Ch. 41Hongjun's First Sermon
1. Key Plot Points
- At the Purple Cloud Palace, Styx Ancestor—timid by nature—tries to withdraw after Primordial and Mu Jizi speak, but before leaving he glares at Red Cloud and Zhun Ti, silently bearing hatred toward them.
- Zhun Ti and Kunpeng both lunge for the sixth purple jade cushion, collide, and begin fighting over it.
- Dao Ancestor Hongjun suddenly appears, silencing everyone. He creates an eighth purple jade cushion and assigns it to Zhun Ti, settling the seating.
- Hongjun officially opens the first sermon since the creation of Heaven and Earth, expounding the innate Grand Dao.
- His words spread across the entire Primordial Wilderness, bringing enlightenment about the Heavenly Dao, karma, and retribution. From then on, Taoism becomes the mainstream path of cultivation.
2. Character Developments
- Styx Ancestor: Shown as timid and eager to avoid trouble, but his parting glare reveals growing resentment toward Red Cloud and Zhun Ti.
- Zhun Ti & Kunpeng: Ambitious and impulsive; they fight over a seat and are caught red-handed by Hongjun, leaving them humiliated.
- Hongjun: Calm, majestic, and impartial; he subtly corrects the seating dispute and demonstrates his saintly authority through the sermon.
- Mu Jizi: Recognizes the Creation Jade Butterfly, the Chaos Supreme Treasure, and becomes deeply excited—showing his knowledge of primordial treasures.
3. Significant Themes
- The Dao is formless and universal: Hongjun’s sermon emphasizes that all beings follow Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature.
- Fortune and destiny determine attainment: “The Grand Dao is boundless; each person gains according to their own fortune.”
- Karma and retribution: The sermon reveals the cycles of the Heavenly Dao to all living beings.
- A turning point in cultivation: This first sermon shifts the Primordial Wilderness from blind cultivation to the true quest for the Dao, making Taoism the dominant path.
4. Character Interactions
- Primordial’s words and Mu Jizi’s timely remark prompt Styx Ancestor to leave.
- Styx Ancestor casts hostile looks at Red Cloud and Zhun Ti before departing.
- Zhun Ti and Kunpeng collide and struggle over the purple jade cushion; Mu Jizi and Jieyin are about to intervene.
- Hongjun’s sudden appearance halts the fight, and all great divine beings kowtow, addressing him as “Teacher.”