Under the lush tree, Tongtian snorted coldly, "Well done, disciples of my two junior brothers, such eloquence indeed!"
Zhunti, with a face glowing red, smiled and said, "Elder Brother flatters us too much, they are still young. If they have offended in their words, I hope the three Elder Brothers will be magnanimous."
Primordial squinted as well, with a tone of cold mockery, "Young? I think they are rather bold!"
Taishang spoke leisurely, "Alright, let the juniors handle their own issues. Let us just watch the battle."
Tongtian suddenly turned his head to look outside, 'Huh— he's back.'
Primordial and Taishang also turned their heads towards the East, a gleam of amusement flickering in their eyes. It truly felt a bit unusual not having this little one to pay his respects for a while!
Nuwa glanced eastward, her gaze piercing through layers of space, and saw a naive-looking young man leading a Kui Niu, riding on a cloud. She glanced at The Three Pure Ones thoughtfully. To garner such attention from The Three Pure Ones, this seemingly ordinary disciple must be anything but simple. With a slight smile at the corner of her mouth, she wondered what interesting events his arrival might bring.
Tongtian spoke, "Bai Jin, go to Youquan Waterfall."
On the cloud head, Bai Jin paused— Youquan Waterfall? Wasn't that Elder Brother's territory? What business did he have there?! He paid his respects and replied, "Yes!"
He stood up, patted the Kui Niu, and said, "I must trouble you for a bit."
The Kui Niu nodded in acknowledgment, its form immediately contracting into a pale light, and entered the sleeve of Bai Jin.
Zhunti gave Tongtian a glance and then looked towards Bai Jin with great interest. This youngster who caught the eye of The Three Pure Ones must have exceptional talents. However, Zhunti had absolute confidence in his own disciples; after all, they had prepared for this doctrinal dispute for a hundred years!
Amid the waterfall, the Western Disciples were smiling, while the disciples of Upper Pure Peak all looked grim, engulfed in a heavy and solemn atmosphere.
"Haha— Elder Brother, Elder Sister, it's been many days. What has made this place so lively?" Amid laughter, Bai Jin descended slowly on a cloud.
Wudang Saint Mother stood up abruptly, her eyes showing joy— her junior brother had returned.
The rest of the Upper Pure Peak disciples and others like Mahasthamaprapta and Ksitigarbha also watched as Bai Jin drifted down.
Among the disciples of Upper Pure Peak, some were curious. Was this the Third Disciple of their Master, as the legends said? He appeared quite ordinary!
Others maintained an indifferent attitude. For instance, the gaze of Long-Eared Ding Guangxian towards Bai Jin carried a hint of disdain— a few extra days of entry, what achievements could a mere White Crane from the heavens possibly have?
Wudang Saint Mother said with a smile, "Junior brother, was your journey here smooth?"
Bai Jin nodded and smiled, "Even smoother than expected." Looking around in confusion, he asked, "And who are these people?"
Wudang Saint Mother spoke, "Let me introduce them to you." She gestured towards the Golden Spirit Saint Mother beside her, "This is a new Direct Disciple taken in by Master, her name is Jin Ling."
Bai Jin felt a stir in his heart, 'Golden Spirit Saint Mother?!' He promptly greeted her with a bow, "Pleased to meet you, Junior Sister Jin Ling."
Jin Ling returned the bow, "Honored to meet you, Elder Brother."
Suddenly, Duobao Taoist interjected, "Bai Jin, Jin Ling is a Direct Disciple, while you are merely an Outer Disciple. Regardless of the order of entry, you should respectfully address her as 'Elder Sister.'"
Bai Jin's posture stiffened, he turned to glance at Duobao, then with a smile, he said, "That was indeed my mistake." He bowed again, "Honored to meet you, Elder Sister."
Golden Spirit Saint Mother felt somewhat at a loss for a moment, vaguely sensing some subtle tension between Duobao Taoist and Bai Jin.
Wudang Saint Mother immediately took Bai Jin to another woman, stopping before her to introduce, "This is your Junior Sister Shi Ji."
"Greetings, Junior Sister Shi Ji."
Shi Ji quickly rose up and returned the bow, "Greetings, Elder Brother."
"This one is Junior Sister Gu Liang,"
"This one is Junior Brother Long-Eared Ding Guang Immortal."
"This one is Junior Sister Qingyu."
…
Bai Jin greeted everyone in turn, but when greeting Long-Eared Ding Guang Immortal, the disdain was palpable. He also took a few more glances at the notorious rebel of the Jie Sect.
Finally, Wudang Saint Mother led Bai Jin to meet several Western disciples, introducing them thus: "These are Mahasthamaprapta, Ksitigarbha, Pharmacist, Sunlight, and Moonlight, disciples of two Western Uncles."
Bai Jin looked them over carefully—these names were thunderous in his past life! Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva, Medicine Buddha, Sunlight Bodhisattva, and Moonlight Bodhisattva.
Mahasthamaprapta smiled and asked, "Elder brother, is there something amiss?"
Bai Jin bowed and said with a smile, "Taoist Bai Jin pays his respects to you all!"
Mahasthamaprapta, Ksitigarbha, and others also bowed and said, "We pay our respects to Elder Brother!"
After exchanging greetings, everyone sat back down, the atmosphere as heavy as ever.
Bai Jin sent a telepathic message, "Senior Sister, what has happened? The mood seems off!"
Wudang Saint Mother responded telepathically, "Those from the Western region are here to cause trouble."
With a thought, she transmitted the events that had happened prior to Bai Jin, all unfolding in his mind.
Bai Jin understood instantly. Glancing at Mahasthamaprapta and the others, he thought, the disciples of the Buddha Sect are indeed eloquent! From their discussions on the Tao, one could see the nascent form of the Buddha Sect.
Mahasthamaprapta, Ksitigarbha, and others all smiled slightly at Bai Jin, alert in their hearts, wondering what his next move might be.
Suddenly, Bai Jin stood up, looked up at the sky respectfully, and said, "Master, Masters, and Uncles, each of you is a Great Power in the Primordial World, and you are all destined to become Saints. The Saints' discussion of the Tao is such a grand occasion, would it be possible for us disciples to witness it?"
The hearts of the other disciples stirred too; to overhear even a word or two from the discussion of Great Powers was an honor, and Bai Jin was the only one bold enough to issue such an invitation.
Even Duobao, Mahasthamaprapta, and others were looking forward to it.
In the distant mountains, The Three Pure Ones subconsciously looked towards Jieyin and Zhunti. Watching from behind the scenes was one thing, but walking over would mean that if any disciple fell into an inferior position, it would be a loss of face.
Zhunti said with a smile, "Elder Brother, your disciple has issued an invitation; how will you decide?"
Tongtian spoke, "Then let's go!"
In an instant, time and space shifted. Beside the waterfall, under the shade of greenery, a large tree suddenly appeared with a table underneath it. Sanqing, Jieyin, Zunti, and Nuwa were seated around the table.
Everyone immediately got up and bowed respectfully, saying, "We greet Master, Masters, and Uncles—(We greet Master and Masters—)"
Taishang spoke indifferently, "You needn't concern yourself with us; continue as you were." His gaze lingered on Bai Jin for a moment.
"Yes!" All the disciples got up and resumed their seated positions on the ground.
Bai Jin quickly trotted up with a smile and said, "How can a discussion of the Tao lack fine tea?"
He approached the table, bowed respectfully, and said, "Eldest Uncle, I have brought back a gift for you on my travels; please take a moment to appraise it."
A gift? Taishang's heart stirred, already grasping Bai Jin's intentions; he nodded and smiled, "What gift?"