Second Lecture: Hongjun the Great Swindler Makes His Debut

"The ninth turn."

Because the Nine-Turn Origin Art was the Three Pure Ones' inherited cultivation technique, they had certainly cultivated it before and understood its terrifying nature. Once they sensed the mana within his body, they would be able to infer his cultivation results. Lu Chen did not hide anything and stated it openly.

"The ninth turn!"

The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, staring at one another. The shock in each other's eyes was plain to see.

In a flash, Laozi appeared before Lu Chen. He placed one hand on Lu Chen's shoulder and sent a thread of divine sense into his body. Sensing the vast, abyss-like mana within Lu Chen, he nodded at Tongtian and Yuanshi.

"The mana within Lu Chen's body is dense enough to rival that of a Great Luo. It truly is the ninth turn."

Upon hearing Laozi confirm that Lu Chen had truly cultivated to the ninth turn, the surprise in Tongtian's eyes faded. Yet there was little joy there; instead, a trace of regret and disappointment surfaced.

"I passed the Nine-Turn Origin Art on to you only in the hope that you would achieve a little success, perhaps cultivate the first or second turn. I never expected you to go straight for the ninth turn."

"Master, could it be that the Nine-Turn Origin Art has some terrifying aftereffects?"

Lu Chen scratched his head and looked at Tongtian in confusion. His heart tightened involuntarily.

He had read through the Nine-Turn Origin Art. Other than cultivating more slowly, it seemed to have no flaws. Could it be hiding some other danger?

"Now that you have cultivated the Nine-Turn Origin Art, it is like spilled water—impossible to take back or change. I will explain it to you properly. Unlike other cultivation techniques, where each turn corresponds to a major realm, this is a technique that cultivates mana alone. Even someone who has just begun cultivating can cultivate the ninth turn. At that time, your mana will be hundreds or thousands of times greater than that of cultivators at the same level. But at the same time, the difficulty of advancing will also be hundreds or thousands of times greater than theirs."

Tongtian let out a faint sigh. He secretly regretted it somewhat. Had he known Lu Chen would choose the most difficult ninth turn, he would have tried every means to dissuade him.

Once one cultivated this art, it was as deep as the sea. Though Lu Chen's cultivation was now a full major realm above Duobao's, in the future, once Lu Chen entered the Great Luo realm, Duobao would most likely have reached Great Luo as well. After that, Duobao's cultivation would surpass Lu Chen's.

Hearing Tongtian say that his cultivation would become hundreds or thousands of times more difficult to advance in the future, Lu Chen relaxed. So-called difficulty in cultivation growth merely meant needing to absorb more spiritual qi and transform it into his own mana. Accumulating sufficient mana was a slow process.

This was not much of a problem for Lu Chen. He possessed the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase, which could refine heavenly treasures and earthly materials into spiritual liquid. So long as he had sufficient resources, his cultivation speed could become very fast as well.

Laozi shook his head. "What is done cannot be undone. Prepare to depart. In less than a hundred years, Zixiao Palace will open again."

This time, it was still four people and one mouse. Though the Immortal Dao had already been explained, what Hongjun would teach next should be the path beyond Great Luo. That was still rather distant for Lu Chen and Duobao, but they brought them along anyway.

Because when Hongjun preached, golden lotuses condensed from mana would also appear in Zixiao Palace. Those golden lotuses could raise Duobao and Lu Chen...

Bah, they could rapidly raise Duobao's cultivation and strengthen Lu Chen's foundation.

Lu Chen stopped at the border between the Primordial World and chaos, then spoke to Tongtian and the others. "Master, you should take Junior Brother and go on ahead. I want to try relying on my own mana and see whether I can cross chaos to reach Zixiao Palace."

"You wish to cross chaos using only your own mana?"

Tongtian's brows furrowed slightly.

He had originally intended to reject it outright, but when he saw the determination in Lu Chen's eyes, hesitation flickered through his gaze.

Through Lu Chen's thoughts, he understood that Lu Chen was not as honest as he appeared on the surface.

Did he have some other scheme for this journey?

"Very well. I shall lend you my Green Duckweed Sword for protection."

Tongtian nodded. With a flash of green light, a longsword floated before Lu Chen. The sword was three feet, six inches, and five fen long. Its blade and scabbard were entirely black, while green lotus flowers coiled around it.

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure."

Lu Chen reached out and gripped the Green Duckweed Sword, then cupped his hands and bowed.

"Big Brother, let us go."

Tongtian turned to Laozi.

Laozi nodded. Lu Chen was Tongtian's disciple. Since Tongtian had chosen to support Lu Chen, it was not his place as Martial Uncle to say much.

He summoned the Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda and protected the group as they headed into chaos.

Once Lu Chen saw Laozi and the others disappear completely into the chaos, he stepped forward.

Winds of chaotic qi came howling toward him. Lu Chen used his mana to protect his body and took out the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase.

"Devour!"

He controlled the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase to draw in the chaotic qi, advancing as he absorbed it.

The chaotic qi within the land of chaos was boundless. Endless chaotic qi surged into the vase, and the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase, which had never once been filled, was filled to the brim at this moment.

Having done all this, Lu Chen did not refine it immediately. Though he could protect himself with mana and temporarily resist the chaotic gale, once his mana ran dry, those gales would assail his fleshly body.

Lu Chen put away the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase, took the Green Duckweed Sword Tongtian had given him, and hurried toward Zixiao Palace.

"What a cautious junior."

A soft murmur echoed from the depths of chaos...

By the time Lu Chen reached Zixiao Palace, all three thousand visitors of the mortal world had already arrived.

Seeing Lu Chen enter alone through the gates, surprise flashed through their eyes.

It was because Lu Chen's aura was only at the Taiyi Realm, yet he held the Green Duckweed Sword in his hand, which radiated Tongtian's aura.

As for Dijun, Taiyi, Nuwa, Houtu, and the others who had met Lu Chen before, what astonished them was Lu Chen's cultivation.

Late Primordial Unity Stage! This little fellow is actually this terrifying.

At the same time, Houtu believed even more firmly in that vague feeling.

"Master, Martial Uncle."

Lu Chen made his way over to Tongtian and the others.

"It is good that you have arrived. The sermon is about to begin."

This was the second time they had come to hear the sermon, so everyone began devoting some attention to making connections with fellow Daoists.

They engraved Lu Chen and Duobao's appearances deeply into their minds.

They marked them as disciples of the Three Pure Ones.

Hongjun suddenly appeared. His indifferent gaze swept across the gathering, and he slowly spoke. His voice was weighty and contained a certain Dao principle, his words striking directly at their hearts.

"This second lecture concerns the Saintly Dao after the Immortal Dao: the path of Quasi-Saints. There are three methods of proving the Dao: Force-Proving Dao, Three Corpses Severance to prove the Dao, and Merit-Proving Dao."

"So many!"

The great powers could not help but rejoice inwardly. Since there were three methods of proving the Dao, surely one of them would suit them.

"Force-Proving Dao is the strongest. It was the method used by Great God Pangu in those years. Three Corpses Severance to prove the Dao comes next; it was created by me. Merit-Proving Dao is the weakest and requires one to prove the Dao through immense merit."

After hearing this, the great powers frowned slightly. How could they not know Pangu's fate? They silently cast Force-Proving Dao to the back of their minds. They sought to prove the Dao to live longer and roam free and unfettered—not to court death.

Even Great God Pangu had failed. How could they possibly succeed?

Hongjun the great swindler was online. Great God Pangu proved the Great Dao, the Hongmeng Dao—not the Heavenly Dao.