At the mention of the Witch-Demon Great Tribulation, Grand Pure Lord of Morality understood the situation more or less and replied, "Master, are you referring to the conflict between the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the myriad clans of the Primordial World?"
"Yes!"
"Then that must be it. This tribulation is indeed perilous beyond measure! Junior brothers and sisters, when I return, I'll stay indoors and avoid going out. You should all exercise caution as well!"
Seeing their eldest senior brother take a stand, the other disciples, including Ancestor Hong Yun, answered in unison, "We will heed Master's instructions and follow our eldest senior brother's example!"
Hongjun nodded in satisfaction, then addressed the "three thousand guests" in the palace with another reminder. "Everyone, three thousand years from now, I will hold my second lecture at Zixiao Palace, where I will teach the Dao of the Quasi-Saint. Those who have reached the Quasi-Sage Realm should come listen on time. You will surely benefit greatly."
Everyone responded to the Dao Ancestor, but most of the cultivators sighed softly after replying. "Our time listening to the Dao ends here!"
Of those who had come to listen at Zixiao Palace, more than half had advanced by one stage in cultivation, yet still remained at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm.
Those who had crossed from the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm into the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm accounted for two tenths.
Two tenths had advanced from the early to the middle stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm.
Fewer than one tenth had advanced from the middle to the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm.
Only twenty or thirty people had advanced from the middle or late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm to its pinnacle. They were all outstanding figures in the Primordial World.
In the Primordial World, for most people, cultivating without a powerful lineage or abundant resources made advancement extremely difficult.
There were countless cultivators who failed to advance even a single stage in three thousand years.
Only those with a powerful lineage, exceptional insight, and good fortune could soar to success overnight, making cultivation seem as ordinary as eating and drinking.
But even they often had to cultivate bitterly for a thousand or ten thousand years to advance.
Fortunately, these mighty figures could ultimately see the fruits of their cultivation!
Hongjun's lectures were naturally a tremendous boon to the myriad cultivators of the Primordial World. Those who came to listen would surely make progress, far more than they would by cultivating on their own.
But for most people, this would be the last time they listened to the Dao.
The number of attendees would dwindle sharply at the next lecture, which would cover the Dao of the Quasi-Saint.
When the Dao Ancestor had finished speaking, the cultivators left Zixiao Palace one after another and returned the way they had come.
"Master, what should we do about the children?"
Dijun and the others approached Beichen with worried expressions. He and Xihe hurriedly kept the Ten Golden Crows under control, lest they run off.
The Twelve Moon Maidens were well-behaved, but there were so many of them standing beside Changxi that she had to count them again and again, afraid she might lose one.
"That's right, Master. To return home, we'll have to pass through the Dao Fragment Domain and the Gale Domain again. We're all at the pinnacle of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm, so we can manage. But these children's cultivation is too shallow. It'll be very difficult to protect them!"
Both couples were worried.
It was all because there were too many children. If each of them only had to protect two or three while crossing the Dao Fragment Domain and the Gale Domain, it would be no problem.
But there were so many of them that even cultivators at the pinnacle of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm couldn't protect them all.
Besides, the Golden Crows were mischievous and fearless, like newborn calves unafraid of tigers. None of them had a sense of danger; they feared nothing at all. If they entered the Dao Fragment Domain, they would probably be "wiped out."
"My disciples, there's no need to worry. Your master has a solution!"
Beichen was calm and composed, as if he had already thought of everything.
"Are you our grand-master?"
The eldest Golden Crow sized Beichen up.
"That's right. You can call me Grand-Master." Beichen smiled.
"Grand-Master, how will you ease our parents' worries?"
Great Moon Maiden was very sensible. "Whatever you ask us to do, Grand-Master, I'll gladly help our parents."
"You're Great Moon Maiden, so you should lead your younger sisters. In a moment, surround your ten Golden Crow elder brothers and don't let them run around. Understand?"
The Moon Maidens had the frigid lunar essence about them. With them there, they could restrain the Golden Crows' volatile solar essence, making things much easier.
After giving his instructions, Beichen took out the Universe Ruyi Bottle, opened its mouth, and put all twenty-two children inside.
Great Moon Maiden took the lead, gathering the Moon Maidens around the Ten Golden Crows to contain their searing fiery essence.
The Golden Crows clamored to be let out, but their younger sisters had them surrounded, and they didn't dare force their way through.
"Golden Crow elder brothers, don't move around. Otherwise, I'll tell our parents. My father is your father's younger brother, and my mother is your mother's younger sister. If my parents get angry, you won't get off lightly!"
At Great Moon Maiden's words, the ten Golden Crows quieted down. "My father, Dijun, has a terrible temper. If we make trouble now, he'll probably beat us until our bottoms are black and blue."
"Please. I'm not even afraid of Father. It's Uncle who scares me. That big bell he carries is truly terrifying."
"Uncle? Or is he Aunt's husband? Brother, shouldn't we call him Uncle-in-law?"
"Call him whatever you want!" another Golden Crow snorted. "Either way, it's right."
Listening to their conversation inside, Beichen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Ah! There's an aphid! A huge aphid! It's so powerful—it's at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level! Come on, get it! Hurry and kill it!"
All ten Golden Crows attacked at once.
"That's it for that aphid. It's probably not going to survive!"
Beichen paid them no mind. He simply put away the Qiankun Ruyi Treasure Bottle and beckoned to Ling Cair. "Cair, it's time for us to go back!"
After listening to the lecture, Ling Cair, Mo Yuan, and Yan Lie had all reached the late-stage pinnacle of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm, just one step away from the perfection stage.
They hadn't yet fully comprehended the Dao, so they planned to return and study it carefully.
However, they had forgotten some of what the Dao Ancestor had taught and didn't know what to do about it.
"Mystic Turtle Daoist, you're out!"
In the blink of an eye, nearly all the guests at Zixiao Palace had left. Only Beichen and his group remained, along with Sanqing, Nuwa, Hong Yun, Zhen Yuanzi, and the others.
Of course, the little monkey who hadn't attended the lecture but had waited outside the palace for three thousand years hadn't left either. Kunpeng was also there, glaring at Hong Yun from the shadows. But when he saw that Hong Yun had reached the pinnacle of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm, his heart sank.
"Hong Yun listened to the lecture, while I didn't. He's at the pinnacle of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm, while I'm only at the peak of the middle stage. I can't kill him!"
Kunpeng clenched his fist. "I'll return to the North Sea and cultivate bitterly until I catch up to him. Then I'll take my revenge!"
Kunpeng was just about to leave when he glanced at Beichen and couldn't help stopping. "Is that the North Sea Black Tortoise? And Zhen Yuanzi! They've both reached the Quasi-Saint Realm!"
"Oh?"
Kunpeng looked to the side. At some point, Sanqing had cut off Beichen and the others' retreat.
At the same time, the auras around Sanqing surged wildly, and they all advanced from the pinnacle of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm into the Quasi-Sage Realm.
"Sanqing... took Quasi-Saint pills!" Kunpeng's heart stirred.
"Hahaha, Junior Brother Tongtian was right. Master gave us Quasi-Saint pills with this very purpose in mind!" Grand Pure Lord of Morality looked at Lingbao Moral Heavenly Venerate and laughed. "No wonder Master favors you most, Junior Brother. You understand his thoughts so well!"
Sanqing had all entered the Quasi-Sage Realm. Sensing that something was amiss from their auras, Beichen slowly turned to face them.
Lingbao Moral Heavenly Venerate said, "Mystic Turtle Daoist, forgive us. You led a group of people in disrupting our master's lecture and made him look foolish several times. As his disciples, we simply can't stand by and watch!"
"What? The three of you want to kill me?" Beichen asked indifferently.
"We might not be able to kill you, but we have to teach you a harsh lesson. We'll break your tortoise legs so you learn your place!" Yuanshi gritted his teeth.
"Heh. Your master, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, couldn't teach me a lesson. What makes you three good-for-nothings think you can?" Beichen mocked them.
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