Listening to lectures at Zixiao Palace

Laozi waved his hand slightly, "The Great Dao lies before you. How much you can comprehend depends on your own destiny. Go now, and meditate diligently."

Dao Xuan respectfully replied, "Yes, disciple takes his leave."

He slowly exited the Taiqing Palace, his mind meticulously savoring the insights gained from the Three Pure Ones' discussion on the Dao, feeling his path become ever clearer.

Suddenly!

A Dao sound echoed from the Nine Heavens above, without any prior warning!

This sound was neither metal nor stone, neither wind nor thunder, yet it resonated with absolute clarity in the hearts of all the great powers in the Great Desolation, piercing straight into the depths of their Primordial Spirits!

"The ten-thousand-year period has arrived. The Purple Heaven Palace will open its doors for the third time. Those with affinity may come and listen to the Dao."

The voice was indifferent and distant, devoid of any emotion, yet it contained supreme majesty and Dao charm.

It was none other than Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who reclined in the ninth heaven, his futon a place of Dao truth!

Within the Taiqing Palace, the Three Pure Ones, Saints all, heard this sound, and their expressions changed.

A trace of solemnity flickered across Laozi's face, which was usually as calm as an ancient well.

Expectation shone through the majestic gaze of Primordial Heavenly Venerate.

Sect Master Tongtian's eyes blazed with brilliance, his fighting spirit soaring.

"The third sermon... it's finally here," Laozi sighed softly, as if with emotion. "The profound mysteries of the Great Dao will be revealed this time."

Primordial Heavenly Venerate nodded, "Our Teacher's sermon is a grand event for the Great Desolation. We should depart quickly."

Sect Master Tongtian laughed heartily, "Hahaha, I was just eager to hear our Teacher's Great Dao again and verify my own!"

Laozi's gaze turned to Dao Xuan, who stood respectfully outside the palace, also startled by the Dao sound. He said calmly, "Dao Xuan, this sermon at the Purple Heaven Palace is also your opportunity. Come with me."

To listen to the sermon at the Purple Firmament Palace?!

Upon hearing this, Dao Xuan's heart leaped, and immense joy instantly overwhelmed him!

That was Dao Ancestor Hongjun's sermon! One of the greatest opportunities in the Great Desolation!

Being able to listen to a Saint preach was something countless great powers dreamed of but could not attain!

Although he knew his cultivation was still shallow (early stage Golden Immortal), being able to tag along and listen was already an immense fortune!

"Disciple thanks Master!" Dao Xuan was extremely excited, his voice trembling as he quickly bowed deeply.

"Good." Laozi said no more, gently waving his sleeve.

A soft, clear immortal light, imbued with Taiqing Dao charm, surged from his sleeve, instantly enveloping Dao Xuan.

Dao Xuan felt his body lighten, and the scenery before his eyes rapidly shifted. The clouds and palaces of Kunlun Immortal Mountain blurred and receded.

The whistling gale roared in his ears, and before his eyes lay the endless chaotic void!

They had left the Great Desolation and entered the perilous and unpredictable chaos where nothing existed!

The chaotic energy surged and churned like an invisible behemoth, sweeping towards them with a terrifying power that dissolved all things and assimilated everything.

An ordinary Golden Immortal, without a supreme treasure to protect them, would instantly turn into chaotic dust!

Dao Xuan, within Laozi's immortal light, felt immense pressure from the outside but remained unharmed.

Ahead, above Laozi's head, a resplendent cloud suddenly unfurled!

Within the resplendent cloud, Mysterious Yellow Qi cascaded down like a waterfall, and immeasurable golden light of merit shone in all directions!

A pagoda, exquisite and translucent, with nine tiers and eight corners, entirely Xuanhuang in color, slowly rose from the resplendent cloud!

As the pagoda appeared, all laws were repelled, and all evil was banished!

Immeasurable Xuanhuang merit energy descended, transforming into strings of golden lamps, firmly protecting Laozi and the Dao Xuan he shielded within.

It was none other than the first acquired treasure of merit—the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda!

This pagoda was formed from the merit of Pangu's creation of heaven and earth, and standing above one's head, it was innately invincible!

No matter how turbulent and violent the chaotic energy was, when it impacted the Xuanhuang Qi, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, easily dissolved and dispelled, unable to shake it in the slightest.

Dao Xuan watched with longing, thinking to himself, "Is this what it feels like to latch onto a powerful figure? The sense of security is off the charts!"

With the protection of the Exquisite Pagoda, the master and disciple traveled through the chaos as if walking on level ground.

The chaos was boundless, with no sense of direction or passage of time.

After an unknown period.

Deep within the chaos ahead, a hint of purple quietly appeared.

This purple hue was faint at first, but as they approached, it rapidly expanded, eventually transforming into a majestic, ancient palace, naturally imbued with Dao charm!

The palace was entirely chaotic purple, neither gold nor jade, its material unknown.

The eaves curled upwards, and faint Dao runes flowed within.

The palace gates were tightly shut, inscribed with three chaotic divine script characters that seemed to contain the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, formed naturally by Dao charm—Purple Heaven Palace!

Before the palace gates, auspicious clouds swirled, and radiant mists gathered.

Two exquisitely crafted boys, dressed in the attire of Dao attendants, stood solemnly at the entrance.

The male child had his hair tied in twin buns, wore a pale yellow daoist robe, had a delicate and handsome face, and his eyes, though lively, held a maturity unfitting for his age. His cultivation had actually reached the realm of Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

This was Haotian.

The female child wore her hair in pigtails, donned a water-colored robe, possessed a beautiful appearance and a gentle demeanor, and also had the cultivation of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

This was Yaochi.

Dao Xuan's gaze swept over them, and he understood in his heart, "The future Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, currently just gatekeeping boys... The starting point for the great figures of the Great Desolation is indeed simple and unadorned."

Laozi, with Dao Xuan, descended from the clouds (there were no clouds in the chaos, it was actually their escaping light).

Upon seeing the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, the Taiqing Saint, Haotian and Yaochi dared not be negligent, and quickly bowed in greeting, "Greetings, Senior Brother Taiqing!"

Laozi nodded slightly, spoke no further, and directly led Dao Xuan into the Purple霄 Palace.

The palace gates opened silently.

The scene within the palace suddenly opened up.

Behold:

Auspicious mists swirled, and radiant light enfolded.

Jade terraces paved with color, treasure pavilions scattered with vapor.

Phoenixes soared and phoenixes danced in ethereal forms, golden flowers and jade petals floated and sank.

Arranged above were nine phoenix brocade screens and eight treasure purple cloud cushions.

Five-colored painted gold tables, thousand-flower jade basins.

The palace was extremely vast, as if it contained its own world.

At the very front, on a high platform, a simple futon hung in the air – that was the Dao Ancestor's seat.

Below the high platform, closest to the Dao Ancestor's futon, were arranged six enormous purple futons, emanating profound daoist rhymes.

The Three Pure Ones walked directly forward. Laozi, Primordial, and Tongtian successively took their seats on the first, second, and third futons, respectively.

As Laozi's chief disciple, Dao Xuan naturally followed closely behind, respectfully finding a spot behind Laozi, sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes to calm his mind, and beginning to regulate his breathing.

This place was the Dao Ancestor's dojo. The spiritual energy was pure and dense to an unimaginable degree, and it even contained wisps of fragments of the Great Dao's laws.

As soon as Dao Xuan circulated the Taiqing Immortal Art, he felt his internal magic power become exceptionally lively, his Primordial Spirit clear and transparent. His cultivation speed was more than ten times faster than when he was on Kunlun Mountain!

"What a great place! Cultivating here for a day is equivalent to a hundred years of arduous cultivation in the outside world!" Dao Xuan rejoiced inwardly, seizing the time to absorb the spiritual energy.

As time passed, figures began to appear successively in the Azure Palace.

Every person who entered the palace gate had an aura as vast as an abyss, unfathomable. The lowest among them was a Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

They either walked alone or in groups of two or three. After entering the palace, they all found seats, some closing their eyes to rest, others conversing in low voices.

Dao Xuan, a "junior" at the early stage of Golden Immortal, sitting in the first row behind the Three Pure Ones, appeared particularly conspicuous.

The gazes of many powerful beings swept over Dao Xuan with inquiry, curiosity, and even a hint of scrutiny.

But when they clearly saw that the person sitting before Dao Xuan was Laozi, the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, all unusual gazes instantly retracted, and they dared not show the slightest sign of it.

The Three Pure Ones were one, the true lineage of Pangu. Who would dare provoke them lightly?

Dao Xuan felt the departure of those gazes and sighed inwardly, "It's good to have a big tree to lean on for shade; the ancients truly did not deceive me!"

His gaze swept around, and he saw many familiar or legendary faces.

Empress Nuwa arrived hand-in-hand with her elder brother Fuxi. Empress Nuwa nodded slightly in the direction of Dao Xuan and the Three Pure Ones in greeting. Dao Xuan quickly returned the bow.

Old Ancestor Hongyun was still the same amiable old man, finding a spot to sit alone. Seeing Dao Xuan, he even waved enthusiastically.

Great Immortal Zhenyuan held a whisk, the aura of the Earth Book faintly visible. After nodding to Hongyun, he also took his seat peacefully.

The demon clan emperors Dijun and Taiyi, clad in golden crow imperial robes, exuded majestic presence. Behind them followed Kunpeng, whose gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.

Taiyi saw Dao Xuan, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then he looked away.

The master of the Sea of Blood, Old Ancestor Minghe, with blood energy swirling around him, exuding a menacing aura, sat alone in a corner, eyes closed, saying nothing.

Finally, from the Western lands, two daoists hurried over.

One was sallow and thin, slightly stooped, with his hair tied in twin buns and two twigs inserted. He wore a pale yellow daoist robe washed to the point of being faded, held a branch that was neither gold nor wood (the nascent form of the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree), and his face bore an expression of hardship. This was Daoist Jieyin.

The other was slightly more prosperous, with a fair and clean complexion, wearing a fish-tail golden crown (somewhat worn) on his head, a crimson cloud-patterned immortal robe (dull in color), holding a whisk, his eyes lively, with a hint of shrewdness and urgency. This was Daoist Zhunti.

The Purple Heavens Palace was filled with powerful beings; the top existences of the Great Desolation were almost all gathered here!

Dao Xuan, situated within, felt the immeasurable pressure and boundless fortune that permeated the air. He felt as insignificant as dust, yet his heart surged with emotion.

After an unknown amount of time.

"Dong—!"

A clear, melodious bell chime, capable of cleansing the soul and spirit, resounded throughout the entire Purple Firmament Palace!

As the bell chime passed, all distracting thoughts vanished, and conversations ceased abruptly.

On the high platform, before the simple futon that had been hanging in the air, a figure had quietly appeared at some point.

The figure appeared ordinary, clad in a simple gray robe, its face indistinct, as if shrouded in boundless Dao rhyme, or perhaps merged with the entirety of the Purple Heaven Palace, even the boundless chaos.

It was Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

His gaze was placid as he surveyed the three thousand guests in the Purple Heaven Palace below.

When his gaze swept past Dao Xuan, it seemed to pause for a fraction of a second. Deep within his eyes, a faint, imperceptible hint of surprise and understanding flashed before returning to its unruffled state.

"This sermon is the third, and the last," Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke, his voice indifferent yet clearly reaching the Primordial Spirit of every living being. "I will expound upon the Primordial Dao fruit, the foundation of Sainthood."

With that, he said no more and began his lecture.

"The Great Dao is formless, giving birth to heaven and earth; the Great Dao is unfeeling, governing the sun and moon; the Great Dao is nameless, nurturing all things..."

"Profound and yet more profound, the gateway to all wonders..."

"The Three Corpses: the corpse of good thoughts, the corpse of evil thoughts, and the corpse of one's own self..."

The Dao Ancestor spoke, uttering true words.

In an instant!

Within the Purple Heaven Palace, flowers rained from the sky, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth!

Countless Dao runes materialized out of thin air, weaving into brilliant chains of Dao principles that permeated the entire space.

Misty purple qi ascended, transforming into auspicious beasts like dragons, phoenixes, and qilin, which circled and danced.

Golden lotuses appeared, supporting those listening to the sermon and aiding their comprehension.

Dao rhyme was like the sea, and laws like the tide!

Below, the listeners, regardless of their cultivation level, involuntarily revealed the visions of their own Dao fruits.

Above the Three Pure Ones, auspicious clouds surged.

Laozi's auspicious clouds were clear as water, with three large white lotuses budding within, and a Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda floating among them, its phantom form appearing and disappearing.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate's auspicious clouds were majestic and grand, with myriad golden lamps and strings of pearls, rustling loudly.

Sect Master Tongtian's auspicious clouds were filled with sword qi reaching the heavens, the shadow of the Qingping Sword shuttling back and forth, revealing its sharpness.

Nuwa's auspicious clouds were filled with the qi of Creation, her phantom form unfolding with vibrant life.

Jieyin and Zhunti's auspicious clouds shone with golden light, revealing the shadow of a Bodhi tree and their golden Dharma bodies.

Dijun and Taiyi's auspicious clouds were like the great sun in the sky, the Hetu Luoshu, and the phantom of the Chaos Bell suppressing all directions.

Zhenyuanzi's auspicious clouds were as heavy as the earth, the phantom of the Earth Book carrying all things.

Hongyun's auspicious clouds were as red as fire, filled with auspicious energy.

The other great cultivators' auspicious clouds were like the sea, their Dharma bodies solemn, exotic beasts galloping, or divine weapons floating... all sorts of phenomena, too numerous to list, illuminated the entire Purple Heaven Palace in a bizarre and wondrous light, with Dao rhyme soaring to the heavens!

Dao Xuan, amidst it all, felt pressure like a mountain!

What the Dao Ancestor spoke were pearls of wisdom, containing the supreme Primordial Dao, directly pointing to the realm of Sainthood!

The profoundness of the content far exceeded the scope of his current Golden Immortal realm's understanding.

Every word was like a heavenly book, every syllable contained infinite mysteries, making him dizzy and his Primordial Spirit tremble violently, as if he were about to be overwhelmed by the vast torrent of the Great Dao!

"This is too difficult... It's like explaining calculus to a PhD student when I'm just a primary schooler! I can't understand any of it!"

Dao Xuan lamented inwardly, his head splitting, blood trickling from his seven orifices.

Just as he felt he could no longer hold on, about to be crushed by the boundless Dao rhyme, his Primordial Spirit on the verge of collapse.

Deep within his Mud Pill Palace, the dormant Chaos Bead suddenly trembled slightly!

A gentle, cool, yet supremely supreme aura of chaos quietly spread out, instantly protecting the core of Dao Xuan's Primordial Spirit.

Simultaneously, on the surface of the Chaos Bead, countless infinitesimally small runes began to circulate wildly, deducing and analyzing!

Every true word of the Great Dao spoken by the Dao Ancestor, every Dao principle rune that manifested around them, was captured, recorded, disassembled, and reassembled by the Chaos Bead in an incomprehensible manner!

Although it could not fully comprehend their ultimate profound meaning, the Chaos Bead forcibly imprinted this immensely profound information into Dao Xuan's Primordial Spirit. It then analyzed and presented the most basic, most core trace of Dao rhyme's true meaning in a way that he could barely withstand!

It was like building a single-plank bridge for him in a torrential flood, allowing him to glimpse a sliver of the path!

Dao Xuan's pressure drastically reduced!

Although he still felt lost and the content remained obscure and difficult to understand, it was no longer an utterly incomprehensible heavenly book.

Occasionally, one or two of the most basic introductory principles of "slaying the Three Corpses," which perfectly matched his current realm, or superficial descriptions of the Primordial Dao fruit, were painstakingly captured and understood by him.

"Slaying obsessions... seeing one's true nature... entrusting a spiritual treasure... So that's how it is..." Dao Xuan greedily absorbed the occasional flashes of enlightenment.

Each comprehension was like a sudden, profound realization, causing his understanding of his own Dao and the laws of heaven and earth to undergo a qualitative leap!

Above his head, the auspicious clouds, originally half an acre in size, began to slowly expand under the influence of the dense Dao rhyme of the Purple Firmament Palace and the assistance of the Chaos Bead!

Within the auspicious clouds, the three budding white lotuses trembled slightly, as if about to bloom!

The five white waves surged and washed, becoming even more condensed and powerful!

The Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd shuttled and roamed within the auspicious clouds, emitting cheerful chirps. Dao patterns flowed across the halberd's body, its spirituality greatly increased!

Dao Xuan's cultivation began to soar like a rocket, under the dual boost of the Dao Ancestor's sermon and the environment of the Purple Heaven Palace!

Early Golden Immortal... peak Early Golden Immortal... the bottleneck loosened...

RUMBLE!

A powerful aura erupted from Dao Xuan's body!

The auspicious clouds above his head suddenly expanded to the size of an acre, his three flowers swayed gracefully, and the Dao rhythm flowed!

Mid Golden Immortal, achieved!

But this was only the beginning!

The Dao Ancestor's sermon continued, the true words of the Great Dao surging like a torrent.

Under the protection of the Chaos Bead, Dao Xuan painstakingly grasped every wisp of opportunity.

His Mid Golden Immortal realm rapidly stabilized, his magic power, Primordial Spirit, and physical body all undergoing transformation under the baptism of the Dao rhythm.

Time lost all meaning in his enlightenment.

After an unknown amount of time.

Dao Xuan's magic power surged within him like great rivers, his Primordial Spirit was crystal clear, and his comprehension of the laws reached a critical point!

BOOM!!!

Another, more violent roar sounded from within him!

The auspicious clouds above his head blazed with a myriad of colors, and auspicious energy streamed forth in thousands of strands!

Three phantom white lotuses suddenly bloomed. Although they had just begun to open, they already revealed a pure, flawless Dao rhythm that was impervious to all methods!

The Five Energies transformed into five condensed, substantial white dragons, coiling and roaring within the auspicious clouds!

A majestic pressure far exceeding that of a Mid Golden Immortal permeated the air!

Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!

In the midst of listening to the sermon in Purple Heaven Palace, Dao Xuan had broken through two realms in succession, taking a leap to the threshold of Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

Although he had only just entered the Grand Unity realm and his foundation still needed refinement, this speed was enough to shock the world!

Dao rhythm flowed around him, his aura harmonious, the three flowers above his head swaying, the Five Energies returning to the origin, officially placing him among the strong pillars of the Great Desolation!

The Dao Ancestor's sermon remained distant and lofty, as if it had not paused in the slightest due to anyone's breakthrough.

Within the Purple Heaven Palace, the heavenly sounds of the Great Dao continued, as did the golden lotuses falling like flowers.

Dao Xuan was immersed in the afterglow of his breakthrough and the vast Dao rhythm, greedily absorbing this supreme opportunity.

The three flowers that had just begun to bloom above his head were quietly undergoing deeper changes under the dual nourishment of the Dao Ancestor's true words and the Chaos Bead