Hongjun didn't hide anything and answered directly:
"In my Primordial Wilderness, nine is the ultimate number."
"Thus, no more than nine Saints can be born in the Primordial Land."
At Hongjun's words, all the living beings present were astonished.
"What?"
"Only nine Saints can be born?"
"That's a bit too few, isn't it?"
"According to the Dao Ancestor, isn't the number of Saint positions fixed?"
"It seems we must find a way to attain Sagehood first!"
"..."
The many living beings sighed with emotion.
They hadn't expected there to be so few Saints.
Besides that, a sense of urgency arose in the hearts of all those present.
After all, whoever became a Saint first could claim one of the Saint positions.
And there were only nine Saints.
Amid the discussion, a Great Principle Golden Immortal hurriedly asked:
"May I ask the Dao Ancestor..."
"What is the difference between a Saint and a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal?"
Hearing the Great Principle Golden Immortal's question, Hongjun smiled faintly and replied:
"A Saint's Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao. As long as the Heavenly Dao endures, the Saint will not die."
"A Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal, on the other hand, fuses with one Great Dao Law and can thereby transcend the river of time."
"One could say that a Saint is equivalent to a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal, but a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal is not a Saint."
"A Saint attains the Heavenly Dao's fruit position, draws upon the power of the Primordial Heavenly Dao, entrusts his True Spirit to the Heavenly Dao, and possesses boundless magic power, but is governed by the Heavenly Dao."
"If the Heavenly Dao falls, the Saint dies. Otherwise, he is immortal and undying."
"A Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal attains the Great Dao's fruit position. Unlike a Saint, he is not immortal and undying; his Primordial Spirit is not entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, and he can perish."
After hearing Hongjun's explanation, everyone understood.
Anyone could tell that a Saint was undoubtedly stronger than a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
As long as the Heavenly Dao endured, a Saint could not die.
Although a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal might be nearly equal to a Saint in combat strength, he could still perish.
Just then, another Great Principle Golden Immortal spoke up:
"May I ask the Dao Ancestor..."
"How can one become a Saint?"
At the question, everyone present held their breath, their eyes burning with anticipation.
Hongjun had already made it quite clear.
No more than nine Saints could be born in the Primordial Land.
Furthermore, once someone became a Saint, he could endure alongside the Heavenly Dao. As long as the Heavenly Dao remained, the Saint would not die.
Everyone present was a mighty figure of the Primordial Wilderness.
They all believed they could become Saints.
Hearing the question, Hongjun didn't keep them in suspense and answered directly:
"There are three thousand paths to attaining Primordial Chaos."
"But there are only three paths to becoming a Saint."
"First, imitate Pangu's creation of the world and attain the Dao through strength."
"Second, become a Saint by slaying the Three Corpses and ultimately attaining the Dao."
"Third, attain Sainthood through supreme Merit."
Hongjun's words shocked everyone present.
Qin Mu listened, his heart filled with emotion.
He naturally knew of the three methods of becoming a Saint that Hongjun had described.
"To attain the Dao through strength, one must comprehend the Laws of Strength. How could that be easy?"
"Even Great God Pangu failed in the end. He exhausted his strength and died, transforming into all things."
"Of course, if someone could do it, he would undoubtedly be the strongest Saint!"
"Becoming a Saint by slaying the Three Corpses isn't as easy as it sounds, either. One must sever the good corpse, the evil corpse, and the obsession corpse within oneself!"
"Moreover, one must entrust them to Innate Spiritual Treasures. Only after the Three Corpses merge and fuse with the Primordial Violet Qi can one become a Saint."
Qin Mu muttered to himself.
Of everyone present, he alone knew the ins and outs.
Take becoming a Saint by slaying the Three Corpses, for example. It would later become the main path to attaining the Dao in the Primordial Land.
But the others didn't know that Hongjun was the only one who would ever attain Sagehood through slaying the Three Corpses.
Besides,
Pangu had attained the Dao as a Great Dao Saint. He was on an entirely different level from the Saints of the present day.
At that moment, the great figures of the Primordial Wilderness all committed the methods of attaining Sagehood to memory.
Qin Mu alone seemed utterly unconcerned.
After all, he had opened an Extra-Large Red Packet earlier and obtained an Exclusive Great Dao Level Cultivation Method.
The path he would take to attain Sagehood wasn't among the methods Hongjun had mentioned.
Just then, Tongtian, seated on the cushion at the very front, slowly rose to his feet.
"May I ask, Master, who can become a Saint?"
Tongtian bowed to Hongjun and asked.
His question left everyone present stunned.
They hadn't expected Tongtian to ask something like that.
After all, they believed that although the number of Saint positions was fixed, who would ascend to Sainthood still depended on each person's ability.
Hearing this, Hongjun narrowed his eyes slightly, then said:
"There are nine Saint positions between Heaven and Earth. I can distribute seven of them. These seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi are the Foundations of the Great Dao; those who obtain them can attain the Dao!"
"You Three Pure Ones are formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit and possess Merit from the creation of Heaven and Earth."
"You can become Saints in the future!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Hongjun casually waved his hand. Three strands of Primordial Violet Qi flew straight toward the Three Pure Ones and then merged into their bodies.
Seeing this, the Three Pure Ones were overwhelmed with excitement.
They had been worried earlier. After all, there were only nine Saints of Heaven and Earth, while countless living beings wished to become Saints.
Now Hongjun had declared outright that the Three Pure Ones could attain Sagehood in the future. It was an enormous reassurance.
Besides that, he had bestowed a strand of Primordial Violet Qi upon each of them.
"Thank you, Master!"
Still excited, the Three Pure Ones hurriedly bowed to Hongjun.
Hongjun looked unperturbed as he casually gestured toward Taishang.
Boom!
The next moment, a Treasure Map appeared in front of Taishang.
"Taishang."
"This Taiji Diagram is an Innate Supreme Treasure. I bestow it upon you."
Taishang's heart shuddered. He stared without blinking at the Taiji Diagram before him.
Looking closely, he saw that the Taiji Diagram shimmered with the colors of Chaos and Yin Yang, displaying the image of "the Great Dao's Non-polarity."
Countless rays of light and a thousand auspicious colors shone from the diagram.
"Great Dao prophecies" circled its exterior, while "Heavenly Dao talismans" flickered within.
Five-colored rays illuminated the mountains and rivers, while nine-colored auspicious mists shook the heavens and earth.
"Thank you, Master, for this treasure!"
Taishang put away the Taiji Diagram and hurriedly bowed to Hongjun in gratitude.
Hongjun smiled faintly and shifted his gaze to Yuanshi.
"Yuqing."
"This Pangu Banner is also an Innate Supreme Treasure. I bestow it upon you."
"This treasure's power is immense. Do not summon it lightly."
With that, Hongjun lightly swept his sleeve.
A banner then flew down before Yuanshi.
Chaos energy swirled around it, and it carried an invisible might of Heaven and Earth.
"Thank you, Master!"
Yuanshi accepted the Pangu Banner and bowed to Hongjun.
Hongjun remained composed as he turned his gaze to Shangqing Tongtian.
When Hongjun suddenly looked at him, Tongtian's heart stirred.
He figured that since his two elder brothers had each received an Innate Supreme Treasure from Hongjun, he ought to receive one as well.
"Shangqing."
"These are the Immortal-Slaying Four Swords and the Formation Diagram, Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. I bestow them upon you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hongjun waved his hand. Four long swords and a Formation Diagram appeared before Tongtian.
"What?"
Staring at the Immortal-Slaying Four Swords and the Formation Diagram before him, Tongtian froze for a moment. He looked straight at Hongjun and said, "Master! Mine..."
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