Hongjun continued preaching.
Two thousand five hundred years later, he finished explaining the Severing the Three Corpses method and stopped.
Hong Yun, however, frowned and pondered. "The Dao Ancestor said that refining the Three Corpses would make one a Quasi-Saint at the initial stage, and severing one corpse would raise one by a minor realm."
"After severing all three, one would reach the Quasi-Saint Peak!"
"But he concealed the crucial point. He never said that the Three Corpses had to be housed in Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures or better!"
"If ordinary spiritual treasures were used, it would be completely impossible to merge the Three Corpses and become a Saint in the future!"
Hong Yun's eyes flickered. He was no ignorant novice of the Great Desolation.
"Hongjun intends to trick everyone here. No wonder he schemed against me later. He's truly sinister!"
He sneered inwardly.
However, he did not care.
Though Severing the Three Corpses could allow one to cultivate to the Quasi-Saint realm or even attain the Saint Position,
Saints were divided into levels of strength.
Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones could only become Saints through merit if they did not use Supreme Grade Spiritual Treasures.
That was the weakest path, subject to the dual constraints of the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun.
Tongtian being confined to the Purple Cloud Palace after the Investiture of the Gods was an example.
They were all Saints, so why could Hongjun do this?
Because he was stronger.
Above merit-based Sainthood was becoming a Saint through Severing the Three Corpses, like Hongjun.
Above that was the Saint who had Harmonized with the Dao, a realm only Hongjun had attained.
After Harmonizing with the Dao, Hongjun was even more formidable than he was now.
Beyond that were becoming a Saint through the physical body and becoming a Saint through the primordial spirit.
It was hard to say which was stronger, because no one in the Great Desolation had achieved either.
However, if Hong Yun cultivated the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique and the Nine Revolutions Primordial Technique to their peaks, he could become a Saint.
The Mysterious Technique cultivated the physical body, while the Primordial Technique cultivated the primordial spirit.
Above those was the Great Dao Saint, like Pangu, who had proved the Dao through strength.
There were so many methods of proving the Dao that Hong Yun had plenty of choices.
He listened to the lecture to gain insights, not to rigidly cultivate this particular method.
After finishing his lecture, Hongjun swept his gaze across the three thousand guests.
"I have finished explaining my method. You may ask whatever you wish!"
He spoke calmly.
In an instant, countless powerful figures of the Great Desolation inside the Purple Cloud Palace began tossing out the doubts in their hearts, hoping for the Saint's guidance.
Hong Yun, however, paid no attention to the commotion.
Seated on the Great Dao Cushion, he listened to Hongjun preach for more than two thousand years. His comprehension of Severing the Three Corpses had nearly reached the level of the Dao Ancestor himself.
After this lecture, he had almost no questions left to resolve.
This was the astonishing aspect of the Great Dao Cushion!
Hong Yun secretly extended his divine sense into the Qiankun Cauldron. Of the forty-eight restrictions on the Great Dao Treasure Gourd, he had already refined forty-one.
At the same time, he had completely understood the wondrous functions of this treasure gourd.
The Great Dao Treasure Gourd possessed three extraordinary effects.
When he had refined twenty-five restrictions, he had already unlocked the first effect—defensive power.
The gourd's ability to protect its owner was peerlessly powerful. Although it was not as invincible as the Chaos Bell, it far surpassed the acquired defensive supreme treasure, the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda.
After refining thirty-six restrictions, the second effect emerged—the ability to trap enemies.
Hong Yun estimated that if he activated this treasure, he could imprison an opponent one major realm stronger than himself.
Once he advanced to the late Quasi-Saint stage, no one below the Saint realm would be able to escape its restraints.
However, no matter how powerful this treasure was, trapping a Saint was still a fool's dream.
Saints had already transcended the mortal world. They were eternal and imperishable beings, untouched by countless tribulations.
Over these two thousand years, Hong Yun had also pushed both the Nine Revolutions Primordial Technique and the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique to the sixth revolution!
His gains from this trip to the Purple Cloud Palace were extraordinarily abundant.
At this moment, everyone in the palace had finished questioning Hongjun.
Hongjun spoke again. "Everyone, ever since the contest between the demonic and immortal paths, the immortal path has flourished throughout the Great Desolation. Countless immortals have emerged, creating a glorious age of contention..."
"I have a proposal. What do you think?"
Hearing this, everyone fell silent, filled with confusion. They did not know what the Saint intended.
Only Jieyin and Zhunti had a trace of fervor flash through their eyes.
Jieyin whispered, "Fellow Daoist Hong Yun truly did not deceive us. The Dao Ancestor is choosing the leader of the myriad immortals!"
Zhunti hurriedly agreed. "Senior Brother, we must quickly recommend ourselves to the Dao Ancestor!"
The other mighty figures focused their attention on Hongjun, waiting for him to continue.
Hongjun announced, "I propose that Eastern Prince Gong become the leader of the male immortals, and I bestow the Dragon Head Staff upon him. Queen Mother of the West shall become the leader of the female immortals, and I grant her the Kunlun Mirror. Together, they shall govern the myriad immortals of the Great Desolation. What do you think?"
At these words, Eastern Prince Gong and Queen Mother of the West beamed with delight.
They had never expected the Saint to name them as the rulers of the myriad immortals. This was an opportunity of immense proportions.
Jieyin shouted first, "Dao Ancestor, my junior brother and I are willing to become the leaders of the immortals!"
Zhunti pleaded, "Dao Ancestor, the Western Lands are barren and impoverished, and cultivation there is difficult. Surely my senior brother and I should take on the position of leaders of the myriad immortals!"
Eastern Prince Gong and Queen Mother of the West had not yet had time to express their thanks when their expressions suddenly changed.
The two people from the Western Lands were shameless enough to steal their heaven-sent opportunity.
Out of consideration for the Saint's dignity, they did not dare erupt.
Hongjun paused slightly after hearing this.
These two actually dared to play the victim in front of him and even tried to seize the positions he had already decided on. How presumptuous.
The other mighty figures exchanged glances before waiting to watch the spectacle and see how the Saint would decide.
At the same time, a voice rang out in Hong Yun's mind. "Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully causing trouble. You have been rewarded with the Mythical Grand Unity Method!"
In an instant, Hong Yun's heart bloomed with joy.
The Mythical Grand Unity Method was the supreme cultivation art.
It could allow one to cross beyond the Quasi-Saint realm and directly prove the Great Dao.
Once he cultivated the Mythical Grand Unity realm, Saints would be nothing more than ants before him.
Whether it was the Heavenly Dao or the Saints, none would be worth mentioning.
"Wonderful! It's actually the Mythical Grand Unity Method!"
Hong Yun nearly laughed aloud.
He forcibly suppressed his joy.
At this moment, he sensed that he could take out the Mythical Grand Unity Method rewarded by the system with nothing more than a thought.
However, since he was in the Purple Cloud Palace, he decided to examine the method carefully after returning to Fire Cloud Cave.
Earlier, he had still been weighing the various paths to Sainthood.
Now, it seemed that compared with the Mythical Grand Unity Method, all other paths to Sainthood were as tiny as dust.
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun's expression gradually turned cold.
He rebuked them. "You two are insatiably greedy. If you continue like this, you may find it difficult to prove the Great Dao!"
"The leaders of the male and female immortals have already been decided. There will be no changes!"
Hongjun's tone was icy as he reprimanded Jieyin and Zhunti without mercy.
His earlier question had merely been a formality.
He had assumed that no one would dare slight the dignity of a Saint.
Who could have expected Jieyin and Zhunti to leap out and compete for the positions, nearly causing him to lose face?
After this farce, Hongjun developed a deep dissatisfaction with the two.
When Eastern Prince Gong and Queen Mother of the West heard this, the heavy stones in their hearts finally fell.
However, their gazes toward Jieyin and Zhunti now contained a trace of hostility.
Eastern Prince Gong gritted his teeth. "Jieyin, Zhunti, I'll remember this. In the future, I'll lead the myriad immortals to flatten the Western Lands and show you what it means to be the leader of the myriad immortals!"
Queen Mother of the West snorted coldly. "Jieyin, Zhunti, I'll remember you as well!"
Jieyin and Zhunti likewise regarded Eastern Prince Gong and Queen Mother of the West as thorns in their sides.
In their eyes, these two had stolen the heaven-ordained opportunity that should have allowed them to revive the Western Lands.
If they became the leaders of the myriad immortals, they could summon the immortals to the Western Lands and restore its former glory.
Now that their great undertaking had been ruined, they burned with fury.
As for Hong Yun, they were too grateful to him to suspect that they had fallen into a trap.
Hongjun waved his hand. "This lecture is over. In ten thousand years, I will explain the path to Sainthood!"
"You may all leave!"
The lecture came to an end, and the next one would point directly toward Sainthood.
These words stirred the eager anticipation of countless mighty figures.
"Next time, I must come listen again!"
"I absolutely cannot miss it. Becoming a Saint is my lifelong wish!"
"The Dao Ancestor is selfless, imparting the method of Sainthood to us. This is truly immense kindness!"
"I must hurry back and cultivate. I'm only at the early stage of the Grand Unity realm. I already found the Severing the Three Corpses method profound this time. Next time, it will surely be even harder to comprehend!"
"Exactly. Let's hurry back and cultivate!"
Most of the three thousand guests were stuck at the early stage of the Grand Unity realm, and all of them were now frantic with impatience.
They swore to reach the peak of the Grand Unity realm before the next lecture.
After leaving the palace, the Three Pure Ones went their separate ways.
Their gains this time had filled them with confidence.
Within a few thousand years, they would be able to reach the peak of the Grand Unity realm. Relying on Severing the Three Corpses, reaching the early Quasi-Saint stage would not be difficult.
Within ten thousand years, if their luck was good, they might even be able to break through to the mid Quasi-Saint stage.
Nuwa was the same, returning with a full harvest.
Only Dijun, Taiyi, Ancestor Minghe, and several others gathered in a corner and began scheming in hushed voices.
Minghe asked excitedly, "Fellow Daoist Dijun, is what you said true?"
Dijun said solemnly, "I am the Demon Emperor. Why would I deceive you? I saw it with my own eyes. Hong Yun claimed seven innate gourds for himself at Buzhou Mountain!"
Just now, he had told Minghe everything about Hong Yun obtaining the treasures.
Minghe was feverish with excitement. "Excellent! Won't you help me? Killing Hong Yun will yield quite a harvest!"
Dijun shook his head. "Hong Yun has already reached the peak of the Grand Unity realm. We need to hurry back and cultivate, striving to enter the Quasi-Saint realm as soon as possible. We will not participate this time!"
Taiyi added, "Minghe, don't forget our agreement. If you seize the seven gourds, you must give two of them to us."
This was the condition for Dijun leaking the information.
Minghe said boldly, "Of course! If Hong Yun truly has seven gourds, I will definitely seize them!"
Kunpeng questioned him. "Minghe, you and Hong Yun are both at the peak of the Grand Unity realm, and he broke through before you. Are you really confident that you can defeat him?"
When experts of the same realm fought, victory was difficult to determine unless the difference between them was enormous.
Dijun and Taiyi also looked at Minghe in confusion.
Minghe sneered. "As long as Hong Yun has no supreme treasure protecting him, I will make sure he cannot escape even if he grows wings!"
Dijun slapped his chest. "I guarantee that Hong Yun has absolutely no supreme treasure!"
Minghe gave a feral grin. "Then he's dead for sure!"
After learning that Hong Yun had seven gourds, each of which could be refined into a Supreme Grade Spiritual Treasure, Minghe's heart stirred.
He possessed only the two swords Yuantu and Abi. The more Supreme Grade Spiritual Treasures, the better.
Afterward, Dijun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, and Minghe said their farewells.
They were only at the late stage of the Grand Unity realm and were eager to break into the Quasi-Saint realm to pave the way for Sainthood. They would not participate in the encirclement this time.
Elsewhere, outside the Purple Cloud Palace,
Zhenyuanzi walked toward Hong Yun. "Fellow Daoist, would you like to visit Wuzhuang Temple and sit for a while?"
Hong Yun smiled. "I haven't even finished eating the Ginseng Fruit you gave me last time, so I'll pass this time!"
During his previous visit to Wuzhuang Temple, he had brought back five fruits. Three remained now.
He extended an invitation in return. "If you have time, you can come to Fire Cloud Cave for a chat."
Zhenyuanzi readily agreed. "Once I have comprehended this lecture, I will certainly visit!"
He lowered his voice. "I saw Kunpeng, Minghe, and several others secretly joining forces. I'm afraid they may be plotting against you. Should we travel together?"
Hong Yun waved his hand. "Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist, but I'm not afraid of them! You should return to Wuzhuang Temple first."
Zhenyuanzi nodded, bid farewell to Hong Yun, and flew toward Wuzhuang Temple.
Hong Yun rode on auspicious clouds toward Fire Cloud Cave at an unhurried pace.
He vaguely sensed that someone was following him from behind.
After flying tens of thousands of miles across the Great Desolation, he stopped his auspicious clouds.
He suddenly turned around and shouted, "You sneaky scoundrel, get out here!"
Minghe appeared and sneered. "It's just as well that you noticed me. I can send you to the netherworld sooner!"
There was no one around, which suited him perfectly.
Hong Yun looked at him coldly. "Minghe, you again! Was the lesson last time not enough?"
Minghe exploded with rage. "You cheated last time and destroyed ten of my blood rivers! This time, I'll make you repay me a hundredfold!"
He waved his hand, and more than a hundred Netherworld Blood Rivers roared forth.
Swish, swish, swish!
The Blood River instantly surrounded Hong Yun.
Minghe laughed wildly. "This time, I even brought the Netherworld Blood Sea with me. Let's see how you survive!"
He brought out Yuantu and Abi, the twin swords stabbing straight at Hong Yun.
Yet Hong Yun remained calm.
A mere hundred Blood Rivers were now nothing more than an appetizer.
The last time, when his Devouring Divine Ability had just taken shape, he had swallowed ten Blood Rivers.
Now that the ability had reached perfection, he had even comprehended the Great Dao Law of Devouring.
He estimated that he could swallow ten million Blood Rivers in a single gulp.
But he did not act yet.
He had to wait until Minghe brought out the entire blood sea before he could wipe them all out in one sweep.
Otherwise, once he used his divine ability, he feared Minghe would be so frightened that he would not dare release the blood sea.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yuantu and Abi arrived in the blink of an eye.
The twin swords exuded a sinister, razor-sharp aura.
Hong Yun thought to himself, Last time, I hadn't completely refined Pangu's Essence Blood, so my physical body was inferior to a Supreme Grade Spiritual Treasure. But now...
He neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, his fighting spirit ignited.
He had completely refined Pangu's Essence Blood, and with the enhancement of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique, his physical body was comparable to that of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
"It shouldn't be any weaker than a Supreme Grade Spiritual Treasure!"
He brought out the Great Dao Treasure Gourd, which revolved around his body.
With this treasure protecting him, he had nothing to fear.
He swung both fists, meeting Yuantu and Abi head-on!
Bang! Bang!
The two thunderous impacts nearly merged into one.
Fists and swords clashed head-on. The twin swords were blasted away, cracks appearing all over their blades.
Minghe was stunned. "How is this possible?!"
He knew Hong Yun's physical body was powerful, but last time, it had still been inferior to his spiritual treasures.
Yet now, his spiritual treasures had actually been damaged.
Before you continue