The atmosphere within the Eastern Return Trio grew increasingly heavy with the passage of time.

Frankly speaking, when playing games, how many times had they encountered terrible teammates that made them want to grab the monitor or phone and charge at them in a death attack, or apply an Immolation Grasp, a Death Lash? But of course, in reality, everyone tended to be more polite.

But that was generally the case.

Shui Houzi's (Water Monkey) hands clenched, veins popping on his forehead.

His fangs grew sharper, and even the nails on his hands gradually reverted to the black claws of a primate demon god.

He slowly raised his head.

Looking at the old Daoist in front, who was contemplating his own navel, a ferocious grin appeared on his face, and then he roared:

"So, it's you, huh?!"

"You're the bastard who screwed me over ninety times?!"

An angry roar, a savage attack.

The resentment of more than ninety consecutive losses almost materialized into visible black miasma surrounding the Water Monkey, as if he was about to pull out a stick and deliver a headshot. The old Daoist Zhang Ruosu stroked his beard with his right hand, his expression unchanged: "Actually, this is my junior brother A Xuan's account."

"He plays terribly."

"I couldn't stand it, so I took over for him."

"You should remember, I won many times before."

The Water Monkey's fist stopped abruptly, less than a millimeter away from the old Daoist's nose. He asked doubtfully, "That wasn't you playing?"

"Not me."

"Really not you?"

"Really not me."

"No lies?"

The old Daoist's expression was righteous and stern:

"This Daoist never lies!"

"Alright."

The Water Monkey sat down on a cloud and said, "Then let's play a round."

Zhang Ruosu nodded ambitiously and confidently.

Hmph, he had already opened today.

It was different from usual.

Now, he felt a surge of battle intent, his sword energy like frost. He was invincible! He had to get at least a triple kill, maybe even a penta kill, or he would not be worthy of Vishnu's head, right? This aggregate of a local deity's nature, it was worth a penta kill, right? Right?

It couldn't be less.

Wei Yuan was helpless.

A moment later, with the sound of the crystal shattering, the old Daoist, completely burned out, stared at the gray screen on his phone, contemplating his navel. The surrounding clouds seemed to turn black. The Water Monkey grinned savagely and said, "Do you... have anything to say?!"

The old Daoist's expression calmed down. He closed his eyes and contemplated his navel:

"I'm wondering, who am I?"

"Where is this place?"

"Where does our life end? What does it mean to the universe?"

The old Daoist directly entered the sage mode of contemplating life and the universe.

"F***!!! You坑货(kēng huò, pit/scam)!!"

The Huai River Calamity Lord instantly lost it.

He cursed loudly.

Simple trash talk, ultimate enjoyment.

The Water Monkey gritted his teeth. In this life, besides that long worm Geng Chen, he had never wanted to beat someone up so badly. He roared, "I bet you've never won in your life!"

Zhang Ruosu was furious: "Nonsense!"

"This Daoist won the first game, got a Godlike!"

"Wasn't that the tutorial level?! 坑货(kēng huò, pit/scam)!"

"You're a 坑货(kēng huò, pit/scam) too!"

The Water Monkey's eyes widened in anger: "If it weren't for you, how could I have been so miserable!!!" In all fairness, the Water Monkey's skills were quite strong, but his personality was stubborn and unyielding. He refused to believe that there was anyone he couldn't carry.

Damn it, I refuse to believe I can't carry you!

The old Celestial Master told him with his actual performance.

Indeed, he couldn't carry him.

Normally, a sane person would have given up.

But Wu Zhiqi was also stubborn. A normal person's stubbornness meant not turning back until they hit a brick wall. He was the type who would knock down the wall and still not turn back. He gritted his teeth, determined to carry this burden to victory, and even specialized in a strategy of carrying four burdens with him.

And the facts proved it.

Whenever he made progress, the old Celestial Master could always pull off an operation that left him dumbfounded.

Moreover, when he realized he was being interfered with, his tactics had also been dragged into the pit by this old man, making it impossible to climb out.

Because of Qing Niu (Azure Ox), the two guys didn't start fighting on the spot. In the end, Wu Zhiqi roared:

"One-on-one!"

"One-on-one it is!"

The two started the one-on-one mode of the game.

Wei Yuan glanced at it and only saw that Wu Zhiqi's control character was like he got the red buff of anger value, beating the old Celestial Master's swordsman into a miserable state. Just as the old Celestial Master's crystal was about to be pushed down, the old Daoist, without changing his expression, stretched out his right leg.

He kicked the cloud beneath Wu Zhiqi's butt.

Seventy-two Earthly Fiends Transformations, ranked fourth—

Water Banishment!

Clouds are also water.

As long as it is water, it will be banished!

The Water Monkey was focused on playing the game.

He didn't notice the kick at all.

The cloud was kicked away with a *puff*, and the Water Monkey subconsciously increased his grip. With a *crack*, his phone was gone. The old Celestial Master used a big move to wipe out the Water Monkey's game character and then frantically pushed the crystal, ultimately winning.

"Hahahaha..."

The old Daoist laughed heartily, stroking his beard with a refreshed expression:

"Little brother, don't be discouraged. You're almost at this Daoist's level."

Water Monkey: "…………"

Hardened, hardened.

His fist hardened.

Wu Zhiqi looked at his phone and said, "How about another solo round?"

Solo meant one-on-one. The old Daoist nodded cheerfully.

Wu Zhiqi said, "I'll choose the Monkey."

Zhang Ruosu: "This Daoist will still use the swordsman. Can your phone still..."

Before he could finish, the Water Monkey grabbed the old Daoist's collar with one hand, and the two of them disappeared into the distance. Wei Yuan twitched his lips and glanced from afar. The towering shadow of the staff and the crisscrossing sword energy were even more ridiculous than in the game's worldview.

He withdrew his gaze and gently stroked the Qing Niu (Azure Ox). Along the way, they had been moving quickly and were already approaching the border. Not far ahead was the territory of Shenzhou, and then the Hangu Pass of that year. He chatted with the old Qing Niu (Azure Ox), talking about what Lao Dan had seen and heard along the way. He was in good spirits.

Lao Dan, one of the Three Purities in Daoist legends. Modern novels said he was the Moral Celestial Lord, placing him alongside the other two Celestial Lords. Gradually, he was no longer the leader of the Three Purities, but even so, he was still respected, a figure with a strong position in any legend.

But he was greater than any novel depicted.

Because he was the beginning.

"Is Lao Dan a god?"

Qing Niu (Azure Ox) shook his head: "He's a man."

"He was just a human. There's no such thing as this Celestial Lord or that Celestial Lord. There aren't that many Celestial Lords. I once heard that some people said he was the incarnation of the Supreme Old Lord in the heavens, originally a god who descended to earth."

"But there was no Supreme Old Lord, no Spiritual Treasure Celestial Lord, no Primordial Celestial Lord. These were just fictional people, fake. But Lao Dan was real. He was a mortal. Perhaps they wanted to add all sorts of legends to him. Perhaps it stemmed from disbelief."

"It's as if, how could a human do such a thing?"

"Only the reincarnation of the strongest celestial god is reasonable."

The old Qing Niu (Azure Ox) smiled and said:

"Lao Dan would surely laugh out loud at the confusion of his later disciples."

"He was indeed just a human, the kind that would die. So what?"

"As a human, he walked through the world, and then created such a legend, becoming the starting point of the Dao."

"There are no Three Purities, no Celestial Lords or Earth Mothers, no gods or immortals. If you follow the path of the Dao, at the very front is still an ordinary old man. Isn't this even more magnificent and majestic than the high and mighty gods?"

"The myths of Yan Huang, in the end, are the myths of the living beings on the earth."

When they saw Hangu Pass in the distance, the old Daoist and Wu Zhiqi, who had been soloing all the way, returned.

"I admit, I was a little loud just now!"

"But I won't take back the fact that you're a 坑货(kēng huò, pit/scam)!"

The old Daoist said righteously.

His right eye socket was black and blue, his eye almost closed into a slit.

He didn't know who he learned that punch from.

He aimed for the eyes with a cruel force.

And Wu Zhiqi's white hair was messy, as if a dog had gnawed on it.

It was directly shaved into the leader of the Funeral Family by sword energy.

Just now, neither the man nor the monkey had used their full strength. The monkey's main body was locked down at the bottom of the Huai River, and the old Daoist's sword was not drawn. No one knew how much strength anyone used, but without a doubt, no one gained much advantage in this solo.

Wei Yuan suspected that if the Water Monkey knew that the old man in front of him might be the reincarnation of Geng Chen.

It wouldn't have been just a little game.

Thinking about it this way, the death omen star above the old Celestial Master's head was quite bright.

Wei Yuan pondered, and they had already arrived at Hangu Pass. The old Celestial Master raised his hand and pressed it, using his own aura to restore the injuries. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing to meet the Daoist disciples of various sects with a black eye.

He still needed to save face.

If he didn't, the black cat would teach him what face was.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain Meow Meow Chain Punch.

This thing really had a boxing manual.

Special attack on the Celestial Master.

When crossing Hangu Pass, there were already new hills and obstacles ahead. The old Daoist stepped down and stretched out his hand, touching the intersection between the Shenzhou and North Indian systems. He sighed, "Two thousand years ago, the predecessor took Daozu (founder of Daoism, Lao Tzu) out of Hangu Pass to the west. This journey of returning east will be paved by this Daoist."

He swept his fingers together.

The sword that had been accumulating momentum for a hundred years roared several times and erupted.

The sword and scabbard separated.

This sword, accumulating momentum for a hundred years, was not for slaying demons or subduing monsters, nor for killing gods. The white hair was like frost, the Daoist's wooden hairpin, he just swept his fingers together, and vast sword energy spewed out, like the force of the Dragon and Tiger.

He took a step forward in his straw shoes.

This Daoist is Zhang Ruosu.

Opening the way for the return of the ancestors of my Daoist sect to the homeland of Shenzhou.

Cutting through mountains when encountering mountains, and breaking through water when encountering water.

"斩(zhǎn, Sever)."

The tone was calm and indifferent.

A sword was slashed out calmly, the sword energy was powerful and unmatched. The boundary between the two countries, the barrier of the Age of Gods, was instantly broken. A gap appeared in the part where the Indian pantheon and the Shenzhou Heavenly Court system came into contact. The sword energy scattered, opening up a path. Even Wu Zhiqi felt a little rattled, and then felt it was a waste.

The sword energy and sword momentum that had been accumulating for a hundred years was actually poured out in one breath.

It was too extravagant.

"Aren't you... wasting it?"

The Daoist turned his back to Wu Zhiqi, his right hand pointing diagonally at the ground, his sleeves torn. The sword he had nurtured since his youth circled around him, whistling, and fell into the scabbard. The Daoist said softly:

"This sword is the most joyful one for this Daoist."

"Two thousand years ago, Daozu (founder of Daoism, Lao Tzu) went out of Hangu Pass to the west."

"Two thousand years later, this Daoist welcomes the remains of the ancestor to return."

The old Daoist cupped his hands and bowed slightly, unrestrained and free. Even though he was old, his momentary immortal demeanor was still enough to be called peerless. He said calmly:

"Please... no..."

The old Daoist smiled and said:

"Welcome home."

……………………

The path ahead was already clear. Wei Yuan led the old ox into Hangu Pass. One by one, young or old Daoists stepped out. They wore clothes of different schools, and were even somewhat hostile to each other. They held magic swords, or tied their hair with Daoist hairpins, or had white hair.

They all stepped forward, holding magic swords with both hands.

There were no shouts or inspiring words. The monks of each sect formed their own magic seals, or chanted the Daoist scriptures passed down by their respective sects in a low voice. They were diverse, like a sky full of stars, and the flames followed the origin of all Daos.

That was the old man who had left Hangu Pass riding an Qing Niu (Azure Ox).

There were no Three Purities, no Supreme Lords.

But Daozu (founder of Daoism, Lao Tzu) was real.

The Five Thousand Words of Morality were real, and the dual cultivation of nature and life were also real.

After you, there was no longer any Dao. After you, it was already a sky full of stars. The last five thousand words were like flames, circulating, blossoming, and bearing fruit, and finally colliding, eventually turning into this magnificent scene. Lao Dan was born, and Confucius entered the world, one yin and one yang, forever existing in Yan Huang.

Respect Daozu (founder of Daoism, Lao Tzu).

Not respecting Dao, but respecting the ancestor.

Whether it was because it felt the wind of its hometown, the Qing Niu (Azure Ox) suddenly became more powerful after stepping onto Hangu Pass, as if it could still follow the past road, its pace getting faster and faster, talking to Wei Yuan about some past events.

When Wei Yuan turned his head.

He saw that the old ox's pupils had darkened. It was too old, so old that its eyes could hardly see anything, but its steps were powerful, and it still remembered every step it took when leaving its hometown more than two thousand years ago—this was the road it had walked with Dan.

This was the place where Confucius had sighed.

This was where he had picked up Yuan.

He smiled and said, "This is where I picked you up back then."

Wei Yuan looked at the old ox's dark pupils and said, "Yes, you were so strong back then."

The old ox's speed became faster and faster. Finally, the old ox almost started running. He walked to a mountain in the land of Lu, took a deep breath, and then bent his limbs, pressing his face against the soil. It was the middle of winter, and there was no green grass at all, only weeds.

The Qing Niu (Azure Ox) bit into a mouthful of dry grass from its hometown and murmured:

"This is the taste..."

"It is."

"I'm back."

"But, Kong Qiu, Lao Dan, Zilu, Duanmu, where are you... I can't find you anymore..." The old Qing Niu (Azure Ox) suddenly choked up, tears streaming down its face.

Wei Yuan slowly raised his palm and then pressed it on the old ox's forehead.

The Qing Niu (Azure Ox)'s consciousness seemed to rise up. He widened his eyes and saw a piece of light in front of him, saw the lush grassland, saw the old Confucius raising his head, smiling and looking at him, Zilu biting a leaf in his mouth, saw Duanmu Ci and Yan Hui.

He found that his strength had been restored.

He was stronger than he had been when he was young.

He stood up and walked towards Confucius, towards Zilu, towards Lao Dan, and towards the smiling Siddhartha, but when he walked halfway, he turned his head and looked at the young charioteer left in place, revealing hesitation.

In the end, the boy smiled and waved his hand.

So the Qing Niu (Azure Ox) turned his head and strode towards those people.

In reality, the old Daoist saw the Qing Niu (Azure Ox), which was so old that it was at its limit, open its eyes and finally lick the charioteer's palm with its dry tongue, and then close its eyes peacefully, without a sound. Its soul returned to heaven and earth, no longer to be reincarnated, but scattered into the land of Yan Huang.

The old Daoist watched Wei Yuan kneeling on the ground, quietly, not speaking.

Then Wei Yuan slowly got up.

The immortal path is always auspicious, the ghost path is always ominous.

The high and clear spirit is refreshing, the sad song resounds in the empty sky.

Born in the second year of King Ling of Zhou.

Met Confucius in the fifth year.

Traveled the world for fourteen years.

In the forty-first year of King Jing of Zhou, he carried Lao Dan and went out of Hangu Pass to the west.

He pointed out Shakyamuni.

Shakyamuni passed away.

He protected the Buddha's bones and the Daoist remains.

Wandering in other countries for two thousand four hundred and fifty years of cold and heat, one million six hundred and twenty-four thousand days and nights.

Welcome back.

The old Daoist looked at the staggering young man, and for a moment he could not tell whether it was him, so deep and unfathomable like an abyss, or whether it was the usually easy-going museum owner. And Wei Yuan took out a gemstone and threw it away.

Zhang Ruosu caught it. It was the mythological concept of the North Indian sun god: "This is..."

Wei Yuan thought of the big bearded man, closed his eyes, and said softly:

"I tried it."

"It's useless."

He couldn't come back.

"You know how to use this thing..."

Wei Yuan walked past the old Daoist.

The old Daoist was worried and subconsciously said, "Where are you going?"

Wei Yuan said: "Me?"

"I... want to go home..."

ps: Today's first update... four thousand six hundred words, thanks to 餐风饮露自逍遥 (Cānfēngyǐnlù zì xiāoyáo, one who drinks the wind and dew lives freely) for the 20,000 Qidian coins, thank you~