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 how terrifying it was. Once they sensed the magical power within him, 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, and the shock in each other's eyes was plain to see.

With a flash, Laozi appeared before Lu Chen. He placed a hand on Lu Chen's shoulder and sent a wisp of divine sense into him. Feeling the vast, abyss-like magical power within Lu Chen, he nodded to Tongtian and Yuanshi.

"Lu Chen's magical power is as abundant as 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 pity appeared.

"When I passed the Nine-Turn Origin Art to you, I only hoped you would achieve something minor and cultivate to the first or second turn. I never expected you to directly cultivate the ninth turn."

"Master, could the Nine-Turn Origin Art have some terrifying side effect?"

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 being somewhat slow to cultivate, it had no flaws. Could there be some other hidden danger?

"Now that you have cultivated the Nine-Turn Origin Art, there is no turning back. It cannot be changed. Let me properly explain it to you. Unlike other cultivation techniques, where each turn corresponds to a major realm, it is a technique that cultivates only magical power. Even from the very beginning, one may cultivate all the way to the ninth turn. At that time, your magical power 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 sighed softly. He faintly regretted it in his heart. Had he known Lu Chen would choose the most difficult ninth turn, he would have stopped him no matter what.

Once one cultivated this art, one was in as deep as the sea. Though Lu Chen's cultivation was now one major realm higher than Duobao's, by the time Lu Chen entered the Great Luo Realm in the future, Duobao would most likely have reached the Great Luo Realm 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 secretly breathed a sigh of relief. So-called difficulty in cultivation advancement merely meant absorbing more spiritual energy and converting it into one's own magical power. Accumulating sufficient magical power would be 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 into Spirit Liquid. As long as he had sufficient resources, his cultivation speed could still become very fast.

Laozi shook his head. "What is done is done. Prepare to depart. In less than a hundred years, Zixiao Palace will open again."

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

Because when Hongjun preached, golden lotuses condensed from magical power would likewise appear in Zixiao Palace. These golden lotuses could improve Duobao and Lu Chen...

Pah, they could rapidly improve 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, take Junior Brother and go on ahead. I want to try crossing Chaos with my own magical power and see whether I can reach Zixiao Palace."

"You want to cross Chaos with your own magical power?"

Tongtian frowned slightly.

He had initially wanted to reject it outright, but when he saw the determined look in Lu Chen's eyes, hesitation flashed through his own.

Through Lu Chen's inner voice, he understood that Lu Chen was not as honest as he appeared.

He had other plans for this journey?

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

Tongtian nodded. With a flash of azure light, a longsword floated before Lu Chen. The sword was three feet, six inches, and five fen long. Both the blade and sheath were pitch-black, with azure lotus flowers coiling around them.

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

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

"Elder Brother, let us go."

Tongtian turned and said to Laozi.

Laozi nodded. Lu Chen was Tongtian's disciple, and since Tongtian had chosen to support him, it was not appropriate for Laozi, as his martial uncle, to say anything.

He summoned the Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, shielding everyone as they headed into Chaos.

Once Lu Chen saw Laozi and the others completely disappear into Chaos, he took a step forward.

Winds formed from streams of Chaos qi rushed toward him. Lu Chen used his magical power to shield his body and took out the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase.

"Absorb."

He controlled the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase, drawing the Chaos qi into it as he continued forward.

The Chaos qi within the land of Chaos was endless. Boundless Chaos qi poured into the vase, and the Heaven-Devouring Treasure Vase, which had never been filled before, was filled at this moment.

After doing all this, Lu Chen did not refine it immediately. Although he could use magical power to shield himself from the chaotic winds, it was only temporary. Once his magical power was exhausted, those winds would invade his body.

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

"What a cautious junior."

A soft murmur rang out from the depths of Chaos...

When Lu Chen arrived at Zixiao Palace, all three thousand worldly guests had already gathered.

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

This 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.

Those who had met Lu Chen before, such as Dijun, Taiyi, Nuwa, and Houtu, were even more astonished by Lu Chen's cultivation.

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

At the same time, Houtu became even more convinced of 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 listen. Everyone also began to devote some attention to making friends with fellow Daoists.

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

They marked them as disciples of the Three Pure Ones.

Hongjun suddenly appeared. His indifferent gaze swept over everyone as he slowly spoke. His voice was deep and heavy, containing a certain Dao principle, and every word reached straight into their hearts.

"This second lecture shall concern 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, one of them would surely suit them.

"Force-Proving Dao is the strongest. It was the method used by the great Pangu in his attempt to prove the Dao. Three Corpses Severance is second, and it was created by me. Merit-Proving Dao is the weakest and requires immense merit to prove the Dao."

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

Even the great Pangu had failed. How could they possibly succeed?

Hongjun the great swindler has made his debut. Great Pangu sought to prove the Great Dao, the Hongmeng Dao—not the Heavenly Dao.