Chapter 75 Hongyun, you're so foolish!
Time flies, and a thousand years pass in the blink of an eye. Chang Hao, as he said, has remained in Zixiao Palace.
Taking this opportunity, Hongjun gave the three Pure Ones and Chang Hao the high-grade spiritual treasures that he liked, and Yaochi also received a few decent innate spiritual treasures.
Hongjun imparted all his knowledge to Chang Hao and the Three Pure Ones, fearing that if he held anything back, they would be unable to solve any problems they might encounter in the future.
Chang Hao was unusually obedient, learning whatever Hongjun told him to learn. Both of them knew that this might be their last thousand years, and even Hongjun himself was unsure what the future held after they merged with the Dao.
"Chang Hao..." Hongjun placed his hands behind his back, "I ask you, is your love for me genuine?"
"My feelings for you are different from before. I treat you like my own family, without the slightest pretense or falsehood." Chang Hao blinked, subtly clearing the mist from his eyes.
"What does 'closest relative' mean?" Hongjun asked directly, not understanding.
"I will treat you as my father god with the utmost respect," Chang Hao said without any hesitation.
"Pangu?" Hongjun weighed the matter and was quite satisfied with Chang Hao's response. "You must remember that after merging with the Dao, I am no longer myself. You should be wary of me."
He gazed deeply at Chang Hao once more, as if trying to imprint Chang Hao in his heart, "Never forget me, but always be wary of me."
"Who would forget the Father God?" Chang Hao retorted. As for guarding against Hongjun, the thought of it made Chang Hao feel suffocated.
The third sermon took place as scheduled.
This time, of the three thousand guests who sat in the Purple Cloud Palace for the first time, only one thousand remained.
Hongjun sat on the high platform, surrounded by clouds and mist, with golden lotuses accompanying him, making him appear even more aloof and otherworldly.
Yaochi timidly hid behind Chang Hao, but fortunately, Hongjun returned to normal after only a short while.
"This sermon will focus on the Way of the Sages." As soon as Hongjun finished speaking, a commotion arose below.
Who doesn't want to become a saint? Especially these thousand or so people below, the lowest of whom have already entered the early stage of quasi-saint. The higher their cultivation, the more they fear Hongjun. Saint, they finally know what it means to be an ant.
"Silence..." Hongjun said softly, and immediately the clock struck silent.
"There are three ways to become a saint: prove the Dao with force, prove the Dao by severing the three corpses, and become a saint through merit..." Hongjun explained the ways to become a saint in detail, regardless of whether the people below could understand.
"Teacher, are there superior or inferior methods of attaining enlightenment?"
"Proving the Dao through force is the highest, followed by severing the three corpses, and achieving sainthood through merit is the lowest." Hongjun's words were concise and to the point, revealing nothing of his own.
"What is the meaning of proving the Dao through force?" Tongtian was eager to try it out and immediately focused his attention on proving the Dao through force. They were familiar with severing the three corpses, but if proving the Dao through force was even better, then even starting over would require a drastic measure.
After pondering for a moment, Hongjun named a well-known figure: "Pangu proved the Dao through force."
The crowd fell silent. Who would be foolish enough to sacrifice themselves to prove their path if they could survive?
"If you want to become a saint, the Primordial Purple Qi is indispensable; it is the foundation for sainthood." Hongjun posed another question.
"What is the Primordial Purple Qi?" Styx couldn't hold back. Everyone longs to become a saint, but Styx was so impatient. The others weren't much better off than Styx.
Primordial Purple Qi? Chang Hao shook off his depression and heard a familiar treasure. The purple qi that Hongjun held in his hand looked so much like the one Pangu left for him.
“Under the Heavenly Dao, nine is the ultimate number. I have seven purple energies in my hands… only the one that escaped is not in my possession.” Hongjun did not know the whereabouts of the one that escaped, but he knew that it was definitely not in Luo Hou’s hands.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Hongjun's meaning was clear: only seven of them could become saints. Considering the six prayer mats in the main hall, the will of Heaven was crystal clear.
Everyone felt a pang of resentment, but there was nothing they could do. After all, why hadn't they gone all out to fight for it back then?
Sure enough, Hongjun's next words confirmed their thoughts.
"The Three Pure Ones are the true descendants of Pangu, possessing great wisdom, great perseverance, and great enlightenment. They are worthy of the venerable position of sages." As Hongjun finished speaking, three streams of primordial purple energy fell into the hands of the Three Pure Ones.
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure," Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian said in unison.
"Nuwa possesses great wisdom, perseverance, and enlightenment; she deserves the venerable position of a sage." Hongjun bestowed upon her another wisp of primordial purple energy.
Nuwa was overjoyed and very glad that she had not retreated even half a step back back then. "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure. Master, you are so compassionate."
Zhunti and Jieyin looked at Hongjun with longing in their eyes, hoping that Hongjun could also show them mercy. Even if they were just nominal disciples, they were still disciples, and they were still better than the people in the hall.
Hongjun stared at the two for a moment, and finally relented, saying, "Zhunti and Jieyin also possess great wisdom and perseverance, and are worthy of the position of sage."
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure." Regardless of any ulterior motives Zhunti and Jieyin might have, at this moment, they genuinely respected and appreciated Hongjun's gift.
Only the last wisp of primordial purple energy remained, but Hongjun closed his eyes and remained silent, driven by selfish motives.
Just as Di Jun was about to speak up for Tai Yi, Tai Yi grabbed Di Jun and quietly shook his head.
The Primordial Purple Qi is easy to obtain but difficult to maintain. The Three Pure Ones have Hongjun as their backer and Pangu as their endorsement. They also possess immense merit and their cultivation is among the best in the Primordial World. Therefore, only the Three Pure Ones' positions as saints are secure.
With only the last wisp of primordial purple energy remaining, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, Hongjun remained silent. No one dared to speak or ask; anyone who stepped forward at this moment would be considered a fool.
"Teacher, can this last wisp of Primordial Purple Qi be bestowed upon Hongyun?" In the silence of the hall, a voice rang out, causing everyone to turn their heads repeatedly. Who could be so honest and simple?
If Hongjun doesn't immediately bestow the Primordial Purple Qi, it's either because he wants to hoard it or he has ulterior motives. Hongyun, are you stupid? You've become the one who sticks your neck out.
Zhen Yuanzi was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath and felt like he was going to collapse.
The saying goes, "The law does not punish the masses." If Hongjun wanted to blame someone, he would only blame the leader's mentality. Styx directly spoke up and asked for the Primordial Purple Qi: "Teacher, I, Styx, am also one of the top powers in the Primordial World. I deserve the Primordial Purple Qi."
Everyone cursed Styx in their hearts for being shameless.
Di Jun couldn't sit still any longer. Having learned from his previous experiences, Di Jun ignored Tai Yi's attempts to stop him and joined the fray: "Teacher, my demon clan's Tai Yi possesses great wisdom, great perseverance, and great enlightenment. With the Chaos Bell by his side, he is worthy of the title of a sage."
The Queen Mother of the West and Donghua exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.
Donghua stepped forward and said, “Teacher, the Immortal Palace is renowned and holds half of the primordial world in its hands. Xi Wangmu and I are the leaders of the male and female immortals of the Immortal Palace, and we deserve the honor of being saints.”
Yuanshi turned his head and took a sinister look at the crowd arguing and speaking. In his opinion, Hongjun had clearly left that purple aura for Chang Hao.
"Master will decide how to deal with that purple aura; there's no need for you to waste your breath," Yuanshi said, glaring at the restless crowd.
"Yuanshi Tianzun is mistaken. Treasures belong to the capable. We are merely striving for that slim chance. What's wrong with that?" Di Jun retorted. This is what it means to have a disagreement.
"Indeed, whether or not to grant it is up to the teacher." The Queen Mother of the West and the Three Pure Ones have had quite a few disagreements over Kunlun.
Hongjun gave Hongyun a sharp look, "Then so be it."
Hongjun threw the Primordial Purple Qi to Hongyun. Knowing that Hongyun was incompatible with this Primordial Purple Qi, Hongjun still forced it into Hongyun's true spirit.
Even if you want it, you have to see if you're destined to get it. Originally, Hongjun tried to exploit a loophole in the Heavenly Dao to secretly keep it, but thanks to Hongyun, this Primordial Purple Qi was ruined.
Hongyun was so excited that his mind went blank, while Zhen Yuanzi's face turned ashen. He looked around the hall and found that not only were the people who had not obtained the Primordial Purple Qi filled with murderous intent towards Hongyun, but even the six people who possessed the Primordial Purple Qi were also full of killing intent.
Zhen Yuanzi felt flustered and a chill ran down his spine. "Hongyun, you're so foolish!"
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