txolops Chapter 20 First Visit to Zixiao Palace
Chapter 20 First Visit to Zixiao Palace
Outside the gates of Zixiao Palace, Taibai sat quietly on a jade platform in front of the gate, his eyes slightly closed, and five-colored spiritual light around him flickered with his breath.
After decades of sitting in meditation, his understanding of the Five Elements principles themselves did not advance by leaps and bounds, but his outline of how to use the Five Elements as a basis to balance his innate Geng Metal Dao became thoroughly clear.
At this moment, thousands of figures had gathered in the chaotic void in front of the palace gate, all exuding extraordinary auras.
However, compared to the grand occasion when three thousand worldly people gathered at the first sermon, the number of people has been reduced by more than half.
Those figures that never reappeared have mostly perished and vanished.
Suddenly, a "click" sound came from the gate of Zixiao Palace.
Immediately afterwards, a thin crack slowly opened in the center of the heavy palace gate.
The door widened, and a pair of children walked out side by side.
Taibai was awakened by the sound of the door opening. He looked in the direction of the sound and his gaze fell on the two boys standing on either side of the palace gate.
At a glance, he recognized the two as the future Heavenly Emperor and Queen Mother.
"The Three Lectures at Zixiao Palace will begin immediately. Fellow Daoists, please enter and await the arrival of the Dao Ancestor."
As soon as the two boys finished speaking, all the powerful figures who had been waiting outside the palace gates walked into the Zixiao Palace.
Just then, Yuanshi and Tongtian arrived.
The two exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and said nothing more. With a swift movement, they followed the last few streaks of light into the palace.
The palace was exactly the same as before, still vast and lofty, where the great Dao was silent.
The three celestial beings, familiar with the route, went straight to the prayer mats and sat down in turn.
Taibai followed closely behind the three teachers, standing respectfully with his hands at his sides about a step behind the prayer mat.
At this moment, there is still some time before Hongjun officially begins his lecture.
The powerful figures who were already seated below naturally glanced at the Three Pure Ones at the front and the white-robed youth standing quietly behind them.
At first, it was just a casual glance.
A Golden Immortal cultivator would not normally attract attention in the Zixiao Palace, which was filled with at least Great Luo cultivators.
However, when they saw the position the young man was in, many powerful figures felt a ripple in their hearts.
He was not standing behind Yuanshi, nor beside Taiqing or Tongtian, but rather in a subtle central position, precisely behind the three-person futon.
This position itself is a silent declaration.
This child is probably not a disciple of any one of the Three Pure Ones, but most likely a successor of all three.
What stirred the emotions of the powerful figures present even more was that, with this Golden Immortal's cultivation level, even if he couldn't comprehend the Primordial Chaos Principle spoken of by the Dao Ancestor,
However, as long as one is in this place, one's primordial spirit will be continuously cleansed by the supreme Daoist aura permeating the Zixiao Palace.
This is tantamount to subjecting its foundation to an unprecedented and rigorous refinement.
After this baptism, their foundation will be more solid and their path more expansive than that of ordinary innate beings.
This laid a terrifying foundation for him to reach even higher realms in the future, a foundation that even many Great Luo Golden Immortals envied.
Among all these holy beings, none were more awestruck than Jieyin and Zhunti.
These two are born together, and both have extraordinary origins.
Jieyin is the first wisp of innate Geng metal energy born in the primordial world after the creation of heaven and earth.
Zhunti is the manifestation of the Bodhi tree, one of the ten innate spiritual roots.
Therefore, Jieyin's sensitivity to the origin of Geng metal was unparalleled in the primordial world, and Zhunti was also influenced by it, gaining keen insight.
When Jieyin discerned the pure Geng metal essence within Taibai's body, his Dao heart trembled violently.
This is practically a successor tailor-made for him by the Heavenly Dao.
With a perfect foundation and boundless potential, if one were to receive his complete instruction, one would surely achieve the perfection of a Quasi-Saint and bring glory to the Western lineage.
Jieyin couldn't contain himself any longer and moved slightly, wanting to take this opportunity to step forward and form a bond.
Just then, Zhunti gently pressed his hand down on him.
"Senior brother, this place is Zixiao Palace, which is no ordinary place. We must not act rashly."
Zhunti's voice rang out in Jieyin's heart in time, carrying a warning.
Upon hearing the sound, Jieyin quickly composed himself, but his gaze still involuntarily fell towards Taibai.
Just as all sorts of thoughts were silently flowing and colliding, the Daoist aura solidified on the high platform of Zixiao Palace.
Hongjun's figure had appeared, sitting upright on the futon at some point.
When the Dao Ancestor appeared, all the great beings' thoughts vanished instantly, all sounds ceased, and they all held their breath and concentrated, preparing to listen to the profound sounds of the Great Dao.
Taibai also looked up with the others, and the moment his gaze fell upon the Dao Ancestor, his heart began to pound violently.
He felt that the figure of the Dao Ancestor seemed clear, yet it was as if separated by endless time and space, and its existence itself was like a bottomless abyss.
Hongjun's gaze swept across the area below, pausing for a moment as it passed over Taibai, but he did not utter a question.
This tacit approval already demonstrates the acceptance of the Three Pure Ones' actions.
"Greetings, Dao Ancestor!"
The next moment, all the powerful beings present, regardless of their previous thoughts, bowed respectfully in unison.
With a gentle wave of his sleeve, Hongjun caused all the powerful beings present to feel their bodies lighten, and they involuntarily returned to their seats safely.
"This lecture is the last one at Zixiao Palace. What will be taught is the Way of the Sages. The term is three thousand years."
"A sage's primordial spirit resides in the Heavenly Dao, coexisting with the primordial universe for eternity, enduring countless eons without being diminished, untouched by karma, and unaffected by calamities..."
When the Dao Ancestor spoke, every word was precious, and every sentence contained the ultimate truth of primordial chaos.
In an instant, the boundless profound sounds of the Great Dao were born from nothingness, transforming into pale golden runes visible to the naked eye.
On the ground, golden lotuses appeared out of thin air, blooming in full glory, exuding pure Daoist charm and innate spiritual energy;
Above the dome, a vast expanse of purple energy surged and gushed through the palace gates, stretching for 30,000 miles across the void.
Below, thousands of powerful beings were immersed in this unprecedented enlightenment, completely absorbed.
Every now and then, a burst of energy would suddenly erupt, breaking through the bottleneck in an instant.
On the other hand, Li Bai found it all rather confusing and hard to understand.
His understanding is still shallow, and he finds it difficult to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Great Way of the Sage.
Therefore, he could only frown and listen with difficulty.
When Hongjun spoke about the laws, he immediately listened attentively and pondered the true meaning of the laws.
Since his last journey through the prehistoric world, he has gained a partial understanding of the Five Elements principles.
Now that Zixiao has heard the Dao, he wants to take advantage of this supreme opportunity to further advance his understanding of the Five Elements. If he can reach 10%, that would be a great achievement.
……
The three-thousand-year period for preaching the Way is but a snap of the fingers for those who have attained enlightenment.
After the Dao Ancestor stopped speaking, most of the powerful beings listening below were still immersed in their own Dao realms, their spirits wandering and not yet returning, and none of them awoke.
Hongjun raised his eyes and swept his gaze across the crowd, taking in the state of all the cultivators in the prince's presence.
When his gaze fell upon the Three Pure Ones, a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
These three were transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu, representing the orthodox lineage of the prehistoric world, with a naturally formed foundation of Dao, and perfectly suited to his heart.
But when he saw the Western duo, a hint of helplessness flashed in the depths of his eyes.
These two individuals are indeed inferior to Di Jun, Kun Peng, and others in terms of natural talent and innate ability.
If it weren't for the karmic debt he owed to the West in the past, which he needed to repay through these two, he would never have taken such a talented person under his wing.
When Hongjun's gaze fell upon Taibai, a complex expression flickered deep within his eyes.
Suddenly, Hongjun's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
In that split second, a fleeting blankness appeared on his face.
Beneath that blank space lies a pure, chilling coldness and indifference, as if the very Dao itself were looking down upon all living beings.
Hongjun sighed, raised his hand and gestured, channeling a wisp of magical power into the Creation Jade Disc above his head.
The jade disc hummed and emitted a bright light, as the laws of time swept across the entire palace in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, all the cultivators in the hall who were seeking enlightenment had completed their enlightenment.
Hongjun swept his gaze over the assembled cultivators, granting them no further time, as if he were in a hurry, and spoke directly:
"The three sermons have now concluded. Do you still have any questions?"
Taiqing, who was seated at the very front, slowly rose, bowed respectfully to the Dao Ancestor, and said:
"May I ask the Ancestor, how many sages are there under the Heavenly Dao? Who can become a sage? If one cultivates the path of the Laws, is it possible to attain the Primordial Chaos Realm?"
"To achieve sainthood, one needs the Primordial Purple Qi as the foundation of one's Dao. However, there are fifty Great Daos, forty-nine Heavenly Evolutions, and one is missing. On the day I became a saint, I used up one strand of Purple Qi. Now I still have seven strands of Primordial Purple Qi. Therefore, under the Heavenly Dao, seven more saints can emerge. As for becoming a saint through the laws..."
As the word "law" was uttered, Hongjun's expression changed once again, all emotions vanished, leaving only a blank.
His voice also lost its last trace of warmth, becoming icy cold.
"The creation of the primordial world was flawed, and the fundamental laws were incomplete. The path to proving one's Dao through the laws has long been severed. To attain sainthood, one must rely solely on the Primordial Purple Qi; there is no other way."