On Kunlun Mountain, Lao Tzu looked up, not with blame. The Three Pure Ones were one; even if Yuanshi was pointed at by everyone, the Three Pure Ones would forever stand together.
Tongtian was the same. His handsome, drawn brows lifted as he looked toward the East Sea.
All the great powers in the world knew that the Dragon Clan had another hidden ancestor who never appeared in public. What Yuanshi provoked was not the Four Seas Dragon Palace, but that ancestor.
This was not just a dispute over face, but a clash between the era of saints and the primeval era.
All the great powers in the world believed that the Six Saints had not yet become saints, thus the era of saints had not yet arrived.
But they were all wrong.
For Hongjun was the first saint! From the moment Hongjun became a saint, the era of saints descended upon heaven, earth, and the Primordial World, proclaiming it to countless beings.
Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, emerged from the Dragon Palace and respectfully performed the rites, making no mistakes and showing no disrespect. "The Dragon King of the East Sea pays respects to the saint."
Yuanshi nodded gently and said, "I wish to take nine dragons as my chariot. Does the Dragon King agree?"
This was asking for the opinion of the head of the Dragon Clan lineage. Ao Guang understood that if he nodded, even the ancestor himself would have no recourse.
In the era of saints, etiquette and reason prevailed throughout the land, educating all beings. The law of the jungle, where the strong preyed on the weak, was hidden beneath the laws and rituals, no longer so obvious.
If it were the primeval era, Yuanshi could have simply snatched them away, and no one would have dared to say anything. Although even now, Yuanshi could leave directly without anyone daring to speak to his face, who knew if they would gossip behind his back?
This would mean losing face and dignity, being accused of bullying the weak with his power.
Although the era of saints appeared to be a hypocritical era of laws and rituals, it was precisely these laws and rituals that saved countless beings, preventing the strong from arbitrarily slaughtering the weak and the old from easily bullying the young.
All beings in heaven and earth had the freedom to survive, and all beings in heaven and earth had self-respect.
Even if it was only freedom and dignity within certain limits, could anyone in modern times, like Qing Ling had experienced, truly claim complete freedom and dignity?
In this world where magical powers were invincible, the systems of the modern era were utterly impractical. The differences between ethics and heavenly principles, selfish pursuits and universal love, infinite divine abilities and technological rules were the reasons why great powers of the Primordial World, even with infinite wisdom, would not pursue modernization.
Modernization was advanced in a world without supernatural powers, but it was not necessarily advanced in the highest plane of the Primordial World.
The era of saints had endured for countless years precisely because it was recognized by all beings in heaven and earth.
The rule of saints was not rule by divine abilities and magical powers, but by the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, the ultimate principles of the Great Dao, and the ultimate principles of the self, spreading throughout the Primordial World and educating endless beings.
These were insights Qing Ling had gained from his wisdom as a supreme being of the Thirtieth Heaven and the fragmented memories of his past life as a human. He had not kept them to himself, but had also imparted some to the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.
As soon as Ao Guang paid his respects, he adopted the demeanor of a junior. Even a saint would not fault him.
Now, Yuanshi asking for his will was also a matter of propriety.
Ao Guang felt a hint of bitterness in his heart. He could not afford to offend a saint.
However, if the Nine Dragons did not return, the Dragon Clan would surely be ridiculed by all races, seen as weak and easily bullied.
"This humble dragon dares not defy the saint's wishes, but the Nine Dragons' bloodline belongs to our clan and cannot be severed. This humble dragon is willing to offer one beast as a representative for the saint."
Having said that, Ao Guang quickly waved his hand, not giving Yuanshi a chance to speak, and a strange beast emerged from the sea.
Yuanshi turned his head to look. The sea parted, waves surged, and a young beast that resembled a dragon but not a dragon, a tiger but not a tiger, a dog but not a dog, and a deer but not a deer emerged. Its large eyes looked at Yuanshi with curiosity.
Yuanshi's eyebrows twitched as he looked at Ao Guang.
Ao Guang understood and quickly explained, "Reporting to the saint, this beast possesses the might of a dragon, the ferocity of a tiger, the loyalty of a dog, and the intelligence of a deer. It was born in a place where the destinies of the four races converge. It is a wondrous beast of heaven and earth, the only one of its kind throughout the ages!"
Yuanshi looked at the half-grown creature, which resembled a 'four unlike' (四不像). He extended his hand, and with a hop of its hooves, the creature shrank and leaped into Yuanshi's palm. Its large, watery eyes continuously appraised its owner's hand.
"Very well. Since you have this beast to gift me, I shall not take these nine little dragons. Their fate will depend on their own fortune."
Ao Guang's heart rejoiced. He had not expected Yuanshi to be so accommodating.
But then, a voice from below among the Nine Dragons suddenly surprised everyone.
"This humble dragon is willing to follow the saint. I beg the saint to take me in!"
Ao Guang was stunned and felt resigned. "So be it, it's just a little dragon."
Yuanshi heard this and said, "Oh? You have such a heart! Since that is the case, come forward!"
Among the Nine Dragons, a yellow dragon tens of feet long flew towards Yuanshi, to the astonishment of the other eight dragons.
Yuanshi smiled, a rare sight. "Good. You have a heart devoted to the Dao. You shall be my disciple! Do you accept?"
The yellow dragon joyfully said, "Disciple pays respects to master. May my master live forever!"
Yuanshi nodded, pointed with his hand, and the yellow dragon transformed into a youth. A whisk and a small banner appeared before him. "These two items are protective treasures I bestow upon you. Since your original form was a dragon, you shall keep your original name. Henceforth, you shall be known as Huang Long. When you attain the Taiyi fruit status, you shall make a fine True Person."
The youth was overjoyed and said, "Disciple Huang Long pays respects to master. Thank you, master, for bestowing treasure and title!"
Seeing the youth's honest demeanor, Yuanshi felt a sense of relief. "Since that is so, after tens of thousands of years outside the mountain, it is time to return."
Huang Long bowed thrice to the East Sea, bid farewell to his elders, and then rose to stand beside Yuanshi.
Huang Long said, "Master, this disciple wishes to serve as your mount."
Yuanshi was amused by his honest disciple's simple-mindedness. "I did not take a disciple to serve as a mount. The Nine Dragon Imperial Chariot can serve for that purpose."
Huang Long looked puzzled. "But master no longer has the Nine Dragons, and the four unlike is still young and would be too slow for transport."
Yuanshi chuckled. "The heavens and earth are vast. I am a saint to all beings, how could I lack beings to serve me? My word has been spoken, the spiritual treasures have been formed, the incense wood has been prepared. If the Nine Dragons do not appear now, when will they?"
"Buzz~"
Ten thousand acres of auspicious clouds rose in the sky, golden lamps flickered, and auspicious energies from all directions gathered like dragon clouds. Spirits arose in all eight directions of heaven and earth, the central Wuji essence contained within. Wind howled, rain fell, and nine golden dragons appeared.
The nine pure golden dragons roared to the sky, their dragon might vast, golden auspicious clouds spreading for ninety thousand li.
The Nine Dragons entered the chariot, the incense wood intoxicating. As the saint departed, the heavens and earth filled with exotic fragrance, myriad auspicious clouds, and ninety thousand li of auspicious colors. As the mighty saintly presence passed, all evil and demonic beings retreated.
Yuanshi Tianzun departed with Huang Long, leaving behind the eight dragons who were supposed to pull the chariot.
In the Ten Thousand Dragon Lair, the ancestor of the Yellow Dragons furrowed his brow. "It seems I underestimated Yuanshi."
Ao Guang stood stunned, unable to believe that the matter had been resolved so easily.
On the Jian Mu tree, Qing Ling looked eastward with neither joy nor anger. Yuanshi had gathered spirits with the auspicious energy of a saint, taking the will of heaven, and using golden lamps and auspicious clouds as his body to create the Nine Dragons as living beings.
Dragons were inherently rebellious against heaven, so how could there be a talk of creating dragons in accordance with heaven?
Yuanshi had broken through a realm. A layer of the Great Dao's mist had dissipated. He saw Qing Ling, who was beneath heaven's rebellion, and himself, who was in accordance with heaven.
Qing Ling had become Yuanshi's enemy on the Great Dao!
This was not a contest of Great Dao within the same path, but a struggle between two fundamentally opposing Great Daos.
It was like the conflict between Mu Gong and Shi Tian over the Great Dao of life and death, a higher-level struggle of Great Daos!
It was not wrong for beings to rebel against or conform to heaven, but the rebellion of supreme beings was different.
Qing Ling would not rebel against heaven; instead, he conformed to heaven, but he rebelled against the Heavenly Dao.
Yuanshi conformed to heaven, and also to the Heavenly Dao.
Qing Ling shook his head at the conflict of Great Daos. This was a trap set by the Heavenly Dao for Yuanshi, from which Yuanshi could not escape.
Unless, Yuanshi no longer wished to be this Heavenly Dao Saint!
The Heavenly Dao wished for the Primordial World to be powerful, yet also feared it becoming too powerful.
Therefore, to beings below the great powers, the Heavenly Dao was, to a certain extent, benevolent.
But towards those great powers who were extremely close to the Heavenly Dao, it was extremely wary and apprehensive.
Qing Ling was the latter. Yuanshi was the Heavenly Dao's means of restraint against him.