Chapter 3

Therefore, Li Er knew full well the importance of the Classic of Morality.

He might not be able to comprehend the contents of this scripture immediately, but if he chose to accept and study it, he would save a great deal of time on his future path of cultivation.

In this Great Tribulation Era, time was the most precious and crucial resource.

Thus, to him, the value of the Classic of Morality was immeasurable. It was a reward he had to obtain.

Therefore, he chose to agree to Zhunti's request and preach the Dao throughout the Primordial World in exchange for the Classic of Morality.

The Classic of Morality was truly a monumental classic, pointing directly toward perfection.

Therefore, there was no need for further words. Li Er decided to let the radiance of morality fall upon Jieyin and Zhunti.

He knew that even if he told the two of them about his insights into Slaying the Three Corpses, they might not necessarily comprehend them, much less slay their third corpse.

However, Li Er decided to use this as an opportunity to make them owe him karma, thereby obtaining the Classic of Morality.

His calculations were already clear, and his next actions proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Faced with Jieyin and Zhunti's inquiry, he calmly replied, "If you wish to hear my insights into Slaying the Three Corpses, you must owe me a karma."

The moment those words were spoken, the joy on their faces instantly froze.

Though the two had many thoughts in their hearts, Li Er did not urge them. He simply waited quietly for their choice.

As beings personally sanctified by Hongjun, Jieyin and Zhunti possessed great wisdom.

They naturally understood Li Er's intentions and were weighing the pros and cons.

Whether the rumors about Hong Yun giving up his seat were true or not, Jieyin and Zhunti were qualified to attain the Dao and become Saints.

They were considering whether they should owe karma because of this teaching.

After all, neither of them knew whether they could successfully slay the Three Corpses.

But in the end, they realized this was an important opportunity. Though hesitant, they would ultimately choose to accept this karma in exchange for a chance to attain the Dao.

Faced with Jieyin and Zhunti's hesitation, Li Er remained as composed as ever.

He understood the difficulty and uniqueness of attaining the Dao and becoming a Saint, and he also understood their concerns.

However, he also knew the importance behind his decision.

"Though an exchange of karma is worth considering, its significance is extraordinary!"

It was precisely his clear and confident strategy that gathered the brilliance of morality upon them, pointing out their future path. He had already made his arrangements and silently awaited their choice.

Without question, a tremendous opportunity had appeared before them.

After all, not just anyone could easily resist an opportunity to become a Saint.

Even knowing they would have to pay a tremendous price, they could not resist such ** .

Li Er firmly believed that Jieyin and Zhunti would grit their teeth and accept this challenge.

Therefore, he was not impatient. He believed these two companions would eventually seize this opportunity.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Zhunti's voice broke the stillness. "We are willing to bear this karma."

Li Er replied, "Very good."

What followed proceeded as smoothly as expected.

After Yuanshi and Tongtian, Li Er once again shared his insights into Slaying the Three Corpses with Jieyin and Zhunti.

However, compared to Yuanshi and Tongtian, Jieyin and Zhunti's reactions were clearly much stronger. They were bewildered by Li Er's preaching and could not even understand its deeper meaning.

The reason was that although Tongtian and Yuanshi had different obsessions and paths from Li Er, their cultivation still overlapped somewhat with Laozi's Dao.

However, the Dao cultivated by Jieyin and Zhunti differed from the orthodox Mystic Gate. They cultivated a side path, vastly different from Laozi's Dao.

Therefore, they found it exceedingly difficult to understand Laozi's insights into Slaying the Three Corpses and Yin-Yang Taiji.

Faced with this situation, Li Er chose to stop preaching and asked Jieyin and Zhunti whether they had any further questions.

Though their hearts were filled with confusion and doubt, they understood that they had already heard the Dao and could not back out.

Jieyin and Zhunti could only helplessly accept this reality.

Yuanshi and Tongtian, who had been observing from the side, noticed the change in atmosphere, and subtle smiles appeared on their faces.

They had previously experienced the method of Slaying Three Corpses and understood that it was difficult to comprehend or draw upon.

Jieyin and Zhunti laughed bitterly within their hearts. Faced with Laozi Li Er's question, they could only force themselves to respond.

After Senior Brother Laozi cleared up their doubts, they prepared to return to Western Mount Sumeru.

However, Li Er said there was no hurry. Since they owed karma, they naturally had to ask how they intended to repay it.

Jieyin and Zhunti felt uneasy. They had not truly comprehended anything, yet they now owed Saint Karma.

They tried to renege on the debt, but Li Er had no intention of letting them off so easily.

An inexplicable domineering air seeped through his words.

Zhunti and Jieyin's expressions changed dramatically.

At that moment, Tongtian, standing nearby, also made his stance clear. He summoned the Immortal-Slaying Four Swords, preparing to aid Li Er.

The swords being drawn meant that a great battle was about to break out.

Fine, Tongtian had always possessed a unique style. He preferred action to argument.

Jieyin and Zhunti's visit to the Eight Sceneries Palace was an example of his way of doing things: actions spoke louder than words.

The moment Tongtian summoned the Immortal-Slaying Four Swords, the atmosphere became tense.

Sensing that things were going wrong, Jieyin quickly stepped forward to ease the situation. He apologized to Laozi and acknowledged the karma.

Though they felt stifled inside, they understood that circumstances were against them and could only choose to retreat.

After leaving the Eight Sceneries Palace, Jieyin and Zhunti wore grave expressions. They knew full well that the Three Pure Ones were powerful and overbearing.

Faced with Tongtian's threat, they did not dare to tear off all pretense.

In the end, they could only accept reality, acknowledge the karma, and return resentfully to the western lands.

Throughout this process, Laozi's unfathomable image left a deep impression on them, filling Jieyin and Zhunti with a sense of powerlessness.

They knew that their status and strength were still insufficient for them to act arrogantly or provoke the Three Pure Ones. They could only put away their thoughts and leave quietly.

This incident once again emphasized the Iron Law of the Primordial World: strength reigned supreme.

The future might bring them troubles and difficulties.

However, at this moment, they were not mired in such negative thoughts. Instead, they came to several more substantial realizations.

Their past choices and present circumstances made them understand that Slaying Three Corpses to Attain Dao did not suit their path of cultivation. They were more inclined toward Attaining the Dao through Merit.

Even if they had to pay a heavy price for it, they were still willing to accept this choice.

As for the reward obtained today, the inheritance of the Classic of Morality, they treasured it deeply.

At this moment, Li Er was immersed in this Dao inheritance. His mind was wholly devoted to comprehending the Classic of Morality.

He paid no attention to Jieyin and Zhunti's thoughts, focusing entirely on extracting the system's reward, the Classic of Morality.

This inheritance was not a physical book, but rather something like inherited information within the primordial spirit.

Therefore, Li Er did not need to worry that displaying this action before Yuanshi and Tongtian would expose his secret.

Suddenly, he sensed an additional divine thought within his primordial spirit. Was it some sort of guidance or omen? The next moment, the endless principles contained within the Classic of Morality rapidly merged into his mind, like real ** appearing within his primordial spirit.

This inheritance was neither any kind of writing he knew, nor did that prevent him from clearly understanding its meaning.

These ** continued to appear in his mind, imparting profound comprehension and enlightenment.

To Li Er, the Classic of Morality seemed like something that had originally belonged to him, intimately connected to his own The Way of Taishang. Thus, he felt no shock or conflict whatsoever.

The Classic of Morality had originally been the classic of The Way of Taishang that Laozi himself had attained through integration. Naturally, he gladly accepted this inheritance.

Very soon, Li Er thoroughly comprehended and absorbed the astonishing Daoist Classic, the Classic of Morality.

At the instant Li Er completely internalized the Classic of Morality as his own understanding, the entire universe seemed to tremble. Heaven and earth rumbled at that moment.

The movements of the sun, moon, and stars seemed to come to a halt, and heaven and earth fell into darkness.

Li Er sensed this power, and an extraordinary phenomenon radiated from his body, like boundless light illuminating everything around him.

This scene was immediately noticed by Yuanshi and Tongtian.

They began to speculate whether Li Er had gained a new insight, whether he had touched upon the realm of unifying the Three Corpses after Slaying the Three Corpses, and whether he was about to attain the Dao and become a Saint.

Though the Primordial World was shrouded in darkness, the Eight Sceneries Palace, Li Er's Daoist sanctuary, shone with boundless brilliance. All this radiance came from Li Er's body, which was covered in endless Dao patterns, as mysterious as the Heavenly Dao itself.

These Dao patterns intertwined, condensed, descended, and manifested endless extraordinary phenomena.

Even a trace of the aura they occasionally released was enough to make the living beings of the Primordial World kneel in worship.

This was the majesty that the ultimate truth of the Great Dao ought to possess.

Then, the radiant Dao patterns around Li Er rose from Mount Daluo and spread across the sky of the entire Primordial World, slowly flowing as though they were about to depict some profound and mysterious scene.

At this moment, Li Er opened his eyes and spoke calmly, Dao essence accompanying his words. "I am Taishang. Having comprehended the method of Slaying the Three Corpses, I have now gained a great fortune and comprehended the Sacred Canon of the Dao, the Classic of Morality, for all living beings to witness!"

Every word he spoke seemed to contain the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

The aura of the Heavenly Dao descended, enveloping the Eight Sceneries Palace.

The moment Li Er's Classic of Morality emerged, the entire Primordial World shook. Heaven and earth dimmed, while the aura of the Heavenly Dao accompanied it, as though validating the birth of this classic.

After the sky had remained dark for a long time, divine light burst forth from the direction of the Eight Sceneries Palace and rapidly spread across the entire land of the Primordial World.

At the heart of the Eight Sceneries Palace, endless Dao patterns surrounded Li Er. These patterns gradually condensed, outlining profound Dao essence and ultimate truths with increasing clarity.

Heaven and earth became bright once more.

However, the changes in the Eight Sceneries Palace did not stop there.

Rumbling sounds rang out continuously as an aura of Purple Qi Comes from the East for thirty thousand li naturally radiated from Li Er's body.

The living beings of the Primordial World, and even the Quasi-Saint giants, all looked toward the Eight Sceneries Palace, unable to forget the endless purple qi that illuminated heaven and earth.

What the Eight Sceneries Palace displayed was not merely supreme majesty. It was more like an unrivaled immortal palace and sacred land of the Daoist path created by Li Er alone.

All living beings in the Primordial World had the same thought: the Eight Sceneries Palace in Xuandu Cave on Mount Daluo was a true sacred land of the Daoist path.

Although they could only witness Taishang create the Classic of Morality and could not comprehend its mysteries, this did not affect their yearning for the Dao.

Countless living beings of the Primordial World began to consider whether they could enter Taishang's sect and listen to the Classic of Morality.

Li Er knew nothing of this at the moment. He merely felt that his cultivation seemed to have broken through.

A vast pressure surged from his body. His eyes snapped open, divine light blazing from them, deeper and more powerful than before.

But this phenomenon lasted only an instant. Li Er soon returned to normal.

Yuanshi and Tongtian naturally witnessed this scene. They cried out in surprise, wondering whether Li Er had broken through again. Yet when they saw that his aura had not attained the dignity of a Saint, they realized with mixed emotions that Li Er might have reached another realm.

The preceding account concerned the cultivation realms of the Primordial World era and the influence of fortune. It would now be rewritten while preserving its original meaning, with smoother and more concise wording:

Before Dao Ancestor Hongjun preached the Dao, the limit of cultivation in the Primordial World was the Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

After the Dao Ancestor preached and the Purple Cloud Palace opened for lectures, many innate powerhouses comprehended the Dao and advanced from the Three Corpse Severing realm into the Quasi-Saint realm.

Generally speaking, slaying one corpse meant entering the Quasi-Saint realm. With further cultivation, one could reach the early and middle stages of Quasi-Saint.

Slaying two corpses meant reaching the late Quasi-Saint stage, and at the limit, one could be called a peak Quasi-Saint.

As for slaying three corpses, that was already a method of becoming a Saint. After Li Er slew the Three Corpses, he entered the sub-Saint realm.

Logically, Li Er's next step should have been to attain the Dao through the Three Corpses and become a Saint.

In other words, after reaching Li Er's realm, progress in cultivation became difficult.