Hongjun's gaze swept over Di Jun, then slowly passed across everyone in the hall.
"Not so."
"There are three methods of becoming a Saint."
The moment he said this, all the mighty figures in the hall pricked up their ears.
This was a Saint personally explaining the path to Sainthood!
"First, Prove Dao by Force, also known as Prove Dao by Law."
"This was the path Great God Pangu took. He created the world, intending to use supreme force to shatter the shackles of the Great Dao and attain the Hunyuan Dao Fruit."
A trace of indescribable complexity colored Hongjun's tone. It seemed to be remembrance, admiration, and regret all at once.
"Yet Great God Pangu also failed, transforming into all things of the Primordial Wilderness."
Those words caused the hearts of many mighty figures in the hall to sink.
Great God Pangu, who had created the world! What immense power he had possessed! Even he had failed?
This path was simply beyond anything they could hope for.
Wu Ming's heart stirred instead. Hongjun was switching concepts.
He was deliberately exaggerating the difficulty of Proving Dao by Force and attributing Great God Pangu's failure to the method itself.
Yet he completely failed to mention that what Great God Pangu had sought was not something as simple as becoming a Hunyuan Saint, but a higher level of the Great Dao.
Wu Ming also understood that Proving Dao by Force was indeed extremely difficult.
The laws of the Primordial Wilderness had already been established, and the environment had changed drastically. It would be extremely difficult to replicate Father God's path and succeed.
However, the Witch Clan was not included in this. After all, they were born with control over laws, and they also possessed Father God's inheritance.
Hongjun continued his explanation, his voice utterly unruffled.
"Second is what I just mentioned: Prove Dao by Severing Three Corpses."
"This method requires the aid of an Innate Spiritual Treasure to sever the good, evil, and self Three Corpses. Once the Three Corpses merge into one, one can also attain Hunyuan."
"This method is relatively safe. It is also the method I used to Prove Dao."
He had listed this method second while explicitly stating that it was the method he himself had used. His preference for it was obvious.
The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances. Yuanshi gave a slight nod, Taiqing remained expressionless, while Tongtian seemed deep in thought.
As incarnations of Pangu's Primordial Spirit, they had profound roots and enduring Destiny/Fortune. They also had no shortage of High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. The Method of Slaying Three Corpses suited them very well.
"Third, Prove Dao by Merit."
"This method involves accumulating immeasurable merit and gaining the recognition of the Heavenly Dao, thereby attaining the position of a Heavenly Dao Saint."
"To become a Saint through this method, one must make great contributions to the Primordial Wilderness, obtain an enormous amount of merit, and possess great perseverance, great opportunities, and great merit. Without these, it cannot be done."
Prove Dao by Merit. Zhen Yuanzi seemed somewhat moved.
He controlled the Earth Book and was closely connected to the earth. If he could organize the earth veins and bring benefits to the Primordial Wilderness, perhaps he would have a chance to accumulate merit.
But the words "enormous amount" made him hesitate.
Wu Ming understood in his heart. Proving Dao by Law was the path the Witch Clan should take!
The Witch Clan was born with control over laws, using them to temper their bodies and Primordial Spirits.
If they could comprehend the laws to the utmost and control their Origin, their power would far surpass that of those who became Saints by Severing Three Corpses.
Although the Witch Clan now possessed Primordial Spirits, Wu Ming would never let them take the path of Severing Three Corpses.
The path of Severing Three Corpses seemed safe and had been personally verified by a Saint.
Yet it required an Innate Spiritual Treasure as a vessel, making it entirely different from the Witch Clan's path of tempering their bodies and controlling laws.
Moreover... the Saint positions had long since been predetermined by the Heavenly Dao. Even if the Witch Clan chose this path and severed all Three Corpses, they would absolutely never become Saints.
Aside from those six Saints, no one else under the Heavenly Dao could become a Saint.
Proving Dao by Law was difficult, but not without a chance.
The Witch Clan had to Prove Dao by Law!
This was their only opportunity!
As for Proving Dao by Merit... Wu Ming looked toward Houtu. Houtu... could perhaps try to Prove Dao by Merit.
But Wu Ming immediately rejected the thought.
Houtu would transform into Reincarnation and anchor herself in the Nether. Though it seemed she would gain immeasurable merit, she would actually be trapped in one place and lose her freedom. That was not the outcome he wanted to see.
Di Jun and Taiyi furrowed their brows. The two Golden Crows exchanged a glance, seemingly weighing the advantages and disadvantages.
Severing Three Corpses required a spiritual treasure. Proving Dao by Law seemed unrelated to them, while Proving Dao by Merit... perhaps they could make some plans.
Would establishing order and ruling over all living beings count as great merit?
After briefly describing the three paths, Hongjun said no more and quietly waited for the next person to ask a question.
The hall fell into a long silence.
Three paths lay before them. Each seemed bright, yet each was covered in thorns.
All the mighty figures were digesting the information Hongjun had brought and weighing their own paths.
Time passed bit by bit. Inside Zixiao Palace, one could hear a pin drop.
After a long while, Hongjun slowly opened his eyes and swept his gaze over the still-thoughtful crowd below. Seeing that no one asked any more questions, he seemed to recall something.
He suddenly spoke in a calm voice. It was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"East Prince Gong, West Queen Mother."
The two whose names had been called were both stunned, then hurriedly rose to their feet.
"You two were transformed from innate Yin-Yang Qi. Your roots are extraordinary, and you should be the leaders of all immortals."
"East Prince Gong, you shall be the leader of the male immortals of the Primordial Wilderness. I bestow upon you the Dragon Head Staff, and charge you with governing all male immortals under Heaven."
A streak of light flew out, transforming into a simple yet imposing Dragon Head Staff that landed before East Prince Gong.
"West Queen Mother, you shall be the leader of the female immortals of the Primordial Wilderness. I bestow upon you the Western Plain Colored Cloud Banner, and charge you with governing all female immortals under Heaven."
Another streak of light flew out, transforming into an apricot-yellow treasure banner radiating a gentle Immortal Light. It landed before West Queen Mother.
Hongjun's words were like a heavenly decree, directly determining their titles and authority.
The moment he said this, the expressions of many people in the hall changed slightly.
The Three Pure Ones remained calm.
Di Jun and Taiyi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The other mighty figures also had their own thoughts, but none dared reveal them before a Saint.
"Thank you, Saint!"
The two were both astonished and delighted. They hurriedly bowed and accepted the spiritual treasures.
East Prince Gong was even more excited, his face glowing red. He felt an unprecedented authority settle upon him, filling him with confidence.
A sudden inspiration struck him. He bowed deeply to Hongjun once more and spoke loudly, his voice filled with respect and flattery:
"Saint Hongjun, your compassion has illuminated the direction of the Great Dao for us living beings of the Primordial Wilderness and bestowed upon us supreme techniques. You are the Ancestor of the Myriad Daos and should be called—Dao Ancestor!"
His booming voice echoed throughout Zixiao Palace.
The moment the words "Dao Ancestor" were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became strange.
Many mighty figures cursed inwardly: This East Prince Gong is far too good at currying favor!
The Three Pure Ones remained expressionless.
The corners of Di Jun and Taiyi's mouths curled into cold smiles.
Zhen Yuanzi frowned.
Hong Yun instinctively wanted to smooth things over, but after looking at the situation, he still closed his mouth.
Wu Ming was speechless. This East Prince Gong had received a little benefit and already no longer knew his own limits. "Leader of all immortals"? He was truly courting death.
Hongjun neither approved nor rejected the title. His face remained completely expressionless.
He spoke again, his voice spreading throughout the hall.
"Thirty thousand years from now, I will reopen Zixiao Palace and lecture on the Hunyuan Dao Fruit."
"Cultivate diligently."
As his voice faded, Hongjun's figure dispersed like a reflection in water, vanishing without a trace.
The high platform was once again empty, as if no one had ever been there.
The people in the hall stood stunned for a moment before reacting.
They rose together and bowed toward the empty high platform.
"Farewell, Dao Ancestor!"
As Hongjun departed, the gates of Zixiao Palace silently opened.
Everyone rose one after another, each harboring different thoughts as they began walking outside.