The Second Lecture Concludes, Wu and Demon Clans Face Off

Above the high platform, the swirling nine-colored auspicious clouds gradually settled.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun slowly withdrew the Dao resonance surrounding him.

His Heavenly Dao eyes, deep as an endless sea of stars, slowly swept over the Three Thousand Guests of the Red Dust below.

"The path of the Quasi-Saint has been brought to completion in this second sermon."

The Dao Ancestor's indifferent yet majestic voice echoed through the hall,

each word like a thunderclap of the Great Dao, striking directly at the immortals' spiritual platforms.

"In ten thousand years, Purple Heaven Palace will open for a third sermon."

"At that time, I will expound the path of the Saint and the principles of the Primordial Unity. You must contemplate them well."

Before his words had faded, mysterious light rippled across the cloud platform like water.

Hongjun's figure silently faded away, eventually merging completely into the intangible laws of the Heavenly Dao.

With the Saint's departure, the vast pressure that had suppressed the souls of all living beings dissipated as well.

Boom!

The entire main hall of Purple Heaven Palace instantly erupted into an uproar.

The three thousand great cultivators immersed in the supreme mysteries of the Dao woke from their enlightenment one after another.

All manner of spiritual light shot into the sky within the hall,

and powerful auras collided, stirring ripples through the void.

The eyes of most cultivators gleamed with fervor and urgency.

The opening of the Quasi-Saint's gate had completely overturned the cultivation landscape of the Primordial World.

Now that the Dao had been made clear, whoever could first find an Innate Spirit Treasure suited to them and sever their first corpse

would seize the initiative in the coming chaos of the Primordial World!

Many independent great cultivators with profound foundations could not even spare time for pleasantries. After hurriedly bowing toward the high platform,

they transformed into streaks of light of every color and impatiently rushed out of the hall,

eager to return to their respective sanctuaries and enter seclusion to sever their corpses.

Yet within the core circle at the front of the hall, the atmosphere was especially subtle.

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Qingxiao, what remarkable methods and courage!"

A hearty laugh broke the silence at the front.

Tongtian was the first to rise.

With the Green Duckweed Sword on his back and sharp sword intent soaring around him, he strode toward Li Qingxiao.

Unconcealed admiration filled Tongtian's eyes as he clapped his hands and praised him.

"The twelve-petaled ultimate phenomenon above your head earlier was truly magnificent. It even drew forth the Chaos Canopy!"

"I have contemplated the Slaughter Sword Dao for countless years and have always considered my spirit lofty, yet upon seeing foundations like yours today, even I am deeply impressed!"

Tongtian's nature was straightforward and bold, and he most enjoyed befriending those with true great abilities and great courage.

The ultimate foundation Li Qingxiao had displayed earlier

had completely earned his sincere recognition.

Li Qingxiao rose and returned the courtesy, his expression calm and gentle.

"Brother Tongtian, you overpraise me. I merely followed my heart and gained a little insight. How could I compare to the inherited blessings of the Orthodox Lineage of Pangu possessed by the Three Pure Ones?"

At this moment, Laozi also slowly rose to his feet.

Laozi's expression was deep and ancient, while the mysterious yellow merit qi above his head gradually vanished.

His eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through all things, looked deeply at Li Qingxiao,

then he gave a slight nod without saying much,

but the gravity and acknowledgment in his gaze were already extremely clear.

Yuanshi, who stood nearby, wore a cold expression.

He held a whisk in his arms, naturally carrying an imposing air of lofty authority.

Though Yuanshi took pride in the noble origins of the Orthodox Lineage of Pangu,

when he saw Li Qingxiao's unfathomable fluctuations of mana, a deep trace of wariness still flashed through his eyes.

"Brother Qingxiao!"

Ancestor Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi quickly came to Li Qingxiao's side.

Hong Yun's face was glowing, and he looked utterly radiant.

He hurried before Li Qingxiao, his expression incomparably solemn as he bowed deeply.

"If not for Brother Daoist's resounding warning amid the mist of the Great Dao, I nearly would have lost my Dao heart to obsessions of good and evil!"

"Now my sea of consciousness is clear. With the aid of the Ninety-Nine Soul-Scattering Red Gourd, the embryo of my Good Corpse has already taken form!"

"I will never forget the grace of this guidance!"

Zhen Yuanzi, holding the Earth Book in one hand, also cupped his fists with a solemn expression.

"Brother Daoist is farsighted and profound in the Dao. I, too, have benefited greatly."

Li Qingxiao reached out to help Hong Yun up and smiled calmly.

"Brother Hong Yun is already an immortal blessed with fortune and virtue, pure and kind by nature."

"I merely went with the flow and offered a few pointers. This enlightenment was entirely due to Brother Daoist's own great wisdom."

The group conversed happily. With Li Qingxiao present, the camp of Five Villages Temple and Hong Yun had become unshakable.

In another corner of the hall, however, the Western pair wore particularly grim expressions.

Although Zhunti had seized the sixth prayer mat, his sea of consciousness remained somewhat restless.

Jieyin's face resembled withered wood, filled with sorrow and suffering.

They watched as the great Eastern cultivators possessed numerous spirit treasures and deep foundations,

while the land of the West was barren, unable to produce even a few respectable Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures to house their three corpses.

Zhunti's gloomy gaze swept over Hong Yun and Li Qingxiao,

and jealousy burned in his heart, though he knew this was the territory of the Eastern great cultivators.

Jieyin lightly tugged at Zhunti's Daoist robe and said in a low voice,

"Junior Brother, there is no benefit in lingering. The Eastern fortune is flourishing now; this is not the time for us to contend with them."

"Return quickly to Mount Sumeru and perfect the methods of the Eight Hundred Side Schools. That is the proper path."

Zhunti gritted his teeth. Knowing he could gain no advantage here,

he could only let out a long sigh and, together with Jieyin, transform into two streaks of golden light and quietly flee the hall.

At the rear of the crowd, Ancestor Kunpeng of the Northern Underworld wore a sinister, venomous expression.

His gaze was fixed on the Ninety-Nine Soul-Scattering Red Gourd in Hong Yun's arms, killing intent churning within him.

However, before his greedy thoughts could fully spread,

an icy, bone-piercing gaze suddenly pierced through the void and fell upon him.

Li Qingxiao tilted his head slightly, his gaze as sharp as a peerless sword and as deep as an abyss.

With that one glance, Kunpeng felt intense tearing pain arise from the depths of his primordial spirit,

and the terrifying memory of Purifying White Light melting through his chest surged into his mind once more.

Cold sweat poured from Kunpeng's entire body, and his Dao heart trembled violently.

He clenched his teeth in humiliation and forcibly looked away,

transforming into a streak of black demonic light as he fled Purple Heaven Palace in a miserable state.

Not long afterward, Li Qingxiao bade farewell to the Three Pure Ones, Hong Yun, Zhen Yuanzi, and the others before stepping out through Purple Heaven Palace's gates.

The moment he set foot upon the edge of chaos outside Purple Heaven Palace,

a violent and grim pressure of confrontation crashed toward him.

Rumble!

Twelve towering columns of blood qi rolled violently through the chaos.

Dijiang, Zhurong, Gonggong, and the other Twelve Ancestral Witches had already left the hall ahead of everyone else

and were waiting for the Grand Venerable at the edge of chaos.

Their bodies stood as mighty as ancient fiendish gods, their savage Pangu Fiendish Qi forcibly tearing apart the raging chaotic winds.

"Grand Venerable Qingxiao has come out!"

Zhurong shouted at the top of his lungs.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches stepped forward together, their immense fiendish qi forming an invisible barrier of the Great Dao,

protecting Li Qingxiao in their midst with imposing majesty.

On the other side of the chaos, blazing and domineering Solar True Fire spread across the heavens.

Demon Emperor Di Jun wore an imperial golden robe and held the River Chart and Luo Writing in his hand.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi cradled the Chaos Bell, its golden radiance illuminating the world.

Behind them, Ji Meng, Yingzhao, Baize, and the other ten Demon Saints bared their ferocious auras,

relying on the supreme treasure's divine light cast down by the Chaos Bell to protect their bodies as they coldly watched the Wu clan and Li Qingxiao.