Kunpeng felt a terrifying force suppressing him, rendering him unable to speak the words on his lips.
"The seats have been decided. They cannot be changed."
Hongjun spoke, and everything was settled.
Some of the more clever and thoughtful great powers had flickering gazes, catching a whiff of something unusual. Yet now that the seats had been decided, they could only lament inwardly.
His attainment of the Dao had caused such a tremendous commotion in the Primordial World, and he had even opened a Daoist sanctuary within Chaos. Now, his mere presence left them powerless to resist. No matter how dissatisfied Kunpeng was, he could only swallow it down raw and dared not kick up a fuss before Hongjun.
He could only glare resentfully at Zhunti before casually finding a seat and sitting down.
Seeing the farce come to an end, Lu Chen's gaze flickered slightly.
If Zhunti could be killed right now, then after Master becomes a Sage in the future, he would have one fewer enemy.
Lu Chen very much wanted to kill Zhunti. If possible, he also wanted to kill Jieyin along with him. If those two were killed, Hongjun might find other representatives for the West, or perhaps he might step in to protect them.
But to Lu Chen, neither outcome would be a bad thing.
Of course, he could not personally make the kill. It would be best if Kunpeng did it.
Kill them, and without that shameless pair, even if Hongjun supported new representatives for the West in the future, could the new representatives possibly be more shameless than those two?
Moreover, if Hongjun stepped in to protect them, then this Sage of his would be unfair.
Now that the Heavenly Dao had only just emerged, how could it choose an unfair person as its representative?
Kill Zhunti? Zhunti will become a Sage, and he will be my enemy?
Zhunti will become a Sage and form a grudge with me. Does that mean I will become a Sage in the future as well?
But this is the first time I have met the two brothers. I have never held any grudge against them.
Tongtian glanced at Zhunti and fell into hesitation. As Pangu Orthodox, he disdained making enemies of such a person. But no one could predict the future. He did not know whether to believe his own judgment or Lu Chen's inner thoughts.
If Lu Chen could hear Tongtian's thoughts, he would surely sigh. His master was good in every way, except for this temperament...
But if Tongtian had been like Yuanshi and Laozi, he would never have founded the Jie Sect, established the doctrine of carving out a thread of life for all living beings under heaven, or spoken the words that teachings should make no distinction between classes.
"Forget it..."
Tongtian shook his head and looked at Laozi and Yuanshi.
Even if he truly became enemies with Zhunti in the future, he could simply ask his two elder brothers to join him in killing Zhunti then.
Lu Chen pondered how to kill Zhunti.
Just then, Hongjun spoke. "I will expound the Dao three times. This is the first exposition, and it will explain what an immortal is!"
Hongjun paused, then added, "The Dharma shall not be transmitted to Six Ears!"
Afterward, within Zixiao Palace, rosy clouds stretched ten thousand zhang, Dao sounds filled the air, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth.
Lu Chen gathered his thoughts and focused all his attention on listening to the Dao.
No matter what, Hongjun was the number one Sage of the Primordial World. The value of his exposition of the Dao was self-evident.
One golden lotus after another entered the bodies of everyone in Zixiao Palace.
A portion of the golden lotuses also merged into Duobao and Lu Chen's bodies.
Vast Dharma power coursed through his meridians and bones, and Lu Chen's cultivation began to surge.
Middle Golden Immortal Stage—breakthrough.
Late Golden Immortal Stage...
Slowly, Lu Chen's cultivation climbed to the Peak Golden Immortal stage.
"?"
"Could an old friend from Chaos still be remaining in the Primordial World?"
Hongjun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon Lu Chen.
In an instant, he saw through Lu Chen's foundation and origins.
"An anomaly. A contingency left behind by Devour?"
Hongjun closed his eyes again, and golden lotuses surged toward Lu Chen.
Yet the great powers who were immersed in the Dao sounds, intoxicated as though drunk, did not notice this.
Because to them, Dharma power was far less important than the insights gained from listening to the Dao.
After activating his talent, Lu Chen too sank into the exposition of the Dao.
Time flew by...
"The first exposition has ended. Return and digest the insights you have gained over these three thousand years. Three thousand years from now, Zixiao Palace will reopen for the second exposition."
As Hongjun's voice fell, the Dao sounds within Zixiao Palace vanished.
The great powers slowly opened their eyes, their faces full of lingering yearning.
"Lu Chen, you advanced to the Taiyi Realm!"
Tongtian looked at Lu Chen and sensed the aura emanating from him, greatly shaken in his heart.
And he had not merely just entered the Taiyi Realm—he was already at the Middle Primordial Unity Stage!
Tongtian could not help but feel a sense of urgency. As the master, he was only one major realm higher than his disciple.
Compared to Lu Chen, Duobao's progress from the Early Golden Immortal Stage to the Late Golden Immortal Stage seemed relatively slow.
Of course, Duobao's cultivation progress was by no means slow. Under Lu Chen's influence, he had already entered another fast lane.
Without Lu Chen, according to Duobao's predetermined path, he would not yet have taken a master, and Hongjun's exposition of the Dao would have had nothing to do with him.
"The later Great Luo Dao that the Sage expounded was too profound. Rather than listening, I used my talent to focus on absorbing the Dharma-power lotuses within the palace and raised my cultivation."
Lu Chen stretched out a claw and scratched his head in a humanlike manner.
That was not actually the case. His cultivation had risen, and he had listened to the Great Luo Dao as well, gaining extremely profound insights from it.
What he lacked now was merely the accumulation of Dharma power. Once he accumulated enough, he could break through rapidly.
"It is only natural for Lu Chen to advance faster with his lower realm. Besides, we gained quite a bit this time as well. I believe that after you two return and digest your insights, you will be able to reach the Peak Great Luo stage."
Yuanshi and Tongtian nodded with smiles.
"Let us go."
Laozi summoned the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda.
Once we return, it will be time to gather the gourds at Buzhou Mountain. We shall see whether we can persuade Master to take away that Gourd Vine and the Innate Self-Growing Soil. Those are both crucial to Nuwa's ascension to Sainthood and her creation of humanity.
If we take them, Master might still get a sip of the soup and receive some Merit.
Lu Chen thought inwardly. In truth, if he could, he wanted to take them himself. But his cultivation was only in the Taiyi Realm, so he simply could not take part in this gluttonous feast of dividing up the Gourd Vine.
There will be an opportunity involving treasure gourds at Buzhou Mountain next?
Tongtian was half-convinced and half-doubtful.
Until they returned from Chaos to the Primordial World...
"Second Brother, Third Brother! I sense an opportunity at Buzhou Mountain!"
"Eldest Brother, I sense it as well."
"I... do too."
A stormy sea surged within Tongtian's heart. Though they had not yet reached Buzhou Mountain and he did not know what the opportunity was, after hearing Lu Chen's inner thoughts just now, he felt that it was most likely those treasure gourds.
After all, the location matched.
Sensing the opportunity, the Three Pure Ones swiftly flew toward Buzhou Mountain.
This time, Tongtian tucked Duobao and Lu Chen into his sleeve.
Buzhou Mountain rose lofty and steep, even several degrees taller than Kunlun Mountain. It pierced straight into the clouds like a pillar supporting the Primordial World, preventing heaven and earth from closing together.
Because this was the Witch Clan's main territory, the Three Pure Ones deliberately avoided the Witch Clan after entering Buzhou Mountain.
After the Three Clans declined, the most renowned force in the Primordial World was the Witch Clan.
Each of the Twelve Ancestral Witches possessed Great Luo cultivation. They were formidable in strength and united as one.
The Witch Clan took over the lands near Buzhou Mountain from the Qilin Clan and expanded in all directions from there, occupying much territory.
Most importantly, the Witch Clan were largely a band of simple-minded brutes with muscles growing in their brains, who knew nothing but fighting.
Though the Three Pure Ones did not fear them, they did not wish to provoke them either. They had come to seek treasures, not seize territory.
Before you continue