With his Half-step Quasi-Saint cultivation, Li Cha was already considered a great power in the current Primordial Wilderness. Aside from Yang Mei, who had long attained Primordial Da Luo and transcended worldly matters, as well as Hongjun, who was about to take that step, and Wang Shu at the Peak Quasi-Saint level, the strongest among the rest—such as the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, Taiyi, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches—were only at the peak of Da Luo.
Through his discussion of the Dao with Yang Mei, Li Cha had come to understand the fundamental difference between Primordial Da Luo and Heavenly Dao Saints:
Primordial Da Luo was achieved through one's own supreme perseverance, wisdom, and accumulation—forcefully grasping, comprehending, and ultimately refining a complete Great Dao from beginning to end, from surface to essence, and integrating it into oneself. From then on, I am the Dao, and the Dao is me: independent and free beyond all things.
A Heavenly Dao Saint, on the other hand, was one whose Great Dao was "helped" into refinement by the Primordial World's Heavenly Dao through its supreme authority. It seemed like ascending to the heavens in a single step, yet the ultimate ownership and right of interpretation of that Great Dao still remained firmly in the hands of the Heavenly Dao. Saints merely gained the "right to use" it, making them equivalent to the Heavenly Dao's "senior employees." Thus, although Heavenly Dao Saints possessed immense power, they had to remain dependent on and constrained by the Heavenly Dao, their rise and fall bound to that of the Primordial World.
Li Cha's Dao was the Great Dao of Tea. It encompassed, enlightened, and harmonized. Though it did not excel in slaughter and battle, it pointed directly to the source of harmony among all things and held limitless potential. He knew well how his path should be walked. Now, he only needed to wait for Hongjun's Preaching of the Dao. Then he would have a chance to travel to the summit of Buzhou Mountain, obtain the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, refine a Tea Cup, perfect the foundations of the Tea Dao, and gain the recognition of the Great Dao. Only then could he truly begin his charge toward the Primordial Realm.
With his path ahead clear, he no longer rushed to cultivate for the moment. Recently, Li Cha had begun regularly teaching his Tea Dao within Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven.
Although the Tea Cup had not yet been completed, and the Tea Dao's foundation still lacked one link, preventing it from resonating with the Great Dao and manifesting phenomena, explaining the simpler concepts of the Tea Dao, methods of cultivating oneself, and principles of harmonizing all things was instead easier for the "little ones" in the grotto-heaven to understand.
Yes, the "little ones."
The spirit rain diluted and transformed from Primordial Chaos Spirit Tea had granted intelligence to countless flowers, grasses, trees, birds, and beasts within the grotto-heaven, setting them upon the path of cultivation. They usually observed Li Cha, Mo Ran, Shi Qing, and the others cultivate, and had already learned some methods of breathing and refining qi. Yet they had failed to grasp the essentials and could not transform. Now that they could personally listen to their "Patriarch" preach the Dao, every one of them was thrilled and listened with rapt attention, terrified of missing even a single word from Li Cha.
Li Cha sat cross-legged beneath the Enlightenment Tea Tree, before the Sacred Spirit Table. His voice was calm as he spoke with ease. He did not discuss profound divine abilities, only the fundamental spirits of "clarity," "tranquility," "harmony," "respect," "joy," and "truth" contained within the Tea Dao, as well as how to use them to regulate body and mind, comprehend nature, and discern one's true heart. His words were like a gentle stream, Moistening Things Silently, yet the little ones listening to the Dao found their spiritual platforms growing clearer by the day, and their understanding of their own paths of cultivation becoming more distinct.
This teaching lasted a thousand years.
The thousand years of teaching produced remarkable results. Within the grotto-heaven, spiritual qi grew ever more peaceful, and the relationships among its living beings became increasingly harmonious. More importantly, seven little ones with exceptional origins and outstanding comprehension had finally accumulated enough to welcome their chance to transform!
All across the grotto-heaven, spiritual light shot into the heavens and Dao rhythms gathered. After being tempered by heavenly tribulations, Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven suddenly had seven little immortal children—four boys and three girls—who looked no more than three or four years old, exquisite as carved jade. Though they had transformed, their cultivation remained shallow, only at the True Immortal realm. Their large dark eyes watched Li Cha with curiosity mixed with a touch of timidity.
Li Cha examined the origins of their foundations and immediately understood. He took the seven little ones in as Nominal Disciples and entrusted the steady, reliable Mo Ran with teaching them the basic cultivation methods and the rules of the grotto-heaven.
Based on the source characteristics of the seven, he bestowed Daoist names upon them:
The Azure Jade Spirit Bamboo rooted beside the Sacred Spirit Table, which had transformed after being nurtured by its Dao rhythms, was named Qing Xuan. He was male.
The Seven-Colored Spirit Carp born from the eye of the Spiritual Spring was named Lianyi. She was female.
The jade stone that had been tainted by the tea fragrance released while Li Cha preached the Dao, warm and lustrous throughout, was named Yu Qing. He was male.
The Star Pattern Grass spirit plant enlightened by the power of the stars, lively by nature, was named Xing Tong. She was female.
The speck of Fire Essence that had scattered while Li Cha refined the Five Elements Furnace was named Yan Yang. He was male.
The Five-Colored Spirit Earth that had gained enlightenment by listening to the sounds of the Dao, honest and steady by nature, was named Hou Pu. He was male.
The Spirit Charm Immortal Butterfly that had long dwelled upon the Enlightenment Tea Tree was named Die Wu. She was female.
The seven children bowed to their master in childish voices, then paid their respects to their Senior Disciple Brother, Mo Ran. They had officially entered the Yunhua Lineage.
At that very moment, the entire Primordial World suddenly trembled!
Endless mysterious auspicious clouds spread from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, blanketing the skies of the entire Primordial Wilderness. Ten thousand rays of rosy light and countless streams of auspicious radiance filled the heavens. Immortal music drifted through the void, cleansing the heart. Golden lotuses surged across the earth, Qilin phantoms brought auspicious omens, and Phoenixes cried out in celebration...
A vast, majestic, indifferent, and lofty voice, like a decree from the Heavenly Dao, clearly resounded within the minds of every living being possessed of intelligence:
"High upon the ninth-layered clouds I recline, upon a prayer mat I attain the true Dao.
...One breath transforms into Hongjun."
"I am Dao Ancestor Hongjun. Today, I have attained the Saint's fruition. Seeing that the Great Dao of the Primordial Wilderness is incomplete and that all living beings struggle in cultivation, I shall, ten thousand years hence, preach the Great Dao in Purple Firmament Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, expounding the mysteries of Primordial Da Luo. Any living being of the Primordial Wilderness with destiny may come and listen to the Dao."
Hongjun had finally become a Saint!
Li Cha looked up at the sky, his gaze calm. There were no great ripples in his heart, only the relief of what was meant to come had finally arrived. Hongjun's sainthood and the opening lecture at Purple Firmament Palace meant that the Primordial Wilderness would enter an entirely new stage. It also meant that the time for him to obtain the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil was about to arrive.
As Hongjun attained the Dao and became a Saint, the Heavenly Dao's fortune surged forth as though a floodgate had opened. Many Innate God-Demons and great powers who had originally remained hidden, or whose time had not yet come, emerged in response to destiny and manifested throughout the Primordial World.
Not far from Li Cha's Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven, at the foot of the mountain on the other side of Buzhou Mountain, two clear, sacred, and peaceful auras rose into the sky. One yin and one yang intertwined and circled each other. They belonged to the siblings Fuxi and Nuwa! Their Daoist grounds were also located in the Buzhou Mountain region. During Li Cha's seclusion and teaching, their Spiritual Sense had curiously swept over Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven, which was shrouded by a grand formation, several times. They were clearly quite interested in this neighbor.
Immediately afterward, twelve earthshaking roars erupted from the depths of Buzhou Mountain! Baleful qi pierced the heavens, and blood qi surged like dragons, drawing down endless blood rain! The Twelve Ancestral Witches had emerged at the same time! The Transformation Heavenly Tribulation they triggered was so vast, and its tribulation lightning so ferocious, that it rivaled the Heavenly Punishment tribulation Li Cha had endured in the past. It was filled with the Heavenly Dao's deep wariness and dislike toward descendants born from Pangu's essence blood.
On this day, Fairy Wang Shu visited Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven once more. This time, two stunning young women followed at her side, each with a distinct temperament. One was bright and graceful, while the other was cool and gentle. Moonlight qi lingered around them without dispersing. They were Xi He and Chang Xi, born upon the Moon Star! Their appearance also signaled that the two future rulers of the Demon Clan on the Sun Star—Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi—must have transformed as well, gathering their strength as they awaited the chance to take the stage in the Primordial Wilderness.
At the same time, deep within the boundless Netherworld Blood Sea, where waves of blood churned endlessly, an enormous Karma Fire Red Lotus slowly bloomed. A figure clad in blood-red Daoist robes rose from its heart, his face cold and sinister, slaughterous intent and Resentment Power intertwined around him. He was the lord of the Blood Sea—Minghe—who had also formally emerged by seizing this surge of Heavenly Dao fortune!
Meanwhile, in the Nether Sea of the far north, a Kun's cry that seemed to come from the ancient Primordial Wilderness tore through the sky! An unimaginably massive Giant Kun leaped from the deep sea, its body blotting out the heavens and the sun! It circled once through the air and transformed into a Great Peng with wings like clouds hanging from the sky! Fearlessly facing the Form Transformation Lightning Tribulation, it charged directly into the deepest part of the Tribulation Clouds and allowed the lightning to temper it! At last, the tribulation clouds dispersed, and a sinister, sharp figure stood proudly in the void. It was Kunpeng, who had devoured the remains of all his demonized elders and fused their origins to emerge into the world!
These Innate God-Demons and great powers who emerged in accordance with destiny all possessed extraordinary foundations. Upon transforming, they were at least at the Early Da Luo realm. The Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, and Taiyi had even directly reached Late Da Luo. Their starting points were so high that ordinary living beings could only gaze after them in despair.
For these great powers, who had already achieved long life and endured through the ages, ten thousand years were no more than the flick of a finger.
The day Purple Firmament Palace would begin preaching the Dao drew closer with each passing day. The gaze of the entire Primordial Wilderness turned toward the land of Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. A grand event that would determine the Primordial Wilderness's order for countless millions of years was about to begin.
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