Primordial Golden Immortals and Quasi-Saints; Inviting Candle Dragon to the Hall for a Discussion

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Candle Dragon, please don't be hasty. Hongjun once said, 'Dharma is not transmitted to six ears.' Though our discussion is not as solemn as his, we should still guard against others divining the secrets of Heaven."

"What my Fourth Brother says next would bring us trouble, not good fortune, if it got out and others learned of it." Tongtian smiled as he explained.

He knew just how astonishing the secrets his Fourth Brother had mastered were.

For one thing, if they revealed the pitfalls of attaining sainthood through Severing Three Corpses, they would ruin Hongjun's plans. After that, they would probably have nowhere to go but Pangu Hall.

The moment they appeared somewhere under the Heavenly Dao's gaze, they would face Hongjun's furious attack.

There was nothing in it for the two of them, so naturally, it wasn't worth the risk.

"I see." Candle Dragon understood.

"Fellow Daoist, what is troubling you?"

After sealing off the secrets of Heaven, Xuanyuan waved his hand and put away the Primordial Measure Heaven Ruler, then regarded Candle Dragon with an easy expression.

Tongtian used his magic power to lift a cup of fragrant tea and send it to Candle Dragon.

"To be honest, I went to Purplecloud Palace to listen to the Dao Ancestor's lecture earlier. At the end, he mentioned that next time he would speak on the Quasi-Saint Path. Fellow Daoist, do you know how Quasi-Saints differ from Primordial Golden Immortals, and which is superior?"

Candle Dragon drained the cup and asked eagerly. Doubt filled his eyes, mingled with a hint of expectation.

"Both are below the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal. They seem to stand side by side, but Quasi-Saints can be considered a branch or variant of Primordial Golden Immortals—much like the relationship between Heavenly Dao Saints and Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortals."

Xuanyuan raised a hand and drew in the air. Two phantoms formed side by side, shaped from Grand Unity Magic Power.

The phantom on the left was wrapped in the radiance of spiritual treasures,

while the one on the right was fused with the Heaven and Earth Laws.

One represented a Quasi-Saint, the other a Primordial Golden Immortal.

"So you mean that Primordial Golden Immortals can also follow the Quasi-Saint Path, and that a Quasi-Saint is one kind of Primordial Golden Immortal?" Candle Dragon nodded, thoughtful.

Xuanyuan's simple explanation had made the relationship between the two as clear as patterns in the palm of one's hand.

A Quasi-Saint was a Primordial Golden Immortal, but a Primordial Golden Immortal was not necessarily a Quasi-Saint;

a Heavenly Dao Saint was a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal, but a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal was not necessarily a Heavenly Dao Saint.

"Quasi-Saints and Heavenly Dao Saints are more like 'Dao Fruit Positions' than pure levels of strength."

"As far as I know, Hongjun deduced the method of Severing Three Corpses from the incomplete Jade Disc of Creation. But it requires Innate Spiritual Treasures as vessels to sever the good, evil, and obsessive corpses. The treasures must be of the same origin—or there must be some rare treasure capable of bearing all three."

"In essence, it relies on the power of spiritual treasures to elevate oneself."

Candle Dragon's brows drew together at those words.

Innate Spiritual Treasures of the same origin?

Though he was an ancient being who had lived through the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, and knew of a few treasures that fit the description, all of them were entangled in immense karmic consequences and hard to obtain.

The three Innate Supreme Treasures forged from the Sky-Opening Axe went without saying. Apart from the Chaos Bell, which was in Eastern Emperor Tai Yi's hands, the other two were with the Dao Ancestor;

Ming He's Xuanyuan Water Control Banner and Twelve Petaled Karma Fire Red Lotus were also treasures of the same origin. But as long as the Blood Sea remained, Ming He would not die, making them difficult to seize.

As for placing all three corpse spirits in a single treasure... Since one attained the Dao by Severing Three Corpses, entrusting them to three treasures was naturally the proper way.

Candle Dragon's thoughts churned, and for a moment he found himself at a loss.

Xuanyuan shifted the subject. His fingertip passed over the Primordial Golden Immortal phantom on the right, and the patterns of law glimmered brilliantly in the air.

"Primordial Golden Immortals are different. They follow the paths of Proving Dao by Force and Proving Dao by Law, as pursued by Father God Pangu and the Three Thousand Great Dao Demon Gods."

"They need no spiritual treasure as a crutch, nor do they rely on the Heavenly Dao. They are themselves incarnations of the laws. Their foundations rest on nothing external, forged entirely through their own strength. Even if Heaven and Earth collapse or the Primordial World is shattered, their Dao foundations remain as solid as a rock."

"As for which of the two is superior, there is no clear difference in strength. However..." Xuanyuan's gaze grew somber. "A Saint's Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, while a Quasi-Saint severs the three corpses with spiritual treasures. Both rely on 'external power.'"

"If the spiritual treasure used to sever the corpses is damaged, the Quasi-Saint's Primordial Spirit will suffer backlash. At best, their cultivation will plummet; at worst, their Dao foundation will collapse. But Primordial Golden Immortals cultivate their own bodies, Primordial Spirits, and the Great Dao. They exist in union with the laws, and need not suffer the consequences of such entanglements."

Xuanyuan's words were no idle speculation.

Setting aside the major flaw in the Severing Three Corpses method taught by Hongjun, even if someone truly severed all three corpses, their cultivation could still be gravely damaged if their treasures were washed over by destructive forces such as baleful aura, Calamity Qi, Malevolent Qi, demonic energy, turbid energy, or resentment.

And if someone wielded an Innate Killing Supreme Treasure like the God-Slaying Spear, then unless their opponent was protected by a treasure of the same level, such as the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda or the Chaos Bell,

a Primordial Golden Immortal of the same realm could fight a Quasi-Saint who had severed the three corpses with the God-Slaying Spear, injure one corpse with a single thrust, erode the spiritual treasure, and cripple their cultivation!

Ultimately, the relationship between a Quasi-Saint and the spiritual treasures used to sever the corpses was much like that between a Heavenly Dao Saint and the Heavenly Dao—

So long as the Heavenly Dao rejected them, a Heavenly Dao Saint's Saint Position could collapse in an instant. Their immense power did not truly belong to them, so naturally, they could never attain true Great Freedom and Great Ease.

After listening, Candle Dragon's face twitched slightly. Understanding dawned in his eyes, followed by relief.

He bowed deeply to Xuanyuan, his voice touched with lingering fear. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, for clearing the fog from my eyes! Had I not heard this from you today, I might have abandoned the majestic path of Proving Dao by Law and nearly strayed into the misguided path of attaining the Dao through borrowed treasures. To receive this knowledge is truly a blessing for Candle Dragon! I will repay this kindness one day!"

The lack of Innate Spiritual Treasures of the same origin needed to sever the three corpses could still be overcome with careful planning;

but Candle Dragon disliked a path where his own strength and spiritual treasures were bound together, rising and falling as one.

Having experienced the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity's rise and fall, and witnessed the Dragon-Phoenix-Kirin Three Clans sink into the quagmire of the Kalpa Tribulation because of Luohu's scheming and the Heavenly Dao's designs,

Candle Dragon understood all too well that however vast the Primordial World might be, only strength gained through one's own cultivation was the truth.

Entrusting one's strength to treasures, or even to the Heavenly Dao—how was that any different from placing one's life in another's hands?

The climb toward the Great Dao had not even begun, yet it was already over!

At that moment, Candle Dragon was sincerely grateful to Xuanyuan, and his goodwill toward him continued to grow. He did not ask how Xuanyuan knew so many secrets unknown to others. He only resolved to do his best to repay him in the future.

After all, a kindness that helped one attain the Dao was greater than Heaven itself!

Xuanyuan took in Candle Dragon's expression and the fluctuations of his Primordial Spirit, and nodded inwardly.

Candle Dragon was indeed a worthy friend.

In that case, he could not let Candle Dragon's brother, Zhu Jiuyin, miss this opportunity.

"To be honest, besides my Fourth Brother and me, I have twelve other siblings who are in the vicinity of Buzhou Mountain. Would you be willing to visit and discuss the Great Dao with us?"

After a moment's thought, Xuanyuan invited him, just as Gonggong and Zhurong had once invited him and Tongtian.

Tongtian was slightly surprised, but did not stop him.

He trusted that Xuanyuan would not make an invitation without good reason. Since he had invited Candle Dragon, that meant he considered him a trustworthy friend.

At this, Candle Dragon lifted his head sharply. The dragon-patterned mark on his forehead suddenly lit up, and his face filled with astonishment.

He had cultivated for many years and sensed many of the Primordial World's secrets, yet he had never heard of so many powerful beings living in seclusion on Buzhou Mountain.

And if Xuanyuan called them his siblings, how could they be ordinary powerful beings?

Yet Candle Dragon's Spiritual Sense swept across a radius of ten million li around Buzhou Mountain without discovering the slightest trace of them. He had once roamed the Primordial World and visited this pillar of Heaven, formed from Pangu's spine, but had never sensed that other powerful beings were being born there!

"If that is so..." Candle Dragon gazed at the clear Daoist resonance in Xuanyuan's eyes and recalled how, during their discussion, Xuanyuan had freely cleared away his doubts without holding anything back. The last trace of suspicion vanished from his heart.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, you have treated me with sincerity and shown me the true path to the Great Dao. How could I refuse? I would be glad to sit and discuss the Dao with you all!"

He took a deep breath. His dark, dragon-patterned robe stirred though there was no wind, and he bowed solemnly.

"Excellent."

Xuanyuan and Tongtian exchanged a glance and laughed, clapping their hands. Then Xuanyuan opened the Mysterious Gate and led Candle Dragon into Pangu Hall.