Taking It! Whoever Wants It Can Have It!

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure solidified atop the Cloud Bed. His indifferent gaze swept over the three thousand guests below before finally settling on the six prayer mats at the very front.

"Today marks the third complete sermon I have delivered in Purple Firmament Palace." Dao Ancestor spoke in a quiet voice, yet it rang clearly within the primordial spirits of every living being, carrying the unquestionable majesty of the Heavenly Dao. "The Mystical Sect is established."

As those two words fell, heavenly flowers drifted through Purple Firmament Palace, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and the resonant sounds of the Great Dao arose of their own accord. The fortune of the entire Primordial World seemed to tremble and gather! An invisible yet immense blessing of fortune descended upon the six people in front.

"You six, having sat here, possess the karma of master and disciples with me." Hongjun's gaze passed over the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti in turn. "Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Nuwa shall be my inner disciples, personally taught by me."

The Three Pure Ones and Nuwa all bowed together. "Greetings, Teacher!"

"Jieyin, Zhunti." Hongjun looked toward the Two from the West. "You may also call me Teacher and shall be my registered disciples."

Brilliant smiles bloomed across Jieyin and Zhunti's faces, bright as chrysanthemums. They were so excited they nearly slipped off their prayer mats, immediately bowing their heads. "This disciple, Jieyin (Zhunti), thanks Teacher! May Teacher's holy life know no bounds!" They looked as though they wished they could immediately kowtow several times and turn the words "registered disciple" into "personal disciple."

Success! We've finally latched onto the thickest thigh around! Jieyin and Zhunti were ecstatic, feeling that the great cause of revitalizing the West was already half accomplished! The remaining half was figuring out how to get things from the East... ahem, how to follow the Heavenly Dao and form karma with all things.

Outside the palace gates, although Purple Firmament Palace had already been sealed, Dao Ancestor's sermon was a sound of the Great Dao. Chen Song could still hear it.

Chen Song pricked up his ears and listened closely, clicking his tongue in amazement. Well, damn. The Mystical Sect has officially gone public! The board has been finalized: Chairman Hongjun, CEO Laozi, COO Yuanshi, CTO Tongtian, PR Director Nuwa, plus two regional branch managers who wormed their way in by crying poor and having thick skin... What a lineup!

Dao Ancestor paid no heed to his disciples' thoughts and continued, "This sermon shall last three thousand years and shall focus on the methods of attaining sainthood."

It's here! The main event is here! Every great mighty one, whether inside or outside the palace, held their breath and even softened their breathing.

"There are several methods of attaining sainthood." Hongjun's voice was like the Great Dao itself whispering.

"First, Attaining Sainthood through Merit. Perform great merit for Heaven and Earth, gain the Heavenly Dao's recognition, and receive boundless merit. One may then attain sainthood on the spot. Yet the merit required by this method is vast beyond measure, obtainable only through immense opportunities such as creating Heaven and Earth or mending the heavens."

The great mighty ones listened with longing, but they secretly clicked their tongues. Creating Heaven and Earth? That was Great God Pangu! Mending the heavens? The heavens had not even cracked yet! This path was far too narrow.

"Second, Attaining Sainthood through Slaying the Three Corpses." Hongjun explained in detail. "Sever the three corpses of good, evil, and self. With every corpse severed, one's cultivation advances. Once all three corpses have been severed, they may merge into one and be entrusted to the void of the Heavenly Dao, thereby achieving a Saint Position. This is the orthodox method, but it requires great perseverance, great wisdom, and dependence on spiritual treasures."

He specifically added, "Using a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure as the object to entrust one's corpse to produces the most stable foundation, grants the greatest potential, and leaves one with hope of reaching Primordial Grand Unity."

For a moment, many great mighty ones inside the palace could not help glancing at the treasures in the hands of the Three Pure Ones, Taiyi, and the others, their gazes blazing. Taiyi hugged the Chaos Bell in his arms even tighter.

"Third, Attaining Sainthood through Power." Hongjun paused. "Emulate Great God Pangu and forcefully prove the Dao with supreme mana, shattering the shackles of the Heavenly Dao to achieve Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal. This method... is the most difficult." His words were brief, but everyone could sense the implication: difficult as ascending to the heavens.

"Fourth, Attaining Sainthood through Laws. Comprehend a law to its utmost limit and merge one's body with that law. One may likewise achieve Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal, free from the constraints of the Heavenly Dao Saint's fruit position. Yet this path is equally fraught with hardship and danger, impossible without immense opportunity and extraordinary comprehension."

"Fifth, the Divine Path of Incense and Faith, also known as Attaining Sainthood through Faith. Gather the faith and wish-power of countless living beings, condense a divine spark, and achieve a Saint Position. Yet one will be bound by faith and entangled in vast karma. The divine spark is easily tainted by worldly dust, so this is not a superior path."

"Sixth, Attaining Sainthood through Demonic Path." When he mentioned this method, Hongjun's tone remained calm, yet every listener felt a chill in their hearts.

"Seize the essence, qi, and spirit of all living beings, harm all things for one's own benefit, and one may also condense a demonic spark to achieve Primordial Grand Unity. Yet this method harms the harmony of Heaven and is not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. Calamities will be unending, and the slightest misstep will bring eternal damnation. Demon Ancestor Luohu followed this very path."

As the various methods of attaining sainthood were laid out, the three thousand guests in Purple Firmament Palace listened as though entranced, their hearts surging as each weighed their own conditions and pondered their future path.

Outside the palace, Chen Song was also itching with impatience as he counted on his fingers. Attaining Sainthood through Merit? No chance. Attaining Sainthood through Power? That's for cheaters with hacks. Attaining Sainthood through Laws? Sounds cool, but also really hard. Becoming a god through incense and faith? Too troublesome. Attaining Sainthood through Demonic Path? Forget it, forget it. I'm afraid Master and Martial Uncles would purge me from the sect... Looks like Slaying the Three Corpses is still the most reliable route! But where am I supposed to find so many Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures? Do I really have to set my sights on a few Martial Uncles' treasures? No, no. I'd get beaten to death...

Three thousand years passed in a rush amid Dao Ancestor's profound yet accessible, all-encompassing sermon.

When the sounds of the Great Dao slowly subsided, Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke again and dropped a bombshell.

"Under the Heavenly Dao, there are eight Saint Positions. I already occupy one."

Boom! An uproar instantly erupted below! Though they had long suspected it, hearing Dao Ancestor confirm it personally was still earth-shattering! Only seven remained!

"You six are my disciples, so you shall have Saint Positions." As Hongjun spoke, he flicked his sleeve. Six hazy violet streams, radiating an unfathomable Dao rhythm and seemingly containing the ultimate truths of Heaven and Earth, appeared out of thin air. As though possessed of spirituality, they flew toward the six people on the prayer mats and instantly entered their brows, disappearing without a trace.

Primordial Violet Qi! The foundation of attaining sainthood!

At that moment, the Three Pure Ones wore solemn expressions, Nuwa's eyes shimmered, and Jieyin and Zhunti trembled with excitement, nearly performing another knee-slide of gratitude on the spot.

All the other great mighty ones, including Di Jun, Taiyi, Zhenyuanzi, Kunpeng, and the rest, had reddened eyes! They stared fixedly at the six strands of Primordial Violet Qi, wishing they could seize them! Yet before Dao Ancestor, none dared make the slightest move.

"The final strand of Primordial Violet Qi..." Dao Ancestor's gaze swept over the entire assembly before finally passing beyond those within the palace and landing on... a certain corner of the plaza outside. "Karma follows its own course. Compete for it yourselves."

The strand of violet qi circled once in the air, seeming to hesitate. Then... whoosh, it shot straight toward Chen Song in the corner!

"What the hell?!" Chen Song had grown tired after playing with the ancestral shamans and had been planning to rest by himself.

He was squatting there, using pine nuts to tease Big White, and had not reacted at all before he felt a weight in his hand. A warm strand of violet qi had already landed in his palm, even rubbing against his fingers with remarkable affection.

In an instant, the gazes of every great mighty one inside and outside Purple Firmament Palace converged upon Chen Song like countless sharp swords! Envy, jealousy, greed, killing intent... every emotion intertwined, nearly drowning him!

Di Jun and Taiyi's eyes spewed fire, Kunpeng's gaze turned cold and sinister, and even Hong Yun looked astonished. Jieyin and Zhunti's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, and they almost drooled—this violet qi was destined to have karma with our West!

Chen Song felt the soft, warm thing in his hand, like he was holding a little purple loach. Then he looked up at the gazes around him, each one seeming eager to swallow him alive, and his scalp went numb.

He lowered his head to look at the Primordial Violet Qi in his hand, this so-called "ticket to sainthood." Rather than being overjoyed, he frowned, his face showing... disgust.

"Teacher! Dao Ancestor! Great Lord Hongjun!" Chen Song raised the Primordial Violet Qi in his hand like a scalding-hot potato and shouted toward the gates of Purple Firmament Palace, his voice carrying both grievance and urgency.

"This thing... it feels like it's trying to frame me! I never wanted to snatch it! It flew over by itself! And... holding this thing, I feel like I'll get knocked unconscious and robbed wherever I go! How am I supposed to happily play around... no, travel the Primordial World? How am I supposed to peacefully care for Master and Martial Uncles in their old age and bury them... pfft, I mean, fulfill my filial duty?"

The more he spoke, the more he felt that this violet qi was a huge nuisance. He shook his hand, but could not shake it off. The violet qi seemed determined to cling to him.

"No, no! This blessing is too great. This disciple cannot bear it!" Chen Song gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and performed an action that left the entire audience dumbfounded—

Like tossing away garbage, he grabbed the strand of Primordial Violet Qi that had driven countless great mighty ones mad and hurled it outward with all his strength!

"Take it! Whoever wants it can have it!"