Three Corpses Method

Li Cha left cleanly and decisively, waving his sleeve without taking away so much as half a cloud—yet leaving behind a hall full of great powers with differing thoughts, along with a Dao Ancestor suppressing his fury while forcing himself to remain calm.

Hongjun's face was dark as iron. He snorted coldly once more, the sound like cracking ice, instantly wrenching everyone's minds back from the lingering aftertaste of Li Cha's departure and that cup of "gratitude tea." His gaze swept across those below, carrying unquestionable authority.

The preaching had to continue. There was no choice but to continue!

Preaching the Dao was an indispensable step before he could Unite with the Heavenly Dao, the foundation upon which he would establish his supreme position as the Dao Ancestor of the Mystic Gate. If he did not preach, how could the title of "Dao Ancestor" stand firm? If he did not preach, how could the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and the other future Heavenly Dao Saints rightfully become his disciples and inherit his Dao Lineage? If he did not preach, how could those Innate Spirit Treasures fated to be bestowed upon others due to their karmic entanglements with him be handed out in a natural manner, thus settling those karmic ties?... All of this was a script long arranged beneath the workings of the Heavenly Dao. Hongjun was both its director and its most important actor. This play had to go on!

Steadying his mind, Hongjun began expounding the Dao of the Primordial Golden Immortal. Compared to the basics he had taught the first time, this session truly went much deeper, touching upon the more profound applications and fusion of laws. The minds of the three thousand Zixiao guests were finally firmly drawn in by this "substantial material" concerning their own paths ahead. They listened intently, trying to find an opportunity for breakthrough within his words.

When he reached the crucial method of advancement, Hongjun's voice carried the grandeur and certainty of the Heavenly Dao itself.

"A Primordial Golden Immortal must comprehend oneself and sever attachments. I possess a method called the 'Three Corpses Method.' It uses the spiritual resonance of Innate Spirit Treasures to entrust one's benevolent thoughts, malevolent thoughts, and self-attachments, severing them one by one and transforming them into incarnations. Once all Three Corpses are severed, the Dao Heart becomes clear and pure, the laws naturally merge, and one may enter the realm of the Primordial Golden Immortal—even glimpse the Primordial Dao Fruit."

The moment these words were spoken, many cultivators in the hall who had long reached the peak of Great Luo, unable to advance any further and yet unable to find a path forward, felt as though they had seized a lifeline. Fanatical light burst from their eyes! They had long been tormented by their bottlenecks until their hearts burned with anxiety. Now that they had heard of such a "convenient" method, how could they possibly restrain themselves?

At once, several dozen great powers—either impatient by nature or convinced that their comprehension was lacking—disregarded the occasion entirely. Right there in Zixiao Palace, following the method Hongjun had imparted, they circulated their mystic arts and activated the Innate Spirit Treasures they had refined, mostly low-grade or mid-grade ones, forcibly beginning to sever their corpses!

"Sever!"

"Sever!"

In an instant, the auras within Zixiao Palace became chaotic, Dao resonances tangled and scattered. Shadowy figures leapt from above those cultivators' heads—some kind-faced and dignified, bearing a solemn treasure-like appearance—the Good Corpses; others hideous and terrifying, their vicious aura soaring into the heavens—the Evil Corpses. These corpse-incarnations varied in strength, but they were undeniably independent existences. They also fed power back to their original bodies, causing the cultivation auras of those who had severed them to surge at once as they abruptly entered the early Quasi-Saint realm!

Yet strangely, no matter how hard they tried, not one of them could sever the most crucial Self Corpse, the one representing their understanding of their true selves. It was as if an invisible barrier prevented them from completely separating from their "true self."

To those great powers who had once visited Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven and listened to Li Cha's Tea Dao, this scene bore an entirely different meaning. The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Fuxi, Hong Yun, Zhen Yuanzi, and the others all furrowed their brows slightly, their hearts turning grave.

Good and evil are easy to distinguish, born from one's nature reacting to the outside world. But what is the self? If even the "I" must be severed with the aid of an external object—a Spirit Treasure—then is what is severed still "I"? Or has one instead... become some sort of puppet dependent on a Spirit Treasure, dependent on the Heavenly Dao? A trace of doubt flashed through the depths of Grand Pure One Laozi's eyes, but he made no move.

Senior Li Cha once said that the Tea Dao values Clear the Mind and See the True Nature, recognizing one's true self. This Three Corpses Method seems like a shortcut, but in truth it is neither here nor there. I fear it has already strayed from the path of recognizing the true self and instead embarked upon a path of relying on external things and entrusting one's Primordial Spirit elsewhere. Nuwa shook her head inwardly and remained seated firmly upon her cushion.

The Good and Evil Corpses may perhaps be severed through the power of Spirit Treasures and a momentary surge of emotion. But the Self Corpse... if one has not truly recognized oneself, how can one sever it? To force it through would likely be like trying to paint a tiger and ending up with a dog instead, damaging one's Dao foundation. Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi exchanged a glance, each seeing the wariness in the other's eyes.

They understood that the path of the Three Corpses was merely one choice among countless Dao paths, and not necessarily the correct one—or the one most suited to them. They needed time to test it and compare it against their own Dao before deciding where their future paths would lead. Thus, not a single one of the great powers who had benefited at Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven attempted to sever corpses on the spot.

In contrast, the cultivators who had successfully severed their Good and Evil Corpses were all radiant with delight. Feeling the vast power within their bodies, they regarded Hongjun, seated high upon the cloud bed, as if he were a deity and were overwhelmed with gratitude. They rose one after another and bowed respectfully. Someone impatiently asked the ultimate question that filled everyone's hearts.

"May I ask, Dao Ancestor: what is the essential difference between the realm of Saints and that of Quasi-Saints? When might we glimpse the Path to Sainthood?"

Hongjun knew that merely dangling an empty promise was not enough. He needed to cast out some tangible "temptation" to firmly bind these cultivators—especially the few Saints ordained by Heaven—to his chariot. The core of the Saint's path was the subject of the next preaching. At this moment, he needed to thoroughly whet their appetites.

His gaze swept across those below, lingering for a moment on the faces of Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti. His voice was majestic and seductive.

"Saints and Quasi-Saints may differ by only one realm, yet they are as far apart as clouds and mud. Their greatest difference lies in this: a Saint's Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the void, and they Unite with the Heavenly Dao! From that point on, so long as the Heavenly Dao remains undying, the Saint cannot die! They endure through ten thousand calamities without wearing away, touch karma without being stained by it. Their lifespan is equal to heaven and earth; their radiance shines alongside the sun and moon."

He paused briefly, allowing everyone to digest this shocking information. Then his tone shifted, carrying a trace of warning.

"As for Quasi-Saints, though they too may avoid disasters and evade tribulations, roaming freely through the world, their foundation has not merged with the Heavenly Dao. Ordinary calamities pose no threat to them, but should they be drawn into a Tribulation of Calamity, entangled in karma, they may still suffer the disaster of body and Dao perishing, their cultivation of hundreds of millions of years turning into froth!"

These words clearly drew a chasm between "Saints" and "Quasi-Saints." The meaning could not have been clearer: becoming a Saint was equivalent to receiving an immunity token in the Primordial Wilderness—no matter how wildly one acted, one would not die. A Quasi-Saint, meanwhile, would be fine most of the time, but if they were unlucky enough to encounter a Tribulation of Calamity and choose the wrong side, they might be completely finished!

The enormous contrast set the hearts of the Quasi-Saints who had just succeeded in severing their corpses ablaze. They were filled with endless yearning for sainthood and became even more determined to follow the Dao Ancestor's footsteps.

Just Then, Shangqing Tongtian frowned tightly and asked an even sharper, more crucial question.

"Dao Ancestor, forgive this disciple's ignorance. You have just said that Saints 'Unite with the Heavenly Dao' and thereby attain great freedom. Yet this disciple has heard that Great Immortal Yang Mei seems not to have taken this path, and still attained the Primordial Zenith Dao Fruit. May I ask: what exactly is the difference between a Heavenly Dao Saint and a Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal?"

Tongtian's question struck directly at the heart of the matter. It also represented the thoughts of many great powers present who had witnessed the splendor of Yang Mei and Li Cha.

Hongjun's gaze fell upon Tongtian and remained there for several breaths. A cold glint flashed deep within his eyes, too subtle to detect. He had long anticipated that someone would ask about this, and he already had a plan. He could not deny the existence of the Primordial Zenith, but he could blur the concepts—or even... belittle it.

A profound, unfathomable smile appeared on Hongjun's face as he said aloud, "A good question. Saints and Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals are both supreme existences who transcend the mundane and enjoy great freedom and great ease. In terms of power, lifespan, and transcendence, there is no essential difference."

He deliberately equated "great freedom and great ease" with Saints who Unite with the Heavenly Dao, cleverly muddying the fundamental difference between "relying on the Heavenly Dao" and "becoming a heaven and earth unto oneself."

"However," his tone turned with extreme subtlety, carrying a wisp of ethereal vagueness, "the Dao paths are myriad, yet all ultimately return to one. Following the Heavenly Dao is the orthodox path of the Primordial Wilderness, with a stable foundation and a broad road ahead. As for other paths... their hardships and fortunes are unpredictable. They cannot be pursued by those without great perseverance and great fortune, nor are they what our Mystic Gate's orthodox path advocates."

He did not directly say that the Primordial Zenith was inferior, yet he implied that it was difficult, unpredictable, and not the "orthodox path." Invisibly, he elevated the status of his own Heavenly Dao Saints and guided everyone toward the "correct" choice.

As the preaching continued, the questions from the great powers below became increasingly numerous and tricky. Many began comparing the advantages and drawbacks of the two paths. Though Hongjun's cultivation was profound, faced with these doubts concerning the fundamental Dao path, he had no choice but to devote his full attention, exhausting every means at his disposal. He cited classics and scriptures, occasionally displaying Saintly might, and only barely managed to keep the scene under control and drag the time onward bit by bit until the end of three thousand years.

The moment the time came, Hongjun immediately stopped preaching, giving everyone no chance to ask further questions, and directly announced:

"This preaching ends here in perfection. If you harbor doubts in your hearts, cultivate diligently. Three thousand years from now, Zixiao Palace shall open again. Then I will expound the Dao of Saints and naturally answer your questions."

Having said that, he ignored everyone's reaction completely. His figure slowly faded away and vanished from atop the cloud bed.

Seeing this, the three thousand Zixiao guests could only suppress the many thoughts in their hearts. They all rose and bowed toward the empty cloud bed. "We thank the Dao Ancestor for the grace of transmitting the Dao!"

Afterward, everyone departed Zixiao Palace one after another, each harboring their own thoughts. Some were filled with ambition, their resolve firmed toward the path of severing the Three Corpses to become Saints; some were plagued with doubts and found themselves pondering their paths ahead even more deeply; while those who had long held their own convictions, such as the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa, remained silent. Clearly, they needed to return and carefully weigh the gains and losses between this "shortcut" and their own Dao. Because of these two utterly different preachings, the undercurrents of the Primordial Wilderness surged ever more violently.