Three hundred years passed quietly as they sat in meditation.
Before the gates of Zixiao Palace, the seven remained seated as before.
The surrounding Chaos was still shrouded in gray, but as time passed, more and more figures arrived from every direction.
The Three Pure Ones were the first to arrive.
Laozi's expression was calm, Yuanshi remained solemn, and Tongtian still carried a hint of nonchalance.
The three nodded slightly in greeting to Xuande and the others, then found a place to sit on the other side of the palace gates.
Next came Dijun and Taiyi.
The two brothers still radiated a faint solar power, making them especially conspicuous in the gray Chaos.
Taiyi's aura was much stronger than before. Clearly, he had gained quite a bit from his three thousand years of secluded cultivation.
Minghe came alone as before. A faint blood-red light surrounded him as he found a corner in the distance and sat down in silence.
Kunpeng followed close behind, wearing the same sinister expression as ever. His gaze swept over everyone, and no one knew what he was thinking.
King Father of the East and West Queen Mother arrived side by side and nodded from afar to Dijun and Taiyi.
Randeng arrived last. He walked slowly and sat down some distance away from the others.
However, some people had not come.
Of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, only one had arrived.
Houtu.
She appeared alone in the Chaos, her aura gentle and serene, utterly out of place in the gray expanse.
Unlike the other Ancestral Witches, who were wild and unrestrained, she carried the quiet stillness and compassion of the earth.
When Hong Yun saw her, he couldn't help murmuring, "Why is only Houtu here? What about the other eleven?"
Zhunti also spoke softly. "I heard the Ancestral Witches have no Primordial Spirits and cultivate only their physical bodies. The Dao Ancestor is speaking about the Great Dao. What use would it be to them?"
Zhenyuanzi gently shook his head, signaling them not to say more.
Houtu seemed to have heard their discussion, but she paid it no mind. She merely smiled and found a place to sit not far from Nuwa.
Nuwa nodded gently to her, and Houtu returned the gesture. There was a subtle understanding between them.
Xuande looked at Houtu and sighed inwardly.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches had no Primordial Spirits. They cultivated only their physical bodies and bloodline power.
The Great Dao the Dao Ancestor taught truly was like a book from heaven to them.
The other eleven Ancestral Witches had decided there was no point in listening and simply stayed away. Only Houtu had still come.
She had not come for herself.
She had come for those who wanted to find a solution to the Witch Clan's lack of Primordial Spirits.
Xuande didn't dwell on it and turned his gaze away.
After an unknown length of time, the open ground before the gates of Zixiao Palace was filled with people.
All three thousand cultivators had arrived, except for the eleven Witch Clan members.
On that day, the palace gates that had remained closed for three thousand years slowly opened.
"Creak—"
The familiar sound rang out. Everyone opened their eyes at once and looked toward the gates.
Within, the purple glow remained, deep and unfathomable.
The crowd rose and filed inside.
Xuande and the other six led the way.
Beyond the gates lay the same spacious hall. On the raised platform ahead, the simple meditation cushion sat quietly.
Below the platform, the six cushions remained in place, exactly as they had been three thousand years ago.
Everyone took their seats.
Laozi, Jieyin, Zhunti, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Nuwa sat down on the six cushions in that order.
The other cultivators sat cross-legged farther back or took places on either side.
Xuande sat as before, not far behind Jieyin and Zhunti.
Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun sat beside him. Fuxi sat behind Nuwa, while Houtu sat farther away.
Once everyone was seated, the hall fell silent.
A figure slowly appeared on the raised platform.
Ancestor Hongjun looked as plain as ever, wearing a gray Daoist robe, his face lean, not the slightest trace of aura radiating from him.
Yet the instant he appeared, the entire hall fell still.
"Greetings, Dao Ancestor."
All three thousand cultivators rose at once and bowed.
Hongjun nodded slightly, signaling for them to sit.
Once they were settled, he slowly began to speak.
"This sermon will last three thousand years. I will teach the methods of proving the Dao."
Methods of proving the Dao!
The four words rang through the hall like a thunderclap.
Every gaze converged on the unassuming figure on the platform, their eyes filled with shock and longing.
Proving the Dao.
It was the ultimate goal of every cultivator.
To transcend the Three Realms and stand outside the Five Elements, escape life and death, live as long as heaven and earth, and shine alongside the sun and moon.
That was the realm beyond Grand Unity Golden Immortals—that was...the realm of Sages.
Today, the Dao Ancestor was going to teach the methods of proving the Dao!
The hall fell completely silent.
Hongjun's gaze swept slowly over everyone. It was as calm as still water, betraying no emotion.
Yet his voice carried clearly into every person's ears.
"There are three methods of proving the Dao."
Three.
The three thousand cultivators held their breath, afraid to miss a single word.
"The first is Proving Dao with Strength."
Hongjun's voice was calm and clear. "It is also called Proving Dao with Law.
"Comprehend a law thoroughly and master it to the utmost. Then, through your own strength, forcibly break through the Heavenly Dao's constraints and attain Hunyuan.
"This path is the most difficult. It requires great perseverance, great wisdom, and great fortune.
"The Three Thousand Demon Gods and Great God Pangu proved the Dao through this method, but Great God Pangu fell while pursuing an even higher path."
Proving Dao with Strength.
Some in the hall looked thoughtful, while others appeared troubled.
How easy was it to master a law to the utmost?
How many years would it take? How profound one's insight would have to be, and how resolute one's Dao heart?
A glimmer flashed in Tongtian's eyes. He seemed quite interested in this path.
But soon, the light faded.
He understood that this path was too difficult. Even Father God had not fully succeeded.
Hongjun continued, "The second is Proving Dao with Merit.
"Accumulate immeasurable merit, use its power to resonate with the Heavenly Dao, and borrow the Heavenly Dao's strength to break through its constraints and attain Hunyuan.
"This path is comparatively easier, but it requires great compassion, great vows, and great merit.
"Merit cannot be accumulated in a single day. One must perform countless good deeds and benefit all living beings before earning the Heavenly Dao's recognition."
Proving Dao with Merit.
Everyone's eyes flickered. This path sounded easier than Proving Dao with Strength, but how easy was it to accumulate "immeasurable merit"?
How many good deeds would one have to perform, and how many lives would one have to save, to amass that "immeasurable" amount?
Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both deep in thought.
The path of the West already emphasized compassion and salvation. Perhaps this method...was meant for them.
Xuande listened quietly, his expression unchanged, but he nodded inwardly.
He already knew about these two methods. But what Hongjun was about to teach was the important part.
Hongjun paused, then continued. "The third is the Method of Severing the Three Corpses."
Severing the Three Corpses.
The words stirred another commotion in the hall.
What kind of path was this? No one had ever heard of it.
Hongjun paid no attention to their reaction and continued:
"To Sever the Three Corpses is to sever the Good, Evil, and Obsession Corpses.
"Use an Innate Spiritual Treasure as an anchor to sever the corpses and turn them into independent selves.
"Once all three corpses have been severed and reunited as one, you can attain Hunyuan."
"This is the path I will teach today."
Severing the Three Corpses.
Using Innate Spiritual Treasures as anchors.
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Hongjun continued, "The method of Severing the Three Corpses must be followed step by step.
"First, sever the Good Corpse, then the Evil Corpse, and finally the Obsession.
"Once all three corpses have been severed, the mind becomes clear and merges with the true Dao. When the three corpses reunite as one, you transcend life and death and attain Hunyuan."
His voice remained calm, yet every word seemed to contain boundless Dao resonance.
He began explaining the method in detail: how to sever the corpses, how to anchor them, how to cultivate them, and how to reunite them.
The three thousand cultivators listened as if entranced, immersed in the supreme Great Dao.
However, when Hongjun came to the words "use an Innate Spiritual Treasure as an anchor," another commotion arose in the hall.