"Yellow Dragon won this round." Laozi announced the result expressionlessly.
The Exposition Sect disciples were overjoyed and congratulated True Person Yellow Dragon one after another. Then Taiyi Zhenren walked out with a smile, bowed to the Three Pure Ones, and made a respectful gesture toward Xuandu of the Human Teaching and the Five True Disciples of the Interception Sect before taking his place in the center of the hall.
Seeing this, Sect Master Tongtian felt somewhat helpless. That useless Dingguang Xian still needed more training, yet he had needlessly damaged his reputation.
"I'll have a taste of Taiyi Zhenren's skills!"
The one who stepped forward was none other than Fairy Yunxiao, the leader of the Three Yunxiao Sisters of the Interception Sect.
When this woman appeared, even Li Yunjing nodded. The Three Yunxiao Sisters and Zhao Gongming now all lived in the "Chaos Palace." They were outstanding among the Interception Sect's new disciples. Given their cultivation, defeating Taiyi Zhenren was naturally no difficult task.
Sure enough, in the matches that followed, the Interception Sect performed brilliantly, winning eight matches and completely claiming victory in this Dao Discussion Conference.
This made Sect Master Tongtian extremely happy, while Primordial Heavenly Venerate felt somewhat depressed. Those feathered and horned creatures he looked down on had actually defeated the true disciples he had painstakingly cultivated. How outrageous!
"The Three Sects' Dao Discussion Conference ends here! The Witch and Demon Clans are now powerful and locked in endless conflict. Tribulation Qi has spread throughout the Primordial World, and the Heavenly Secrets are obscured. For the next three thousand years, the three of us will expound the Dao to you. You must listen with calm minds and must not grow negligent!"
"We shall remember Eldest Senior Brother's teachings, listen with calm minds, and seek the Great Dao!"
Li Yunjing was delighted. Who would have thought there would be such a benefit?
After the Three Pure Ones established their sects, he had not heard Eldest Senior Brother or Second Senior Brother expound the Dao for a long time. This was a rare opportunity. Unlike the other Interception Sect disciples, besides his own sect's Supreme Purity Immortal Method, he had also studied the great techniques of the other two sects. Li Yunjing was the true inheritor of all three sects, the foremost person of the third generation of the Profound Gate.
"The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name."
Taishang Laojun slowly began to speak. In the Auspicious Cloud, lotus flowers blossomed one after another, and strands of auspicious light descended. Taiqing Immortal Light circulated around his body, while black and white energies flowed and gradually transformed into a Taiji twin-fish diagram.
Immortal music of the Great Dao drifted through the hall. Heavenly light blazed, Golden Lotuses Springing from the Earth appeared, countless golden flowers surged toward them, and countless rays of multicolored light gathered as a hazy aura arose.
Li Yunjing listened the most intently. He felt that after hearing the Dao this time, the bottleneck of his early Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation had loosened somewhat. He could now attempt to break through to the middle stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
After Grand Pure Saint finished expounding the Dao, Primordial Heavenly Venerate manifested in the center of the hall and sat upright on a cloud couch. His ethereal Dao-voice filled the hall. Unlike Taishang Laojun's exposition of the Dao of non-action, what Primordial Heavenly Venerate expounded this time was the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, not any particular method of cultivation.
Another thousand years passed. In the Three Pure Ones Palace, all the disciples of the three sects entered a state of enlightenment. Their magic power and Dao comprehension both improved tremendously. This was the benefit of having a renowned master's guidance.
As the phantom image of a green lotus blossomed in the sky, Sect Master Tongtian became the sole center of the world.
In an instant, green lotuses blossomed throughout the "Three Pure Ones Palace."
Four sword-qi green lotuses bloomed at the four extremities of Heaven and Earth, slowly unfolding. The boundless Great Dao and myriad techniques were all contained within them.
What Sect Master Tongtian expounded this time focused on techniques, which were most effective at raising a cultivator's combat strength.
This was also why the Interception Sect had achieved a complete victory in the Dao Discussion Conference. The Exposition Sect valued the improvement of Dao comprehension, while the Interception Sect emphasized the cultivation of magic power. Both methods of cultivation pointed directly to the Great Dao.
However, in the early stages, powerful magic power naturally gave one a huge advantage in magical combat. This was the main reason the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Exposition Sect were inferior to some of the Interception Sect's inner and outer disciples.
In later generations, after cultivating for a long time, Guangchengzi, Taiyi Zhenren, and the others would develop profound Dao comprehension and greatly increase their magic power. The ordinary disciples of the Interception Sect would naturally be far from a match for the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Exposition Sect.
The three Saints expounded the Dao for three thousand years. Li Yunjing gained some insights and immediately entered secluded cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, five more aeons passed in the Primordial World. By then, Li Yunjing had raised his cultivation to the middle stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. One day, he sensed something and could no longer enter complete meditation, so he walked out of the hall where he had been cultivating in seclusion.
Standing atop Mount Kunlun, he gazed into the distance. He saw that the entire western sky had now revealed a Buddhist kingdom floating in the air. Within it, the fragrance of bodhi trees drifted through the air, golden lotuses fell to the ground, and many flying members of the Eight Legions of Heavenly Dragons and rakshasas danced in blissful poses.
In the Buddhist kingdom, Bodhisattvas sometimes expounded the Dharma amid waves of Brahma music, while glaring Vajras sometimes stood guard over the Buddha disciples.
Bodhisattvas explained the Dharma, Buddhas sat in withered meditation, and arhats manifested the three thousand great worlds. What a scene of supreme bliss!
Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
"Junior Brother, do we really have to do this? You know that by carrying out this matter, we'll incur endless karma with the Heavenly Dao!" Jieyin asked worriedly.
"Senior Brother, we can't wait any longer. It has already been more than seven aeons since Hongjun joined with the Dao, yet we still haven't become Saints. Recently, who knows how many mighty cultivators have secretly entered the western lands." Zhunti's expression was gloomy. "Senior Brother should know what they've come for. Although we brothers are formidable, the Primordial World is full of powerful experts. If we don't become Saints, I'm afraid we'll end up like Hong Yun."
At the thought of Hong Yun's fate, both Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions turned ugly. In order to attain the Dao, the other mighty cultivators seemed to have made up their minds not to give the two brothers any more time.
"Sigh! We'll take things one step at a time. The fire is already at our eyebrows, so we can't worry about the future anymore." Jieyin let out a sorrowful sigh and could only agree to Zhunti's plan.
"That's right! Senior Brother, how can we become Saints without incurring karma? We brothers don't have the origins or destiny of the Three Pure Ones. Besides, once we become Saints, we can slowly repay it. Saints are immortal and indestructible, so we'll settle it sooner or later."
Zhunti was anxious as well and could only console himself. Whatever happened, they would become Saints first and worry about the rest later.
"Very well! I suddenly attained enlightenment just now, and the 'Primordial Violet Qi' stirred. It seems the two of us can only become Saints through this. It is the trend of fate. It seems Heaven's will cannot be defied!" Jieyin gave a bitter smile. Who would be willing to incur such boundless karma?
"Good! Then let's begin!"
"Heavenly Dao above, I, Jieyin, and Zhunti hereby jointly establish a sect in the West, called the Western Sect. We shall guide all living beings toward goodness, free them from suffering and worry, and create a land of supreme bliss. With the Innate Spiritual Treasures 'Golden Merit Lotus,' 'Demon Subduing Pestle,' and 'Golden Merit Pool' suppressing the destiny of the Western Sect, the Western Sect is established!"
The two men's voices spread throughout the Primordial World. Although the western lands blazed with golden light and abundant merit descended upon them, raising their cultivation to the peak of the realm after severing their second corpses, this merit was pitifully little compared to what Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones had received. It was roughly equivalent to the merit Di Jun and Xihe had gained from establishing the Heavenly Marriage. Let alone allowing Jieyin and Zhunti to become Saints, it was not enough for even one of them to succeed.
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