The Second Preaching of the Dao

Amidst the boundless Chaos, thirteen figures wove through it, flying toward Zixiao Palace.

Before long, the grand and ancient Zixiao Palace came into view in the distance.

The palace gates stood open, with many figures already gathered inside—some in small clusters, others standing alone, their auras varied, all of them renowned great powers of the Primordial Wilderness.

Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches stepped into the hall, and from afar, they spotted Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun.

His gaze lingered briefly on the Twelve Ancestor Witches; the restrained yet increasingly terrifying fluctuations of their laws sent a faint chill through his heart.

"Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hongyun." Wu Ming approached and gave a slight bow to the two.

Zhen Yuanzi returned the bow: "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, it's good to see you well."

Hongyun, with a casual smile on his face, said, "Your bearing outshines the past, Fellow Daoist."

Wu Ming nodded: "The same goes for both of you, Fellow Daoists."

"It seems that ten thousand years of secluded cultivation have brought you both great progress."

Zhen Yuanzi nodded slightly: "I've gained a little, but far from matching you." He looked at the Twelve Ancestor Witches behind Wu Ming, whose auras had grown even more unfathomable, and felt a wave of emotion in his heart.

After a brief exchange of words with them, they each took their seats.

As time passed, the listeners arrived one after another.

When the last great power stepped through the palace gates, the two attendants, Haotian and Yaochi, came out.

The great doors of Zixiao Palace slowly closed, and the entire hall fell silent in an instant.

On the high platform, Hongjun's figure appeared silently, as if he had been there since time immemorial.

Everyone quickly rose and bowed in salute: "Greetings to the Sage!"

Hongjun raised his hand in a gentle gesture: "No need for formalities. Sit."

Once all were seated, Hongjun's calm, unruffled voice rang out, filling the entire Zixiao Palace.

"This session of preaching will last ten thousand years, covering... the Quasi-Saint Path."

Without heeding the reactions of the crowd, Hongjun began to expound on his own.

"A Quasi-Saint has already clarified the direction of their own Great Dao, their Magic Power reaching profundity, and supernatural abilities arising naturally..."

"To attain Quasi-Saint, one must clearly understand the path ahead..."

Hongjun's voice echoed through the hall, each word containing the ultimate principles of the Great Dao.

Yet, as the explanation deepened, the atmosphere in the hall began to grow subtle.

Those in the front rows—the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and others—listened intently, their Dao Rhythms rising and falling with his words, their brows sometimes relaxing, sometimes furrowing in deep thought.

Wu Ming closed his eyes and focused, his Primordial Spirit operating at full capacity, comparing the Quasi-Saint secrets Hongjun spoke of with the methods of law manipulation inherited from Pangu, cross-referencing and verifying them.

With the aid of his Primordial Spirit, he could understand most of what Hongjun said, especially the parts about condensing one's own Great Dao and severing external demons, which gave him new insights into controlling his laws.

The Twelve Ancestor Witches were the same; relying on their powerful Primordial Spirits and mastery of their own laws, they strove to grasp some of the principles Hongjun taught, using them to refine their application of laws.

Though they couldn't fully comprehend the mysteries of the Immortal Dao's Quasi-Saint, each of them compared it to the laws they controlled, diligently absorbing what could be borrowed from Hongjun's Dao methods and integrating it with themselves—not entirely without gain.

However, for most of the listeners further back, it was a different scene.

Every word Hongjun spoke was a gem of wisdom; each character was recognizable on its own, but strung together, it was like hearing a celestial book—profound and elusive, impossible to grasp.

Some wore pained expressions, scratching their heads and ears.

Others forcibly activated their Primordial Spirits, trying to memorize what Hongjun said, but those true words containing the Great Dao's principles slipped away from their memories as soon as they entered their minds, leaving no trace.

This polarized scene made those who couldn't understand even more anxious, yet they were helpless, forced to watch the fellow Daoists ahead of them immersed in the joy of enlightenment.

"What are the Three Corpses? They are transformations of a person's Good Thought, Evil Thought, and Obsession..."

"Severing one Corpse grants the initial stage of Quasi-Saint cultivation."

"Severing two Corpses grants the middle stage of Quasi-Saint cultivation."

"Severing three Corpses grants the peak stage of Quasi-Saint cultivation."

"With all Three Corpses severed and the Dao Fruit perfected, one can attempt to merge the Three Corpses into one, attain the Hunyuan Dao Fruit, and achieve the status of a Sage."

Hongjun detailed how to identify the Three Corpses, how to condense one's mind and spirit, and how to invoke the power of the Great Dao to sever them.

"Among the Three Corpses, the Good and Evil Corpses are relatively easier to sever; only the Self is the hardest."

"The Self refers to the original self, the true self—the very foundation of a cultivator's existence."

"Severing the Self does not mean annihilating oneself, but cutting away that 'Self-Attachment,' that rigid perception of one's own existence, thereby transcending it and awakening to the true self."

Hongjun focused on explaining the difficulty and key points of severing the Self Corpse, the subtleties of which caused many great powers to furrow their brows.

Even the Three Pure Ones in the front rows, upon hearing this, knitted their brows and sank into deep thought.

Unbeknownst to all, another ten thousand years slipped by.

When the final Dao sound faded, the boundless Dao Rhythm that had filled Zixiao Palace slowly subsided.

Hongjun opened his eyes and looked down at the multitude below.

"This session of preaching is now concluded."

"If any of you have questions regarding cultivation, you may raise them, and I shall resolve your doubts."

As these words fell, the hall fell silent for a moment, then someone could no longer hold back.

The first to stand was Taiqing.

He clasped his hands in a bow: "May I ask the Sage, how does one Sever Three Corpses?"

At this question, everyone's attention focused on Hongjun.

This was the key to the path of Quasi-Saint!

Hongjun looked at Taiqing and spoke slowly.

"To Sever Three Corpses, one must rely on external objects."

"Innate Spiritual Treasures can serve as the vessel for severing a corpse."

Innate Spiritual Treasures!

Those four words sent a shock through many hearts in the hall!

In the Primordial Wilderness, how rare were Innate Spiritual Treasures? Most had long since claimed masters or were hidden in secret realms. For an ordinary great power to obtain even one companion spiritual treasure was already a stroke of luck—where would they find three to sever their corpses?

What's more, Hongjun added.

"A cultivator uses an Innate Spiritual Treasure to bear and entrust their own Good Thought, Evil Thought, and Obsession, thereby severing the Good Corpse, Corpse of Evil, and Self Corpse." Hongjun continued to explain.

"The higher the grade of the spiritual treasure, the purer the thoughts it bears and entrusts, and the stronger the severed three corpses will be, with a more stable foundation."

These words chilled the hearts of many listeners.

A High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure was already as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, let alone a Top-grade one.

Did this mean that without a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the path to Quasi-Saint was impassable, or that walking it would leave one with a shallow foundation?

After Taiqing, Yuanshi rose and also bowed.

"May I ask the Sage, after using a spiritual treasure to sever a corpse, will it be damaged or vanish?"

This was also a concern for many.

If severing one corpse consumed an Innate Spiritual Treasure, the cost would be far too great.

Hongjun shook his head: "In this process, the spiritual treasure serves as a vessel and aid, becoming the dwelling place of the three corpses. Once the severing is complete, the spiritual treasure still exists, fused within the three corpses, and can be used at will."

Upon hearing this, the crowd breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If the spiritual treasure was not lost, there was still hope.

Next, the Demon Emperor Di Jun rose, his voice booming.

"May I ask the Sage, in the heavens and earth of the Primordial Wilderness, is the path of Severing Three Corpses the only way to Attain Sainthood?"