The End of the Third Preaching, Sages Accept Disciples

As the Great Desolation was in turmoil due to the Witch Race's establishment and their acceptance by the Great Dao, a familiar, vast, and boundless saintly might descended once more as expected. It instantly calmed all the unrest in the Great Desolation, drawing the minds of the great powers back to the supreme Zixiao Palace.

"The time has come. The third Preaching of the Dao in Zixiao Palace begins. Those with fate may all come and listen."

Hongjun's voice was as calm as ever, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

The third Preaching of the Dao had begun! This time, it would expound the true path to Becoming a Sage!

In an instant, powerful auras surged into the sky from all corners of the Great Desolation, shooting towards the chaos beyond the thirty-third heaven without hesitation.

Whether it was the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa and Fuxi, Di Jun and Tai Yi, or Jieyin and Zhunti, Zhen Yuan and Hongyun, or other regular visitors to Zixiao Palace, no one was willing to miss this final and most crucial Preaching of the Dao.

Fengqi Mountain's Daoist sanctuary.

Nuwa and Fuxi exchanged a glance, seeing the solemnity and anticipation in each other's eyes.

"Let's go. We have to go to this final lecture after all."

Although they were already wary of the Heavenly Dao's saintly position, the mysteries of the path to Becoming a Sage still held unparalleled allure, making it worth learning from.

Fuxi nodded.

"Indeed. Let's see what the Dao Ancestor has to say this time."

The two transformed into streams of light and departed.

Qing Xuan watched the direction they disappeared in and yawned lazily.

It's the third lecture... The final feast is about to be served.

Taking disciples, distributing treasures, giving out Primordial Violet Qi, a one-stop service. That old thief Hongjun is quite skilled at this process.

What a shame. Eat the candy, but send the bullet back! Master and Brother-in-law must not be fooled!

In the chaos, the journey was still arduous, but for the great powers whose cultivation had advanced, it was much easier than the previous two times.

Inside Zixiao Palace, the futons remained.

However, everyone's mindset was completely different from last time.

The Three Pure Ones had calm expressions but a look of determination in their eyes; Jieyin and Zhunti appeared even more sorrowful, yet their gazes were more fervent; Nuwa and Fuxi were outwardly calm but inwardly vigilant; Di Jun and Tai Yi's dominance was restrained, filled with ambition...

The Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure appeared silently on the cloud bed. Without any preamble, he began his lecture.

This time, the content was no longer about specific cultivation methods or divine abilities, but directly pointed to the origin of the Hunyuan Great Dao, expounding on the operation of heavenly rules and the principles of the universe's birth and death!

The content was far more profound and abstruse than the previous two lectures. Even top great powers like the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa listened with rapt attention, occasionally frowning, finding it mysterious and difficult to fully comprehend.

The heavenly sounds of the Great Dao boomed, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and heavenly flowers rained down. The infinite Dao charm almost materialized.

Many great powers listened with flushed faces and steam rising from their heads, clearly having reached the limit of their understanding.

The thirty thousand years of lecturing time flew by amidst the eager comprehension of the great powers.

When Hongjun stopped lecturing, Zixiao Palace fell into silence. Everyone was still immersed in the lingering resonance of the Great Dao, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.

After a long while, the great powers gradually regained consciousness, their faces a mixture of satisfaction, regret, and confusion. They knew the path was clear, but how far they could go depended entirely on their own fortune.

Hongjun's gaze was indifferent as he swept over the crowd below and spoke slowly.

"The three lectures are now complete. My Great Dao has been passed on to the Great Desolation. I will soon merge with the Heavenly Dao to complete its deficiencies. From this day forth, the Heavenly Dao will be Hongjun, and Hongjun will not be the Heavenly Dao."

Upon hearing this, all the great powers were greatly alarmed!

The Dao Ancestor was going to merge with the Dao?!

In their hearts, there was shock, but also a hint of hidden joy.

After all, having a Saint pressing down on them made them feel somewhat restricted.

Before anyone could process this news, Hongjun continued, "My disciples should include several individuals to inherit the Xuanmen lineage."

Here it comes! The main event was here!

All the great powers held their breath, especially those in the front rows, whose hearts couldn't help but race.

"The Three Pure Ones were formed from Pangu's primordial spirit and possess the merit of opening the heavens. They may be my direct disciples."

Hongjun first looked at the Three Pure Ones.

Lao Tzu, Primordial, and Tongtian were overjoyed and quickly rose to bow respectfully.

"Greetings, Master!"

Hongjun nodded and his gaze shifted to Nuwa, with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

He had long discovered that Nuwa was not following his path of Slaying Three Corpses but the path of Hunyuan.

"Nuwa, very good! You will have a great meritorious deed to perform in the future. You may be my final disciple."

Nuwa had anticipated this and calmly rose to bow.

"Greetings, Master."

Having said this, Hongjun fell silent.

This made Jieyin and Zhunti, who were sitting on futons, extremely anxious.

Zhunti's eyes rolled, and he immediately cried out.

"We beg the Dao Ancestor to take pity on the beings of the Western Lands and accept us brothers as disciples!"

Jieyin, still with a miserable expression, bowed along with Zhunti.

Hongjun's gaze swept over Jieyin and Zhunti, who were looking at him expectantly, and he said faintly.

"Jieyin, Zhunti, although you both come from the West, you possess great willpower and destiny. Since that is the case, I will accept you as registered disciples. You shall prosper the West in the future."

This was Hongjun using two Sage positions to resolve his karma with the Western Lands.

Jieyin and Zhunti were somewhat disappointed to be only registered disciples, but to be recognized as disciples of a Sage was already an unexpected joy. They quickly bowed excitedly.

"Greetings, Master!"

With the disciples assigned, Hongjun continued.

"Since you are my disciples, you shall have spiritual treasures to protect yourselves."

With that, he waved his sleeve, and countless rays of treasure light shot into the sky, dazzling and brilliant. The powerful aura of Innate Spiritual Treasures filled the entire Zixiao Palace, causing the eyes of the great beings below to bulge. Their breathing quickened, and they wished they could rush forward and snatch the treasures.

"Lao Tzu, as the eldest disciple, you shall lead the Xuanmen. I bestow upon you the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram, which can suppress destiny and calm the chaos of earth, water, fire, and wind."

A scroll like a golden bridge and jade pillar flew towards Lao Tzu.

"Primordial, I bestow upon you the Innate Supreme Treasure Pangu Banner, which can tear through chaos and open up heaven and earth."

An ancient banner exuding chaotic sword energy flew towards Primordial.

"Tongtian, you enjoy warfare. I bestow upon you the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. This formation cannot be broken by anyone less than a Sage, but its killing intent is too heavy, and it cannot be used lightly."

Six ancient swords radiating murderous intent, along with a formation diagram, flew towards Tongtian, drawing everyone's attention. They were both envious and wary.

It can't be broken by anyone less than a Sage? Lao Tzu, Primordial, and Tongtian are brothers. The remaining Sages are only three. Does that mean Tongtian is invincible?

Lao Tzu and Primordial also felt a bit uncomfortable. Doesn't this mean Tongtian has surpassed his two elder brothers?

"Nuwa, I bestow upon you the Innate Spiritual Treasure Red Gauze Ball, which can preside over the three marriages of heaven, earth, and humanity, forging karmic bonds with immeasurable merit. I also bestow upon you the Rivers and Mountains Painting, which contains a great thousand worlds and can trap people or capture objects with a single thought."

A glowing red gauze ball and a scroll flew towards Nuwa.

"Jieyin, Zhunti, I bestow upon you the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, which can suppress destiny. I also bestow upon you the Blessing Vajra Pestle, the Six Roots Pure Bamboo, and other treasures to help your Western Lands prosper."

A golden lotus pedestal and several other shimmering spiritual treasures flew towards Jieyin and Zhunti.

After the treasure distribution, seven wisps of purple Qi, surrounded by profound Dao rhythm, appeared in Hongjun's hand.

"This is the Primordial Violet Qi, the foundation for becoming a Sage."

Hongjun's gaze swept over everyone and he said slowly.

"The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti, as my disciples, you shall receive this opportunity."

Six wisps of Primordial Violet Qi flew out and entered the bodies of the six individuals.

Six of the seven wisps of purple Qi were instantly gone.

The great beings below spoke one after another.

"We beg the Dao Ancestor for mercy."

"Very well, let this last wisp of Primordial Violet Qi choose its own master."

After speaking, Hongjun released the last wisp of Primordial Violet Qi in his hand.

The last wisp of Primordial Violet Qi circled the Zixiao Palace once, and under everyone's tense gaze, it unexpectedly entered the body of the still-dazed Ancestor Hongyun!

Hongyun was stunned, then overwhelmed by immense joy.

Beside him, Ancestor Kunpeng's eyes instantly turned vicious and resentful!

Why Hongyun?! If he hadn't offered his seat...

"The Great Desolation is vast, and spiritual treasures are numerous. Those with destiny can obtain them. Outside my palace, on the Treasure Distribution Cliff, I have placed some spiritual treasures. You may go and collect them yourselves."

Before the words even finished, most of the great beings in Zixiao Palace instantly turned into streams of light and rushed out of the palace, fearing that the treasures would be gone if they were a moment late.

Treasure light shot into the sky from the Treasure Distribution Cliff, clearly indicating that countless rare spiritual treasures had been placed there!

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti also rose to take their leave and headed for the Treasure Distribution Cliff.

Lao Tzu collected the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern, the Taiji Talisman Seal...

Primordial collected the Nine Dragon Agarwood Carriage, the Myriad Heavens Auspicious Cloud...

Tongtian received the most, the Purple Lightning Hammer, the Fishing Drum, the Heart-Piercing Lock, the Sea-Calming Pearl...

Nuwa and Fuxi also collected several Innate Spiritual Treasures each.

After most of the spiritual treasures were divided, Hongjun's voice rang out again.

"The Great Dao has been preached, and I shall merge with the Dao. Hongjun will not appear unless there is a great tribulation in heaven and earth. You must fend for yourselves..."

The voice faded, and Hongjun completely disappeared, as if he had merged with the entire Great Desolation and Heaven and Earth.

The three sermons in Zixiao Palace thus came to a complete end.