In the southern part of the Primordial World stood a sacred mountain, towering and straight, piercing the clouds like a heavenly pillar whose peak vanished from sight.
Creation's wonders gathered across this sacred mountain, which held countless mysteries. In its depths, even remnants of Chaos Qi lingered.
Within the realm formed from that Chaos Qi, earth, water, wind, and fire surged and collided with Heaven and Earth. Nurtured by the power of the world, they had somehow formed a natural Innate Grand Formation.
At the center of the formation, wisps of Daoist rhythm lingered, hazy and profound, containing the creation of the mysterious yellow and the undivided Yin-Yang. Innate Primordial Qi flowed through the formation without end, nourishing and nurturing this place.
The mysterious presence within that hazy Daoist rhythm was none other than the embryonic form of a God-Demon Dao Embryo. Though it seemed to have developed a trace of Spiritual Wisdom over the years, it remained in a state of utter obliviousness.
If things continued this way, perhaps this God-Demon Dao Embryo would need countless ages to accumulate enough Spiritual Wisdom to develop consciousness.
After all, every Innate God-Demon bore an immense share of destiny and was fated to make a name for themselves in the Primordial World. How could one be nurtured so easily?
Time passed swiftly. Tens of thousands of years went by, and the God-Demon Dao Embryo was close to taking shape, its Spiritual Wisdom growing stronger by the day...
Perhaps the time was not yet right. The God-Demon Dao Embryo still hovered between waking and sleeping.
On this day, the sound of the Great Dao rang throughout the Great Desolation World. Innate Purple Qi filled the skies, and wondrous signs appeared across Heaven and Earth.
Heavenly flowers rained down, Golden Lotuses sprang from the earth, auspicious Qi filled the air, celestial music rang sweetly, and endless Daoist rhythm spread everywhere.
Every living being bathed in these auspicious signs found their soul and body refined, and their Innate Dao Foundation strengthened. Even the Demonic Nature hidden in their hearts was completely dispelled.
Throughout the Primordial World, countless Spiritual Flowers and Exotic Beasts seized this auspicious Qi and naturally awakened their Spiritual Wisdom without suffering any hidden consequences.
Even the Innate Living Beings and Innate God-Demons protected by innate formations saw golden lotuses fall upon the places where they were being nurtured.
Under the influence of these auspicious Golden Lotuses, many Innate Living Beings and Innate God-Demons of exceptional talent and origins, whose birth and Manifestation and Birth had been difficult, seized this opportunity to take form.
In the southern part of the Primordial World, at the center of the sacred mountain's Innate Grand Formation, the God-Demon Dao Embryo that had been hovering between waking and sleeping finally began to stir.
At that moment, boundless majesty enveloped the Primordial World. The countless living beings between Heaven and Earth prostrated themselves involuntarily, their souls filled with longing.
A spark of insight arose in all their hearts at once: someone with Great Divine Ability had Proved the Dao in the Primordial World. A Hunyuan Sage had appeared!
Most of the countless living beings between Heaven and Earth were ignorant creatures, drifting wherever the current took them. They had never heard of Proving the Dao or Hunyuan Sages.
Yet that sudden spark of insight had taught them how exalted a Hunyuan Sage was: below a Sage, all were but ants!
Wondrous signs appeared one after another in the heavens, and a voice of the Dao came from beyond the Ninth Heaven. It sang:
"I recline high amid the ninefold clouds, on my meditation cushion, I comprehend the true Dao.
Beyond the mysteries of Heaven and Earth, I shall be revered as the Sect Master.
Pangu gave birth to the Supreme Ultimate; the Two Forms and Four Images vanished.
One Dao Transmitted to Three Friends; Two Teachings, Chan and Jie, Divided.
I lead the Mysterious Gate—One Qi Transforms into Hongjun."
"Hongjun?"
The majestic voice of the Dao rang across every corner of the Primordial World. At the center of the Innate Grand Formation on the southern sacred mountain, Lu Yuan had just awakened his consciousness while bathed in the Sage's wondrous signs. His heart surged with shock.
As Lu Yuan stood stunned, another majestic voice rang out from beyond the Ninth Heaven. "I am Daoist Hongjun. Today, I have Proved the Dao and become a Sage. Three thousand years from now, I shall lecture on the Great Dao at the Purple Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. All who are fated to hear it may come."
As Daoist Hongjun's voice faded, the signs between Heaven and Earth vanished. The memories of the Hunyuan Sage disappeared in an instant from the minds of all beings who had not attained an immortal Dao Fruit.
At that moment, only those who had attained an immortal Dao Fruit or possessed the lineage of an Innate God-Demon still retained their memories of the Hunyuan Sage.
I can't believe that after waking up, I've arrived in the Primordial World and become the first Innate God-Demon nurtured from the Pure and Turbid Qi between Heaven and Earth!
And I've landed in the awkward era when Hongjun Proved the Dao of Hunyuan and became a Sage...
Lu Yuan felt a jumble of emotions. With his memories of Blue Star, he knew that after lecturing three times at the Purple Palace, Hongjun would distribute treasures and merge with the Dao.
After that, the Six Sages would Prove the Dao of Hunyuan and attain Sainthood, ushering the Great Desolation World into the Saint Era.
Below a Sage, all were but ants!
Even the Witch and Demon Clans, Pangu's Direct Descendants who ruled the world, would end up mutually ruined after the Sages' many schemes.
And Lu Yuan was even less remarkable, with origins that were nothing special among the Innate God-Demons and Innate Sacred Beings.
The leaders of the Witch and Demon Clans—Dijun, Taiyi, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and other Great Divine Ability Users—all had Innate Sacred Being origins. Every one of them was favored by Heaven and Earth's destiny.
Even the Innate Great Witches and Ten Great Demon Sages beneath the leaders of the Witch and Demon Clans were all top-tier Innate God-Demons, with the origins of High-grade Innate God-Demons!
Their cultivation, origins, and destiny far surpassed Lu Yuan's, who possessed the origins of a Mid-grade Innate God-Demon.
The Saint Era is about to begin, and the Witch and Demon Clans will rule the Primordial World...
As thoughts whirled through his mind, Lu Yuan practiced Breathing Exercise to absorb Innate Primordial Qi and build up the foundations needed for his Manifestation and Birth. At the same time, he drew on his memories of Blue Star to plan the path he would take after emerging.
The signs of Daoist Hongjun's Proving the Dao spread across the Primordial World. The arrival of a Hunyuan Sage shook the Great Divine Ability Users between Heaven and Earth.
Hongjun had Proved the Dao and become a Sage, and would lecture on the Hunyuan Great Dao!
This left the Great Divine Ability Users who had taken form in the Primordial World's New Dao Era utterly shaken, and they longed desperately for the Dao of the Hunyuan Sage.
They had just witnessed the Hunyuan Sage's power firsthand: from beyond Chaos, a single thought had been enough to survey the entire Primordial World.
The Primordial World was vast beyond measure. Even the Great Luo Dao Lords, who had attained the Daluo Dao Fruit and transcended the River of Destiny, would need several Kalpas to tread every corner of it.
How could such Great Divine Ability and Great Magic Power fail to move them?
What was more, a flash of insight had revealed the words of Heaven's will to them: "Below a Sage, all are but ants!"
These New Era Great Divine Ability Users, with the origins of either Innate Sacred Beings or top-tier Innate God-Demons, were undoubtedly Children of the World, favored by Heaven's will.
How could they accept being reduced to mere ants?
The Saint's Sermon was a tremendous opportunity. Those Great Divine Ability Users who refused to be ants would naturally not miss it.
Kunlun Mountain, Qilin Cliff.
Grand Pure Daoist, Jade Pure Daoist, and Supreme Pure Daoist gazed solemnly toward the direction of the Thirty-Three Heavens, clearly shaken by the Hunyuan Sage's divine power.
Earlier, the Sage's majesty had enveloped the Primordial World, and the countless living beings between Heaven and Earth had prostrated themselves involuntarily.
As Pangu's Orthodox Lineage, the Sanqing were naturally unwilling to bow to another. Though they had joined forces to withstand the Sage's pressure, they had witnessed the might of a Sage's divine power!
"The Hunyuan Sage's divine power is indeed formidable. Senior Hongjun was the first to attain the Hunyuan Dao Fruit. It seems the Primordial World truly is full of hidden talents!" A trace of shock flashed through Supreme Pure Daoist's eyes, but he also felt a faint excitement.
Jade Pure Daoist was equally shaken, but he had always prided himself on being Pangu's Orthodox Lineage. That someone in the Primordial World had attained the Hunyuan Saintly Dao before them filled him with envy and jealousy.
A trace of yearning crossed his face as Jade Pure Daoist looked at Grand Pure Daoist. "Elder Brother, this Sage Hongjun will lecture on the Dao three thousand years from now. Should we go and listen?"
The Sanqing had been formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and held part of Pangu's legacy. They naturally understood just how unfathomable a Hunyuan Sage was.
That was why they were so shaken that Hongjun had Proved the Dao of Hunyuan at this time!
Grand Pure Daoist's expression remained calm. "The one who has reached the Dao is a teacher. Since Senior Hongjun emerged above the other powers of the Primordial World and attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit, he must possess Great Destiny, Great Wisdom, Great Resolve, and great fortune.
"We should go to the Purple Palace to hear the Dao. It will be a chance to witness the Dao of a Hunyuan Sage and meet the Great Divine Ability Users of the Primordial World."
Grand Pure Daoist's word settled the matter. Jade Pure Daoist and Supreme Pure Daoist nodded, and the three immediately left Kunlun Mountain, heading toward the Thirty-Three Heavens...
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