Corpse-Slaying Conspiracy? Lingxiao Questions Same-Origin Spiritual Treasures

By setting the Twelve Time Markers, establishing the Heavenly Marriage, and guiding Zhen Yuanzi in sorting out the Primordial World's Earth Veins, Lingxiao had accomplished three unparalleled deeds that benefited all living beings. He had long since become one of the great powers with the most abundant Merit in the Primordial World.

The Merit Golden Wheel behind his head revolved without end, the Heavenly Dao's highest recognition of his achievements.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun also looked at Lingxiao, a trace of undisguised approval and satisfaction flashing through his eyes. He continued, "Proving the Dao through Merit is the gentlest path, yet also the most difficult. None but those of great compassion, great perseverance, and great fortune can accomplish it."

With that, he pointed a finger. A streak of golden light flew from the Creation Jade Slip, transforming into countless profound runes that entered the Consciousness Sea of every Violet Firmament Guest.

It was the complete Three Corpses Severing Path to Sainthood—

From using spiritual treasures to lodge one's obsessions, to nurturing one's thoughts, harmonizing the Three Corpses, and finally achieving Three Corpses Unification, every detail was laid out without omission.

The crowd was overjoyed and bowed together in salute. "Thank you, Teacher, for transmitting the Dao!"

Some Great Supernatural Beings who had once found the Primordial Golden Immortal Realm impossibly distant were even more stirred up. With this tangible shortcut before them, they too had hope of reaching a higher realm!

At that moment, Fire Phoenix Patriarch rose from within the hall. His crimson Daoist robe fluttered sharply as he respectfully bowed to Hongjun, his eyes brimming with expectation. "May I ask, Teacher, this disciple has cultivated to the Mid-Stage Primordial Golden Immortal Realm, yet has been trapped there for three thousand Yuanhuis without advancing a single step. Can I change to the Quasi-Saint path?"

Dao Ancestor Hongjun nodded. "Naturally. Back then, I too first cultivated into a Primordial Golden Immortal. Afterward, I traveled throughout the Primordial World, gathering the scattered fragments left after the Creation Jade Slip shattered, reforging and restoring it. By relying on it to comprehend the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, I then created the Three Corpses Severing Path."

"This method itself evolved from the ancient methods of the Primordial Golden Immortal Realm. Naturally, one may switch to it."

The instant those words fell, the hall erupted in commotion.

Even the Dao Ancestor himself had switched over from the Primordial Golden Immortal Realm. This showed that the Three Corpses Severing Path was by no means some crooked side path, but a broad avenue leading straight ahead!

"Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance!" Fire Phoenix Patriarch gave a deep bow, his voice trembling with excitement.

A Dragon-Han Calamity lasted fifty-four thousand Yuanhuis. He had cultivated diligently and unceasingly for three thousand Yuanhuis, yet his cultivation had remained stalled, leaving him disheartened long ago.

Now that he had obtained this method, it was like a drowning man clutching at a life-saving straw. How could he not rejoice?

It was not only Fire Phoenix Patriarch. The other ancient great powers were also ecstatic.

After all, someone like Fire Phoenix Patriarch, who had reached the Mid-Stage Primordial Golden Immortal Realm, was already considered outstanding among them. There were even some who had made no progress whatsoever after entering the Early-Stage Primordial Golden Immortal Realm.

And these were all those fortunate enough to enter Violet Firmament Palace.

As for those veteran Great Supernatural Beings who had cultivated for several thousand or even tens of thousands of Yuanhuis, yet still remained merely Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals...

They had not been blessed with the fortune of finding Violet Firmament Palace.

One could well imagine what towering waves this Three-Corpses Severing Path to Sainthood would stir up once it spread through the Primordial World!

"Dao Ancestor, Lingxiao has a question."

As the crowd buzzed with discussion, Lingxiao slowly rose from the Fusang Meditation Cushion. Xihe and Changxi stood on either side of him, golden radiance and moonlight reflecting off one another around them.

The moment Lingxiao spoke, the entire Violet Firmament Palace fell utterly silent.

The Three Pure Ones all turned their gazes toward him. Jieyin and Zhunti hurriedly pricked up their ears, while Fu Xi and Nuwa focused their minds and held their breaths.

Kunpeng, Eastern King Lord, Zhen Yuanzi, Hong Yun, and the other great powers familiar with Lingxiao all sat up straight, listening even more intently than when the Dao Ancestor had been preaching.

In their hearts, the resourceful Lingxiao would never speak without cause.

If he spoke up now, he was sure to offer some earthshaking insight.

Even the habitually arrogant Twelve Ancestral Witches stopped their whispered conversations in unspoken accord and turned their eyes toward Lingxiao.

Hearing this, Dao Ancestor Hongjun's eyes flashed with surprise. He slightly straightened himself upon the Twelve-Petaled Merit Golden Lotus, clearly wishing to see what insights his young friend possessed.

Lingxiao bowed in salute and spoke clearly. "May I ask, Dao Ancestor, does the Three Corpses Severing Path have any specific requirements for the spiritual treasures used to lodge good, evil, and obsession? If three spiritual treasures of the same root and origin are respectively used to lodge the Three Corpses, would that make the Three Corpses more compatible, thereby making it easier to reach Three Corpses Unification?"

The instant he said this, everyone in the hall was stunned.

They had only been delighted to gain a shortcut. Not one of them had considered that the spiritual treasures for Corpse-Slaying might involve such subtleties.

Zhen Yuanzi stroked his long beard, his brows faintly furrowed as he sank into thought;

A sharp gleam flashed through Tongtian's eyes. He instinctively touched the Green Duckweed Sword at his waist, then glanced at the Jade Ruyi in his elder brother's hand;

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a look, each seeing the surprise in the other's eyes.

Yet Lingxiao understood perfectly well.

In his memories, there was a conspiracy theory concerning proving the Dao through Three Corpses Severance—

In the Primordial World, aside from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, none of the later six Heavenly Dao Saints had truly severed all Three Corpses. In the end, they had all gone halfway down the path of Three Corpses Severance before turning to become saints through Merit.

One explanation went as follows:

Apart from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the only one with the qualifications and foundation to completely sever all Three Corpses was Laozi, the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, who had inherited immense fortune from the creation of heaven and Pangu's legacy.

Yet even Laozi had ultimately failed to achieve Three Corpses Unification, because there was a trap in the Three Corpses Severing Path transmitted by Dao Ancestor Hongjun—if the Innate Spiritual Treasures used were not of the same origin, they would clash with one another at the final step of Three Corpses Unification, making success impossible!

This conspiracy theory claimed that this was why all six Heavenly Dao Saints proved the Dao through Merit: weaker strength made them easier to control.

But based on Lingxiao's understanding of the Dao Ancestor, that claim was clearly somewhat untenable.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun fell into slight contemplation.

He raised a hand and removed the Creation Jade Slip floating above his head. Boundless mana flowed from his fingertips, and countless profound Dao patterns immediately surfaced across the jade slip, rapidly circulating and deducing.

After a moment, he put away the jade slip and slowly spoke:

"Same-Origin Spiritual Treasures have interconnected origins. Using them to lodge the Three Corpses may indeed allow them to complement one another and yield twice the result with half the effort."

"However, when I severed my Corpses in the past, I did not use three same-origin treasures. I used only the Creation Jade Slip as the foundation to lodge the three thoughts of good, evil, and obsession, and ultimately achieved completion as well. Thus, I cannot say for certain."

After a pause, he added, "If any of you are fortunate enough to obtain an Innate Supreme Treasure, you may likewise attempt to use one treasure to lodge all Three Corpses."

The implication was that those without an Innate Supreme Treasure need not consider such matters. Even Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures could not carry all Three Corpses within a single treasure;

Only an Innate Supreme Treasure, possessing the ultimate number beneath the Heavenly Dao—forty-nine Innate Treasure Restrictions—could achieve such a thing.

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your guidance!" Lingxiao suddenly understood. He bowed in thanks and slowly sat back down.

The treasures for Three Corpses Severance were not simply better the more numerous they were. Using a single Innate Supreme Treasure to lodge the Three Corpses was undoubtedly more reliable than using three Innate Spiritual Treasures that did not share an origin.

As for whether treasures of different origins truly made Three Corpses Unification impossible?

Since no one had tried it, there was no way to determine it completely at present.

In the original trajectory of fate, when Laozi severed his Three Corpses, he had likely believed that the stronger and more numerous the treasures, the better. Thus, he first used the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram to sever a Corpse, then lodged his other Corpse bodies in two other Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. This caused them to clash in the end, preventing unification and leaving him no choice but to rely on Merit, that all-purpose cure, and take the path of Proving the Dao through Merit.

—It could not really be called a scheme by the Dao Ancestor, since even he himself had not known of this.

Now that Lingxiao had pierced this paper window and made up for the Dao Ancestor's oversight, those Innate Sacred Beings blessed with fortune and possessing the necessary conditions would naturally strive toward Same-Origin Spiritual Treasures or Innate Supreme Treasures in the future.

As for those without the necessary conditions, most could not even sever a second Corpse. Naturally, they had no need to consider Three Corpses Unification.

"Same-Origin Spiritual Treasures are beneficial and harmless. Whether Lower-Grade or Supreme-Grade, all may be used for Corpse-Slaying. As for treasures that do not share an origin, whether they can ultimately achieve Three Corpses Unification is something I have not personally tested. You will need to explore it yourselves," Hongjun concluded.

Hearing this, everyone fell into thoughtful silence.

That was what he said, but everyone understood that although severing a Corpse with a Lower-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure and doing so with a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure resulted in the same realm, if they fought, the former would certainly be inferior to the latter. Their underlying foundations would inevitably differ as well.