Chapter 133: Groping the Chest and Fondling the Hips

Why is it that while seekers of the Tao have been as numerous as carp crossing a river since time immemorial, those who achieve even minor success are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns? A large part of this lies in the foundation of the Tao. Many cultivators, in their eagerness for advancement, neglect the stability of their foundation. By the time they realize something is wrong in the later stages, it is already too late for remedies; they are forced to walk their chosen path to the bitter end, ultimately perishing in regret.

Guided by the teachings of the Sages, the disciples of the Saints all progress slowly and steadily in their early stages of cultivation. Before reaching the level of a Profound Immortal, they walk as if on thin ice, treading with extreme caution.

As a disciple under the Primordial Lord of Heaven of the Jade Pure lineage, Qingxu possesses no inherent advantage over Xuandu, the first disciple of the Human Teachings, or Duobao, the first disciple of the Intercepted Teachings. Under normal circumstances, after more than a hundred years of cultivation, he should have reached, at most, the mid-stage of the Earth Immortal realm. However, he is blessed with profound fortune. Since descending Mount Kunlun, he has encountered numerous miraculous opportunities, his cultivation level increasing time and again. He has now reached the late stage of the Celestial Immortal realm, meaning the path of his Taoist foundation is completely unobstructed. In this single step alone, he has left the other disciples of the Saints far behind, seizing a precious early advantage.

"This is impossible. How could you possibly have reached the peak of the Earth Immortal realm?" No matter what, Yunxiao refused to believe that Qingxu had truly attained the peak of the Earth Immortal realm as he claimed. It completely exceeded the scope of her imagination, much like a mortal learning to fly; it was unscientific, and the probability of it being true was unthinkable.

"It is merely the peak of the Earth Immortal realm. If I were to tell her that my cultivation has now reached the late stage of the Celestial Immortal realm, I imagine it would scare her senseless!" Seeing Yunxiao’s reaction, Qingxu inwardly curled his lip in disdain, a look of mocking triumph undisguised in his eyes.

"I am also at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm. Is that so rare?" Suddenly, the little girl interjected, nearly causing Yunxiao to choke on her breath.

"Fellow Daoist Yunxiao, do you still wish to cross paths with me?" Having said this, a monstrous pressure belonging to the peak of the Earth Immortal realm emanated from Qingxu’s body, radiating in all directions. It stirred the waves of the East Sea below into a roaring frenzy, shattered and scattered thousands of clouds, and whipped up a raging hurricane.

*Neigh! Shriek!*

Under the crushing pressure of Qingxu’s aura, the Azure Phoenix beneath Yunxiao was struck with terror. It immediately abandoned Yunxiao to flee. Being only at the early stage of the Spirit Transformation realm, it would have suffered a mental collapse if it had remained under the pressure of a peak Earth Immortal for any length of time; even if it had endured, it would have left an indelible shadow, making future cultivation growth extremely difficult.

Facing the flight of her mount, Yunxiao did not care. In truth, she understood the situation; forcing the Azure Phoenix to stay would not have helped, but rather harmed it. This was not something she wished to see, for despite it being a mount, they shared a deep bond.

The flight of her mount, while a wise move, brought a flush of shame to Yunxiao’s face. She felt the terrifying pressure and, having no time to deliberate, hurriedly exerted her full strength, utilizing the power of the Primordial Golden Diadem to resist. The Primordial Golden Diadem was indeed a famous Innate Spiritual Treasure; its power was extraordinary. Even though she had not fully refined it, it helped her, at the early stage of the Earth Immortal realm, to withstand the pressure of the peak Earth Immortal level.

"The Primordial Golden Diadem is indeed a treasure, especially for stripping away one's magic power and cultivation. According to the memories of my past life, it is said that when this treasure is pushed to its limit, a single flash of Primordial Golden Light can instantly strip away thousands of years of cultivation, even from a Great Golden Immortal who has gathered the Three Flowers, achieved the Five Qis, transcended the river of fate, and attained eternal life. Should I seize it for myself?" Seeing Yunxiao use a trace of the Diadem’s light to resist his aura, Qingxu could not help but feel a twinge of greed. This Innate Spiritual Treasure was, after all, renowned; it was invincible beneath the Primordial realm.

He had a mind to seize the Primordial Golden Diadem, but fearing the strength of the Intercepted Teachings and the holy might of the Master of Heaven, Qingxu reluctantly gave up the idea. A minor conflict and a measured struggle were acceptable, but to truly seize the spiritual treasure of a "fellow disciple"—even the Primordial Lord of Heaven would find that difficult to justify. After all, it would not stand to reason.

"Forget it. The War of Investiture is yet to come. By then, not only will I have Zhao Gongming’s twenty-four Sea-Calming Pearls, but the Primordial Golden Diadem shall not escape my grasp either." Comforting himself inwardly, Qingxu suppressed his covetous desires.

Within the intangible pressure, Yunxiao held the Primordial Golden Diadem aloft, her body wrapped in golden light, struggling bitterly to resist the pressure of the peak Earth Immortal level. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her temples, her face twitched, and she gritted her teeth in a desperate struggle.

Thinking that he had taught her a sufficient lesson and made her understand the gap in their strength, Qingxu withdrew his aura. He carried the little girl and prepared to continue eastward. Unexpectedly, Yunxiao, freed from the predicament, felt a chill in her eyes. She tossed the Primordial Golden Diadem into the air, where it spun incessantly. With the mouth of the diadem turned downward, streaks of brilliant golden light descended to strike him.

"How ungrateful!" At this, Qingxu was truly enraged. He had already shown restraint several times, yet Yunxiao remained unrelenting. This was not only a disregard for his dignity but also a slight against the name of the Elucidated Teachings. He let out a cold snort, and the Demon-Subduing Dao sound assaulted Yunxiao’s ears. He waved his hand, and a Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram, half a mile in diameter, blocked the path of the Primordial Golden Light. No matter how the golden light surged, it remained unmoved.

*Puff!*

As the Demon-Subduing Dao sound entered her ears, Yunxiao felt illusions of demons dancing before her eyes; her mind became muddled, internal fires burned her organs, and her meridians ached. She could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood. In mid-air, the Primordial Golden Diadem, suddenly losing control, shrank and turned into a streak of golden light, vanishing into her Niwan Palace. This was only because Qingxu had shown mercy; otherwise, had he used the full power of his peak Earth Immortal cultivation to unleash the Demon-Subduing Dao sound, Yunxiao’s foundation would have been destroyed, if not crippled. This highlights the difference between the Elucidated and Intercepted Teachings: the Elucidated Teachings advocate for fairness, uprightness, and integrity, with cultivation level as the priority and supernatural powers as secondary. The Intercepted Teachings do the opposite, blindly pursuing power and ignoring the importance of cultivation level. Most disciples of the Intercepted Teachings have their cultivation forced up by sheer power, leaving them in a passive position regarding their true Daoist attainment.

"Although they are also of the Pangu lineage and the orthodox school of the Profound Gate, the Intercepted Teachings ultimately walk a crooked path, bordering on the unorthodox. They do not cultivate the merit of morality. It is no wonder they will eventually fall into such a miserable decline; they brought it upon themselves." Seeing the damage caused by his intentionally suppressed Demon-Subduing Dao sound, Qingxu could not help but sigh. With his memories of a past life, he knew that Yunxiao was among the best in the Intercepted Teachings in terms of moral attainment, yet even so, she was a notch below even the lowest of the Elucidated disciples, Master Huanglong.

He no longer had the interest to continue the fight; the gap in their cultivation was too vast, and the difference in their attainment was like heaven and earth.

Combat has its pleasures, but one-sided bullying is unpleasant (like a person toward an ant—one could crush it at will, or play with it as one pleases). Especially when the target is a beautiful woman. Although Qingxu viewed beauty as mere skeletons, he could not bring himself to be truly cruel—this was mostly due to the lingering influence of his past life’s mindset.

He walked away leisurely, holding the little girl, and focused on sensing the connection with his Mysterious Yellow avatar. He knew the general location, but for some reason, the connection remained intermittent, as if something stood between them. This perplexed Qingxu greatly. Previously, in the Ice Mine, despite the restrictions set by the Ice Ancestor, the black ice, and the magnetic field, there had been no such interference. He could not fathom what had happened to his avatar; it was too strange!

"Qingxu, the shame of this day, I will repay ten times over in the future. Even if you one day reach the Great Golden Immortal realm, I will surely strip away your Three Flowers and Five Qis!" Behind him came Yunxiao’s harsh threat. Ordinarily, this would have been nothing—a mere verbal victory—but at this moment, with Qingxu already in a foul mood, this threat touched upon a deep taboo in his heart.

Yunxiao did not know, but Qingxu was well aware that in his current identity as the Sage of Morality, he would, in the future catastrophe of the Investiture of the Gods, be suppressed alongside eleven other senior brothers by the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation set up by the three sisters, and have his Three Flowers and Five Qis stripped away by the Primordial Golden Diadem. This event led to Cihang, Manjusri, Puxian, and Juliusun being seduced by the Vice-Sect Leader Randeng into defecting and joining the Western Teachings, which was considered an immense humiliation for the Elucidated Teachings and a laughingstock of the Great Wilderness. Qingxu had always harbored resentment over this; it was a thorn in his heart, and Yunxiao had just walked straight into his crosshairs.

"Humph! Strip away my Three Flowers and Five Qis?" Qingxu’s face darkened. He turned coldly, his eyes like a deep, ancient well—terrifyingly calm.

"Ah!" As if being stared at by an ancient, ferocious beast, a chill surged in her heart. Yunxiao could not help but let out a soft cry, her face pale with fear. She had not expected her threat to cause such a reaction in Qingxu.

"Rest assured! I will not kill you. But as a woman, one's reputation is above all else. As the saying goes, life and death are small matters; losing one's integrity is a great one!" A cold, cruel sneer emerged from Qingxu’s lips, and the world fell silent, as if it too were afraid.

Losing her integrity?

Realizing what he meant, Yunxiao’s face turned deathly pale. She looked at Qingxu with horror and shock, but she shouted coldly: "Qingxu, do you dare?"

"Whether I dare or not, you shall soon find out." A violent, murderous intent welled up from his heart. Qingxu sneered, and his figure moved. Controlling the power of the peak Earth Immortal realm with his late-stage Celestial Immortal cultivation, he arrived before Yunxiao in an instant. His overwhelming, domineering presence left her unable to move. Then, amidst her expression of shame and indignation, he reached out and kneaded her breasts and buttocks through her thin gauze robes, only withdrawing his hand after he felt satisfied.

"A small punishment as a warning. We shall let it pass this time. If you dare to be insolent again, you will not be so lucky as you were today." Just as Yunxiao thought she was about to be violated, Qingxu’s expression straightened, and he spoke!

*Whoosh!*

Carrying the little girl, Qingxu galloped on the clouds with all his might, disappearing from Yunxiao’s sight in a few blinks. Terrified, Yunxiao did not dare to chase after him to seek trouble; should Qingxu’s bestial nature flare up again, she would be in real danger.

Feeling the lingering sensation on her breasts and buttocks, Yunxiao’s cheeks flushed crimson with shame and fury. She cursed him inwardly as base and shameless, yet unknowingly, a hint of a flutter sprouted in her heart—something unclear and indescribable.