The Profound Mystery of Saint Positions

The preaching sound stopped on the 999th day.

Hongjun said, "Only when the Three Corpses are severed and the Dao fruit is perfected can one glimpse the opportunity for sainthood." As he uttered the final word, "opportunity," his voice slowly faded, without any lingering trace. The profound Daoist charm that had permeated the hall dispersed like a receding tide. The slowly rotating star map on the ceiling also gradually slowed down, finally freezing in place.

Silence fell upon the great hall, so profound that a needle drop could be heard.

No one dared to make a sound, holding their breath. Hundreds of gazes, burning intensely, were fixed upon the dusty figure on the high platform.

Taiyi stood beside Di Jun, his face mirroring the pretense of holding his breath and concentrating. But the string in his heart was pulled tighter than anyone else's—the main event was about to begin.

As expected, Hongjun slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping vaguely over those below, as indifferent as if looking at a pile of stones.

"The three preachings are now complete."

His voice was still in the same tone, revealing no emotion.

"The Great Dao has fifty, and the Heavenly Dao enumerates forty-nine, with one escaping. However, for the Heavenly Dao to operate, it requires Saints to act on its behalf, to enlighten all living beings."

At the mention of "Saints," everyone in the hall felt a tremor in their hearts. Though they dared not show it on their faces, the eagerness in their eyes was enough to ignite the spiritual mist of Zixiao Palace.

Taiyi observed with cold eyes.

He saw Laozi, among the Three Pure Ones, his eyelids twitching almost imperceptibly; Yuanshi's back was ramrod straight; Tongtian's lips were pursed tightly, his eyes burning with fervor. Nuwa frowned slightly, her fingers in her sleeve gently toying. Zhunti and Jieyin... one was so compassionate it seemed he could drip honey, the other so sorrowful he could wring out water, yet the dark golden Buddhist light around them suddenly flared as if oil had been poured on it.

Hongjun seemed oblivious to the undercurrents in the hall, continuing in his plain, narrative tone:

"There are now seven Saint positions."

Seven?

Taiyi's heart leaped. Wasn't it six? It should have been six Saints... Wait, could the seventh be...?

"However, one has already been decided."

As Hongjun spoke, his gaze, seemingly unintentionally, fell upon himself for a fleeting moment. It was as quick as an illusion, yet Taiyi caught it.

The Dao Ancestor merged with the Heavenly Dao, completing the heavenly numbers. Did this count as occupying one seat? Or was it the supreme position of "Dao Merged," transcending the Saint position?

"The remaining six seats shall be occupied by those with destiny."

As his voice fell, Hongjun flicked his sleeve.

There was no earth-shattering display of power, just a casual wave. Yet, the six futons that had been placed there since the beginning of the preaching—unremarkable, dusty futons—suddenly glowed.

Not a blinding light, but a restrained, gentle radiance emanating from within. Each futon had a different hue: the Three Pure Ones had a hazy, mysterious light; Nuwa had a verdant light imbued with the flow of life; Zhunti and Jieyin had a heavy, dark golden Buddhist light.

Within the light, illusory runes faintly appeared, profoundly mysterious and difficult to comprehend. Taiyi stared for a long time, only discerning their outlines—they seemed to be imprints of heavenly positions and authority, or perhaps symbols of the Heavenly Dao's operational nexus.

"These six seats belong to the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin."

Hongjun's words settled the matter.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly churned. Envy, jealousy, unwillingness, sudden realization, bitterness... a mixture of emotions stirred, agitating the spiritual mist.

Taiyi scanned the scene rapidly.

At the Three Pure Ones' location, Laozi's eyes were closed, as calm as an ancient well; Yuanshi's lips curved into a smile of self-evident rightness; Tongtian's eyes snapped open, filled with burning fervor. Nuwa took a shallow breath, her hands in her sleeves tightening and then loosening. Zhunti and Jieyin clasped their palms together and chanted Buddhist scriptures, their voices revealing ecstatic joy at the settled outcome, and a deeper, more complex emotion of relief.

More faces turned ashen.

Di Jun stood beside Taiyi, his brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. Taiyi could feel his brother's unwillingness—the Demon Race desired to establish the Heavenly Court and rule the Great Wilderness, but without the support of a Saint's position, their foundation would ultimately be unstable. Now that the six Saints were decided, not a single member of the Demon Race was among them.

Taiyi himself felt little disappointment. He hadn't expected it anyway. At this moment, he was more focused on "observing."

His Causality Vision quietly activated.

In his "new eyes," the scene was entirely different.

The six glowing futons each emitted a thick, solid pillar of light that shot upwards, piercing the dome of Zixiao Palace and directly connecting to the vast, boundless "Heavenly Dao Law Net" in the distant void, woven from infinite Dao principles and laws.

The pillars of light for the Three Pure Ones were the most solid and stable, their color pure and righteous, their connection to the Law Net seamless, as if they were extensions of the Law Net itself.

Nuwa's pillar of light was slightly softer, carrying the meaning of creation and life, with subtle flows at the connection point, yet still firm overall.

The pillars of light for Zhunti and Jieyin... were quite interesting.

At the connection point of the dark golden pillars of light with the Law Net, "grafting" marks were clearly visible. The junction was not smooth, and the edges even flowed with subtle gray-black "impurities"—like marks of borrowed merit, or the price paid for forceful integration. These two pillars of light were tightly intertwined, almost twisted into one, carrying a distinct sense of "sharing the same boat."

"So that's how it is..." Taiyi understood in his heart.

What "occupied by those with destiny."

It was clearly the "key guardians" predetermined by the operation of the Heavenly Dao!

The Three Pure Ones, representing the orthodox Xuanmen, were the "central guardians" of the Law Net, pure of origin and stable in authority.

Nuwa, in charge of creation and life, was the "vitality hub" indispensable to the Law Net.

Zhunti and Jieyin, however, seemed to be some kind of "supplementary agreement"? Or were they "backup hubs" set up by the Heavenly Dao in anticipation of future variables? Their integration method was so awkward, and the price so obvious, it was more like the Heavenly Dao was "co-opting" or "utilizing" a force that originally did not belong to the Law Net system.

Saint positions were never a reward for sufficient cultivation or deep fortune.

It was a "duty."

A "Heaven-ordained position" that connected to the core of the Heavenly Dao, wielded partial authority over heaven and earth, and simultaneously bore the responsibility of enlightening all beings and stabilizing the cosmos!

The Primordial Violet Qi, said to be necessary for becoming a Saint, was likely not a "Dao foundation," but rather the "token of authority" and "legal evidence" granted by the Heavenly Dao!

Therefore, the Primordial Spirit of a Saint acts as an "anchor," exposing its weaknesses during the shifts of a Calamity... which makes perfect sense. Normally, they are stable nodes in the net of laws, but when old laws are replaced by new ones and the Heavenly Dao is in flux, these "fixed nodes" actually bear the greatest stress and strain, revealing flaws at their connections!

Upon realizing this, Taiyi felt a chill run down his spine.

The Great Wilderness was a deep and unfathomable pool.

As his thoughts raced, Hongjun spoke again, his tone still flat:

"The Saint positions are decided. There remain seven strands of Primordial Violet Qi, opportunities to become a Saint."

With that, he flicked his sleeve again.

Seven strands of slender, violet light snaked out from his sleeve. The violet Qi was indescribably profound; it appeared violet at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to contain all colors, constantly shifting and exuding an aura of ancient primordialness and boundless profundity.

The atmosphere in the hall, which had just settled, became restless once more! Even more so than before! If the Saint positions were unshakeable dignities, which most people knew they had no hope of attaining, then this Primordial Violet Qi was the last ladder to heaven!

Six strands of violet Qi drifted out, like homing pigeons, heading towards the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin, disappearing into their brows.

The seventh strand of violet Qi, however, began to circle in mid-air, drifting back and forth as if hesitant.

Hundreds of gazes were fixed on that strand of violet Qi, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Hongyun stood in the back row. The usually good-natured man now wore a look of nervousness, anticipation, and even a hint of deeply hidden desire. He clenched his fists, his eyes unblinking.

Finally, the violet Qi drifted leisurely towards Hongyun's direction.

Hongyun's eyes lit up, his face flushed with ecstatic joy, his lips trembling, almost shouting out loud.

But just as the violet Qi was about to touch his forehead—

"Alas."

A sigh, extremely light, almost inaudible, came from the high platform.

It was Hongjun.

The Dao Ancestor still kept his eyes lowered, his face impassive, but that sigh was like a pebble dropped into the river of fate.

The strand of violet Qi abruptly stopped just before Hongyun's nose. It then dimmed and slowed as if stripped of its sentience, finally drifting lightly into Hongyun's palm, which he had unconsciously extended.

It did not enter his brow.

There was no mystical sensation of "mastery."

It was as if an insignificant object had been casually tossed aside.

The ecstatic joy on Hongyun's face froze, transforming into bewilderment, then fear. He held the dim violet Qi in his hands, unsure of what to do, and looked towards the high platform, his eyes full of pleading and confusion.

Hongjun, however, had already looked away, as if that sigh and the scene that followed had nothing to do with him.

Taiyi's Causality Vision locked onto Hongyun.

He clearly "saw" that the moment the violet Qi fell into Hongyun's palm, the Karma Thread of the Saint position above Hongyun's head, which was already broken and leaking gray-black Calamity Qi, completely "extinguished." A new, slender, fragile "Violet Qi Karma Thread," also connected to the Heavenly Dao's law net, was generated, but this thread... was too faint, too unstable, as if it could break at any moment.

What made Taiyi's spine grow colder was that from this newly formed, fragile Violet Qi Karma Thread, he "saw" countless "leading threads"—each connecting to a pair of eyes in the hall filled with greed, jealousy, and malice!

A man is innocent, but his wealth makes him a target.

What Hongyun was holding now was not an opportunity to become a Saint, but a death warrant personally written by Yama!

And among these countless malicious "leading threads," one was the thickest and most ferocious, exuding a blood-soaked resentment that could not be dispelled—it came from Zhunti on the fifth cushion!

Zhunti still had his eyes lowered, his hands clasped in prayer, his face showing compassion. Yet Taiyi, through his Causality Vision, clearly "saw" that within the ocean of dark golden Buddhist light deep within his Primordial Spirit, monstrous evil thoughts and killing intent churned! The Karma Thread connecting to Hongyun, which had been a faint dark red before, had now transformed into an ugly, fierce shape like a dried blood scab!

Hongyun had yielded his seat, completing Zhunti's Saint position.

Zhunti felt no gratitude whatsoever. Instead, he viewed this "completion" as a humiliation and considered Hongyun, the "giver," a thorn in his side! Now that Hongyun had obtained the Primordial Violet Qi, it was like pouring boiling oil onto Zhunti's twisted state of mind!

"A fine example of 'compassion for all'..." Taiyi's heart turned cold.

At this moment, Hongjun's voice rose again, bringing this "investiture" that had captivated everyone to a close:

"The Saint positions are decided, and the violet Qi has a master. However, becoming a Saint is not a matter of a single day; it requires complete merit and the right opportunity."

"This sermon is now concluded. Zixiao Palace will open again in three thousand years to expound on the Hunyuan Dao Fruit."

Three thousand years later? The Hunyuan Dao Fruit?

Everyone in the hall had their own thoughts, but Hongjun had no intention of saying more. He paused, his gaze seeming to sweep over everyone, and finally said indifferently:

"Outside Zixiao Palace, there is a Treasure Distribution Cliff. Those who are fated may take the Spiritual Treasures upon it."

Treasure Distribution Cliff!

The three words acted like a strong stimulant, instantly dispelling the solemnity and disappointment brought about by the distribution of Saint positions. Spiritual Treasures! Especially Xiantian Spirit Treasures, they were fundamental for protecting the Dao, severing the corpses, and increasing one's strength!

Everyone's eyes lit up again. Even Hongyun temporarily forgot the hot potato in his hand, instinctively clutching the violet Qi.

Hongjun spoke no further. He sat upon the high platform, his form slowly fading, eventually merging with the spiritual light of the Dao, and disappearing.

The Dao Ancestor departed, and the invisible pressure that had enveloped the hall dissipated.

"Boom—"

The hall truly erupted. Discussions, sighs, congratulations, and sour compliments filled the air. Everyone rose, most rushing towards the hall's exit—the temptation of the Treasure Distribution Cliff was too great.

The Three Pure Ones rose. Laozi remained serene, Yuanshi's expression was reserved yet satisfied, and Tongtian was brimming with excitement. The three spoke in low voices and exited with the crowd.

Nuwa nodded slightly to Fuxi, and the two departed together.

Zhunti and Jieyin also rose. As Zhunti turned, his gaze seemed to carelessly sweep over Hongyun, who was still standing there in a daze, holding the violet qi helplessly. The chilling malice deep within that gaze made Taiyi, observing from afar, feel a pang of fear. The two left quickly, clearly unwilling to linger in this troublesome place.

Zhen Yuanzi strode to Hongyun's side, grabbed him, and whispered with a grave expression. Judging by his lips, he was saying "Leave quickly." Hongyun seemed to awaken from a dream, hastily put away the violet qi, and followed Zhen Yuanzi, almost swept out of the great hall by the crowd.

Di Jun walked up to Taiyi, patted his shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Second brother, let us go too. Although the Saint positions are decided, the spiritual treasures cannot be lost. The future of the Demon Race ultimately depends on strength."

Taiyi nodded, gathering his scattered thoughts. He cast one last look at the great hall, which had suddenly become empty, then looked up at the vacant Dao seat on the high platform.

The essence of Saint positions, the distribution of authority, Zhunti's killing intent, Hongyun's calamity, the opportunity to seize treasures...

Scene by scene, karma thread by karma thread, intertwined in his mind.

"Let's go, brother," Taiyi stepped outward, the depths of his golden eyes churning beneath their calm surface.

The sermon in Zixiao Palace had concluded.

But for him, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, his part in this grand drama of the Great Wilderness had only just begun. Every step forward would require more caution, and also... more decisiveness.

He stroked the cold, hard Chaos Bell within his sleeve, feeling the three fragments of Karma Reversal in the depths of his sea of consciousness, which were gradually merging with his own Dao foundation.

The road ahead was still long.