"Strange. Could I have been mistaken?"
On the dais, a trace of puzzlement flashed through Hongjun's eyes as he looked at Daochen.
This was the Purple Heavens Palace. Naturally, nothing here could escape his perception.
He had witnessed everything Daochen had done while contending for a Sage's seat.
So why had Daochen still not broken through?
"Eldest Brother?"
Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi looked at Daochen, both feeling a little worried.
Daochen was their eldest brother, and they owed their seats on the Great Dao Meditation Cushions to him.
Suddenly!
An unfathomably profound aura rose within the Purple Heavens Palace. The rivers of the three thousand Great Daos manifested, streams of law aura of the utmost intensity cascading from them.
At that moment, the entire Purple Heavens Palace seemed to have become an ocean of laws. Endless Great Dao essence surged through it, stirring an irresistible urge to comprehend the Dao.
"What happened?"
"What a rich Great Dao aura!"
Every mighty cultivator of the Primordial World was startled by the sight!
They did not understand why the rivers of the three thousand Great Daos had suddenly appeared within the Purple Heavens Palace.
Even Hongjun's earlier sermon had produced no spectacle like this!
Hum!
An illusory manifestation of the three flowers appeared above Daochen's head.
As those illusory three flowers appeared, the intensely concentrated law essence throughout the Purple Heavens Palace surged toward Daochen, as though answering a summons.
In an instant, Daochen's lean figure was swallowed by that boundless law essence.
All the law essence poured into the illusory three flowers above his head and the five viscera within his body.
The heart housed the spirit; in its acquired state, it became the conscious spirit!
The liver housed the soul; in its acquired state, it became the wandering soul.
The spleen housed intent; in its acquired state, it became deluded intent!
The lungs housed the corporeal soul; in its acquired state, it became the ghostly soul!
The kidneys housed essence; in its acquired state, it became turbid essence!
The five viscera within the chest corresponded to the five elements. As the five elements circulated, their qi gathered and returned to the origin!
Daochen was about to break through!
Boom!
After absorbing endless law essence, the illusory three flowers above Daochen's head finally showed signs of blooming.
First rank!
Second rank!
Third rank!
Fourth rank!
Fifth rank!
Sixth rank!
Seventh rank!
Eighth rank!
The three flowers above Daochen's head bloomed in succession.
In one surging rush, his flowers reached the eighth rank!
And that final flower was still slowly opening!
"How is that possible?"
Yuanshi cried out, his eyes filled with disbelief.
His flowers had reached the eighth rank only because he had basked in Pangu's glory. Otherwise, his temperament and talent could never have brought him such an achievement.
Yet Daochen was merely a Golden Crow. How could his flowers possibly reach the ninth rank?
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
Watching the ninth Great Dao flower slowly unfold above Daochen's head, Yuanshi was consumed by jealousy.
"Could someone truly have flowers of the ninth rank?"
A trace of horror flashed through Laozi's eyes as well.
As far as he knew, nine was the ultimate number, forbidden by the Heavenly Dao. Such a thing could not truly exist.
"As expected of someone capable of overpowering us. His talent truly knows no bounds!"
Unlike the horrified Yuanshi and Laozi, Tongtian was free-spirited. Seeing that Daochen's flowers were about to reach the ninth rank, he felt neither jealousy nor horror. Instead, a desire to befriend him arose in his heart.
"Zhen Yuanzi, what rank did your flowers reach again?"
Old Ancestor Hongyun plopped onto the floor and stammered as he stared at the three flowers above Daochen's head.
"What business is that of yours?"
Zhen Yuanzi's aged face darkened.
His flowers had only reached the sixth rank.
Wasn't Hongyun plainly lifting the very pot that refused to boil by asking him that now?
Could he not cultivate in peace and happiness anymore?
"Little Sister, this fellow Daoist seems to belong to our Demon Race as well. Why don't we..."
Beside Nüwa, Fuxi looked at Daochen and spoke without thinking.
"Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Nüwa looked at her brother in astonishment.
"Just because he's talented, you're going to sell off your own little sister?"
Nüwa's heart filled with despair.
At that moment, she suddenly realized that her brother, who had always been honest and kind, did not seem quite so honest after all...
"Ninth-rank flowers?"
"Someone whose flowers reach the ninth rank truly exists in this world?"
Even Hongjun, whose composure had remained unshaken through countless ages, could not help feeling waves rise within his heart at the sight.
Boom!
A thunderous roar shook the heavens.
Within the Purple Heavens Palace, the illusory rivers of the three thousand Great Daos suddenly unleashed an earth-shaking roar.
The next moment, the three thousand Great Daos flowed and swirled as rivers, and an incomparably intricate Dao diagram appeared within the Purple Heavens Palace.
Whoosh!
After circling once through the void, the Dao diagram instantly sank into the final petal above Daochen's head, just as it was about to unfold!
Hum!
The next moment, beneath everyone's horrified gazes, that illusory petal abruptly transformed, splitting into two.
They bloomed!
His flowers reached the tenth rank!
Boom!
The entire Purple Heavens Palace erupted.
"Tenth-rank flowers?"
"How is that possible?"
"Nine is the ultimate number! How could anyone whose flowers reach the tenth rank exist in this world?"
Cries of astonishment rang through the hall. Every mighty cultivator of the Primordial World stared at Daochen in disbelief.
Tenth-rank flowers?
It was a concept that could not possibly exist.
Yet now it had appeared before their very eyes.
Everyone felt as though they were dreaming.
It was simply too unbelievable!
"Retract!"
Daochen gave a low shout.
The next moment, the Great Luo Dao Fruit above his head, with its tenth-rank flowers, instantly sank into his body.
As the Great Luo Dao Fruit vanished, the terrifying phenomena enveloping the entire Purple Heavens Palace gradually dissipated as well.
Daochen opened his eyes and looked around in surprise.
He had been completely immersed in comprehending the Dao just now and had no idea what had happened.
Nor did he know why, after waking from his breakthrough, he found all these mighty cultivators of the Primordial World staring at him as though they had seen a ghost.
"Everyone, did something happen?"
Having only just broken through, Daochen had not yet had time to examine his current condition, so he questioned those present in puzzlement.
"N-no... nothing..."
Daochen's voice snapped everyone out of their daze. Realizing that they had lost their composure, the mighty cultivators of the Primordial World waved their hands as they spoke.
"Good, as long as nothing happened!"
At Daochen's words, the mighty cultivators present nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Good, as long as nothing happened?
How could nothing have happened?
You've already crushed us all to dust in an instant!!
Naturally, Daochen knew nothing of what the others were thinking.
All he knew was that he had broken through!!!
"Now that I've broken through to Great Luo Golden Immortal, I should be able to refine several more layers of the innate divine restrictions within the Heaven Measuring Ruler once I return."
At that thought, Daochen's irreverent smile returned.
At the same time, he inwardly pondered the Time Great Dao Law within his dantian.
What changes would my Great Luo Dao Fruit undergo after I refined it?
For some reason, ever since his breakthrough, he had kept feeling as though someone was spying on him.
Yet when he surveyed his surroundings, he found nothing unusual!
"I have now attained the primordial Dao fruit and achieved Sagehood. I shall deliver three sermons in the Purple Heavens Palace. The first has now concluded. As the Dao Ancestor, I ought to accept several disciples and pass on my Great Dao."
After a long while, Hongjun spoke slowly.
The Sage was going to accept disciples?
Hearing this, the mighty cultivators of the Primordial World present instinctively looked at Hongjun with nervous anticipation!
Wasn't this precisely why they had come?
Of course, there were exceptions.
They were Daochen and Dijiang, who had come along to join the excitement!
Dijiang did not particularly care. His people cultivated only their bodies, not their primordial spirits, and Pangu's legacy lay within their bloodline. Naturally, he cared little whether Hongjun accepted him as a disciple.
Before you continue