"What is Dong Wanggong trying to do?"
Before Purple Cloud Palace, an Innate Deity cried out in alarm, covering his mouth in disbelief.
Dong Wanggong sat cross-legged atop the Creation Green Lotus. His magical power was unfathomably restrained, the Law of Strength suppressing space as the Power of Yin-Yang flowed around him.
In an instant, immortal aura filled the air, and boundless Purple Dao Rhyme appeared above Dong Wanggong's head.
Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, Five Energies Returning to the Origin.
These were unmistakably signs that he had entered a state of enlightenment and was on the verge of a breakthrough.
Could Dong Wanggong be about to attain the Path to Quasi-Saint before Purple Cloud Palace?
The visions unfolded, annihilating all laws.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Since the War of Dao and Demon ended, no one in the Primordial Wilderness has been able to attain Quasi-Saint except by breaking through the Quasi-Saint shackles with the power of fortune. Dong Wanggong hasn't founded a faction, so there's no way he can break through to Quasi-Saint now!"
Voices of doubt rose from the crowd.
Although the Three Thousand Deities knew that the realms above Grand Unity Golden Immortal were Quasi-Saint and Saint, no one had ever dared to reach for the Quasi-Saint realm.
The purpose of the Second Lecture at Purple Cloud Palace was to seek the Path to Quasi-Saint.
For Dong Wanggong to try to break through right now was sheer delusion.
"Chaos first took form, then the world was created. Slay Gods and Destroy Worlds! With a single force, break all laws—break!"
Dong Wanggong murmured as the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique refined boundless chaos energy. The Law of Strength formed countless divine runes that drifted through his flesh, blood, and True Spirit.
The supreme magical power coursed through his meridians, breaking the shackles of the rules and gradually crossing the chasm between Grand Unity Golden Immortal and Quasi-Saint.
Rumble!
A deafening boom came from within Dong Wanggong.
In an instant, it was as if Great God Pangu had come back to life. An irresistible force surged toward the surrounding Innate Deities, sweeping across the entire Primordial World.
"This force is overwhelming! Hold it back!"
"The Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda—manifest, Great Dao Merit Golden Wheel! Suppress!"
Old Master Taiqing was the first to react. He immediately brought out his Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasure, shielding Yuanshi and Tongtian behind him as he urged his magical power to resist Dong Wanggong's pressure.
At the same time, many Innate Deities were swept away by the Law of Strength. Some were sent sprawling to the ground, while even the strongest Innate Deities felt a weight pressing down on their shoulders.
Time is supreme; space is king.
When fate is absent, karma reigns.
The Great Dao of Strength is supreme.
Among the Three Thousand Laws, the Law of Strength could create the primordial universe and suppress the void of spacetime.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi was on the verge of reaching Early-stage Quasi-Saint. Now, all his magical power poured forth, and the Law of Strength, no longer restrained, ravaged heaven and earth, looking down upon all living beings.
"Chaos Bell, stabilize!"
Seeing that Dijun and the others of the demon race could barely hold on, Eastern Emperor Taiyi's heart filled with unwillingness. Golden-red True Sun Fire blazed as the Chaos Bell rang out.
Only by unleashing the Spacetime Law and Sun Law was he able to avoid being crushed by the Law of Strength.
Even so, Eastern Emperor Taiyi was struck by an immeasurable force and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face twisted with savagery, and his killing intent seemed strong enough to slay Dong Wanggong a thousand times over.
"Forget it. I don't want to spit blood!"
"I'm no match for fellow Daoist Dong Wanggong anyway. Why not just take it easy for once?"
Fuxi gave up resisting and let the Law of Strength fling him away.
The harder one resisted, the more terrifying the force became.
Dong Wanggong's breakthrough to Early-stage Quasi-Saint was now a certainty. Fuxi knew his talent and potential were inferior to the man before him, so he simply lay back and surrendered.
"Fellow Daoist Dong Wanggong's breakthrough is bad news for us unlucky souls!"
"Dao Ancestor, help us!"
Ancestor Hong Yun cried out, clinging tightly to Zhen Yuanzi's arm.
They had cultivated for countless years, yet still could not roam freely through the Great Void. Now they could only submit to Dong Wanggong's pressure, leaving the Innate Deities present utterly humiliated and stripping them of all their pride.
Creak!
The doors of Purple Cloud Palace suddenly swung open. Dao Ancestor Hongjun's aura emerged from within the hall, and a peaceful force of the Immortal Dao dispelled Dong Wanggong's might, allowing everyone to regain their footing.
"We thank Dao Ancestor!"
Once the suffocating pressure vanished, the mighty beings stared at Dong Wanggong and drew in sharp breaths.
His Great Luo Three Flowers had reached the ninth rank. His Law of Strength and Yin-Yang Law had both reached minor mastery, while his Immortal Dao Law had reached the entry level. He surpassed everyone present.
He was simply a freak!
"Early-stage Quasi-Saint, yet his combat strength is impossible to measure!"
"The Law of Strength is as weighty as a thousand mountains, the Yin-Yang Law is imperishable, and the Immortal Dao Law is vast and ethereal. This is the divine might I ought to possess!"
The visions faded, and his aura receded.
Dong Wanggong rose and gave the surrounding Innate Deities a slight bow, expressing his apologies.
He glanced at the killing intent in Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi's eyes. His brows lifted slightly, and an inscrutable smile touched his lips, as if he already knew their fate would end in ruin.
Not long afterward.
The crowd streamed into the main hall of Purple Cloud Palace.
The Immortal Dao was boundless, the Great Dao unfathomable, and its mysteries beyond compare.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun sat high upon the Cloud Platform. The Jade Disk of Creation let down the Three Thousand Laws, while the Immortal Dao's vastness encompassed all things. His gaze swept over the crowd.
Haotian and Yaochi knelt at either side of Dao Ancestor Hongjun. Their cultivation had also reached Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, much to the envy of the lower-realm Innate Deities.
"This is my second lecture. This time, I shall explain the Path to Quasi-Saint, which may also be called the Path of Hunyuan Golden Immortal."
"A Saint is a Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal, but not every Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal is a Heavenly Dao Saint. Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal is a realm; Heavenly Dao Saint is a status. A Saint may enjoy the Primordial World's merit and remain undying through myriad tribulations."
"Beneath a Saint, all are ants. If you wish to attain the Dao, you must listen carefully."
Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke eloquently, expounding the rules with every word. Just a few brief remarks sent all the Innate Deities into a state of enlightenment, immersed in the boundless Immortal Dao.
Dong Wanggong did not grow arrogant. Instead, he began comprehending the Immortal Dao Law, seeking a trace of opportunity in Dao Ancestor Hongjun's Immortal Dao.
With a flick of his right hand, he and West Queen Mother swallowed several Yellow Middle Plums. Their abundant Innate Spiritual Qi enhanced their cultivation and stabilized their realms.
The Myriad Heavens Celebration Cloud and the Creation Green Lotus likewise released boundless laws, helping Dong Wanggong comprehend the Immortal Dao Law.
In the Primordial Wilderness, years passed unnoticed. In a single instant, three thousand years went by.
The Dao Sound gradually faded, and everyone awoke from their meditation.
"My Immortal Dao Law has reached minor mastery, yet I still fall far short of Dong Wanggong!"
"The gap between a ninth-rank Great Luo Three Flowers and a twelfth-rank one is truly enormous. It's like an impassable chasm."
"If I had Dong Wanggong's comprehension, perhaps I wouldn't need to merge with the Dao and join forces with the Heavenly Dao to fight the extraterrestrial fiends and Chaos Evil!"
Dao Ancestor Hongjun's eyelids drooped slightly. He was evidently pleased with Dong Wanggong's performance.
As the Heavenly Dao's representative, he knew his fate was to mend the Heavenly Dao's flaws and stabilize the Primordial World's laws, lest the remnants of the Chaos Demon Gods lurking in the shadows return.
Yet once he merged with the Dao, Dao Ancestor Hongjun would no longer be himself.
Hongjun would become the Heavenly Dao, but the Heavenly Dao would not be Hongjun.
Under the influence of Kalpa Tribulations and chaotic demonic energy, the Heavenly Dao was also being steadily assimilated by ominous energy. In time, even its original True Spirit would be devoured completely.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun was doing no more than slowing the Heavenly Dao's corruption.
Inside the hall.
The Three Thousand Innate Gods wore bewildered expressions.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun's teachings were profound and exceedingly difficult to understand. Though they knew how to attain Quasi-Saint, it felt as though they had merely dreamed of the method; they could not grasp it.
Even the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin, seated on the prayer mats, were completely perplexed. They simply could not seize that final trace of opportunity.
It was within arm's reach, yet impossible to grasp.
"Taiqing is dull-witted and cannot comprehend the method to attain Quasi-Saint. May I ask Dao Ancestor how we can become Quasi-Saints?"
Old Master Taiqing bowed from his prayer mat.
Though he had gained a great deal, he still needed Dao Ancestor Hongjun's guidance to grasp the Path to Quasi-Saint.
"Please, Dao Ancestor, explain the method of attaining the Dao!"
The other Innate Deities saw this and kowtowed before Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
One could become a Quasi-Saint by severing the Three Corpses.
But they simply could not seize that trace of opportunity, so they all begged Dao Ancestor Hongjun to bestow the method of attaining the Dao.
Seeing this, Dao Ancestor Hongjun nodded slightly, his eyes filled with admiration for Old Master Taiqing.
Being willing to ask for guidance without shame—that was the character a top-tier mighty being ought to have.
"The Three Thousand Great Daos can all lead to Quasi-Saint!"
"Though I can tell you the method of attaining the Dao, some among you have already comprehended the Immortal Dao. So why not let Dong Wanggong explain it in my place?"
With a kindly expression, Dao Ancestor Hongjun looked toward Dong Wanggong.
He had no intention of making him Head of Male Immortals, yet he insisted on letting Dong Wanggong steal the spotlight.
It was for no other reason than that, after he merged with the Dao, the beings of the Primordial Wilderness would need someone to take charge.
Dong Wanggong was the most suitable choice!
Before you continue