Chapter 2

After gaining the insight into Slaying the Third Corpse, his opportunity was ignited.

The insight manifested before Li Er as golden light, revealing the changes in the rules—a more intuitive guidance than sudden enlightenment.

He believed this realization could help him break through his bottleneck.

In the Primordial World, it was difficult to slay the Self Corpse of obsession.

Li Er began to fuse with the insights of the Dao. Within the Eight Sceneries Palace, the primordial energy of heaven and earth surged madly into his body, and his aura instantly skyrocketed.

At a certain moment, Li Er's internal energy swelled and then suddenly dissipated.

At this point, he was greatly shaken. Opening his eyes, he gradually awakened.

He began to contemplate what his obsession was and deduced it might be the human race.

He understood that his predecessor Laozi, during the Conferred God era, had relied on the divine ability One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones but had never truly slain the Third Corpse.

He started to imagine the shifting currents of Earth Star, envisioning Laozi Li Dan founding the Daoist doctrine in another form—it was then that he truly slew the Third Corpse.

Li Er realized that he was different from his predecessor Laozi; his obsession was more direct.

He decided to sever his obsession today, possibly slaying the Third Corpse ahead of time.

He sat within the Eight Sceneries Palace, surrounded by light and Dao resonance, sometimes like towering tidal waves, sometimes like dense spiritual mist.

He had been here comprehending the Dao and slaying the corpse for a thousand years, attempting to cut off the obsession of the Self Corpse.

He was not in a hurry but instead gathered all his obsessions until his Dao Heart was clear and bright.

Finally, spiritual light surged in his eyes. He formed a slaying-Dao seal imbued with the essence of Yin-Yang Taiji, and the Taiji Diagram appeared behind him.

In a murmuring whisper, he used the Taiji Diagram as the image of Yin-Yang Taiji, attempting to slay the Third Corpse.

At that moment, the Taiji Diagram rolled before Li Er, immortal, forming a phantom blade.

As the blade fell, radiance burst forth in all directions. The yin-yang fish of the Taiji Diagram continuously contracted, gradually taking shape into a figure—it was one of Li Er's Three Corpses, the Self Corpse.

Its appearance was extremely similar to Li Er's, but its age was indeterminate. On its face, the features of an old man, a middle-aged man, and a youth interwove and shifted.

No matter how its form changed, its inner aura remained consistent with Li Er's.

Li Dan, clad in a Yin-Yang Taiji Daoist Robe, had his eyes tightly shut, exuding a startling aura.

Suddenly, he slowly opened his eyes, as if yin and yang were shifting within them. "This Humble Daoist Li Dan greets the Original Self!"

Facing the salute from his Self Corpse Li Dan, Li Er laughed heartily and said, "Slaying the Three Corpses to verify the true self, today I know that I am I! This Humble Daoist Laozi greets the Daoist friend!"

The Eight Sceneries Palace was the specially established Dao field of Laozi within Mount Daluo, and its fortune was considered the pinnacle among top-tier immortal mountains and blessed lands.

As the foremost of the Three Pure Ones and the senior disciple of the Daoist sect, Laozi's status was extraordinary.

The reason the Dao field was named the Eight Sceneries Palace was due to the existence of eight great wonders within Mount Daluo.

And today, after Laozi slew the Third Corpse, another scene was born outside the Eight Sceneries Palace—the Hongmeng Chaotic Scene of the Unity of Yin and Yang.

This phenomenon was like the Primordial World at the dawn of Heaven-Opening, revealing the chaotic state of heaven and earth at their beginning.

This new scene from Laozi's breakthrough fully activated the numerical limit of the Eight Sceneries Palace, reaching its true peak.

This change immediately caught the attention of countless Quasi-Saints throughout the Primordial World.

Many Quasi-Saints felt a powerful shock and astonishment, unable to help exclaiming, "Over at the Eight Sceneries Palace—could it be that Laozi has slain the Third Corpse?"

This news immediately sparked widespread attention and heated discussion. Even Jieyin and Zhunti in the Western lands could not ignore it.

Laozi was undergoing an unprecedented challenge—slaying the Third Corpse.

Only great Quasi-Saint powers deeply understood the terror and difficulty of this process.

Since the Dao lectures at the Purple Firmament Palace, when Dao Ancestor Hongjun taught the beings of the Primordial World, no one in the entire Primordial landscape had been able to slay all Three Corpses.

Many harbored doubts about Quasi-Saints: Did the method of Slaying the Three Corpses truly exist? But today, Laozi proved its existence through action.

As the foremost of the Three Pure Ones and the senior disciple of the Daoist sect, he walked ahead of them—this was a deeply stirring event.

It was not only the many Quasi-Saints on the Primordial Earth; Yuanshi and Tongtian on Kunlun Mountain were equally shocked.

They knew Laozi's strength was formidable, and from the very beginning, he had subtly suppressed all his peers.

Now that Laozi had taken the lead in slaying the Third Corpse, this advancement made them willingly accept him as their true leading figure.

Not long after Hongjun attained the Dao, Laozi also began to take a step ahead of the others. He broke through the bonds and distracting thoughts within his own heart and slew the Third Corpse.

This advancement meant a true leap in strength, widening the gap between him and Tongtian and Yuanshi even further.

Even facing Yuanshi and Tongtian, Laozi displayed his own power and authority, causing the two to sigh at their own inadequacies.

But they quickly regained their confidence, realizing that Laozi's breakthrough this time was also an opportunity for them.

They could learn from Laozi's experience and might even use this chance to break through themselves.

Thus, Yuanshi and Tongtian together went to Laozi's Eight Sceneries Palace to seek guidance.

And deep within the chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, within the Heavenly Dao Order, Hongjun also sensed it.

Although he already knew Laozi was about to take this step, the actual effect still exceeded his expectations.

He too began to ponder whether this breakthrough would affect Laozi's establishment of a sect.

Meanwhile, Nuwa also sensed Laozi's movements.

Although she knew it was only natural for Laozi to attain sainthood, seeing him successfully slay the Third Corpse still stirred unease and anxiety within her.

Nuwa had originally believed that by creating the human race and Attaining the Dao through Merit, she could surpass Laozi. But now, it seemed things were not so.

She even tried to leverage her own advantages to scheme for a Saint Karma for herself, yet Laozi resolutely refused to owe her that favor.

This only deepened Nuwa's inner tension and worry, filling her with grave concern for the challenges ahead.

Nuwa found herself caught off guard by one outcome: Laozi, having just rejected the karmic opportunity she had anticipated, directly severed the Third Corpse—the Self Corpse.

This was a powerful method of attaining the Dao, suggesting that even by forgoing the opportunity of the human race, Laozi could still Slay Three Corpses to Attain Dao, his potential surpassing ordinary Attaining the Dao through Merit.

Her emotions were tangled—she both hoped for Laozi's success and feared losing the Saint Karma, which might even invite more trouble.

Even a great deity like Nuwa was shocked by Laozi's achievement, let alone the other Quasi-Saint powerhouses, who could not remain calm.

Slaying Three Corpses to Attain Dao was like a legend—something to gaze at from afar, never to reach.

Now that Laozi had accomplished this feat, it naturally drew the gaze of countless Quasi-Saints.

The rulers of the Wu Yao Tribes, along with other mighty figures, were also a mix of emotions at this moment.

They had ties to Laozi, but faced with his achievement, they had to acknowledge the sheer power of his talent.

Though the Three Pure Ones had always kept a low profile, their strength and potential had long been a source of wariness.

Laozi maintained his composure as ever; despite the shifting tides of the outside world, he remained detached and aloof.

The changes within the Eight Sceneries Palace made Yuanshi and Tongtian realize that Li Er's realm had advanced.

They understood that this leader of the Three Pure Ones always held true to himself, undisturbed by external influences.

Facing their arrival, Li Er received them calmly, guiding them into the Eight Sceneries Palace.

They knew Laozi's character well and respected his detached, tranquil, and effortless style.

They congratulated Li Er on successfully Slaying the Third Corpse and looked forward to discussing the insights of cultivation with him.

Though they understood that the realization of Slaying the Three Corpses was hard to convey in words, they still treasured this opportunity, hoping to gain some enlightenment from Li Er.

Li Er was also happy to share his insights, even though he knew it might not help Yuanshi and Tongtian much; he was still willing to pass on this experience.

Although the Three Pure Ones brothers need not be overly concerned with gains and losses, Li Er also understood that even close brothers must settle accounts clearly.

In his view, as long as one remained true to oneself, everything would follow its natural course.

Though the outside world was in turmoil, the bond between the Three Pure Ones remained as deep as ever.

As Li Er shared his insights on Slaying the Three Corpses, he also drew closer to Yuanshi and Tongtian.

He soon cut short the pleasantries and began to elaborate on his understanding in detail.

However, after hearing Laozi's sharing, Yuanshi and Tongtian found the content obscure and hard to grasp.

Though the Three Pure Ones originated from the same source, the essence of their respective Primordial Spirits and the paths they walked were different.

This was already evident when the Dao Ancestor Hongjun bestowed their treasures.

Laozi's supreme treasure, the Taiji Diagram, matched his path of balancing yin and yang; Yuanshi's Pangu Banner represented his ideal of splitting Heaven and Earth; and though Tongtian did not receive an Innate Supreme Treasure, his Immortal-Slaying Four Swords and Formation Diagram embodied his decisive and ruthless path.

In Laozi's view, Slaying the Three Corpses required cutting away deep-seated obsessions, but due to their differing paths, Yuanshi and Tongtian found it difficult to sever those obsessions.

Laozi, thanks to his path of balance, could easily slay the Three Corpses.

This theory applied not only to Yuanshi and Tongtian but also to the other Quasi-Saint giants of the Primordial Wilderness.

As Pangu's Primordial Spirit, Yuanshi and Tongtian, after grasping Laozi's sharing, understood that slaying the Third Corpse like Laozi was no easy task, yet they were not discouraged.

Instead, they felt that as the Three Pure Ones were one, their elder brother's glory was also their joy.

In the end, the two expressed their thanks to Laozi.

Li Er smiled faintly and waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind: "This is but a trivial matter."

He was about to continue speaking when suddenly his brow furrowed slightly, as if sensing something.

At that moment, a laugh echoed outside the Eight Sceneries Palace, refreshing to the ear.

Then a voice came: "Jieyin and Zhunti have come specially to visit Senior Brother Li Er!"

They hoped Senior Brother Li Er would not begrudge his guidance.

Hearing this voice, Yuanshi couldn't help but sneer: "These two fellows sure know how to time their arrival!"

Tongtian then coldly picked up Yuanshi's words, mocking Jieyin and Zhunti for being good at scheming, but since the two of them had yet to grasp the method of Slaying the Three Corpses, they would likely leave disappointed.

Li Er, however, smiled calmly, saying he wanted to see the purpose of their visit.

As his words fell, the Eight Sceneries Palace Lamp flickered, illuminating the entire hall, and the mountain gate opened as Jieyin and Zhunti walked in.

Upon seeing Li Er, Jieyin and Zhunti confirmed their suspicions.

They asked: "Has Senior Brother Li Er truly already slain the Third Corpse?"

Before Li Er could answer, Yuanshi retorted instead, leaving Zhunti's expression awkward.

Thinking back to Li Er's unfathomable depth before, his current severing of the third corpse, while not surprising, was still too terrifying for anyone to fully grasp.

Jieyin and Zhunti, as junior brothers, also felt a sense of frustration at this moment.

However, Zhunti adapted quickly and began praising Li Er as the senior brother of the Daoist sect, saying his three-corpse severing set an example for them all.

Then, he tactfully asked whether Li Er would be willing to share his insights on severing the three corpses.

At that moment, the system prompt also sounded: [Host faces a choice. Please make a decision immediately...]

Faced with this sudden system task selection, Li Er was startled when he heard the options.

Two choices appeared before him, and he needed to decide quickly.

With the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram in his possession, he naturally had no interest in ordinary Innate Spiritual Treasures.

The Taiji Diagram, the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, and the Qiankun Cauldron in his hands—each one was a supreme treasure-level existence.

Moreover, the Innate Spiritual Treasures he had obtained at the Treasure-Distribution Rock were also extremely abundant.

However, the Classic of Morality, as the future supreme Daoist scripture of the Daoist school, held value and importance far exceeding that of a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

After the Investiture of the Gods, Laozi severed his third corpse through the Classic of Morality and grasped the great fortune of the Earth Star's shifting winds and clouds.

The influence of this supreme Daoist scripture in the Primordial World was immense.

Achievements and status in the Primordial World were not simply a matter of reciting certain words to gain the recognition of the Heavenly Dao.

Just as many Quasi-Saint giants had listened to Hongjun's lectures at Purple Firmament Palace, they could not recite those Dao-concealed classics.