Primordial Era's First Saint

"Why are you all here?" Li Peng asked.

"Brother Li, there are only sixteen hundred years left until Dao Ancestor Hongjun's third lecture. You haven't forgotten that we still need to go to Zixiao Palace to listen, have you?" Changxi blinked and said innocently.

Li Peng then remembered that the lecture date was approaching, but unwilling to admit his oversight, he chuckled:

"Of course, I remember. However, I have now slain my second corpse, and my Primordial Spirit has reached the mid-Quasi-Saint stage. My flying speed is far greater than before. From here to the Purple Heaven Palace, it will take less than two hundred years to arrive. If we leave now, do we have to wait outside the palace gates for fourteen hundred years?"

"Brother Li is amazing! You broke through to mid-Quasi-Saint so quickly!" Changxi exclaimed.

However, Changxi's expression instantly dimmed, and she said with a hint of grievance, "But I only have the cultivation of peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal, and I haven't even slain a corpse yet."

Li Peng smiled and comforted her, "You are so cute and kind. When the time comes, you will naturally be able to easily slay your good corpse."

"But Sister Xihe and Sister Nuwa have both slain their corpses and become Quasi-Saints. Only I am still holding you back," Changxi said dejectedly.

Clearly, Nuwa and Xihe's breakthroughs had dealt a significant blow to this little girl.

"It's okay, Brother Li will protect you from now on. You just need to be happy," Li Peng said, gently stroking Changxi's head.

Upon hearing this, Changxi's eyes lit up, and the dejection on her face vanished, replaced by a bright smile.

"That's right! With Brother Li protecting me, I don't need to worry about these things at all!" she said joyfully.

As her voice fell, Changxi's aura suddenly erupted, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged into her body like a tide.

The Heaven, Earth, and Human Three Flowers appeared above her head, each flower blooming with seven petals, radiating boundless Dao rhythm.

Suddenly, the High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, Taiyin Jade Hairpin, flew out from Changxi's body and merged into the Three Flowers, integrating with the Human Flower.

The next moment, a woman with a face similar to hers appeared before everyone.

"She succeeded in slaying her corpse just like that?" Nuwa pointed at Changxi in disbelief.

"Yes, she succeeded," Xihe said, her expression dazed.

"You can break through like this too?" Fuxi looked at Li Peng with a look of despair.

The three of them looked at Li Peng in unison, their eyes like they had discovered a new continent.

Li Peng looked innocent: "If I said I didn't expect this to happen, would you believe me?"

"We'd be fools to believe you!" Fuxi, Nuwa, and Xihe said in unison.

Fuxi suddenly looked at Li Peng seriously: "Why don't you say what you just said to Changxi to me? Let's see if I can break through."

Li Peng's face darkened, and he angrily said, "Get lost!"

Changxi and her good corpse, which she had just slain, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this conversation.

Li Peng, Fuxi, Nuwa, and Xihe felt a little embarrassed, their faces slightly flushed, seeing them laughing so happily.

However, Li Peng's thick skin meant that the slight awkwardness vanished within seconds.

"Congratulations, Sister Changxi, on successfully slaying your corpse and advancing to Quasi-Saint," Li Peng said with a smile.

"This is all thanks to Brother Li. If it weren't for you, I don't know when I would have been able to slay my corpse," Changxi said with a smile.

"It's the result of your own cultivation, it has little to do with me," Li Peng waved his hand in response.

"No! This is all your credit, Brother Li!" Changxi said solemnly.

Hearing this, Li Peng knew that further refusal was useless. If he continued to argue with Changxi, it would be difficult to reach a conclusion even after thousands or tens of thousands of years. So, he changed the subject and suggested, "You should give your good corpse a name or a Dao title, otherwise it will be inconvenient to address her in the future."

Changxi nodded in agreement but fell into a naming dilemma: "Should I call her Tai**ren? No, that doesn't sound like a good person. Should I call her Moon God? Too narcissistic. How about..."

Seeing her propose dozens of names and then reject them herself, Li Peng knew that if this continued, it would take a thousand years to decide. So, he suggested, "Since she was born from the Taiyin Jade Hairpin, why not call her 'Little Jade'? It sounds nice and cute."

"Okay, I'll use this name," the woman who looked similar to Changxi quickly agreed. She was clearly frightened by her main body's naming ability and was afraid of ending up with a strange name.

Time flowed, and thirteen hundred years passed in a flash.

Li Peng, accompanied by Nuwa, Fuxi, Xihe, and Changxi, arrived at the Purple Firmament Palace, quietly awaiting Dao Ancestor Hongjun's lecture. At this time, there were less than fifteen hundred great cultivators in the palace; the remaining more than fifteen hundred had perished in the struggle for Innate Spiritual Treasures, showing the immense impact of the Slaying Three Corpses method on the Primordial Era.

Li Peng sighed slightly and noticed that the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, and Tai Yi had all broken through to the mid-Quasi-Saint stage, clearly they had also cultivated diligently.

Soon, Dao Ancestor Hongjun quietly appeared from the void on the Nine Heavens Cloud Platform. At this moment, his aura was even more profound and ethereal, and his cultivation had clearly advanced another level. Hongjun's gaze swept across the entire hall. Seeing that the number of people in the palace had halved, he frowned slightly. But when his gaze fell upon Li Peng, the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, and Tai Yi, he finally nodded with satisfaction—all of them had slain their second corpse and entered the mid-Quasi-Saint stage.

Hongjun pondered in his heart: "I deliberately shortened the lecture time by a thousand times, originally to test the layout of the Primordial Era. Unexpectedly, many great cultivators have still broken through to the mid-Quasi-Saint stage. Such talent and comprehension are indeed rare!"

After scanning the cultivators in the hall, Dao Ancestor Hongjun began to lecture on the Hunyuan Great Dao again. Instantly, Dao rhythms, each word a pearl, flowed from his lips and lingered endlessly on the dome of the Purple Heaven Palace. Golden lotuses surged in the hall, heavenly flowers rained down, and myriad Heavenly Dao laws manifested as magnificent visions.

"The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang, and the vital force harmonizes them."

"To be inactive, to do nothing, to taste the flavorless. Magnify the small, increase the few... A tree that hugs the void grows from a tiny sprout; a nine-story terrace rises from a heap of earth..."

"The way of Heaven is like drawing a bow! What is high is lowered, what is low is raised..."

"Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they regard all things as straw dogs. Saints are not benevolent; they regard the common people as straw dogs..."

This Hunyuan Dao method was profound and obscure. Even Li Peng, who had inherited the Yin-Yang Demon God's legacy and reached the late Quasi-Saint stage, could only comprehend fifty percent of its essence. Although he did not understand its meaning, he still tried his best to remember the Dao rhythm for future contemplation. The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Kunpeng, Jieyin, and Zhunti, who were seated in the front row, were also frowning, indicating the difficulty of comprehension.

The leisurely three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. When Hongjun stopped lecturing on the Hunyuan Great Dao, most of the over a thousand cultivators in the hall were mentally exhausted, with only a few able to maintain clarity. This was because the Hunyuan Great Dao was too mysterious, and those with shallow cultivation naturally fell into a fog upon hearing it.

Seeing this situation, Hongjun calmly said, "After Pangu created heaven and earth, I obtained the Creation Jade Disk, understood the Great Dao, and acted in accordance with heaven to educate all living beings. My three lectures are now complete. From today onwards, I will merge myself with the Heavenly Dao, and will not emerge unless it is a matter of great cosmic importance."

Hongjun opened his mouth, and the great powers in the hall, who had been in a daze, suddenly woke up. It was clear that he had used some kind of spiritual power.

As soon as everyone woke up, they heard Hongjun's words and immediately tried to dissuade him:

"Teacher, you can't!"

"If we don't have you, Teacher, the order of the Primordial Era will surely fall into chaos!"

"If Teacher doesn't care, the Primordial Era will be thrown into great chaos!"

The Purple Firmament Palace was in an uproar for a time, and all the great powers found all sorts of reasons, sparing no effort.

In reality, everyone's hearts relaxed, as no one wanted to have a mountain pressing down on them.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's expression remained unchanged, and he continued, "Under the Heavenly Dao, there should be Saints who emerge to govern the Primordial Era and enlighten all beings. My disciples should number six Saints."

Li Peng felt a doubt in his heart. The first row was clearly occupied by many great powers, yet Hongjun only spoke of six Saints. What was his intention? Was he trying to force the trajectory of the Heavenly Dao, or did he look down on the potential of Kunpeng and himself?

As he was contemplating, the great powers below had already knelt down and pleaded:

"Please accept me as your disciple, Dao Ancestor!"

"Please accept me as your disciple, Dao Ancestor!"

Li Peng watched with cold eyes, knowing that the Heavenly Dao Saint positions had long been decided by Hongjun, and their pleas would be in vain no matter how they begged.

Nuwa, Fuxi, Changxi, and Xihe saw that Li Peng had no intention of begging, so they stood quietly by the side, observing in silence.

Hongjun's gaze was calm as he spoke, "Three Pure Ones, you are transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and possess great merit. Are you willing to become my direct disciples?"

The Three Pure Ones were overjoyed upon hearing this. Becoming Hongjun's direct disciples meant the opportunity to become Saints, so they immediately and unhesitatingly said in unison, "We are willing!"

Dao Ancestor Hongjun nodded slightly and said, "Good."

After speaking, he raised his hand and gently reached into the void, and three wisps of ethereal purple qi appeared in his palm.

"This is Primordial Violet Qi, the foundation for proving the Dao and becoming a Saint. If you can comprehend the mysteries within, you can immediately achieve Saint status," Dao Ancestor Hongjun said calmly.

As soon as these words were spoken, all the great powers below stared intently at the three wisps of Primordial Violet Qi.

"Today, I will bestow these three wisps of Primordial Violet Qi upon you, and I hope you will attain the fruit of Sainthood as soon as possible," Dao Ancestor Hongjun said, looking at the Three Pure Ones.

Before his voice faded, the three wisps of purple qi had already transformed into streams of light and entered the bodies of the Three Pure Ones.

"Thank you for your grace, Teacher!" the Three Pure Ones said in unison, bowing their thanks.

Hongjun nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to Nuwa, "Nuwa, you will perform a great act of merit in the future. Are you willing to join my sect and become a direct disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Nuwa's gaze involuntarily turned to Li Peng, as if seeking his opinion.

Li Peng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He had not expected that even when faced with such a great opportunity as becoming a Saint, Nuwa would still remember to ask for his opinion.

This made him truly feel his importance in Nuwa's heart.

Li Peng smiled and nodded, signaling Nuwa to accept.

Seeing Li Peng's agreement, Nuwa then respectfully replied to Dao Ancestor Hongjun, "I am willing."

Hongjun saw that Nuwa had not agreed immediately but had instead consulted Li Peng's opinion first, and he felt a slight displeasure in his heart.

However, Nuwa was a Saint destined by the Heavenly Dao. Even if Hongjun had some reservations, he could do nothing to her at this moment.

Thus, Hongjun calmly agreed and bestowed a wisp of Primordial Violet Qi upon Nuwa.

After bestowing the Primordial Violet Qi, Hongjun stopped his actions, as if deliberating on the ownership of the remaining two direct disciple spots.

Zhunti and Jieyin were greatly anxious upon seeing this. The great powers present, such as Li Peng, Di Jun, Tai Yi, and Kunpeng, were no less inferior to them in terms of cultivation or background. If they missed this opportunity, they would likely have no chance to become Saints.

The two hurriedly knelt down and pleaded sorrowfully, "We implore our Teacher to accept us as disciples and bestow upon us Primordial Violet Qi!"

After speaking, they kowtowed repeatedly, casting aside all dignity as Innate Great Powers.

The great powers present showed expressions of disdain upon seeing this.

However, amidst their contemptuous gazes, Dao Ancestor Hongjun calmly said, "Although you two possess great perseverance, your affinity with the Xuanmen is shallow. How about I accept you as registered disciples?"

Upon hearing Dao Ancestor Hongjun's words, Zhunti and Jieyin were instantly overjoyed and repeatedly replied, "We are willing! We are willing!"

The many great powers who had just been scoffing at their shamelessness were now stunned. No one had expected that such pleading could move Hongjun to accept Zhunti and Jieyin as disciples.

In an instant, the crowd in the hall followed suit, kneeling and pleading:

"We beg our Teacher to accept us as disciples and bestow upon us Primordial Violet Qi!"

"We beg our Teacher to accept us as disciples and bestow upon us Primordial Violet Qi!"

"We beg our Teacher to accept us as disciples and bestow upon us Primordial Violet Qi!"

Seeing this scene, Li Peng felt a sense of helplessness and thought to himself, "Didn't the Dao Ancestor say there would only be six direct disciples? What's the point of crying and begging now?"

Hongjun ignored the crowd and turned to look at Li Peng and Kunpeng, saying, "You two have no fate with my Xuanmen, but since you have seized this opportunity, the Primordial Violet Qi that belongs to you will not be lacking."

As the words fell, Hongjun once again tossed out two strands of Primordial Violet Qi, which instantly entered Li Peng and Kunpeng's bodies.

Li Peng was puzzled and pondered in his heart, What is Hongjun's intention in doing this? Is he trying to plot against me like he did Hong Yun in the original Primordial Era history, leading me to my death?

But then he thought again, ever since the battle for the treasure gourd, his strength had become known to all the great powers in the Primordial Era, and no one dared to make a move against him easily. After all, his current cultivation far surpassed everyone present.

So, what was Dao Ancestor Hongjun's true purpose?

Just as Li Peng's thoughts were in turmoil, Hongjun's voice sounded again:

"The Great Dao is fifty, Heavenly Dao evolves into forty-nine. All things in existence hold a sliver of opportunity. Therefore, although the Heavenly Dao has its predetermined numbers, those with great perseverance and great wisdom can also prove the Dao and become Saints. You should all strive hard to seize that sliver of opportunity!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere below the stage changed drastically. All the great powers heard the deep meaning in Hongjun's words—the Primordial Violet Qi was not unobtainable. The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti, being Hongjun's disciples, dared not act rashly. However, Li Peng and Kunpeng were not his disciples.

Yet, when the eyes of the crowd swept over Li Peng, they all revealed deep apprehension.

However, when the gazes of the crowd focused on Kunpeng, their eyes immediately lit up.

Kunpeng's cultivation was similar to theirs. Seizing the Primordial Violet Qi from him would not be difficult.

All the great powers who could cultivate to their current realm were undoubtedly individuals of extraordinary talent and firm will.

They all believed that they were only one strand of Primordial Violet Qi away from proving the Dao and reaching the Hunyuan realm.