Chapter 2026: Relationship As Mentor and Disciple

“Is this really my junior brother?”

Inside Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi stared at the little girl standing before him, her hair still tied into pigtails.

His usually dignified and unreadable face could not hide his astonishment and confusion.

The Reincarnation Underworld was a civilizational treasure. Its mysteries were so profound that even a peak Rank Eight sage like Celestial Venerable Yuanshi could not fully see through them.

He had never imagined that it would alter Sect Master Tongtian’s gender either.

Relying on his instinctive understanding of the Dao, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi confirmed that the little girl before him did indeed carry a faint trace of his junior brother’s aura.

However, the image of Sect Master Tongtian as a sword cultivator had long been carved too deeply into everyone’s minds.

Ah, how majestic he had been when he wielded the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords and fought fiercely against a Rank Eight overlord from a foreign realm.

Yet now, he had somehow become a little girl clutching an alchemy gourd. No matter how one looked at it, the sight was deeply unsettling.

Duan Ning also stared blankly at the hazy figure of the sage before her.

She could not clearly make out Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s face or even the outline of his body. However, her natural intelligence and sharp instincts told her that the being before her was far beyond anything she could imagine.

Indeed, throughout the entire Immortal Realm Civilization, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi stood among its highest existences.

Although he was not the leader of the civilization, the Chan Sect and most of the powers connected to it looked to him for guidance.

With Sage Laozi in seclusion and Sect Master Tongtian having perished, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi had practically become the embodiment of the Immortal Realm’s “Dao”!

As he studied the little girl before him, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi suddenly thought of something.

“Do you have an elder brother or a younger brother?” he asked.

Forcibly searching someone’s soul would cause severe harm, so Celestial Venerable Yuanshi naturally would not do that to Duan Ning.

Furthermore, if Duan Ning truly was Sect Master Tongtian’s reincarnation, then with her lineage and the fortune of the Immortal Realm Civilization gathered around her, even Celestial Venerable Yuanshi could not easily access the memories hidden within her soul, especially those concerning her previous life...

Faced with his question, Duan Ning tightened her arms around the gourd. Her eyes shifted slightly before she answered, “No. I’m an orphan.”

“Could you please let me return, old mister? I’m Old Huayu’s disciple, you know. He’s a Nascent Soul cultivator,” Duan Ning said.

“That big brother in golden armor has kept me here for so long. My mentor must be worried sick by now. He’s really terrifying when he gets angry,” she warned Celestial Venerable Yuanshi with a serious expression.

Despite being five hundred years old, Duan Ning had never grown beyond the appearance of a little girl. Perhaps because of that, she would sometimes act coy and speak in a childish manner. Still, it never felt strange when she did.

That was exactly what had first caught Sect Master Huayu’s eye and moved him to accept her as his personal disciple.

Who would not adore such a cute and sensible girl?

Seated upon the jade throne, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi felt the corner of his mouth twitch at Duan Ning’s words.

A Nascent Soul cultivator...

Even Rank Seven sages who had attained the title of Heavenly Emperor would have to behave with the utmost respect when entering Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun to meet him.

Ordinary Immortal-level cultivators would not even be granted an audience.

What did a mere Nascent Soul cultivator amount to?

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi could not help turning toward the golden-armored cultivator standing beside the girl.

He still could not accept that his junior brother had reincarnated as a woman—and was now speaking in such a childish manner...

Had he really grown that old to be called an old mister?

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi subconsciously ran his fingers through his long hair, which had grown noticeably grayer around the temples.

Even sages grew old.

Under his gaze, the golden-armored cultivator respectfully replied, “Master, this disciple used the Heavenly Secret Talisman you bestowed and indeed found only this girl. There were no other discoveries.”

“Furthermore, after thoroughly investigating the Heaven Cloud Empire, this disciple found that the Dao’s vital energy there was murky and unstable. It was truly difficult to investigate any further,” he reported.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi nodded upon hearing this.

Before Master left, he had indeed done something to conceal the reincarnation of my junior brother.Moreover, as one of Pangu’s primordial spirits, Junior Brother possessed a portion of Pangu’s fortune. Disturbing the Dao’s vital energy within a single region would not have been difficult for him.

In truth, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi was deeply surprised that he had managed to locate his junior brother’s reincarnation so easily.

Yet the familiar aura coming from the little girl before him was undeniably real!

He quietly studied Duan Ning for a moment before suddenly asking, “Do you enjoy alchemy?”

The sage’s voice carried an authority as vast and oppressive as the heavens themselves.

Yet to Duan Ning, the hazy figure of the old man before her somehow felt gentle.

She was still clutching the golden gourd her mentor had given her. It was not that Duan Ning was especially fond of the gourd itself. Rather, it was her most precious possession, filled with many of her pills and spirit stones.

Upon hearing Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s question, Duan Ning hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi nodded slightly, then flicked his right index finger. A purple gourd flew out from behind him and hovered before Duan Ning.

“This is the final gourd borne by the Innate Gourd Vine in my senior brother’s possession. After I refined it, it became an innate spiritual treasure. From now on, I entrust it to you for your protection.”

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi continued explaining, “This treasure can nurture elixirs and immortal artifacts, smelt all manner of things, and defend against enemies. You should take some time to understand its profound and wondrous abilities.

As someone who stood at the very pinnacle of the Immortal Realm, anything Celestial Venerable Yuanshi bestowed could hardly be ordinary.

This purple gourd was comparable to a mid-tier world-class secret treasure. More importantly, it was an innate spiritual treasure.

Even the golden-armored cultivator standing beside Duan Ning looked at her with undisguised envy.

Duan Ning possessed only Rank Two strength, yet she had already obtained a world-class secret treasure. This was the difference between backgrounds and lineages—something others could only envy from afar.

Although Duan Ning had no idea what an innate spiritual treasure actually was, that did not stop her from taking an immediate liking to the purple gourd.

She quickly put away the golden gourd in her arms and stepped forward to take the purple one.

The purple gourd was remarkably spirited. It swayed back and forth in her arms, seemingly delighted by her affection.

Seeing this, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi nodded in satisfaction.

One of the reasons he was treating Sect Master Tongtian’s reincarnation so well was to make amends for certain events from the past and restore the bond between them.

After bestowing a treasure upon his junior brother’s reincarnation, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi noticed that Duan Ning was still stuck at the Golden Core Realm and immediately considered passing down another cultivation technique to her.

No... Junior Brother follows the path of the sword. My own understanding of it is the shallowest. I should let Senior Brother guide him back to the pinnacle of the sword path.

With that thought, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi stretched out his hand.

Duan Ning’s body flew toward him uncontrollably.

“I’ll find you a new mentor. A mere Nascent Soul cultivator is not qualified enough to teach you!”

After pulling Duan Ning to his side, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi glanced at the golden-armored cultivator inside Jade Void Palace.

“I’ll be away for some time. In my absence, guard the mountain gate, maintain order, uphold the righteous path, and protect all living beings.”

“Understood,” the golden-armored cultivator replied respectfully.

A moment later, an auspicious cloud drifted over. Taking Duan Ning with him, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi flew directly toward the Palace of Eight Views beyond Primordial World.

***

Inside the Palace of Eight Views, Laozi was contemplating the Dao when Celestial Venerable Yuanshi arrived with Duan Ning.

Recently, the Immortal Realm Civilization had become involved in the Magus Civilization’s war, causing the destiny and vital energy of the entire civilization to grow increasingly obscure and difficult to read.

Furthermore, before Dao Ancestor Hongjun departed, he had foretold that a great calamity was approaching the Immortal Realm.

Although Laozi appeared to govern through non-action, he had also been trying to uncover the truth behind it.

However, the sudden arrival of Celestial Venerable Yuanshi and Duan Ning pulled him out of that profound state of contemplation.

When Laozi saw the little girl standing before him, he was visibly taken aback.

“This is...?” Sage Laozi asked, pointing at Duan Ning.

“She’s our third younger brother, Sect Master Tongtian,” Celestial Venerable Yuanshi replied.

Laozi’s brows furrowed deeply. After studying Duan Ning for a moment, his expression slowly relaxed, and he nodded.

“I do sense traces of Junior Brother’s aura within her.”

He then turned to Celestial Venerable Yuanshi. “What do you want me to do?”

“Please guide Third Brother back to the Sage Realm, Senior Brother. Help her recover the memories of her past life, then allow her to once again take charge of the Jie Sect!” Celestial Venerable Yuanshi said solemnly.

From his words, it was clear that the conflict between the Chan Sect Sage and Sect Master Tongtian during the primordial era had truly been put behind them.

Indeed, one only learned to cherish something after losing it.

As long as the three of them stood united and drew upon their shared primordial origins, restoring the Immortal Realm Civilization after the Dao Ancestor’s departure would not be difficult.

When the Human, Chan, and Jie sects reunited, even the Buddhist faction would have no choice but to bide its time and exercise restraint.

This might truly be the key to breaking the deadlock!

Naturally, Sage Laozi understood his intention as well. He looked at the solemn Celestial Venerable Yuanshi, then at the bewildered Duan Ning standing beside him.

After a long silence, he finally nodded.

Beyond the need to break the current deadlock, perhaps the identity of Sect Master Tongtian’s reincarnation was the true reason Laozi agreed.

After all, the Three Pure Ones had come from the same source.

“From this day forward, you shall be my second disciple,” Laozi said to Duan Ning.

Since Laozi now embodied a portion of the Primordial World’ will within the Immortal Realm, the moment those words left his mouth, an indescribable power of the Great Dao’s laws flowed directly into Duan Ning.

At first glance, that power did not seem particularly mysterious.

Its true effects, however, would only reveal themselves with time!

In the future, Duan Ning might be able to draw strength from the special laws of certain planes within Primordial World or the Immortal Realm. Her cultivation speed might also increase dramatically.

At last, she had some hope of catching up to her big brother.

This power was somewhat similar to Magus World’s special favor toward Baxia’s family members.

“Although you and I share the same origin and should address each other as siblings, the Dao Ancestor once said that his teachings must not be shared with outsiders,” Laozi said,

“From this day forward, you will address me as Master. When you recover the memories of your previous life and become Tongtian once more, our relationship as mentor and disciple will come to an end.”

Everything that had happened recently had left Duan Ning’s little mind somewhat overwhelmed.

Her lips moved as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, she lowered her head and formally accepted Laozi as her mentor.

Once the ceremony was complete, a faint smile appeared on Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s face.

Taking advantage of the fact that Laozi had temporarily set aside his usual detached attitude, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi quickly asked for his thoughts on the ongoing war involving the Magus Civilization.

It was already too late for the Chan Sect to intervene in the Clash of Civilizations between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation, but there was still time to take part in the war against the Amenkha Empire.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi had also learned through certain channels that new developments had recently taken place on the Grand Cosmic World battlefield, where the Magus Civilization and the Amenkha Empire were locked in conflict.

Faced with Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s request for guidance, Laozi suddenly asked, “Junior Brother, have you ever considered something? Before Master left the Astral Realm, didn’t he say that the great calamity would come not from within, but from beyond?”

“Hm? From where then? The Magus Civilization or the Amenkha Empire?” Celestial Venerable Yuanshi asked in surprise.

Up to this point, the Immortal Realm Civilization had yet to encounter an opponent it truly considered formidable!

The Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation were one thing, but even the Amenkha Empire was not taken especially seriously by the Immortal Realm.

As long as the Buddhist, Daoist, and Yao factions could put aside their differences and unite against it, confronting the Amenkha Empire head-on would not be particularly difficult.

Previous direct and indirect clashes between the Magus Civilization and the Amenkha Empire had allowed the Immortal Realm Civilization to gather a considerable amount of information.

From this, they had formed a rough estimate of the Amenkha Empire’s strength.

Of course, First Pharaoh Ozman Dias was an extremely powerful figure who could not be ignored.

However, Rank Nine beings could not remain in the Astral Realm for long. Even someone like Dao Ancestor Hongjun had already departed.

Therefore, even if Ozman successfully advanced, he probably would not remain in the Astral Realm for very long.

Besides, the Immortal Realm Civilization and the Amenkha Empire were separated by a vast distance spanning both time and space. The First Pharaoh would have to be out of his mind to travel all that way just to cause trouble for the Immortal Realm.

Thus, the Immortal Realm’s current situation could hardly have been better. With no formidable enemies in sight, it could simply keep expanding!

This was one of the main reasons the Immortal Realm Civilization had grown so rapidly over the past two hundred thousand years.

Faced with Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s question, Sage Laozi merely shook his head and said nothing more.

***

After Celestial Venerable Yuanshi left, Laozi summoned his eldest disciple, Xuandu. He then turned to Duan Ning and introduced him.

“This is your senior brother.”

Xuandu was an elderly man with completely white hair and a long white beard, much like Sage Laozi himself.

For a long time to come, Duan Ning would study alongside these two old men in the Palace of Eight Views.

Of course, this was a situation most people could only envy.

After all, not everyone had the opportunity to receive personal guidance from two Rank Eight overlords.

Duan Ning looked at Xuandu and greeted him in a bright, clear voice.

“Nice to meet you, Senior Brother!”

Xuandu nodded kindly and smiled.

“Likewise, Junior Sister.”

He had probably never expected to suddenly gain a junior sister.

Sage Laozi had not revealed Duan Ning’s true identity to him. Since Xuandu also followed the path of governing through non-action, he did not ask any further questions.

Having such a young junior sister would likely be an entirely new experience for him.

Naturally, it was a good thing for senior and junior disciples to get along well.

Laozi continued, “Aside from him, I also have two nominal disciples. Although they came before you, there’s still a distinction between direct and nominal disciples. You’ll be their senior sister, and they’ll be your junior brothers. When the time comes, you may formally acknowledge one another.”

“Yes, Master,” Duan Ning replied respectfully.

The young girl had no idea what kind of junior brothers she would eventually meet.

“Very well. I’ll be guiding you onto the path of sword cultivation. It seems you have yet to truly embark upon it. I also heard that you’re interested in alchemy. For now, Xuandu will be mentoring you in that,” Laozi said.

“Understood,” Duan Ning replied. She would leave everything for her master to decide.

Slow as she could be at times, even she could tell that she had stumbled upon an extraordinary opportunity.

In truth, she had only taken an interest in alchemy because it allowed her to refine pills for herself and her elder brother.

The hardships rogue cultivators endured while struggling to rise in the Immortal Realm were something the gifted disciples of prestigious orthodox sects could never truly understand.

However, once Laozi began instructing her personally, he soon realized that his second disciple was not merely unfamiliar with sword cultivation. She seemed utterly unsuited to it!

Laozi was shocked. Was this girl truly Tongtian’s reincarnation?

Although Duan Ning showed little aptitude for the path of the sword, she was extremely diligent in her cultivation. Even while studying alchemy under Xuandu, she worked with complete dedication.

Laozi noticed all of it.

Forcing someone to walk a path that did not suit them would rarely lead to a good outcome.

Although Laozi still could not understand exactly what had gone wrong, he ultimately made the decision he believed was best.

“Wait. From today onward, you no longer need to continue your sword cultivation.”

“Am I too dumb, Master?” Duan Ning asked timidly.

Laozi shook his head. “No. I will teach you a divine technique better suited to you.”

“What kind of divine technique is it?” Duan Ning asked.

After spending some time with them, she had already begun to sense that her mentor and senior brother were far from ordinary.

Laozi studied her for a long moment, paying particular attention to her constitution and the surface of her soul.

Then he said, “I’ll teach you a divine technique known as One Qi Transforms Into Three Pure Ones!”

Duan Ning nodded obediently.

It was precisely this decision that would later nearly cause Laozi to stumble when he witnessed what Duan Ning produced after unleashing the technique.

But that was a story for another time.