When his gaze inadvertently swept over Qing Huan, a strange glint seemed to flash through Hongjun's deep eyes. Fragments of the River of Time flickered past—
At the moment the Primordial Wilderness underwent Heaven-Opening, Great God Pangu had casually bestowed a streak of Chaos Undying Spiritual Light containing complete Great Dao laws, sending it into the Innate Spiritual Root Plantain...
"So it was a Dao Foundation personally bestowed by Great God Pangu... What immense fortune."
Hongjun's Dao heart stirred, and a trace of realization arose within him.
"However... this path is perilous. In this Primordial Wilderness, it is strewn with thorns, and a smooth road is hard to find.
So be it. Since Great God Pangu has already given him a Great Dao law, I should also go with the flow and grant him a thread of opportunity."
As his thoughts raced, Hongjun casually flicked his sleeve.
Buzz!
In the open space before the Three Pure Ones, rosy light swirled, and a seventh cushion emitting an ancient Dao aura appeared from thin air!
Gasp—!
The entire Purple Sky Palace erupted with sharp intakes of breath!
The Sage had personally added another cushion?
This unprecedented turn of events instantly set every great power's mind ablaze!
"Who could it be?!"
"A heaven-sent opportunity at a time like this?"
"Could the Sage's will have changed?!"
Gazes filled with shock, envy, jealousy, and even greed intertwined throughout the hall as though tangible, searching for their target.
A bloody gleam flickered in Ancestor Minghe's eyes. Di Jun and Tai Yi frowned slightly, East Prince's expression shifted, and Zhenyuanzi stroked his beard in contemplation... Countless experts' minds churned as they guessed who was destined for the Seventh Cushion.
"Little friend Qing Huan."
Hongjun's gaze finally settled upon Qing Huan in the corner, a gentle yet lofty smile on his face.
"You are one of the Ten Great Spiritual Roots after Transformation and bear immense Luck of the Primordial Wilderness. Since you have come to Purple Sky Palace to hear the Dao, you should have a seat here."
All gazes immediately converged upon Qing Huan like spotlights, upon that newly formed Seventh Cushion!
"Me?!"
Qing Huan's mind went blank, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
The six heaven-ordained Saint Position cushions were deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Why would Dao Ancestor Hongjun make an exception for him?
This sudden "favor" left him utterly bewildered, and immense pressure and confusion surged into his heart.
Yet, faced with a seat personally bestowed by the Sage and the blazing gazes of three thousand great powers, Qing Huan did not dare hesitate in the slightest.
Forcibly suppressing his tumultuous emotions, Qing Huan immediately bowed, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor.
"This junior, Qing Huan, thanks the Sage for his grace!"
Then, beneath countless complicated, inscrutable gazes—envy, scrutiny, probing, and even concealed hostility—
Qing Huan transformed into a streak of green light and flew straight toward the front of the platform. He sat upright and properly upon the brand-new Seventh Cushion, positioned directly before the Three Pure Ones.
A flash of interest passed through Shangqing Tongtian's eyes, while Yuqing Yuanshi nodded slightly and thought to himself,
"Since the Sage says he bears immense Luck, there is no harm in having him sit before us.
As one of the Ten Great Spiritual Roots, his foundation is indeed extraordinary, no weaker than ours."
Taishang Laojun's expression remained as tranquil as an ancient well.
The instant he took his seat, Qing Huan felt as though he were sitting on needles. Rather than fading, the doubts in his heart only intensified.
"I clearly hid in a corner. How did the Dao Ancestor notice me?"
Little did he know that Hongjun was the first Sage between Heaven and Earth, one who preached the Dao on behalf of Heaven. With a single glance, he could see the entire River of Time of any living being.
As long as one cultivated within the Primordial Wilderness, one could not hide from the Heavenly Dao.
What was the Heavenly Dao?
It was the rules governing all things. By adjusting the rules of Heaven and Earth, it could guide all things to develop according to its will. It needed no schemes; no one could resist the overarching momentum of Heaven and Earth.
Did they truly think the opportunities and sudden enlightenments of Primordial Wilderness beings came by themselves?
They were merely guided by the rules of Heaven and Earth. Yet those rules also left behind a Thread of Life...
"When you listen to the Dao in the future, follow this seating order."
Hongjun's voice rang out once more, calm yet carrying unquestionable majesty, as though delivering the final verdict on this struggle over the cushions.
The moment those words fell, they were like thunder exploding!
Many sharp-minded great powers instantly understood. These cushion placements were absolutely no ordinary seats; they surely contained unimaginable Dao opportunities and Karma!
Unfortunately, the die had already been cast. Regret was too late!
"We shall obey the Sage's decree!"
Everyone bowed in acknowledgment, their voices echoing through the hall, though each harbored different thoughts.
At that moment, an almost tangible aura of venomous resentment erupted from Old Ancestor Kunpeng!
He stared fixedly at Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hong Yun ahead of him, especially Hong Yun, whose face bore the dazed and relieved smile of an overly kind man. His eyes nearly spat fire, and hatred surged to the heavens in his heart.
"If not for you! If not for your honeyed words and your seizure of this poor Daoist's opportunity... one of these seven seats would surely have been mine! How could it have fallen to another!
Hong Yun! Jieyin! Zhunti! I, Kunpeng, will engrave today's humiliation and this Karma into my heart. There is plenty of time ahead. I shall repay you handsomely one day!"
Qing Huan truly could not fathom Hongjun's intentions, so he could only cast all his worries aside and sigh inwardly.
"Ah, so be it. Things have come to this; thinking further is useless. The urgent matter is to calm my heart and listen to the Dao Ancestor's explanation of the Great Luo Dao!"
He simply discarded his chaotic thoughts, focused his eyes upon his nose and his nose upon his heart, and completely stilled his mind.
"I shall expound the Great Dao to you three times."
Hongjun's voice was like a great bell, cleansing their minds.
"The first lecture shall last three thousand years and concern the Dao of Grand Unity Golden Immortals;
the second shall last three thousand years and concern the Dao of Quasi-Sages;
the final shall last three thousand years and concern the Dao of becoming a Sage. Calm your hearts, concentrate your minds, and listen well."
After speaking, Hongjun calmly swept his gaze across the varied expressions of all beings, then raised a hand and lightly pointed toward the Primordial Wilderness.
"The Great Dao is impartial. Those fated may enter this palace to listen.
Those who attempt to steal Heaven's secrets through innate divine abilities shall find their own path to death."
As his words fell, an invisible and intangible Dao aura became a streak of light and pierced through the void.
"Ah—!"
Deep within Buzhou Mountain in the distant Primordial Wilderness, the Six-Eared Macaque, hidden behind a massive boulder, was struck as though by a colossal hammer and let out a miserable scream.
The Magic Power around him collapsed, his origin was damaged, and he instantly suffered grave injuries, becoming listless and weak.
With a single word, Hongjun established the unbreakable Heavenly Dao law: Law is not transmitted to the ears!
Within Purple Sky Palace, the three thousand Dao listeners all revealed looks of disdain.
With the Great Dao before him, he could have pursued it openly and honorably. Resorting to such furtive eavesdropping was truly beneath contempt, inviting calamity upon himself.
"'Law is not transmitted to the ears'... Heh heh."
A thought flashed through Qing Huan's mind. This Six-Eared Macaque was truly unlucky.
A perfectly fine Innate Lifeform of the Primordial Wilderness...
Yet after this incident, more than half of his Dao path had been ruined. In the future, he would likely struggle at the bottom of the Primordial Wilderness in pursuit of the Dao, just like that later Stone Monkey.
At present, no cultivation methods had yet spread through the Primordial Wilderness. Even Pangu's Three Pure Ones were still exploring the creation of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts and the Three Pure Ones' Dao Methods.
The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends transformation arts, which could evade the three calamities and nine tribulations, would not be fully deduced until they reached the Quasi-Sage realm.
For now, all beings took their comprehension of the origin of Heaven and Earth's laws as the foundation of cultivation. There were no ready-made "cultivation methods" to rely upon.
Qing Huan himself was the same, relying entirely on his origin to resonate with Heaven and Earth and comprehend laws.
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