Chapter 130: The Convergence of the Three Pure Ones

The fourth installment is here.

"Tongtian, what are you doing? Spit it out!" Yuanshi Tianzun scrambled to snatch the pill from Tongtian’s mouth, while Taishang Laojun, stunned for a moment, suddenly fell to his knees before Ancestor Hongjun.

*Gulp.* Tongtian had swallowed it.

"Teacher, what exactly is the effect of this pill?" Taishang Laojun pleaded.

"I never imagined it would come to this. Alas, this pill is not a tonic for longevity or healing. It was forged with profound arts, meant to test you three. Should your intentions waver, the pill within you shall bring forth your end," Ancestor Hongjun said solemnly.

"Then... what if it is fully consumed?" Taishang Laojun asked, his expression tense.

Yuanshi Tianzun, who had been busy arguing and blaming Tongtian, fell silent, looking toward Ancestor Hongjun.

"Life shall not exceed ten years," Ancestor Hongjun said, his voice dropping to a low murmur.

"What? What?" In an instant, the sages were struck with astonishment.

What kind of pill could possibly extinguish a sage, a being of the Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal realm? The sages felt their hearts tremble; it seemed that being a sage was not the ultimate peak, but merely the beginning.

Yuanshi Tianzun’s gaze toward Tongtian grew complex.

"Why? Why?" Yuanshi Tianzun pushed at Tongtian’s shoulders, his eyes reddening.

"Because you are my brothers," Tongtian replied faintly. Perhaps it was his inability to let go of the bond he held for Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun that led him to this.

"Teacher! Teacher! Is there no way to save him? Is there truly no way?" Ever since learning the news, Taishang Laojun had been kowtowing incessantly to Ancestor Hongjun.

"It is useless. There is no way. This was sent by the Great Dao; even I am helpless," Ancestor Hongjun said, filled with grief.

Tongtian had once been his most valued disciple, held in higher regard than even Taishang Laojun or Yuanshi Tianzun. Why? Because Tongtian could see the grand trends and understand the future, guiding his Dao accordingly. Yet, in later years, Tongtian frequently opposed Ancestor Hongjun for the sake of all living beings in the Primordial World, which led Hongjun to devise this strategy against the Ling Sect.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I have never changed. It was our positions and the environment that changed us. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I am sorry," Tongtian’s tears fell uncontrollably.

"No, no, it was my fault. It was my fault. Since the death of Taiyuan, my temperament changed, and that led to the division of our Three Purities. If blame is to be cast, it was mine!" Yuanshi Tianzun insisted, scrambling to explain himself to Tongtian.

"No, no, it was my fault. As the eldest, I failed to prevent the division of our Three Purities. It is my fault!" The three brothers embraced and wept bitterly. Once the words were spoken clearly, a natural reconciliation began. Even if the wounds were not yet fully healed, it brought relief to their hearts and eased the torment of their regret.

"I have words for the disciples of the Ling Sect," Tongtian said as he stood up.

"Fellow Daoist, would you like me to return those three thousand denizens of the red dust to you?" Jieyin and Zhunti asked, suddenly showing mercy.

"No need. To see the West flourish is your lifelong wish, fellow Daoists. I, Tongtian, will not do such a thing." Tongtian did not hold the three thousand souls against them.

"Many thanks for your great kindness, fellow Daoist!" Jieyin and Zhunti bowed and stepped back in silence.

"Listen, all creatures of the Primordial World. I am the Shangqing Daoist of the Three Purities. If you wish to cultivate the Dao, you must hold firm to your inner convictions. No matter where you are or what environment you face, prioritize your beliefs. As long as your faith does not crumble, we shall have a home within our hearts!" After speaking, Tongtian felt his magic power draining away even faster.

"As for the remaining disciples of the Ling Sect, the Secret Division shall enter the Underworld to govern the eighteen layers of hell. The rest shall follow the orders of the Holy Mother of Guiling. Alas, she shall rename herself 'Old Mother of Yin Mountain,' establish the Yin Mountain Sect, and guard the Underworld under her command." Tongtian’s face was filled with exhaustion.

The Holy Mother of Guiling had ultimately not escaped that great calamity; she had been trapped within a golden lotus and slain by a black mosquito. Tongtian had placed a spiritual talisman within her soul to protect her, hoping to prevent her death. He had not expected her to suffer such a fate, yet it was a relief that she had survived at all.

Perhaps in less than ten years, he would vanish from between heaven and earth.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I want to see Mount Kunlun," Tongtian said softly.

"No—no problem! Let’s go, let us go!" Yuanshi Tianzun’s face was etched with anxiety as he summoned a colorful cloud. Taishang Laojun, finding the pace too slow, personally carried Tongtian on his back and set off toward Mount Kunlun.

"This is where we once fought," Tongtian said, pointing to the spot where the Three Purities had once resisted the Dragon army, his face glowing with happiness.

"And here is where we attained enlightenment," he added, gesturing toward the Qilin Cliff.

Taishang Laojun wiped the tears from his eyes. When Holy Mother Taiyuan had departed, the three had wept inconsolably; he had never expected his youngest brother, Tongtian, to follow so soon. Yuanshi Tianzun was also filled with regret—what had all the fighting been for? If he could not even protect his own kin, what was the point of being a supreme being of the Primordial World?

Unable to control his emotions any longer, Yuanshi Tianzun hugged Tongtian and wept. "It is all Big Brother’s fault. It is all Big Brother’s fault. I have failed you, I have failed you!"

Tongtian felt a lump in his throat and shed tears as well. Why had he set the standard that one must be loyal and righteous to enter the Ling Sect? A person without emotion was no better than a beast.

It was precisely because Tongtian could not abandon his feelings for Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun that he had set such a standard.

"Eldest Brother, I want to go to the Underworld. I want to see Houtu," Tongtian whispered.

"Very well, no problem!" Taishang Laojun, seemingly tireless, carried Tongtian on his back as he and Yuanshi Tianzun rushed to the Underworld.

"In truth, I have always seen you as my Lian'er," Tongtian said, struggling to breathe between sentences like a mortal.

"What is wrong with you?" Houtu did not answer his question, but asked instead what had happened to him.

"In a short time, he will... vanish," Yuanshi Tianzun said, looking toward Houtu.

"How can this be? How? How!!!" Houtu roared.

"Houtu, Houtu, listen to me," Tongtian said excitedly.

"Yes, yes, speak, speak," Houtu said, trying to steady her emotions.

"I always thought the one I loved was my wife, but after meeting you, I realized that my heart had made a place for you." That day, Tongtian spoke at length, for he knew his time was running out. Houtu, Taishang Laojun, and Yuanshi Tianzun listened in silence.

A loud boom shook Tongtian out of his speech.

"Eldest Brother, shall we go to Zixiao Palace together?" Tongtian asked Taishang Laojun.

"Brother Tongtian, can you not stay with me for the final moments?" Houtu’s voice made it sound as if she were the one about to vanish.

"I cannot. If there is a next life, I will surely take you as my wife!" Tongtian nodded firmly.

"To hear you say that is enough," Houtu said, tears streaming down her face as waves surged through the ocean of her primordial spirit.

"Let’s go." Yuanshi Tianzun carried Tongtian on his back and flew toward Zixiao Palace beyond the heavens.

*You have not failed me, and I shall not fail you,* Houtu thought to herself. *Brother, watch me—I will surely carry on your will.*