Within Kunlun Mountain.
"Hiss—Is this the power of a Saint? It's terrifying!" Yuanshi's face was filled with shock, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
The thought that he too would possess such might in the future quietly dispelled the jealousy he had felt toward Dijun.
"Beneath Saints, all are ants."
Only at this moment did he truly understand the weight of those words.
Amid his excitement, he secretly resolved to cultivate even harder, attain the Dao and become a Saint as soon as possible, and rise to become one of the most powerful beings in the Primordial Wilderness!
Beside him, Laozi's lips curled slightly, revealing a trace of gratification.
His Second Brother had finally understood the true meaning of cultivation.
Surely, his state of mind would no longer be so easily thrown off balance in the future.
On Mount Sumeru.
"Senior Brother, the might of Saints can no longer be questioned. We need to hurry up and cultivate." Zhunti's voice carried excitement, and his face was filled with exhilaration.
His usual composed appearance had long vanished, replaced by that of an elderly man brimming with anticipation.
"Indeed." Jieyin pondered for a moment before nodding. "Once Purple Heaven Palace's third lecture is over, we shall enter seclusion. Unless we become Saints, we will not take a single step outside!"
Within Wuzhuang Temple.
"Impressive! Truly impressive! This is what a real powerhouse is!" Zhenyuanzi's face was full of envy, his eyes brimming with longing.
Hong Yun, beside him, nodded softly, feeling deeply moved.
If one could attain a Saintly Position, where in heaven and earth would one be unable to go?
From then on, there would be no more fear for one's life, nor any need to endure the oppression of the strong.
Within the Ancestral Witch Hall.
"That Hongjun is utterly detestable!" Zhurong gritted his teeth, his face full of rage.
He clearly could have ended the battle with a single axe strike, yet he had chosen this very moment to intervene and stop it.
Had he not feared Hongjun's terrifying strength, he would have wanted nothing more than to cleave him with an axe on the spot.
"Watch your words." Dijang reminded him in a low voice, his expression darkening slightly.
It was not that he feared Hongjun.
As an ancestral witch, he had to consider the entire Witch Race.
If they angered Hongjun in a moment of impulse, their clansmen might suffer collateral damage.
"It was merely one yuanhui. There is no need to be angry."
Houtu also rose to her feet and gently tried to comfort him.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for Purple Heaven Palace's third lecture.
On this day, Hongjun's voice rang out from the depths of chaos. His tone was calm, yet his pressure overflowed, resounding throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
"Ten thousand years have passed. Purple Heaven Palace's third lecture is now open. All those with affinity may come and hear the Dao."
As his words fell, the entire Primordial Wilderness trembled.
After Fuxi received the transmitted message, Tongtian looked at Nuwa, whose face still bore a faint blush as she lay upon the cloud bed beside him, and teased her.
"Let's go, Sect Master's wife."
Indeed, not long after the Witch-Demon War had ended, he had completely won Nuwa over.
Over the years, Nuwa, who had once sworn she would never yield, had launched counterattacks time and again.
Unfortunately, every attempt had ended in failure.
Rolling her eyes, Nuwa was no longer as bashful as before and openly hooked her arm around his.
In the blink of an eye, the two had arrived before the gates of Purple Heaven Palace.
Before long, waves of formidable auras arrived one after another.
At the forefront were the Demon Race's two leaders, Dijun and Taiyi.
Following close behind were Laozi and Yuanshi, who had entered the middle stage of the Quasi-Saint Realm in recent years.
Behind them came Jieyin and Zhunti, who had only recently broken through and had yet to fully restrain their auras.
The rest were Fuxi, the elders of Three Immortal Islands, and powerful independent cultivators scattered throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
Among them were Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun, Ancestor Minghe, and others.
Sensing Tongtian's unfathomable aura, everyone's pupils contracted.
They all cursed "monster" inwardly, yet could not help feeling a measure of envy.
An indescribable sense of awe quietly arose in everyone's hearts.
Once everyone had arrived, Hongjun's figure appeared once more upon the cloud bed without warning.
Compared to the previous two times, Tongtian could now clearly detect traces of his arrival.
"This lecture concerns the Saint Realm beyond Quasi-Saints. How much you gain will depend entirely on your comprehension."
After offering that calm explanation, Hongjun began his third lecture.
"Heaven and earth endure because they do not live for themselves; thus, they are able to endure.
Therefore, Saints place themselves behind others, yet come before them; they set themselves apart from their own concerns, yet preserve themselves..."
As they watched flowers rain down from the sky, golden lotuses bloom, and thousands of streams of auspicious energy fill the air,
Tongtian and the great cultivators, already accustomed to such sights, straightened their postures, closed their eyes, focused their minds, and began comprehending the mysteries within.
A thousand years passed in an instant.
As the Dao sounds from Hongjun's mouth grew ever more profound and unfathomable,
aside from the few great powers seated in the front rows, more than ninety percent of the listeners had begun to feel dizzy and confused, unable to make sense of anything.
Those with quicker reactions tried to commit the words to memory, hoping to slowly comprehend them after returning.
Unfortunately, those obscure and incomprehensible sentences lingered in their minds only briefly before vanishing without a trace.
Another thousand years passed.
By then, apart from Tongtian, even Dijun, Taiyi, and the Three Pure Ones, whose cultivation levels were among the highest, had begun to struggle.
As for those somewhat weaker, their faces were already utterly blank.
"The time has come. This lecture ends here. Purple Heaven Palace will not lecture again in the future."
The mysterious Dao sounds came to an abrupt halt. Hongjun calmly swept his gaze across the crowd before speaking slowly once more.
"However, guided by the heavenly secrets, I should have six disciples."
The people, who had been somewhat disappointed, immediately perked up upon hearing this and respectfully kowtowed.
"Please accept us, Teacher!"
Tongtian did not follow the crowd. Watching their performance, he could not help finding it amusing.
These fellows had learned nothing else, but they had thoroughly learned Jieyin and Zhunti's knack for pretending to be pitiful.
Three breaths later.
The clever powerhouses noticed the Cushions beneath Tongtian and the others, and a flash of insight struck them as they instantly understood.
They were all filled with regret, then turned gazes containing a touch of schadenfreude toward Hong Yun.
They all knew very well that Hong Yun had voluntarily given up that Cushion seat.
Now that he could only watch the great opportunity that had originally been his fall into someone else's hands, how could he not feel heartbroken?
Feeling everyone's gazes, Hong Yun could not help revealing a bitter smile.
It would be a lie to say that he felt no regret.
But things had already reached this point. Even regret would be useless.
Zhenyuanzi, beside him, sighed softly in his heart upon seeing this.
He then transmitted a message to comfort his friend.
Hongjun took in everyone's expressions.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he slowly spoke.
"Nuwa, you will have great fortune in the future. You may become my first disciple."
"I bestow upon you these treasures: the Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Map of Mountains and Rivers and the Red Embroidered Ball, for your personal use."
Upon hearing this, Nuwa rose and gracefully bowed.
"This disciple greets Master. Thank you, Master, for bestowing these treasures."
"No need for such formality." Hongjun raised a hand and helped her up, then shifted his gaze toward Fuxi.
"Fuxi, you too will have a great opportunity in the future. You may become my second direct disciple."
"This is the Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Northern Profound Origin Water Control Banner, along with the Twelve-grade Pure World White Lotus. I bestow them both upon you for protection."
Tongtian, standing nearby, was immediately stunned.
Wasn't the Northern Profound Origin Water Control Banner supposed to belong to Minghe?
And the Twelve-grade Pure World White Lotus was rumored to have been lost long ago. How had it suddenly appeared?
It took him several breaths to react.
The Northern Profound Origin Water Control Banner must have been something Minghe obtained from Treasure Distribution Rock.
But because he had altered certain karmic ties, Hongjun had no choice but to take it out and use it as a gift for Fuxi's entry into the sect.
It was merely a spiritual treasure.
Compared to the countless supreme treasures atop Treasure Distribution Rock, such a loss was nothing worth mentioning.
As for the Twelve-grade Pure World White Lotus, with Hongjun's cultivation, soon to merge with the Dao, and the greater half of the Jade Disc of Creation in his possession,
within the Three Realms, it was likely a matter of whether he wanted something, not whether he could find it.
Besides, he could even bestow a heaven-defying supreme treasure like the Universe Cauldron upon Tongtian. What was a Twelve-grade White Lotus worth?
"This disciple, Fuxi, greets Master. Thank you, Master, for your generous gifts." Fuxi respectfully bowed.
Although he already possessed quite a few spiritual treasures, who would ever complain about having too many?
Especially Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures like these, which everyone dreamed of obtaining.
Hongjun nodded slightly and continued in a voice as calm as water.
"Laozi, you were transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and bear the merit of opening heaven. You shall be my third disciple."
"This Innate Supreme Treasure, the Taiji Diagram, excels at defense and suppression. It can protect one's fortune, and I bestow it upon you for self-defense."
"Yuanshi, you were likewise transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and also bear the responsibility of opening heaven. You shall be my fourth disciple."
"This Innate Supreme Treasure, the Pangu Banner, governs the path of attack and can also suppress fortune. I bestow it upon you."
Laozi and Yuanshi, who had been waiting eagerly at the side, were overjoyed upon hearing this.
Suppressing the wild joy in their hearts, they hurriedly bowed and kowtowed.
"This disciple Laozi, this disciple Yuanshi, greet Master. Thank you, Master, for bestowing these treasures!"
After receiving the spiritual treasures, Yuanshi casually glanced at Tongtian and the others.
That smug expression was obvious to anyone with eyes—our status in Master's heart is higher!
Seeing Yuanshi's expression, Tongtian could not help rolling his eyes.
If it were not for the Mandate of Heaven, would it have been your turn?
Besides, they were merely two Innate Supreme Treasures. What was there to show off about?
I'm someone who possesses a Chaos Supreme Treasure!
He gave a disdainful snort and could not be bothered to pay them any attention.
After Hongjun bestowed the treasures, he fell silent.
Zhunti and Jieyin immediately grew anxious upon seeing this.
"To revitalize our barren western lands, my brother and I have endured countless hardships and crossed mountains and rivers to come here. We beg Teacher for mercy!"
After speaking, they put on agonized expressions. Their voices choked with emotion, and even their eyes reddened.
Everyone watched in surprise and admiration.
Those tears had come at exactly the right time.
They could not learn it. They truly could not learn it.
Hongjun looked at them, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
He had gained a new understanding of just how thick-skinned these two were.
He could only speak helplessly.
"Very well. Since the two of you are so sincere in seeking the Dao, I shall accept you as registered disciples."
"However, your affinity with me is shallow, so you may only be registered disciples."
"Jieyin, this is the Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit. It can defend, trap, and suppress fortune."
"Zhunti, this is the High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Vajra Scepter. I bestow it upon you for protection."
After hearing this, their expressions did not change, though a trace of disappointment flashed through their hearts.
Laozi and Yuanshi had both received Innate Supreme Treasures, while Fuxi and Nuwa had each received two Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.
And they...
One supreme grade and one high-grade?
Still, being accepted into the sect was already a blessing, so they did not dare say more.
The two respectfully accepted the treasures and bowed.
"This disciples Jieyin and Zhunti greet Master. Thank you, Master, for your grace."
Seeing Jieyin and Zhunti gain benefits through their "sincere emotions," everyone else began entertaining thoughts of their own.
There was no loss in trying. What if it worked?
Thus, Dijun and Taiyi led the immortals in kneeling down.
"Teacher, please show us mercy!"
Before you continue