Chapter Ninety-Six: The Sacred Treasure of the Spiritual Sect

At present, the human race is suffering from famine. Xuandaozi is organizing relief efforts, yet no matter how hard he tries, he cannot fill the gap. What, then, is the purpose of the Sages? Are they not able to summon rain? Why, in that case, do drought years still persist?

Whenever Xuandaozi and his companions attempt to gather clouds and call forth rain, they always sense something interfering, an indistinct yet familiar presence. Upon careful reflection, they realize it is the Will of Heaven intervening. Xuandaozi turns to the crowd and declares, "This is Heaven's will and cannot be defied."

From the very beginning, Tongtian had been unwilling to be controlled by the Will of Heaven. The Will of Heaven directly commanding the Great Dao was strictly forbidden, for every being must follow its own path; if the road is laid out in advance, all creatures will only know what lies ahead, thereby losing the motivation to strive forward. For this reason, the Great Dao issued a decree forbidding the Will of Heaven from interfering arbitrarily in the progress of the world. Thus, the Sages were freed to act as they wished. In the past, they were always constrained by the Will of Heaven and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, but now, with Heaven indifferent, Hongjun truly retreated from the world.

When establishing his sect, Tongtian pondered what would serve as the foundation of his sect's merit and fortune. His gaze fell upon the Chaos Bell held by the Eastern Emperor of the Demon Clan.

The Chaos Bell is one of the Three Treasures of Creation and should rightfully belong to the Three Pure Ones. Yet somehow, it had flown to the Sun Star and become nurtured by the Eastern Emperor Taiyi. Perhaps the Three Pure Ones' destiny was too powerful; if the Three Treasures of Creation were united, it might harm the Will of Heaven. Thus, the Will of Heaven bestowed the Chaos Bell upon the Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

Tongtian waited patiently for the great war between the Witches and Demons, hoping to seize an opportunity and gain some benefit. But the Sages proved troublesome; as soon as the battle began, they rushed forth to snatch the Chaos Bell from the Eastern Emperor. The Sages fought fiercely over the bell, disregarding former ties; for this innate treasure, the Three Pure Ones were driven to madness.

In the end, neither the Three Pure Ones nor the Western Sages obtained it, let alone Lady Nuwa, whose strength was inferior. The Sages were left perplexed: how could a treasure be taken right under their noses? In all the world, only one person could achieve such a feat—the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Realizing their hopes were futile, the Sages returned to their abodes. Their teacher's ambitions were, after all, beyond reason.

Tongtian's divine sense drifted aimlessly through the sky, hoping to find something, but nothing appeared. Just as he was about to return, he saw a willow leaf dancing in the wind not far away.

Where was this place? It was the realm beyond the heavens, where life could not be born—except for certain unique beings. How could a willow leaf appear here?

Tongtian grasped the leaf tightly in his palm. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face, as realization dawned. He returned expressionless to the shores of the Eastern Sea. Though it was but a strand of Tongtian’s divine sense, he remained especially cautious, aware the Will of Heaven might be observing him nearby and unwilling to show even a hint of joy.

As it turned out, the willow leaf was a token from the Great Immortal Willow, sent to Tongtian when she took the Chaos Bell, assuring him all was well.

Not long after, Tongtian welcomed his long-absent elder, the Great Immortal Willow.

"It has been many days since we last met, and you are as graceful as ever," Tongtian said, riding a cloud above Golden Turtle Island, gazing at the clear blue sky.

There was no one visible, so why was Tongtian speaking? Soon, a vortex appeared in the sky, rapidly expanding, and within it two figures emerged: one was the Great Immortal Willow, the other was Ancient Pan—once Pangu, now called Ancient Pan. Tongtian immediately greeted them: "I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. Please forgive me, esteemed elders."

"This is not the place for conversation. Come with us," said the Great Immortal Willow, shaking her head and sharing her plan. In a moment, a black hole appeared, drawing the three of them inside.

"Are you troubled by elusive fortune?" the Great Immortal Willow asked with a gentle laugh.

The war between Witches and Demons raged on, and Tongtian knew his time was limited. Without delay, he replied, "Elder, if you have something to say, please speak plainly."

After all, such matters could not be rushed; even if someone wished to gift him something, it must be done gradually, so that neither decorum nor affection would be lost.

"Enough, enough, no need to tease Tongtian any longer," Ancient Pan interjected. All present knew that if Gonggong struck Buzhou Mountain in anger, Nuwa would be forced to mend the sky, the Sages would ascend, and without an appropriate innate treasure, the Ling Sect would face extinction, much as happened in later ages.

"We are here to give you this," said the Great Immortal Willow, extending her hand. From her palm appeared a small golden bell, its gentle chime invigorating the spirits of all three.

"This... is this not the Chaos Bell of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi? How did you obtain it?" Tongtian knew it was the Great Immortal Willow, but was eager to learn what had transpired.

"In those days, we wandered in the realm beyond the heavens to recover our cultivation. After years of restoration, I had nearly regained my strength. We returned to the world and happened upon the great war between Witches and Demons," Ancient Pan's eyes sparkled, immersed in the joy of cultivation.

"But as we entered, Hongjun himself tried to bar us, insisting we not enter the world. Yet this world was opened by Pangu; how could its master be forbidden entry? A battle broke out beyond the heavens. The Great Dao, unwilling to see its children quarrel, decreed that we must not act recklessly," the Great Immortal Willow said, teeth clenched, her eyes filled with hatred for Hongjun.

"Upon arriving in the world, we sensed its shifts and came to Buzhou Mountain, the site of the great war. We saw the Eastern Emperor Taiyi clinging to the Chaos Bell, preparing to perish alongside the Ancestor Witches.

That would not do; our plans required the Chaos Bell. So the Great Immortal Willow used a secret technique to safely transfer the bell away." Ancient Pan related the events with calm simplicity, as if they were nothing remarkable.

Tongtian was astounded—what power was this, to steal the Chaos Bell from beneath the eyes of several quasi-Sages? The Sages’ abilities were indeed extraordinary.

Yet it was this act that prompted the Will of Heaven to directly intervene in the world, resulting in the Great Dao’s punishment.

The three conversed in that space for a long time before parting ways. Tongtian returned to Golden Turtle Island with a spring in his step, leaving his disciples puzzled—what had happened to their teacher to make him so happy?

In fact, it was cause for joy; the sect's supreme treasure had finally been found. How could Tongtian not rejoice?