Ma Yuan, after having his cultivation crippled by Duobao, cast a resentful glance at Kunlun Mountain before descending without looking back.
Below Kunlun Mountain, a weary wild horse stumbled towards the distance. Ma Yuan was indignant, unable to comprehend why he was crippled for merely taking the lives of some insignificant humans. With so many humans, what was the harm in a few deaths?
Out of years of fellowship, Duobao had crippled Ma Yuan's cultivation but spared his consciousness and life.
At the foot of Sumeru Mountain, Ma Yuan collapsed, trembling. Gazing at Sumeru Mountain before him, his eyes blazed with boundless hatred. He resolved to seek revenge on Duobao for destroying his years of arduous cultivation.
Ma Yuan understood clearly that only the other sacred dojos—Wa Huang Palace, Sumeru Mountain, and the Netherworld—could aid him.
Wa Huang Palace was far away in the chaos beyond the Primordial World, a distance impossible for him in his current state. He could not reach the Netherworld either. His only option was Sumeru Mountain. (Sodannovel.com)
Despite having exhausted all his strength to reach Sumeru Mountain from Kunlun, Ma Yuan, with his feeble body, dragged himself step by step towards the summit.
Within Sumeru Palace, Jieyin and Zhunti frowned as they watched Ma Yuan laboriously climbing the mountain.
Zhunti looked at Jieyin and said, "Senior Brother, this little horse has remarkable perseverance. Exhausted as he is, he still strives for the summit! Why don't we ferry him into our Western Teachings?"
Jieyin shook his head, "Junior Brother, Ma Yuan was originally a disciple of Kunlun. For some unknown offense, he was expelled. The Heavenly Secrets of Kunlun are obscured by the disturbance of those Sages, and we cannot divine them. It is best not to take in this harbinger of trouble. What if the Three Pure Ones suddenly come knocking if we accept him into our sect?"
Zhunti disagreed with Jieyin's words, "Senior Brother, think about it. Ma Yuan was a disciple of Tongtian. If he committed a grave offense, given Tongtian's temperament, would he still be alive? Moreover, his arrival here is also a matter of fate."
Hearing this, Jieyin immediately lowered his head in thought. Zhunti continued, "Senior Brother, furthermore, Ma Yuan was able to stand out and be accepted by Tongtian, so his root bone must be excellent. Having endured such hardship, his temperament should have matured. Perhaps he could become a part of our sect's rise in the future!"
Jieyin felt that Zhunti's words held merit, yet he remained somewhat concerned.
Seeing that Jieyin was wavering, Zhunti immediately spoke again, "Senior Brother~, with so many Sages in Kunlun, we are no match for them. Future confrontations between our sect and Kunlun might fall upon these disciples. Our sect has been rare in attracting disciples, with only Dizang and Yaowang so far. We cannot let this opportunity pass, Senior Brother~"
Jieyin looked at Zhunti's demeanor and could only shake his head helplessly, "So be it, so be it. Since you have this intention, go and bring him up!"
Zhunti's face lit up with joy. He immediately descended the mountain and appeared before Ma Yuan.
Ma Yuan saw a pair of bare feet suddenly appear before him. Looking up, he met Zhunti's smiling eyes.
Ma Yuan rejoiced, not expecting it to be Zhunti, one of the Two Sages of the West. He knew that his joining the Western Teachings was more than nine-tenths certain.
Ma Yuan immediately mustered his strength to get up from the ground and staggered to his knees before Zhunti, "I beg Venerable Zhunti to accept me as a disciple!"
[To be continued tomorrow]