The ancient, imposing doors of Purple Cloud Palace slowly closed, sealing off the Chaos within and without. Inside the palace, only Dao Ancestor Hongjun remained, seated high upon a cloud bed. His form appeared ever more ethereal and remote, beginning to merge with the elusive Heavenly Dao. The incomplete Creation Jade Disk appeared in his palm as his Spiritual Sense sank into it, comprehending every detail of Unifying with the Heavenly Dao. With this preaching in the Primordial Wilderness, accepting disciples, bestowing treasures, and appointing the foremost immortals, his merit was complete. All that remained was to act according to the Heavenly Dao's plans. He would be the Heavenly Dao—the foremost being of the Primordial Wilderness.
Li Cha calculated the timing. Once Hongjun had finished Preaching the Dao, he quietly set out for the vicinity of Treasure Distribution Cliff. Using his divine abilities, he concealed his form, aura, and even all karmic ties. As for the treasures, he took none. It was not that he did not covet the countless spirit treasures atop Treasure Distribution Cliff; rather, the Heavenly Dao was ever-watchful. Most of those treasures already had predestined owners. Seizing them by force would inevitably forge karma with their future wielders and draw the Heavenly Dao's attention and schemes ahead of time. For his plans, that was truly unwise. The less he became entangled in, the more room he would have to maneuver in the future.
He waited there quietly for less than a day before several incomparably swift Escape Lights tore through the Chaos and arrived first. They were the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Fuxi, whom Li Cha had secretly warned. After gathering a great number of treasures, they were preparing to leave when Li Cha halted them with a voice transmission. They stood silently to one side, watching the others fight over the remaining spirit treasures.
Only after the last Purple Cloud Palace guest departed from Treasure Distribution Cliff did Li Cha reveal himself and take Treasure Distribution Cliff, along with the Three Pure Ones and the others, into the Chaos Pearl.
When they opened their eyes again, they were no longer in the Chaos. They stood within a newborn world brimming with spiritual energy, where laws had only begun to emerge and the Five Elements vaguely showed signs of stabilizing the realm.
"Do not be alarmed. This is my Spirit Treasure Space." Li Cha's voice sounded at just the right moment, soothing their tense minds.
"Senior, what is this...?" Tongtian, the most impatient by nature, looked around this strange world and could not help asking.
Li Cha smiled faintly. "Bringing you here will completely conceal the heavenly traces of your stay here and your meeting with me. Although Hongjun is occupied with Unifying with the Dao, his Spiritual Sense can still monitor the Primordial Wilderness. It is best to be cautious." As he spoke, he led them to a wooden table and personally brewed a pot of Pure Spirit Tea for them.
Everyone was astonished by Li Cha's profound methods and careful conduct. At the same time, they were somewhat curious as to how he had known about Treasure Distribution Cliff in advance.
The moment they sat down, Tongtian rose and bowed. "Senior Yun Hua, we have all entered Hongjun's sect. What should we do next? Please enlighten us." Yuanshi and Laozi said nothing, but their gazes were likewise filled with inquiry.
Li Cha's expression turned solemn, though his hands did not pause. "Since Hongjun will Unify with the Heavenly Dao, after doing so, he will not completely vanish and will retain his consciousness. Yet he will be bound by the rules of the Heavenly Dao. Unless a great upheaval occurs during a Tribulation of Calamity, he cannot easily appear. You three are Pangu's True Lineage and bear World Creation Merit. You were originally destined to become Saints and should rightfully hold the authority of the Heavenly Dao. What you must do is gradually hollow out Hongjun's influence over the Heavenly Dao's specific affairs within the greater framework of following Heavenly Mandate, becoming the Heavenly Dao's true spokesmen and executors."
He paused, lifted the pot to pour tea, and continued, "You are destined to establish teachings and become Saints, gathering fortune. This is Heavenly Mandate. But I hope that your path to sainthood will follow the Three Corpses Method passed down by Hongjun."
"Oh? Why is that?" Primordial Lord of Heaven frowned slightly and rose to his feet. Arrogant by nature, he acknowledged the method of Sect Three Corpses but had his own considerations. "With the foundations and merit my brothers and I possess, Proving the Dao through Strength may be difficult, but we could use the Tea Dao as a foundation and create our own path. Why must we take the path of the Three Corpses?"
Li Cha handed him a cup of Pure Tea and gestured for him to sit. After pouring a cup for each of the others, he finally spoke. "The Three Corpses Method may appear to have been passed down by Hongjun, but in truth, it accords with the Heavenly Dao's rules of self-perfection and divided administration. Becoming Saints through this method will earn you greater affinity and trust from the Heavenly Dao's origin, making it easier for you to integrate with and control the Heavenly Dao's authority on a deeper level. However, there is one crucial point." His gaze swept over the Three Pure Ones, and his tone grew heavier. "You must first sever the Self Corpse before practicing the Three Corpses Method. Remember this well—the order cannot be wrong!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Laozi's eyes as if he had realized something. "Senior, you mean... if we first sever the good and evil corpses, then sever the self last, our self-awareness will account for the smallest portion among the Three Corpses. When they merge as one, we could easily be assimilated by the Heavenly Dao and become puppets extended from its rules?"
"Exactly!" Li Cha nodded approvingly. "But if you first sever the Self Corpse and let it take the lead before merging the good and evil corpses, your original consciousness will hold an absolute advantage. At that time, you may place that strand of Primordial Violet Qi within the Self Corpse. This relatively independent Self Corpse, which bears most of your original consciousness, can then replace your true body in entrusting your primordial spirit within the Heavenly Dao. In this way, you can obtain the authority and undying, indestructible nature of a Heavenly Dao Saint while also preserving an extremely crucial trump card for the future."
Tongtian clapped his hands and laughed. "Wonderful! In that case, the Heavenly Dao will think it has controlled us, when in truth it will have only controlled the Self Corpse. If the Heavenly Dao ever intends to act improperly, we can simply abandon the Self Corpse, use it as a chess piece, and give the Heavenly Dao a vicious blow!"
Yuanshi finally understood the crux of it and nodded slowly. His gaze upon Li Cha carried several degrees more respect. This plan was truly farsighted. It not only followed the greater trend of the Heavenly Dao but also planted the groundwork for a future countermeasure.
"Senior, what about my brother and me?" Seeing that the Three Pure Ones already had their arrangements, Nuwa rose with Fuxi and asked.
Li Cha looked at Nuwa, his eyes carrying both expectation and gravity. "Nuwa, you need only continue along the Way of Creation you have realized in your heart. You may study the Primordial Violet Qi Hongjun bestowed upon you, but remember: you must not use it to attain the position of a Heavenly Dao Saint! Your path is vast and unique. It should not be bound to the Heavenly Dao. If you become a Heavenly Dao Saint and are constrained by the Heavenly Dao, then the future Primordial Wilderness will be destined for a tragic ending."
Nuwa's delicate body trembled slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. "Senior, are your words not too exaggerated? How could someone as insignificant as me have the ability for my choice of path to affect the fate of the entire Primordial Wilderness?"
Li Cha shook his head, his tone utterly certain. "No, you can. Moreover, some matters can only be accomplished by you. This is both your mission and your opportunity." He raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the Chaos Pearl and see the hidden river of fate. "The heavenly secrets cannot be fully revealed. The opportunity has not yet arrived, so I cannot tell you more. For now, you need only hold fast to your heart, devote yourself to the Way of Creation, and let nature take its course. As for Fuxi..." He turned toward Fuxi. "Your Great Dao concerns calculating heavenly secrets, and your fate is intertwined with your sister's. In the future, the paths of you two will ultimately return to the same brilliant Great Dao."
The siblings still wore traces of confusion, but Laozi and Fuxi were themselves most skilled in deduction. A flash of insight struck their minds, and they had already grasped the key. If she did not merge with Heaven, then among the Primordial World, the only paths that could stand alongside the Heavenly Dao were the Earthly Dao and the Human Dao! The Earthly Dao foremost emphasized reincarnation and sacrifice, ... , which largely ran contrary to Nuwa's Way of Creation. Then the answer was nearly obvious—the Human Dao! Nuwa's future was actually inextricably linked to the Human Dao, which had yet to manifest and possessed limitless potential! At that thought, Laozi and Fuxi exchanged a glance, each seeing shock and uncertainty in the other's eyes.
Though this brief gathering within the Chaos Pearl had been short, it laid down an exceedingly crucial foundation for the future structure of the Primordial Wilderness. Once Li Cha had finished his instructions and sensed a change in the external currents, he said, "The time is near. You should leave. Remember what was said today and act cautiously."
With a thought, he quietly sent the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Fuxi out of the Chaos Pearl, returning them to the paths of their original Escape Lights as though they had never left.
Not long after the five departed, unprecedented phenomena suddenly appeared throughout the boundless void of Chaos and even across the entire Primordial World!
Hongjun had begun Unifying with the Dao!
Li Cha stood atop a mountain peak, gazing into the sky. There was neither joy nor sorrow on his face, only a flicker of anticipation deep within his eyes. The chessboard had been laid. Next came the waiting for the players to make their moves.
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