Successfully Slayed the Corpse!

"Sister, you wouldn't happen to... have taken a liking to Fellow Daoist Tongtian, would you?"

Fuxi suddenly lowered his voice, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Wh... what? Not at all!" Nuwa started, her tone flustered as a blush crept unbidden across her cheeks.

Her flustered demeanor made Fuxi's eyes go wide with disbelief.

"Ah, I never thought a casual remark from this poor Daoist would actually hit the mark..."

Fuxi sighed inwardly, momentarily at a loss for words.

Just then, Tongtian's figure appeared at just the right moment.

"Arriving early is better than arriving late. Congratulations to both Fellow Daoists on reaching the Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm."

Nuwa, already unsettled by the question, flushed even deeper at the sight of Tongtian.

Without even a word of greeting, she turned and hurriedly fled into the house.

"This..."

Tongtian blinked, looking at Fuxi in confusion.

Why did she rush off the moment he showed up?

He wasn't some terrifying figure.

Surely she didn't need to avoid him like this...

Fuxi shrugged helplessly, understanding his sister's feelings well enough but not daring to say more, lest he invite trouble.

"Duobao, this is our sect's Grand Elder, Fuxi. The one just now was Nuwa."

"You've just broken through, so stay here and stabilize your cultivation for now."

Tongtian addressed Duobao, who stood respectfully at the side, then shifted his tone as he looked at Fuxi.

"Also, I've chosen the Jie Sect's dojo—it's on the Three Immortal Islands in the East Sea."

"The second sermon at Purple Heaven Palace is coming up soon, so I won't take you there. After the sermon ends, we'll go together."

"The Three Immortal Islands?"

Fuxi froze for a moment, then his expression shifted dramatically.

In the Primordial Wilderness, which cultivator of any standing didn't know the name of the Three Immortal Islands?

Yet for years, no one had been able to find their traces.

But one thing was certain—those three immortal islands, born from Chaos Fragments, must be brimming with countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

"That's right, the very Three Immortal Islands you're thinking of." Tongtian nodded in confirmation.

"What fortune for the Sect Master! Now that the dojo is set, when will you Establish a Sect and take in disciples widely?"

Fuxi asked, following up in awe.

"No rush." Tongtian waved a hand. "If I'm to take disciples, it must shake the Primordial Wilderness."

He had made up his mind from the very start of establishing the sect.

The day the Jie Sect opened its doors, it would be earth-shattering—otherwise, all his efforts would be wasted.

As for a spectacle like "Ten Thousand Immortals Paying Homage," he had no interest in it.

As the two were speaking, Nuwa finally composed herself and walked out slowly.

"Fellow Daoist, this poor Daoist has a request. I wonder if you might grant it?"

Fuxi suddenly spoke, but his gaze unconsciously flicked toward Nuwa beside him.

"Oh? You're already an elder of this sect. No need for such formality—speak your mind."

Tongtian raised an eyebrow, mildly curious.

Had someone been foolish enough to lay hands on the Fuxi siblings?

"I ask that you agree to it first, Fellow Daoist, or else... ahem, ahem..."

"How can This Seat agree without knowing the details?" Tongtian shot him an annoyed glance.

He wasn't about to fall for such a trick of fishing for a promise.

"It's no difficult matter for you, Fellow Daoist, but this poor Daoist truly finds it hard to say..."

Fuxi hesitated, his words halting.

Meanwhile, Nuwa, noticing his gaze repeatedly drifting toward her, felt a knot tighten in her chest, a sense of unease quietly brewing.

"Speak plainly, and stop beating around the bush." Tongtian frowned, urging him on.

"It's about my younger sister, mainly that she... mmph—"

Before he could finish, Fuxi suddenly realized he had been hit with a silencing spell.

Though it was a low-grade technique he could dispel with a wave of his hand, the moment he met Nuwa's gaze—cold enough to frost over—he shrank back and dared not continue.

"What... what's going on with you two?" Tongtian asked, utterly bewildered.

"It's nothing, nothing. My brother's cultivation went a bit awry these past days, and his head isn't quite clear. Don't take it to heart, Fellow Daoist." Nuwa gave a dry laugh, glossing over it hastily.

Then she shot Fuxi a fierce glare, her eyes full of warning.

Tongtian pursed his lips and didn't press further, but he had a nagging feeling things weren't that simple.

That kind of excuse was fit for a child; he could only go along with it on the surface.

Eight times out of ten, there was more to this!

Thinking back to Nuwa's odd behavior earlier and Fuxi's hesitant expression, a guess suddenly surfaced in his mind—

Could it be... Nuwa had feelings for him?

The moment that thought popped up, Tongtian felt thoroughly unsettled.

It wasn't that he disliked Nuwa or had no fondness for her.

But... he hadn't done anything, had he?

How had she taken an interest in him?

Was it some "charm boost" from the system?

Shaking his head, he quickly suppressed the idea.

Since Nuwa hadn't brought it up, he'd better not ask, to avoid saying the wrong thing and making things awkward.

The atmosphere cooled for a moment. Seeing this, Fuxi spoke up:

"Since the second lecture at Purple Heaven Palace is about to start, and we've got nothing to do, how about we discuss the Dao together?"

Tongtian thought it over briefly, then nodded in agreement.

This was a good chance to explain the matter of "Slaying the Three Corpses" to the siblings.

That way, they could take that step faster during the upcoming lecture.

With that in mind, he organized his thoughts and began outlining the key points of slaying the Three Corpses.

The siblings exchanged a glance, their faces full of surprise.

Only then did they realize, to their astonishment, that Tongtian had already quietly broken through his realm.

Fuxi gave a wry smile. "It seems you've gained quite a lot over these years, Fellow Daoist."

"Not really. It just took me these years to break through a minor realm. Nothing special."

Tongtian waved a hand, his tone casual.

Fuxi: "..."

Nuwa: "..."

If they could curse, they'd want to snap back.

That's nothing?! Then what counts as impressive?!

"Don't worry, you'll break through soon enough. No need to envy me," Tongtian said lightly, offering comfort.

"Fellow Daoist, you must be close to slaying the second corpse by now, right?" Nuwa suddenly asked.

"As for me... my path is a bit different from yours." Tongtian paused briefly, offering no further explanation.

After all, the Primordial Supreme Merit comprehended the true Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, forged from the convergence of the Three Thousand Great Daos.

He wouldn't abandon the root for the branch and walk the old road of slaying the Three Corpses.

"The time has come. The second lecture at Purple Heaven Palace begins. All who are fated may come."

As the ten-thousand-year deadline arrived, Hongjun's voice, brimming with authority, rang out across the Great Desolation Continent.

In an instant, the many Great Powers who had long been waiting lit up with joy.

A Saint's lecture, even if incomprehensible, was a rare opportunity!

The Dao discussion came to an end.

Tongtian gave Duobao a few brief instructions, then left Buzhou Mountain with Fuxi and Nuwa.

Though their time together hadn't been long, the siblings had gained immensely over these years.

They were now confident that, during the next three thousand years of listening to the Dao, they would break through from Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal and step into the Quasi-Saint realm!

Soon, the Three Thousand Mortal World Guests arrived one by one at Purple Heaven Palace.

Following Hongjun's previous instructions, everyone quietly found their seats.

But a few wore rather grim expressions.

These were Dijun, Taiyi, Laozi, Yuanshi, Ancestor Minghe, East King Duke, and the Westerners Jieyin and Zhunti.

The reason was simple: they found that Tongtian's aura could no longer be discerned.

And the presence he exuded with every move sent an involuntary chill of fear through their hearts.

This was clearly not the level of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal!

In unison, the eight of them shared the same thought:

Tongtian had already surpassed the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, walking ahead of them all!

For a moment, beyond shock, unease spread through them.

Though they still did not know what realm lay beyond the Great Luo, as top-tier Great Powers, they all understood that the further one progressed in cultivation, the more pronounced the gap became.

Thus, they began to worry whether, after the sermon ended, Tongtian would come to settle old scores with them.

Dijun, Taiyi, Laozi, and Yuanshi were especially tense.

After all, in the battle at Buzhou Mountain, they had thoroughly offended Tongtian.

Even with defensive treasures protecting them, they could not be certain whether those treasures would still save their lives in the face of Tongtian as he was now!

As if sensing their gazes, Tongtian suddenly turned and smiled at them.

That small gesture made the eight of them tighten inwardly.

A feeling of unease rose in their hearts.

The mortal guests nearby saw this and secretly snickered to themselves.

As the sermon was about to begin, a figure suddenly appeared on the cloud bed—Hongjun had arrived.

He swept his gaze across the assembly, and when he saw Tongtian, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

He had not expected Tongtian to step into the Quasi-Saint realm so quickly.

Fortunately, his expression shifted swiftly, and the assembled Great Powers all had their heads lowered, so no one noticed that momentary fluctuation.

Otherwise, someone might have lost their composure on the spot, damaging their Dao heart.

"In this sermon, I will speak of the realm beyond the Great Luo and below the Saint, known as the 'Quasi-Saint' realm. You must all devote yourselves to comprehending it."

Upon hearing this, everyone straightened their postures and focused their minds to listen.

As Hongjun slowly began to speak, the mysterious sound of the Dao rang out.

In an instant, heavenly flowers rained down, golden lotuses emerged, and auspicious vapors swirled around them.

All were immediately immersed in a wondrous state—half-understanding, half-enlightened, as if grasping something just out of reach.

After only a thousand years, Tongtian, who had been sitting with eyes closed in contemplation, suddenly opened them and cast his gaze to the side.

He saw that Fuxi and Nuwa, as if by prior agreement, had begun to quietly elevate their auras.

The Fuxi Qin and the Demon Refining Gourd also appeared before them at that moment.

Before long, they would likely succeed in severing their corpses!

Seeing this, though it was not Tongtian's own breakthrough, it still allowed Laozi and the others to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

But at the same time, a sense of impatience could not help but rise in their hearts.

Surely they could not end up inferior not only to Tongtian but even to his two Fellow Daoists!

Unfortunately, in that battle at Buzhou Mountain back then, they had all been injured to varying degrees.

Over these ten thousand years, nearly half that time had been spent healing and recovering.

No matter how anxious they were, breaking through the corpse-severing barrier was still beyond their reach!

More critically, aside from Laozi, Dijun, Taiyi, Minghe, and Zhunti, none of the others possessed a spiritual treasure that suited their needs.