Advancing to the Taiyi Realm, Dividing the Treasure Gourds at Buzhou Mountain

Kunpeng felt a terrifying force suppressing him, and the words in his mouth could not leave 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, having caught the scent of something unusual. But now that the seats had been decided, they could only regret it in secret.

His attainment of the Dao had caused such a tremendous stir in the Primordial World before he had even opened a Dao field in the chaos. Now, this mere display of might left them powerless to resist. No matter how dissatisfied Kunpeng was, he could only swallow it raw and whole, not daring to throw a tantrum before Hongjun.

He could only shoot Zhunti a resentful glare before casually finding a seat and sitting down.

When Lu Chen saw the farce come to an end, his gaze flickered slightly.

If I could kill Zhunti right now, Master would have one less enemy after becoming a Sage in the future.

Lu Chen very much wanted to kill Zhunti. If possible, he also wanted to kill Jieyin alongside him. If the two of them died, Hongjun might find other representatives for the West, or he might intervene to protect them.

But neither outcome would be a bad thing for Lu Chen.

Of course, he could not personally make the kill. It would be best if Kunpeng did it.

If they were killed, then 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?

And if Hongjun intervened to protect them, then he, a Sage, would have lost his impartiality.

The Heavenly Dao had only just emerged. How could it choose someone lacking impartiality 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 also become a Sage in the future?

But this is my first time meeting those two brothers. I have never borne a grudge against them.

Tongtian glanced at Zhunti and fell into hesitation. As Pangu's orthodox descendant, he disdained becoming enemies with him. Yet no one could predict the future. He did not know whether to trust his own subjective judgment or Lu Chen's inner voice.

If Lu Chen could hear Tongtian's thoughts, he would surely sigh. His master was good in every way, except for this temperament of his...

But if Tongtian had been like Yuanshi and Laozi, he would not have founded the Jie Sect, established the doctrine of leaving a thread of life for all living beings under heaven, or spoken the words that teachings should know no distinction.

"Forget it..."

Tongtian shook his head and glanced 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.

Lu Chen pondered how he might kill Zhunti.

Just then, Hongjun spoke. "I will preach the Dao three times in total. This is the first sermon, explaining what it means to be an immortal!"

Hongjun paused, then added, "The Dharma shall not be passed to Six Ears!"

Immediately, radiant clouds filled the Zixiao Palace, Dao sounds spread through the air, and golden lotuses surged from the earth.

Lu Chen gathered his thoughts and focused all his attention on listening to the Dao.

No matter what, Hongjun was the foremost Sage of the Primordial World. The value of his preaching was obvious.

Golden lotuses, one after another, entered the bodies of everyone in the Zixiao Palace.

A portion of the golden lotuses also merged into the bodies of Duobao and Lu Chen.

Vast mana coursed through his meridians and bones, and Lu Chen's cultivation began to soar.

Golden Immortal mid-stage—breakthrough.

Golden Immortal late stage...

Slowly, Lu Chen's cultivation climbed to the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm.

"?"

"Could an old friend from the chaos still remain in the Primordial World?"

Hongjun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze settling on Lu Chen.

In an instant, he saw through Lu Chen's origins and foundation.

"An anomaly. A backup plan of Devouring?"

Hongjun closed his eyes again, and the golden lotuses surged toward Lu Chen.

The great powers, originally immersed in the Dao sounds as though drunk and dreaming, did not notice this.

To them, mana was far less important than the insights gained from listening to the Dao.

After activating his talent, Lu Chen also immersed himself in the sermon.

Time flowed swiftly...

"The first sermon has ended. Return and digest your insights for three thousand years. Three thousand years from now, the Zixiao Palace will reopen for the second sermon."

As Hongjun's voice fell, the Dao sounds in the Zixiao Palace vanished.

The great powers slowly opened their eyes, all wearing expressions of lingering longing.

"Lu Chen, you've advanced to the Taiyi Realm!"

Tongtian looked at Lu Chen and sensed the aura emanating from him, his heart greatly shaken.

And he had not merely entered the Taiyi Realm—he was already at the Taiyi Realm mid-stage!

Tongtian could not help but feel a sense of urgency. As his master, he was only one major realm above his disciple.

Compared to Lu Chen, Duobao's progress from early Golden Immortal to late Golden Immortal appeared 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 destined path, he would not yet have taken a master at this time, and Hongjun's sermon would have had nothing to do with him.

"The Great Luo Dao in the latter half of the Sage's sermon was too profound. Rather than listen, I activated my talent and focused on absorbing the mana lotuses within the palace to raise my cultivation."

Lu Chen stretched out a claw and scratched his head in a human-like manner.

But that was not actually the case. His cultivation had risen, and he had also listened to the Great Luo Dao, gaining extremely deep insights from it.

What he lacked now was merely an accumulation of mana. As long as he accumulated enough mana, he could break through quickly.

"It is only natural for Lu Chen, being at a lower realm, to advance more quickly. Besides, we have gained quite a bit this time as well. Once you two return and digest your insights, you should be able to enter the peak of the Great Luo Realm."

Yuanshi and Tongtian nodded with smiles on their faces.

"Let's go."

Laozi summoned the Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda.

After returning, we will head to Buzhou Mountain to pick the gourds. I wonder whether I can persuade Master to take away that gourd vine and the Innate Self-Growing Soil as well. These are the key to Nuwa becoming a Sage through creating humanity.

If we take them, Master will at least get a sip of the soup and receive a share of the merit.

Lu Chen thought to himself. If possible, he wanted to take them himself, but his cultivation was only at the Taiyi Realm. He could not participate in this gluttonous feast of dividing up the gourd vine at all.

There will be a fated treasure gourd from Buzhou Mountain next?

Tongtian was half-convinced and half-doubtful.

Until they returned from the chaos to the Primordial World...

"Second Brother, Third Brother! I sense a fated opportunity at Buzhou Mountain!"

"Eldest Brother, I sense it too."

"I... as well."

Stormy waves rose within Tongtian's heart. Though they had not yet reached Buzhou Mountain and he did not know what opportunity awaited them, after hearing Lu Chen's earlier inner voice, he felt that it was most likely the 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 towered majestically, even several degrees higher than Kunlun Mountain. It pierced the clouds like a pillar supporting the Primordial World, preventing heaven and earth from merging 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 decline of the three clans, the Witch Clan possessed the greatest reputation in the Primordial World.

Each of the Twelve Ancestral Witches possessed Great Luo cultivation. Their strength was formidable, and they were united as one.

The Witch Clan had succeeded the Qilin Clan in occupying the area around Buzhou Mountain, using it as a base to expand in all directions. They had seized much territory.

Most importantly, the Witch Clan were largely a bunch of simple-minded brutes with muscles growing in their brains, knowing 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 treasure, not seize territory.