Chapter Thirty-Four: The Second Sermon

“The three thousand years have now passed; all beings of the primordial world with fate may come to the Purple Cloud Palace beyond the heavens.” The voice was ethereal yet magnetic. The beings of the primordial world bowed deeply, saying, “Thank you, Grandmaster, for your great benevolence.”

No matter what, Grandmaster Hongjun was the first to attain the Dao in the primordial world, so all its beings held him in high respect.

On Kirin Cliff of Kunlun Mountain, the Three Pure Ones and Lady Supreme Primordial sat together atop the clouds, exchanging glances, then each cast their spells and flew toward the outer heavens.

Since the relationship between Primordial Lord and Lady Supreme Primordial had become clear, she had taken up residence here. Yet, they had not consummated their union. Besides, given their power and status, if they had a Dao companion in mind, they would not be so hasty to come together. After all, the Three Pure Ones were the true heirs of Pangu.

Haotian and Jade Pool still waited at the palace gates for cultivators to arrive and listen to the teachings. When the Three Pure Ones approached, they greeted Haotian and Jade Pool:

“Greetings, junior brothers.”

“Peace to you, elder brothers of the Three Pure Ones; peace to you, Lady Supreme Primordial,” Haotian and Jade Pool replied in return.

Grandmaster Hongjun preached to the beings of the primordial world. Though Lady Supreme Primordial and her companions had not formally entered Hongjun’s sect, they still addressed him as teacher. Thus, Haotian and Jade Pool called Lady Supreme Primordial ‘senior sister’ without error.

Inside the palace, the Three Pure Ones took the first three seats, while Lady Supreme Primordial sat behind Primordial Lord. Even Duobao, the youngest disciple of the Three Pure Ones, was not left behind. Though he felt some reluctance, as the first disciple of the Three Pure Ones, he could not show weakness in front of others.

Gradually, Nuwa and Fuxi, the Two Saints of the West—Jieyin and Zhunti—and other great beings of the primordial world gathered in the Purple Cloud Palace. Tongtian swept the hall with his spiritual sense and found the numbers much diminished. Clearly, some lacked the necessary fate, while others had already perished. Tongtian sighed inwardly, “No matter how vast one’s powers, they cannot resist the decree of heaven.”

Grandmaster Hongjun appeared on the platform and began his teaching. This time, he did not speak of realms or the advancement of the Dao, but rather of divine abilities.

“All things possess three corpses. What are the three corpses? They are, in truth, the spirits of the soul and the ghosts of the underworld. If one wishes an entity to die early, these three corpses must act as ghosts, indulge themselves, roam freely, and feast on sacrifices. On the day when the six cycles are exhausted, they ascend to heaven and report to the Lord of Fate, revealing the sins of the Daoist. If the sin is great, one’s lifespan is shortened; if small, one’s fortune is diminished. Thus, seekers of immortality must first rid themselves of the three corpses, be tranquil and desireless, keep the spirit calm and the nature clear, accumulate virtue, and then the medicine will be effective, and one will attain immortality.” Grandmaster Hongjun spoke somewhat ambiguously, leaving many bewildered.

Seeing their confusion, Hongjun said, “If any among you do not understand, you may come forth.”

Minghe of the Blood Sea was the first to ask, “What is a ghost?”

Hongjun replied, “When a living being dies and its Dao dissipates, but lingering resentment remains, it gathers together and forms a new entity. This is called a ‘ghost’.”

“What then is ‘human’?” Nuwa, seated fourth, asked.

“It is by the decree of heaven that you and I are transformed into this form, known as ‘human’,” Hongjun answered Nuwa.

Here, ‘human’ did not refer to the later race created by Nuwa, but rather to the current forms assumed by the beings of the primordial world.

“What are the three corpses?” The Supreme Elder could not restrain himself and asked.

“The three corpses refer to three elements within the body: greed, anger, and delusion—the three prohibitions, as well as attachment, and the thoughts of good and evil,” Hongjun replied to the Supreme Elder.

“How does one sever the three corpses?” Primordial Lord inquired.

“Imbue your desires into a postnatal treasure, use your power to create a clone. The higher the grade of the treasure, the greater the chance of severing the three corpses,” Hongjun answered calmly.

“What benefit is there in severing the three corpses?” Lady Supreme Primordial asked Hongjun.

“Sever the three corpses and you may become a Saint,” Hongjun replied, still smiling.

At once, the cultivators below began whispering among themselves, “If severing the three corpses grants sainthood, isn’t it easy? As long as one possesses a postnatal treasure, one can reach Grandmaster Hongjun’s realm.” The great beings of the assembly all wore joyful smiles.

Noticing the others’ contempt for the difficulty of severing the three corpses, Tongtian sneered inwardly, “If only it were so easy. And is a postnatal treasure so easily obtained? Looks like there will be more slaughter in the primordial world.”

“What is a Saint?” East Emperor Taiyi continued to ask.

At this, all listeners pricked up their ears. They all knew Grandmaster Hongjun was extraordinary in Dao and realm, but none understood what a ‘Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal’ truly was.

The highest cultivation among them was only the late-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal, utterly ignorant of the meaning of ‘Saint’.

“A Saint endures ten thousand tribulations and remains undying!” Hongjun’s eyes suddenly cleared as he looked at the cultivators.

A wave of excitement swept through the assembly; the great beings could no longer control their emotions and broke into laughter and discussion.

Just then, a voice interrupted, “May I ask whether my Wu Tribe can become Saints?” Emperor Jiang, accompanied by the ancestor Wu, had listened to many profound teachings, but for the Wu people, the effect was minimal.

“There are three ways to become a Saint. First, through strength—break through the path of heaven with your own power and behold the Great Dao, thus attaining sainthood. Second, by severing the corpses—impart your desires to a treasure, create a clone through power, and thus become a Saint. Third, by merit—accumulate boundless merit, break through your own limits, and attain sainthood. All three require severing the three corpses; only through this can one become a Saint,” Hongjun addressed Emperor Jiang and the ancestor Wu.

Hongjun did not directly answer Emperor Jiang’s question, but revealed the methods of becoming a Saint. Consider it: the first method, becoming a Saint by strength, shows its difficulty.

Emperor Jiang, realizing this, smiled and shook his head, then led the ancestor Wu out of the hall.

Tongtian wondered, “Wasn’t this what Ancestor Houtu said? When did Emperor Jiang ask this question?” Turning to look at the ancestor Wu, he heard a voice, “Does little friend of the Upper Clarity have any questions?” Grandmaster Hongjun asked.

“None,” Tongtian replied with the etiquette of a disciple.

“It seems little friend of the Upper Clarity has not yet chosen a Daoist title!” Hongjun’s gaze locked onto Tongtian, making him uneasy.

“Disciple’s name is Upper Clarity Lingbao Heavenly Lord,” Tongtian replied, meeting Hongjun’s eyes.

“The meaning of ‘Lingbao’ is somewhat forced. Let it be ‘Tongtian’—Heaven-Penetrating. I hope you will one day reach the Dao directly,” Hongjun said, as if his plan had succeeded, giving Tongtian a conspiratorial look.

Tongtian was utterly helpless. Wasn’t this creating more formidable rivals for himself? He already had two elder brothers above him; if he achieved the realm of the Dao, would they agree?

Tongtian only considered whether Supreme Elder and Primordial Lord would approve, not realizing that when he reached that realm, their achievements would certainly match his.

At this moment, Primordial Lord gently tugged Tongtian’s sleeve and whispered, “Will you not accept the decree?”

The words awakened him from his reverie. Indeed, when he reached that realm, would his elder brothers’ achievements be inferior?

He looked to Supreme Elder and Primordial Lord; both had rosy cheeks and smiling faces, clearly unperturbed. Tongtian finally relaxed and said, “Disciple accepts the decree.”