After Hongjun merged with the Way of Heaven inside Violet Heaven Palace, a thin silver film covered Tongtian's body. Due to her comprehending the Law of Time, her comprehension took much longer, but time flowed much faster for her. As a result, she awoke earlier than the others.
Tongtian saw her brothers were both in a state of enlightenment. She glanced at the others and saw it was the same for everyone else. With a wave of her hands, she covered Laozi and Yuanshi in silver bubbles. Not long after, they opened their eyes. They saw the wading silver bubble and turned towards Tongtian to give her their thanks, but Tongtian held a finger to her lips. She motioned towards the other three thousand gods and outside.
The three nodded and disappeared from the main hall of Violet Heaven Palace without disturbing anyone. Once outside, they saw the Sealed Treasure Stone. Hundreds of spiritual artifacts floated above, covered in seven-colored radiance.
Tongtian's Good and Evil Corpses appeared and helped her grab the treasures. Laozi's and Yuanshi's eyes lit up upon seeing her action and followed suit.
Inside, Jieyin's eyes regain clarity. He paused and looked around. When he discovered the Three Purities missing, he said, "Not good."
He shook Zhunti and pulled him out of Violet Heaven Palace. His actions awakened Nuwa from her comprehension. Her brows furrowed, and she shook Fuxi awake.
Before she exited Violet Heaven Palace, Kong Xuan flew out while dragging his brother, Jinchi. This set off a chain reaction as Di Jun, Taiyi, Dong Wanggong, Xi Wangmu, and all the other guests quickly flew out.
Upon exiting, they saw the Three Purities madly grabbing treasures with their main body and Corpses. Spurred by a sense of urgency, they also rushed to grab the treasures. Attaining treasures didn't just mean getting powerful tools but also the material needed to sever their three thoughts.
Most of the three thousand gods didn't have a single innate spiritual artifact, much less a top-grade one like the Three Purities. The ones grabbing them with the most ferocity were Jieyin and Zhunit, not for themselves but for the whole West.
After retrieving a certain amount, Tongtian discovered that she couldn't grab any more of the treasures from the Sealed Treasure Stone. Reluctantly, she retreated, but she was still happy as she counted her gains.
Most of the ninety spiritual artifacts were middle or low-grade innate spiritual artifacts, but there were a few exceptions. Notable artifacts included the Twenty-Four Sea Calming Pearls, Four Direction Pagoda, Sun-Moon Pearl, Chaos Hammer, and the top-grade innate Apricot Flag of Central Infinity. But what she liked the most were two artifacts broken from one.
One looked like a sword with a blade formed of thirteen spine segments, and the other was a whip with fifteen segments, the Kunwu Sword and Whip. Although the two were broken, Tongtian had the confidence to restore them.
Yuanshi's harvest wasn't bad either. He got the Soul Felling Bell, Azure Lotus Flag of East Treasured Light, Yin-Yang Mirror, Jade Mirage Lamp, Godpiercing Saber, Fire-Wind Wheel, Male-Female Swords, Qiankun Ring, and many more.
Laozi got the Fire-Wind Prayer Mat, Eight Trigrams Cauldron, Eight Scenic Lantern, Shimmering Golden Rope, and the Seven Star Sword. Among the three, he got the least, but the overall quality was higher.
With treasure in hand, Tongtian had the spare effort to see what everyone else got. She saw that Nuwa got the Demon Banner, which she would later merge with the immortal gourd she got to create the Demon Summoning Banner. She saw Kong Xuan grab the Red Radiance Flag of South Transience.
Redcloud Ancestor was relatively unlucky as several gods purposely or inadvertently prevented him from grabbing any of the treasures, frustrating him to no end. His ever-present smile had even turned into a frown.
When about half the treasures had been taken, they turned into streams of light and flew into the Great Desolation. They recalled the Dao Ancestor's words. If they had fate with the treasures, they could try their luck.
It seemed that the rest of the treasures didn't have fate with them, but how could they be willing to give up so easily?
The Great Dao is fifty; the Eye of Heaven is forty-nine; the last one escaped.
Without trying, how could they know that they weren't the one that escaped?
The majority of the gods left, leaving only a few. Even Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa, Fuxi, Di Jun, and Taiyi left. Taiyi took one last glance at the Three Purities before leaving. If looks could kill, Yuanshi would have killed him a hundred times.
Tongtian glanced at Violet Heaven Palace and watched Haotian and Yaochi close the gates for what may be eons. After hesitating for a moment, she bowed toward the person no longer sitting on the cloud throne.
Laozi and Yuanshi followed her action upon seeing her action. When the Three Purities straightened their backs, the fourth person who hadn't left came forward.
"Daoist Tongtian, Daoist Yuanshi, Daoist Laozi," Minghe said.
"Daoist Minghe, is there something you need?" Tongtian asked.
"It's like this," Minghe started to explain his purpose. He had the white lotus from transacting with Tongtian, and he could nurture another red lotus with time, but he was missing the final lotus. It just so happened that Jieyin got the Twelfth-Ranked Golden Lotus of Merit.
Just because Hongjun's Way of Three Corpses could only let the cultivator become a saint with the Grandmist Violet Qi, it didn't mean it was useless. On the contrary, it was beneficial. It increased their strength and allowed them to comprehend the laws more easily.
And wasn't there still a chance to grab a Grandmist Violet Qi?
"The way I see, as long as we join forces, we can grab four lotus seeds from Daoist Jieyin," Minghe said. "Are you willing?"
"Join forces? If we wanted the golden lotus seed, we three are more than enough," Yuanshi said, poking a hole in Minghe's plans.
"I'm sorry, Daoist Minghe, we can't participate in your plans. At least on the surface, Jieyin and Zhunti are our junior brothers, and it wouldn't be just to force them to hand over the golden lotus seeds," Tongtian said.
Who was he kidding? Offending Jieyin and Zhunti for a lotus seed they didn't need was not worth it at all.
"I see," Minghe said while forcing a smile. "I’m sorry for bothering fellow Daoists."
"Wait a moment," Tongtian called out as he turned to leave. "In my view, the West is barren, and Daoist Jieyin and Zhunti should not be averse to trading a few lotus seeds for treasure."
"But you should act quickly. If the two become Saints, it might be too late," Tongtian advised.
Minghe's eyes widened, and he cupped his fist. "Thank you, Daoist Tongtian. I hadn't realized such a method was feasible."
After he left, Yuanshi turned towards Tongtian. "Why did you help him when there are no benefits?"
"There aren't any demerits either, so why not?" Tongtian returned.
With everything done, the Three Purities started flying towards the Great Desolation. But before they left, Tongtian turned towards the Sealed Treasure Stone and stored it.
Inside Violet Heaven Palace, Haotian and Yaochi had retired to their rooms. Not even they could see Hongjun as they liked, but a figure suddenly appeared on the cloud throne again. Hongjun stared into the distance, specifically at Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Kong Xuan, who had returned to the Great Desolation.
"Variables?" he muttered.
Hongjun closed his eyes and vanished once more.
The Three Purities returned to Three Purity Palace on Kunlun Mountain. In Three Purity Hall, all three siblings sat and discussed their future.
"Becoming a Saint grants one longevity equal to heaven and earth, but I don't want to be shackled," Tongtian said, expressing her views.
"Third Sister, your words are too extreme. Father God created heaven and earth. Becoming a Saint is akin to returning to his embrace," Yuanshi chided.
"Father God did create us, but we are no longer part of him. We are us, not him," Tongtian said.
Yuanshi frowned. "Third Sister has a point, but Father God has given us much, and we must help heaven and earth prosper."
Hearing him say that, Tongtian frowned. After her epiphany from watching the Dao Ancestor merge with the Way of Heaven, she received some information about the general trend of heaven. The Great Desolation will undergo nine great tribulations.
The ninth tribulation was the last one, the Immeasurable Tribulation. Once the Great Desolation overcame it, it would become eternal and no longer undergo any more tribulations. On the flip side, it was more dangerous than all the previous combined, and there was a high chance of failure.
Heaven and earth would be destroyed after failing the Immeasurable Tribulation. The destruction of heaven and earth would mean the death of all Saints. Tongtian didn't want to die. She would rather become a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin.
The Dao Ancestor didn't explicitly say it, but Golden Immortals of Primordial Origin should be equal to chaos fiendgod, which meant they could survive in the chaos without the need of a world like the Great Desolation.
Tongtian turned towards Laozi. "What does Eldest Brother think?"
"We cannot escape the truth that we are transformed from the creator's spirit. And the Three Purities must become Saints," Laozi said, "However, that doesn't mean there isn't a method to stay unfettered while becoming a Saint."
"Please enlighten me," Tongtian said
"Merge the Three Corpses into one and entrust the Grandmist Violet Qi to it. The Corpse becomes a Saint while we pursue to become unfettered Golden Immortals of Primordial Origin," Laozi said.
"Is it possible?" Yuanshi asked. "Although the Corpses come from us, their foundation is a bit lacking."
"I do not know. We can only take it one step at a time," Laozi said. "Before worrying about whether or not a Corpse can become a Saint, we still need to find a way to become Golden Immortals of the Primordial Origin."
"I already have an idea. Hongjun's way is ultimately not my own," Tongtian said. "I plan to take inspiration from the Way of Three Corpses. Instead of severing my thoughts, I will sever my past, present, and future from the River of Time; and become unique, the one and only me."
"Third Sister comprehends the Law of Time, so this method is suitable for you." Laozi turned to Yuanshi. "What about Second Brother?"
"I still plan on becoming a Saint of Heaven," Yuanshi said. Neither Laozi nor Tongtian went against his decision. Just as their decisions were theirs, so was Yuanshi's.
All Three Purities returned to their own hall and prepared to become Saints or Golden Immortals of Primordial Origin. All of them waited for the green lotus seeds to become Ninth-Ranked Green Lotuses of Good Fortune.
Inside Eminence Heavenly Palace, Di Jun's expression turned ugly as he learned of what happened during the Dao Ancestor's final sermon.
The Fox Clan, among many other remaining members of the Hundred Clans, planned to join Heavenly Court. A few chose to join Violet Manor, but the alliance of ten thousand immortals wasn't satisfied.
Thus, Violet Manor, under the lead of Shangxia Ancestor, attacked the clans that refused to join them. They forced the clan members to become their mounts and seized the defeated's treasury.
"Dong Wanggong, you really don't want to live anymore, do you?" Di Jun said through gritted teeth. In his eyes, Dong Wanggong planned the assault beforehand to take advantage of the fact that the Heavenly Court was without a leader during the Dao Ancestor's sermon.
He discounted the idea that Violet Manor attacked without Dong Wanggong's knowledge. After all, Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu couldn't be that ignorant, could they?
However, now wasn't the time to attack. Many of them gained a lot of treasures from the Sealed Treasure Stone and focused on entering the Quasi-Saint Realm. Di Jun didn't mind; they still hadn't refined all the formation flags for the Starry Sky War Array yet, either.
Even if Violet Manor added a few more Quasi-Saints, it would fall under the might of the Starry Sky War Array and the Ten Thousand Immortal Formation too!
During this time, a major event occurred that left Di Jun with an ugly expression.
"Father God above, we are the Titan Tribe! We see that the land is full of disorder and disrespect for Father God. We will police and direct all creatures to the correct path!"
Di Jiang's voice echoed through the Great Desolation, even the Thirty-Three Heavens and Starry Sky. Immediately after, a massive amount of golden clouds of merit, only slightly inferior to the one that appeared during the establishment of Heavenly Court, gathered above the Titan Tribe and descended.
Tongtian only made a note of the event. She wasn't part of the Titan Tribe or Heavenly Court, so why should she care? Right now, Yuanshi was still refining the formation flags for the Pangu Genesis Formation, but she didn't want to wait anymore.
Who knew when Violet Manor would fall? After its brief period of glory, it fell to the bottom of all three forces again.
She only stayed so long to wait for the green lotus to mature. Once it did so, she immediately flew towards the East Sea. Once she almost reached the shores, she felt something call out to her.
Tongtian flew towards the origin of the sensation and discovered a spiritual mountain full of essence. With her gaze, she could see that an unfinished treasure was gestating.
Before she could smile, she saw three uninvited guests: Nuwa, Kong Xuan, and Jinchi.
After Hongjun merged with the Way of Heaven inside Violet Heaven Palace, a thin silver film covered Tongtian's body. Due to her comprehending the Law of Time, her comprehension took much longer, but time flowed much faster for her. As a result, she awoke earlier than the others.
Tongtian saw her brothers were both in a state of enlightenment. She glanced at the others and saw it was the same for everyone else. With a wave of her hands, she covered Laozi and Yuanshi in silver bubbles. Not long after, they opened their eyes. They saw the wading silver bubble and turned towards Tongtian to give her their thanks, but Tongtian held a finger to her lips. She motioned towards the other three thousand gods and outside.
The three nodded and disappeared from the main hall of Violet Heaven Palace without disturbing anyone. Once outside, they saw the Sealed Treasure Stone. Hundreds of spiritual artifacts floated above, covered in seven-colored radiance.
Tongtian's Good and Evil Corpses appeared and helped her grab the treasures. Laozi's and Yuanshi's eyes lit up upon seeing her action and followed suit.
Inside, Jieyin's eyes regain clarity. He paused and looked around. When he discovered the Three Purities missing, he said, "Not good."
He shook Zhunti and pulled him out of Violet Heaven Palace. His actions awakened Nuwa from her comprehension. Her brows furrowed, and she shook Fuxi awake.
Before she exited Violet Heaven Palace, Kong Xuan flew out while dragging his brother, Jinchi. This set off a chain reaction as Di Jun, Taiyi, Dong Wanggong, Xi Wangmu, and all the other guests quickly flew out.
Upon exiting, they saw the Three Purities madly grabbing treasures with their main body and Corpses. Spurred by a sense of urgency, they also rushed to grab the treasures. Attaining treasures didn't just mean getting powerful tools but also the material needed to sever their three thoughts.
Most of the three thousand gods didn't have a single innate spiritual artifact, much less a top-grade one like the Three Purities. The ones grabbing them with the most ferocity were Jieyin and Zhunit, not for themselves but for the whole West.
After retrieving a certain amount, Tongtian discovered that she couldn't grab any more of the treasures from the Sealed Treasure Stone. Reluctantly, she retreated, but she was still happy as she counted her gains.
Most of the ninety spiritual artifacts were middle or low-grade innate spiritual artifacts, but there were a few exceptions. Notable artifacts included the Twenty-Four Sea Calming Pearls, Four Direction Pagoda, Sun-Moon Pearl, Chaos Hammer, and the top-grade innate Apricot Flag of Central Infinity. But what she liked the most were two artifacts broken from one.
One looked like a sword with a blade formed of thirteen spine segments, and the other was a whip with fifteen segments, the Kunwu Sword and Whip. Although the two were broken, Tongtian had the confidence to restore them.
Yuanshi's harvest wasn't bad either. He got the Soul Felling Bell, Azure Lotus Flag of East Treasured Light, Yin-Yang Mirror, Jade Mirage Lamp, Godpiercing Saber, Fire-Wind Wheel, Male-Female Swords, Qiankun Ring, and many more.
Laozi got the Fire-Wind Prayer Mat, Eight Trigrams Cauldron, Eight Scenic Lantern, Shimmering Golden Rope, and the Seven Star Sword. Among the three, he got the least, but the overall quality was higher.
With treasure in hand, Tongtian had the spare effort to see what everyone else got. She saw that Nuwa got the Demon Banner, which she would later merge with the immortal gourd she got to create the Demon Summoning Banner. She saw Kong Xuan grab the Red Radiance Flag of South Transience.
Redcloud Ancestor was relatively unlucky as several gods purposely or inadvertently prevented him from grabbing any of the treasures, frustrating him to no end. His ever-present smile had even turned into a frown.
When about half the treasures had been taken, they turned into streams of light and flew into the Great Desolation. They recalled the Dao Ancestor's words. If they had fate with the treasures, they could try their luck.
It seemed that the rest of the treasures didn't have fate with them, but how could they be willing to give up so easily?
The Great Dao is fifty; the Eye of Heaven is forty-nine; the last one escaped.
Without trying, how could they know that they weren't the one that escaped?
The majority of the gods left, leaving only a few. Even Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa, Fuxi, Di Jun, and Taiyi left. Taiyi took one last glance at the Three Purities before leaving. If looks could kill, Yuanshi would have killed him a hundred times.
Tongtian glanced at Violet Heaven Palace and watched Haotian and Yaochi close the gates for what may be eons. After hesitating for a moment, she bowed toward the person no longer sitting on the cloud throne.
Laozi and Yuanshi followed her action upon seeing her action. When the Three Purities straightened their backs, the fourth person who hadn't left came forward.
"Daoist Tongtian, Daoist Yuanshi, Daoist Laozi," Minghe said.
"Daoist Minghe, is there something you need?" Tongtian asked.
"It's like this," Minghe started to explain his purpose. He had the white lotus from transacting with Tongtian, and he could nurture another red lotus with time, but he was missing the final lotus. It just so happened that Jieyin got the Twelfth-Ranked Golden Lotus of Merit.
Just because Hongjun's Way of Three Corpses could only let the cultivator become a saint with the Grandmist Violet Qi, it didn't mean it was useless. On the contrary, it was beneficial. It increased their strength and allowed them to comprehend the laws more easily.
And wasn't there still a chance to grab a Grandmist Violet Qi?
"The way I see, as long as we join forces, we can grab four lotus seeds from Daoist Jieyin," Minghe said. "Are you willing?"
"Join forces? If we wanted the golden lotus seed, we three are more than enough," Yuanshi said, poking a hole in Minghe's plans.
"I'm sorry, Daoist Minghe, we can't participate in your plans. At least on the surface, Jieyin and Zhunti are our junior brothers, and it wouldn't be just to force them to hand over the golden lotus seeds," Tongtian said.
Who was he kidding? Offending Jieyin and Zhunti for a lotus seed they didn't need was not worth it at all.
"I see," Minghe said while forcing a smile. "I’m sorry for bothering fellow Daoists."
"Wait a moment," Tongtian called out as he turned to leave. "In my view, the West is barren, and Daoist Jieyin and Zhunti should not be averse to trading a few lotus seeds for treasure."
"But you should act quickly. If the two become Saints, it might be too late," Tongtian advised.
Minghe's eyes widened, and he cupped his fist. "Thank you, Daoist Tongtian. I hadn't realized such a method was feasible."
After he left, Yuanshi turned towards Tongtian. "Why did you help him when there are no benefits?"
"There aren't any demerits either, so why not?" Tongtian returned.
With everything done, the Three Purities started flying towards the Great Desolation. But before they left, Tongtian turned towards the Sealed Treasure Stone and stored it.
Inside Violet Heaven Palace, Haotian and Yaochi had retired to their rooms. Not even they could see Hongjun as they liked, but a figure suddenly appeared on the cloud throne again. Hongjun stared into the distance, specifically at Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Kong Xuan, who had returned to the Great Desolation.
"Variables?" he muttered.
Hongjun closed his eyes and vanished once more.
The Three Purities returned to Three Purity Palace on Kunlun Mountain. In Three Purity Hall, all three siblings sat and discussed their future.
"Becoming a Saint grants one longevity equal to heaven and earth, but I don't want to be shackled," Tongtian said, expressing her views.
"Third Sister, your words are too extreme. Father God created heaven and earth. Becoming a Saint is akin to returning to his embrace," Yuanshi chided.
"Father God did create us, but we are no longer part of him. We are us, not him," Tongtian said.
Yuanshi frowned. "Third Sister has a point, but Father God has given us much, and we must help heaven and earth prosper."
Hearing him say that, Tongtian frowned. After her epiphany from watching the Dao Ancestor merge with the Way of Heaven, she received some information about the general trend of heaven. The Great Desolation will undergo nine great tribulations.
The ninth tribulation was the last one, the Immeasurable Tribulation. Once the Great Desolation overcame it, it would become eternal and no longer undergo any more tribulations. On the flip side, it was more dangerous than all the previous combined, and there was a high chance of failure.
Heaven and earth would be destroyed after failing the Immeasurable Tribulation. The destruction of heaven and earth would mean the death of all Saints. Tongtian didn't want to die. She would rather become a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin.
The Dao Ancestor didn't explicitly say it, but Golden Immortals of Primordial Origin should be equal to chaos fiendgod, which meant they could survive in the chaos without the need of a world like the Great Desolation.
Tongtian turned towards Laozi. "What does Eldest Brother think?"
"We cannot escape the truth that we are transformed from the creator's spirit. And the Three Purities must become Saints," Laozi said, "However, that doesn't mean there isn't a method to stay unfettered while becoming a Saint."
"Please enlighten me," Tongtian said
"Merge the Three Corpses into one and entrust the Grandmist Violet Qi to it. The Corpse becomes a Saint while we pursue to become unfettered Golden Immortals of Primordial Origin," Laozi said.
"Is it possible?" Yuanshi asked. "Although the Corpses come from us, their foundation is a bit lacking."
"I do not know. We can only take it one step at a time," Laozi said. "Before worrying about whether or not a Corpse can become a Saint, we still need to find a way to become Golden Immortals of the Primordial Origin."
"I already have an idea. Hongjun's way is ultimately not my own," Tongtian said. "I plan to take inspiration from the Way of Three Corpses. Instead of severing my thoughts, I will sever my past, present, and future from the River of Time; and become unique, the one and only me."
"Third Sister comprehends the Law of Time, so this method is suitable for you." Laozi turned to Yuanshi. "What about Second Brother?"
"I still plan on becoming a Saint of Heaven," Yuanshi said. Neither Laozi nor Tongtian went against his decision. Just as their decisions were theirs, so was Yuanshi's.
All Three Purities returned to their own hall and prepared to become Saints or Golden Immortals of Primordial Origin. All of them waited for the green lotus seeds to become Ninth-Ranked Green Lotuses of Good Fortune.
Inside Eminence Heavenly Palace, Di Jun's expression turned ugly as he learned of what happened during the Dao Ancestor's final sermon.
The Fox Clan, among many other remaining members of the Hundred Clans, planned to join Heavenly Court. A few chose to join Violet Manor, but the alliance of ten thousand immortals wasn't satisfied.
Thus, Violet Manor, under the lead of Shangxia Ancestor, attacked the clans that refused to join them. They forced the clan members to become their mounts and seized the defeated's treasury.
"Dong Wanggong, you really don't want to live anymore, do you?" Di Jun said through gritted teeth. In his eyes, Dong Wanggong planned the assault beforehand to take advantage of the fact that the Heavenly Court was without a leader during the Dao Ancestor's sermon.
He discounted the idea that Violet Manor attacked without Dong Wanggong's knowledge. After all, Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu couldn't be that ignorant, could they?
However, now wasn't the time to attack. Many of them gained a lot of treasures from the Sealed Treasure Stone and focused on entering the Quasi-Saint Realm. Di Jun didn't mind; they still hadn't refined all the formation flags for the Starry Sky War Array yet, either.
Even if Violet Manor added a few more Quasi-Saints, it would fall under the might of the Starry Sky War Array and the Ten Thousand Immortal Formation too!
During this time, a major event occurred that left Di Jun with an ugly expression.
"Father God above, we are the Titan Tribe! We see that the land is full of disorder and disrespect for Father God. We will police and direct all creatures to the correct path!"
Di Jiang's voice echoed through the Great Desolation, even the Thirty-Three Heavens and Starry Sky. Immediately after, a massive amount of golden clouds of merit, only slightly inferior to the one that appeared during the establishment of Heavenly Court, gathered above the Titan Tribe and descended.
Tongtian only made a note of the event. She wasn't part of the Titan Tribe or Heavenly Court, so why should she care? Right now, Yuanshi was still refining the formation flags for the Pangu Genesis Formation, but she didn't want to wait anymore.
Who knew when Violet Manor would fall? After its brief period of glory, it fell to the bottom of all three forces again.
She only stayed so long to wait for the green lotus to mature. Once it did so, she immediately flew towards the East Sea. Once she almost reached the shores, she felt something call out to her.
Tongtian flew towards the origin of the sensation and discovered a spiritual mountain full of essence. With her gaze, she could see that an unfinished treasure was gestating.
Before she could smile, she saw three uninvited guests: Nuwa, Kong Xuan, and Jinchi.
