Zixiao Palace.
The innate deities looked on with envy and jealousy.
Dong Wanggong had received a strand of Primordial Violet Qi, which meant he could bestow it on someone else and raise a Heavenly Dao Saint from nothing.
By that reckoning,
Hongmeng Immortal Palace would one day have three mighty saints.
Simply terrifying!
"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your gift. Dong Wanggong will do everything in his power to teach the Primordial Era Beings, protect all living things, eradicate Chaos Evil, and uphold the might of the Great Dao and Heavenly Dao!"
Dong Wanggong bowed slightly, his voice solemn.
Ever since the first lecture at Zixiao Palace, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had bestowed many opportunities upon him. As a result, Dong Wanggong had come to revere the kindly, benevolent-looking old Daoist.
Compared to the Chaos Demon Gods, even if Dao Ancestor Hongjun had his own motives, he had always protected the Primordial World and worked to secure peace for all under Heaven for generations to come.
At this, Dao Ancestor Hongjun gave a slight nod, then looked toward the Three Pure Ones on their cushions.
"The Three Pure Ones were formed from the soul of Great God Pangu. Your origins are profound, and you carry great destiny and merit. You are qualified to become Heavenly Dao Saints!"
"I wish to take you as my personal disciples. What say you?"
At these words, the other innate deities looked at the Three Pure Ones with envy. Ancestor Hong Yun seemed to realize the purpose of the cushions as well.
Boundless regret welled up in his heart. He glared furiously at Zhunti and Jieyin.
If he had been sitting on one of those cushions, could he have become a disciple of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and gained an extraordinary opportunity?
At this!
Old Master Taiqing, Yuanshi, and Tongtian knelt without the slightest hesitation, prostrating themselves in reverence.
To become personal disciples of a Heavenly Dao Saint was the greatest opportunity of all!
"Greetings, Master!"
Dao Ancestor Hongjun nodded gently. With a slight wave of his jade sleeve, three strands of Primordial Violet Qi pierced through the void and entered the Three Pure Ones' souls.
In an instant, profound light filled the sky, Dao Resonance surged without end, and the Great Dao's rules rippled for millions of miles.
Having finished, Dao Ancestor Hongjun looked at Nuwa.
The other innate deities seemed to sense what was coming. Their faces turned pale, and their spirits sank. They knew they were most likely destined to miss out on the Primordial Violet Qi.
After all, there were six cushions in total. If each person on one received Primordial Violet Qi, only one strand would remain for everyone else to fight over.
"Minor trends can be changed, but the greater trend cannot!"
"To obtain it is my good fortune; to lose it is no cause for regret!"
"Heavenly Dao Saints are chosen by the Heavenly Dao. Hongjun is merely its representative. Only those with great talent and fortune can prove the Dao and become Heavenly Dao Saints. The rest must follow the path of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal with great perseverance!"
"If you obsess over Primordial Violet Qi, you may go astray and destroy your Dao heart!"
Dong Wanggong sat cross-legged atop the Twenty-Four Petal Creation Green Lotus, the vast rules of the Great Dao reflected in his eyes. His gentle voice slowly echoed through the hall.
Among the crowd, Zhen Yuanzi, Ancestor Minghe, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches seemed to gain some insight. The members of the Demon Race and Old Ancestor Kunpeng, however, remained trapped in their Heart Demons.
"Nuwa, you will earn great merit in the future and become a Heavenly Dao Saint!"
"Would you be willing to become my inner disciple?"
After speaking, Dao Ancestor Hongjun smiled as he looked at Nuwa on the cushion. She was dignified and elegant, had cultivated the Law of Creation to the minor mastery stage, and had reached the Mid-stage Quasi-Saint realm.
Ever since Nuwa and Dong Wanggong had become Dao Companions, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had sensed a violet-gold immortal mist staining her River of Life. Her future Dao would surely become even more profound, beyond the Heavenly Dao's calculations.
"I am willing!"
"Greetings, Master! Greetings, senior brothers of the Three Pure Ones!"
Amid a chorus of astonished exclamations, Nuwa knelt and paid her respects to Dao Ancestor Hongjun, then bowed slightly to the Three Pure Ones and the others.
At that moment, both Nuwa and Fuxi were overwhelmed with excitement. They also recalled what Dong Wanggong had once said. It turned out he had known everything all along.
Soon, only three strands of Primordial Violet Qi remained in Dao Ancestor Hongjun's hand. They shimmered with profound Seven-Colored Divine Light, captivating everyone's attention.
Eyes fixed on their noses, noses fixed on their hearts.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not look toward Zhunti and Jieyin on their cushions. Instead, he sat quietly in meditation atop the Cloud Platform, while the Jade Disk of Creation shed the Three Thousand Laws and Dao Resonance swept across endless millions of miles.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Below, Ancestor Witch Dijiang stepped forward and bowed slightly to Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
"May I ask, Dao Ancestor: as the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, can our Wu Race obtain Primordial Violet Qi and prove the Dao to become saints?"
Dijiang wanted to vie for one of the last three strands of Primordial Violet Qi.
At this, Dao Ancestor Hongjun shook his head, then nodded in reply.
"From the day they were born, the Twelve Ancestral Witches had no souls, so they cannot follow the path of Heavenly Dao Saints. Moreover, you disrespect the Heavenly Dao and revere only Pangu, so you have no place in the Heavenly Dao's favor."
"However, all Twelve Ancestral Witches can follow the path of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal. With Great God Pangu's inheritance, you can all become Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortals. You will simply need great perseverance. Abandon the fanciful notion of proving the Dao through Heavenly Dao Destiny."
Dao Ancestor Hongjun was compassionate toward all things, and finally pointed Dijiang toward a path.
The Wu Race had no benefit to gain from dominating the Primordial Wilderness.
Instead, if they focused on comprehending Great God Pangu's inheritance and continually deepened their mastery of the laws, they could one day break through the barriers and roam freely within the Great Dao.
The path of the laws was the true Dao of the Wu Race!
But from the Twelve Ancestral Witches' expressions, Dao Ancestor Hongjun could tell they had not fully understood. They would have to endure setbacks and hardship before they could cast off the halo of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage and return to their true selves.
"Waaah! Waaah!"
"We beg Dao Ancestor to take us, brothers, as disciples and bestow Primordial Violet Qi upon us!"
"The Western World is barren, and its people live in a hell of fire. Only if we, brothers, prove the Dao and become saints will we be able to revive the Western World and uphold the Heavenly Dao's orthodoxy. We beg you to have pity on us!"
On their cushions, Zhunti and Jieyin wept bitterly.
They had thought Dao Ancestor Hongjun would bestow Primordial Violet Qi upon them, but they had waited so long without receiving any response.
It was like taking off your Daoist robe just to let out a fart.
Who could put up with that?
"We beg Dao Ancestor to show us mercy!"
"During the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation, the Earth Veins of the Western World exploded and were destroyed. Innate Spiritual Qi leaked away, and the beings of the Ten Thousand Races perished!"
"If we, brothers, cannot become saints, the Western World will fall into eternal ruin. There will be no way out but death!"
With snot and tears streaming down his face, Zhunti wiped them on Jieyin's Daoist robe.
Pride? Decency?
They meant nothing to the pair.
Trading a little self-respect for the chance to become Heavenly Dao Saints.
It was absolutely worth it!
"Very well. I shall take you as nominal disciples. Here are two strands of Primordial Violet Qi; I bestow them upon you!"
"As for the last strand, let it choose its own destined bearer!"
Dao Ancestor Hongjun flicked his right hand. Three strands of Primordial Violet Qi flew into the air above Zixiao Palace. Two entered the souls of Zhunti and Jieyin, while the last drifted among the innate deities.
Seeing this, the corners of Dong Wanggong's mouth lifted slightly.
If nothing unexpected happened, the final strand of Primordial Violet Qi would fall into Ancestor Hong Yun's hands.
A man's guilt lay in possessing a treasure.
This Primordial Violet Qi was surely the root cause of Ancestor Hong Yun's death.
But if he survived that tribulation, he would be reborn from the ashes and earn the right to enter Hongmeng Immortal Palace.
Ancestor Hong Yun looked as if he was beginning to turn dark.
Dong Wanggong looked forward to seeing what happened!
"Hahaha... This Primordial Violet Qi chose the right person. It was meant to be mine!"
"Hong Yun thanks Dao Ancestor for the gift!"
After wandering to and fro, the Primordial Violet Qi turned into a streak of light and entered Ancestor Hong Yun's soul.
As he comprehended the vast rules of the Heavenly Dao, his cultivation loosened a little. His face brimmed with satisfaction.
Beside him, Zhen Yuanzi breathed a sigh of relief.
He was sincerely happy that his good friend had obtained Primordial Violet Qi.
The other innate deities reacted in different ways. Some were envious, while others wore venomous expressions.
Ancestor Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi were isolated and outnumbered. And since Dao Ancestor Hongjun had not taken Ancestor Hong Yun as a disciple, no great harm would come of killing him.
Primordial Violet Qi was the foundation of sainthood!
"Hong Yun, you're the reason I got dragged into this and lost my chance to prove the Dao and become a saint!"
"I've already claimed your Primordial Violet Qi!"
Old Ancestor Kunpeng's face darkened. He could no longer suppress his fury, and his eyes brimmed with murderous intent, as if he wanted to devour Ancestor Hong Yun alive.
After distributing the Primordial Violet Qi, Dao Ancestor Hongjun sat high atop the Cloud Platform. A slight movement of his magic power quieted all Three Thousand Innate Gods, leaving not the slightest stir among them.
"In my early years, I obtained many treasures in the Primordial Wilderness. Now that I am about to merge with the Dao, I shall bestow them upon you!"
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