Sanqing descended the mountain. Yuanshi moved the fastest, soaring towards the sky, standing above the clouds to gaze down at the world, its myriad beings and their diverse lives, representing the most noble and supreme.
Laozi was the slowest, his green ox ambling along, Xuan Du leading it. Step by step, hoofbeat by hoofbeat, he watched dust rise and then settle. Laozi closed his eyes, cultivating his inner peace, embodying the natural way of the Dao.
Tongtian, with his single sword, a solitary swordsman, walked with unrestrained freedom, following his heart's desire, the epitome of elegance and ease.
Xuan Du led the ox, and though a thousand years had passed, their companionship of two beings and one beast remained unchanged.
Laozi needed no further explanation. Xuan Du had already reached the eighth level of Tai Luo Golden Immortal, the highest cultivation among the disciples of Kunlun's three lineages.
The green ox, nurtured by the spiritual energy of Kunlun, had cultivated for tens, even hundreds, of epochs and was only a single opportunity away from stepping into the realm of Da Luo Golden Immortal.
Thus, the two beings and the ox did not find a thousand years to be too long.
Within the Kunlun Daoist sect, the Sanqing did not solely follow Hongjun Daozu's method of severing three corpses. Instead, they integrated the ancient powers' path with Hongjun's teachings, merging the thirty-three levels of Da Luo Golden Immortal with the path of severing three corpses into a single, new lineage for the Kunlun Daoist sect.
The ten levels of Da Luo Golden Immortal and below were no longer referred to as Great Powers. Only those from the eleventh to the twentieth level, who had severed one corpse, were called Great Powers.
As for those who had severed two corpses, residing above the twentieth and below the thirtieth level of Da Luo Golden Immortal, they were revered as Old Ancestors.
These changes in titles and ranks were adopted by all cultivators in the realm in response to the grand shifts in the heavens and the earth.
Nowadays, Da Luo Golden Immortals were too numerous; if everyone were an Old Ancestor or Great Power, what rules, etiquette, or status would remain?
Xuan Du turned his head, but his steps did not falter. He asked, "Teacher, why, after walking for a thousand years, has no one sought me for guidance?"
Laozi shook his head. "It is they themselves who have missed this opportunity. If there is a destined one, they will naturally come. Look, is that not a seeker of the Dao approaching?"
Xuan Du turned to look ahead and saw a four-legged creature, no bigger than an arm, fleeing in a panic. Above it in the sky, a recently matured eagle with a wingspan of over half a zhang fixed its sharp eyes on the fleeing creature.
Seeing the eagle suddenly dive towards it, the four-legged creature, in its despair, spotted a human figure ahead.
Its heart leaped with joy. It scurried towards Xuan Du and opened its mouth, speaking human words: "Please, immortal elders, have mercy and save my life!"
Xuan Du was somewhat bewildered and looked to his teacher.
Laozi roused himself from his half-sleep and glanced at the eagle diving from above.
The eagle trembled. Such a calmly appearing, transformed being was likely at least a Heavenly Demon. It was not someone to be trifled with. With a twist of its wings, it flew away.
The four-legged creature witnessed this and, with delight, bowed. "Many thanks to the immortal elder for your compassion."
Laozi said lightly, "I did not save you, nor did I intervene. Do you still carry the aura of the eagle? If not, you would have found yourself in the same situation again."
The four-legged creature was startled and, its mind racing, prostrated itself. "This humble beast dares to ask the immortal elder to teach me!"
Laozi smiled. "The brave shall live, the timid shall perish."
Xuan Du observed this and understood in his heart. Although the eagle was more powerful than this creature, it had not dared to approach out of fear. This creature, facing death, had gambled with its life and won, thus gaining a chance for the Dao.
Laozi then said, "You wish for me to teach you, but what do you have to offer in return?"
The four-legged creature's face fell. It fell into deep thought, for it truly had nothing to trade.
Laozi chuckled softly. "Then offer me your tail."
The four-legged creature was shocked, but it could regrow a tail. Its life, however, was only one.
With a determined effort, it severed its tail and, enduring the pain, presented the bloodied appendage to Laozi.
Ordinary immortals would likely have disdained it, finding the scales and armor of such creatures crude and repulsive.
However, Laozi personally dismounted from the ox, accepted the short, blood-stained tail, and said solemnly, "Since you give this to me, I shall impart a minor art. You are naturally weaker than the eagle. I will not teach you a great power to kill eagles, for you would be unable to master it. All things in heaven and earth follow nature, and the method I teach you must also be so."
Saying this, Laozi flicked a finger. The four-legged creature's originally gray-brown body began to shift through the colors of azure, crimson, black, and green.
"If you encounter that eagle again, hide yourself upon another creature and change your colors to confuse its eyes. The eagle will then be unable to find you."
The four-legged creature's heart rejoiced. "Many thanks to the immortal for bestowing this art. Since it is about changing form and color, I shall call myself a Chameleon Dragon. What do you think, immortal elder?"
Laozi heard this and chuckled, "Good!"
The four-legged creature, now the Chameleon Dragon, respectfully bid Laozi farewell.
Xuan Du, puzzled, asked, "Teacher, how can a tiny insect be named a Dragon? Is it not afraid of perishing from bearing such a destiny?"
Laozi chuckled. "A dragon can be great or small, ascend or hide. Great, it can summon clouds and conjure mist; small, it can conceal its form in the depths. It can ascend to soar between the heavens and earth, or hide within the waves. It can also hide and conceal, has four legs and a tail, and dares to seek the Dao from me. It possesses a brave heart. Can it not be called a dragon?"
Xuan Du gladly accepted his teaching.
The two beings and the ox journeyed for another ten thousand years, encountering dozens more seekers of the Dao, from colossal beasts of the wilderness to insects smaller than the Chameleon Dragon.
Whenever asked, Laozi would exchange an object for teaching.
Whether it was a creature with legs, scales, or even a wild flower, Laozi accepted all gifts offered by the beasts.
The green ox, unable to contain itself, asked, "Great Master, your divine powers are vast, but what use are these objects? Why do you take them?"
Laozi stroked his beard and replied, "I take an object and impart the Dao to tell them a principle. There is gain, and there is loss. There is no causeless good or evil, hate or resentment in the world. Every word and deed has a price. Furthermore, I teach them the Dao, and they give me an object. There is cause, and there is effect. Thus, there is no cause and no effect."
Xuan Du then inquired, "Does Teacher not believe the Human Race is favored by the heavens and destined for great prosperity? Why not directly impart the Dao to them?"
Laozi answered, "My act of teaching is to enlighten all beings, to enlighten the Human Dao. To teach only one race or clan, in only one place, makes one a teacher or ancestor of only that place, a selfish pursuit. My establishment of the Human Teaching is for all beings of the Human Dao, not solely for the Human Race."
Laozi traveled, imparting myriad laws to myriad races, no two alike, yet all originating from the natural way of heaven and earth.
As Laozi's purpose became known to more races and beings, wherever he went, living creatures would present precious treasures and sincerely seek the Dao.
Laozi's reputation grew, and he was hailed as a Sage by one race after another.
One day, Laozi arrived at a high mountain cliff beneath a waterfall, where a human tribe came to pay their respects.
Laozi listened to the sounds of the mountains, streams, and rivers. He took a pouch from the myriad items he had received, bent down, and scooped up a bag of water. His robes were dampened by the stream, and his long beard, adorned with his hair ornament, became disheveled.
The chieftain of the approaching human tribe dared not show disrespect, respectfully holding a piece of goldstone, a treasure of their tribe, awaiting instruction. Behind him, over a hundred humans, women and children, old and young, accompanied them.
Laozi looked at the approaching humans. He did not speak, but merely weighed the bag of water in his hand and said to Xuan Du, "Pour back half of it into the stream."
Xuan Du, curious, asked, "Teacher, why?"
Laozi smiled, "I do not drink much. I will keep what suits my appetite, and the rest must return to the stream."
Xuan Du, hearing this, poured back half and then brought the bag back.
Laozi took the bag, drank the water within, and then stood up, walking before the humans.
The humans instantly knelt, even the young children being forcibly pulled down by their mothers.
The chieftain held out the goldstone and knelt, saying, "Please, Sage, teach my people the methods to defy the heavens!"
Laozi sighed upon hearing this. "Empress Nuwa created you humans. You only worship heaven, earth, the Holy Mother, and your elders. How can you worship me?"
The chieftain replied, "You teach myriad races myriad ways, making you a Sage to all. You should therefore also be an elder."
Laozi asked, "Why do you seek methods to defy the heavens?"
The chieftain replied with great sorrow, "The ancestors of our Human Race were created by the Holy Mother, possessing unparalleled aptitude. Later generations, however, were unable to master the ancient arts. We humans have become food for wild beasts and demons. We are powerless to avenge our loved ones, and there is no recourse. We plead to heaven, but it does not answer; we beg the earth, but it ignores us. We petition the Holy Mother, but she says it is this heaven and earth that have made us so, that this so-called Heavenly Dao has rendered us humans unable to directly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and that our descendants will forever be mortals. We are unwilling. We do not accept that our fates are controlled by heaven."
Laozi listened and remained silent for a long time.
Darkness fell upon the land, and the moon rose.
A tiger's roar echoed, and a giant tiger, over ten zhang in size, pounced. Starving, it saw the humans and prepared to devour them.
The hundred-plus humans were filled with panic, and some young children cried in confusion, their parents shielding them with their lives.
The human chieftain again pleaded desperately, begging the Sage to save them.
Xuan Du witnessed this scene and let out a sharp cry, "The Kunlun Dao propagates here. How dare a great beast commit murder?"
Unexpectedly, the giant tiger responded, "I have heard that the Sage upholds the natural order of heaven and earth. If that is the case, what is wrong with me eating humans? The strong prey on the weak; this is the righteous principle of heaven and earth. Is the 'natural way' that the Sage speaks of merely words?"
As the words fell, the fierce tiger pounced, shattering several humans and swallowing them whole.
Xuan Du was stunned. As a human himself, how could he bear to see his kin devoured before his eyes? He looked at Laozi, who was still in deep thought, and then at the humans before him. He said, "Even if I break my vows today and defy my teacher's will, I will slay you!"
With that, Xuan Du thrust out a palm, intending to crush the fierce tiger.
However, at that moment, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
Xuan Du turned his head and found that his teacher had awakened. He opened his mouth to speak, but Laozi stepped forward and said, "I was too fixated. Fellow Daoist Nuwa dared to defy heaven and earth, yet I cannot even break my own obsession."
Laozi pointed a finger, and beneath his feet, the Taiji yin-yang and the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams appeared, revealing the profound mysteries of heaven and earth. He pointed to the human chieftain and tossed him into the eye of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces Taiji. Heaven and earth transformed into a bronze furnace, creation resided in the human body, yin and yang served as charcoal, and the five elements' spiritual energy became the copper. Through this, the perfection of the five elements was forged, and the miraculous art of the Golden Core was born.
Laozi said leisurely, "A single Golden Core swallowed into the belly, and one knows that destiny is one's own, not heaven's!"
As the words fell, the human chieftain instantly had a Golden Core enter his body. His three souls and seven spirits transformed into a primordial spirit, and his heart's blood refined into the spiritual energy of the five elements, becoming divine abilities. The Golden Core Great Law thus attained the realm of Celestial Immortal.
The chieftain touched his head to the ground. "Thank you, Sage!"
Laozi nodded. "Go."
With the Golden Core within him and the five elements as his foundation, the chieftain conjured fire with one hand to burn the demon and summoned heavenly thunder to strike the beast. The giant tiger perished.
Laozi turned and left, with Xuan Du following. Laozi sighed, "Between heaven and earth, the Dao is endless. I clung to the Heavenly Dao, yet abandoned the world. This is my fault."
The Human Race was destined for great prosperity. Naturally, their strength could no longer rival the Wu and Yao. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao restricted the human physique, preventing later generations from cultivating the Dao. However, Laozi opened a path for the Human Race with the Golden Core Qi Refining method, allowing them to cultivate the Dao eternally.
Laozi, between the world and the Heavenly Dao, chose the former.
Laozi and Xuan Du resumed their journey, leaving the human tribe and heading northeast towards Kunlun. They encountered a mountain named Shouyang. It was the place first illuminated by the primordial ray of sunlight after Pangu's demise at the beginning of heaven and earth.
Seeing a mountain, he achieved the Dao!
Laozi sighed, "Thus, I have attained the Dao!"
At that moment, the envious and jealous grinding of teeth of various Great Powers and Old Ancestors echoed throughout the realm.