Inspired by the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Randeng tried to fuse the power of the laws with the power of his bloodline.
The Pangu Bloodline the Twelve Ancestral Witches had gifted Randeng had been purified in the blood pool, so it contained no particular law power.
After a moment's thought, Randeng decided to use the Pangu Bloodline within him to strengthen his comprehension of the Law of Earth.
He had already comprehended six-tenths of the Annihilation Law, but only three-tenths of the Law of Earth. In Randeng's plans, it would be best to cultivate both laws to seven-tenths before advancing to Primordial Golden Immortal. That way, when he later severed the Three Corpses, he could bear three different kinds of law power at once.
He would become the strongest Primordial Golden Immortal through the method of the Three Corpses.
However, Randeng realized that if he also used the Pangu Bloodline to cultivate the Law of Earth, wouldn't that make him, in a sense, half an Ancestor Witch of Earth?
As Randeng made the Law of Earth the primary law he cultivated through his Pangu Bloodline, he felt the Law of Earth in the unseen depths draw closer to him. At the same time, however, he sensed that someone in Pangu Hall had earned even greater favor from the Law of Earth. It was Houtu.
Houtu sensed it as well: someone else, like her, was using the Pangu Bloodline to bear the Law of Earth. She opened her eyes and glanced at Randeng in surprise.
"Wasn't Fellow Daoist Randeng primarily cultivating the Annihilation Law? Wouldn't it be better for him to reach Primordial Golden Immortal as soon as possible? Could it be that he wants to comprehend both laws to seven-tenths?"
Surprise flashed in Houtu's beautiful eyes. Fellow Daoist Randeng always managed to catch her off guard. But if things went on like this, wouldn't they both become Ancestor Witches of Earth?
The other Ancestor Witches in Pangu Hall sensed it too, and they all opened their eyes to glance at Randeng.
They knew Randeng had met their younger sister Houtu first, and that she had helped the Witch Clan.
Now he had chosen to use the Pangu Bloodline to bear the Law of Earth. Could it be that Fellow Daoist Randeng had feelings for their younger sister Houtu?
Each Ancestor Witch in the hall had their own thoughts. Zhurong had even begun waggling his eyebrows at Houtu.
Randeng finished cultivating and opened his eyes. He glanced at the Ancestor Witches in Pangu Hall in surprise, unsure what they were up to. Could this be some peculiar way they communicated with one another?
Just then, an unprecedented aura swept across the Primordial World from the highest heavens.
Everyone released their Spiritual Sense and looked toward the sky.
In an instant, ten thousand rays of golden light burst across the highest heavens. Chaos surged like a tide, and the three thousand Great Dao laws manifested from the void, taking the forms of dragons, phoenixes, qilin, Kunpeng, Innate Deities, and countless other images. They bowed in midair and chanted in unison.
Above the firmament, an Auspicious Cloud stretched thirty thousand li. Countless golden lamps and layers of jeweled pendants appeared, heavenly flowers rained down, and Golden Lotuses Springing from the Earth bloomed. Every petal bore the profound principles of the Great Dao, and every drop of sweet dew held the life force of the primordial chaos.
At the center of these visions, a figure of ancient, imposing, and sacred majesty appeared. It was Hongjun.
The land of the Primordial World trembled. Mountains and rivers shook, rivers flowed backward, and the sun, moon, and stars all shifted from their places. Gods and demons, Innate Divine Saints, and the myriad races of the Primordial World—near or far—all looked up. Their minds were drawn by that supreme Dao resonance, and their souls trembled.
Primordial Violet Qi swirled around Hongjun. His Dao body merged with the Heavenly Dao; he was without joy or sorrow, beginning or end. With a single thought, he could determine the fate of Qiankun; with a single word, he could judge the laws.
A distant Daoic chant echoed between heaven and earth. It was neither heaven nor earth, neither god nor saint, but the Heavenly Dao singing to itself:
"High above, I recline amid the nine layers of clouds; on my cushion, I comprehend the true Dao.
Beyond heaven, earth, and the primordial yellow, I shall hold the honored seat of the teacher.
Pangu gave birth to the Great Ultimate; the Two Forms and Four Symbols followed in turn.
I lead the entire Mystic Sect; from one breath, Hongjun came to be."
Across the Primordial World, all Innate Divine Saints and living beings of the myriad races felt the call. They bowed deeply and cried, "Greetings, Saint!"
Randeng was shaken. Now that his master had become a Saint, the three sermons would soon begin, followed by his merging with the Dao. The Witch-Demon Tribulation was not far off.
Aside from Randeng, all the Innate Divine Saints were intensely curious about Hongjun's power.
Hongjun must have just performed that feat. The myriad races and the Innate Divine Saints all understood that Hongjun had reached the Saint Realm, but they were baffled by what that realm entailed.
After all, this pressure far surpassed that of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal. It seemed close to the realm of Hunyuan Grand Unity, yet somehow different.
As the Innate Divine Saints wondered about this, Hongjun slowly spoke from the highest heavens.
"I am Hongjun. Favored by the Heavenly Dao, I have attained sainthood today. I wish to give back to the Primordial World, and will preach in Purple Cloud Palace, deep within the chaos, thirty thousand years from now. All who are destined may come and listen to the Dao!"
With that, Hongjun's figure vanished.
The myriad races of the Primordial World and its many Innate Divine Saints erupted into discussion.
After all, Hunyuan Grand Unity was notoriously difficult to attain—that was common knowledge throughout the Primordial World. Now this Saint Hongjun seemed to have forged a new path, one whose power nearly equaled Hunyuan Grand Unity. Perhaps they could reach the same realm by attending his sermon.
Pangu Hall, too, was filled with discussion. The Ancestor Witches argued over whether they should go to Purple Cloud Palace to hear the Dao thirty thousand years later.
"Our Witch Clan are the descendants of Father God Pangu. Why would we need to listen to some Saint's teachings?"
Two fiery dragons puffed from Zhurong's nostrils as he spoke in a deep, gruff voice.
"Hongjun's power has also reached the realm of Hunyuan Grand Unity. Our Witch Clan has no Primordial Spirit, and after reaching Primordial Golden Immortal, it is difficult for us to prove the Dao of Hunyuan Grand Unity. We might as well go and hear his Saint's teachings."
Houtu held a different view. The Witch Clan had no Primordial Spirit and cultivated only one kind of law power. Once their cultivation reached the peak of Primordial Golden Immortal, they could go no further.
Perhaps Hongjun's path to sainthood could give the Witch Clan a chance to find another way.
Dijiang quieted the other Ancestor Witches and looked at Randeng.
"Fellow Daoist Randeng, what do you think? Does Hongjun's path to sainthood truly have promise?"
Dijiang was also uncertain. To a divine being as powerful as Hongjun, they, a bunch of Great Luo, were no more than ants. Could there be some other scheme at play?
Randeng hadn't expected Dijiang to ask his opinion, so he explained, "Fellow Daoist Dijiang, the Saint's path is another way to reach Hunyuan Grand Unity. The Witch Clan has no Primordial Spirit, but perhaps you can draw insights from the Saint's path and find a way to break through the Primordial Golden Immortal realm."
Randeng didn't analyze the merits or flaws of the Saint's path. Once the Sermon at Purple Cloud Palace began, he would be Hongjun's eldest disciple, so naturally he would support his master's teachings.
As far as he remembered, the Twelve Ancestral Witches had attended only the first sermon; of the later two, only Houtu had persisted in going.
He still needed to persuade more Innate Divine Saints to attend for Master Hongjun. He knew the three sermons at Purple Cloud Palace were Hongjun's way of repaying his Karma to the Primordial World, while also using the fortune of the Innate Divine Saints who came to listen to the Dao to advance further.
Master Hongjun had only reached the Saint Realm for now. After merging with the Dao, he might reach a realm beyond Hunyuan Grand Unity.
Then, by not following the Saint's path and instead proving Hunyuan Grand Unity through the Great Dao of laws, Randeng would finally have true backing and confidence.