Hongjun smiled and waved his hand. "Cultivation ultimately depends on oneself. The fact that you can walk the path of the Great Dao is already an immense fortune."
"Yet cultivation also requires a balance between work and rest. You need not remain trapped in cultivation at all times."
"For this lecture, quite a few powerhouses of the Primordial Wilderness will come to listen. Once it ends, you may travel through the Primordial Wilderness and learn more about the changes in heaven and earth."
"For now, go receive them outside Purple Cloud Palace on my behalf."
"Yes, Master!"
Haotian and Jade Pool answered, then turned and walked onto the platform before Purple Cloud Palace. As they waited, they slowly cultivated.
Although their master had just reminded them not to cultivate without pause.
This gray, hazy Chaos truly had nothing worth looking at. It was better to cultivate. Things would be different in the Primordial Wilderness.
Thus, after calming themselves, streams of spiritual energy began gathering around them.
The phantom projections of Lingxiao, Youming, and Fengyin flickered in and out of sight.
The auras of the Space, Reincarnation, and Wind Laws intertwined, forming an invisible barrier that shut out the dangers within Chaos.
A thousand years passed like this before several distinctly different auras arrived from afar.
One was heavy as the earth, carrying the peaceful presence of Purple Qi arriving from the east.
One was lofty and refined like azure clouds, exuding dignity and solemnity; another was sharp as a sword's edge, concealing a free and unrestrained air.
Haotian and Jade Pool looked up to see Laozi, Venerable Yuanshi, and Sect Master Tongtian approaching atop Auspicious Clouds.
Nuwa and a man dressed in green followed behind them.
"Greetings, three Senior Brothers, Senior Sister Nuwa, and Fellow Daoist Fuxi." Haotian and Jade Pool stepped forward and politely saluted them.
"Junior Brother Haotian, Junior Sister Jade Pool." The Three Pure Ones and Nuwa nodded slightly.
Nuwa even stepped forward with a smile and pulled over the green-robed man beside her.
"Junior Brother Haotian, Junior Sister Jade Pool, this is my elder brother Fuxi. I brought him here especially to hear the Dao Ancestor's teachings, hoping it may help him achieve a breakthrough."
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Haotian and Fellow Daoist Jade Pool." Fuxi stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute.
Though his aura was only at the Late Grand Unity, it carried a gentle, innate Dao Charm.
Haotian and Jade Pool returned the salute, then turned their gazes toward the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa.
"Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, the first six cushions within Purple Cloud Palace conceal profound mysteries. When the time comes, you should fight for them with all your strength."
The Three Pure Ones and Nuwa were startled. They had already felt that the front-row Cushions would not be ordinary if the Dao Ancestor was giving a lecture.
Now that Haotian had pointed it out, they became even more certain that opportunities lay within them, and all nodded in agreement.
They then settled down to wait. Yet it would have been better if they had not calmed their minds, for once they did, they were dumbfounded.
Only at this moment did they truly sense Haotian and Jade Pool's cultivation.
Jade Pool's aura was clear and pure, yet they could still faintly discern the outline of the Early Golden Immortal of the Origin.
Haotian's aura, however, was as unfathomable as a deep pool. Though he stood right before them, it felt as if endless space separated them.
All they could feel was a pressure far surpassing that of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
This feeling actually reminded them of how they had felt when they encountered Old Ancestor Yin Yang and Old Ancestor Qiankun before the War of Dao and Demons.
"Junior Brother..." Laozi spoke carefully, the Purple Qi around him gently stirring.
"May I ask what realm you and Junior Sister Jade Pool have reached?"
Haotian had long been prepared. Smiling, he cupped his hands. "By a stroke of luck, I broke through to the Mid Golden Immortal of the Origin."
"Junior Sister Jade Pool has also just reached the early stage. It is all thanks to Master's guidance and the nourishment of Chaos Spiritual Energy."
He deliberately concealed his late-stage cultivation, lest the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa suffer too great a blow.
Yet when those words fell upon the ears of the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa, they exploded like thunder.
They had been stuck at the Peak Grand Unity for several thousand Yuanhui, unable even to touch the threshold of a breakthrough.
These two Junior Brother and Junior Sister had actually already entered the Golden Immortal of the Origin realm!
The whisk in Laozi's hand paused, while Venerable Yuanshi's fingers tightened slightly around the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi.
Sect Master Tongtian's eyes widened, his tone filled with disbelief. "Junior Brother, you... have actually reached the Golden Immortal of the Origin realm?"
Nuwa also revealed a shocked expression. She had cultivated alongside the Three Pure Ones and knew well how difficult it was to break through the Great Luo realm, let alone reach a realm like the Golden Immortal of the Origin.
For a moment, their hearts were filled with mixed emotions—shock, envy, and a trace of regret.
If they had remained by the Dao Ancestor's side to cultivate for longer back then, perhaps they too might have received such an opportunity.
Yet they were, after all, elders of the Mystic Gate, and they did not reveal too much.
After casting Haotian and Jade Pool a complicated glance, they sat cross-legged at one side of the platform and quietly waited for the others to arrive.
Another thousand years passed, and auras began arriving one after another from Chaos.
Dijun and Taiyi arrived with Bai Ze and other members of the demon race, their bodies wreathed in the blazing heat of True Sun Fire.
Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun came side by side, the auras of Ginseng Fruit and Auspicious Clouds intertwining.
East King Duke and West Queen Mother rode in an immortal carriage, their Yin Yang Law auras flickering faintly into view.
North Sea Kunpeng took human form, his black robes exuding a cold, sinister air; Blood Sea Minghe arrived with the two protectors, his bloodlight restrained but still concealing ferocity.
The moment these people approached Purple Cloud Palace, they were intimidated by Haotian's unfathomable aura.
That pressure was certainly not something a Grand Unity Golden Immortal could possess. Even Peak Grand Unity powerhouses such as Dijun and Taiyi felt wary.
None dared act rashly. After stepping forward to offer their greetings, they sat cross-legged on the other side of the platform. No one dared make noise carelessly.
Another thousand years passed, and more and more people had arrived through Chaos. Yet after that, it became difficult to see any new figures.
Haotian understood. Those in the Primordial Wilderness capable of crossing Chaos were mostly Grand Unity Golden Immortals.
Even if they were not, they had likely relied on exceptionally powerful treasures to arrive.
Those who had yet to come had either lacked the cultivation to dare enter Chaos, or had been swept away by a Chaos Storm halfway through.
Or perhaps they were Jieyin and Zhunti from the Western Land.
Though the two were not yet renowned, they would certainly come. The distance was simply too great, so they would probably arrive last.
With that thought, Haotian decided to let these people enter first.
He formed a hand seal with his fingers, and the Chaos Airflow began to surge.
The great gate of Purple Cloud Palace, forged from Chaos Crystal, slowly opened.
Behind it, rosy light stretched for thousands of miles as Dao Rhythm flowed. Countless Cushions could vaguely be seen arranged within the palace.
The foremost six Cushions emanated especially dense Origin Auras.
"Move!" Laozi shouted softly. The Purple Qi around him surged as he was the first to fly into the palace.
Yuanshi and Tongtian followed close behind. The auras of the Three Pure Ones connected, forming an invisible barrier that blocked everyone else behind them.
Nuwa pulled her elder brother Fuxi along. Seven-colored Rosy Clouds bloomed around her, and she was not the slightest bit slower as she followed right after the Three Pure Ones.
Dijun and Taiyi tried to rush forward to contend for the seats, but Tongtian forced them back with a streak of sword qi.
Though Tongtian was free-spirited, he still protected his own Senior Brothers and Senior Sister. How could he allow outsiders to seize the front-row Cushions?
Inside the palace, the Three Pure Ones relied on their profound cultivation to land steadily upon the first three Cushions. Laozi took the first, Yuanshi the second, and Tongtian the third.
With Fuxi shielding her, Nuwa avoided Kunpeng's sneak attack and seized the fourth cushion. She shot Kunpeng an indignant glare.
Kunpeng's gaze turned slightly cold. His body transformed into a black shadow, instantly passing Hongyun and settling firmly onto the fifth cushion.
Hongyun reacted a little too slowly, but he still avoided Minghe's blood claw in time and landed on the sixth cushion.
Though the others regretted it deeply, none dared act recklessly within Purple Cloud Palace.
The Dao Ancestor had yet to appear. Fighting here would be no different from offending the Dao Ancestor.
Dijun, Taiyi, Zhenyuanzi, East King Duke, West Queen Mother, and the other powerhouses could only find Cushions in the rear rows and sit down.
Minghe stood in a corner with a gloomy expression, his gaze fixed firmly on Hongyun. Clearly, he still harbored resentment over failing to seize a cushion.
Haotian and Jade Pool did not fight for cushions. After everyone had taken their seats, they slowly walked to the entrance of Purple Cloud Palace and quietly awaited the Dao Ancestor and any final arrivals.
The Dao Rhythm within the palace grew increasingly dense. Everyone held their breath and focused, gazing toward the high platform at the front of the hall as they awaited the appearance of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
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