"Fellow Daoist Houtu's Nascent Soul Cultivation could break through to Great Luo Golden Immortal only because you managed to recreate the Dao Ancestor's Sermon Scene."
"I doubt even the Dao Ancestor would have imagined that anyone could perfectly reproduce his sermon. This is a heaven-defying feat, Fellow Daoist Qing Xuan. You must keep it secret."
Though Houtu's breakthrough had made Fu Xi very happy, he also sensed danger. He couldn't help warning Qing Xuan.
Qing Xuan smiled and nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Fu Xi. I'll be careful and do my best to keep this secret from others."
At the same time, Qing Xuan noticed a trace of dejection on Nuwa's face. She was shaking her head repeatedly.
So he asked her outright, "What's wrong? You seem a little strange."
Nuwa looked up at Qing Xuan and said, "Little Gourd Vine, I can already feel that I'm about to break through. But I can't grasp the key to it."
Nuwa's cultivation had already reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal peak. If she broke through again, she would reach the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm.
So Qing Xuan said directly, "The Dao Ancestor's sermon this time was about the Quasi-Saint's Dao. You didn't even hear it, so how could you grasp the opportunity to break through?"
"Still, I've had some insights about this. To break through to the Quasi-Saint Realm—the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm—you must comprehend the Great Dao Law."
"If you can't comprehend the truth of the Great Dao Law, then no matter how many Yuanhui you cultivate, you'll remain stuck at the Great Luo Golden Immortal peak, unable to advance even half a step."
"But now the Great Dao has retreated, and the Heavenly Dao has emerged. Comprehending the true Great Dao Law is no easy matter."
"However, the Primordial Wilderness's top-grade beings possess a complete Great Dao Law within them from the moment they undergo Form Transformation. They naturally have an advantage when it comes to breaking through to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm."
"So you need only seek within yourself, rather than look outward for an opportunity. Once you truly understand yourself, your breakthrough will come naturally."
"That's all I know. As for the detailed cultivation method, I expect we'll only truly understand it after hearing the Dao Ancestor's sermon this time."
Qing Xuan didn't mention that Hong Jun would be teaching the Method of Severing Three Corpses. Instead, he spoke directly of cultivating through the Great Dao Law.
He did this to prevent Nuwa and Fu Xi from rushing into things and using Innate Spiritual Treasures to anchor their Three Corpses, as Hong Jun's method prescribed, in order to break through.
Of course, the Dao Ancestor's Method of Severing Three Corpses wasn't some unorthodox path. At most, it was simply a shortcut in cultivation.
Every Innate Spiritual Treasure contained a Great Dao Law. The higher the grade of the treasure, the more complete its law.
The so-called method of anchoring Three Corpse Incarnations in Spiritual Treasures was, in plain terms, to use one's own clones to merge with the laws inside Innate Spiritual Treasures, then draw on them to strengthen oneself.
So while severing the Three Corpses was easy, unifying them was extremely difficult. The only way was to anchor them in three treasures containing the same law.
That's right: Innate Spiritual Treasures with the same law, not merely treasures from the same source. For example, the Five Directional Flags all came from the same source, but the Great Dao Laws they contained were not identical.
The Eastern Azure Lotus Treasure Banner contained the Wood Law. The Southern Earth-Leaving Flame Light Banner contained the Fire Law, and the five banners each contained one of the Five Elements Laws.
Unless you were like Kong Xuan and specialized in the Great Dao Five Elements Law, you could forget about using the Five Directional Banners to anchor your Three Corpses and then unify them.
Across the entire Primordial Wilderness, Innate Spiritual Treasures containing the same law were almost unheard of. The Thirty-Six Sea-Calming Pearls could count as one such treasure.
There were also the Five Divine Lamps. Though each contained a different Divine Fire, they all ultimately embodied the Great Dao Fire Law. They, too, could serve as Innate Spiritual Treasures for completing the Severing of the Three Corpses.
Aside from those, it was possible to piece together Innate Spiritual Treasures containing the same law, but their grade couldn't compare to the first two.
Qing Xuan urged Nuwa to seek within herself rather than outside, so she would understand that even without relying on the Path of Severing Three Corpses, her Roots were enough for her to prove the Dao and attain the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm.
As for why Qing Xuan didn't spell out the crucial details, it wasn't because he distrusted Fu Xi and Nuwa. Some things simply had to be realized for oneself to be truly understood.
His role was to point them in the right direction, then let them explore and find a cultivation method suited to themselves.
Nuwa hadn't thought that far. She simply felt Qing Xuan had made sense. Anyone else would probably have gone into seclusion at once to meditate on his words.
But Nuwa wasn't a cultivation fanatic. She grabbed Qing Xuan and said, "We've been in your Folding Fan for a thousand years. Have you forgotten something important?"
Qing Xuan thought for a moment and understood what she meant. He immediately released his Spiritual Sense to investigate and, sure enough, found the Four Seas Dragon Kings waiting outside Fangzhang Island with the Eight Young Talents of the Dragon Clan.
"How could I have forgotten? The Four Seas Dragon Kings must have been waiting outside Fangzhang Island for nearly a thousand years."
As he spoke, Qing Xuan waved his hand, and a portal opened in the Island Protection Grand Formation. "Sorry to keep you waiting, fellow Daoists."
At last, Ao Guang heard Qing Xuan's voice, and delight showed on his face. But he didn't lead the others onto Fangzhang Island right away. Instead, he bowed respectfully and said,
"I, Ao Guang, East Sea Dragon King, have brought my three younger brothers and eight juniors of the Dragon Clan to pay my respects to Qing Xuan Daojun. We humbly ask Daojun to grant them an opportunity."
Qing Xuan said, "You're guests. There's no reason to chat outside the gates. Please, fellow Daoist, come onto the island so we can talk."
Only then did Ao Guang nod and lead the others onto Fangzhang Island. Before long, they stood before Qing Xuan.
The Four Seas Dragon Kings were also stunned by the scenery on Fangzhang Island and the dense Innate Spiritual Qi.
Ao Guang said at once, "Qing Xuan Daojun's dwelling truly is a Top-grade Blessed Land. It's no less impressive than Kunlun Mountain."
Qing Xuan smiled. "I was comprehending what I'd learned from listening to the sermon at Zixiao Palace. Before I knew it, a thousand years had passed."
"I've kept you waiting outside the island for a thousand years. That was my fault. To make amends, I'll do everything in my power to help these Eight Young Talents of the Dragon Clan obtain their ancestors' inheritance."
The East Sea Dragon King was delighted. He bowed to Qing Xuan in thanks, then introduced the eight young talents.
Qing Xuan had assumed that the first group sent over would be the Four Seas Dragon Kings' sons, such as Ao Bing or Mo Ang.
What he hadn't expected was that not one of these eight dragons was a son of any of the Four Seas Dragon Kings.
After a moment's thought, Qing Xuan understood. The Four Seas Dragon Kings had only recently taken charge of the seas. Their eggs probably hadn't even hatched yet.
He said, "I don't care what names you had before. From now on, your surname will be Ao. In order, your given names will be Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, and Kun."
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