Old Ancestor Hongjun, You Are Not Qualified To Be My Teacher

Inside the Purple Firmament Palace, none of the "three thousand guests" dared to act presumptuously. Even after the first lecture concluded, everyone remained silent, their gazes following Old Ancestor Hongjun's towards the six cushions in the front row.

"I shall impart a heavenly secret to you all here!" Hongjun's voice was deep, his Dao resonance rolling like thunder. "These six seats in the front row of the Purple Heaven Palace are reserved by me for my disciples. Those who sit upon them shall be my disciples!"

"Taiqing, Yuqing, Shangqing, and Nuwa were previously my personal disciples. Now, the Western Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti shall sit on these cushions and listen to the Dao for three thousand years, becoming my newly accepted inner disciples!"

Upon hearing the Dao Ancestor call their names and accept them as inner disciples, Jieyin and Zhunti were overjoyed.

Naturally, they dared not defy the Saint's will and quickly said in unison, "Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your regard. We ask Master to guide us more in the future."

This had been predetermined, so Hongjun said no more, merely giving a "hmm."

Then, his gaze slowly shifted towards Beichen and Old Ancestor Hongyun, a flicker of clarity in his divine eyes.

"Ah, if I were to take this Mystic Turtle as a disciple, even if he were favored by the Heaven and Earth Great Dao, what of it? Would he not still be prostrate beneath my tutelage?"

Previously, Hongjun had only been focused on opposing Beichen. Now, facing the issue of the cushions, he suddenly had an epiphany.

"Mystic Turtle Beichen and Old Ancestor Hongyun once sat upon these cushions, thus they have a connection with them. They shall be registered disciples under me!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Yun's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your favor. I ask Master to guide me more in the future!"

"Hong Yun, congratulations, congratulations! Congratulations on becoming Dao Ancestor Hongjun's disciple. In the future, there will surely be a Saint Position for you here!"

His close friend Zhen Yuanzi quickly came forward to congratulate him. Hong Yun smiled, feeling quite pleased inwardly.

However, Zhen Yuanzi inwardly sighed slightly.

By becoming Hongjun's disciple and forging this karma, he would no longer have the chance to prove the Great Dao on his own. From then on, he would forever be beneath the Saint Hongjun, with no possibility of surpassing him!

Still, he was genuinely happy for his friend Hong Yun.

After all, among the "three thousand guests" and hundreds of thousands of cultivators in this Purple Heaven Palace, who wouldn't want to become a Saint's disciple?

A Saint's disciple, barring any accidents, would become a Saint of the new generation in the future. Attaining sainthood would be as easy as eating and drinking.

There were countless powerful beings and experts in this Great Desolation, but those who could meet Dao Ancestor's standard for accepting disciples were truly rare, exceptionally outstanding individuals.

However, Zhen Yuanzi had grand ambitions. In reality, he disdained the status of a registered disciple under Old Ancestor Hongjun and didn't take it seriously.

"Reporting to the Dao Ancestor, Beichen does not wish to be your disciple. I implore the Dao Ancestor to withdraw this decree!"

Just as Zhen Yuanzi was contemplating Hong Yun becoming a Saint's disciple, his thoughts were interrupted by a resonant Daoist voice.

"What? What is this Mystic Turtle saying?"

Upon hearing this voice, the entire Purple Heaven Palace nearly exploded. All the "three thousand guests" heard the refusal and felt that Beichen had gone mad!

"Daoist Mystic Turtle, what did you say?"

Zhen Yuanzi, a Quasi-Saint, looked at Beichen in disbelief, greatly shaken inwardly.

Hong Yun stood to the side, his face full of worry and anxiety. "Daoist Mystic Turtle, the Dao Ancestor kindly wishes to accept you as a disciple, and there will surely be a Saint Position bestowed upon you in the future. Why do you still refuse? Don't make a mistake!"

"Daoist Mystic Turtle, listen to this old Daoist Hong Yun's advice and quickly bow to the Dao Ancestor as your master!"

Hong Yun, being the great good-natured person of the Great Desolation, felt that becoming the Dao Ancestor's disciple was an extremely beneficial matter for Beichen.

"Daoist Hong Yun, thank you for your kind advice. Beichen has made up his mind and will not become Dao Ancestor Hongjun's disciple!"

"Mystic Turtle, do you know what you are saying?"

Hongjun was publicly refused by Beichen, and anger flared on his face. "When I wish to take a disciple, everyone in this Great Desolation scrambles for it. Are you going to cast it aside like worn-out shoes!"

"Heh heh, it seems the Dao Ancestor didn't hear clearly. Then I, Mystic Turtle Beichen, will repeat myself. I, Mystic Turtle Beichen, will not be Dao Ancestor Hongjun's disciple! I, Beichen, have already established my own sect and taken disciples. From me onwards, we are the first generation of the Mystic Turtle Dao in the Great Desolation!"

"You are unwilling to become my disciple because you took disciples first? That reason is too far-fetched! Are there any other reasons?"

Old Ancestor Hongjun felt his face had been lost and desperately wanted to regain it.

He hadn't expected to be slapped in the face again by Beichen, and a harsh one at that.

Beichen then said, "Since Dao Ancestor Hongjun insists on asking, then Beichen must speak! To be perfectly honest, Dao Ancestor Hongjun is not qualified to be my teacher, Beichen. This Heaven and Earth Great Dao here can barely be considered my teacher. Furthermore, in the future, Beichen will give Dao Ancestor Hongjun some lessons in many aspects and offer some guidance. It should be I who is your teacher!"

"Hmm!"

Inside the Purple Heaven Palace, there was an uproar.

"This Mystic Turtle Beichen is too arrogant! How could he say such things?"

"He actually claims to be Dao Ancestor Hongjun's teacher. Is he possessed?"

"He's simply a madman! Not only did he reject the Dao Ancestor's intentions, but he also insulted him with his words. He's gone mad, absolutely mad!"

At this moment, this powerful contrast made Beichen famous throughout the Great Desolation.

All who came to listen to the lecture remembered him firmly.

Among the powerful beings of the Great Desolation, there was no one who did not recognize Beichen.

"You, you scoundrel!" Old Ancestor Hongjun cursed inwardly.

Hongjun's inner rage reached its peak, but he couldn't act on his murderous intent in the Purple Heaven Palace.

After all, taking a disciple was a matter of mutual consent, and Beichen was not forbidden from refusing.

It was just that, as the foremost Dao Ancestor of the Great Desolation, he assumed no one would refuse his offer to take them as a disciple. His "unilateral" act of taking disciples had become a matter of course in everyone's minds.

No one had expected that Beichen would shatter this "unilateral" assumption so decisively.

"This cultivator has courage, impressive!"

Houtu's nine arms were all filled with joy and excitement. Because of this matter, various ideas deviating from her original rigid thinking appeared in her mind.

This would also provide infinite benefits for her to prove the Great Dao independently in the future: "This fellow Daoist Mystic Turtle refusing to become a disciple has indeed reminded me, Houtu!"

"Whoosh!"

Seeing that Old Ancestor Hongjun had withdrawn his killing intent and intended to let the matter go, Zhen Yuanzi breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, he leaned close to Beichen's ear and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Mystic Turtle has keen insight!"

"Isn't that right?" Beichen chuckled. "Doesn't fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi also have keen insight?"

"If one can prove the Great Dao independently, why should they be subservient and bow down to others?"

"Haha!" The two looked at each other and smiled.

Beichen's eyes suddenly darkened: "Oh, right. I observe, fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, that you will remain in the Quasi-Saint realm for a long time, unable to break through, and I fear you will not be able to become a Saint in the future. Proving the Great Dao independently is not easy either!"

Hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi's face darkened, and his expression was very displeased.

"Alas, proving the Great Dao independently is extremely difficult, and it's not something that can be easily accomplished!" Zhen Yuanzi's Dao heart did not collapse because of this; instead, it remained steady. "Fellow Daoist Mystic Turtle, you cannot definitively say that I, Zhen Yuanzi, will definitely not become a Saint!"

"Haha, that is true!" Beichen said with confidence. "If fellow Daoist needs help, I have a method that can assist you in entering the ranks of Saints! If fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi is interested, come find me at the Three Immortal Islands in the future! Now is not the time to discuss that matter!"

"Alright, fellow Daoist Mystic Turtle, let's make a pact then!"

Seeing that Beichen said the opportunity was not lost, Zhen Yuanzi became delighted.

"I recall there was one more person who benefited from a cushion? Where is he?"

Suddenly, Old Ancestor Hongjun asked again.