Third Sermon

In the Honghuang, strength is everything. Without sufficient power, any scheme is nothing but a castle in the air.

"Forget it, no use dwelling on it. The cart will find its way around the hill when it gets there, the boat will straighten itself out when it reaches the bridge."

Xuanqing shook his head, deciding to set aside this worry for now.

The pressing matter was still to cultivate well—every bit of improvement counted. As for the Primordial Purple Qi, he would have to adapt when the time came.

Just as he steadied his mind, ready to go into seclusion again to consolidate his cultivation, a profound and elusive Dao Rhyme spread from the Chaos beyond the Thirty-three Heavens.

This Dao Rhyme was vast and ethereal, instantly reaching every corner of the Honghuang world.

All the great powers felt it at the same moment, rousing from their seclusions one after another, turning their gazes toward the direction of the Purple Cloud Palace.

The Third Sermon was about to begin!

Xuanqing also stood up, straightening his robes.

Just as he prepared to set out, a gentle voice sounded in his ear.

"Xuanqing, come to the Main Hall of the Jade Void Palace."

It was the voice of his Master, Yuanshi Tianzun.

Xuanqing dared not delay, and immediately transformed into a beam of golden light, flying toward the main hall of the Jade Void Palace.

Stepping into the hall, he found not only his Master Yuanshi Tianzun present, but also Senior Uncle Taishang Laojun and Junior Uncle Tongtian Cult Leader.

The three great figures sat side by side on a Cloud Bed, their auras even more unfathomable than a hundred years ago.

Xuanqing was now a Golden Immortal, his perception far beyond what it once was. He could clearly sense that the auras of the Three Pure Ones had completely retracted, as if they had merged with the Great Dao of heaven and earth.

If you didn't look, you wouldn't even feel that three people were sitting there.

But the moment you did look, those three figures felt like the very center of heaven and earth.

"Quasi-Saint!"

Xuanqing's heart jolted violently.

Though he couldn't precisely judge what realm his Master and uncles had reached, this feeling—they had definitely severed one corpse and stepped into the Quasi-Saint level!

It seemed that after the Second Sermon, the gains of the three Masters and Uncles had been astonishing.

"Disciple Xuanqing pays respects to Master, to Senior Uncle Taishang, and to Junior Uncle Tongtian." Xuanqing bowed respectfully.

"No need for such formality." Taishang Laojun nodded slightly, his expression calm.

Tongtian Cult Leader, on the other hand, looked Xuanqing over with a smile, nodding repeatedly.

"Not bad, not bad—only a few hundred years gone, and you're already a Golden Immortal. Nephew, your cultivation speed is far faster than ours back then!"

"Uncle flatters me, disciple was merely lucky." Xuanqing said modestly.

Yuanshi Tianzun looked at his own disciple, his eyes full of satisfaction.

He spoke slowly, "This time, the Purple Cloud Palace sermon, I will take you with me."

Xuanqing felt a warmth in his heart. He knew his Master had learned of the Demon Race's ambush last time and was worried about him encountering trouble on the road again.

"Thank you, Master."

"Mm." Yuanshi Tianzun acknowledged, then shifted the topic, "I heard that when you returned last time, you crossed hands with the Demon Race on the road?"

Xuanqing's heart skipped a beat—here it came.

"It was disciple's lack of caution that brought trouble to Master."

"Trouble?" Yuanshi Tianzun's tone was unreadable. "When has a disciple of my seat ever feared trouble?"

He looked at Xuanqing and continued, "I usually teach you to be steady, so that you don't actively court Karma or invite trouble, or stain yourself with the Sha Qi of a Tribulation."

"But that doesn't mean that when others bully you to your face, you must swallow your anger."

"Remember, you are of Pangu Orthodox, a direct disciple of the Mysterious Gate Lineage, and the First Disciple of me, Yuanshi. Whoever dares to slap your face, you hit back ten times harder!"

"If you can't win, invoke my name. If they still dare to strike after hearing my name, then come back and tell me."

Beside him, Tongtian Cult Leader burst into laughter. "Second Brother is right! How could we, the disciples of the Pangu Three Pure Ones, be bullied by anyone? Nephew, next time you run into something like this, don't hold back—just use the sword I gave you last time and cut them down first!"

As he spoke, he seemed ready to give Xuanqing another Sword Qi for protection.

Taishang Laojun coughed lightly and said flatly, "Third Brother, don't cause trouble."

Only then did Tongtian Cult Leader withdraw his hand, looking a bit disgruntled.

Xuanqing now understood completely.

His Master wasn't telling him not to stir up trouble—he was telling him not to stir up trouble he couldn't handle.

As long as he had the moral high ground, and with three backers behind him, when it was time to be forceful, he had to be forceful!

"Disciple understands!" Xuanqing bowed solemnly.

"Let's go."

Yuanshi Tianzun waved his sleeve, and a gentle force wrapped around Xuanqing, instantly crossing endless space, heading toward the Chaos beyond the Thirty-three Heavens.

Within the Chaos, the Purple Cloud Palace still floated silently.

Before the palace gates, quite a few great beings had already gathered.

When Yuanshi Tianzun appeared with Xuanqing, everyone's gaze converged on them.

Especially upon seeing Xuanqing unharmed and his cultivation having broken through to Golden Immortal, many revealed expressions of surprise.

Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi of the Demon Race wore grim looks; Baize, standing behind them, twitched at the corners of his eyes and silently lowered his head.

After the failed ambush last time, which had cost them several men, he had been thoroughly chewed out by Dijun upon returning.

Now, seeing the very person arriving alongside Yuanshi Tianzun, he lacked even the courage to meet his gaze.

Xuanqing took in the entire scene, sneering inwardly.

He directed a warm smile toward Baize.

Baize's face instantly turned green.

This was nothing short of blatant provocation!

But what could he do? Yuanshi Tianzun stood right there; he didn't even dare to let out a fart.

The crowd filed in one by one, each finding a seat.

The Three Pure Ones naturally sat on the three foremost Prayer Mats.

Xuanqing stood behind Yuanshi Tianzun, waiting quietly.

Soon, Hongjun Dao Ancestor's figure appeared soundlessly on the preaching platform.

"This is the third lecture, and also the last."

Hongjun Dao Ancestor's voice was calm, yet it carried supreme Heavenly might.

"This time, I shall explain to you the method of attaining Sagehood."

The moment the words fell, the entire Purple Cloud Palace fell silent, so quiet that a dropped needle could be heard.

All the great beings widened their eyes, their breathing turning rapid.

The method of attaining Sagehood!

This was what they had dreamed of!

Even the Three Pure Ones revealed solemn expressions.

Only Xuanqing, outwardly unperturbed, nodded inwardly.

Here it was—finally, the main topic.

"The Great Dao has three thousand paths, each capable of proving the Hunyuan. Yet, when summarized, they boil down to no more than three methods."

"First, attaining the Dao through Strength."

"This method imitates Great God Pangu, splitting Heaven and Earth, using supreme divine power to break the bonds of the Heavenly Dao and achieve the status of a Great Dao Sage. Those who succeed by this method are the strongest, unbound by the Heavenly Dao, free and unfettered. However, it is also the most difficult; throughout history, only Great God Pangu alone has accomplished it."

Hearing this, everyone let out a sigh.

Attaining the Dao through Strength? Don't joke—they couldn't even compare to a single toe of Great God Pangu.

"Second, attaining the Dao by Slaying the Three Corpses."

"Within a person reside the Three Corpses of good, evil, and obsession. If one can use an Innate Spiritual Treasure as a vessel to slay these Three Corpses, one can achieve Quasi-Saint. Once the Three Corpses merge, one can prove the Hunyuan Dao Fruit and become a Heavenly Dao Sage."

Hongjun Dao Ancestor explained the method of Slaying the Three Corpses in detail.

The crowd listened as if intoxicated, and many faces lit up with sudden realization.

This seemed like a visible, tangible path to the heavens!

"Third, attaining the Dao through Merit."