Amid wave after wave of Heaven and Earth Phenomena, everyone immersed themselves in enlightenment. Laozi, seated at the head, meditated with his eyes closed as the Pure Law around him resonated with the Dao Sound.
Venerable Yuanshi's eyes gleamed, and the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi trembled faintly, as though absorbing nourishment from the laws of the saints.
Sect Master Tongtian merely smiled freely. The Qingping Sword hummed as it transformed the Dao Sound into Dao Rhythm that contained both slaughter and tolerance.
Nuwa gathered creation spiritual light at her fingertips, already pondering how she could better comprehend the path of the saints.
Jieyin and Zhunti held their breath and focused, engraving every sentence of the Dao Sound into their primordial spirits, afraid of missing anything and losing a great opportunity.
Haotian and Jade Pool attained even deeper insights. With the Fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation, Haotian could clearly see the Great Dao runes contained within the Dao Sound.
They gained a deeper understanding of the binding relationship between saints and the Heavenly Dao.
Meanwhile, under the support of Ren Water Spiritual Qi and the Dao Sound, Jade Pool faintly showed signs of a breakthrough, and her understanding of a saint's responsibilities became clearer as well.
Although neither of them pursued the path of sainthood, understanding a little more was still beneficial.
Not to mention that their master had slipped in some personal instruction, secretly answering their questions one by one, allowing both of them to sink into deep enlightenment.
Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye as everyone immersed themselves in comprehending the Dao.
Just as everyone was listening with rapt attention, Hongjun suddenly stopped the Dao Sound, and the golden runes and Heaven and Earth Phenomena gradually faded away.
This unresolved feeling made many of them deeply uncomfortable, and they wished they could listen for a while longer.
But Hongjun did not concern himself with that. After sweeping his gaze across the crowd below, he spoke indifferently.
"If you have any doubts regarding the path of sainthood taught this time, you may speak of them one by one."
The moment his words fell, everyone became excited. This was exactly the moment they had been waiting for! Countless pairs of eyes fixed upon Hongjun, filled with anticipation.
Laozi, seated in the first row, was the first to rise. He bowed toward the raised platform, his tone respectful.
"May I ask, Master, what is a saint? And how many saints may exist between Heaven and Earth?"
Hongjun's expression remained calm as he slowly said, "A saint must rely on Primordial Violet Qi to attain sainthood. Upon becoming a saint, one's primordial spirit is entrusted to the void of the Heavenly Dao and protected by the Heavenly Dao."
"They enjoy the benefit that while the Heavenly Dao endures, saints do not perish. As for the number of saints, the limit that the Great Desolation Heavenly Dao can bear is nine. Seven of those shall be among my disciples."
"What? There are only seven places?" A wave of disappointed murmurs immediately rose from below.
So many great powers were competing for seven saint positions. What were the odds?
Many great powers who had originally harbored expectations lowered their heads, their eyes filled with disappointment.
Yet some still refused to give up. Dijun and Taiyi looked at each other, a trace of ambition flashing in their eyes.
They believed themselves to be the rightful rulers of the demon race and qualified to contend for a saint position.
Jieyin and Zhunti pressed their palms together, praying endlessly that they would receive one.
Even Zhenyuanzi lightly tightened his grip around a Spiritual Treasure in his hand, deep in thought.
Before everyone could digest the news, Venerable Yuanshi had already risen impatiently, asking eagerly, "May I ask, Master, how many methods are there to attain sainthood?"
He was determined to obtain a saint position, so naturally he wished to know the fastest and most reliable path to sainthood.
Hongjun replied blandly, "The Three Thousand Great Daos can all lead to sainthood, but I classify them into three types."
"Proving the Dao through strength is the strongest. Proving the Dao by severing the three corpses comes second. Proving the Dao through Merit is the weakest."
"Those who prove the Dao through strength must use their own cultivation to forcibly break the Heavenly Dao's restraints and reach the Great Dao Origin directly. Though this method is powerful, very few can accomplish it."
"Those who prove the Dao by severing the three corpses must use Innate Spiritual Treasures to house the three corpses of good, evil, and obsession."
"Once the three corpses merge into one, one may attain sainthood. This method requires the aid of Innate Spiritual Treasures, and it is difficult to succeed unless the treasures share the same origin."
"Those who prove the Dao through Merit must accumulate sufficient Heavenly Dao Merit and use Merit Power to stir Primordial Violet Qi. This method is the simplest, but one is bound by Merit, and one's combat power is the weakest."
"However, although those who prove the Dao through Merit are the weakest, they possess immense Merit. No one would dare offend them, or they would incur the Heavenly Dao's displeasure."
The three methods were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing many people's hopes.
Proving the Dao through strength made it difficult to break the Heavenly Dao, proving the Dao by severing the three corpses required Innate Spiritual Treasures, and proving the Dao through Merit resulted in weak combat power. None of the paths were easy!
The many great powers who had been eager to try completely abandoned the thought.
Those without Innate Spiritual Treasures could only sigh helplessly, lamenting that saint positions were not destined for them.
The atmosphere in Purple Sky Palace instantly shifted from excitement to gloom.
But not everyone was dejected. At the very least, the Three Pure Ones remained as steady as mountains, their expressions calm and unruffled.
Laozi formed hand seals with his fingers as the White Jade Flat Staff slowly rotated in his palm, and the pure Dao Rhythm around him grew increasingly profound.
As beings formed from Pangu's primordial spirit, they had been born carrying World-Opening Merit. Even if they chose to prove the Dao through Merit, they held a greater advantage than the other great powers.
Venerable Yuanshi's gaze swept across the hall as the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi flickered with faint light.
He had long made his calculations. How could the orthodox lineage of the Mystic Gate take the weakest path to sainthood?
If the opportunity arose, he would certainly attempt to prove the Dao by severing the three corpses, or even explore the fringes of proving the Dao through strength.
Sect Master Tongtian played with the Qingping Sword, a carefree smile on his lips.
To him, as long as he could protect his fellow disciples and command Dao Rhythm of slaughter, the method of attaining sainthood was unimportant. What mattered was possessing enough strength.
Thus, after pondering only briefly, he rose and bowed toward the raised platform, his voice clear. "May I ask, Master, who may attain sainthood?"
The moment he spoke, he instantly drew everyone's attention.
Everyone in the hall immediately perked up and listened intently.
Even if their hopes were slim, they still wanted to know who exactly would receive those seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi and knock upon the gate of sainthood.
Hongjun's gaze slowly swept over those below before finally settling upon the Three Pure Ones. His tone was indifferent, yet it carried an unquestionable conclusion.
"Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian are my personal disciples. They bear World-Opening Merit and possess steadfast Dao Hearts. They may attain sainthood."
Before his words had fully fallen, he raised a hand and gave a light wave. Three streams of pale violet air emerged from the void.
Golden Great Dao runes twined within the streams. They were precisely Primordial Violet Qi!
Like living creatures, the Purple Qi flew accurately into the brows of Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian, merging into their primordial spirits.
"Thank you, Master!" The Three Pure Ones rose together and bowed, unable to conceal the joy in their eyes.
The moment Primordial Violet Qi entered their bodies, they clearly sensed a faint connection to the Heavenly Dao, as though the path of entrusting their primordial spirits to the void lay right before them.
Seeing this, the people in the hall felt envy and jealousy intertwine. Some great powers clenched their fists fiercely, hating that they had not been born of Pangu's orthodox lineage.
Others beat their chests and stamped their feet, regretting that they had not possessed such good fortune.
Kunpeng's reaction was the most intense. His eyes turned bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Hongyun not far away, his nails nearly digging into his palms.
If Hongyun had not given up his seat back then, he should have been seated in the front row. Perhaps he, too, could have caught the Dao Ancestor's eye and received a strand of Purple Qi! Hongyun... this hatred is irreconcilable!
He howled inwardly, a faint killing intent leaking from his body, only for Zhenyuanzi to quietly block it with spiritual qi.
Hongyun sensed Kunpeng's undisguised malice, and his expression darkened slightly, but he could only endure it in silence.
In the Primordial Wilderness, strength was the foundation of all things. Arguing with Kunpeng now would only create more trouble.
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