Even if one could slay the corpses, there would be nothing to entrust them to!
Before long, the auras around Fuxi and Nuwa grew increasingly violent.
Some of the weaker cultivators were suppressed until they staggered about, unable to keep their footing.
The two cast Tongtian grateful looks before closing their eyes without hesitation to stabilize their realms.
A thousand years later, the expressions of the great powers gradually became complicated.
Some wept bitterly at times, some burst into laughter, some wore sorrowful faces, while others cried tears of joy. Their expressions varied endlessly.
Only the few seated near the front could barely comprehend a thing or two.
But as the sermon delved deeper, even they could not help frowning.
Tongtian alone remained calm and composed.
Having cultivated the Primordial Supreme Merit, his knowledge might not yet match Hongjun's, but he was already thoroughly familiar with the Quasi-Saint realm.
Even without listening to the sermon, he could cultivate and improve on his own.
He had come to hear the sermon merely to draw comparisons and verify his understanding.
The three-thousand-year sermon was nearing its end.
Though Tongtian had not broken through, his cultivation had slowly been pushed to the peak of the early Quasi-Saint stage.
He was only one step away from the middle Quasi-Saint stage. It was merely a matter of time.
Other than Nuwa and Fuxi, who had both entered the early Quasi-Saint stage, no one else made any progress.
Some had shallow magical power, some lacked spiritual treasures to support them, and some had not even entered the late Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage. Naturally, they could not challenge the Quasi-Saint realm.
On this day, just as everyone but Tongtian was listening in a daze and growing sleepy, Hongjun stopped his sermon.
"The three-thousand-year sermon has concluded. Do you still have anything you do not understand?"
As soon as he spoke, Laozi rose and saluted him before asking respectfully,
"Disciple dares to ask, Master, what exactly is a Saint?"
"A Saint entrusts their Primordial Spirit to the Heavenly Dao and is undying and indestructible.
"Below Saints, all are ants."
Hongjun glanced slightly at the casual-looking Tongtian and explained in an indifferent tone.
At those words, everyone sucked in a breath, their faces filled with shock.
"Then may I ask, Master, how does one become a Saint?"
With Tongtian, that towering mountain, pressing over his head and his life still under threat, Yuanshi anxiously spoke before anyone else.
"There are three thousand Great Daos, and all may lead to sainthood."
"Yet the Heavenly Dao imposes obstacles and countless shackles.
"In the Primordial Wilderness, there are roughly three methods of becoming a Saint."
A profound glint flashed through Hongjun's eyes. Without waiting for the crowd to ask further, he continued,
"First, attain Dao through Slaying the Three Corpses.
"One must use Innate Spiritual Treasures as vessels, slaying the Good Corpse, Evil Corpse, and Obsession Corpse. Once the three corpses merge into one, one may attain a Saintly Position."
"The stronger the spiritual treasures used as vessels, the stronger one will be after attaining Dao."
"Second, Attain Dao Through Strength.
"But its difficulty can be glimpsed from the fall of Great God Pangu."
"If one succeeds, one will be invincible among those of the same realm upon attaining Dao.
"This is the path Tongtian walks."
At those words, everyone turned admiring gazes toward Tongtian.
Dijun and the others, who harbored old grudges against Tongtian, secretly rejoiced, as though they had glimpsed hope of turning the tables.
Even Pangu had failed. They did not believe Tongtian could truly walk this path to the end.
For a moment, all sorts of thoughts stirred in their minds.
Taking in everyone's expressions, Tongtian merely shrugged and said nothing.
Of course, he understood what Yuanshi and the others were thinking—
They merely believed that once they attained Dao in the future, they could retaliate against him as they pleased.
After all, compared to Attaining Dao Through Strength, Slaying the Three Corpses seemed far more reliable and feasible.
After a brief pause, Hongjun continued,
"Third, attain Dao through merit.
"Compared to the first two, this method is the safest, fastest, and easiest."
"By the same token, the Heavenly Dao is impartial. Where there is gain, there is loss.
"If one forcibly breaks through by this method, it may seem like a shortcut, but one's foundation will be unstable. Of the three methods, it produces the weakest power."
Upon hearing this, the great powers all fell into thought.
They began weighing which path to attaining Dao would be the safest.
First, the path of Attaining Dao Through Strength was essentially ruled out.
Even Great God Pangu had failed to accomplish such a feat. They did not dare overestimate themselves and claim to be stronger than Pangu!
As for attaining Dao through merit, it sounded fast and safe, but it was ultimately too vague and elusive.
How much merit would one need to accumulate to reach the realm of a Saint?
Even the weakest Saint was far beyond the heights ordinary beings could ever reach.
The sheer amount of merit required was simply unimaginable!
After considering the matter, everyone had roughly made up their minds.
Attaining Dao through Slaying the Three Corpses became the most suitable choice.
First, after becoming a Saint through this method, one's strength would be the greatest.
Who among those capable of standing at the peak of this world was not a person of steadfast will and extraordinary wisdom?
After ruling out Attaining Dao Through Strength, this was undoubtedly the safest path.
Second, compared to the elusive notion of merit, the method of Slaying the Three Corpses was easier to begin with.
Innate Spiritual Treasures were not easy to obtain, but compared to merit, they at least left traces to follow.
After all, merit could only be encountered by chance, while spiritual treasures could still be sought.
Just then, Taiyi, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke.
"May I ask, Master, who can become a Saint?"
The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone turned their gazes toward Hongjun. Beyond curiosity, their eyes held even greater anticipation.
"Within the Heavenly Dao, nine is the ultimate number. Excluding the one, there are eight in total."
"The Three Pure Ones were formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit. They bear the merit of World Creation and already possess the foundation to become Saints. They shall receive three strands of Primordial Violet Qi."
"Nuwa and Fuxi will encounter great opportunities in the future and may also ascend to Saintly Positions."
After speaking, Hongjun lightly waved his sleeve, and five strands of Primordial Violet Qi flew out and entered the bodies of the five.
Tongtian examined them slightly and immediately sensed their mysteries. His gaze shifted as he looked to the side.
He already knew that Jieyin and Zhunti were probably about to make their appearance.
Sure enough.
When Hongjun said no more, the two had long since grown restless and anxious. Finally unable to contain themselves, they spoke.
"To revitalize the impoverished West, my brother and I have spared no effort, crossing mountains and rivers. We humbly beg Master to grant us an opportunity!"
Before their words had even finished, their faces were already full of anguish, their expressions mournful, and their voices so sorrowful that they moved all who heard them.
"So be it. You two are also people of great perseverance. These final two strands of violet qi shall be given to you."
Hongjun hesitated slightly, as though unable to bear it, but ultimately nodded in agreement.
"Thank you for your great grace, Master!"
Jieyin and Zhunti hurriedly bowed in thanks, afraid Hongjun might change his mind.
Seeing this, everyone's eyes immediately lit up, and they followed suit.
"Disciple wishes to seek Master's guidance!"
Hongjun swept an indifferent gaze around the hall and slowly shook his head.
"You need not be so fixated. Even without Primordial Violet Qi, you may still attain the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm."
Everyone froze, confusion appearing on their faces.
"A Saint is a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal, but a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal is not necessarily a Saint."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Everyone immediately felt relieved.
No matter what, the road ahead still remained, and the future was still promising.
As they pondered this, everyone turned their gazes toward Hong Yun without prior agreement.
Ever since Jieyin and Zhunti had received Primordial Violet Qi, he had stood there dumbfounded, silent for a long time.
He finally understood why he had vaguely sensed a great opportunity hidden within that Cushion back then.
So it had represented the foundation for becoming a Saint!
Who would believe there had been no opportunity involved?
Otherwise, why would Hongjun have bestowed all the violet qi upon those seated on the Cushions?
For a moment, Hong Yun's heart was filled with every kind of emotion, and his regret surged to the heavens.
Others had merely brushed past a Saintly Position, but he had personally yielded his Saintly Position to someone else.
Such a contrast left one wanting to weep without tears.
Zhenyuanzi sighed softly, his heart heavy.
His old friend truly was...
He had thought yielding the seat was inappropriate at the time. Looking at it now, it was more than inappropriate—it had been an utterly disastrous mistake!
"The three-thousand-year sermon has concluded. In ten thousand years, you may return to Purple Heaven Palace."
After Hongjun spoke, his figure silently vanished from atop the cloud bed.
Seeing this, everyone understood. They rose in tacit agreement and prepared to leave.
Yet the moment they stepped out of Purple Heaven Palace, they saw Tongtian standing before the gates, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Dijun, Yuanshi, and the others' expressions changed slightly.
They had intended to leave swiftly as soon as the sermon ended, but it seemed they were still one step too late.
Fuxi and Nuwa, who had just slain one corpse and entered the Quasi-Saint realm, stood on Tongtian's left and right, their expressions grave.
Their Spiritual Sense had already sealed off the surrounding void.
The moment those eight showed any sign of fleeing, they would immediately suffer a fatal strike.
"Tongtian, what exactly do you intend to do?"
Perhaps because he had obtained Primordial Violet Qi, Yuanshi had gained a measure of confidence. With an ugly expression, he questioned Tongtian.
In his view, both he and his elder brother had hope of becoming Saints in the future.
You, Tongtian, have chosen the path of Attaining Dao Through Strength. Whether you can become a Saint is still uncertain.
And yet you dare offend us now. Are you not afraid that we will settle today's debt with you in the future?
"What do I intend to do? The debt from the last time you joined forces to deal with me has not been settled. What do you think I mean?"
Tongtian saw through his thoughts at a glance, a cold smile rising on his lips.
You have only just found some backing, and you are already acting arrogant?
It seems you still have not grasped the situation.
"And what do you intend to do?" Yuanshi snorted.
"Simple. Offer compensation and apologize, and this matter will be over." Tongtian smiled faintly.
That tone, that expression,
left everyone present speechless.
It was true that they had joined forces to attack you before.
But at the time, you had wanted to monopolize the opportunity.
How had this turned into you looking like the victim?
"And if I refuse?"
Before Yuanshi could speak, Taiyi asked coldly, his gaze dark.
His heart was practically exploding with rage.
In front of so many powerful figures, Tongtian was trying to make them lose all face!
If they truly lowered their heads and apologized, how could they ever establish a foothold in the Primordial Wilderness again?
"Then we shall settle it with our hands. If you are unwilling, I do not mind paying you a personal visit."
Tongtian sneered, showing no mercy in his words.
After all, in the Primordial World, strength was supreme.
Who was right and who was wrong did not matter. They could fight first and talk afterward!
"Third Brother, you have gone too far."
Laozi frowned slightly. His expression was calm, but devoid of emotion.
Compared to Yuanshi and Taiyi's impulsiveness, he could see the full picture more clearly.
Even if they had an opportunity to become Saints,
it was merely an opportunity. It would not increase their combat strength.
If they truly came to blows, the result would likely be the same as last time.
They would still suffer a heavy loss!
Before you continue