Third Lecture at Purple Firmament Palace Begins

Yun Ting nodded at this and said, "Fine. Since Eldest Uncle says so, I'll let that dead rabbit off for now." Yet inwardly, he thought, What reason can I find to kill Chang Er? Or maybe I should consider Second Uncle's suggestion and secretly roast him first. By then, Father can't possibly beat me to death over a rabbit...

As Yun Ting pondered this, the gates of Purple Firmament Palace had already opened. Tong Tian came to his side and said, "Purple Firmament Palace is open, and you still aren't hurrying in to listen to the Dao? What are you thinking about?" With that, he dragged Yun Ting off to Purple Firmament Palace to hear the Dao.

Before long, the Great Powers had all gathered within Purple Firmament Palace. Yun Ting still sat beside Tong Tian on his meditation cushion. Once the Great Powers had taken their seats or standing places, Hongjun announced in a ringing voice, "Today, I shall speak of the Dao of Sages. As the saying goes: the Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name..."

Old Ancestor Hongjun truly deserved to be the first Heavenly Dao Sage. The moment he opened his mouth, heavenly flowers scattered and Golden Lotuses surged from the earth. His voice flowed like a clear spring as he expounded the supreme truths of the Great Dao—yet that spring left Yun Ting drowsy. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, while his head bobbed little by little like a chick pecking at grain...

Can't this old man talk about something interesting when he lectures on the Dao? Why does he have to go on about all this mystic, unfathomable stuff? My ears are practically growing calluses from listening. Yun Ting grumbled inwardly. But if he could absorb this

Just as Yun Ting was muddleheaded and nearly unable to resist the summons of Duke Zhou, Hongjun's voice abruptly stopped. The voice that had flowed like spring water now echoed through Purple Firmament Palace like morning bells and evening drums. "My lecture ends here today. If you have any questions, you may ask them."

Laozi was the first to ask. "May I ask, Teacher, what is a Sage?"

"One whose Divine Soul resides within the Heavenly Dao, who neither dies nor perishes, is a Sage," Hongjun replied.

Yuanshi continued, "May I ask, Teacher, how does one become a Sage?"

"There are three methods of attaining Sainthood. First: Attaining Dao through Strength. Great God Pangu took this path in those years, but he failed, and thus perished after creating the heavens. Second: Attaining Dao by Slaying Three Corpses. This is the path you are all currently taking. Third: those with Great Merit and Great Fortune may attain Dao and become Sages..." Hongjun stroked his beard as he continued explaining.

Upon hearing this, Tong Tian asked further, "May I ask, Teacher, are there fixed numbers of Sages?"

Hongjun burst into laughter. "That question does suit your temperament. Yes, beneath the Heavenly Dao, all things have their number. Nine is the ultimate number, and there shall be nine Heavenly Dao Sages. Of them, six shall be from my lineage." As he spoke, he withdrew an object from his sleeve. "This is Primordial Violet Qi. Once refined, it allows the Divine Soul to reside within the Heavenly Dao and become a Heavenly Dao Sage."

"The Three Pure Ones were transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and bear the supreme merit of creating heaven and earth. You shall be my direct disciples and may enter the Saintly Path." With a sweep of his long sleeve, three streaks of violet qi, dazzling as a galaxy, flew like spirit serpents into the Three Pure Ones' Niwan Palaces. The Three Pure Ones hurriedly knelt and bowed, saying in unison, "Thank you, Teacher, for your gift. May Teacher's sacred life know no bounds." Hongjun nodded slightly, his expression pleased.

He then looked toward Nuwa. "Nuwa, you shall possess Great Merit and great destiny in the future. You shall become my inner disciple and attain a Saint position." With another sweep of his sleeve, a streak of violet qi shot into Empress Nuwa's Niwan Palace. Empress Nuwa bowed gracefully, her gratitude plain for all to see.

After saying this, Old Ancestor Hongjun fell silent, as though he had merged with heaven and earth and entered profound meditation. Seeing that most of the Saint positions had already been decided while Old Ancestor Hongjun said nothing further, the immortals immediately grew anxious as though their hearts were on fire.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, then hurriedly prostrated themselves. Jieyin pleaded earnestly, "Teacher, the Western Region is barren and desolate, with few spiritual roots. Those able to take form are encountered only once in a thousand years. Our hearts in seeking the Dao can shine as brightly as the sun and moon. We beg Teacher to show mercy." Zhunti wept until tears and snot flowed freely, howling as he cried, "Teacher is most compassionate and merciful! The two of us crossed oceans and endured countless hardships to come listen to the Dao, all for the sake of a sliver of opportunity to attain Sainthood. We beg Teacher to bestow upon us Saint positions." As he spoke, he kept kowtowing without pause, until blood began to shine from his forehead.

Old Ancestor Hongjun slowly opened his eyes, and there seemed to be pity in his gaze. With a soft sigh, he said, "Though the karmic affinity between you two and me is not deep, you possess perseverance and wisdom. In the future, you may blaze a new trail in the Western Region. You may become my registered disciples and still have hope of attaining Sainthood." As he finished speaking, two streaks of violet qi shot into their bodies like meteors.

At once, the crowd erupted into commotion. One after another, they knelt and loudly begged Old Ancestor Hongjun to grant them Saint positions. Old Ancestor Hongjun remained calm, only frowning slightly. "Very well. I shall grant this violet qi to you. Whether you can attain Sainthood will depend entirely on your own destiny." With that, he prepared to send out the final streak of violet qi.

Seeing this, Yun Ting secretly asked the system, "What would happen if I snatched the Primordial Violet Qi that's about to fall into Hong Yun's body?"

"Oh, your Dao does not lie in becoming a Heavenly Dao Sage. Snatching that thing would be nothing but asking for trouble. This system advises you not to do anything foolish." Within the system space, A Certain Lady had been drinking tea. Yun Ting's words made her spray it all out, and she muttered, "Why snatch that thing? Becoming a Heavenly Dao Sage means being bound by all sorts of restrictions. It'd be better to cultivate honestly and attain Dao through Laws."