Hongjun Becomes a Sage—Should They Go Listen to the Dao?

"The deeper one's comprehension of the Great Dao of Space, the more one could feel that the Great Dao of Space was not manifest within the Primordial World. The usual method of comprehending Heaven's Way simply would not work."

Dijiang slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the terrifying power within his body, power that seemed capable of effortlessly crushing an entire greater world, there was little joy in his eyes. Instead, they held a trace of gravity.

"That old scheming bastard Hongjun—although I snatched his supreme treasure beneath Mount Sumeru back then, he is still a Sage ordained by Heaven and holds the Jade Disc of Creation. He is probably about to take that step as well, isn't he?"

Dijiang rose to his feet, his gaze piercing through Pangu Hall toward Mount Yujing in the east.

"Law-Proving Path... how should I take that final step in the future?"

Just as Dijiang was lost in bitter thought—

BOOM—!!!

An indescribably terrifying pressure suddenly erupted skyward from eastern Mount Yujing without warning, instantly sweeping across the heavens and earth of the entire Primordial World!

This pressure was supreme and boundless as an abyss, carrying an irresistible will of Heaven's Way.

Under this pressure, the countless billions of living beings in the Primordial World—whether blades of grass and trees that had only just awakened their spiritual intelligence or reclusive Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals—felt their souls tremble and involuntarily fell to their knees.

Yet Dijiang and the others cultivating within Pangu Hall were entirely unaffected. Even the pressure of Heaven's Way was blocked outside by Pangu Hall.

"High upon the Ninth Heaven I recline, a prayer mat completing the truth of Dao."

"Beyond heaven and earth, dark and yellow, I alone bear the honored mantle of teaching."

"Pangu birthed Taiji; the Two Principles and Four Images followed their course."

"One Dao passed to three friends; two teachings divided into Elucidation and Interception."

"Leader of all the Arcane Gate, one breath transformed into Hongjun."

Along with this ethereal yet majestic Dao song, an incomparably grand voice exploded within the sea of consciousness of every living being in the Primordial World.

"I am Hongjun. Today, I have proven the Primordial Origin Realm and attained the Sage fruition!"

"In thirty thousand years, I shall expound the Great Dao within the Violet Firmament Palace in the chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. All those with affinity may come and listen!"

Houtu awoke from cultivation. Seeing that Dijiang was not cultivating, she asked, "Big Brother, are we going to the Violet Firmament Palace to listen to Hongjun's Dao?"

"No."

Dijiang's answer was decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"Why not?"

Zhu Rong also awoke from cultivation. Scratching his head, he wore a face full of confusion.

"Big Brother, that old scheming bastard Hongjun may be sinister, but he is still the first in the Primordial World to prove Dao and become a Sage.

"The Great Dao he expounds might help us break through to a realm above the Primordial Golden Immortal."

"That's right, Big Brother. Although we are all Primordial Golden Immortals now and our paths are already set, there would be no harm in going to listen, would there?" Gonggong echoed.

Although the other ancestral witches said nothing, their eyes also revealed traces of curiosity and eagerness.

After all, a Sage was expounding the Dao!

In the eyes of all beings in the Primordial World, this was unquestionably the greatest opportunity since heaven and earth had first been opened.

Dijiang looked at his younger brothers and sister and spoke earnestly.

"Do you truly think that old scheming bastard Hongjun would be so kind as to selflessly impart the method of becoming a Sage to all beings in the Primordial World?"

"The Dao he expounds is Heaven's Way!"

Dijiang stood up, his gaze blazing as his voice echoed through the hall. "Beneath Heaven's Way, all are ants. The Dao he expounds is the Dao of obeying Heaven."

"We are the Pangu Orthodox Lineage. We cultivate the Great Dao of Laws inherited from Father God, walking the paths of Force-Proving Dao and the Law-Proving Path. Our path was fundamentally different from his Dao of obeying Heaven. Moreover, we already bear a grudge against him. Now that he has become a Sage, if he leaves behind some hidden method while expounding the Dao, no one would be able to detect it."

"Would you truly entrust your safety to Hongjun?"

Dijiang's words were like a blow to the head, instantly extinguishing the faint eagerness in the hearts of the ancestral witches.

"Hiss—"

Zhu Rong sucked in a cold breath and patted his chest. "Big Brother is right! That old scheming bastard could deceive friends of many years and use their lives to break his formation. He is truly sinister to the bone. We snatched his treasures, so he must bear a grudge against us. Going to the Violet Firmament Palace—wouldn't that be walking straight into the net?"

"Not going! Absolutely not going!" Gonggong repeatedly shook his head as well.

"We'll listen to Big Brother!"

The other ancestral witches had also witnessed with their own eyes how Hongjun watched Five-Elements Ancestor, as well as the Yin-Yang and Heaven-and-Earth Ancestors, get driven into self-destruction. They thought very poorly of him and voiced their agreement one after another.

Seeing that they had all chosen not to go, a faint smile appeared on Dijiang's face.

"Hongjun, you want to use Violet Firmament Palace to forge the debt of Dao teachings with the three thousand divine beings and gather the Primordial World's fortune. Let us see what you can do this time without my Witch Clan."

Meanwhile, the Primordial Wilderness Continent was thrown into a complete frenzy by the news of Hongjun becoming a Sage.

Countless innate divine beings and reclusive great powers who had lain dormant during the calamity emerged from seclusion one after another, transforming into streams of light as they raced madly toward the chaotic void beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

At Kunlun Mountain, the Three Pure Ones transformed into three currents of clear qi and shot into the sky.

At Phoenix Perch Mountain, Nuwa and Fuxi set off together.

At Wuzhuang Temple, Red Cloud Patriarch pulled Zhen Yuanzi along as he excitedly stepped onto the clouds.

In the Northern Dark Sea, Kunpeng Ancestor transformed into a gigantic bird that blotted out the sky and covered the sun, soaring ninety thousand li upward in a single rise.

Deep within the Blood Sea, Nether River Ancestor stood atop the Karmic Fire Red Lotus and transformed into a streak of blood-red light, fleeing into chaos.

Throughout the Primordial World, every being who considered themselves somewhat capable was unwilling to miss this heaven-sent opportunity.

However, the chaotic void beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens was no benevolent land.

Violent currents of chaos were like countless sharp blades, frantically tearing apart every living being that dared set foot within.

Without the cultivation of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, or a top-tier protective Spirit Treasure, entering chaos was simply courting death.

Countless beings with insufficient cultivation were ground into bloody mist the instant they entered chaos, not even having time to let out a scream.

Yet even so, living beings continued to rush forward wave after wave.

Thirty thousand years later.

Deep within chaos, an ancient and majestic palace suffused with endless purple qi quietly floated amid the violent currents of chaos.

Violet Firmament Palace!

Before its gates had gathered two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine great powers of the Primordial World, who had endured untold hardships and successfully passed through the currents of chaos.

Creak—

The heavy purple-gold gates of Violet Firmament Palace slowly opened.

A boy and a girl, delicate as carved jade and each wearing a topknot that shot toward the heavens, walked out.

"Master is about to expound the Great Dao. Please enter, everyone," the boy Haotian said in a clear, crisp voice.

At those words, the great powers immediately filed inside.

Within Violet Firmament Palace, the space was boundlessly vast, yet it appeared exceedingly empty.

At the very front, a purple prayer mat floated high in the air. It was Hongjun's Dharma seat.

Beneath that purple prayer mat, six golden prayer mats radiating profound Dao charm had been arranged side by side.

Relying on their profound cultivation and their shared origin, the Three Pure Ones were the first to seize the foremost three prayer mats.

Under Fuxi's protection, Nuwa seized the fourth.

Relying on his extreme speed, Red Cloud Patriarch dropped his butt onto the fifth prayer mat.

Kunpeng Ancestor followed immediately after and seized the sixth.

Just as everyone had taken their seats and prepared to quietly await Hongjun's appearance—