Zixiao Divine Thunder's Punishment, Six Prayer Mats in the Hall

Chaos Qi could also be considered a kind of spiritual energy and was inherently harmless;

however, it was far too violent and unsuitable for cultivators of the Primordial Wilderness;

it could only be described as "one man's honey, another man's poison."

The Three Pure Ones had only just arrived at the gates of the Purple Cloud Palace when Bei Ming and the other two followed close behind.

Many Innate Gods also arrived in quick succession, appearing one after another.

In merely a few breaths, more than a hundred Great Powers had gathered before the Purple Cloud Palace, their auras interweaving as each remained on guard.

Within the chaos, quite a few Innate Gods were still rushing forward at full speed. With every passing moment, more figures appeared before the Purple Cloud Palace.

Nüwa raised a hand and pointed somewhere, her eyebrows and eyes tightening as she said softly:

"Bei Ming, Older brother, look over there."

Bei Ming and Fuxi looked in the direction she indicated;

Fuxi's expression changed as he saw the Twelve Ancestor Wizards surrounding two cultivators.

Though Bei Ming had never interacted with them before, seeing the two men sheltered beneath a golden bell as they resisted the Ancestor Wizards, he knew without thinking that they had to be Di Jun and Tai Yi.

In the Primordial Wilderness, they could still rely on their speed and cunning to circle around the Ancestor Wizards in guerrilla skirmishes;

but before the Purple Cloud Palace, they truly had no road to the heavens and no gate into the earth.

Zhurong, the Ancestor Wizard of Fire, had crimson hair flying wildly about him. Blazing flames lingered around his body, and killing intent showed nakedly in his eyes as he shouted coldly:

"You two Mixed-hair Birds, we've finally caught you!"

Gonggong, the Water Ancestor Wizard, bared his teeth in a savage grin and cut in:

"Today, we'll pluck every feather from you!"

For a moment, both sides stood on the verge of a showdown, killing intent filling the space before the hall.

The other Innate Gods were secretly alarmed, their expressions shifting slightly as they tacitly retreated to avoid being caught up in such a clash.

"Do it!"

Lightning flashed in the eyes of Qiangliang, the Ancestor Wizard of Lightning. He raised his fist high, bolts of lightning coiling around it as he smashed it toward the two Three-legged Golden Crows.

Yet an unsurpassable pressure suddenly surged up all around them.

BOOM—!

A bolt of Zixiao Divine Thunder abruptly descended, striking directly at Di Jun, Tai Yi, and the Twelve Ancestor Wizards!

The Chaos Bell shuddered violently, its defenses instantly collapsing as it returned to Tai Yi's hand.

Though the two brothers were unharmed, Tai Yi's face turned pale, his aura weakening considerably from the immense expenditure.

The Twelve Ancestor Wizards took the blow head-on with their Physical Bodies. Every one of them was scorched black, their flesh split open and torn apart, leaving them in a most miserable state.

Yuanshi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold and stern. With a disdainful snort, he said:

"Two Mixed-hair Birds, and a pack of barbarians—mindless fools! Don't you see where this is?

You dared to rashly brandish weapons and incur the Sage's displeasure. This calamity is what you deserve!"

Dong Wangong watched from afar, secretly rejoicing within.

He had long held great ambitions for the struggle over the Primordial Wilderness's Luck.

While the Wu Clan expanded aggressively and Di Jun sought to win over the Ten Thousand Clans, Dong Wangong had entrenched himself in the overseas Purple Mansion Continent, quietly building his strength and winning over quite a few Rogue Cultivators.

Seeing the Ancestor Wizards and the Golden Crows suffer a setback now, he could scarcely suppress the delight in his heart.

Just then, spiritual light flashed before the gates of the Purple Cloud Palace, and two Boy Attendants, one male and one female, suddenly appeared.

Their garments were neat and formal. They cupped their hands in unison, their voices crisp and courteous:

"Haotian and Yaochi greet all fellow Daoists."

The gathered Great Powers' gazes sharpened, and they immediately raised their hands to return the greeting.

Though the two were merely Boy Attendants, the Sage Hongjun stood behind them;

returning their greeting did not make anyone feel diminished.

Haotian looked solemn as he swept his gaze over the four directions and announced in a clear voice:

"The Purple Cloud Palace is about to open. Please enter, fellow Daoists, and quietly await the Sage's arrival."

Having spoken, Haotian and Yaochi retreated side by side to either side, clearing the way.

The next moment, the gates of the Purple Cloud Palace slowly opened without a sound.

At first, the Great Powers before the hall remained fairly restrained, all watching quietly.

Yet when the gates opened fully and the sight of the Main Hall entered their eyes, everyone's hearts and minds jolted violently.

The Main Hall of the Purple Cloud Palace was incomparably grand, its lofty dome suspended overhead as clouds and mist churned.

At the place of honor in the hall stood a Cloud Bed—the place where the Sage would preach.

Beneath the Cloud Bed stood six Prayer Mats, ancient and solemn, with spiritual light lingering around them.

How many Great Powers had come here to hear the Dao? Yet there were only six Prayer Mats within the hall.

In everyone's eyes, this signified a supreme opportunity!

Thus, in the next instant, everyone used the dodge technique and surged toward the hall.

At a time like this, the advantage of a team became apparent.

The Three Pure Ones moved together, their momentum like a rainbow. Their three Escape Lights merged as one, making them the fastest as they entered first;

Bei Ming, Nüwa, and Fuxi's three-person group followed close behind;

Then came the friendly pair of Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, chasing relentlessly.

Di Jun and Tai Yi were both formidable and swift, but Tai Yi had just used the Chaos Bell to withstand a strike of Zixiao Divine Thunder and had yet to recover, so Di Jun could only take him along;

Worse still, the Twelve Ancestor Wizards pressed them relentlessly, making it impossible for them to shake off the entanglement.

The remaining Great Powers—Ming He, Dong Wangong, Queen Mother of the West, Leize, and others, all acting alone—were also giving chase with all their might.

There were also some larger groups whose individual strength was somewhat weaker, and they gradually fell behind.

Auras churned before the hall as numerous Great Powers rushed into the Purple Cloud Palace at the same moment.

With the warning from the Zixiao Divine Thunder just now, none dared use divine abilities to attack within the palace any longer;

They could only compete in speed through dodge techniques, releasing their magic power and contending through sheer momentum.

In the end, the Three Pure Ones arrived first and took the first three seats in order.

Bei Ming, Nüwa, and Fuxi arrived immediately after;

Fuxi gave Nüwa a push, letting her take the fourth seat;

Bei Ming naturally took the fifth seat;

Just as Fuxi was preparing to take the sixth seat, Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi arrived as well. Under Zhen Yuanzi's protection, Hong Yun took the sixth seat.

Seeing that all six Prayer Mats had owners, the other cultivators in the hall were unwilling to accept it, but with the Saint's pressure shrouding the place, no one dared lightly stir killing intent;

They could only lower their banners and still their drums, taking their seats on the ground one after another and sitting cross-legged behind the Prayer Mats.

For a time, silence returned to the Main Hall.

The cultivators closed their eyes and focused their minds, quietly sensing the vast Dao Rhyme permeating the Purple Cloud Palace.

As time passed, more cultivators continued to arrive.

Seeing that the Prayer Mats were all taken, they consciously sat at the rear, not daring to cause a disturbance, and likewise entered meditation to cultivate.

The Purple Cloud Palace was a Saint's Daoist arena, and the spiritual energy within it was uniquely pure in all the world.

Laws intertwined all around them, seeming close enough to touch at any moment, carrying an indescribable affinity.

Especially the six Prayer Mats—their spiritual light flowed faintly over them, possessing wondrous uses that purified the mind and greatly enhanced one's comprehension.

Bei Ming sat quietly, his back straight.

He felt a warm, gentle current seep from beneath the Prayer Mat into his body, cleansing the magic power and Primordial Spirit throughout him.

He could not help but sigh inwardly:

"Even if the Saint does not preach the Dao, merely cultivating here will let me advance another step before long and break through to the Peak Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal."

When everyone had fought for seats just now, they had released their auras.

Bei Ming's perception was keen, and he had already formed a rough grasp of their cultivation levels.

Among the cultivators currently in the hall, Laozi was the strongest. His cultivation stood firmly at the Late Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, on par with Bei Ming's own.

Among the rest, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nüwa, Fuxi, Di Jun, Tai Yi, Ming He, Dong Wangong, Queen Mother of the West, and the others were all at the Middle Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

More cultivators still remained at the Early Stage.

The Dao of Zenith Heaven that Hongjun was about to explain was meant to help everyone sort out the path of cultivating as Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

Outside the hall, Haotian and Yaochi stood waiting by the entrance;

Seeing that the time had nearly come, the two exchanged a glance and prepared to join forces to close the gates of the Purple Cloud Palace.