Jade Emperor: Dad, You Have Taught Me Well!

"Before Dao Ancestor Hongjun preached at Zixiao Palace, did the beings of the Primordial World have no cultivation methods? Could they not comprehend the Dao on their own?"

Ah, this...

The Queen Mother, Jade Emperor, Sect Master Tongtian, and the others were rendered speechless for a moment.

Suddenly, Sect Master Tongtian, Saintess Nuwa, and the others came to their senses.

That was right!

Before Hongjun preached the Dao, hadn't everyone been cultivating just fine?

"Not only were there cultivation methods, but the Primordial Continent had instead been a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred clans contending, flourishing to the extreme."

Zhang Yifan snorted coldly. "But after the preaching at Zixiao Palace, hmph, the hundred flowers withered, and only the Profound Sect remained! Is this what you call benefiting all living beings? This is what you call the decline of all methods!"

The Jade Emperor, Sect Master Tongtian, Queen Mother, Nuwa, and San Xiao all sucked in a cold breath.

The more carefully they thought about it, the more their scalps went numb.

It really did seem to be so!

The more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became!

Wasn't the current Primordial Continent left with only the orthodox Profound Sect?

Where were the other advanced cultivation methods?!

"Great-grandpa, but does this prove that the preaching at Zixiao Palace is a cage?"

After thinking it over, Yunxiao was still very puzzled. "Dao Ancestor Hongjun didn't force anyone to go, nor did he force anyone to stay. It doesn't look like a cage at all."

Before Zhang Yifan could speak, Sect Master Tongtian couldn't help sighing. "Sigh, Yun Yun, the Profound Sect's cultivation methods have already become an invisible cage."

"That's right." Saintess Nuwa also nodded.

After thinking it over, Yang Jian, Zhao Gongming, the Jade Emperor, and the others nodded in agreement.

In the current Primordial World, aside from the Profound Sect's cultivation methods, did anyone know any others?

Of course not!

"Little Tongtong, not bad! Your mind has become quite flexible! It seems eating pig brains was really effective!"

Seeing that Sect Master Tongtian had grasped this point, Zhang Yifan's eyes lit up, and he even gave him a thumbs-up in praise.

"Hahahaha, eating brains to nourish the brain. Brother Tong ate quite a lot of brains tonight—pig brains, ox brains, sheep brains. He ate several large bowls." Yang Jian burst out laughing.

"Get lost!" Sect Master Tongtian glared at Yang Jian irritably.

"Hahahahaha."

The bickering between Sect Master Tongtian and Yang Jian made everyone burst into laughter.

"Grandpa, stop making fun of me." Sect Master Tongtian's face flushed with embarrassment as he said to Zhang Yifan, "Please continue telling us about the greatest tribulation in the Primordial World—the preaching at Zixiao Palace."

The others also stopped laughing and sat up straight, listening once more, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.

"As I mentioned earlier, why did the mighty figures of the Primordial World go to listen to the lectures? Naturally, it was all to seek that so-called path to becoming a Saint."

Everyone nodded. That was indeed the case.

Looking at the engrossed crowd, Zhang Yifan asked in return, "Is there such a thing as a free lunch in this world?"

"No."

After thinking it over, everyone agreed.

"That's right. What's free is always the most expensive." Zhang Yifan nodded. "Hongjun's preaching at Zixiao Palace was naturally the most expensive preaching in the history of the Primordial World."

"When the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and countless other powerhouses of the Primordial World arrived at Zixiao Palace and listened to Hongjun preach the Dao, every one of those powerhouses incurred immeasurable karma and countless favors owed to Hongjun."

"Who could repay this karma in full? Could the Three Pure Ones repay it?" Zhang Yifan asked the crowd.

"It seems... they couldn't."

Sect Master Tongtian and the others thought for a moment before shaking their heads.

The immeasurable karma from this preaching was like a net of invisible chains, tightly ensnaring all the powerhouses.

The Jade Emperor, Nuwa, and the others were utterly shocked.

The three thousand mortal-world guests in Zixiao Palace had thought that being able to hear Hongjun preach meant they had struck it rich. Who could have imagined that they were all prisoners in Hongjun's cage?

Zhang Yifan nodded. "Not only could they not repay it, but more importantly, all the powerhouses of the Primordial World's Three Realms came under Dao Ancestor Hongjun's tutelage and formed the Profound Sect. Everyone had to respectfully address Hongjun as their teacher and Dao Ancestor."

"All the powerhouses honored Hongjun above all!"

"From that point onward, Hongjun became the only patriarch of the Primordial Continent!"

Those words were like a thunderclap, leaving Sect Master Tongtian, the Jade Emperor, Nuwa, and the others with numb scalps and drastically changed expressions.

With this one move, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had forever placed himself above all living beings in the Primordial World!

"Do you know what this means?" Zhang Yifan asked the crowd.

The thoughts of the Jade Emperor, Sect Master Tongtian, Queen Mother, and the others churned, their expressions shifting constantly. They already knew what it meant.

Zhang Yifan sighed. "It means that in future disputes among the various clans, sects, and mighty figures, Hongjun could remain completely outside the conflict. Meanwhile, Hongjun could secretly scheme and sow discord."

"He could not only use the excuse of the Primordial Tribulations without restraint to suppress clans, sects, and powerhouses that began to rise, but also eliminate his political enemies!"

"The Witch-Demon Tribulation, Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, and Journey to the West Tribulation were all the same!"

"Most importantly, no one would suspect him!"

"Because of one sentence: it was the Heavenly Dao Tribulation! That alone was enough!"

Everyone's chests heaved as they gasped for breath, too shocked to speak.

"This was Hongjun. After preaching at Zixiao Palace, he became the only supreme being in the Primordial Continent! A supreme being who was righteous and fair!"

"But was he righteous? Was he fair?!"

Zhang Yifan's voice boomed like thunder beside everyone's ears, making their entire bodies tremble.

Zhang Yifan sneered. "At Zixiao Palace, Hongjun also established six Saint positions, causing all living beings to spend their lives pursuing nothing but Saint positions. And the Saint positions could only be granted by Hongjun. This meant that Hongjun had forever seized control of all living beings in the Primordial World. Whether they lived or died, rose or fell, was entirely up to Hongjun."

"Such schemes—this was the highest level of strategy! This was the ultimate emperor!" The Jade Emperor's face darkened as he sighed with emotion.

What were imperial schemes in the presence of Dao Ancestor Hongjun? They were simply not worth mentioning!

He had schemed to seize an entire Primordial Continent and become its eternal supreme being!

Hongjun's image was lofty, mighty, domineering, and utterly beyond reach.

A sense of defeat and powerlessness seemed to be growing in the Jade Emperor's heart.

With Father's support, with Father as my backing, I will definitely surpass Hongjun and become the supreme Heavenly Emperor!

The Jade Emperor cried out inwardly, while also feeling grateful to Zhang Yifan, his father.

That sense of defeat was instantly strangled in its cradle, and the Jade Emperor's aura became incomparably sharp.

Everyone couldn't help glancing at him.

Sect Master Tongtian also nodded heavily. "That's right. On the chessboard of the Primordial World, Hongjun is the only player. Everyone else is a chess piece. Yet the chess pieces don't realize it and think they're players too. How laughable, how laughable."

Sect Master Tongtian recalled the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation: the battles and slaughter among the various factions, with the sect masters all believing themselves to be the players moving the pieces, when Hongjun was the true player.

At the moment the Investiture of the Gods List was signed, fate had already been decided. Why hadn't he realized it?!

Sect Master Tongtian felt regretful and frustrated.

The Queen Mother also smiled bitterly. "The preaching at Zixiao Palace truly was the greatest and most terrifying tribulation in the Primordial World. Hongjun murdered the future of the entire Primordial Continent!"

Nuwa was even so shocked that she couldn't speak.

She had more thoughts than the others, and there was more for her to consider! The more she thought, the more alarmed she became. Yet the more she thought, the more she admired Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure rose infinitely higher in her eyes!

"Hongjun has no opponents left now, does he?" Yang Jian also sighed.

"Hahahaha, look at you all. How could Hongjun possibly be invincible now?"

Seeing that everyone looked somewhat dispirited, Zhang Yifan laughed loudly. "After the preaching at Zixiao Palace, there are at least two swords still hanging over Hongjun's head, keeping him from eating or sleeping in peace!"

"Ah!"

Everyone cried out in alarm!

Hongjun had reached this level, yet he still wasn't invincible?

There were still two swords hanging over Dao Ancestor Hongjun's head?

And they belonged to the Primordial Continent?

What kind of swords were they?!

That was incredible!

Section 45: Jade Emperor: Father, Your Lesson Has Been Received!

What kind of swords were so incredible that they actually hung over Dao Ancestor Hongjun's head?

And there were two of them!

Exclamations rang out everywhere.

Sect Master Tongtian, the Jade Emperor, Nuwa, and the others were greatly shocked.

There was such a thing?

"Father, hurry up and tell us—what kind of swords are they?" the Jade Emperor asked urgently.

"Exactly, Grandpa, hurry up and tell us." Sect Master Tongtian also really wanted to know!