Second Lecture Begins, Dijun is Depressed

During this time, whenever Hongjun ate with relish, he would occasionally wave his hand and seize evil beasts and fierce beasts from all over the Primordial Wilderness. There were Crimson Flame Wolves that had slaughtered tribes, and Jade Water Flood Dragons that had seized spiritual veins—all of them beings heavy with Karmic Debt. He casually slew and cleaned these beasts, then cut them into chunks and threw them into the pot. "Such evil beasts, if left to wreak havoc in the Primordial Wilderness, are better off turned into ingredients, atoning for part of their sins." Haotian and Jade Pool were busy adding seasonings; Haotian controlled the heat, occasionally adding chili powder or sauce, while Jade Pool added tender leaves of spiritual plants, sometimes curiously asking Hongjun about interesting tales of the Primordial Wilderness. The latter answered while tasting, and thus several hundred years passed.

When the broth in the bronze pot had nearly run dry and the surrounding ingredients were almost gone, Hongjun set down his Jade Chopsticks, cleared his throat, and restrained some of his casual demeanor. "This hotpot is delicious, but it must also be enjoyed in moderation. The ten-thousand-year period is nearly over; those coming to listen to the lectures in the Chaos will soon arrive. Haotian, Jade Pool, go greet them outside the palace gates."

Outside the Purple霄 Palace, the Chaos Airflow drifted slowly as Haotian and Jade Pool stood silently on the steps. Haotian's Space Law stirred faintly, his gaze sweeping across the edge of Chaos. Jade Pool held the Twelve-Petal Pure World White Lotus, the purifying glow on its petals occasionally brushing her fingertips; both appeared completely composed. After waiting quietly for about three hundred years, a blazing streak of light tore through the Chaos. Dijun and Taiyi landed with several Demon Saints, but their expressions were far from pleasant. Taiyi clenched the Chaos Bell Prototype in his hand, his knuckles white, his voice carrying suppressed anger. "We encountered a Chaos Storm on the way here. The leaders of the Flood Dragon Tribe and Crimson Flame Wolf Tribe, who had already agreed to submit, were swept away by the storm and are nowhere to be found. And the storm only targeted them while we came through unscathed—this is highly suspicious!"

Hearing the names Flood Dragon Tribe and Crimson Flame Wolf Tribe, Haotian and Jade Pool's expressions flickered almost imperceptibly with awkwardness. They exchanged a quick glance, both seeing understanding in each other's eyes. What Chaos Storm? Those two tribe leaders were clearly evil beasts their Master had casually grabbed from the Primordial Wilderness years ago when he felt the hotpot ingredients were insufficient. After all, these were beings steeped in evil deeds and heavy karmic debt, long noted by Hongjun on his list of potential ingredients, and had already become meat in the pot. But this couldn't be said outright—they couldn't very well tell Dijun and the others, "The people you're looking for were eaten by us and our Master." So they quickly composed themselves, suppressing the laughter in their eyes, and pretended not to have heard, maintaining their composed stance on the steps. Dijun frowned and waved his hand, his gaze sweeping toward the Purple Firmament Palace as he said in a deep voice, "This is the Dao Ancestor's dojo; it's not appropriate to discuss this here. We can investigate after the second lecture." Even so, the gloom in his eyes didn't fade—losing the support of two tribes would inevitably affect the Demon Race's momentum in the Primordial Wilderness.

Following closely behind Dijun and Taiyi, a golden light came from the east. East King Duke, holding a Dragon Head Crutch, arrived with numerous Primordial Unity Golden Immortals and Great Luo Golden Immortals behind him—all Immortal Race cultivators under his command, making quite a grand display. Seeing Dijun and Taiyi, he curled his lips into a faint smile and deliberately slowed his pace, letting his followers form neat ranks, standing in silent opposition to the Demon Race group. Dijun snorted coldly at the sight, and Taiyi directly released a faint pressure, causing the Demon Race cultivators to step forward, glaring angrily at the Immortal Race cultivators. For a moment, the atmosphere outside the palace was tense, and if not for the rules of the Purple Firmament Palace, they would have come to blows. In the end, they could only split into two rows and wait quietly.

Nearly another thousand years passed before a succession of auras came from the Chaos. The Three Pure Ones arrived riding the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda; Laozi sat with eyes closed in concentration. Yuanshi held the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, while Tongtian swept a sharp gaze over Dijun and East King Duke, seeming quite disdainful of their standoff. Nuwa and Fuxi landed on Seven-colored Rosy Clouds; seeing Jade Pool, Nuwa nodded gently in greeting. Then, two streams of cold moonlight drifted slowly from the western Chaos. Xihe and Changxi, dressed in moon-white Daoist robes, were surrounded by faint Lunar Cold Qi. Osmanthus Hairpins carved from Moon Jade adorned their hair, their delicate hands lightly gathering their sleeves, their steps as graceful as moonlit goddesses. These two were Innate Deities born from the Moon Star, specializing in the Lunar Law. After landing, they stood not far from Nuwa, their calm gazes sweeping over the crowd outside the hall. They neither met Dijun and Taiyi's eyes nor actively conversed with other factions, only occasionally exchanging low words with Fuxi about insights into the Lunar Law. Their cool, detached aura formed a stark contrast with the Demon Race's heat and the Immortal Race's flamboyance.

Jieyin and Zhunti still wore Earth-yellow Daoist Robes, their faces bearing expressions of suffering. Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun arrived side by side; Hongyun's demeanor was more composed than before, clearly having advanced in cultivation since the last lecture. Kunpeng came from the North Sea, surrounded by cold qi, and after landing, he went straight to a corner, unwilling to interact with others. Minghe arrived with the aura of the Blood Sea, his gaze shifting between East King Duke and Dijun, a hint of calculation flashing in his eyes. With the arrival of these most powerful figures, countless other cultivators gradually arrived, totaling tens of thousands.

When everyone had gathered, someone suddenly muttered under their breath, "Some of the fellow cultivators who came last time—why aren't they here this time?" At these words, many felt a chill in their hearts. All who could reach the Purple Firmament Palace were great powers of the Primordial Wilderness. An unexplained absence most likely meant they had fallen to the dangers of the Primordial Wilderness.

For a moment, many felt a sinking in their hearts, yet their gazes toward the Purple Firmament Palace grew even more fervent.

Only by borrowing the Dao Ancestor's lectures to break through to a higher realm could one truly cast off the shackles of life and death and enjoy eternal freedom.

Just then, a gentle aura drifted from the depths of chaos. Houtu, clad in a plain long dress, walked slowly forward.

She was surrounded by a dense Earth Law, utterly unlike the violent nature of the other Ancestral Witches—steady, compassionate, and sorrowful.

When Haotian saw her, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. The Ancestral Witches cultivated the physical body, not the Primordial Spirit, and the Purple Firmament Palace's lectures mostly touched upon laws and the Primordial Spirit.

After Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches had come once, they no longer attended.

Houtu's arrival this time must mean she had vaguely sensed a shift in her own path.

He held silent respect for her in his heart but did not step forward to converse, merely nodding slightly in greeting.

Houtu's future karma of transforming into the Cycle of Reincarnation was immense; saying more now would be pointless and might even disturb her Dao Heart.

Once all the great powers had assembled, Haotian raised his hand to dissolve the Purple Firmament Palace's barrier and announced in a clear voice.

"Fellow Daoists, the Dao Ancestor is about to begin his lecture. Please take your seats according to the previous arrangement."

Hearing this, everyone composed their minds and filed into the palace in an orderly manner.

Though Dijun and East King Duke still harbored grudges, they dared not act recklessly in the Dao Ancestor's domain, each leading their followers to their seats.

Haotian and Jade Pool returned to the cushions on the upper left and right. No sooner had they steadied their breaths than golden light blazed upon the high platform, and Hongjun's figure slowly materialized.

He held the Jade Disk of Creation, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd as he spoke flatly.

"This lecture concerns the path of the Quasi-Sage. Living beings of the Primordial Wilderness who cultivate to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm often find themselves trapped by bottlenecks."

"Today, I will explain in detail the methods for breaking through this path. The duration remains three thousand years. Quiet your minds and listen."