The First Preaching of the Dao Concludes

Within Purple Firmament Palace, Dao Ancestor Hongjun sat high upon his cloud bed, lotus flowers blooming from his lips as he officially began expounding the supreme Great Dao.

In an instant, golden lotuses surged forth through the void, swaying gracefully as they radiated pure spiritual energy and Dao resonance. Countless Heaven Flowers drifted down from the vault above, dazzling and brilliant, each petal seeming to bear an abstruse scripture. Immortal music lingered in the air, wondrous fragrance assailed the nose, and purple qi came from the east for thirty thousand li. Such pageantry, such grandeur, truly elevated the bearing of a saint's preaching to its utmost, leaving all three thousand guests in the palace solemn with respect as they focused intently on listening.

Yet to Li Cha, this magnificent spectacle and the Dao Ancestor's voice, seemingly containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, only made him drowsy, his eyelids as heavy as though filled with lead.

"What the hell is he even talking about..." Li Cha forced himself to stay alert, grumbling inwardly. "From drawing qi into the body to Golden Core and Nascent Soul, then onward to comprehending laws... isn't this just a 'standardized' process for cultivating from mortal to Great Luo Golden Immortal? And it's stuffed full of endless hidden agendas, emphasizing at every turn that one must obey Heaven's mandate, comprehend the Heavenly Dao, and borrow the power of heaven and earth... If anyone truly believed his nonsense and followed this road into darkness, forget the free and transcendent Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin—even breaking through to Primordial Golden Immortal, relying on one's own power, would likely be beyond them. In the end, they could only become 'outstanding employees' under the Heavenly Dao system, rather than 'independent entrepreneurs.'"

He used nearly the greatest willpower of his life just to maintain his seated posture and avoid falling asleep on the spot. Sneaking a glance at Fairy Wang Shu beside him, he found that the Moon Star Lord too had her delicate brows faintly furrowed, one jade hand covering her lips as she yawned repeatedly. Clearly, she found this "basic course" unbearably tedious as well. Only members of the "new generation" such as Chang Xi and Xi He, who had only recently taken form and had yet to gain a clear understanding of their own Great Dao, were drawn in by Hongjun's unfathomable bearing and the chaotic rain of Heaven Flowers. They listened, utterly entranced, finding every word a pearl of wisdom.

The first preaching of the Dao lasted a long while before it finally came time for a break. A cultivator who could no longer hold himself back rose and respectfully asked, "May I ask, Dao Ancestor, what realm lies beyond Great Luo Golden Immortal?"

Hongjun's eyes remained half-open and half-closed, his indifferent voice echoing through the palace. "Beyond Great Luo lies Primordial Golden Immortal, also known as Quasi-Saint. One must fully comprehend, command, and merge a Great Dao law into oneself before entering this realm."

The moment those words fell, the palace erupted in commotion, and all the cultivators revealed looks of yearning. Afterward, many more raised questions about difficulties in their cultivation. Hongjun answered them one by one. Though he did not go into great depth, he did point them in the proper direction. This first preaching of the Dao lasted a full Three Thousand Years!

Worth mentioning was that the Twelve Ancestral Witches had also come to Purple Firmament Palace, though they merely leaned against the wall at the very back to listen. Aside from Ancestral Witch Houtu, who remained awake and earnestly pondered the portions related to the Dao of Earth, the other eleven Ancestral Witches listened to the heavenly-book-like teachings on Primordial Spirit cultivation and comprehension of the Heavenly Dao for only a short while before they began snoring thunderously, sleeping in every direction. Yet they bore World Creation Merit, and although Hongjun had now become a saint, he still did not dare rashly kill them. He could only turn a blind eye and let them sleep their fill.

Once the Three Thousand Years had passed, the next preaching would not take place until another Three Thousand Years later. One after another, people rose, saluted the Dao Ancestor, and departed Purple Firmament Palace, eager to return and digest what they had gained from this lecture. Li Cha and Wang Shu exchanged a look, each seeing the other's relief, then rose as well, offered their farewells, and left the palace with Mo Ran.

"Mo Ran, return to the Dao field first. I still have some private business to handle." After leaving Chaos and returning to the Primordial World, Li Cha gave Mo Ran his instructions.

"Yes, Master." Mo Ran respectfully complied, transforming into a streak of black light and shooting toward Buzhou Mountain.

After sending Mo Ran away, Li Cha's figure flickered, his aura completely withdrawn as though he had melted into the void. Silently, he followed the graceful and noble figure ahead, who was riding the clouds alongside her brother Fuxi—Nuwa.

He remembered that the Innate Gourd Vine was due to emerge after Hongjun's first preaching of the Dao. The Nine Heavens Breathing Soil beneath the gourd vine was precisely the final key item he lacked to refine a tea cup and perfect his Tea Dao! If he searched aimlessly on his own, who knew how much time it would take? Following behind Nuwa, who was fated to have an affinity with spiritual treasures, was undoubtedly the most time- and effort-saving approach. Once they took the gourds and vine, he could appear and ask Nuwa for some Nine Heavens Breathing Soil. It should not be difficult.

Sure enough, not long after Nuwa and Fuxi returned to Buzhou Mountain, the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, and Hong Yun—who had received the same sense of summons—arrived atop Buzhou Mountain at nearly the same time. At its summit, a vine wreathed in Seven-Colored Radiance curled across the ground. Seven gourds of different colors hung from it, their treasure light piercing the heavens as they stood on the verge of ripening.

The great powers tacitly waited Beside Her, quietly awaiting the spiritual treasures' choice of masters. Li Cha concealed himself in the distance and watched patiently.

In less than a year, the gourds ripened one after another!

The purple-gold gourd flew automatically toward Laozi, transforming into the Purple Gold Gourd.

The crimson gourd flew toward Hong Yun, transforming into the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd.

The water-blue gourd flew toward Primordial Lord of Heaven. Primordial Lord of Heaven did not refine it immediately; he later bestowed it upon Immortal Official Nanji, and it became Immortal Official Nanji's Treasure Gourd.

The yellow-orange gourd flew toward Lord of Tongtian and was later refined into the Water-Fire Gourd, containing Water-Fire Qilin within.

The blue-green gourd flew toward Nuwa, transforming into the Monster Summoning Gourd, capable of summoning the Demon Race of the world.

The Chaos-colored gourd flew toward Di Jun and was refined by him into the Immortal Slaying Gourd—the one that said, "Please turn around, treasure."

The six gourds each found their owners. One remained: a dark, nearly black gourd. The instant it ripened, it strangely vanished into thin air! Even Li Cha's Spiritual Sense failed to catch any trace of it.

Immediately afterward, Nuwa stepped forward and also collected the Innate Gourd Vine, now withered and stripped of its spiritual light.

This sight chilled the heart of Li Cha, who had been observing in secret. Not only had he failed to pick up any discarded gourd, he did not even get a share of the vine. He could only hope the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil was still where it had been.

Only after the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, Hong Yun, and the others left in satisfaction did Li Cha reveal himself and come to where the gourd vine had originally grown. He crouched down and sensed carefully, then held two fingers together like a sword and dug into the soil below. In no more than a moment, he cautiously unearthed a lump of earth roughly the size of a millstone, golden in color and radiating dense innate earth spiritual qi and Creation Dao resonance!

Nine Heavens Breathing Soil! And in such abundant quantity!

Li Cha was overjoyed. Just as he was about to put the Breathing Soil away, he suddenly sensed an aura returning after having departed. Looking up, he saw that it was Nuwa!

Nuwa had recalled certain properties of the gourd vine and returned to study it more closely, only to spot at once the gleaming golden Nine Heavens Breathing Soil in Li Cha's hands! From somewhere deep and unseen, an incomparably powerful feeling surged into her heart—this item was intimately tied to her future chance of attaining the Dao. It absolutely could not be lost!

"Fellow Daoist! Stop! This item is fated to me!" In her urgency, Nuwa could no longer concern herself with anything else. With a sharp cry, she raised her delicate hand, and a stream of clear light containing the Power of Creation swept toward the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil in Li Cha's hand. She was directly attempting to seize it!

Li Cha frowned. His body did not move; only an invisible Dao resonance naturally circulated around him. When the clear light of creation touched that resonance, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Nuwa froze. Refusing to believe it, she urged forth even stronger mana and even brought out the blue-green Monster Summoning Gourd she had just acquired. Demon qi billowed out as she tried to intimidate him. Yet Li Cha merely gave her an indifferent glance and allowed the vast aura of a Half-step Quasi-Saint to reveal the slightest hint of itself.

Boom!

Nuwa felt a terrifying pressure crash down upon her as though Buzhou Mountain itself were pressing upon her head. All her divine abilities and the spiritual light of her magic treasures seemed so tiny and laughable before that aura! She stumbled back several steps, her face turning deathly pale as shock filled her heart. She was already at the peak of Great Luo, and she had her brother Fuxi—yet at this moment, she clearly realized that even if the siblings joined forces, they would be no match for this blue-robed Daoist before her!

The foundation of attaining the Dao lay right before her, yet she had no strength to seize it! Immense despair instantly drowned Nuwa's mind. Thinking of her Great Dao being cut off and her future reduced to utter darkness, grief welled up within her. With all hope extinguished, she raised her jade palm and prepared to strike it against the crown of her head!

"Hey!" Seeing this, Li Cha cried out in alarm. With a flicker, he appeared beside Nuwa, lightly slapped away the force of her attempted suicide, and casually gave her smooth forehead a neither-light-nor-heavy knock.

"You little girl, what is wrong with you? You came up without asking what was what and tried to snatch something. When you couldn't take it, you wanted to kill yourself? What exactly do you want? Say it!" Li Cha truly did not know whether to laugh or cry. Why did this future Holy Mother of the Human Race seem a little reckless?

After Li Cha's slap and "knock," Nuwa came back to her senses as well. Realizing that her actions just now had been far too extreme and improper, her pretty face flushed red. Both aggrieved and embarrassed, she said softly, "I-I'm sorry... Nuwa was discourteous. It's only... it's only that I sensed in the unseen that the divine earth in Fellow Daoist's hands concerns my future chance to attain the Dao. It is simply too important. In my moment of desperation, I... Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist." Her voice grew softer and softer, for she understood that she had been in the wrong.

"You want this Nine Heavens Breathing Soil to attain the Dao?" Li Cha asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes." Nuwa nodded at once, her eyes full of longing.

Li Cha looked at the millstone-sized lump of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil in his hand and pondered briefly. "It is not impossible for you to have it."

Hope instantly flared in Nuwa's eyes.

"Like this." Li Cha held two fingers together like a blade and lightly sliced across the Breathing Soil, cutting off a piece roughly the size of a fist. He carefully stored it away, then held the remaining larger portion out before Nuwa. "I'll take this small piece for my own use. The rest is all yours."

Nuwa could scarcely believe her ears. Stunned, she stared blankly at the larger portion of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil being offered to her.

"However, you must agree to one condition," Li Cha added.

"What condition? Please speak, Fellow Daoist! So long as Nuwa can do it, I will never refuse!" Nuwa agreed impatiently.

"I cannot tell you yet." Li Cha shook his head, smiling mysteriously. "You only need to remember that you owe me once. When the time comes, I will seek you out myself. All right, take it."

Still dazed, Nuwa accepted the heavy Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, brimming with Dao resonance, feeling as though she were in a dream. Only when she saw Li Cha turn to leave did she abruptly come back to herself and hurriedly ask, "May I ask Fellow Daoist's honored name?"

Li Cha looked back and smiled freely. "Li Cha. I call myself Yun Hua the Hermit. Come to think of it, we are neighbors. That Valley beside your siblings' cave abode, the one enveloped by an array, is my Dao field—Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven. Come find me when you have the chance. I'll treat you to tea."

Before his words had even faded, he had transformed into a streak of green light and vanished beyond the horizon, leaving Nuwa standing where she was with the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil in hand. As she relived that dreamlike experience, her heart filled with curiosity and gratitude toward that mysterious "neighbor."