Three Pure Ones' Question, Hongjun Distributes Purple Qi

Amidst the continuous blessing of Heaven and Earth phenomena, everyone sank into immersion. Laozi, seated at the head, closed his eyes in meditation, his pure stillness resonating with the Dao Sound.

Venerable Yuanshi's eyes flickered with sharp light, the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi trembling faintly as if absorbing the nourishment of the Sage's laws.

Sect Master Tongtian smiled freely, the Qingping Sword humming as it transformed the Dao Sound into a Dao Rhythm that blended slaughter and tolerance.

Nuwa gathered the spiritual light of creation at her fingertips, her mind already pondering how to better comprehend the path of the Sage.

Jieyin and Zhunti held their breath, carving every word of the Dao Sound into their Primordial Spirits, afraid of missing any content and losing a great opportunity.

Haotian and Jade Pool's understanding was even more profound. Haotian, aided by the Fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation, could clearly see the Great Dao runes contained within the Dao Sound.

He gained a deeper insight into the binding relationship between Sages and the Heavenly Dao.

Jade Pool, under the enhancement of Ren Water Spiritual Qi and the Dao Sound, faintly showed signs of a breakthrough, her understanding of the Sage's responsibilities becoming clearer.

Though the two of them did not walk the path of the Sage, understanding more was still beneficial.

Not to mention that the Master had slipped in private teachings, secretly resolving their doubts one by one, plunging them both into deep contemplation.

Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye as everyone remained immersed in enlightenment.

Just as the crowd was listening with rapt fascination, Hongjun suddenly ceased the Dao Sound. The golden runes and Heaven and Earth phenomena gradually dissipated.

This abrupt halt left many feeling intensely uncomfortable, wishing they could listen for a while longer.

But Hongjun paid no heed to that. Instead, he swept his gaze over the assembly below and spoke calmly.

"Now that the path of the Sage has been expounded, if any of you have doubts, you may speak them one by one."

The moment the words fell, the crowd erupted with excitement—this was the moment they had been waiting for! Countless eyes fixed on Hongjun, brimming with anticipation.

Laozi, seated in the front row, rose first. He bowed with clasped hands toward the high platform and spoke with reverence.

"May I ask, Master, what is a Sage? And how many Sages can exist between Heaven and Earth?"

Hongjun's expression was placid as he slowly replied: "A Sage must borrow the Primordial Violet Qi to attain Sagehood. Upon becoming a Sage, the Primordial Spirit is lodged in the void of the Heavenly Dao, protected by it."

"Enjoying the benefit that as long as the Heavenly Dao is not destroyed, the Sage is not extinguished. As for the number of Sages, the limit the Great Desolation Heavenly Dao can bear is nine. Among my disciples, seven will occupy those seats."

"What? Only seven seats?" A wave of disappointed murmurs rose from below.

With so many great powers vying for seven Sage positions, the odds were impossibly slim!

Many who had harbored hopes lowered their heads, their eyes filled with disappointment.

Yet some refused to give up. Dijun and Taiyi exchanged glances, a flicker of ambition in their eyes.

They considered themselves the orthodox of the Demon Race and believed they had the right to contend for a Sage seat.

Jieyin and Zhunti pressed their palms together, silently praying that they would surely obtain one.

Even Zhenyuanzi tightened his grip on a spiritual treasure in his hand, lost in thought.

Before the crowd could digest this news, Venerable Yuanshi rose impatiently, his tone urgent: "May I ask, Master, how many methods are there to become a Sage?"

He was determined to secure a Sage seat and naturally wished to know the fastest and most reliable path.

Hongjun replied indifferently: "The Three Thousand Great Daos can all lead to Sagehood, but I have classified them into three types."

"Attaining the Dao through Force is the strongest, through Severing the Corpse is secondary, and through Merit is the weakest."

"Those who attain the Dao through Force must use their own cultivation to forcibly break through the Heavenly Dao's restraints, reaching the Great Dao Origin directly. Though this method is the strongest, very few can achieve it."

"Those who attain the Dao through Severing the Corpse must use Innate Spiritual Treasures to entrust the Good, Evil, and Obsession Corpses."

"Uniting the three corpses leads to Sagehood. This method requires Innate Spiritual Treasures, and it is difficult to succeed without treasures of the same origin."

"Those who attain the Dao through Merit must accumulate enough Heavenly Dao Merit, using the power of Merit to draw forth the Primordial Violet Qi. This method is the simplest, but it is bound by Merit, and its Combat Power is the weakest."

"However, though those who attain the Dao through Merit are the weakest, because they bear great Merit, no one dares to offend them. Otherwise, they will incur the Heavenly Dao's disdain."

The three methods fell like a bucket of cold water, dousing the hopes of many.

Attaining the Dao through Force was too difficult to break the Heavenly Dao; Severing the Corpse required Innate Spiritual Treasures; and Merit resulted in weak Combat Power—none of the paths were easy!

The great powers who had been eager to try now completely abandoned their thoughts.

Those without Innate Spiritual Treasures could only sigh helplessly, lamenting that the Sage seat was not meant for them.

The atmosphere in the Purple Firmament Palace instantly shifted from excitement to dejection.

But not everyone was downcast. At least the Three Pure Ones remained as steady as Mount Tai, their expressions calm and unruffled.

Laozi's fingers formed a seal, the white jade crooked staff slowly rotating in his palm, the pure stillness around him growing denser.

As incarnations of Pangu's Primordial Spirit, they were born bearing World-Opening Merit. Even if they chose the path of Merit to attain Sagehood, they held an advantage over other great powers.

Venerable Yuanshi's gaze swept across the hall, the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi shimmering faintly.

He had already made up his mind: how could the orthodox of the Mystic Gate walk the weakest path to Sagehood?

If an opportunity arose, he would definitely attempt Severing the Corpse, or even explore the edges of Attaining the Dao through Force.

Sect Master Tongtian toyed with the Qingping Sword, a carefree smile on his lips.

To him, as long as he could protect his fellow disciples and wield the Dao Rhythm of slaughter, the method of becoming a Sage mattered little. What mattered was having enough strength.

Thus, after a brief moment of thought, he rose and bowed toward the high platform, his voice clear: "May I ask, Master, who can become a Sage?"

This statement instantly drew everyone's attention.

The crowd in the hall perked up, ears pricked.

Even if hope was slim, they still wanted to know who would obtain those seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi and knock on the door of sainthood.

Hongjun's gaze swept slowly across the hall, finally settling on the Three Pure Ones, his tone indifferent yet carrying an unshakable finality.

"Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian—you three are My direct disciples, bearing World-Opening Merit, with steadfast Dao Hearts, and may become saints."

Before his words faded, he raised a hand and waved lightly; three streams of faint purple energy emerged from the void.

Woven within the streams were golden Dao runes—these were the Primordial Violet Qi!

The Violet Qi, like living things, flew precisely into the brows of Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian, merging into their Primordial Spirits.

"Thank you, Master!" The Three Pure Ones rose and bowed in unison, barely concealing their joy.

The moment the Primordial Violet Qi entered their bodies, they clearly sensed a faint connection to the Heavenly Dao, the path to lodging the Primordial Spirit in the void seeming to lie right before their eyes.

The crowd in the hall watched, envy and jealousy interwoven; some great beings clenched their fists fiercely, hating that they lacked Pangu's orthodox lineage.

Others beat their chests and stamped their feet, regretting that they hadn't been so lucky.

Among them, Kunpeng reacted the most violently. His eyes bloodshot, he stared fixedly at Hongyun nearby, his nails nearly digging into his palms.

If not for Hongyun giving up his seat back then, he would have sat in the front row, and might have caught the Dao Ancestor's eye and received a strand of Violet Qi! "Hongyun... this blood feud is irreconcilable!"

He roared inwardly, a faint trace of killing intent leaking from his body, silently blocked by Zhenyuanzi with a surge of spiritual energy.

Hongyun sensed Kunpeng's undisguised malice, his expression darkening slightly, but he could only endure in silence.

In the Primordial Wilderness, strength was the foundation; arguing with Kunpeng now would only invite more trouble.