Three Choices, a Subtle Decision

Di Jun and Tai Yi both turned their gazes to Ling Xiao, seeking his opinion.

Ling Xiao didn't answer right away, because the system had presented him with another set of choices.

[The system has detected that Hongjun's second lecture is imminent. Please make one of the following choices.]

[Choice One: Go to Purple Heaven Palace to listen to the Dao. Reward: the complete Method of Severing the Three Corpses, with no side effects.]

[Choice Two: Refuse Hong Yun's invitation and firmly stay home. Reward: one Fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation.]

[Choice Three: Stay home and send Di Jun and Tai Yi in your place. Reward: the supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Qilin Seal, and one fragment of the Time God and Devil Law.]

"Three choices?"

"System, how many Fragments of the Jade Plate of Creation do you have?"

Ling Xiao looked over the three choices, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"The Jade Plate of Creation has thirty-six fragments in total. Host, please choose boldly. There's no need to worry about running out," the system replied mechanically.

"Is that really what I'm worried about?"

Ling Xiao was speechless. From the look of these three choices, he could tell the system wanted to lure him out.

He had to admit, the complete Method of Severing the Three Corpses was very enticing. In theory, reaching Primordial Origin Daluo was far easier than proving the Dao by Force, and he wouldn't have to worry about being schemed against by Hongjun.

"Too bad. If you'd shown up earlier, I might have chosen it."

Ling Xiao thought to himself. He was already halfway down this path, and after all the effort he'd put into comprehending so many laws, how could he give it up so easily?

The first choice was out.

He was about to pick the second when a thought suddenly struck him. He looked at Di Jun and Tai Yi and asked, "Big Brother, Second Brother, do you want to go listen to the lecture?"

He wanted to ask what they thought. There really was something to the third choice the system had offered.

On closer thought, this choice was rather subtle.

After all, they hadn't gone to the first lecture. If they skipped the second as well, Hongjun might start to suspect something.

It might be good to have Di Jun and Tai Yi go over and put on a show of listening to the lecture.

That would buy them some time to grow.

Even a salted fish had to flip over once in a while.

He needed Hongjun to know they were moving, working hard, and pressing forward.

"Of course we do. The Dao Ancestor is going to lecture on the Quasi-Sage Dao. We may well benefit greatly from it too," Di Jun said with a smile.

Although Ling Xiao had told them about the methods of cultivation that lay ahead, he'd only given them a rough outline. Perhaps the Dao Ancestor could offer something different.

"Listening to the lecture is secondary. I want to go see the world," Tai Yi said with a smile.

Ling Xiao nodded, then said to Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun, "Fellow Daoists, could you step outside for a moment? My brothers and I have some private matters to discuss."

Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun didn't think much of it. They went outside the Sun Star to wait.

"Third Brother, what is it? Why all the secrecy?"

Di Jun and Tai Yi looked at him suspiciously.

Ling Xiao didn't keep them in suspense and got straight to the point. "Big Brother, Second Brother, I won't be going to the lecture this time, but there are a few things I'd like to remind you of."

"What? You aren't coming with us?" Di Jun asked in surprise.

"Third Brother, Hongjun is lecturing on the Quasi-Sage Dao this time. It's a rare opportunity. Are you sure you don't want to go?"

Di Jun and Tai Yi both tried to persuade him. Listening to a Sage lecture had to be better than shutting himself away at home and trying to figure everything out alone.

"I've had a realization. I really can't go," Ling Xiao said with a smile. This excuse never failed.

Sure enough, when they heard that it had to do with cultivation, Di Jun and Tai Yi stopped trying to persuade him and asked in surprise instead,

"Third Brother, are you about to break through to Primordial Origin Golden Immortal?"

Ling Xiao was already at the peak of Great Luo Golden Immortal. If he'd had another realization, surely he was about to reach Primordial Origin Golden Immortal? What else could he possibly realize?

"More or less," Ling Xiao replied casually.

"Gasp!"

The two of them drew in sharp breaths. Even the Sun Star seemed to grow a little colder.

What a monster.

After debating the Dao with Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun, their cultivation had improved greatly. They were now in the late stages of Great Luo Golden Immortal and were even close to reaching the peak.

They'd thought they were nearly caught up with Ling Xiao, but who could've guessed he was already about to break through to an entirely different realm?

"When you go to Purple Heaven Palace to listen to the lecture, remember to keep a low profile."

"You must follow the three rules: don't compete, don't fight, and don't accept."

Ling Xiao continued, his expression solemn.

"At Purple Heaven Palace, don't compete for any benefits, and don't fight over them either. If anyone offers you something, don't accept it. Just listen to the lecture. Don't get involved in anything else."

It was already Hongjun's second lecture. According to the original story, the Heavenly Court of the Demon Race should be close to being established by now.

If Hongjun didn't follow the script and directly told Di Jun and Tai Yi to establish the Heavenly Court—

Given their natures, there was an eighty percent chance they'd accept.

Wouldn't that be a disaster?

So he had to make things clear beforehand: just listen to the lecture, and don't go getting involved in any of that nonsense.

"Third Brother, we're only going to listen to a lecture. Isn't that a bit much?" Di Jun said with a smile.

"This is a matter of great importance. It could be big or small. Just remember what I've said," Ling Xiao told them earnestly.

Seeing how serious Ling Xiao was, with not a trace of jest in his voice, Di Jun and Tai Yi put away their smiles and nodded firmly.

They didn't understand what their Third Brother meant, but if he'd said it, they'd best do as he said.

"Third Brother, is there anything else? If not, shall we go?"

"Go on." Ling Xiao waved them off and watched as Di Jun and Tai Yi departed.

"System, I choose the third option."

The third choice's rewards were the supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Qilin Seal and a fragment of the Time God and Devil Law.

The Qilin Seal was the Beginning Qilin's companion treasure, on a par with the Ancestral Dragon Pearl and the Primordial Phoenix Furnace.

Although it was powerful, Ling Xiao wasn't particularly interested in it. What he was really interested in was the fragment of the Time God and Devil Law.

The Law of Time was one of the most powerful laws and one of the hardest to comprehend. With the Time God and Devil's law fragment, plus the Chaos Bead, he would be able to comprehend the Law of Time to a profound level in no time.

"The Law of Time... I'm coming!"

Ling Xiao's thoughts stirred. He began absorbing the fragment of the Law of Time and sank into cultivation.

Meanwhile,

Di Jun, Tai Yi, Zhenyuanzi, and Hong Yun left the Sun Star and sped toward the boundless Chaos.

This was Di Jun and Tai Yi's first trip to Purple Heaven Palace, but Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun were already old hands.

The four traveled together in a grand procession, exuding such powerful auras that ordinary cultivators wouldn't dare provoke them.

When they reached Chaos, Di Jun and Tai Yi instinctively summoned their treasures to hover above their heads, shielding their bodies as they charged into the Thunder-Fire layer. Ten thousand bolts of lightning struck them, but they remained unmoved.

Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun did the same, summoning their treasures or using mighty divine powers to shield themselves. The countless bolts of lightning couldn't get near them.

After passing through the lightning layer, they entered the Nine Heavens Gale layer. Blades of blue wind took the shape of swords, knives, and axes, packed densely together as they surged toward them from every direction.

Apart from the four of them, many other mighty beings were also crossing the expanse, hurrying to Purple Heaven Palace to hear the lecture.

With Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun, Di Jun, and Tai Yi working together, they pushed through with ease and reached the front of the crowd.

The journey was long. Before they knew it, a thousand years had passed.

At last, Purple Heaven Palace appeared before them.

They breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt surprised.

For several fellow Daoists were already waiting at the entrance to Purple Heaven Palace. They had arrived before them.