"What did you say?"
"Travel through the Primordial World?"
"For a period of time?"
Not only was Master Shangqing astonished, but even Taiqing Daoren and Yuzqing Daoren, who had been sitting on the sidelines happily watching the master and disciple tear into each other, were stunned by Lin Fan's words.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Though we all find your insolent little self rather obnoxious, there's no need to go out and seek your own death!"
"As a Daluo Golden Immortal, are you completely unaware of the current situation in the Primordial World?" The Three Pure Ones were all bewildered in their hearts.
After all, the Primordial World was currently permeated with the aura of great tribulation everywhere, and killing intent soared into the skies. Although the three clans had not yet erupted into full-scale war, small-scale frictions were constant. They fought small battles every three days and big battles every five days, utterly loathing the sight of each other and wishing nothing more than to annihilate the opposing side.
As for the beings at the level of Daluo Golden Immortal in the Primordial World, all of them perceived the fickleness of the Heavenly Dao and the descent of the great tribulation. They desperately wished to minimize their presence, holing up deep within their caves and Daoist domains. They even laid down layer upon layer of grand arrays—three layers deep and three layers out—all to prevent themselves from being tainted by the aura of the great tribulation, lest they fall into the tribulation, perish body and soul, and have hundreds of millions of years of cultivation destroyed in an instant.
Only the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix Clan, and the Qilin Clan—being the protagonists of the great tribulation, with their minds fogged by killing intent—remained unaffected by the tribulation's aura. Instead, they could utilize the tribulation Qi to cultivate and enhance their Daoist attainments.
Yet, if one became tainted by the tribulation's aura, those who survived would be safe and sound; those who failed would perish body and soul, turning into mere dust.
Did the patriarchs of the three clans not know this? Did the great mighty figures of the three clans not know?
They knew. They all knew.
Yet they had no other choice. Under the great tribulation, what they were fighting for was a single sliver of a chance of survival. To survive meant peace, and the opportunity to draw upon the Qi Fortune of the Primordial World—perhaps even gaining a chance to attain the Dao and become a sage. To fail meant ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and complete annihilation.
This was the grand momentum of heaven and earth, effective from the moment the three clan patriarchs swore their oaths to the Heavenly Dao. They had no room for choice; they could only submit to fate and strive for themselves and their clans to seize that sole chance of survival.
"Amidst the great tribulation, others are running away as fast as they can, trying to get as far as they can!"
"Yet now, this insolent disciple of mine dwells within the ancestral veins of Kunlun, possessing the bloodline of Pangu. As long as he doesn't leave the mountain, the great tribulation wouldn't find him even if it tried."
"And yet, look at him now. Damn it, the great tribulation isn't seeking you out, but you are actively running toward the great tribulation!"
"Damn it, that is not how anyone goes looking for death!"
"Just say the word to me, and I would gladly ensure you return to the Primordial World without any pain, falling right back into the embrace of Pangu. At least that would fulfill the bond of master and disciple between us."
Master Shangqing was cursing up a storm in his heart.
Even Master Shangqing himself hadn't realized that ever since he took in Lin Fan, his defenses had been broken by Lin Fan countless times. He was no longer the aloof and haughty Master Shangqing of the past.
"Are you certain?"
"You want to take a trip through the Primordial World?"
"You must go?"
Master Shangqing's face was grave as he fired off three questions in a row. Even Taiqing Daoren and Yuzqing Daoren on the side looked at Lin Fan with absolute solemnity.
Lin Fan put away the playful smile on his face, speaking with utmost solemnity: "Yes, Master, two Senior granduncles, this disciple must make this trip."
"I dare not hide it from the three esteemed masters: as early as a thousand years ago, this disciple already harbored the desire to travel outside. It's just that none of the three esteemed masters had left seclusion back then, and this disciple dared not act on his own accord."
"Now that all three esteemed masters have emerged from seclusion, this disciple has come specifically to report this."
"This disciple is well aware that the current Primordial World is a place of right and wrong everywhere, with the three clans at war every waking moment. To step out of Kunlun is to gamble with life and death."
"However, an obsession has already taken root in this disciple's heart. If I do not go out and make this journey, I fear my thoughts will remain blocked, and in the future, my cultivation, Daoist attainments, and magical power will never improve."
"Then do you know that once you go, a single careless misstep will leave your life and death uncertain? By then, even with boundless divine powers, your master and your two senior granduncles will be too far away to help."
"If you remain in Kunlun, not even the great tribulation of heaven and earth can touch you, and you can pass through it safely."
"Have you thought this through thoroughly?"
"Why not wait until the great tribulation is over before going out to travel? It will be the exact same."
Master Shangqing said in a stern tone, attempting to dispel Lin Fan's desire to travel outside.
"I implore Master and the two senior granduncles to grant your benevolent permission." Lin Fan pressed his forehead to the ground and kowtowed.
This was to demonstrate his absolute determination.
For a long time, Master Shangqing remained silent. The atmosphere inside the Three Pure Ones Hall was tense and heavy.
...
"Hahaha."
"Since our nephew has already resolved to leave the mountain and travel, I shall grant the nephew's request on behalf of your master." It was Taiqing Daoren who broke the heavy silence. Seeing that Lin Fan's mind was made up, he stepped forward to answer in Master Shangqing's stead.
"Eldest Brother, this..." Master Shangqing blurted out anxiously.
Taiqing Daoren waved his hand, cutting off Master Shangqing's words: "Third Brother, our nephew's obsession has already formed. If we forcefully keep him in the mountain, it may breed inner demons and harm his Daoist cultivation. Why not follow his heart?"
"Besides, our nephew possesses the bloodline of Pangu and is protected by the Merit of the Great Dao. As long as he acts with caution, he should not fall into the tribulation."
"Just now, I pinched my fingers to calculate: this journey holds no threat to the nephew's life, and furthermore, there is another stroke of fortuitous opportunity waiting for him."
"Eldest Brother speaks the truth," Yuzqing Daoren chimed in.
Seeing that both of his elder brothers agreed, Master Shangqing no longer insisted. He said, "Since your two senior granduncles have both agreed to let you travel, as your master, I can hardly stubbornly cling to my own view."
"Only, you must remember this: if you encounter irresistible danger out there, you must promptly return to Mount Buzhou—ah, return to Kunlun Mountain. Do not try to act tough. When that time comes, we will naturally back you up."
"Understood."
"Many thanks, Master; many thanks, two senior granduncles," Lin Fan said excitedly, kowtowed once more.
Noticing the atmosphere relax, Lin Fan's eyes rolled around and a cunning look flashed across his face.
He smiled at Master Shangqing and said, "Master, look, your disciple is about to go out on his travels, and just now you yourself said the Primordial World is fraught with danger. Would you be so kind as to bestow upon your disciple a few treasures for self-protection?"
"Your disciple isn't greedy and doesn't want many—just bestow ten or eight top-grade Xiantian Spirit Treasures that combine offense and defense. That'll be plenty, no need for too many."
"Of course, if there are any Xiantian Supreme Treasures, that would be even better. Give me a few to take out so I can put up a decent front and not disgrace Master and the two senior granduncles."
Lin Fan kept chattering away, completely oblivious to the twitching facial muscles of the three figures seated above him.
Taiqing Daoren and Yuzqing Daoren finally understood why their Third Brother, normally such a steady and composed person, had suddenly grown so hot-tempered. It was entirely because the wretch he had taken in was utterly shameless.
"Damn it."
"Do you think top-grade Xiantian Spirit Treasures grow like cabbages?!"
"Combining offense and defense, and you want ten or eight of them?!"
"You even want a few Xiantian Supreme Treasures just to put up a front? Damn it, why don't you fly straight up to the heavens?!"
"Shameless, utterly shameless!" This was the shared sentiment in the hearts of Taiqing Daoren and Master Shangqing.
"Get lost!" Master Shangqing roared, expressing his fury through practical action.
With a wave of his hand, Lin Fan—still in the middle of talking—was unceremoniously blasted right out of the boundaries of Kunlun Mountain, tumbling down onto a towering mountain a thousand miles away.
"Tch, Master is as stingy as ever," Lin Fan muttered softly as he climbed up from the ground.
*Boom...*
A bolt of divine lightning crashed down, instantly blasting Lin Fan until he was covered in soot and dirt, his facial muscles twitching.
"What the hell, are all masters nowadays this petty?"
"I was just making a couple of sarcastic remarks! Was it really necessary to use the Shangqing Divine Lightning to strike me?"
"Aren't you afraid your disciple will get heartbroken and disillusioned, and betray the sect?!"
Yet Lin Fan now only dared to vent his complaints inwardly; otherwise, who knew when he'd get struck by lightning again.
Though it wouldn't actually injure him, it was entirely too humiliating!
With a wave of his hand, Lin Fan brushed away the traces of the lightning strike, restoring his original immortal and otherworldly appearance.
Gazing back at Kunlun Mountain a thousand miles away, Lin Fan dropped to his knees and performed three heavy kowtows, then turned and left without looking back, leaving only a faint whisper hanging in the air: "Master, this disciple takes his leave."
Far away on Kunlun Mountain, watching Lin Fan perform his three kowtows, Master Shangqing let out a heavy sigh, his expression filled with a lonely dejection.
"Third Brother, everyone has their own karmic affinities. Since our nephew has his own fortuitous opportunity in this, why wear such a desolate expression?" Taiqing Daoren's comforting words drifted out from within the Three Pure Ones Hall.
Meanwhile, leaving Kunlun Mountain behind, Lin Fan headed straight toward Mount Buzhou, which seemed so close at hand yet was actually separated by hundreds of millions of miles.
That heaven-supporting Mount Buzhou was the sole immortal mountain that far surpassed Kunlun. It had been formed from the spine of Pangu, connecting heaven and earth and symbolizing the indomitable spirit of the Pangu Great Deity.
As long as one remained within the Primordial World, no matter where one stood, Mount Buzhou could always be seen.
It was as if the Great Dao intended to make all living beings of the Primordial World forever remember the grace and benevolence of the Pangu Great Deity.
This was precisely the destination of Lin Fan's current trip. Being formed from Pangu's spine, there were bound to be countless good things there. Right now, everything was ownerless property—it would be a waste not to take them.
Lin Fan knew the Primordial World was currently far from peaceful, so along the way he exercised extreme caution. Whenever he ran into friction between the three clans, he detoured around it or hid from it, resolutely avoiding any encounters.
Thus, it took Lin Fan nearly a thousand years to travel from Kunlun Mountain to the foot of Mount Buzhou. By now, the Chaos Pearl was stuffed to the brim with countless rare heavenly treasures and the corpses of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans.
These were all the spoils of Lin Fan's travels over the past millennium.
"Finally here." Looking up at Mount Buzhou and feeling its crushing pressure, Lin Fan couldn't help shouting out loud.
Truth be told, sneaking and hiding all the way here had yielded massive rewards, but it had inevitably felt rather stifling. The moment he laid eyes on the magnificent grandeur of Mount Buzhou, he could finally let it all out without any reservations.
"Where did this brat come from, shouting and hollering so wildly on the territory of our Wu Race?" Someone from the Wu Race tribe near Mount Buzhou heard Lin Fan's voice and came over to investigate.
Lin Fan's shouting cut off abruptly. He cast a hostile glare at the member of the Wu Race who had just scolded him.
Noticing that the highest cultivation among the group was merely at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, he immediately cursed at the top of his lungs: "What the hell! Wu Race territory—so what if it's Wu Race territory?!"
"Old master here is shouting! So what if I'm shouting?!"
"Did I secretly eat your family's food, or did I dig up your ancestral graves?!"
"Damn it! For a thousand years, old master has been sneaking around, not daring to stir up trouble. Now that I've arrived at my destination and want to blow off some steam, you bastard have to police that too?!"
"Do you think old master is easy to bully? Sure, I'm cautious, but you—a mere Taiyi Golden Immortal—actually want to climb onto my head and crap?!"
"Does old master look like I owe you face?!"
Lin Fan wasn't finished after just cursing. He lunged forward and unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches, every single blow landing solidly with flesh.
Oh, how satisfying Lin Fan found this beatdown.
Pity those few Wu Race members. Just because of a single sentence, they were first cursed out from head to toe by Lin Fan, and then subjected to a brutal, violent thrashing. Though their lives were not in danger, gods, did it hurt!
Bruised and battered all over, they scrambled back toward the ancestral lands of the Wu Race in a panic.
After venting his frustrations, Lin Fan didn't give them any more trouble. He clenched his fists, thinking to himself that the Wu Race truly were thick-skinned and remarkably resilient to beatings. Whenever he was in a bad mood in the future, he could always come over here to spar and practice his moves.
Only, what Lin Fan did not know was that he would very soon regret having this exact thought.