Xuan Tian bowed to Hou Tu, then looked at Hong Yun with a friendly smile before walking towards the prayer mat. He bowed to the ancestor and sat down. Hong Jun, seeing that everyone was alright, began his sermon.
"In the beginning of chaos, the Dao was born; when heaven and earth were first created, the Dao was born. There was something there, which led to the enlightenment of the Dao."
“What I know is that which goes around without ceasing and can be considered the mother of heaven and earth.”
"The Way has no name, yet it is all-encompassing. It is called great, yet it can be said to be fleeting; it is said to be fleeting, yet it can be said to be far-reaching. It is said to be far-reaching, yet it can be said to be great. Therefore it is said that Heaven is great, Earth is great, and the Way is great."
...
"Of the four great elements in the realm, all things reside within them. The spirit of the earth follows the law, the earth follows the law of heaven, heaven follows the law of the Dao, and the Dao follows the law of nature."
"The Great Way takes Heaven and Earth as its furnace, and all things are nurtured and cultivated to become the Way. Therefore, the Way has no constant direction and is not something that can be known by any means."
...
As expected of a sage preaching, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, flowers rained down from the sky, clouds and rosy hues appeared spontaneously, and heavenly light shone everywhere—a scene even more magnificent than when Xuan Tian preached. The expressions of the surrounding crowd varied. The Three Pure Ones, blessed by Pangu's creation of the world, possessed exceptionally high comprehension, their expressions filled with delight. Nuwa, though not as gifted as the Three Pure Ones, was no less capable, sometimes showing surprise, sometimes deep distress, her expressions varied. The brothers Zhunti and Jieyin, who cultivated the same technique, wore expressions of anguish, as if the world owed them money. Zhunti's expression mirrored Nuwa's, though sometimes he would scratch his head in surprise, as if he had suddenly gained enlightenment. Others, such as Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, Donghuang, and Dijun, also gained something, but due to their limited aptitude, their understanding was less than the others. However, the opportunity to encounter a sage preaching was rare, so even if they didn't understand, they memorized it by rote, intending to recall it later.
However, the one who gained the most was Xuan Tian. Xuan Tian had already severed his two corpses, and was about to sever his true self as well. He still had some things he hadn't let go of. But having severed both his good and evil corpses, his mind was largely free of distractions. Furthermore, having cultivated since the time of chaos, and being a transmigrator, he possessed a vast knowledge of later Daoist methods, studied by countless people, and knew far more than cultivators of this era. Combined with the Daoist mantras on the Creation Jade Disc spoken by Hong Jun, principles he hadn't understood before became clear. He also gained many new insights from Hong Jun's teachings. He secretly sighed, realizing how much he had gained from this lecture, and was overjoyed. Moreover, he had recorded Hong Jun's words in the Azure Lotus from the beginning, fearing that he might forget some parts he didn't understand later.
This sermon lasted for a thousand years. After the patriarch finished speaking, seeing that everyone was still comprehending, he waited for them to wake up. After they woke up, he said, "This sermon will last for a thousand years. You should all go back and meditate. The sermon will resume after a thousand years. Zixiao Palace will not be open to anyone. You may go."
After bowing to the patriarch once more, the patriarch's figure began to blur and finally disappeared onto the prayer mat. The group then invited their friends to leave, preparing to contemplate the insights gained from their listening session.
As Xuantian left Zixiao Palace, Hongyun approached him and said, "Fellow Daoist, why were you so arrogant earlier? That Ancestor Hongjun is a sage; he could have turned us to dust with a wave of his hand. Fortunately, his cultivation is profound, and he didn't hold it against you, otherwise you might..." Xuantian smiled at Hongyun, neither confirming nor denying. Hongyun continued, "When have you ever had any dealings with the Ancestral Witch Houtu? The Witch Clan is currently very powerful and fierce, constantly fighting with the demon race in the prehistoric world. The karmic entanglements are vast. Fellow Daoist, it would be best to have less contact with them, lest you be implicated." Xuantian found Hongyun's detailed explanation amusing: This Hongyun is truly a soft-hearted person, like a nanny. How come Zhunti later schemed against him? With his temperament, he's just like Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West—isn't it just because he has an affinity for Buddhism? I can't figure it out, haha... Xuantian chatted with Hongyun for a few more minutes, and then invited Hongyun to visit Penglai Island. However, Hongyun had already accepted Zhenyuanzi's invitation to go to Wuzhuang Temple, so she bid farewell to Xuantian, planning to go later. Before leaving, she reminded Xuantian to keep a low profile. This made Xuantian extremely happy.
Just as he was about to leave, the Ancestral Witch Houtu arrived. Surprised, he heard Houtu say, "Fellow Daoist Xuantian, why were you acting like that just now? Could it be that Ancestor Hongjun saw that you were transformed from the head of Father God Pangu and had performed meritorious deeds for the world, and was about to attack you?" Hearing this, Xuantian was greatly annoyed. Were babysitters so common in the prehistoric world now? Everyone was like that, and yet another one had come to lecture him. Xuantian didn't want to hear what happened next, so he changed the subject. Seeing that he showed no remorse, Houtu secretly worried that he would make too many enemies in the prehistoric world. She secretly planned to take him to her tribe to keep an eye on him, so she kept urging Xuantian to come over. Seeing her like this, Xuantian knew exactly what she was thinking. He also happened to be planning to visit the Witch Clan, so he complied and went with Houtu to her tribe.
Hongjun recounts his experiences with the Ten Witch Clan.
Houtu, fearing that Xuantian's stubborn nature would make too many enemies in the prehistoric world, took him to her tribe to keep an eye on him. Xuantian was also interested in seeing how the Wu tribe lived, since he also had traces of them in him. So he agreed to Houtu's idea and spent most of his time in her tribe, sometimes meditating on the Hongjun Dao, sometimes observing the Wu people's hunting life, and sometimes even imitating the Wu tribe by taking off his upper garment and tying it around his waist. However, he spent most of his time cultivating, and although he possessed the bloodline of Pangu and could be considered a Wu, his body was quite different from that of the Wu tribe after years of cultivation. Other Wu tribe members had dark skin and muscles like iron lumps, practically like iron towers. When Xuantian took off his clothes, his body was clean and white, which made him a little embarrassed. However, the members of the Wu tribe saw that he possessed the aura of the Wu tribe and had a forthright temperament, which suited them well, so they didn't laugh at him. But seeing that he was fair-skinned and thin, they didn't think highly of him when they went hunting together, and they even subtly protected him, fearing that he would be injured by the primordial beasts. Xuan Tian understood this and was somewhat angry. He had at least obtained the memories of Pangu, and his skills were unmatched even by the Ancestral Witches. How dare you underestimate me? Today, I will show you what close combat is.
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