Chapter 507
Di Jun Quietly Advances to the 6th Level of the Primordial Chaos Realm! Four Primordial
"Luo Hou! Stop spreading your heretical rumors and slandering the sacred path! The Heavenly Way is impartial and just; how can you allow it to be so wantonly defamed? The primordial spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Way, transcending the mortal realm and achieving the supreme state of unity with the Dao! How could you, a demon, presume to fathom it?!"
"Transcendence? Union with the Tao?"
Luo Hou scoffed, his voice filled with disdain.
"Hongjun! You yourself have walked this path! Ask yourself! Have you... truly transcended? Is your will... truly free? Are you... still yourself?!"
This soul-searching question caused Hongjun's Dao heart to tremble violently!
His eyes held a barely perceptible flicker, but it was instantly replaced by a chilling killing intent!
He couldn't let Rahu continue!
However, before Hongjun could react, Luo Hou's voice rang out again, carrying an arrogant air of looking down upon the world:
"You beings of the primordial world! Do not be deceived by this old man! The path to proving the Dao through the laws has never been severed! The path to proving the Dao through the physical body is not an illusion either! To entrust one's primordial spirit to the Heavenly Dao and willingly become a puppet is the true dead end!"
"Today, I will expound to you the true method of attaining the Dao! The Dao of Laws! The Dao of the Physical Body! The Primordial Dao! All are in my grasp! No need to rely on the Heavenly Dao! No need to depend on others! True transcendence! True freedom! Lies in... the Demon Realm!"
Upon hearing this, the beings of the demon realm instantly erupted in commotion!
"The Demon Ancestor is wise!"
"Proving the Way through the Law! Proving the Way through the Physical Body!"
This is the true path to heaven!
"No need to rely on the Heavenly Dao! No need to become a puppet! Long live the Demon Ancestor!"
"Listen to the Demon Ancestor's teachings! Prove my Primordial Dao!"
Countless demonic cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level or whether they had embarked on the path of proving the Dao through the laws, all had an unprecedented fervor and anticipation in their eyes at this moment!
They looked up at Rahu's projection as if they were looking up at a savior!
Even those demonic cultivators who had already been struggling on the path of the laws were now filled with excitement!
The Demon Ancestor personally expounded on the method of attaining enlightenment!
Perhaps... it will allow them to go further on the path of the laws!
Even... find a breakthrough opportunity!
The primordial beings were plunged into even greater chaos and confusion!
Rahu... is he going to preach a new method of enlightenment? And challenge Hongjun Daozu to a duel?!
Is the primordial world truly about to change?!
In the void, Rahu's demonic shadow stood proudly, his scarlet eyes sweeping across Zixiao Palace before finally settling on Hongjun's seemingly calm and composed face.
Seeing Hongjun remain silent, a playful smile curved his lips, a smile that was cold yet full of all-knowing understanding.
“Hongjun,” Luo Hou’s voice rang out again, this time with a slow and methodical analysis, as if he were slowly shattering a delicate piece of porcelain to reveal the cracks within.
"The 'Method of Severing the Three Corpses to Prove the Dao' that you passed down seems to be incomparably exquisite, pointing out the path to the Primordial Dao for all beings. But do you really think that no one can see through its secrets?"
His words seemed to possess a magical power, causing all living beings in the primordial world to involuntarily hold their breath and concentrate. Even the powerful beings in Zixiao Palace, whose auras had been rising due to their enlightenment, opened their eyes and looked over with surprise and uncertainty.
"Sever the three corpses, entrust them to the spiritual treasure, unite the three corpses into one, invoke the Heavenly Dao, obtain the Primordial Purple Qi, entrust the primordial spirit to the void, and from this point on, the sainthood is established, indestructible through countless eons."
Luo Hou repeated the core essence of what Hongjun had just said, word by word, before his tone suddenly changed, becoming as sharp as a knife.
"However, the drawback of this method lies, firstly, in the matter of these three corpses!"
"Good thoughts, evil thoughts, and obsessions—all three must be eradicated, and one must find a primordial spiritual treasure of compatible attributes and sufficient grade to entrust to it. This is the difficulty."
More importantly, if the three corpses cannot reach a state of perfection after being severed, or if the three are not of the same origin and substance and their power cannot be perfectly integrated, then the merging of the three corpses will be like a mirage, impossible forever!
Forcibly fusing will, at best, destroy your foundation and forever sever your path to sainthood; at worst, cause your three corpses to backfire, resulting in your death and the dissipation of your Dao! Hongjun, when you transmitted the Dharma, did you clearly state this perilous nature?
Upon hearing this, the expressions of many powerful figures in Zixiao Palace who had already severed one or even two corpses changed instantly!
They subconsciously sensed the corpses they had slain and the spiritual treasures they had entrusted with them, carefully deducing the possibilities of what Rahu had said. The more they deduced, the more cold sweat poured down their foreheads!
It seems... such a hidden danger does indeed exist! In the past, I only thought it was due to my own insufficient cultivation and understanding, and I never thought it was actually a constraint inherent in the Dharma itself!
The Eastern King Duke's face turned pale. Relying on the fortune of the male immortal appointed by the Dao Ancestor and the power of the Pure Yang Mirror, he had already severed the good corpse. At this moment, he felt that the connection between the good corpse and himself was not as perfect as he had imagined.
Di Jun and Tai Yi exchanged a glance, their eyes also filled with solemnity. They had deep foundations and used top-tier magic weapons, but the Hetu Luoshu and the Chaos Bell had different attributes. If they were to merge their three corpses into one in the future, it would certainly not be an easy task.
Even Lao Tzu, whose eyes were as calm as still water, showed a very subtle ripple.
Rahu took in the reactions of all the people, his sneer growing even louder, and continued to drop even more bombshells.
"Even if you are fortunate enough to find a spiritual treasure of the same origin, perfect your three corpses, and finally unite them to attain the so-called position of saint, so what?"
"The primordial spirit is entrusted to the void of the Heavenly Dao, which sounds supreme and immortal. But in reality, it is nothing more than completely binding one's life, property, and the foundation of the Great Dao to the Heavenly Dao!"
From this day forward, when the Way of Heaven prospers, sages prosper; when the Way of Heaven declines, sages decline! Your ways will never be able to surpass the Way of Heaven! Your will must also conform to the Way of Heaven!
So-called sages are nothing more than puppets under the Heavenly Dao, with higher and more secure authority! Such ascension to the Dao is no different from weaving a cocoon around one's own throat! Hongjun, you have made all beings sever their three corpses, but you have also destroyed their true opportunity for transcendence!
The impact of these words is far more intense than before!
This directly undermines the fundamental belief that "sages are immortal and indestructible"!
Not transcendence, but bondage? Not freedom, but shackles? The sage... is he merely a puppet of the Heavenly Dao?
In the primordial world, all was deathly silent.
Countless creatures gaped, their eyes filled with disbelief and utter bewilderment.
They looked up to the sacred path of countless eras, only to end up like this?
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, the vast and boundless aura surrounding Hongjun suddenly fluctuated!
His fingers clenched tightly in his sleeve! Rahu... he actually understood even this most crucial flaw so clearly!
How could this be? This was a crucial juncture he only understood after merging with the Dao and deducing the Heavenly Dao using the Jade Disc of Creation. How could Luo Hou, a remnant soul of a defeated chaotic demon god, possibly know it? Could it be…
Hongjun was filled with shock and disbelief, and for the first time felt that things were completely out of his control.
What shocked and angered him even more was that as Luo Hou's words spread throughout the prehistoric world, the five million acres of auspicious clouds of heavenly merit that once covered Zixiao Palace suddenly dimmed as if a piece had been torn off by an invisible giant hand, and nearly half of its volume disappeared out of thin air!
That was the divine response triggered by the wavering of faith among the masses and their questioning of the "Way of the Sage"!
Merit arises from spreading the Way, and naturally it will dissipate when the Way is questioned!
Hongjun felt a surge of pent-up energy rushing to the top of his head, almost unable to suppress the urge to attack!
However, he knew that attacking the projection of Rahu at this moment would be tantamount to admitting his words, with even more serious consequences.
He could only forcefully suppress his overwhelming anger and indescribable sense of powerlessness, maintaining a calm facade while rapidly searching for a solution in his mind.
Just then, a voice rang out from within the Purple Cloud Palace. This voice was indifferent and detached, seemingly devoid of any personal emotion, yet it clearly resounded throughout the primordial world, overshadowing the clamor and discussions of all living beings.
"The Demon Ancestor's words seem reasonable, but in reality they are harsh and impractical."
All eyes were instantly drawn to it. The voice continued.
"The Demon Ancestor, standing on his own feet and looking down upon the primordial world, naturally felt that proving the Dao through laws and physical bodies was the only grand path. However, did the Demon Ancestor know that since the Great Calamity of Ferocious Beasts and the struggle between Dao and Demon, the laws of the primordial world have been hidden and the Great Dao has not been revealed, and it is no longer the era of the beginning of chaos and the competition of all laws?"
In this world, how difficult is it to comprehend the laws of nature? How vast are the resources required for physical tempering? Only those with profound foundations and boundless resources, like the Demon Ancestor, can traverse this path.
"The Dao Ancestor was compassionate and created the 'Method of Slaying the Three Corpses to Prove the Dao,' which opened up a practical and traceable path to sainthood for billions of living beings in the prehistoric world!"
Although this method may have limitations, requiring reliance on spiritual treasures, and may have hidden dangers, necessitating careful adherence to the Dao, it is ultimately a visible and tangible path! Not everyone possesses the unparalleled foundation and resources of the Demon Ancestor, who reigned supreme over chaos.
For the vast majority of beings in the primordial world, without the Dao Ancestor's transmission of this wondrous method, there would be no path to sainthood, no way to achieve primordial chaos—that would be true despair!
"The Dao Ancestor's actions are for the sake of all living beings in the primordial world; they are acts of great merit and great compassion! The Demon Ancestor judges all living beings by his own standards, denying a truly feasible path with a vague and uncertain dead end. How can this be fair? How can this be for the sake of all living beings?"
These words were presented in a clear and logical manner, each sentence seemingly stating facts, but in reality, they elevated Rahu to a position that was detached from worldly affairs and detached from reality.
At the same time, Hongjun and the "Method of Slaying the Three Corpses to Prove the Dao" were portrayed as the only saviors who opened up hope for all living beings in difficult times.
Sure enough, these words immediately resonated strongly with all living beings in the primordial world.
"That's right! The laws have long since disappeared, how can we comprehend them?"
"Practicing Tao through the physical body? That's the path of the Ancestral Witches, how can we learn it?"
"Without innate spiritual treasures, we can't even sever the corpse... But without the Dao Ancestor's method, we have no hope at all!"
"In the end, the Dao Ancestor gave us a path to follow..."
"It's easy for the Demon Ancestor to talk when he's not in the same boat. He has the resources of a Chaos Demon God, but what do we have?"
"The Dao Ancestor is truly thinking of us..."
Countless thoughts and discussions began to echo between heaven and earth. The initial wavering and doubt caused by Rahu's words were quickly replaced by a more realistic sense of helplessness and gratitude towards Hongjun.
Yes, even if this method has its drawbacks, what other choice do they have besides this path?
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun sensed the return of faith among all living beings. Although the dissipated merits had not been restored, they no longer continued to dissipate, and he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
This cunning move, using their own methods against them, puts the ball back in their court.
He wanted to see how Rahu would respond to this "realistic" interrogation.
Faced with this sudden questioning and the change in the mentality of all living beings, the demonic figure of Rahu in the void was not angry at all. Instead, it let out a low and charming laugh.
"Hehe... Hahaha! Well said! Brilliantly said!"
Luo Hou's laughter subsided, his scarlet eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light.
"What you're saying is nothing more than accusing me of not eating meat porridge, and that the laws and physical paths I speak of are like flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water—unattainable for the beings of this primordial world, isn't that right?"
"Do you all believe that what Hongjun taught us is the only way out?"
Luo Hou's voice suddenly rose, carrying a resolute denial.
"Completely wrong!"
"Who told you that, apart from the self-imposed 'Three Corpses Severing Method for Attaining the Dao,' there is no other easy path to the Primordial Chaos in this world?"
These words were like a thunderbolt from the blue! The minds of the ancient beings, who had just calmed down, were once again gripped tightly!
Even Hongjun inside Zixiao Palace, whose smugness had just surfaced, froze instantly. His usually calm mind suddenly jolted, and an extremely strong sense of foreboding surged into his heart!
He stared intently at Luo Hou's projection, with only one thought in his mind: Impossible!
There is absolutely no way he could have any other method to attain enlightenment! As the Heavenly Dao has evolved to this point, its laws have become obscured; this is the inevitable course of events!
What gives him the right?
Luo Hou took in Hongjun's subtle reaction and the deathly silence of the entire prehistoric world. He knew that the time had come.
His enormous demonic shadow leaned slightly forward in the void, as if to imprint his words into the depths of every living being's soul, his voice majestic and solemn as he proclaimed:
"The flaws of Hongjun's methods are already apparent, and the path forward is blocked. You are all eager for knowledge, yet fearful of the difficulties ahead. Today, I, Luo Hou, have been born to meet this need, and outside this Zixiao Palace, amidst the chaos, I will expound another path for you, the billions of beings of the primordial world—"
"No need to rely on innate spiritual treasures! No need to worry about the backlash from the Three Corpses!"
There's no need to entrust your primordial spirit to the Heavenly Dao and be subject to its control!
"Everyone can comprehend it! Everyone has the opportunity! It leads directly to the supreme Dao fruit of the Primordial Golden Immortal—"
"A New Method for Proving the Dao!"
Every word was like a thunderclap from the chaos, exploding in the ears of all living beings in the primordial world, causing their souls to tremble and their consciousness to churn!
A new method of enlightenment?
No spiritual treasures needed? No need to rely on the Heavenly Dao? Everyone can comprehend it?
Is this... even possible?
A tremendous shock, disbelief, and the ecstatic joy and anticipation of escaping from the brink of death swept across the primordial world!
All eyes, whether on tiny creatures, powerful beings in the Purple Cloud Palace, or even on Hongjun's cloud bed, were fixed on the demonic figure in the void!
The calm on Hongjun's face vanished completely, replaced by undisguised astonishment and anger!
He had calculated everything, but he never expected that Luo Hou would dare to make such a bombshell declaration that was completely beyond his expectations!
What exactly is Rahu trying to say?
Rahu's announcement of the "new method of enlightenment" was like pouring a ladle of ice water into a boiling oil pan, instantly triggering an unimaginable explosive effect!
Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, on the high platform and cloud bed, Hongjun, who had always maintained a calm and undisturbed demeanor, suddenly experienced a stagnation in his perfectly harmonious and Dao-in harmony aura, revealing an extremely subtle yet real disturbance!
His voice abruptly stopped, and the profound and mysterious teachings of the sage vanished without a trace, as if severed by a sharp blade!
Below, three thousand Purple Cloud Guests were immersed in the profound realm of enlightenment, their auras rising and falling, communicating with the Heavenly Dao, and absorbing supreme principles.
This sudden interruption was like the steps beneath one's feet suddenly disappearing while climbing to the clouds. All the powerful beings shuddered and were forcibly pulled out of their deep state of enlightenment!
"Uh!"
"Dao Ancestor?"
"What happened?!"
A series of suppressed groans and gasps echoed through the palace. Many powerful figures had flushed faces and churning breaths, clearly suffering the severe backlash from the abrupt interruption. (End of Chapter)