In the Purple Heavens Palace, Hongjun swept his broad sleeve from atop the Dao Platform. Seven-colored divine radiance flashed out, descending before Jieyin and Zhunti like a vast net that blotted out the sky.
Bang!
The two slammed headfirst into the seven-colored divine radiance.
"What happened?"
Staring at the seven-colored radiance before them, which stood like a curtain wall, Jieyin and Zhunti both froze.
They had thought that even if they survived this time, they would surely lose a layer of skin.
They had never expected to crash into a seven-colored curtain wall instead.
When they recovered and saw the mighty cultivators throughout the Purple Heavens Palace struggling to hold back their laughter, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
This time, the two fellow disciples had disgraced themselves all the way to their grandmothers' doorsteps!
"Thank you for intervening, Dao Ancestor. Even ten thousand deaths could not repay your great kindness."
The two hurriedly fell to their knees and bowed to Hongjun.
In truth, they had no idea who had saved them.
But latching onto Hongjun's thigh first certainly could not hurt!
"Sit down!"
Hongjun spoke coldly.
With a sweep of his broad sleeve, two meditation cushions wreathed in rich Dao aura landed at Jieyin's and Zhunti's feet.
"Thank you, Dao Ancestor!"
"Thank you, Dao Ancestor!"
Jieyin and Zhunti hastily offered their thanks.
They immediately sat down on the cushions.
Although the many mighty cultivators of the Primordial World felt dissatisfied, this was Hongjun's decision.
They dared not say anything!
Nor did they dare ask!
If they asked, the answer would be: my fist is bigger, so my word is law.
Daochen regarded Hongjun atop the Dao Platform with a faint, ambiguous smile.
Sure enough, as the Heavenly Dao's spokesman, Hongjun would do his utmost to pull the Primordial World back onto its original course, even if its direction had changed.
It seems I'll have to make more preparations for the future.
Daochen thought to himself.
Even if he had not triggered a system choice today, he would still have made things difficult for Zhunti and Jieyin.
His purpose was to test Hongjun's reaction.
As expected, Hongjun had indeed intervened to help Jieyin and Zhunti.
In truth, Daochen had misunderstood.
Hongjun had intervened because heaven's ordained course had changed!
It had changed so much that even he could no longer see through it!
Jieyin and Zhunti were both destined by heaven to become Sages.
If they truly missed their opportunity for Sagehood today, the impact on the Primordial World's ordained course would surely be even greater.
Thus, even though Hongjun disliked their character, he could only hold his nose and give the two fellow disciples a helping hand.
Only then could he minimize the impact on his future union with the Heavenly Dao.
"When the primordial vastness first opened, heaven gave birth to Chaos; yet all things possessed spirit, cleaving open the boundless Primordial World..."
Atop the Dao Platform, Hongjun began to speak in an unhurried voice.
As Hongjun began expounding the Dao, the three thousand mighty cultivators in the Purple Heavens Palace closed their eyes, earnestly contemplating its profound mysteries.
Yet their cultivation and comprehension differed, leaving some able to understand and others unable to grasp a thing.
Someone even began snoring away.
That person was none other than Dijiang, leader of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
The Witch Clan was born without primordial spirits and cultivated only the physical body.
Hongjun, however, was expounding the Dao of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, chiefly concerning cultivation of the primordial spirit and comprehension of the Heavenly Dao.
These fellows whose brains were nothing but knots of muscle naturally understood none of it.
But they did not care, either.
In their eyes, everyone apart from Pangu was trash!
They had only come to join the bustle.
The Three Pure Ones, formed from Pangu's primordial spirit, enjoyed a uniquely blessed advantage.
The three alternated between tears and laughter, as though living in a dream and dying in drunken bliss, clearly immersed in comprehending the exquisite mysteries of the Great Dao.
Jieyin and Zhunti's innate origins and talents fell far short of those of the Three Pure Ones.
Their talent might not measure up, but their presence absolutely could not lose out!
And with their flair for theatrics flaring up as well...
They made an even greater commotion than the Three Pure Ones.
They disturbed the many mighty cultivators of the Primordial World, giving them no peace. Had Hongjun not been seated above them, someone would probably have kicked the two fellow disciples out long ago.
Hum!
A low resonance of the Dao rang out.
Seated just below Hongjun, Laozi was enveloped in the aura of the Great Dao, while endless essences of the laws rose from his body.
The three flowers gathered; the five energies converged upon their origin!
Laozi was about to break through the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and enter the Great Luo realm!
As time passed, the nascent three flowers above Laozi's head grew increasingly distinct.
Boom!
And at that very moment...
The first petal of the three flowers finally unfurled!
First grade!
Second grade!
Third grade!
Fourth grade!
Fifth grade!
Sixth grade!
Seventh grade!
The three flowers above Laozi's head blossomed in succession, their pace only slowing slightly when they reached the eighth grade!
As Laozi broke through, Yuanshi and Tongtian, seated behind him, broke through one after the other.
All three had been formed from Pangu's primordial spirit, and each possessed innate origins and talent among the very finest in the Primordial World.
A thunderous boom rang out.
An incomparably powerful aura suddenly erupted.
Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian all completed their breakthroughs in succession.
Their flowers bloomed at the eighth grade!
For a Great Luo Golden Immortal, only flowers blooming at the ninth grade signified perfection.
But reaching the ninth grade was extraordinarily difficult. Across the entire Primordial World, even Hongjun had only achieved eighth-grade flowers when he first entered the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
The same was true of the Devil Ancestor Luo Hou, who had plunged the Primordial World into turmoil, single-handedly orchestrated the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, and nearly destroyed the entire western continent.
Only the great god Pangu, who had opened the Primordial World, had achieved ninth-grade flowers!
"Ah, as expected of those formed from the great god Pangu's primordial spirit. Such talent truly lies beyond our reach!"
Seeing all three brothers-Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian-achieve eighth-grade flowers, the many mighty cultivators in the Purple Heavens Palace cast them envious looks.
The best among them had only achieved sixth-grade flowers!
Now that all three of the Three Pure Ones had attained the eighth grade, how could they not be envious?
Hum!
After the Three Pure Ones broke through, Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Dijun also broke through in succession.
Compared with the Three Pure Ones, whose flowers had all reached the eighth grade, the two fell somewhat short.
Dijun only reached the sixth grade.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi, meanwhile, only reached the seventh!
Seeing Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Dijun break through one after the other, the many mighty cultivators instinctively turned their gazes toward Daochen, who was still comprehending the Dao!
Earlier, although Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi had said nothing, anyone with discerning eyes could tell.
Both regarded Daochen as their leader!
And Daochen also seemed to be the strongest of the three.
Even during the struggle for the Sagehood Meditation Cushions, Daochen's imposing aura had faintly overshadowed that of the Three Pure Ones.
Now the Three Pure Ones, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Dijun, and the others had all broken through in succession.
Why was there still no movement from Daochen?
"Could Daochen's talent be limited to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm?"
Looking at Daochen, who showed no sign of movement whatsoever, the many mighty cultivators of the Primordial World regarded him with puzzlement.
Hongjun's discourse would last a thousand years. More than half that time had now passed, and nearly everyone who ought to have broken through had done so.
Even Jieyin and Zhunti had already broken through to become Great Luo Golden Immortals.
Their flowers had bloomed at the sixth grade!
Those who had yet to break through had little hope left.
"Hmph. How could a mere Golden Crow possibly compare with us?"
Upon his Great Dao Meditation Cushion, Yuanshi snorted coldly, disdain flashing through his eyes.
Daochen had cost him the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner earlier, and he had harbored resentment ever since.
Now that his flowers had bloomed at the eighth grade and he had become a Great Luo Golden Immortal, he finally had a chance for revenge!
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