A Myriad Years of Dao Discussion Opens the Path; Purple Firmament's Second Lecture on Quasi-Saints

"Disciple, I have three more Innate Spiritual Treasures here that align with the Five Elements laws. Take them."

With a flick of Donghua's sleeve, three Innate Spiritual Treasures flew out, interweaving in midair to form a Three Talents Formation.

The Earth Spirit Pearl breathed out the essence of mountains, the Fire Spirit Pearl was wreathed in Nirvana True Flame, and the Golden Spirit Pearl burst forth with Taibai Sharp Radiance.

All three were high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures with thirty-six Innate Restrictions. As they hovered before Kong Xuan, they unexpectedly stirred his natal Five-Colored Divine Light into circulating on its own.

"Once you find the other two Spirit Pearls, you will be able to set up the Lesser Five Elements Innate Grand Formation. Then the Five Elements will rotate endlessly, giving rise to one another without end."

Divine light flared in Kong Xuan's eyes. He was the first peacock born between Heaven and Earth; although his foundations were extraordinary, he had emerged into the world rather late.

Whenever Innate Spiritual Treasures appeared, they would shake an entire region and be fought over by powerful beings from every side. With his cultivation at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, it was indeed difficult for him to contend with them.

Over the years, he had relied entirely on the property of his Five-Colored Divine Light to brush away all things in battle. Now, seeing his master casually produce three high-grade treasures, his heart could not help but surge with emotion.

"Thank you, Master!" Kong Xuan solemnly accepted the Spirit Pearls, the Five Elements Dao rhythm within him resonating brilliantly with the treasures.

These three high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures were rare jewels even in the eyes of the Primordial Wilderness's mighty experts. To Kong Xuan, who currently had no suitable magic treasure to protect himself, they were beyond precious.

With Kong Xuan's incredible speed, the two of them reached the borders of West Kunlun in the blink of an eye.

Amid the rolling sea of clouds, the outlines of immortal mountains appeared and vanished. Exotic flowers and precious herbs adorned the mountain paths, while the crisp, faint fragrance of osmanthus filled the air.

Before the two had even landed, a stream of Clear Radiance rose from Jade Void Peak. Taizhen, dressed in nine-colored cloud robes, had already silently arrived before the mountain gate.

"Daoist Donghua, this is...?" Taizhen offered a light salute. When her gaze shifted to Kong Xuan beside Donghua, a trace of barely perceptible surprise flashed through her eyes.

Donghua smiled as he introduced him. "This is Kong Xuan, the disciple I accepted not long ago. He bears the innate origin of the Five Elements. What do you think of him, Taizhen?"

"His talent is exceptional, no weaker than ours Innate Divine Beings."

Taizhen spoke gently, a faint smile resting in her eyes as she continued,

"What a coincidence. A few days ago, I happened upon an opportunity and acquired a Plain Colored Cloud Boundary Flag containing the Law of Gold. Could it be fate that it should belong to your disciple?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a stream of pure white rosy light spiraled from Taizhen's sleeve. At first, it was like smoke, but it expanded with the wind and transformed into a treasured banner suspended in the air.

Countless Golden Dao Patterns flickered across the banner's surface, exuding an awe-inspiring might. The incomparably pure aura of Innate Geng Metal swept through the surroundings. It was one of the Innate Five Directions Banners—the Plain Colored Cloud Boundary Flag, which governed the west's place of stern slaughter!

Seeing this, Donghua's lips curved slightly upward. He turned to Kong Xuan, who was still standing there in a daze, and said warmly, "Xuan'er, why aren't you thanking your mistress for her generous gift?"

Kong Xuan snapped back to his senses. He hurriedly suppressed the shock and wild joy nearly overflowing from his chest, then bowed deeply, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement.

"This disciple, Kong Xuan, thanks Mistress for bestowing this treasure!"

Kong Xuan extended both hands and respectfully received the Plain Colored Cloud Boundary Flag floating in the air.

The banner felt slightly heavy in his hands. A vast yet familiar Spiritual Mechanism instantly surged into his meridians, faintly aligning with the Five Elements Dao rhythm within his origin.

It was actually a Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure!

Kong Xuan's emotions churned so violently that he could barely contain himself. Since coming into the world, how could he ever have imagined that one day such a Heavy Treasure would acknowledge him as its master?

At that moment, Donghua's gaze swept over Taizhen at his side. Her aura had become perfectly rounded, and her cultivation had clearly grown much deeper. He smiled and said,

"I see that Taizhen's cultivation has stabilized, and that you have fully absorbed your previous insights. If you continue sitting in seclusion and cultivating, I fear it will be difficult to make further progress.

"Why not take this opportunity for the two of us to sit and discuss the Dao? We can verify each other's insights while also demonstrating techniques and expounding the Dao for our disciples. Would that not be a wonderful thing?"

"Agreed."

Hearing this, Taizhen smiled without the slightest hesitation.

She raised her slender hand, and the clear chime of a jade bell drifted across the immortal mountain, summoning all the attendant immortal children and disciples within the mountain before them.

The two exchanged smiles, then each unfolded their own Dao.

Purple-gold qi coiled around Donghua's body, his Innate Pure Yang Dao rhythm transforming into the phantom of a great sun that spiraled upward as he expounded the mysteries of growth and generation. Queen Mother of the West Taizhen gently moved her slender fingers, and nine-colored clouds flowed from her sleeves. Lunar True Essence fell like moonlight, demonstrating the wonders of return and concealment.

The true meanings of the two Great Daos met atop West Kunlun. Not only did they not clash in the slightest, but yin and yang complemented each other as the Five Elements rotated, evolving myriad phenomena. Golden lotuses rose from the sea of clouds, spiritual springs rang out in the void, and Dao Sound resounded like bells, cleansing the mind and spirit.

The disciples held their breath, utterly entranced.

For Donghua and Taizhen, this Dao discussion served as mutual verification and a sparring of the Great Dao. Yet for the disciples listening below, it was no different from a heaven-sent sermon of great fortune.

Time passed swiftly, like a white colt flashing through a crack.

By the time Donghua and Taizhen's Dao discussion ended, ten thousand years had passed.

As the date of Sage Hongjun's lecture drew near, many Innate Divine Beings who had been cultivating in seclusion gradually awakened and emerged from their Grotto-heaven Blessed Lands. Once more, they transformed into brilliant streaks of light, crossing the boundless Chaos as they gathered toward the towering Purple Firmament Palace.

Donghua and Taizhen did not linger either. After making a few arrangements and giving instructions to their disciples and mountain children, they transformed into a blue and a purple world-shaking rainbow, departing side by side into the depths of Chaos.

After passing through layer upon layer of chaotic currents and once again setting foot upon the jade stair plaza before the Purple Firmament Palace, they discovered that many profound-auraed mighty experts had already gathered outside the grand main hall.

Truly, the heroes had assembled once more, and great powers had gathered in force. Streams of aura—some sharp, some deep and steady, some ethereal—silently intertwined here, displaying the countless aspects of the Great Dao.

Donghua's calm gaze swept across those present. Compared with the first lecture, the number of figures before the palace had not diminished, but some faces had changed.

Whether because of private grudges and conflicts, or because they had been drawn into the increasingly fierce war between the Witch Clan and the Yao Alliance, living beings had always fallen in misfortune, unable to set foot here again.

This time, no one arrived at the final instant before the bell. All the divine beings had reached the Purple Firmament Palace before its gates opened, waiting quietly outside.

"Clang!"

A clear bell toll drifted from within the palace gates, cleansing the Chaos.

Then Haotian and Jade Pool appeared.

Their expressions were solemn and grave. Without saying much, they bowed in unison to the cultivators before raising their hands and forming hand seals.

Dao Patterns flowed across the palace gates. The two doors, seemingly bearing the vicissitudes of countless ages, slowly opened amid a deep rumble.

Perhaps because the positions on the prayer mats had already been decided last time, there was no longer any chance to contend for them. As the cultivators filed into the hall, they appeared particularly orderly.

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti took their seats on the six prayer mats in turn.

The remaining Innate Divine Beings tacitly found places behind them and calmly sat upon the floor.

For a time, the hall was utterly silent, with only Dao rhythm flowing soundlessly through the air.

After everyone had settled down, countless rays of Dao light suddenly gathered above the Cloud Bed like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

A hazy figure gradually solidified from the endless Dao rhythm. It was none other than Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

The divine beings did not dare be negligent. They all bowed in salute, their voices shaking the hall.

"This junior pays respects to Sage Hongjun."

"No need for ceremony."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's expression remained as placid as an ancient well. His ethereal Dao Sound followed, clearly entering the hearts of every listener.

"This second lecture shall expound the path of the Quasi-Saint."