Hongjun paid no heed to everyone's emotions. His gaze shifted to Nuwa, and his tone softened somewhat.
"Nuwa, you are also my personal disciple. In the future, there will be a great deed of Merit that only you can accomplish. Such an opportunity will be enough to support your ascension to sainthood."
As his words fell, the fourth strand of Primordial Violet Qi slowly drifted out and merged into Nuwa's brow.
"Thank you, Master!" Nuwa rose and bowed, her eyes filled with delight. At the same time, she secretly glanced at her brother Fuxi beside her, her gaze carrying a trace of apology.
Her brother had cultivated alongside her, yet he had no fate with the Purple Qi.
Seeing this, Fuxi smiled and shook his head. He reached out and patted her shoulder, his eyes gentle.
"It is enough that my sister has received such an opportunity. I am delighted for you, so do not dwell on it."
To him, his sister's achievements mattered far more than whether he himself became a Sage.
Just as everyone thought the fifth strand of Purple Qi would fall into Haotian's hands, Haotian suddenly rose and cupped his hands toward Hongjun.
"Master, my path does not lie in entrusting myself to the Heavenly Dao, but in transcending it."
"Though Primordial Violet Qi is precious, it is not what I seek. Please grant it to someone who needs it more."
Jade Pool rose as well, her voice gentle yet firm.
"With Senior Brother's support, and an Innate Spiritual Root to nurture my Dao Heart, I likewise have no need to be bound by Primordial Violet Qi. I am willing to give it up alongside Senior Brother."
The instant those words were spoken, the entire Purple Firmament Palace fell deathly silent.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Primordial Violet Qi was the key to becoming a Sage, a supreme treasure countless great powers dreamed of obtaining.
Yet these two had simply given it up, looking utterly unconcerned?
Dijun and Taiyi exchanged glances, their eyes full of disbelief.
Jieyin and Zhunti stood frozen as well. They had originally thought Haotian and Jade Pool would take the remaining two strands of Purple Qi, but this sudden turn of events rekindled their hopes.
"Outrageous!" one great power could not help but growl, only to be firmly restrained by the person beside him. How could outsiders criticize the decision of Mystic Gate's personal disciples?
Hongjun looked at Haotian, a trace of approval flashing through his eyes as he slowly nodded. "Your talent is exceptional. You should have walked the path of proving the Dao through strength."
"The restraints imposed by the Heavenly Dao through Primordial Violet Qi would indeed limit your future."
"With your protection, and Ren Water Flat Peaches to solidify her foundation, Jade Pool can also break through in the future through her own talent. This thing is indeed useless to the two of you."
These words finally made Jieyin and Zhunti breathe a complete sigh of relief. After exchanging a glance, their eyes filled with urgency.
Four strands of Purple Qi had already been distributed. Three strands of Primordial Violet Qi remained; surely there would be some for them.
But Hongjun suddenly lowered his head in thought, as though he had forgotten about them.
As time passed bit by bit, Jieyin and Zhunti's hearts beat faster and faster, cold sweat soaking their Daoist robes.
They thought of the barren Spirit Veins of the Western Land, of the wounds left behind by Luohu's self-destruction. If they could not become Sages, the Western Land would never rise!
At last, Zhunti could no longer endure it. After shuffling forward several steps on his knees, he choked out toward the high platform.
"Dao Ancestor! The Western Spirit Vein has been severed, and its living beings struggle in cultivation."
"My fellow disciple and I are willing to seek a sliver of hope for the Western Land. We beg the Dao Ancestor to bestow Primordial Violet Qi upon us, so that we may revive the Western Land and protect the sentient beings of the Primordial Wilderness!"
Jieyin also knelt, tears streaming down his aged face. "Compassionate Dao Ancestor! Though the two of us are dull in talent, we are willing to devote our entire lives to following the Dao."
"If we are granted Purple Qi, we will never forget the Dao Ancestor's teachings and will protect the order of the Primordial Wilderness!"
As they spoke, the two burst into loud sobs, their mournful cries echoing throughout the Purple Firmament Palace.
"Here they go again..." Everyone in the hall wore expressions of contempt.
During the first lecture at Purple Firmament Palace, these two had seized their Cushions through tears. Now they wanted to beg for Purple Qi through tears as well. They had utterly no bearing of great powers!
Dijun and Taiyi frowned, yet they secretly grew wary. If this trick truly worked, they might have to cast aside their dignity too.
The crying irritated Hongjun, and he furrowed his brow slightly before speaking in a deep voice.
"Crying and wailing—what kind of behavior is that? Fine. The two of you were never fated to be master and disciples with me, but you do possess the foundation to become Sages."
"Today, I shall accept you two as Registered Disciples of Mystic Gate, and grant these two strands of Primordial Violet Qi to you as well."
As his words fell, the fifth and sixth strands of Primordial Violet Qi flew out and merged into Jieyin and Zhunti's primordial spirits respectively.
The two immediately stopped crying, their faces filled with ecstasy as they repeatedly kowtowed toward the high platform.
"Thank you, Dao Ancestor! We will not fail the Dao Ancestor's trust and will revive the Western Land!"
They did not care about the scorn of others. As long as they could obtain Purple Qi and revive the Western Land, this little loss of face was nothing.
Everyone in the hall was completely stunned. Could one really obtain Primordial Violet Qi by crying?
After a brief moment of shock, no one knew which Innate Great Power took the lead, but a wailing cry suddenly rang out.
"Dao Ancestor! This disciple is willing to devote everything to the Primordial Wilderness. I beg you to grant me Purple Qi!"
Soon afterward, more cries rose and fell one after another, plunging the entire Purple Firmament Palace into utter chaos.
Dijun and Taiyi exchanged a glance. They too gritted their teeth and set aside their pride, rising to cup their hands toward the high platform. Their voices carried deliberately cultivated sorrow.
"Dao Ancestor! The demon race governs the starry sky and protects the countless beings of the stars. We are willing to contribute to the stability of the Primordial Wilderness. We beg the Dao Ancestor to grant us the final strand of Purple Qi!"
As they spoke, they squeezed out a few tears as well, lowering their posture to the utmost.
Pride was important, but the Sage Position was right before them. If they missed it because they could not let go of their pride, that would be a regret beyond remedy.
Zhenyuanzi shook his head and did not follow suit. He knew full well that his talent was limited.
Even if he obtained Primordial Violet Qi, the road to becoming a Sage would still be fraught with difficulty. He would rather focus on tending the Ginseng Fruit Tree and safeguarding his own Dao path.
Though Hongyun's expression was complicated, he did not regret it. From the moment he had sat on that cushion, he had felt that it did not belong to him. He had always been someone who went with the flow; since it did not belong to him, he simply would not take it.
But now it seemed that he had still offended someone without realizing it.
Thinking of this, his feelings grew even more complicated. In the end, he could only close his eyes and rest.
Meanwhile, the cries within Purple Firmament Palace continued to rise and fall, shaking even the Dao Patterns on the hall's beams and pillars until they trembled faintly.
Hongjun's brows were tightly knit, clearly irritated by the noisy scene.
He raised a hand and pressed down through the air. An invisible pressure spread out, instantly suppressing every cry.
"The final strand of Purple Qi is not for me to decide. It depends entirely on one's own fortune."
His tone held a trace of impatience. With a flick of his finger, the pale violet stream floating in the void suddenly came alive, darting through the hall like a spiritual snake.
"Seize it!" someone shouted, and the hall instantly erupted into chaos.
The spiritual light around Dijun's River Diagram and Luo Book surged as he attempted to bind the Purple Qi with Star Law.
Taiyi gripped the Eastern Emperor Bell tightly. Its chimes shook the air as he tried to halt the Purple Qi's path.
Kunpeng transformed into his true form, his enormous roc wings stirring up gusts of wild wind as he attempted to sweep the Purple Qi into his grasp.
Even many Grand Unity Golden Immortals refused to be outdone, each producing Spiritual Treasures to trap or draw it in, their gazes fixed firmly on that stream which could lead to the Sage Position.
But Primordial Violet Qi contained the Heavenly Dao Origin and possessed its own intelligence.
Facing the pursuit and interception of so many Innate Great Powers, it dodged left and right, nimbly evading the River Diagram and Luo Book's restraint and circling around the Chaos Bell's vibrations.
It even used the gale stirred up by Kunpeng's wings to accelerate, darting all the way to the rear of the hall.
There, Hongyun sat quietly on his cushion, trying to rest with his eyes closed and pretend he could not see any of it.
Just when everyone thought Primordial Violet Qi would continue fleeing—
It suddenly changed direction and shot like a bolt of violet lightning directly into Hongyun's brow, merging into his primordial spirit.
Boom! The entire Purple Firmament Palace instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at Hongyun in stunned disbelief.
Dijun's River Diagram and Luo Book stopped in midair, Taiyi's Chaos Bell fell abruptly silent, and Kunpeng's roc wings froze in place. The urgency on his face instantly turned ashen.
He had schemed tirelessly and had even held a grudge against Hongyun, yet in the end, this strand of Purple Qi had actually chosen Hongyun on its own?
"Why?" one great power could not help but roar, his voice twisted with jealousy.
"Hongyun voluntarily gave up his front-row cushion back then. He is not even a Registered Disciple of Mystic Gate, so why should he receive Purple Qi?"
More gazes fell upon Hongyun, filled with envy, unwillingness, and undisguised killing intent.
The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti were all Mystic Gate disciples. They could not be touched, nor did anyone dare touch them, for none of those six were easy to deal with. But Hongyun was merely an unaffiliated Rogue Cultivator. If they could seize the Purple Qi from him, perhaps they too would have a chance to attain the Sage Position!
Before you continue