Listening to the Immortal Heart of Heaven

Inside Biyou Palace, the sound of Taoist chants filled the air. Tongtian sat high on a nine-colored cloud bed, surrounded by auspicious clouds and the light of the sun and moon. He recited moral maxims, each word expounding the righteous path of human relations.

Many immortals of Shangqing sat in front of the hall, all nodding and swaying as they listened to these moral maxims, seemingly enlightened. However, most of them had lifeless eyes and were in a daze, just swaying back and forth, clearly having their souls wandered away.

Only a handful of people understood Tongtian's good intentions and listened attentively to his words of wisdom; but there were only a handful of them.

Upon seeing this, Tongtian sighed inwardly, knowing that these disciples he had taken in were utterly devoid of morality. He lamented that he had previously been unintentional in teaching others, and now, even if he wanted to change, he could not.

But this is no one else's fault. After all, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. Tongtian often talks about seizing a sliver of life between heaven and earth, so it's no wonder that these disciples are following suit.

These disciples only learned the surface, not the essence. Even those who reached the highest level only talked about seizing a sliver of life, but these disciples had already thought of destroying the world and killing all things just to satisfy their own desires.

If it weren't for the protection of the Shangqing Qiyun and the deterrence of Yuanshi Tianzun, such a mindset would likely have led to the Shangqing immortals falling into demonic ways long ago.

"Should I also establish some strict rules? Otherwise, if this continues, my Biyou Palace will be ruined. Even the Holy Mother Turtle Spirit thinks this way, who else would have such thoughts?"

The secret passage to heaven was a last resort. Although he encouraged his disciples to act according to their own will, he did not expect that all his disciples would want to kill their master.

Seeing fallen leaves tells us that autumn is here. Even the Holy Mother Guiling, one of the four direct disciples, had thoughts of killing her master. Who knows what the other disciples thought behind her back?

As they were thinking this, a series of shouts suddenly came from outside Biyou Palace.

"Guang Chengzi pays his respects to Master Tongtian. Please grant me an audience, Master Tongtian, as I have important matters to report!"

Hearing the shouts outside the door, Tongtian's eyes lit up. Yes, he did need to set some rules for the many Shangqing immortals, but he didn't need to do it himself. He could let Guangchengzi handle it!

As for whether ordering around his second brother's chief disciple would put him under pressure or offend the Primordial Celestial Venerable, Tongtian didn't think it was a big deal.

The Three Pure Ones are of one mind and share the same origin, so they naturally don't care about these formalities.

Moreover, it would be beneficial for Guang Chengzi to gain more experience under his tutelage. After all, Tongtian had extremely sharp eyesight and saw that Guang Chengzi had his eye on his Azure Blood Crimson Long Staircase, so he was naturally happy to help him out.

"Is this like having a pillow delivered to you just as you're about to doze off? Excellent!"

Thinking of this, Tongtian laughed and said, "Yunxiao, quickly bring Guangchengzi into Biyou Palace. You must treat him with the same respect you would show to Duobao. Do you understand?"

A female immortal under Tongtian was suddenly summoned. Upon hearing this, she immediately stood up and respectfully said, "This disciple understands. I will certainly live up to Master's expectations and will respect Senior Brother Guangchengzi as much as I respect Senior Brother Da."

Tongtian smiled and said, "Go, go, don't miss the auspicious time."

After Yunxiao quickly left Biyou Palace, Tongtian did not continue his sermon, which left many Shangqing immortals looking at each other in bewilderment, wondering why their master was treating Guangchengzi with such courtesy.

After all, Guang Chengzi had just severed the cultivation foundation of Chang Er Ding Guang Xian and used his sharp tongue to make Gui Ling Shengmu ashamed to come here. Logically speaking, even if Tongtian was not angry, he had no reason to be so amiable.

Unexpectedly, Tongtian was so amiable and even asked Yunxiao to personally invite Guangchengzi in, and to treat Guangchengzi with the same respect he had shown to Duobao.

If even a female immortal like Yunxiao has such respect for Guangchengzi, doesn't that mean that his disciples should also have such respect for him?

Although these Shangqing disciples lacked spiritual cultivation, their ability to read people and situations was quite good, honed from years of experience in the primordial wilderness.

Based on just a few words from Tongtian, he immediately understood the other party's attitude towards Guangchengzi. The immortal who originally wanted to rebuke Guangchengzi immediately stopped talking and wanted to say something else.

Come to think of it, there are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, immortals in the Shangqing realm. In the past, they would at most exchange a few words with one or two close friends. How could they possibly have such a strong sense of shared hatred and indignation? It was just a show for Tongtian.

Now that Tongtian no longer wants to watch, they naturally won't do it anymore.

After Guang Chengzi finished speaking, he waited outside the palace with the White Crane Boy. He thought it would take a long time to enter, but unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, a tall female immortal came out.

The female fairy had red lips and white teeth, and her eyebrows were naturally black. She wore a lotus-colored dress with a golden scepter tied around her waist. She was fresh and beautiful. Before she even got close, a faint fragrance wafted over, just like the thousands of acres of lotus fields below, making people's eyes light up.

The visitor was none other than Yunxiao, the eldest of the Three Immortals.

Guang Chengzi was slightly surprised to see that it was Yunxiao who personally greeted him. After all, everyone knew that although Tongtian only had four personal disciples, Yunxiao was no less favored than these four.

He has the favor of a personal disciple, but not the responsibilities of one, which shows how much Tongtian values ​​Yunxiao.

Moreover, Yunxiao was not arrogant or spoiled. She was humble and polite, and although she had profound cultivation, she was very gentle. She had a very high reputation in the Shangqing lineage, second only to Duobao, and could be considered another senior sister.

Even her three direct female disciples, namely Jinling Shengmu, Guiling Shengmu, and Wudang Shengmu, regarded Yunxiao as their elder sister, which shows how charming this female immortal was.

But now that Tongtian has actually sent Yunxiao to personally greet him, it's clear that Tongtian isn't really angry, which puts Guangchengzi at ease.

Yunxiao didn't give Guangchengzi, who had a grudge against her third sister, a cold shoulder. Instead, she respectfully curtsied and said, "Yunxiao greets Senior Brother Guangchengzi. I wonder how you have been these days?"

Guang Chengzi returned the greeting and said, "Greetings, Junior Sister Yunxiao. I have been doing well lately, but there is one urgent matter that requires me to pay my respects to Uncle Tongtian. Please inform him for me."

Yunxiao smiled slightly, her smile as beautiful as a hundred flowers in full bloom: "My master already knew of your purpose, senior brother, which is why he sent me to invite you to the palace. Please, senior brother, take your time and come with me."

Guang Chengzi nodded in agreement, and asked Baihe Tongzi to wait for him before entering Biyou Palace with Yunxiao.

Biyou Palace is completely different from Yuxu Palace. If Yuxu Palace is a majestic palace with strict rules in every aspect, then Biyou Palace is a carefree palace in the world, where freedom and ease are found only here.

Even though it was his first time entering, and he was about to meet Tongtian, Guang Chengzi unconsciously relaxed. His heart felt as soft and comfortable as if it were soaking in warm water, and he was extremely happy.

"No wonder everyone wants to become a disciple of Tongtian Sect. The atmosphere of Biyou Palace alone is enough to subdue countless arrogant and unruly people. It truly offers great freedom and ease!"

By observing only a part of the scene, Guang Chengzi could discern what kind of person Tongtian was simply by looking at the atmosphere of Biyou Palace.

Indeed, compared to the rule-abiding Yuanshi Tianzun, Tongtian, who values ​​freedom and spontaneity, is certainly more lovable.

After all, nobody wants to have a noose around their neck, but correspondingly, such a practice will also attract the attention of shady characters who think they can use it to have a powerful backer who will not be punished for their misdeeds.

However, this is indeed the case in reality.

As soon as he entered, Guang Chengzi noticed dozens of malicious gazes, which were probably from people who were on good terms with Chang Er Ding Guang Xian.

Guang Chengzi ignored all these gazes, and instead bowed to the most supreme and noble person at the very top, saying, "Guang Chengzi greets Uncle Tongtian, may Uncle Tongtian enjoy boundless blessings and eternal peace!"

Tongtian smiled and nodded, saying, "It's good that you have this intention. Get up. You are carrying out your master's orders, so you must have come here for a reason. Tell me what your purpose is."

Upon hearing this, Guang Chengzi immediately raised a long sword high and sighed, "Uncle-Master, I just had a brief exchange with Junior Sister Guiling, not for the sake of fighting, but only to discuss the law."

Unexpectedly, the situation took an unexpected turn. Junior Sister Guiling went ahead, and the disciple was unable to keep up for a while. He had no choice but to put away the sword first. However, the sword was precious and was personally bestowed by his master, so the disciple could not take more than necessary.

After much deliberation, I decided that I should first submit my request to Biyou Palace and seek my master's decree. That is why I have shamelessly come to bother you. Please forgive me, master, and also forgive my previous disrespect.

After speaking, Guang Chengzi lowered his head, awaiting Tongtian's judgment. He maintained a very good posture and spoke with great reason, showing no arrogance whatsoever.

Even though the Tai'a sword was confiscated, and it should have belonged to Guang Chengzi, he did not keep it for himself. Instead, he returned it to Biyou Palace, which can be considered as having its reasons.

Even some Shangqing immortals who harbored ill will towards Guang Chengzi had to praise him as a true immortal of morality.

Looking at the Tai'a sword, Tongtian felt a pang of nostalgia, as if he were seeing the Guiling Mother of the past. But in the end, he waved his hand slightly and struck the sword into Guangchengzi's waist instead.

"Now that you have obtained this sword, it is yours. You can keep it for now. As for whether to use it, throw it away, or give it to your disciple, that is entirely up to you. You don't need to ask me."

Tongtian said, "My path follows the way of Heaven, which emphasizes that all things have a glimmer of hope and cannot be completely eliminated. Even the things I bestow have the potential to be transformed into something else."

Guang Chengzi was nodding in agreement with the previous sentence, but Tongtian's next words seemed incoherent, as if they came out of nowhere.

Even Guang Chengzi was somewhat confused, and could only agree, saying, "Uncle-Master is absolutely right. There is no situation in the world where there is no certain death. No matter what situation you are in, there is always a way out."

Tongtian nodded slightly, then began to recount the Great Dao of Intercepting Heaven, neither saying that Guangchengzi could walk it nor that he couldn't, as if he had suddenly forgotten about it.

Tongtian remained silent, and Guangchengzi had no choice but to sit on the ground and listen to Tongtian explain the Great Dao.

In any case, listening to the Great Dao of Heaven is a rare opportunity, and Guang Chengzi was happy to see it happen.

As he listened, Guang Chengzi also realized the stark difference between the Great Dao of Heaven and the Great Dao of Heaven, which were indeed like fire and water, irreconcilable.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably choose one of these two paths to listen to, rather than listening to both at the same time. Otherwise, the conflicting insights would likely result in a disturbance of their magical power.

But Guang Chengzi felt that even though they were like fire and water, there was still a way for them to coexist and harmonize. Yin and Yang were so different, yet they still coexisted and helped each other.

Therefore, he listened very attentively, wanting to transform himself into the Yin-Yang Taiji, to jointly encompass the Dao of Chantian and Jietian.

Guang Chengzi frowned, listening intently to the Heavenly Dao Sound. In a daze, he felt an extremely sharp Dao rushing into his Dead Sea. As soon as it entered, it began to eagerly declare its sovereignty, wanting to expel all heretics.

However, this action also aroused the disgust of a nearly transparent avenue, which also rushed out directly to clash with this extremely sharp avenue.

This great road is naturally the Great Road of Expounding Heaven.

The Great Dao of Explaining Heaven emphasizes replacing the will of Heaven with one's own heart and the way of Heaven with one's own way. Everything is changed in the gentle breeze and rain, subtly influencing all things and silently entering the night with the wind.

The Great Dao of Intercepting Heaven is extremely powerful, breaking through all obstacles. Even if Heaven and Earth want to destroy this Dao, its life force will be cut off to prolong its life. It is lawless and acts recklessly.

The moment these two roads met, they exploded like thunderbolts striking fire.

It instantly transformed into a divine dragon, constantly battling within Guang Chengzi's mind. Sometimes it was the Great Dao of Explaining Heaven annihilating the Great Dao of Intercepting Heaven, and sometimes it was the Great Dao of Intercepting Heaven intercepting and killing the Great Dao of Explaining Heaven.

This is practically a battlefield in Guang Chengzi's sea of ​​consciousness, where a distinction must be made between the noble and the lowly!

If both of these paths were like water without roots, then the fighting wouldn't last long before they dissipated.

Unfortunately, the Great Dao of Explaining Heaven has the Jade Void Treasure Box as its origin, while the Great Dao of Intercepting Heaven is constantly being told by Tongtian. Neither of them are without roots or origins, and it is unknown how long this battle of the Great Daos will last before it stops.

Guang Chengzi's consciousness, under the ravages of these two great paths, was like duckweed in the wind or a boat on the sea, as if a great storm could completely overturn him.

But this fragile consciousness persevered in this great struggle, invincible, like a reef in a raging storm, unmoved by wind and rain.

Gradually, as these two paths competed and pulled against each other, golden light began to emerge from Guang Chengzi's consciousness.

Immortal Golden Nature! He's actually about to break through to Golden Immortal like this!

Tongtian, who was explaining the Great Dao, realized that Guangchengzi was about to break through his realm. He had a sudden thought and thought to himself, "I can't let it happen so early. If I sit idly by, I'm afraid my second brother will tear me apart."

Tongtian flicked his finger slightly, and a cloud of energy flew out from the cloud bed beneath him, directly surging into Guangchengzi's body and forcefully suppressing the immortal golden energy that was about to burst forth.

With Tongtian's intervention, Guang Chengzi's opportunity to break through vanished. His will continued to be pulled by the two great paths in his sea of ​​consciousness, and whenever he tried to break through, he was immediately forced back to his original form.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be furious beyond measure. After all, the opportunity to break through is so precious. It is already a stroke of luck to have it happen once, let alone several times.

As a result of being sabotaged time and time again, he naturally hated the other party to the point of wanting to kill their entire family, but Guang Chengzi was different.

With the attention of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, he naturally wouldn't break through so easily. Instead, he would suppress himself relentlessly until he could no longer hold back before attempting a breakthrough.

This is accumulating potential, waiting for the day it explodes.

If you can break through, then do it now. If you squander your potential too early, you'll only be able to wait for divine intervention if you want to break through again in the future.