Primordial Era Beings Shatter Their Worldviews

Although the Heavenly Dao was suspected to be temporarily frozen, the underlying logic of the Primordial Era's operation was still barely maintained. As the time for Hongjun's originally scheduled second sermon arrived, a vague sense of induction still drove the great powers of the Primordial Era towards the Zixiao Palace beyond the thirty-three heavens.

This time, the lineup was far larger and more formal than the first.

In addition to the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, Zhunti, Di Jun, Taiyi, Xi He, and Chang Xi (plus the newly appointed advisor Wang Shu), who had already taken up permanent residence in the Purple Heaven Palace, treating it as an internet cafe and recovery center, many great powers who had adopted a wait-and-see attitude last time, or who had held themselves in high regard, or who had been frightened by the outrageous rumors of the first sermon, also emerged from seclusion, rushing over with complex and anxious feelings.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches arrived together, exuding a palpable murderous aura, causing the Chaos Qi around the Purple Heaven Palace to churn restlessly. Empress Houtu looked at this familiar "entertainment complex" with a mixture of complex emotions and habitual helplessness. Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi, holding the Book of Earth, arrived with his two young disciples, Qing Feng and Ming Yue, his expression solemn as he stepped through the palace gates. Old Ancestor Minghe arrived on a surging tide of blood, but was blocked at the palace entrance by a formation that demanded a "health code." Frustrated, he had to restrain all his blood energy before being allowed to pass. Kunpeng, Hong Yun, East King Duke, Queen Mother of the West (with curious yet wary eyes)... one by one, the renowned great powers of the Primordial Era made their appearance.

Most of them were mentally prepared. No matter how unreliable this Dao Ancestor was, for the sake of the Quasi-Saint path, they would endure!

However, when they truly entered the main hall of the Purple Heaven Palace, they were still shaken to their core and had their worldviews shattered by the scene before them!

The myriad auspicious signs and the naturally formed Dao field they had expected did not appear. Instead, a huge, modified "super conference hall" greeted them!

A banner, strung together with beads of innate Spiritual Treasures, hung above the hall, displaying crooked, wobbly characters: "Purple Heaven Palace Second Phase Quasi-Saint Advancement Training Class and Team Building Activity Mobilization Meeting." In the center of the hall, there were no meditation cushions. Instead, rows upon rows of modified Enlightenment Tea Trees had been transformed into... lazy sofas and massage chairs! Each seat was accompanied by a small tea table, on which sat a platter of sliced nine-thousand-year Immortal Peaches, a bottle of Chaos Spirit Spring happy water, and a gaudily covered book titled "The Path of the Quasi-Saint - From Novice to Giving Up (Dao Ancestor's Selected Notes)." The walls surrounding the hall were no longer adorned with Dao patterns, but with massive crystal screens, scrolling with bizarre slogans like "Internal competition is harmful to the Dao path, slacking off is justice" and "As long as you're brave enough, the Dao Ancestor can take maternity leave." From the backstage, faint sounds of KTV wails (Jieyin and Zhunti warming up) and the shuffling of Mahjong tiles (the Three Pure Ones battling it out at the peak of Kunlun) could be heard.

The gathered great powers: "..." We came to listen to the Primordial Unity Dao! Not to attend a company annual meeting!

"Silence! Silence!" Xiao Kuang's voice, amplified by a horn-shaped Spiritual Treasure (with built-in amplification and echo effects), echoed through the hall.

He was wearing a floral shirt and shorts woven from clouds and mist, with flip-flops on his feet (all illusions of Spiritual Treasures, but the appearance was extremely eye-searing). He had a Qingxin grass (used like a cigarette) in his mouth and was lazily slouched in the largest massage chair on the main stage, which was buzzing and massaging his back.

"Welcome, all new and returning students. Those who have registered, find a place to slouch. If there are no seats, stand at the back or bring your own meditation cushion. This training of ours, we're focusing on relaxation and enjoyment, rejecting anxiety, and opposing internal competition!"

The mouths of the newly arrived great powers twitched uncontrollably. They felt they hadn't come to the Purple Heaven Palace, but to some cult hideout.

Wang Shu sat quietly in a corner not far from Xiao Kuang, on an automatically condensed Cold Jade Meditation Cushion, which clashed with the surrounding lazy sofas. Her face was ashen, her gaze cold, and she was determined to see what kind of tricks this fellow could pull. Xi He and Chang Xi stood nervously behind her, not daring to breathe.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense, let's start the class!" Xiao Kuang patted the table in front of him (a small wooden mallet was on the table, which he picked up and tapped, "Class begins!").

All the great powers, including the old hands like the Three Pure Ones, instantly perked up, forcefully ignoring the discomfort caused by the environment, pricked up their ears, and prepared to listen to the supreme Dao. Even Wang Shu slightly focused.

Xiao Kuang cleared his throat, picked up the book "From Novice to Giving Up", opened the first page, and began to read:

"The Path of the Quasi-Saint has three. First: Proving Dao by Strength, the most difficult, with the best rewards, not recommended, exhausts you like a dog. Second: Achieving Dao by severing the Three Corpses, currently the mainstream, complicated operation, requires innate Spiritual Treasures, expensive. Third: Achieving Sainthood through Merit, simple and fast, high cost-effectiveness, recommended as the first choice, as long as you have enough Merit, even a sow can ascend to the trees... cough, cough, can achieve Sainthood."

The gathered great powers: "???" What is he even talking about? A sow ascending to the trees? Dao Ancestor, are you serious?!

Xiao Kuang completely ignored the dead silence and the shattered Dao hearts in the audience and continued reading: "Next, we will focus on severing the Three Corpses. The so-called Three Corpses are good thoughts, evil thoughts, and self-obsession. Severing the corpses requires innate Spiritual Treasures to carry them... Ah, speaking of Spiritual Treasures," he suddenly put down the book, his eyes lighting up, "I see many new faces in the audience. What good things have you brought? Let's split it fifty-fifty when we meet! My Purple Heaven Palace supports Merit points, and we offer Spiritual Treasure mortgage loans, with fair interest rates..."

"Dao Ancestor!" Laozi could no longer bear it and interrupted, "Please focus on the true words of the Great Dao!"

"Oh, oh, oh, right, lecturing." Xiao Kuang reluctantly withdrew his gaze from Old Ancestor Minghe's Yuantu Abi Sword and picked up the book again.

"The specific steps for severing the corpses, the book says 'perceive the Heavenly Dao, see your true nature, find a suitable treasure, and sever it'... Isn't that stating the obvious? It's like saying nothing at all. My personal suggestion is, don't make it so troublesome. Just find a Spiritual Treasure you like, think about its bad aspects with all your might, until you're disgusted, and maybe the evil corpse will be severed. Think about its good aspects until you cry, and the good corpse might also appear. As for the self-corpse, get yourself drunk, black out, and maybe you'll sever it..."

The great powers below were no longer twitching at the corners of their mouths; their entire bodies were trembling! What kind of heretical path is this?! Dao Ancestor, are you teaching us to destroy our Dao Foundations?!

Sect Master Tongtian had a "learned, learned" expression, eager to try. Primordial Lord of Heaven's face was ashen, wishing he could immediately purge the sect. Empress Nuwa covered her forehead with her hand, unable to bear to watch. Jieyin and Zhunti took notes while contemplating which spiritual wine would be most effective for "getting drunk."

The newly arrived great powers were even more struck as if by lightning, beginning to seriously doubt if they had come to the wrong place. Is this truly the Dao Ancestor? Even Demon Ancestor Luohu isn't this unreliable!

Wang Shu's brows were tightly furrowed, the surrounding air temperature plummeted, and the ground began to freeze. Her gaze towards Xiao Kuang had shifted from confusion to looking at him like an idiot.

Xiao Kuang's throat was dry from reading. He took a big gulp of happy water, let out a burp, and continued, "In short, all roads lead to Rome... uh, to Primordial Unity. Everyone, don't be anxious, don't compare yourselves. The homework for this training is to go back and try to sever your corpses, and share your experiences next class. It's okay if you can't sever them. Next team building, we'll organize a boat trip to the Sea of Blood or a barbecue at the Sun Star to relax, and inspiration might strike..."

"Now, we enter the free question and answer session! Anyone have questions? If not, we're dismissed! The internet cafe next door just got some new machines, the configurations are awesome!"

The hall was dead silent.

All the newly arrived great powers were in a state of soul departure.

This is... the Path of the Quasi-Saint? This is... the Dao Ancestor preaching? Heavenly Dao! The Primordial Era is doomed!

Just then, Old Ancestor Minghe suddenly stood up, his blood-red eyes filled with suppressed rage and humiliation. He pointed at Xiao Kuang, his voice trembling: "Dao Ancestor! You... what kind of reasoning are you teaching?! How can such child's play not mislead my generation's Dao path?! We sincerely seek the Dao, how can we be toyed with like this?!"

All eyes instantly focused on Minghe.

Xiao Kuang blinked, looked at Minghe, and suddenly smiled: "Oh? You think what I'm saying is wrong?" Minghe braced himself: "If I may be so bold, it's utter nonsense!" "Very good!" Xiao Kuang slapped his thigh. "You have the courage to question authority, commendable! You are rewarded with staying after class to help me clean the Purple Firmament Palace toilets for three months! Experience life, start from the grassroots, it will be beneficial for your corpse-severing!"

Old Ancestor Minghe: "???" I #￥%...!

Pfft - Someone couldn't help but laugh out loud. Immediately after, the hall erupted in suppressed laughter and sounds of spitting blood.

The second sermon, in this chaotic, worldview-shattering atmosphere, with the Heavenly Dao continuing to feign death, "successfully" concluded.

Only Xiao Kuang nodded with satisfaction, quite pleased with his "teaching results." "Class dismissed! The internet cafe needs one more for a group game, hurry!"