Chapter 15

After all, advancing from Quasi-Saint Late Stage to Quasi-Saint Peak could be achieved through the accumulation of time.

But breaking through from Quasi-Saint Peak to Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal was exceedingly difficult.

With this drop of Pangu's Essence Blood, his chances of using his physical body to break through to the Primordial Great Luo realm would increase by at least twenty percent.

Li Peng examined his primordial spirit cultivation and could not help frowning.

For the past three thousand years, he had focused entirely on cultivating his physical body, and his primordial spirit realm had not advanced at all.

He had originally planned to enter seclusion once more and use the Yellow Middle Plum to raise his primordial spirit realm.

But then it occurred to him that he did not know how long his last seclusion had lasted, nor how much time remained before Dao Ancestor Hongjun's second sermon.

After a brief calculation, Li Peng learned how much time was left.

"Less than thirteen hundred years remain? Time has passed so quickly!"

"No... when we parted last time, I was worried that Changxi and Xihe might face danger if they went to Purple Cloud Palace alone. I seem to have promised that girl Changxi that I would go to Taiyin Star and bring them along before Hongjun's second sermon."

"They couldn't have thought I broke my promise and set out on their own, could they? What if they encountered some mishap in the chaos..."

At that thought, Li Peng could no longer sit still.

He activated the Golden Light of Ground Traversal from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations, turning into a streak of golden light as he raced toward Taiyin Star.

Li Peng's Physical Realm had already reached Quasi-Saint Late Stage. Now that he used the Golden Light of Ground Traversal technique from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations again, he was more than a hundred times faster than before.

On the Moon Star, Changxi pouted and said gloomily, "Sister, did Big Brother Li forget about us? Why hasn't he come for us yet?"

Xihe smiled and tapped her forehead. "Don't overthink things. Do you not know how much your Big Brother Li dotes on you? Even if he forgot to attend the sermon himself, he would never forget to bring along a little darling like you."

As she spoke, a trace of envy flashed through Xihe's eyes. She and Changxi had both been born on Taiyin Star as Innate Demon Gods. Though they shared no blood relation, they were as close as sisters. Yet Li Peng favored Changxi in particular, and the depth of his affection sometimes made Xihe feel a little jealous.

After hearing this, Changxi gave a shy snort. "No, he doesn't! Sister is bullying me again. I'm ignoring you!" With that, she skipped away, clearly in high spirits.

Xihe watched her cheerful retreating figure and sighed softly. When will I be able to call him Big Brother Li instead of Fellow Daoist Li?

Meanwhile, Li Peng was using the Golden Light of Ground Traversal at full force, hurrying onward at tremendous speed. At such a pace, he reached the outskirts of Taiyin Star in just sixty years.

Gazing at Taiyin Star before him, Li Peng let out a breath of relief. "I made it in time." He immediately flew inside.

But before he had traveled far, an innate formation blocked his path. Though the formation was not particularly profound and Li Peng could break it easily enough, barging in without the owner's permission would still be impolite.

He had no choice but to circulate his mana and call loudly toward the formation, "Xihe, Changxi! Are you there? I've come to fetch you!" His voice rolled outward, spreading in every direction.

Xihe and Changxi within Taiyin Star both heard his voice.

"Big Brother Li is here!" Changxi cried in delight.

Xihe smiled and teased her, "Since your Big Brother Li has come, why aren't you hurrying to open the formation and welcome him in?"

Changxi pouted. "Sister is teasing me again. I'm telling Big Brother Li!" With that, she hurried toward the source of the voice.

Seeing her buoyant back, Xihe could not help smiling.

Xihe then rose into the air and headed toward the source of the voice as well.

Li Peng had only waited outside the formation for a moment when he saw it ripple.

Immediately afterward, two graceful figures floated out from Taiyin Star.

The moment Changxi saw Li Peng, she pouted and complained with slight dissatisfaction, "Big Brother Li! You finally came. I've been waiting for so long!"

Li Peng answered with a smile, "I came straight here day and night as soon as I left seclusion. Besides, it isn't late yet, is it? There are still more than twelve hundred years until the Dao Ancestor's sermon."

"Hmph! I don't care. You were late anyway, so you have to compensate me!" Changxi said coquettishly.

Li Peng smiled helplessly. Just as he was about to coax her, he suddenly remembered that he had a High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure in his possession—the Taiyin Jade Hairpin—which was quite suitable for this lively girl.

It was merely a collectible in his hands. After all, it would be rather inappropriate for a grown man to wield a jade hairpin in battle. It would be more fitting to give it to someone else.

However, Changxi and Xihe were always inseparable, and both were compatible with this treasure. It was perfect for compensating Changxi now.

With that thought, Li Peng smiled. "All right, I'll compensate you."

As he spoke, he took the Taiyin Jade Hairpin out of the system space and held it out before Changxi.

The instant Changxi saw the jade hairpin, she could no longer take her eyes off it.

A lifelike phoenix was carved onto its body, surrounded by dozens of gemstones. It shimmered with flowing light and was exceedingly beautiful.

Seeing her reaction, Li Peng secretly laughed. A woman was still a woman. No matter how powerful she was, she could not escape the love of beauty.

As he was thinking that, Changxi cried out in surprise, "Is this really for me?"

"Of course." Li Peng nodded with a smile.

After receiving confirmation, Changxi eagerly took the Taiyin Jade Hairpin from his hand and lovingly played with it.

When Xihe saw Li Peng give the hairpin to Changxi, a trace of envy and faint sadness passed through her eyes.

Li Peng's physical body had now reached Quasi-Saint Late Stage, so every subtle change in Xihe's expression was visible to him.

Li Peng thought that he could not play favorites. If he gave something only to Changxi, Xihe would inevitably harbor some resentment.

He began searching through his many treasures. The low- and mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures did not even catch his eye. Now that he possessed abundant wealth, he truly had quite a few valuable items that he had no use for.

In the end, Li Peng decided to give Xihe a High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure as well. Only then could he remain impartial and prevent any rift from arising.

After searching through the system space for a moment, he chose the High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure Seven Star Sword. He had originally considered the Ten-Grade Pure World White Lotus, but he had left in too much of a hurry and had not managed to pick it.

Without hesitation, Li Peng took out the Seven Star Sword and handed it to Xihe. "This High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the Seven Star Sword, is for you."

Xihe was delighted, but her expression remained calm as she declined, "This is too precious. I cannot accept it."

"We are friends. This is the first gift I've given you, so accept it." Li Peng smiled.

Changxi also chimed in from the side. "Yes, accept it."

Xihe looked at Li Peng, then at Changxi, before finally accepting it as though reluctantly.

Seeing that the two women were both ready, Li Peng said, "Purple Cloud Palace will begin its sermon soon. We should set off."

Xihe and Changxi answered in unison.

Li Peng summoned the Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda and traveled with the two women toward Purple Cloud Palace.

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye, and the three of them finally arrived at Purple Cloud Palace. Li Peng had not traveled at full speed through the chaos, for no one would casually reveal all their strength—his Quasi-Saint Late Stage physical cultivation was a hidden trump card.

"The gates of Purple Cloud Palace haven't opened yet. Looks like we arrived early," Changxi said with a smile.

Li Peng smiled faintly. "We are actually late. Look, nearly two thousand great powers have already gathered before the palace gates."

As they spoke, a gaze filled with hatred and killing intent shot toward them.

Li Peng turned his head and saw that its owner was King Father of the East. He merely glanced at him before ignoring him.

The moment he turned back, he saw Nuwa and Fuxi flying over.

When Changxi saw them arrive, she smiled happily. "Sister Nuwa, Brother Fuxi, you arrived so early!"

Nuwa replied with a smile, "Not really. Compared to the great powers present, we are actually late." As she spoke, her gaze swept across the many figures before the hall.

After Li Peng spoke with Nuwa and Fuxi for a while, they gathered together, discussing the Dao as they waited quietly for Dao Ancestor Hongjun's sermon.

More than two hundred years passed in this wait before the gates of Purple Cloud Palace opened with a thunderous boom.

The moment the great powers saw the palace gates open, they all rushed inside, vying to be first.

Li Peng did not squeeze in with them. The seats had long since been determined, so there was no point in rushing ahead now.

After everyone had entered, Li Peng calmly led Nuwa, Fuxi, Changxi, and Xihe into Purple Cloud Palace at an unhurried pace.

After Li Peng entered and waited for a while longer, Dao Ancestor Hongjun finally appeared.

The instant he saw Hongjun, Li Peng's pupils contracted slightly—he felt that Hongjun was even more unfathomable now than during his first sermon.

Still, he was only mildly surprised and did not dwell on it. Whether Hongjun's cultivation had improved or not, he could still defeat Li Peng with ease.

If he wished to investigate Hongjun's realm, he should wait until after he proved Dao and reached the Primordial Great Luo realm.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun sat upon the ninefold cloud platform. Without saying much, he began expounding the Great Dao directly:

"The Three Corpses are poisons. Within the human body dwell the Three Corpse Gods, known as the Three Poisons. The upper corpse is named Peng Ju and governs the good and evil of the upper burner; the middle corpse is named Peng Zan and governs the good and evil of the middle burner; the lower corpse is named Peng Jiao and governs the good and evil of the lower burner."

"The upper corpse resides at the Jade Pillow Pass, the middle corpse at the Spinal Pass, and the lower corpse at the Tailbone Pass. On every Gengshen and Jiazi day, they report one's good and evil deeds to Heaven. There are also the Nine Parasites, which cause harm by blocking the three passes and nine apertures, preventing true yang from rising."

"The Nine Parasites also have names: the first is the Hidden Parasite, residing in the Jade Pillow aperture; the second is the Dragon Parasite, residing in the Pillar of Heaven aperture; the third is the White Parasite, residing in the Tao Dao aperture; the fourth is the Flesh Parasite, residing in the Divine Dao aperture; the fifth is the Red Parasite, residing in the Spinal aperture."

"The Three Corpses are in truth a kind of soul, ghost, or spirit. They desire humans to die early so that they may become ghosts and indulge in the offerings of the mortal world. On the final days of every six Jia cycle, they ascend to Heaven to report to the Controller of Fate, recounting mankind's sins. Those with grave sins lose epochs of life; those with lesser sins lose years."

"Among the Three Corpses, Qing Gu damages one's eyes, causing dim vision, wrinkled faces, foul breath, and falling teeth. Bai Gu causes bloating and vexation, withering bones and scorched flesh, and a dispirited will. Thus, those who seek immortality must first remove the Three Corpses, remain tranquil and free of desire, clear their minds, accumulate abundant virtuous merit, and take medicine before it can take effect. Only then may they ultimately become immortals."

As Hongjun began his sermon, Heavenly Flowers immediately rained down throughout Purple Cloud Palace, golden lotuses surged from the ground, countless wondrous phenomena appeared, and the Laws of the Heavenly Dao became clearly visible.

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

As the Dao grew increasingly profound, many great powers revealed pained expressions. Even the deeply founded Three Pure Ones occasionally furrowed their brows.

Clearly, those who looked troubled either lacked sufficient cultivation, had shallow foundations, or had not comprehended the laws deeply enough to understand the Dao Hongjun was teaching.

Even so, they still did their utmost to remember every word the Dao Ancestor spoke, intending to comprehend it again after their realms improved.

"If you wish to slay the corpses, you must rely on innate objects. Otherwise, your obsessions with good and evil cannot be entrusted anywhere. The quality of the innate object used also affects your cultivation after slaying the corpses, so choose with utmost care."

Time flowed onward, and three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. As Dao Ancestor Hongjun uttered his final words, this sermon came to an end.

Li Peng awoke from his state of enlightenment.

After hearing the Dao of the Three Corpses, he realized that rather than a method of proving Dao, it resembled a secret technique—

A secret technique capable of accelerating Dao comprehension. Once all Three Corpses were slain, one's state of mind would become clear and flawless, allowing cultivation to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Slaying the Three Corpses could also bring rapid improvements in cultivation.

More importantly, this method was simpler than proving Dao through force or proving Dao through merit, allowing many great powers to truly see hope of proving Dao.

However, could the method of Slaying Three Corpses truly prove Dao? Li Peng was uncertain.

In the original history of the Primordial World, aside from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, no one had successfully proved Dao through this method.

Even the Six Saints had not become Saints through it:

Nuwa relied upon the merit of creating humanity,

The Three Pure Ones relied upon the merit of founding teachings,

While the Western Second Saints relied on the merit gained from founding teachings and making great vows before they could prove Dao.

It was clear that the Six Saints had all become Saints through merit.

Then was proving Dao through Slaying Three Corpses truly possible?

Perhaps only Dao Ancestor Hongjun knew.

And what exactly was Hongjun's purpose in passing down this method?

Li Peng fell into deep thought.

Hongjun had first concealed the method of Law Proving Dao, then presented three paths for the great powers of the Primordial World to choose from: proving Dao through force, proving Dao through Slaying Three Corpses, and proving Dao through merit.

Of the three, the path of Slaying Three Corpses seemed the most promising and the easiest to follow.

Many Primordial Great Powers devoted their energy to the method of proving Dao through Slaying Three Corpses, neglecting their comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth, thereby cutting off the path of proving Dao through laws.

Furthermore, Slaying Three Corpses required Innate Spiritual Treasures. The higher the treasure's quality, the stronger the Three Corpses that could be slain.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's actions were intended to make the great powers of the Primordial World obsess over searching for treasures and fighting over them.

This would not only delay the cultivation progress of innate great powers, but also eliminate a portion of those with exceptional talent. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

At that thought, cold sweat trickled down Li Peng's back, and he deeply admired Dao Ancestor Hongjun's farsighted schemes.

Just as Li Peng's thoughts were racing, Laozi beside him suddenly erupted with soaring momentum, and the Three Flowers Above His Head appeared.

All three flowers had bloomed to the ninth grade, showing just how extraordinary Laozi's talent was.