The First Sermon

Just as Dao Xuan and Houtu were lost in their own thoughts, the many great powers entered Zixiao Palace one after another and took their seats.

Yet after everyone had waited for a long while, the Saint still had not appeared. Just as they were beginning to wonder, two Daoists suddenly entered from outside the palace.

The two Daoists looked rather bedraggled, as though they had encountered something unpleasant on the way here.

Upon entering and seeing that the Saint had not yet begun preaching, the two secretly sighed in relief.

They were none other than Jieyin and Zhunti from the West. Looking at the six prayer mats at the front, both were filled with envy.

Zhunti's eyes darted about, and a plan sprang to mind.

He suddenly burst into sorrowful tears and cried, "Senior Brother! The two of us endured countless hardships to reach this place and nearly died on the way. Yet now that we are here, we do not even have seats. If we cannot hear the Saint's teachings clearly, how are we supposed to return and pass them on to the beings of the West? How could we possibly face them? We might as well die!"

As he spoke, he made as though to smash himself into a nearby pillar.

Jieyin was briefly stunned at first, but he quickly realized that Zhunti was putting on a pitiful act. Seeing Zhunti charge toward the pillar, he hurriedly stopped him and said mournfully, "Junior Brother, you must not do this. Even if we sit in a corner at the back, we can still hear some of it."

As the two put on their act, most of those in Zixiao Palace regarded them coldly. However, one person took pity on them. Hong Yun, who sat upon the sixth prayer mat, rose and comforted Zhunti, "Fellow Daoist, do not be like this. You may have my seat."

Zhunti was immediately overjoyed. He stopped crying, wiped away his tears, and said to Hong Yun, "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist. This poor Daoist is Zhunti, and that is my senior brother, Jieyin. May I know how to address you?"

Hong Yun nodded and smiled. "This poor Daoist is Hong Yun. Fellow Daoist, please sit."

With that, he gave the prayer mat to Zhunti and walked to the back, taking a seat beside his friend Zhen Yuanzi.

Zhen Yuanzi knew his friend's kind nature well, so this action was hardly unexpected.

However, the prayer mat was clearly a stroke of fortune arranged by the master of Zixiao Palace. Seeing Hong Yun give it away so easily, he could not help but sigh inwardly.

Meanwhile, after Zhunti took the prayer mat Hong Yun had yielded to him, he was still dissatisfied. After all, his senior brother Jieyin still had no seat.

He looked toward the other five people seated on prayer mats.

The first three had auras that faintly linked together, and each possessed profound cultivation. They were clearly not people to be trifled with.

The next was Nuwa, a woman. Behind Nuwa sat a man who seemed to sense something and turned his gaze toward Zhunti.

Zhunti smiled and nodded, then withdrew his gaze. But he suddenly shouted coldly at Kunpeng beside him, "Who are you to sit here? My senior brother does not even have a seat. Hurry and give your seat to my senior brother!"

Kunpeng had never expected that, despite provoking no one, trouble would come looking for him. Hearing this, he flew into a rage and shouted back, "What did you say?"

A chilling aura began to burst forth from him, and he was clearly ready to fight at the slightest disagreement.

Yet Yuanshi, seated on the third prayer mat, inexplicably approved greatly of Zhunti's actions.

He felt that if he himself had taken the final seat like Zhunti, he too would certainly have made sure his elder brother sat at the front.

As for Kunpeng, what right did he have to rank ahead of him?

Yuanshi immediately supported Zhunti and berated Kunpeng, "Fellow Daoist Zhunti speaks reasonably. You are nothing but a furred creature born from dampness and eggs. What right do you have to stand alongside us? Hurry and yield your seat to Fellow Daoist Jieyin!"

Although Kunpeng was alone, he had reason on his side and feared not facing two opponents by himself.

But Yuanshi's sudden intervention made him wary.

Especially when he continued refusing to yield his seat, Zhunti and Yuanshi both pressed their auras down upon him.

Looking again, Jieyin, Laozi, and Tongtian were all on the other side. They had strength in numbers, while he stood alone. Kunpeng finally could not withstand the pressure and yielded his seat with an incomparably aggrieved expression.

Thus, the struggle over the Saint's prayer mats came to an end.

Dao Xuan watched the entire affair and could not help sighing inwardly. Though the dispute over seats in Zixiao Palace might indeed have been determined by fate in the unseen workings of destiny,

it was also tied to the human heart.

Had Hong Yun not been overly kind, Zhunti would not even have had an opportunity. And though Kunpeng had been implicated by Hong Yun, the crucial issue was still his own timidity and cowardice.

If Kunpeng had truly been willing to risk everything, then in the Saint's Daoist sanctuary, where he held the moral high ground, what was there to fear even if he faced everyone alone?

So in the end, those who missed out on the Great Dao's opportunity did so because their hearts were not resolute enough.

At the same time, the actions of Zhunti and the others served as a warning to Dao Xuan. In many cases, struggles over the Great Dao did not concern themselves with methods.

At this moment, Haotian and Yaochi entered from outside the palace, closed the doors, and said to everyone, "Fellow Daoists, the master will soon appear to preach. Please take your seats."

Hearing this, everyone quickly fell silent and waited for Hongjun to appear.

Then, all of a sudden, Dao Xuan saw clearly that a figure had appeared soundlessly atop the Dao platform.

And Dao Xuan was not the only one. Many of the great powers saw it as well, and all were immediately shocked.

The figure had appeared so suddenly and silently that not even their divine senses had detected the slightest warning beforehand.

Such divine ability truly befitted a Saint! The one who had appeared upon the Dao platform was Hongjun himself.

Hongjun opened his eyes, looked over the crowd below, and said, "From this day forth, you shall sit according to these places. Do not alter them without permission."

Naturally, everyone hurriedly voiced their assent.

Hongjun continued, "Since you have entered Zixiao Palace, you have affinity with me. I obtained the Creation Jade Disc and comprehended three thousand Great Daos from it, all of which may be passed on to you. Listen carefully. I will preach three times, each sermon lasting three thousand years, for a total of nine thousand years. How much you gain will depend on yourselves."

After saying this, Hongjun did not wait for anyone to react and directly began preaching the Dao.

The Dao Hongjun taught was ancient and unadorned. Within Zixiao Palace, no strange phenomena appeared, no auspicious vapors arose, no rosy clouds manifested, nor were there heavenly maidens scattering flowers or golden lotuses springing from the earth.

Everything displayed the supreme simplicity of the Great Dao.

As one sentence after another concerning the Great Dao emerged from Hongjun's mouth, those below listened in rapt fascination, utterly immersed and unable to pull themselves free. They displayed countless expressions—some laughed loudly, some furrowed their brows in deep thought, while others wailed bitterly. Their reactions varied greatly.

A Saint transmitting the Dao was truly a heaven-defying opportunity. Though no one could understand it completely, each remembered more or less of it, waiting to return and slowly comprehend it afterward.