The First Preaching of the Dao

Seeing this, Hongjun said no more. His gaze swept across the crowd once again as he spoke flatly, "This preaching of the Dao will be held three times. Each session lasts ten thousand years, with an interval of thirty thousand years between them."

Then Hongjun continued, "In cultivating the Great Dao, realms can be divided into three grades."

"First is the Zenith Heaven, carefree and unrestrained, imperishable through countless kalpas."

"Second is the Quasi-Saint, whose Magic Power penetrates the profound, having glimpsed the threshold of the Sage path."

"Third is the Sage, whose Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, imperishable through countless kalpas, immune to death or injury, acting as the Dao's proxy in heaven."

At this point, Hongjun's tone paused slightly, and his gaze seemed to grow deeper.

"Below the Sage, all are ants!"

These eight simple words sent a violent tremor through the hearts of every great power in the hall!

Ants!

Powerful as they were—Innate Great Gods with deep roots and dominion over their territories—in the eyes of a Sage, they were merely ants!

This struck terror into many hearts, while simultaneously igniting an unprecedented longing for that supreme Sage realm!

Hongjun paid no heed to the crowd's reactions and continued, "This session of preaching will sort out the realms below Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal for you."

"Below Zenith Heaven, there are six realms: Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Mysterious Immortal, Golden Immortal, Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, and Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal."

As Hongjun spoke, the Heavenly Dao operated in the unseen, and the division of these six realms was thoroughly imprinted into the laws of heaven and earth in the Primordial Wilderness.

"Today, I shall begin with the Heavenly Immortal realm..."

Having said this, Hongjun spoke no further and began to expound the true meaning of the Great Dao.

In an instant, countless strange phenomena manifested within Zixiao Palace!

Heavenly flowers rained down, golden lotuses surged from the ground, the Dao sound echoed faintly, and the laws harmonized!

Purple qi swirled, Dao Rhythms flowed, rendering the entire palace sacred and majestic.

Hongjun's voice was not loud, yet it contained infinite profundity, reaching each person's ears with perfect clarity.

The mysteries of each realm were unfolded by Hongjun in simple terms, penetrating straight to the core.

The three thousand guests in the hall, regardless of their cultivation level or background, were all utterly intoxicated, completely immersed in this ocean of the Dao!

Some furrowed their brows in deep thought, others suddenly had epiphanies, some waved their arms and danced with joy, while others wept tears streaming down their faces!

The myriad expressions of sentient beings were laid bare on the path of seeking the Dao.

Wu Ming also closed his eyes, sinking his mind into it.

What Hongjun preached was the Immortal Dao of the Xuan Sect, which seemed entirely different from the path of laws inherited by the Witch Clan.

But a stone from another mountain can polish jade!

And the three thousand Great Daos all lead to the same destination.

Wu Ming silently activated his Primordial Spirit, listening to Hongjun's exposition of the Immortal Dao's mysteries while cross-referencing them with the Pangu inheritance and the Great Dao of laws he had comprehended himself.

Comparing the two, drawing inferences from one instance, he actually gained many insights.

Behind him, the Twelve Ancestor Witches also held their breath and listened intently.

Because they now possessed Primordial Spirits, they were no longer like their original fate, where listening to a Sage preach the Dao was like reading a heavenly scripture—utterly incomprehensible.

Although many of the subtleties Hongjun spoke of were still somewhat obscure for them to grasp, they could understand a fair amount of the general direction and principles.

They too were cross-referencing what Hongjun preached with the laws they themselves controlled.

Guided by Hongjun's Great Dao, they seemed to gain a deeper understanding of the laws they commanded!

Within Zixiao Palace, silence reigned, with only the sound of the Great Dao echoing.

Time passed slowly, like a fleeting moment.

Ten thousand years slipped away unnoticed.

On the high platform, Hongjun's voice gradually ceased.

The boundless Dao Rhythms that filled the palace also slowly subsided.

The crowd awoke as if from a dream, one by one emerging from that wondrous state of enlightenment, their faces bearing expressions of lingering satisfaction.

Ten thousand years of listening to the Dao surpassed countless kalpas of solitary cultivation!

Many even felt that bottlenecks that had troubled them for years showed signs of loosening!

Their gazes toward Hongjun on the high platform were filled with reverence and gratitude.

Hongjun's calm, unruffled voice rang out again: "This session of preaching ends here."

"Thirty thousand years from now, I shall preach again, expounding the path of the Quasi-Saint."

"You may all withdraw."

Having spoken, Hongjun's figure on the high platform quietly faded away, vanishing without a trace.

The two child attendants, Haotian and Yaochi, reappeared and walked to the palace gate.

Creak--

The gates of Zixiao Palace, sealed for ten thousand years, slowly creaked open.

"Farewell to the Sages!"

The three thousand guests within the hall rose as one and bowed in salute.

After the ceremony, suppressing their excitement, they transformed into streaks of light—some in pairs, some alone—and flew out of Zixiao Palace, returning to the Primordial Wilderness.

This session of listening to the Dao had yielded great gains; all needed to return and seclude themselves to digest it.

In particular, the realms Hongjun had delineated, and his declaration that "all beneath Sage are ants," weighed like a mountain on the hearts of every great power in the Primordial Wilderness!

Cultivate!

They must seize time to cultivate!

Strive to break through to a higher realm before the next preaching, only then could they hope to glimpse the supreme Dao of Sagehood!

"Hah... this Sage's preaching is truly formidable!" Zhurong scratched his head, a hint of excitement on his face.

"Indeed, it's profound." Dijiang nodded, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Though our paths differ, my understanding of the laws has deepened considerably."

"A pity it only lasted ten thousand years." Houtu frowned slightly, still wanting more.

Wu Ming watched the Ancestor Witches' excited discussions and smiled faintly.

As long as they had gained something.

His gaze shifted, landing on Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun, who were about to leave.

Hongyun was still somewhat dazed, his face full of bitterness, clearly not yet recovered from the heavy blow of losing the Cushion opportunity.

Zhen Yuanzi was consoling him in a low voice, his own expression helpless.

"Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hongyun, please wait a moment." Wu Ming spoke gently.

Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun stopped and turned around.

Zhen Yuanzi clasped his hands: "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming."

Hongyun forced a smile: "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, do you have some instruction?"

Wu Ming looked at them and smiled. "This session of listening to the Dao must have brought you both no small gains."

"After you return to the Primordial Wilderness and digest your insights, might you have some free time to gather at my Witch Clan's Pangu Hall?"

"I and the Ancestor Witches have also gained something in cultivation. Perhaps we could exchange and verify our understandings, discussing the Great Dao."

Zhen Yuanzi glanced at Hongyun, pondered for a moment, and nodded. "Very well, since Fellow Daoist Wu Ming invites us, once I and Fellow Daoist Hongyun have secluded ourselves to digest our gains, we will certainly come to Buzhou Mountain to trouble you."

Hongyun came back to his senses. Though his spirits were low, he couldn't refuse Wu Ming's active invitation, so he nodded as well. "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist. When the time comes, Hongyun will surely accompany Brother Zhen."

"Excellent!" Wu Ming clapped his hands with a laugh. "Then it's settled! Wu Ming will await you both at Pangu Hall!"

"Farewell."

Wu Ming said no more, turned to the Twelve Ancestor Witches, and said, "Let's go, back to Buzhou Mountain!"

"Yes, Brother Wu Ming!"

Thirteen figures instantly transformed into streaks of light, tearing through Chaos, and sped toward the Primordial Wilderness.

Zhen Yuanzi watched the direction the Witch Clan had gone, then looked at Hongyun, who was still sighing beside him, and shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, what's done is done. Dwelling on it is useless."

"Better to return to the Primordial Wilderness first and properly digest the Sage's preaching. Improving your strength is the true path."

Hongyun nodded bitterly. "Sigh, I know... but I just can't find peace of mind!"

Zhen Yuanzi patted his shoulder. "Come on, let's head back to my Wuzhuang Temple first and cultivate in stillness."