Chapter 15: Returning the Favor to the Immortal Realm, Prelude to the Discourse

The other party did not speak aloud, but instead transmitted their thoughts directly into his sea of consciousness.

As the voice faded away and he regained his senses, the gourd in his palm had already withstood its tribulation.

Redcloud watched as the storm clouds of calamity dispersed between heaven and earth, transforming into spiritual nectar that poured into the gourd. With spiritual light converging and immortal radiance spreading, he understood that the gourd was about to form its seals of prohibition. He did not look further, but anticipation grew in his heart.

He allowed the gourd to float upward toward the heavens, breaking through layers of void unimpeded until it reached the barrier membrane of the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

There it hung upside down in the sky, swelling with the wind until it reached a thousand fathoms in size. Its black mouth yawned wide like a black hole, swallowing the spiritual energy of Kunlun as a great fish would drink the sea.

In just a short while, the abundant spiritual energy of the Kunlun Immortal Realm had diminished by a full tenth.

A low, resonant hum sounded.

After brewing for a while, the entire red gourd turned to the color of red crystal. The artifact spirit, slightly tipsy, poked its head out in satisfaction, then withdrew.

It was about to nourish the immortal realm in return!

Upon seeing this, the faces of the Three Pure Ones, which had been filled with expectation, finally relaxed into faint smiles.

Any tribulation, no matter how slight, will always inflict some damage upon a secret realm or cave paradise. But if one survives it, the gains far outweigh the losses.

This was why the Three Pure Ones had considered lending a helping hand when it seemed the gourd might not survive, wishing to render what aid they could.

After all, this was a tribulation of the Da Luo level, one of the Six-Nine Celestial Tribulations. Had it truly caused permanent damage to the immortal realm, the cost would have outweighed the benefit.

With a gurgling sound, the gourd, still hanging upside down, brewed for a while, then spewed forth a torrent of red sand, which spread and covered nearly a third of the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

Within this red sand, a Da Luo level formation was concealed, its power formidable beneath the endless red dunes.

Yet this time, the formation was not unleashed for battle, but for the sake of life and creation.

With Redcloud’s approval, the spiritual energy that the gourd had just absorbed was released once more.

The dense spiritual energy had already condensed into pools of spiritual liquid, which now rained down in torrents. Ordinary spiritual beings could not withstand even a single drop.

The lands of Kunlun, damaged by the tribulation, were thus restored.

Where the rain fell on barren mountains, they turned lush and green; where it fell on spiritual plants, they were transformed into immortals.

The aged regained youth; immortal mushrooms sprouted from decaying wood.

After this rebirth of spiritual energy, the Kunlun Immortal Realm did not merely recover what was lost—its abundance of spiritual energy now exceeded what it had before.

When all was accomplished, Redcloud retrieved the gourd into his hand and at last examined the number of seals upon it.

He took a deep breath as he focused his gaze. Though his face revealed nothing, his heart brimmed with joy.

The gourd’s prohibitions now numbered fifty-eight in total!

He had not expected this. Even so, he thought, perhaps this alone did not fully repay his debt to the Three Pure Ones; he would still need to do more.

If the Primordial Gourd Vine were whole and unbroken, it would surely be a supreme innate spiritual treasure, the very best of its kind. When split into seven, he had examined each. Normally, after surviving such a tribulation, the number of prohibitions on a gourd would not exceed forty-nine.

But the rainbow gourd seed had left seven rays of spiritual light within, adding seven prohibitions. The little sword of the Supreme Purity One became another; the two rays of light from the Grand and Jade Purity Ones merged into one more. Additionally, nine drops of his own indestructible blood had further fortified it, bringing the total to fifty-eight prohibitions—a supreme innate treasure indeed.

Fifty-eight prohibitions!

His own innate treasures—the Profound Redcloud Dao Robe and the Hidden Spirit Veil—each had only forty-nine prohibitions.

Offensive treasures were always scarce; each additional prohibition enhanced their power. How could Redcloud not rejoice?

“Congratulations on your new treasure, fellow Daoist!”

The Three Pure Ones watched as the gourd poured out all its spiritual liquid, silently praising Redcloud’s sincerity; their own efforts had not been wasted.

Their thoughts as one, they stepped forward and appeared at Redcloud’s side. The Grand Purity One lightly waved his horsetail whisk and bowed gracefully from afar.

“Fellow Daoist, your blessings have enriched our Kunlun Immortal Realm. On behalf of all its beings, I thank you.”

“I dare not accept such praise,” Redcloud replied with a smile, waving his hand to decline the bow, the gourd in his palm, his robe fluttering with the aura of an immortal sage.

From start to finish, he did not open his eyes, holding in his heart deep gratitude for the senior who had lent a helping hand during his tribulation. He took a deep breath and said:

“Those who follow the Way will be aided by many; those who stray from it will find little help. With your assistance, and that of Kunlun itself, all is as it should be.

Now that Kunlun has been renewed, why not take this opportunity, just the four of us, to hold a discourse on the Way for the benefit of all beings here?”

To replace debate with exposition, to bless the immortal realm with the Dao?

The Three Pure Ones were stirred by this suggestion, and after a brief divination, they all replied in unison:

“Excellent!”

As the words fell, four cloud platforms appeared, rising from the ground, equal in height, inscribed with the patterns of the Dao, the Great Way manifesting itself.

Kui Niu, who had remained throughout, seized the opportunity. He took down the great bell hanging from the highest hall of Kunlun Mountain, and with all his might struck it, sending forth a thunderous peal:

“Kunlun opens the Immortal Road—let the teachings of the Dao nourish all beings!”

Redcloud watched as, with this mighty bellow, the principles of sound and thunder spread throughout the immortal realm, and could not help but praise it in his heart.

The effect was truly remarkable.

As the Kunlun Immortal Realm erupted in excitement at this proclamation, Redcloud composed himself, patiently awaiting the time for the great discourse.

He was not idle, but immersed the greater part of his consciousness within his own eyes.

Within the chaos of his inner vision, it was no longer just a single star shining.

After the entire tribulation had been refined into his being, four stars now shone in that space, upon which four characters vaguely appeared:

Desire… Cultivate… Yellow… Court…

To cultivate the Yellow Court, to practice the Scripture of the Yellow Court Tribulation?

Contemplating the profound resonance within these four words, Redcloud was momentarily absorbed, his thoughts turning to the distant dim stars, a hint of expectation in his heart.

For the Three Pure Ones, they rarely left the mountain, preferring to remain secluded in this immortal realm, seldom joining in worldly affairs.

The Great Dragon and Han Tribulation had left them with deep impressions; the prehistoric world was fraught with danger.

Yet never before had the three brothers held such a discourse on the Dao. At most, they would, on a whim, expound upon a sutra to a small audience.

How vast was the Kunlun Immortal Realm?

Though not boundless, it was at least the size of three thousand great worlds.

At Kui Niu’s cry, beings from all across the realm flocked to gather. It took nearly eight centuries for all those who had reached the Earth Immortal stage to arrive.

Most of these beings, fierce and unruly by nature, long accustomed to strife, now, under Kui Niu’s guidance, sat in orderly rows, reverent and attentive.