Chapter 11

The Three Pure Ones stared at them, their expressions extremely grim—in their eyes, the Chaos Bell had been transformed from the Pangu Axe and should have belonged to the Three Pure Ones.

Yet now, the Chaos Bell had fallen into the hands of an outsider like Eastern Emperor Tai Yi, and he had even used it to give everyone a show of force!

The Three Pure Ones' gazes toward Di Jun and Tai Yi immediately turned hostile.

If Di Jun and Tai Yi had not both possessed peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, leaving the Three Pure Ones without confidence in certain victory, they would likely have already made their move to seize it.

Di Jun and Tai Yi also sensed the blade-like stares of the Three Pure Ones and knew that their earlier actions had offended everyone present.

Thus, they no longer had any intention of making connections. They merely found a remote spot, sat down cross-legged, and waited quietly for the day Purple Cloud Palace would begin its lecture.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, another fourteen hundred years passed. During those fourteen hundred years, nearly three thousand innate great powers, including Nuwa, Fuxi, Kunpeng, Minghe, Zhen Yuanzi, Hong Yun, Houtu, and Xuan Ming, gathered before the gates of Purple Cloud Palace.

Despite so many great powers assembling, the scene was not noisy in the slightest.

The cultivators each found a place to cultivate, with no intention of conversing.

Occasionally, acquaintances gathered in small circles, but they all communicated through divine sense transmissions, leaving outsiders unable to hear them.

At this time, Li Peng sat before the gates of Purple Cloud Palace with Fuxi, Nuwa, Xihe, and Changxi, quietly awaiting the palace gates' opening.

Li Peng had claimed this position long ago.

He knew full well how important the first six seats were. The others did not yet know this, so no one had come to compete with him.

"Brother Li, fourteen hundred years have already passed. Why haven't the gates of Purple Cloud Palace opened yet?" Changxi asked curiously.

"Just wait a little longer. It should be soon," Li Peng replied with a smile.

The moment he finished speaking, the gates of Purple Cloud Palace slowly opened.

In an instant, every great power in the plaza turned their eyes toward the palace gates.

The moment the gates opened a crack, Li Peng rushed inside with Fuxi, Nuwa, Changxi, and Xihe.

Seeing them move, the nearby Three Pure Ones followed without hesitation.

The other great powers were initially stunned, but then they all surged toward the palace gates.

For a time, the innate great powers crowded into a mass.

Kunpeng truly deserved to be a standout in the Dao of speed. Though his starting position was poor, he relied on his extreme speed to charge to the front.

Because Di Jun and Tai Yi had offended both Li Peng's side and the Three Pure Ones from the start, they had chosen a rather remote position. Even giving it their all, they could only barely reach the middle-upper ranks.

The moment Li Peng entered Purple Cloud Palace, he led Nuwa, Fuxi, Changxi, and Xihe straight toward the foremost seats beneath the nine-tier jade platform. Just as he sat down in the first seat, he intended to secure seats for Fuxi, Nuwa, Changxi, and Xihe. Yet before he could act, Laozi had appeared beside him, followed by Yuanshi and Tongtian, who each claimed a seat as well.

Seeing this, Fuxi hurriedly pushed Nuwa forward and had her take the fifth seat. After settling Nuwa, Fuxi turned toward the sixth seat. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to move, a gloomy-looking middle-aged man flashed past him and took the sixth seat first. Fuxi could only sigh softly and sit silently behind Nuwa.

Seeing that all six seats in the front row were occupied, Changxi and Xihe quietly sat behind Li Peng. Only then did the other great powers enter Purple Cloud Palace one after another. Seeing the six seats in front already filled, they all felt they had missed an opportunity, but such thoughts vanished in an instant. The powerful figures then chose their own seats below.

Seated securely in the first seat, Li Peng watched the scene before him with interest. "Hong Yun isn't among the front seats this time. I wonder how Zhunti and Jieyin will obtain positions in the front row? Could it be Kunpeng's turn to foolishly give up his seat this time? I really want to see how things develop."

Before long, all the great powers had taken their seats, and Purple Cloud Palace returned to silence. Strangely, though everyone had entered, the palace gates still had not closed. Li Peng's thoughts stirred. Is Hongjun waiting for Zhunti and Jieyin?

Just as he was considering this, two disheveled, raggedly dressed middle-aged men entered the palace. Many great powers revealed looks of contempt at their appearance, while Changxi and Xihe also looked disgusted—women had always loved beautiful things, so they naturally disliked such beggar-like attire. After entering the palace, Zhunti and Jieyin first carefully surveyed their surroundings.

At this moment, they noticed the six ** at the front, which were especially conspicuous, and they faintly sensed a tremendous opportunity from them.

Zhunti's eyes shifted, and an idea came to him.

Zhunti suddenly burst into loud sobs.

"My brother and I come from the barren West. The moment we heard that Saint Hongjun was lecturing on the Dao, we rushed here without pause. Unexpectedly, we encountered a chaos tide on the way and only arrived after narrowly escaping death. Yet we were still too late, without even a seat. If we cannot clearly hear the Dao taught by Saint Hongjun and return to teach those ignorant living beings in the West, how will we have the face to return to the West? I might as well end my life here!" Zhunti said sorrowfully.

As he spoke, tears streamed down Zhunti's face. The moment he finished speaking, he made as though to ram himself into one of Purple Cloud Palace's pillars.

Jieyin hurriedly grabbed Zhunti and persuaded him with a face full of grief, "Brother! We cannot die! Countless living beings in the West are still waiting for us to return and enlighten them! If we die, what will happen to the living beings of the West?"

Only then did Zhunti stop, and he and Jieyin embraced each other and wept bitterly.

The scene was profoundly moving, yet incomparably sorrowful.

But the great powers present merely watched coldly. No one intended to give up their seat.

Then, a voice rang out.

"Fellow Daoist, there is no need to grieve. I will give you my seat."

Li Peng was startled upon hearing this, then saw a man in red robes stand from the second row.

"So this is Hong Yun. He's adorably naive! But the seat you're offering now is no longer one of the six seats in the front row.

In this situation, will Zhunti and Jieyin still accept the seat you offer? This is really something to look forward to," Li Peng thought.

As he thought this, Zhunti and Jieyin in the hall also stared dumbfoundedly at the red-robed man.

Their target had been the six seats at the front!

But with Hong Yun interfering like this—

Zhunti and Jieyin had no choice but to accept.

Otherwise, every great power present would see through their intentions.

Just as the two were in a difficult position, Zhunti's gaze suddenly fell upon Kunpeng, who sat in the sixth seat.

He immediately came up with a solution.

"Kunpeng, what right does a furred and feathered creature like you have to sit in the front row? Get down here at once!" Zhunti shouted sternly.

At Zhunti's shout, every great power in Purple Cloud Palace turned their gaze toward Kunpeng.

Kunpeng was instantly enraged upon hearing this and was just about to curse him out—

At that moment, Yuanshi, seated in the third position, spoke arrogantly.

"Exactly! How could a furred and feathered creature like you be worthy of sitting here?"

Li Peng immediately became displeased upon hearing this, since he too belonged to the category of "furred and feathered creatures" Yuanshi had mentioned.

Just as he was about to speak, the system's voice suddenly rang in his mind.

"Ding! The system has detected the host's current situation. Please make a choice!"

"Choice One: Ignore Yuanshi and Zhunti's insults and continue watching. Reward: one packet of sunflower seeds and one small stool specially for watching the show!"

"Choice Two: Furiously rebuke Zhunti and Yuanshi, provoking public outrage. Reward: top-grade Innate Spiritual Root—Enlightenment Tea Tree!"

"Choice Three: Furiously rebuke Zhunti and Yuanshi, then drive Yuanshi from the first six seats. Reward: one wisp of pure Pangu's Primordial Spirit and two drops of Pangu's Essence Blood!"

"Please make your choice as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing the reward for the third choice, Li Peng's heartbeat suddenly quickened.

Pangu's Primordial Spirit and Pangu's Essence Blood! If he could refine them, his aptitude would surely improve again, and he might even have a chance to forge the body of a Chaos Demon God.

However, after seeing the mission's contents, he immediately abandoned this choice.

Yuanshi was a Heaven-ordained Saint. How could he be so easily driven from his seat? Moreover, Laozi and Tongtian were beside him. The Three Pure Ones were one entity and had not yet split apart. If Yuanshi were driven away, Laozi and Tongtian would surely leave the first six seats with him. At that point, even if the Three Pure Ones did not act, Hongjun would likely kill him with a single palm strike.

Thinking this, Li Peng decisively ruled out Choice Three.

Next, his gaze fell upon the first two choices. After only one glance, he chose the second—the reward for the first choice was simply too shabby, merely mundane sunflower seeds and a stool.

After making his choice, Li Peng immediately spoke. "From what you two fellow Daoists have said, it seems you look down upon furred and feathered beings like us?"

The moment he spoke, hundreds of furious gazes shot toward Yuanshi and Zhunti, including those of peak great powers Di Jun and Tai Yi.

For a moment, Yuanshi and Zhunti froze where they stood, at a complete loss. They had never expected a casual remark to offend so many great powers.

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, an incomparably majestic voice echoed throughout Purple Cloud Palace.

"No clamor is permitted within Purple Cloud Palace!"

The moment the words fell, the many great powers in the hall felt as though thousands of mountains weighed upon them, making even breathing difficult.

Everyone revealed shocked expressions and turned their eyes toward the nine-tier cloud platform.

At that moment, a figure silently appeared atop the cloud platform.

Seeing this, the great powers all bowed in salute.

"We pay respects to the Saint!"

Cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of the great powers who had argued earlier, for fear that their actions had angered the Saint. If the Saint became enraged, being denied the chance to hear the Dao would be the least of their worries. If he struck them all dead with a single palm, it would be far too late for regrets.

"Rise."

Hearing this, everyone finally let out a breath of relief.

Looking up, they saw an elderly man with white robes and white brows seated upon the nine-tier cloud platform.

The old man appeared utterly ordinary, yet his exact appearance was like flowers viewed through mist, impossible to discern clearly.

Just as everyone focused their attention on him, Saint Hongjun spoke again.

"The seating arrangement shall remain as it is from now on. It may not be changed."

Li Peng was slightly stunned. Zhunti and Jieyin still had not obtained seats. Could it be that Hongjun intended to leave them out?

The moment this thought arose, Hongjun lightly flicked his sleeve, and two ** suddenly appeared beside Kunpeng.

"Zhunti, Jieyin, you shall sit here from now on," Hongjun said calmly.

Zhunti and Jieyin were moved to tears and repeatedly bowed in thanks.

"Thank you, Saint Hongjun! Thank you, Saint Hongjun!"

The great powers present all revealed envious expressions. They had not expected the Saint to specially arrange seats for these two disheveled men.

Only then did Li Peng feel that this arrangement made sense. Back when Hongjun and Demon Ancestor Luohu had contended for Saint Positions, the Western earth veins had been utterly destroyed, leaving the West barren and desolate ever since. This karma would ultimately fall upon Zhunti and Jieyin, who were determined to revive the West.

In the original course of history, Hongjun had once used two Saint Positions to repay the karma owed to the West.

Now, Hongjun had once again brought out two ** and placed them in the front row, granting them to Zhunti and Jieyin.

From this, it seemed that Hongjun still intended to use two Saint Positions to settle his karma with the West.

Yet in the original prehistoric course of events, there had only been six ** in the front row.

Now, however, the number of ** had increased to eight. This meant there might be as many as eight Saints in the prehistoric world.

Then why had there only been six Saints in the original prehistoric history?

Could these two Saint Positions have been added by Hongjun himself?

If that were truly the case, Hongjun's authority before the Heavenly Dao was simply too immense.

Or did Hongjun have some other scheme?

Just as Li Peng was lost in thought, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had already begun lecturing on the Great Dao.

As Dao Ancestor Hongjun began his lecture, Heavenly Flowers drifted down throughout Purple Cloud Palace, golden lotuses surged forth, the Laws of the Heavenly Dao manifested, and endless phenomena appeared.

In an instant, every great power present became immersed in comprehending the Dao.

Li Peng was no exception.

With Dao Ancestor Hongjun's explanations, Li Peng's many past confusions were resolved one by one.

Within the hall, the great powers cried or laughed, or furrowed their brows in worry. All manner of living beings were displayed within Purple Cloud Palace.

Time passed, and a thousand years vanished in an instant. Dao Ancestor Hongjun also stopped his lecture.

"If you have any questions, you may ask them," Dao Ancestor Hongjun said calmly.

"May I ask, Teacher, what is the Dao? Where is the Dao?" Laozi asked impatiently.

"All things in Heaven and Earth are the Dao, and the Dao is all things. The Dao lies within every person's heart and also between Heaven and Earth," Dao Ancestor Hongjun replied calmly.

"May I ask, Teacher, how does one become a Saint?" Yuanshi immediately asked.

The moment this question was asked, everyone present looked at Dao Ancestor Hongjun with burning gazes.

"There are three methods of becoming a Saint. The superior method is to emulate Great God Pangu and prove the Dao through force. The middle method is to prove the Dao through Slaying Three Corpses. The lowest method is to prove the Dao through merit. I myself proved the Dao through Slaying Three Corpses," Dao Ancestor Hongjun replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Li Peng was immediately filled with doubt.