The Third Sermon, Distributing Saint Positions

Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for the Dao Ancestor to preach again.

Outside Zixiao Palace, the great cultivators had gathered early, waiting by the entrance. Xuan Yi, along with his three disciples, Nuwa, and Fuxi, also arrived to wait.

Crack!

As the grand doors of Zixiao Palace slowly opened, the great cultivators surged inside, each finding their designated seats.

"High dwelling in the nine layers of clouds, meditation cushion for the true Dao. Beyond heaven and earth, yellow and profound, I shall be the revered master. Pangu birthed Taiji, Yin and Yang followed by the four forms. One Dao passed to three friends, two sects divided into Chan and Jie. The leader of the Xuanmen, a single breath transformed into Hongjun."

As these words echoed, Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure appeared within Zixiao Palace.

"This is the third sermon, and it will be my last. After this sermon, I shall merge with the Heavenly Dao. From then on, no major events will occur, and I will no longer appear in the Primordial Chaos."

"We humbly thank the Dao Ancestor for his great kindness!"

As everyone responded in unison, the third sermon officially began.

Instantly, within Zixiao Palace, heavenly flowers rained down, and everyone fell into deep contemplation.

Three thousand years drifted by.

"Blessed by the Heavenly Dao, as the first Saint of the Primordial Chaos, I bear the responsibility of educating all beings. Therefore, I have preached three times. Today, my three sermons on the Dao have concluded, and I shall personally appoint several Saints."

"After Quasi-Saint comes the Saint realm. Saints are immortal and indestructible. After I merge with the Dao, the Saints of the Heavenly Dao will govern the Primordial Chaos."

Hongjun's words caused a stir among the audience below. The six individuals on the meditation cushions were the first to react.

"May I ask, Master, how does one achieve the Saint realm of the Heavenly Dao?"

Taishang was the first to ask, voicing the thoughts of all the great cultivators.

"The method I cultivate is to sever three corpses. Severing the first corpse leads to the early Quasi-Saint stage, the second to the middle stage, and the third to the late stage. Then, merging the three corpses results in the peak Quasi-Saint stage. However, one must also integrate their Primordial Spirit into the Heavenly Dao and be aided by Primordial Violet Qi to become a Saint of the Heavenly Dao."

After Hongjun finished speaking, he once again looked at the crowd.

"Do any of you have further questions?"

Yuanshi, one of the Sanqing, then asked, "May I ask, Teacher, how does one obtain the Primordial Violet Qi of the Primordial Chaos?"

"It is the will of the Heavenly Dao. I found eight strands in my early years. One was used to achieve Sainthood, leaving seven remaining."

Hongjun answered calmly.

"May I ask, Teacher, how many Saints can the Primordial Chaos accommodate?" Tongtian stepped forward and asked.

"The Primordial Chaos was formed after the death of the great god Pangu. Nine is the extreme number. The Primordial Chaos can accommodate eight Saints. Once a ninth Saint appears, immeasurable tribulations will descend upon the Primordial World."

Hearing that there were still seven Saint positions in the Primordial Chaos, the great cultivators could no longer contain themselves, eager to know who would become Saints.

"May I ask, Teacher, who can become a Saint?"

Nuwa voiced the question on everyone's mind.

Hongjun looked at the great cultivators of the Primordial Chaos and spoke calmly.

"Taishang, as Pangu's true descendant and my eldest disciple, you deserve a Saint position. I hope you will utilize it well in the future and bring glory to my Xuanmen."

Taishang was so thrilled to hear that he could become a Saint that he was beside himself with joy. He immediately bowed deeply to Hongjun.

"Taishang thanks the Teacher for his grace. May the Teacher live ten thousand years!"

Hongjun was pleased with Taishang's actions and then looked at Yuanshi.

"Yuanshi, you are Pangu's true descendant and also my second disciple. You shall become a Saint. Today, I bestow upon you Primordial Violet Qi."

Seeing the Primordial Violet Qi fly towards him, Yuanshi immediately bowed deeply.

"I thank my Master. Your disciple will not fail your expectations."

Hongjun nodded gently and then turned his gaze to the immensely excited Tongtian.

"Tongtian, you are Pangu's true descendant and also my third disciple. Today, I bestow upon you a strand of Primordial Violet Qi. I hope you will cultivate diligently and bring glory to my Xuanmen."

"Thank you, Master. Your disciple will do his utmost to bring glory to the Xuanmen."

Tongtian, who could no longer wait, bowed deeply.

After bestowing the Primordial Violet Qi upon Tongtian, Hongjun's gaze shifted to Xuan Yi.

Nuwa, who had expected it to be her turn, saw that the Dao Ancestor was not looking at her. A great sense of loss washed over her. Could she not become a Saint?

"Xuan'er, you are my son. However, you have your own inheritance and do not require Primordial Violet Qi. I shall not bestow it upon you. From now on, you shall be the leader of the Xuanmen, with a status above all Saints."

"If anyone dares to feign obedience to you, I, your father, will personally eliminate them for you!"

With that, he cast a cold gaze upon the assembled great cultivators.

"We would not dare!"

Under Hongjun's icy stare, the great cultivators trembled in fear. They had never imagined that Xuan Yi was the Dao Ancestor's son. No wonder killing East King Duke had gone unpunished, and no wonder Jieyin and Zhunti had been beaten half to death without consequence. This time, Xuan Yi's name truly resounded throughout the Primordial Chaos.

The most distressed were Jieyin and Zhunti, who held a deep enmity with Xuan Yi. They were now utterly terrified.

"Thank you, Father!"

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Xuan Yi cupped his hands in a bow towards Hongjun.

Seeing Xuan Yi readily accept, Hongjun turned his gaze to Nuwa.

"Nuwa, since you have become Xuan'er's Dao Companion, you may address me as Father from now on, just like Xuan'er. Today, I bestow upon you a strand of Primordial Violet Qi. I hope you two will stay together forever."

Nuwa was so moved that she stood up and bowed.

"Thank you, Father. May you have eternal life."

After handing the Primordial Violet Qi to Nuwa, Hongjun fell silent.

Jieyin and Zhunti watched expectantly, as it was almost their turn, but the Dao Ancestor remained seated and silent. Their hearts sank, and they immediately knelt on the ground, bursting into tears.

"We beg Master to take pity on us! Our Western lands have been barren since the great war. We two have dedicated our lives to the prosperity of the West. The future of the West depends on us. We beg Master to grant us Primordial Violet Qi!"

Jieyin and Zhunti were truly shameless, crying rivers of tears in the great hall. The others, seeing these two make such a spectacle, distanced themselves from them.

Hongjun looked at them and sighed slightly. It was a karma he owed.

"Alas, so be it. This Daoist sees that you are both individuals of great perseverance and wisdom. I shall bestow these two strands of Primordial Violet Qi upon you."

"Disciple Jieyin and Zhunti thank Master for his grace. May Master live ten thousand years."

Seeing that the Dao Ancestor had granted them Primordial Violet Qi, the two immediately stopped crying and kowtowed on the ground to express their gratitude. Truly shameless.

"Dao Ancestor, we beg the Dao Ancestor to bestow treasures upon us, so that we too may witness the demeanor of Saints."

Seeing that the two had obtained Primordial Violet Qi by throwing a tantrum, the assembled great beings no longer cared about their dignity and began to act like Jieyin and Zhunti, throwing tantrums and rolling on the ground.

Hongjun sighed slightly as he looked at the scene below.

"Alas, so be it. As the saying goes, of the fifty Great Daos, one escapes. This strand of Primordial Violet Qi shall be bestowed upon you all."

Hongjun then tossed the Primordial Violet Qi in his hand, and it circled the crowd before landing on Hongyun's head.

"It chose me just like that?"

Hongyun was completely bewildered, followed by immense joy.

However, the other great beings did not look pleased.

This was the foundation for becoming a Saint, and they were unwilling to let Hongyun obtain it so easily.

The few individuals seated were disciples of the Dao Ancestor, beings whom the Dao Ancestor had personally declared would surely become Saints in the future. Who did Hongyun think he was? He was not qualified to receive the Primordial Violet Qi.

Hongyun's good friend, Zhen Yuanzi, also realized this. He worried whether Hongyun could hold onto the Primordial Violet Qi. As for snatching it, he truly had no intention of doing so.

On the other side, Kunpeng was seething with rage. It was all because of Hongyun that he had missed out on the Meditation Cushion. This Primordial Violet Qi should have been his.

But because Hongyun had given up his seat, all the opportunities that should have been his were shattered.

What was most detestable was that in the end, Hongyun had obtained the Primordial Violet Qi.

Thinking of this, Kunpeng's eyes filled with malice.

Of course, it wasn't just Kunpeng; Di Jun, Tai Yi, and other great beings also looked at Hongyun with greed.

"Ahem!"

The Dao Ancestor's light cough interrupted everyone's thoughts.

"Today, I, Hongjun, shall settle the karma of the Primordial Chaos and prepare to merge with the Heavenly Dao to perfect myself. From now on, the Heavenly Dao will be Hongjun, and Hongjun will not be the Heavenly Dao."

"Alright, all matters here are concluded. You may all disperse. Behind my Zixiao Palace, there is a Treasure Distribution Cliff, upon which are some Spiritual Treasures I collected in my early years. I shall bestow them upon you all."

As Hongjun's voice fell, he vanished from Zixiao Palace.

"We respectfully bid farewell to the Dao Ancestor!"

After everyone bowed, they instantly transformed into streaks of light and flew towards the Treasure Distribution Cliff.