Hongjun's Shock, Old Deng Drops Gold

For Hong Yun, the greatest gains this time did not come from Hongjun's lecture on the Dao, but from the system's gifts.

[Ding! You praised Hongjun. Congratulations, Host. You randomly received a reward: Hongjun Great Dao Comprehension Shard x1.]

[Ding! You praised Hongjun. Congratulations, Host. You randomly received a reward: Hongjun Great Dao Comprehension Shard x2.]

[Ding! You praised Hongjun. Congratulations, Host. You randomly received a reward: Hongjun's beard x1.]

[...]

Time flew by like a white colt flashing past a crack in the wall. Along with Hongjun's lecture, three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

Perhaps because of the lecture, the reward Hong Yun received most often during those three thousand years was Dao Ancestor Hongjun's Great Dao comprehension.

Hong Yun did not waste them. He listened to Hongjun's lecture while refining the Great Dao comprehension shards.

From time to time, Hong Yun would offer a few compliments, such as, "Senior, your insights are truly brilliant," and "Senior's understanding of the Dao puts Hong Yun to shame," racking up system rewards in the process.

Later, Hong Yun could even interrupt with a few remarks and discuss the Dao with Hongjun.

At first, Hongjun paid it no mind, but as time went on, he grew increasingly shocked.

It was simply because Hong Yun's comprehension of the Great Dao was remarkably compatible with Hongjun's own path and even offered him some benefit.

Though the effect was tiny, Hongjun was at the Quasi-Saint Great Perfection realm after merging the Three Corpses. Even the slightest progress was a massive chasm compared to before.

The Great Dao was inherently obscure and difficult to understand. Those who reviewed the old while learning the new could always find and fill in gaps.

After refining Hongjun's Great Dao comprehension shards, Hong Yun gained some insights and then explained them to Hongjun.

For Hongjun, was this not also a different kind of reviewing the old while learning the new?

"Crack!"

It was as if he had broken through some bottleneck. Hong Yun's cultivation broke through from the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Initial Stage to the mid stage.

There was not the slightest trace of reluctance. Everything seemed to happen naturally.

What shocked Hongjun even more was that although Hong Yun's cultivation was at the Mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal level, his realm had clearly reached the Late Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage.

One could only say that Dao Ancestor's comprehension shards were truly terrifying!

One had to know that at this time, even the Three Pure Ones, direct descendants of Pangu, were merely at the early Daluo stage in both cultivation and realm.

Hongjun's goodwill, along with the system's cheat, had already allowed Hong Yun's cultivation and realm to comprehensively surpass those of the great powers of the same era.

"Hong Yun thanks Senior for imparting the Dao!"

"It's just that Hong Yun is dull in aptitude and lacking in comprehension. I failed to fully understand what Senior taught me. I am truly ashamed!"

After breaking through, Hong Yun immediately rose and bowed to Hongjun in a disciple's salute.

Hong Yun thought that he had been unable to fully comprehend even the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Dao Hongjun had explained, and that he had let down Hongjun's goodwill.

Little did he know that by the later part of the lecture, Hongjun had already touched upon the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. It would have been strange if Hong Yun could understand it.

"Dull in aptitude and lacking in comprehension?"

The corner of Hongjun's mouth twitched slightly, though Hong Yun did not notice.

He looked at the handsome red-haired young man before him, who had only transformed a few thousand years ago, with an exceedingly complicated gaze.

Looking at Hong Yun's sincere eyes, it seemed he truly meant it from the bottom of his heart.

Yet that was precisely what left Hongjun speechless. Thinking back to when he had groped his own way forward, it had been a tale of bitterness and tears.

"In just three thousand years, he broke through from the early Daluo stage to the mid stage, and his realm even reached the late Daluo stage. How long did this old Daoist take back then? Seven hundred thousand years or nine hundred thousand years? Or perhaps a million years?"

"Has the Primordial Wilderness changed too quickly, or is this old Daoist simply ignorant?"

"And this mere early-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal can actually let me draw parallels from his comprehension of the Great Dao? Strange, strange!"

Even Hongjun's flawless Dao Heart, tempered from the creation of Heaven and Earth until now, could not help but become somewhat dazed.

"Senior, Senior!"

Hong Yun's voice jolted Hongjun out of his daze.

Hongjun gently shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Little Friend, there is no need to belittle yourself. Your aptitude and comprehension are truly something this old Daoist has only seen once in his life. Back then, I was far inferior to you."

He was Dao Ancestor, after all. His Dao Heart was firm, and after his state of mind fluctuated for a moment, it quickly recovered.

As an honest man, Hongjun did not hesitate to praise Hong Yun, leaving Hong Yun somewhat embarrassed.

Hong Yun had no aptitude or comprehension worth mentioning. Everything depended on the system, his almighty father!

"Senior, you flatter me. I know my own capabilities. My aptitude and comprehension are truly ordinary. How could I possibly compare with you, Senior Hongjun?"

Hong Yun thought Hongjun was comforting him, and his respect for Hongjun grew even deeper.

"Right, how could I have forgotten about that!"

Hong Yun suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead.

With a wave of his hand, an exquisite tea set instantly appeared on the stone table.

"Senior has let this junior eat so many Innate Spiritual Essences and has even taken the trouble to lecture me on the Dao. I don't even know how to repay you. As it happens, I have some unusual things on hand. Please do me the honor of appraising them."

As he spoke, Hong Yun opened the tea jar containing Azure Spirit Tea, and the fragrance of tea immediately filled the air.

He took out the prepared tea leaves and poured spiritual liquid he had collected during his travels into a kettle made of Nine Heavens Meteorite Iron.

"Burn!"

Hong Yun formed a hand seal with his finger, and a crimson flame appeared beneath the kettle.

Hong Yun's origin was the first red cloud created during the creation of Heaven and Earth, formed from the fusion of wind, water, fire, and Pangu's hot blood.

Although his mastery of the Law of Fire was not as consummate as Tai Yi's, Di Jun's, or Ancestor Witch Zhurong's, he was still extremely proficient. His Fire Control Art was incomparably refined.

Before long, the spiritual liquid began to boil, and he poured it into the teapot.

The rich fragrance of tea spread in all directions, its fresh scent filling the nose and making even the well-informed Hongjun's eyes light up.

"Senior, please have some tea!"

Hong Yun rolled up his sleeves and poured the Azure Spirit Tea into the cups with practiced, flowing movements. The entire process was a pleasure to watch.

He placed a cup before Hongjun, and the refreshing tea fragrance filled him with curiosity.

Hongjun took a sip and praised it aloud. "Not bad, not bad. It is bitter at first, yet leaves a sweetness afterward. There is even a trace of Dao charm mixed within. Little Friend, this thing of yours truly has a unique flavor!"

Having tasted this kind of postnatal beverage for the first time, Hongjun immediately took a liking to it.

"Haha, Senior, you flatter me. It is merely a small novelty. If you like it, Hong Yun still has quite a bit more. I happen to have some here for you to enjoy."

Hong Yun took out a crimson Storage Ring containing all the Azure Spirit Tea he had roasted over the past five hundred years.

Hongjun did not refuse Hong Yun's filial gesture and casually accepted it.

"Little Friend, I shall accept your goodwill, then. However, since I have accepted your spiritual tea, I also have a suitable gift to give you in return."

Hong Yun repeatedly declined. "Senior, there is no need. You have imparted the Dao to this junior and let me eat so many spiritual essences. How could a little spiritual tea compare with your great kindness?"

These were also Hong Yun's sincere thoughts.

To put it bluntly, the Azure Spirit Tea was merely a High-grade Spiritual Root. Its tea leaves could hardly compare with the rare treasures Hongjun had previously given him, such as the Yellow Middle Plum and the Flat Peach.

Hongjun merely smiled without speaking. Yet when he took out the gift, Hong Yun could not help crying out in surprise.

"A Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root, Enlightenment Tea? It is actually in Senior's hands!"

Hongjun smiled again at his reaction. "Well? Are you satisfied with the Enlightenment Tea as a gift, Little Friend?"

"No, no, this is too precious. Senior, please take it back!"

Hong Yun hurriedly refused.

It was no joke. Although the Enlightenment Tea was not as precious as the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, it still possessed the ability to let people enter sudden enlightenment.

Even though Hong Yun loved this gift, he still had principles and boundaries.

Hongjun treated him sincerely. How could he become insatiably greedy?

"Little Friend, do not rush to refuse. The Enlightenment Tea is useless to this old Daoist. In contrast, I quite like the tea leaves you made today. This old Daoist seeks only the Dao and has neither the time nor the leisure to pick and roast tea leaves."

"How about this? Consider the Enlightenment Tea temporarily entrusted to your care. After you pick and roast tea leaves in the future, give some to this old Daoist as well, all right?"

Hongjun spoke with absolute conviction, and he was not lying. The Enlightenment Tea was practically tasteless to him.

With the Jade Disk of Creation, a Dao-Enlightenment Treasure, the Enlightenment Tea's effects were optional at best.

He devoted himself entirely to attaining the Dao and would have neither the time nor the inclination to roast tea leaves from now on.

"Sigh, since that is the case, this junior will accept it with gratitude. Whenever Senior wants tea, please feel free to send word to Hong Yun."

With Old Deng Hongjun taking the initiative to drop gold, what else could Hong Yun do? He sighed and could only agree.

Still, he was deeply grateful for Hongjun's kindness. Yet Hongjun was Dao Ancestor, so perhaps Hong Yun would never have the chance to repay him in the future.