Dongwanggong Was Crippled

Hearing Chen Xuan mention the Green Lotus Daoist, Dongwanggong could not help but nod. "Naturally, I have heard the Green Lotus Daoist's name."

"It was only that when the Green Lotus Daoist preached the Dao last time, I happened to be in seclusion and missed the chance to meet him."

Chen Xuan's and Dongwanggong's Daoist grounds were both in the East Sea. How could Dongwanggong possibly not have heard of the Green Lotus Daoist?

As for his claim that he had been in seclusion, it was merely an excuse. At the time, he truly had not regarded Chen Xuan highly at all, so he had disdained to attend Chen Xuan's preaching.

Chen Xuan naturally would not dig to the bottom of the matter. Instead, he said to Dongwanggong, "When Green Lotus Senior preached the Dao, I too had no chance to attend."

"However, before that, I was fortunate enough to meet Green Lotus Senior once. I even received his guidance, which benefited me greatly."

As he spoke, the Three Flowers atop Chen Xuan's head bloomed. Yet under his deliberate concealment, they had only blossomed to the sixth rank.

Though, like Dongwanggong, his flowers had bloomed to the sixth rank, Dongwanggong had only opened one flower, while all three flowers atop Chen Xuan's head bloomed together.

This could not help but greatly shock Dongwanggong. He immediately said to Chen Xuan, "I never expected Fellow Daoist Chen Xuan's cultivation to have already reached the peak of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm?"

Chen Xuan smiled and nodded. "It was precisely because I received Green Lotus Senior's guidance that my cultivation had already reached the peak of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm before I went to Purple Cloud Palace to hear the Dao."

"Moreover, Green Lotus Senior told me then that the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and the Five Qi Returning to Origin were merely a first glimpse through the gate of the Dao."

"Only by breaking through to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm could one truly set foot upon the path of cultivation. Unfortunately, my innate talent is limited. My flowers only bloomed to the sixth rank, so in the end, it will be difficult for me to attain the Dao."

Chen Xuan's words completely hooked Dongwanggong's interest. His face filled with expectation as he said, "My flowers too bloomed to the sixth rank. Does that not mean I likewise cannot attain the Dao? Did the Green Lotus Daoist not tell you how one might make up for insufficient innate talent?"

Chen Xuan sighed. "Although flowers blooming to the sixth rank makes it impossible to prove the Dao of the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, one can still reach the peak of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm."

"Furthermore, if one can obtain the Foundation of the Great Dao, one may use the severing of the Three Corpses to compensate for insufficient innate talent and prove the Dao to become a Saint."

"However, if one wishes to prove the Dao and become a Saint through severing the Three Corpses, one cannot cultivate the path of the Primordial Golden Immortal. One can only switch to cultivating the path of severing the Three Corpses, severing the corpses of good, evil, and self to attain harmony with the Heavenly Dao."

"Then, one must unite the Three Corpses as one and gain the Heavenly Dao's recognition. Only then can one use the Foundation of the Great Dao to break through the limitations and prove the Saint realm."

"Though the Saint realm cannot compare to the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, one's true spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao. So long as the Heavenly Dao does not perish, a Saint will not vanish."

Hearing Chen Xuan say this, Dongwanggong finally let out the breath he had been holding. After all, so long as there was a way to prove the Dao, he had a direction toward which to strive.

As for whether he proved the Dao as a Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal or proved the Dao as a Saint, there was no difference to Dongwanggong.

After all, what he sought was immortality and indestructibility. So long as he could achieve that, what difference did anything else make?

Thus, he immediately asked Chen Xuan, "Did the Green Lotus Daoist ever mention how one could complete the severing of the Three Corpses and then unite them again?"

"And what exactly is this Foundation of the Great Dao? Where must one go to find it?"

Seeing Dongwanggong's urgent expression, Chen Xuan knew this fellow had completely taken the bait. Thus, he sighed and said, "Green Lotus Senior said that to sever the Three Corpses, one must use innate spiritual treasures to house the Three Corpse incarnations. And if one wishes to unite the Three Corpses, the innate spiritual treasures housing them must be born from the same lineage."

"If the three innate spiritual treasures are not born from the same lineage, then the path of severing the Three Corpses will be impassable. One can only use immense merit to prove the Dao and become a Merit Saint."

"But whether one follows the path of severing the Three Corpses or proves the Dao through merit, one cannot lack the Foundation of the Great Dao. Otherwise, everything will be an empty dream."

"As for what the Foundation of the Great Dao is, Green Lotus Senior did not say. He only said that when the time came, I would naturally know."

After hearing Chen Xuan's explanation, Dongwanggong seemed to have finally understood something. Though his brows remained tightly furrowed, he nodded again and again.

At this moment, Chen Xuan sighed. "What a pity. I had thought that since Fellow Daoist Dongwanggong also lived in the East Sea, you surely would have gone to hear the Dao when Green Lotus Senior preached."

"So I had planned to ask Fellow Daoist Dongwanggong to tell me about the contents of Green Lotus Senior's preaching back then. Yet I never expected that Fellow Daoist Dongwanggong had missed it."

By now, Dongwanggong's intestines were green with regret. If he had known the Green Lotus Daoist was so formidable, he would have gone to Azure Lotus Island no matter what. He would not have given up the chance to hear the Dao because of his disdain for Chen Xuan.

Suddenly, as though recalling something, Dongwanggong directly said to Chen Xuan, "Fellow Daoist Chen Xuan, there are still a thousand years until the Dao Ancestor's second preaching."

"Why don't you and I make a trip to Azure Lotus Island and pay respects to the Green Lotus Daoist... no, we should pay respects to Green Lotus Senior."

Chen Xuan shook his head upon hearing this. "Fellow Daoist Dongwanggong, you do not know this. Before coming here, I had already gone to Azure Lotus Island."

"But Green Lotus Senior is no longer on Azure Lotus Island. On my way back, I passed Fangzhu Mountain in the East Sea, so I came to see Fellow Daoist Dongwanggong."

Dongwanggong could not help but lower his head in dejection, knowing he had missed an immense opportunity. Even if he wished to make up for it now, he no longer had the chance.

Suddenly, Dongwanggong recalled something Hongjun had once said. The Dao Ancestor's second preaching at Purple Cloud Palace would concern the path of the quasi-Saint.

He immediately said to Chen Xuan, "Fellow Daoist Chen Xuan, do you think the path of the quasi-Saint that the Dao Ancestor will teach is the path of severing the Three Corpses that Green Lotus Senior spoke of?"

A look of sudden realization appeared on Chen Xuan's face. He nodded repeatedly at Dongwanggong. "Now that Fellow Daoist Dongwanggong mentions it, I too think it is highly possible."

"After the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm comes the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. Yet Green Lotus Senior said that if we wish to prove the Dao, we cannot take the path of the Primordial Golden Immortal."

"We can only choose the path of severing the Three Corpses to prove the Dao and become Saints. Then before becoming Saints, would that not be quasi-Sainthood?"

After the two discussed it, they could almost certainly conclude that the Dao Hongjun would teach next was the so-called path of severing the Three Corpses.

Little did Dongwanggong know that Chen Xuan had already led him completely by the nose, merely waiting for the critical moment to have him speak and leave Hongjun unable to step down from the stage.

Yet Dongwanggong remained unaware of this. He even believed that meeting Chen Xuan was the greatest favor the Heavenly Dao had ever bestowed upon him.

It allowed him to learn in advance what path of the quasi-Saint Hongjun would teach next, so that he could prepare beforehand and seek out three innate spiritual treasures born from the same lineage.