What greatly surprised Qin Mu was that
Hongjun had actually gifted such a treasure to him.
Still reeling from the shock, Qin Mu quickly came to his senses and bowed gratefully to Hongjun.
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure!"
With that, Qin Mu's thoughts stirred, and he put away the Lotus Seed of the Creation Green Lotus.
Just then, movement came from outside Zixiao Palace.
A short while later, Dijun, Taiyi, Fuxi, and the others returned.
They had already left.
But halfway along their journey, they suddenly realized
that something was off about the timing of Hongjun's lecture. It had lasted only two thousand five hundred years.
So Dijun and the others hurried back.
"Hm?"
Seeing that the Three Pure Ones and Qin Mu had returned before them, Dijun and the others couldn't help looking surprised and uncertain.
Then Dijun and the others stepped forward and paid their respects to Hongjun.
"May I ask, Dao Ancestor, has this lecture not yet ended?"
Dijun asked.
Hongjun did not answer. He merely said indifferently,
"Since you have returned, continue listening to the Dao."
After that, Hongjun resumed his lecture.
The Heavenly Dao's voice echoed through Zixiao Palace.
The great powers were immersed in it, enraptured.
As Qin Mu listened, he also cultivated his own Exclusive Great Dao Level Cultivation Method.
He was different from the other great powers of the Primordial Wilderness.
The Great Dao he pursued was not within the scope of Hongjun's lecture.
Instead, it came from the Exclusive Great Dao Level Cultivation Method rewarded by the system.
Time passed.
Three hundred years went by before anyone realized it.
At that point, Hongjun was still lecturing.
Suddenly, two figures arrived outside Zixiao Palace.
The newcomers were none other than the Western Lands' Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti.
Both of them looked very anxious.
After leaving Zixiao Palace earlier, they had returned to the Western Lands.
The more they thought about it afterward, the more they felt something was wrong, so they had hurried all the way back to Zixiao Palace.
Seeing that the Three Pure Ones and the others were all listening intently to Hongjun's lecture,
Jieyin and Zhunti hurriedly bowed to Hongjun, then took their seats on the meditation cushions at the front and continued listening.
After that, more people gradually returned to Zixiao Palace.
When they saw that Hongjun was still lecturing, they naturally took their seats and listened attentively.
In the blink of an eye, another two hundred years passed.
By then, Hongjun's third lecture had lasted three thousand years.
Inside Zixiao Palace, Hongjun, seated on the Dao platform, stopped lecturing. The Daoist aura lingering through his Dao Field slowly faded as well.
The gathered great powers of the Primordial Wilderness were still lost in rapture.
Hongjun's gaze swept over them as he said indifferently,
"This lecture is over. You may leave."
Hearing this, the great powers who had returned from their journeys came back to their senses and rose to pay their respects.
This time, everyone knew
that Hongjun's third lecture had truly ended.
After paying their respects, they turned into streaks of light and flew out of Zixiao Palace, returning to the Primordial Land.
At the boundary between Chaos Space and the Thirty-Three Heavens,
the two from the Western Lands, Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti, were the first to leave.
As they departed, their faces were full of sorrow.
They clearly regretted missing three hundred years of Hongjun's lecture.
After the two from the Western Lands left, Zhenyuanzi and Ancestor Hong Yun departed together.
The two were close friends.
Before long, only the Three Pure Ones, Qin Mu, Nuwa, Fuxi, Dijun, and Taiyi remained in the Chaos beyond the heavens.
Just as the Three Pure Ones and the others were about to leave, a flicker of emotion crossed Dijun's eyes, and he hurriedly called out,
"Fellow Daoists, please wait!"
Hearing Dijun call out, the Three Pure Ones and the others stopped and turned to look at him.
"Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist Dijun?"
Fuxi asked.
Dijun smiled faintly and replied,
"Fellow Daoists, the Dao Ancestor's three lectures have now concluded."
"On your way back, you'll be passing through the Thirty-Three Heavens. Why not join me at the Heavenly Court for a gathering? We can drink immortal wine and discuss the Dao."
The Three Pure Ones exchanged various looks.
After a brief pause, Yuanshi and Tongtian turned to Taishang.
Clearly, they were leaving the decision to their eldest brother, Taishang.
Taishang narrowed his eyes slightly, looking thoughtful as he mused,
"Right now, in the Primordial World, the Witch and Demon races are both powerful, and their conflict is growing ever fiercer."
"Dijun is the lord of the Heavenly Court. Since he has taken the initiative to invite us, it would be awkward to refuse."
In Taishang's view, the Demon Race was powerful, and Dijun had invited them personally. They were only going to visit the Heavenly Court, so it would do no harm.
Seeing that the Three Pure Ones still hadn't responded, Dijun looked a little awkward, but continued to wait patiently.
Just then, Taiyi glanced over the Three Pure Ones.
When Yuanshi caught Taiyi's gaze, he couldn't help snorting coldly, clearly showing his disdain for him.
After all, he disliked the Demon Race.
Back when Hongjun first lectured, Yuanshi had taken a dislike to the Demon Race's Kunpeng. With Jieyin and Zhunti egging him on, he had kicked Kunpeng right off his meditation cushion.
Seeing this, Qin Mu thought to himself,
"Dijun, the Yao Emperor, is inviting the Three Pure Ones and the others to the Heavenly Court. He must be hoping to win them over!"
"He really has... no idea where he stands!"
Qin Mu knew that the Three Pure Ones prided themselves on being Pangu's Orthodox Lineage, and each had an exceptionally high opinion of himself.
Besides, this was a time when the Witch and Demon races were locked in fierce conflict.
Dijun's invitation to the Heavenly Court to discuss the Dao and the like could only mean he hoped to win over a few great powers.
Of course, even though Qin Mu saw through all this, he remained silent.
After all, his status was low, and his cultivation was only at the early Golden Immortal stage.
He had no standing to speak in front of Dijun and the others.
After thinking it over, a look of resolve flashed in Taishang's eyes. He turned to Dijun and said,
"In that case, we'll trouble you."
Seeing that Taishang had agreed, Dijun was delighted. He then looked toward Fuxi and Nuwa.
Nuwa said nothing, instead glancing at Fuxi.
Fuxi smiled faintly and said,
"Since Fellow Daoist Dijun has invited us so warmly, we should certainly go."
Dijun nodded, feeling pleased. He exchanged a smile with Taiyi, then led everyone to the Heavenly Court.
It wasn't long before Qin Mu and the others arrived at the Heavenly Court, guided by Dijun and Taiyi.
Inside Lingxiao Treasure Hall, golden splendor filled the air, and auspicious light shimmered everywhere.
Dijun quickly gave orders to prepare a grand feast for everyone.
Before long, demon maidens danced in the hall, and heavenly maidens scattered flowers.
Immortal wine and delicacies were laid out before them, while the fragrance of innate spirit fruits filled the air.
Spirit fruits, Xingchen fruits, and every other kind of rare treasure were on offer, showcasing the lavish wealth of the Demon Race Heavenly Court.
Dijun sat at the head of the hall, with Taiyi seated beside him.
The Three Pure Ones and the others sat at their places, sampling the innate spirit fruits.
Thanks to the Three Pure Ones, Qin Mu had been given a seat as well.
Although it was toward the back, his table had the same immortal wine and innate spirit fruits as the others.
Qin Mu didn't stand on ceremony and helped himself.
After several rounds of drinks, Dijun, seated at the head of the hall, suddenly stood and looked seriously toward the Three Pure Ones.
Qin Mu saw this and murmured, "Is he about to try to win over the Three Pure Ones?"
Before you continue