Let's leave the flustered Kun Peng aside.
After Ling Tian had dealt with Kun Peng,
he immediately turned around and returned to Hong Huang.
As if!
Ling Tian was nowhere near done having fun!
On this trip,
Ling Tian had raced to the North Sea at top speed to complete his selection task.
That was how he'd managed to arrive at the crucial moment and save Kun Peng.
Now that the task was complete,
Ling Tian naturally wanted to travel around Hong Huang to his heart's content.
Ling Tian had no idea...
that Hongjun, far away in Zixiao Palace, had happened to end a long period of seclusion at just this time.
He, too, was preparing to leave seclusion and travel around Hong Huang.
In Hong Huang, years were impossible to count.
After coming to Hong Huang,
Ling Tian was like a fish in the sea, having the time of his life.
Over these past years,
Ling Tian had seen more wonders than he could count.
Heavenly treasures, rare and exotic beasts, countless races...
It was enough to dazzle the eye.
Had Ling Tian's Dao Heart not been firm, he might well have become completely enchanted.
Yet what left the deepest impression on Ling Tian was the Primordial Beings' devotion to seeking the Dao.
From Earth Immortals and Heavenly Immortals below
to Grand Unity Golden Immortals and even Primordial Golden Immortals above,
nearly every living being put cultivation first.
Throughout these years of wandering,
Ling Tian's Dao Heart had steadily grown more complete.
Ling Tian had no idea...
that without even realizing it,
he had already condensed something countless Primordial Beings yearned for...
the Heart of the Great Dao!
The Heart of the Great Dao couldn't immediately increase Ling Tian's strength or cultivation.
But with the Heart of the Great Dao,
Ling Tian would be able to completely eliminate the interference of inner demons in the future.
It would make his path of cultivation much smoother.
This was an unexpected surprise.
And so,
Ling Tian remained immersed in this profound state as he continued to wander through Hong Huang.
Until one day, Ling Tian came to the edge of a cliff.
As though he couldn't feel time passing, Ling Tian gazed blankly at the endless, churning sea of clouds before him.
The sun rose and set. Day and night turned in their endless cycle.
At some point,
a Daoist dressed in a robe and holding a bamboo staff came to stand beside Ling Tian. He asked softly,
"What are you doing, young friend?"
"Who?"
At the sound of that voice,
Ling Tian immediately came back to his senses, his eyes wary.
Just then,
the Heart of the Great Dao trembled ever so slightly.
Ling Tian's Dao Heart soon returned to calm.
He'd been too tense just now.
Even if the person before him was only an old man,
so what if Ancestral Dragon had come after him?
He was only a clone, after all.
Thinking this, Ling Tian gave a faint smile.
"Old sir, I was just thinking about the Dao of cultivation and lost myself in thought."
"Oh?"
At Ling Tian's answer,
a hint of interest appeared in the old man's eyes.
And when the old man carefully sensed Ling Tian's cultivation, that interest deepened.
"I never expected a young friend so young to have reached such a level of cultivation. This old Daoist is impressed."
After a pause,
the old man spoke again.
"What Dao of cultivation were you thinking about, young friend?"
Ling Tian didn't hide it. "I was thinking about a method to attain sainthood."
A method to attain sainthood?
Ling Tian's words struck like a thunderclap.
The old man's usually placid expression changed at once. For the first time, he lost his composure.
After a moment of silence,
the old man gazed intently at Ling Tian and cupped his hands.
"May I ask, young friend, what is the method to attain sainthood?"
"Would you tell this old Daoist about it?"
Tell him about it?
At that,
a hint of amusement flashed through Ling Tian's eyes.
This old fellow really didn't hold back.
Still, Ling Tian had nothing to hide, and was just about to speak.
But at that very moment,
Ling Tian's whole body jolted as he heard the system's long-absent voice...
[Beep!]
[Detected Hongjun asking the host about the Dao. Please choose...]
[Choice One: Discuss the Dao with Hongjun. Reward: Heaven Suppressing Coffin and Hongjun's favor.]
[Choice Two: Refuse to discuss the Dao with Hongjun. Reward: One Hongmeng Purple Qi and Hongjun's enmity.]
At the system's prompt,
Ling Tian shuddered from head to toe.
No matter how the Heart of the Great Dao trembled inside him, it couldn't quell his shock.
What were the odds?
On his first trip out to explore Hong Huang, he'd run into Hongjun?
The future Dao Ancestor, the strongest Saint of all!
And the eventual victor of the Dragon-Han Tribulation, the very tribulation unfolding in the original story at this point in time.
Ling Tian had never imagined
that he'd run into Hongjun here.
This was downright bizarre!
"Could this be the Heavenly Dao's scheme?"
Ling Tian abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
Elsewhere,
the old Daoist—
or rather, Hongjun—had also sensed Ling Tian's shock.
But Hongjun assumed Ling Tian was astonished by what he'd said.
Hongjun's gaze remained impassive.
He was merely somewhat interested in Ling Tian's words.
If Ling Tian didn't wish to speak, that was fine too.
After all,
Hongjun had already created the [Method to Sever Three Corpses and Attain Sainthood].
Unlike attaining Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal status by cultivating the laws,
the [Method to Sever Three Corpses and Attain Sainthood] could only produce a Heavenly Dao Saint.
But it was far, far easier than attaining sainthood through the laws.
This was Hongjun's greatest trump card.
It was also the reason he would later be revered as the Dao Ancestor.
"Young friend, if you'd rather not tell me, that's quite all right."
Looking at Ling Tian's conflicted expression,
Hongjun chuckled faintly, though there wasn't a trace of a smile in his eyes.
"Heh!"
At Hongjun's words, Ling Tian sneered inwardly.
Hongjun appeared dignified and upright, but he was the most insidious creature in Hong Huang.
That much
others might not know.
But how could Ling Tian not?
The Witch and Demon Tribulation and the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation in later times had both been orchestrated by the Hongjun standing before him.
This seemingly amiable old fellow was ruthless and even more black-hearted.
But Ling Tian's greatest enemy at the moment was Rahu.
And Hongjun was Rahu's enemy too.
The enemy of one's enemy was a friend, wasn't he?
Ling Tian certainly wouldn't turn down a friend's request.
What's more, Ling Tian had come up with a brilliant plan...
the art of bluffing!
A mix of truth and lies, reality and illusion.
Ling Tian refused to believe he couldn't fool Hongjun silly.
With that in mind,
Ling Tian didn't hesitate any longer and called out inwardly,
"System, I choose one!"
After making his choice,
Ling Tian's gaze toward Hongjun changed in an instant, growing extraordinarily warm.
His face was wreathed in a bright, welcoming smile.
"Old sir, you want to ask me about the method to attain sainthood, right?"
"Of course!"
"Come, come. Let's sit and talk. There's no rush."
As he spoke,
Ling Tian's divine sense stirred.
In an instant, a stone table, stone chairs, spirit tea, and Spirit Fruits appeared on the cliffside...
It was as if he were hosting an honored guest.
He was all warmth and enthusiasm.
Watching Ling Tian's every move,
Hongjun was practically dumbstruck!
Though Hongjun had cultivated for countless years and prided himself on his extensive experience,
he'd never seen a living being change expressions as quickly as Ling Tian.
Could this living being have recognized him?
But he had always kept a low profile, and hadn't traveled around Hong Huang for many years.
There was no reason she'd recognize him!
Hongjun couldn't help but start calculating.
But the result made his pupils suddenly contract.
He couldn't calculate anything at all...
That made no sense!
Before you continue