"Fellow Daoist, thank you for bestowing the Dao upon me this time?"
Cheng Yue was full of question marks. It was only one sentence; when he had seen it back then, he had merely glanced at it.
That counted as bestowing the Dao?
If that counted as bestowing the Dao, then he could casually pull something from the Daoist Canon and show off.
Wouldn't that mean the heavens were full of opportunities to receive the Dao?
Come to think of it, he had even directly lectured the creatures on this island about the Yellow Court Classic last time.
A moment later, two little birds flew into the great hall.
Each carried a red fruit in its beak before placing them on Cheng Yue's table.
Several white wolves then appeared as well, carrying some Spiritual Fruit into the hall and setting them down.
Cheng Yue felt somewhat helpless as he looked at the Spiritual Fruit.
They were all merely acquired Spiritual Fruit, and he had eaten them before.
When he had first arrived in the Primordial World, he had still been a mortal.
While cultivating the Daoist Canon, he had encountered quite a few Spiritual Fruit. After eating them, his cultivation had increased somewhat.
But after reaching the Essence Refinement and Qi Transformation realm, these Spiritual Fruit had lost their effect.
After that, he only ate them to satisfy his cravings whenever he came across them.
Still, compared to the food he made himself, they were somewhat lacking.
Although Cheng Yue knew these little fellows meant well as he looked at the Spiritual Fruit, he still waved his hand and said,
"You need not do this. My previous lecture was to repay the karmic debt of occupying this land. These Spiritual Fruit are useless to me. Take them back and refine them properly in cultivation. Strive to take form as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the many spirit beasts looked at the Spiritual Fruit again, but none of them took them back. They simply left them there.
Cheng Yue was rather helpless. Leaving them here was useless too.
"Ah, fine. I'll accept them. Go back and cultivate properly. Don't do this again."
After saying that, the spirit beasts dispersed.
Yangmei, who stood to one side, was rather curious. What Dao had Cheng Yue lectured on?
He was very curious about it. A Great Power like this surely would not speak of anything ordinary even in a casual lecture.
He immediately asked,
"Fellow Daoist, what Dao did you speak of?"
Cheng Yue waved his hand.
"Just some insignificant side paths. They are unworthy of mention."
Yangmei did not see it that way. The Dao could not be transmitted lightly; Cheng Yue must have had concerns about such matters.
After a moment, he could not help but remain curious.
"Fellow Daoist, I have disturbed you greatly this time. I shall take my leave first. In the future, I will surely return to repay the kindness of your bestowal of the Dao."
Cheng Yue nodded upon hearing this, then rose to his feet. The two walked outside.
After some polite farewells, Cheng Yue finally saw Yangmei off.
This old Daoist was far better than that old Daoist from some time ago who had suddenly started shouting that his name was Hongjun.
As Cheng Yue thought of something, a smile curled across his lips. He then directly lay down in his seat and began contemplating the Dao.
He also pulled out the Black Purity Transmission in his hands.
He read it with great relish. It had all been manifested from memory anyway.
Beside Cheng Yue lay a pile of books such as Silver Vase Plum.
He indulged in them all day and grew thinner by the day. A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.
Within Purple Heaven Palace, Nuwa cultivated for a hundred years and finally reached the True Immortal realm.
Her aura trembled, and she immediately broke through.
Upon hearing the commotion around them, the Three Pure Ones and the others beside her all awoke. Many people were directly roused by the disturbance.
They looked at Nuwa before them, feeling utterly at a loss.
Although his lecture this time had not been particularly profound, he had comprehensively explained the realms before Grand Unity Golden Immortal. As for the method of the Quasi-Sage realm, he had intended to leave that for later.
Yet he had not expected Nuwa to become a Quasi-Sage so quickly.
Moreover, judging by the aura around her, she was not weak at all.
The Three Pure Ones and the others exchanged glances. Yuanshi was deeply shocked.
He could sense that she had taken a step forward.
That one step was fatal.
He had offended her before, and now she had taken a step into a realm they knew nothing about.
If this continued, once the lecture ended and she settled accounts with him, would his life not be in danger?
Someone else was even more panicked: Zhunti, seated at the very back among the three thousand Dust Travelers.
He too had a conflict with her.
She had even declared before the Dao Ancestor that she wanted to kill him.
If he waited until this was over, would he not die?
He glanced at the great doors behind him. After thinking it over, he could not help pulling Jieyin over and saying,
"Senior Brother, once this ends, should we hurry and run?"
Jieyin nodded with a bitter smile. That was their only option. If they remained here, they feared they would be made to settle accounts.
"Junior Brother, in the future, we should avoid Nuwa whenever we see her. Otherwise, we may very well die here."
Zhunti was practically in tears. Of course they had to hide. Back then, he had believed her cultivation was the same as his, that they were both Grand Unity Golden Immortals.
There were two of them on his side, so he had not feared her at all. He had even intended to settle accounts with her after this ended.
Now it seemed that once the lecture ended, there would indeed be a reckoning—but it would be her settling accounts with him.
Nuwa opened her eyes at this moment.
She examined the changes in herself, then sensed them carefully.
"I finally broke through. Old man, your Purple Heaven Palace is pretty good. Its spiritual energy is much richer than my master's shabby little island."
Hongjun's eyelids twitched wildly after she spoke.
This little girl's breakthrough was simply absurd. Without the method of slaying the Three Corpses, she had directly embarked on the path of Proving the Dao by Force.
Thinking of Yangmei, he seemed to have taken this path as well.
Back when Hongjun had been full of lofty ambition, he too had considered taking this path.
But after a long time, he had learned just how difficult this path was.
Only after perceiving the workings of heaven had he devised the method of slaying the Three Corpses.
Furthermore, he had taken form from an earthworm, so this method suited him perfectly.
Now, seeing these people Prove the Dao by Force so easily, he nearly ground his back teeth to dust.
He had originally planned to explain the Dao of the Quasi-Sage during his next lecture, so he could reveal his method of slaying the Three Corpses as well.
But Nuwa had already carved out the path of Proving the Dao by Force on her own. What was he supposed to say then?
He felt incomparably stifled.
This was completely different from what he had imagined.
Wasn't the script supposed to go this way?
After Nuwa finished speaking, she sat there feeling a little bored. Hongjun looked as though he were changing faces.
His complexion alternated between flushed red and pale white.
"Old man, are you going to keep lecturing or not? If not, I'm leaving. I promised my master I'd return quickly."
Come to think of it, she had been away for several thousand years. She wondered how her master was doing.
And she had gone out for thousands of years in one go. This was probably bad.
Would she be punished when she returned?
Thinking of this, Nuwa felt a little afraid.
"Why does that really seem possible?"
"No, I'll go back and act cute, maybe pout and plead?"
After saying that, she made up her mind.
Hongjun let out a breath, then directly stood up.
"This lecture has ended. Purple Heaven Palace will open again in three thousand years, when I will explain the Dao of the Quasi-Sage!"
Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this. Just from the name, they already knew that this was the step Nuwa had taken.
The Dao of the Quasi-Sage?
Every one of them was thrilled. Yet the instant the palace doors opened, two figures at the very back transformed into streaks of light and flew out of Purple Heaven Palace.
Before you continue