The First Sermon

Hongjun saw this and said no more. His gaze swept over the crowd once again as he spoke blandly. "This sermon will be divided into three sessions. Each session will last ten thousand years, with an interval of thirty thousand years between them."

Then Hongjun continued, "The cultivation of the Great Dao can be divided into three major realms."

"The first is Grand Unity: free and unfettered, indestructible through ten thousand tribulations."

"The second is Quasi-Saint: with unfathomable dharma power, having already glimpsed the threshold of the Saint's Dao."

"The third is Saint: one's Primordial Spirit entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, indestructible through ten thousand tribulations, neither dying nor suffering injury, wielding the Dao on Heaven's behalf."

At this point, Hongjun paused slightly, and his gaze seemed to grow even more profound.

"Beneath Saints, all are ants!"

Those simple eight words sent a violent tremor through the hearts of every Great Power in the hall!

Ants!

Even Innate Great Gods like them, with profound Foundations and dominance over their own regions, were no more than ants in the eyes of Saints!

This filled many with horror, yet at the same time kindled an unprecedented yearning for that supreme and exalted realm of Sainthood!

Hongjun ignored their reactions and continued, "This sermon shall sort out for you the realms beneath the Grand Unity Golden Immortal."

"Below Grand Unity lie six realms: Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Mystic Immortal, Golden Immortal, Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, and Grand Unity Golden Immortal."

As Hongjun spoke, the Heavenly Dao turned in the unseen depths, and the division of these six realms was thoroughly branded into the laws of heaven and earth of the Primordial Wilderness.

"Today, I shall begin with the Heavenly Immortal..."

Having said this, Hongjun spoke no further and began to expound upon the true meaning of the Great Dao.

In an instant, countless wondrous phenomena arose within Purple Firmament Palace!

Heavenly flowers rained down in profusion, golden lotuses surged from the earth, Daoist Chants drifted through the air, and laws sang in harmony!

Purple qi swirled thickly, Dao rhythms flowed and shifted, rendering the entire palace incomparably sacred.

Hongjun's voice was not loud, yet it contained boundless mysteries and reached every person's ears with perfect clarity.

The mysteries of realm after realm were unfolded by Hongjun in measured detail, profound yet easy to grasp, pointing straight to the heart of the matter.

The three thousand guests in the hall, regardless of cultivation or Foundation, were utterly entranced, wholly immersed in this ocean of the Great Dao!

Some frowned as they pondered bitterly; some suddenly saw the light; some danced with joy; some wept until tears streamed down their faces!

The myriad faces of living beings were laid bare upon the road of seeking the Dao.

Wu Ming also closed his eyes, sinking his mind into it.

What Hongjun taught was the Mystic Gate Immortal Dao, seemingly utterly different from the Path of Laws inherited by the Wu Clan.

Yet stones from other mountains could be used to polish jade!

And though the Great Dao had three thousand paths, all roads led to the same destination.

Wu Ming silently circulated his Primordial Spirit. As he listened to Hongjun explain the mysteries of the Immortal Dao, he simultaneously compared them with the Pangu inheritance and Law Great Dao he himself had comprehended.

By comparing the two and drawing inferences from one thing to another, he unexpectedly gained many insights.

Behind him, the Twelve Ancestral Witches also held their breath and listened intently.

Because they possessed Primordial Spirits, they were no longer as they had been in their original fate—listening to a Saint's sermon as though it were a heavenly book, completely unable to understand it.

Though many of the subtleties in Hongjun's teachings remained obscure to them, they could still grasp much of the general direction and underlying principles.

They too were comparing Hongjun's teachings with the laws they themselves controlled.

Guided by Hongjun's Great Dao, they seemed to have attained a deeper level of understanding of the laws under their command!

Within Purple Firmament Palace, there was utter silence, save for the sound of the Great Dao echoing through the air.

The years drifted by, as fleeting as a single instant.

Ten thousand years passed away in silence.

Upon the high platform, Hongjun's voice gradually fell silent.

The boundless Dao rhythms permeating the palace also slowly subsided.

As if waking from a dream, the crowd emerged one after another from that wondrous state of enlightenment, their faces still bearing lingering longing.

Ten thousand years of listening to the Dao surpassed countless Epochs of bitter cultivation on their own!

Many even felt the bottlenecks that had troubled them for years beginning to show signs of loosening!

Their gazes toward Hongjun on the high platform were filled with reverence and gratitude.

Hongjun's calm, unruffled voice rang out once more. "This sermon concludes here."

"Thirty thousand years hence, I shall preach again and expound upon the Dao of the Quasi-Saint."

"You may now depart."

After Hongjun finished speaking, his figure quietly faded from atop the platform and vanished without a trace.

The two boy attendants, Haotian and Yaochi, appeared once more and walked to the palace gates.

Creak—

The tightly shut doors of Purple Firmament Palace, closed for ten thousand years, slowly opened.

"Farewell, Sage!"

The three thousand guests within the hall rose as one and bowed in salute.

Only after the ceremony did the crowd suppress their excitement. Some departed in twos and threes, others alone, transforming into streaks of light as they flew out of Purple Firmament Palace and returned to the Primordial Land.

This time, they had gained enormously from listening to the Dao, and all needed to return and enter Seclusion to properly digest what they had learned.

Especially Hongjun's division of the realms, along with his declaration that "all beneath a Sage are ants"—those words weighed like a great mountain upon the heart of every Great Power in the Primordial Land!

Cultivate!

They had to seize every moment to cultivate!

Only by breaking into a higher realm before the next lecture could they hope to glimpse the supreme Dao of the Sage!

"Phew... a Sage's lecture truly is impressive!" Zhu Rong scratched his head, excitement written across his face.

"It is indeed profound." Di Jiang nodded as well, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "Though the path differs from ours, it has truly deepened our understanding of Law."

"What a pity it only lasted ten thousand years." Houtu furrowed her brows slightly, still wanting more.

Wu Ming smiled faintly as he watched the Ancestral Witches discussing it excitedly.

So long as they had gained something, that was enough.

His gaze shifted, and he spotted Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun preparing to leave.

Hong Yun still seemed dazed and distraught, his face full of bitterness. Clearly, he had yet to recover from the crushing blow of losing his Cushion opportunity.

Zhen Yuanzi was quietly consoling him at his side, his own face helpless.

"Fellow Daoists Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun, please wait." Wu Ming spoke warmly.

Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun halted and turned around.

Zhen Yuanzi cupped his hands in greeting. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming."

Hong Yun forced out a smile as well. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, what guidance do you have for us?"

Wu Ming looked at the two and smiled. "I imagine that both of you fellow Daoists gained much from this lecture as well."

"After returning to the Primordial Land and each digesting your insights, if you have the time, would you be willing to visit Pangu Hall of our Wu Clan?"

"Myself and the Ancestral Witches have also gained something in cultivation. Perhaps we can verify our insights with one another and discuss the Great Dao."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi looked at Hong Yun. After pondering for a moment, he nodded. "Very well. Since Fellow Daoist Wu Ming has invited us, after Fellow Daoist Hong Yun and I enter Seclusion to digest our gains, we will certainly head to Buzhou Mountain and impose upon you."

Hong Yun came back to his senses as well. Though his spirits remained low, Wu Ming had taken the initiative to invite him, so he could not very well refuse. He nodded too. "Thank you for your kind invitation, Fellow Daoist. When the time comes, Hong Yun will certainly go together with Brother Zhen Yuanzi."

"Good!" Wu Ming clapped his hands and laughed. "Then it is settled! Wu Ming will await the arrival of you two fellow Daoists at Pangu Hall!"

"Farewell."

Wu Ming said no more. Turning to the Twelve Ancestral Witches, he said, "Come, back to Buzhou Mountain!"

"Yes, Big Brother Wu Ming!"

Thirteen figures instantly became streaks of light, tearing through Chaos as they sped toward the Primordial Land.

Zhen Yuanzi watched the direction in which the Wu Clan had departed, then looked at Hong Yun beside him, who was still sighing mournfully, and shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, things have come to this. There is no use dwelling on it."

"We should first return to the Primordial Land and properly digest the Sage's teachings. Increasing our strength is the proper path."

Hong Yun nodded bitterly. "Sigh, I know. It's just... my heart truly cannot settle!"

Zhen Yuanzi patted his shoulder. "Come. Return to my Wuzhuang Temple first, and cultivate in peace."