back!"
He then turned to Jieyin and Zhunti and said, "Forgive me, fellow Daoists. My disciple is unruly, and I hope you will excuse him."
The master-and-disciple duo performed a flawless double act, practically roasting the Western Duo over an open fire. Helplessly, Daoist Jieyin had to produce yet another Xiantian Spirit Treasure, his heart bleeding as he handed it to Xuanqing, before dragging Zhunti away from the Chaos without ever looking back.
After everyone had departed, the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Xuanqing returned once more to Zixiao Palace. Before leaving, true to his principle of never letting anything go to waste, Xuanqing scooped up the Treasure-Dividing Cliff itself and tucked it into his pouch. It was truly a case of a wild goose leaving no feather behind and not a single blade of grass growing in his wake, leaving everyone utterly speechless.
Above the dais, Patriarch Hongjun materialized upon his prayer mat and immediately began preaching the Great Dao.
When the preaching was halfway through, the Western Duo hurried into Zixiao Palace in a breathless rush. As it turned out, every time the Dao Ancestor preached, it lasted for three thousand years; yet this third time, he had spoken for only two thousand eight hundred years, leaving two hundred years short. Panicking, they had rushed back halfway through, but still only managed to catch the general outline.
Three thousand years of the Dao felt like the world spinning upside down to everyone. When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves back within their respective Daoist domains. All of them marveled at the boundless divine power of a Saint, and their determination to attain sainthood only grew firmer.
"Weaving into the Dao."
No sooner had everyone regained their wits than a deafening, earth-shaking voice echoed across the firmament.
The living beings of the Primordial World knew this meant the Dao Ancestor was merging with the Dao. After all, the Heavenly Dao was being made whole, and the Dao Ancestor was merging his very body with it to carve out a sliver of a lifeline for all living creatures, granting everyone the opportunity to seek the Dao. To the beings of the Primordial World, this was an act of supreme compassion, and so every last one of them dropped to their knees, kowtowing in gratitude for the Dao Ancestor's mercy.