"That felt good."
After opening his eyes, Dan Jing sighed from the bottom of his heart.
He raised his gaze toward the old Sage on the lecture platform—
The old man was a good person!
At the very least—
When it came to expounding the Dao—
He truly gave them the real goods.
As for whether they could grasp them, that depended on the abilities of the Red-Dust Guests.
Clearly—
Dan Jing had plenty of ability!
"Dan Jing, you're amazing!"
Not long after Dan Jing came back to himself, Xi He's soft voice came from beside him. Chang Xi's admiring voice followed as well:
"Dan Jing, you're badass!"
Hearing that, Dan Jing grinned, his face brimming with smug pride:
"Of course I am!"
Yet in Xi He and Chang Xi's eyes, such pride was only natural.
The other Red-Dust Guests might not have noticed.
But Xi He and Chang Xi knew very well—
During this third lecture, Dan Jing alone had listened from beginning to end!
To a certain extent—
The old Sage's third lecture had already divided the Red-Dust Guests into ranks of strength.
Among them—
The weakest tier consisted of those late Great Luo Red-Dust Guests who had only listened for a little over a hundred years; slightly better were the Perfected Great Luo Realm Red-Dust Guests who had lasted several hundred years.
Better still were the Quasi-Sage powerhouses who had listened for around two thousand years.
Above them—
Were the old Sage's six disciples.
And finally—
There was Dan Jing alone, in a tier all his own, having listened through the entire lecture!
At this moment—
The two sisters, Xi He and Chang Xi, were no longer surprised that Dan Jing had been able to pin down the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and the others and beat them senseless by himself.
The foundations and levels of both sides were different. Wasn't that simply a crushing advantage?
Dan Jing deserved to be badass and proud!
If it had been anyone else—
They would probably have been even more wild and arrogant than Dan Jing!
"I followed Heaven's mandate and expounded the Dao to all living beings three times. Now, it has been brought to completion."
The Sage atop the lecture platform did not leave immediately. Instead, he gazed at the Red-Dust Guests with a wistful tone.
He declared aloud:
"After this, you need not return."
None of the Red-Dust Guests were surprised by the Sage's words.
The Dao—
Began with one, was completed in three, established in five, flourished in seven, and reached its ultimate in nine!
The Sage had expounded the Dao three times. It accorded with reason, with nothing improper about it.
However—
After the first lecture, the Sage had chosen the leader of the male immortals and the leader of the female immortals; after the second lecture, he had accepted the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti as his six disciples.
The Red-Dust Guests were all rather curious.
What would the Sage do this time?
The many Red-Dust Guests, including Xi He and Chang Xi, were all curious about what instructions the Sage would give next.
Only Dan Jing was not curious!
He knew perfectly well what the old Sage was about to do—
Give his disciples Dharma treasures and Primordial Purple Qi.
And distribute to the Red-Dust Guests the treasures the old Sage had obtained while traveling through the Primordial World in his early years!
The Primordial Purple Qi had nothing to do with Dan Jing.
As for the Dharma treasures the old Sage personally bestowed upon the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti, even if he wanted to snatch them, he had to pay attention to the old Sage's attitude.
Or... when I rob them, I'll leave each of them one, just for appearances' sake?
Dan Jing's thoughts drifted—
As for the old Sage distributing Primordial Purple Qi and giving treasures to his disciples, he did not care in the slightest!
Before long—
An unexpected, delighted laugh interrupted Dan Jing's thoughts.
Red Cloud, seated beside Zhen Yuanzi, held a strand of Primordial Purple Qi in his hand, his face filled with wild joy.
He laughed.
"It actually chose this poor Daoist! Wonderful!"
Seeing Red Cloud's boundless happiness—
Dan Jing, now back to himself, raised a brow, a mocking smile appearing on his face.
Good fellow—
Others had come to hear the Dao and gained bountiful rewards!
This guy had come to hear the Dao, received a "death notice," and had no idea; he was even congratulating himself.
What a talent!
After one glance—
Dan Jing withdrew his gaze.
It had nothing to do with him. There was no need to care.
But Dan Jing noticed that the cold, sharp gazes of many powerhouses—Kunpeng, Minghe, Queen Mother of the West, and others—had all fallen upon Red Cloud.
There was a good show coming—
Later, he would definitely follow the crowd to watch!
It was also at this moment—
The Sage on the lecture platform spoke once more:
"Upon the Treasure-Dividing Cliff within this palace are spiritual treasures I obtained in the past. Count them as a stroke of fortune for you all; take them according to your karmic affinity."
"Go, all of you!"
As the Sage's voice fell—
The Red-Dust Guests who had failed to obtain Primordial Purple Qi rose from their meditation mats one after another.
Led by Haotian, they headed toward the Treasure-Dividing Cliff within Violet Cloud Palace.
Xi He and Chang Xi also rose, only to see Dan Jing still seated motionlessly upon the Solar Meditation Mat.
They could not help feeling somewhat curious.
Xi He asked:
"Dan Jing, aren't you going?"
Hearing that—
Dan Jing, seated on the meditation mat, shook his head. He said nothing more, merely signaling Xi He and Chang Xi with his eyes to go on ahead.
Seeing this, Xi He and Chang Xi did not ask further. They simply nodded and followed the Red-Dust Guests away.
Before long—
Only Dan Jing and the old Sage on the lecture platform remained within Violet Cloud Palace.
Feeling the supreme power binding him to the Solar Meditation Mat—
Dan Jing fearlessly raised his pair of golden eyes and stared straight at the old Sage on the lecture platform.
Seeing that the old Sage said nothing—
Dan Jing took the initiative to speak:
"Say, old man, if you kept me behind alone, you should at least have something to say, right?"
Looking at the carefree and unruly Dan Jing—
The old Sage atop the lecture platform remained unchanged in expression, calm and composed.
He had seen countless living beings—
A troublemaking personality like Dan Jing's—overbearing, unconventional, and fond of fun—was not unique!
It was merely that none of the fun-seekers he had seen before possessed foundations and capital like Dan Jing's.
With a thought—
The old Sage raised a hand, and with a wave, two streaks of treasure light fell before Dan Jing. More than ten additional streaks of treasure light flew over from the other end of Violet Cloud Palace, likewise gathering before Dan Jing.
"Whoa! Fine treasures!"
Dan Jing glanced at the two great spiritual treasures personally given by the old Sage—
One flowed with mysterious yellow radiance and faintly carried an aura of order. It was the Acquired Merit Supreme Treasure, the Primordial Measure Ruler, whose might far surpassed that of top-grade spiritual treasures.
The other was a dim, lightless black spear, radiating overwhelming Fierce Baleful Aura. Its body was covered in cracks and damage. It was the God-Slaying Spear, a killing spiritual treasure that had fallen from the ranks of Supreme Treasures to the level of a top-grade innate spiritual treasure.
As for the dozen or so innate spiritual treasures taken from the Treasure-Dividing Cliff that were fated for Dan Jing—
Before the Measuring-Heaven Ruler and the God-Slaying Spear—
They were not worth mentioning at all!
Without standing on ceremony—
Dan Jing raised his hand and swept the Measuring-Heaven Ruler, the God-Slaying Spear, and the many innate spiritual treasures away in one go.
He smiled and thanked the old Sage:
"Old man, you're generous!!!"
After seeing Dan Jing accept the Dharma treasures—
The old Sage raised his hand again, and a strand of Primordial Purple Qi appeared in his palm.
Then—
He sent it before Dan Jing as well!
Looking at the Primordial Purple Qi that, after arriving before him, did not leave but joyfully circled around him—
Dan Jing's eyes lit up—
Whoosh!
His little hand flashed out, and he directly took the Primordial Purple Qi as well.
What a joke.
This Primordial Purple Qi had practically been delivered to his doorstep—
There was no reason not to take it!
As for whether he would refine it, or whether he would seek to claim the Sage Throne—
That could wait until later—
Benefits came first; stuff them into his pocket!
Before you continue