Chapter 70: The Dao Fruit of Pangu, The First to Sever the Corpse

Chenxing and the others once again appeared atop the high platform. This time, Fatty Kai of the Zixiao Palace seemed somewhat dejected, leaving those below puzzled as to the cause of his gloom.

The second sermon in the Zixiao Palace commenced formally with Hongjun’s Dao voice resounding throughout the grand hall. Unlike the previous time, the thunderous sound of the Dao echoed, and the flow of Dao resonance circled the chamber, as if the very laws of heaven had halted their journey to linger in this place. Instantly, the cultivators below entered a state of enlightenment, their spirits drifting as though in the boundless sea of the Dao, feeling themselves so near to the ultimate truth that it seemed almost within reach.

What those below did not see was this: before Hongjun began his sermon, a dim, gray orb flew from his hand, dissolving into countless streams of Dao resonance that filled the Zixiao Palace.

Watching this scene, Chenxing sighed inwardly: To save one from calamity, you have sacrificed so much—is it truly worth it? Yet, on second thought, he felt at ease. With himself present, how could he allow his own disciple to suffer? He let the matter rest.

Time flew by like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, three thousand years of this sermon passed. Hongjun ceased his preaching and looked upon the crowd below, still immersed in enlightenment, a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. He turned to Chenxing and sent a voice transmission: “Why, friend, did you give such a treasure to these people? Was it truly necessary?”

When Chenxing had entrusted him with this Dao Resonance Fruit, Hongjun had asked the same. Chenxing, however, had always deflected the question. Now, seeing Hongjun ask again, it seemed improper to conceal it further. Since karma had already been established, it mattered little.

And so, he replied half-truthfully, “Surely you can tell that this fruit was condensed from pure Dao resonance?”

Hongjun nodded, though suspicion lingered in his heart. A Dao Resonance Fruit, transformed from the laws of the Great Dao, could only have been formed by a sage tearing apart their own Dao fruit, an act that would cause irreparable damage to themselves. Even he would not do such a thankless thing.

But even counting Chenxing, there were only four sages in the chaos of the world. He himself had just battled Yangmei—no one would willingly harm themselves for another’s sake. So where had this orb truly come from?

“This orb was something I acquired from another realm,” Chenxing answered. “Today, I asked you to activate it only to forge a bond of goodwill for a friend.” His gaze grew complex as he looked in a certain direction.

“A friend? Goodwill?” Hongjun followed Chenxing’s gaze and saw a woman in white seated serenely, eyes closed in deep realization—it was Houtu.

Hongjun was instantly shocked! The Wu clan were incapable of cultivating primordial spirit, and during the previous sermon, Houtu had barely grasped any meaning. How now could she perceive the Dao resonance? This astonished Hongjun. He probed the Dao with his mind, yet could not discern a single thread of cause and effect.

Comprehending the situation, Hongjun sent a wry message to Chenxing: “The matter of Houtu, is that your doing? Though you do not fear karma, is this not going a step too far?”

“I merely altered the course of her fate a little. It won’t cause any great problem,” Chenxing replied with equanimity.

Hongjun naturally understood his meaning and sighed bitterly, “Simply to be trapped in the Underworld under a new identity—was it worth such a price?”

“There’s no such thing as worth or not—it’s merely a matter of willingness,” Chenxing said, his tone filled with emotion.

In truth, the Dao Resonance Fruit, condensed from the laws of the Great Dao, was not something Chenxing had found in another realm. It had been formed by Pangu himself, using a tenth of his own Dao Fruit. As the ancestral god and father of the Wu clan, Pangu did not wish for the last ancestral Wu to become someone else. He could have asked Chenxing for help, but he refused, believing it his duty to uphold the operation of the prehistoric Dao. If some things were to be changed, a price must be paid. Thus, he sacrificed a portion of his Dao Fruit, creating this Dao Resonance Fruit to help those attending the Zixiao Palace sermon comprehend the Dao more quickly, thereby forming great karmic ties with them all.

Pangu, as the father god of the Wu clan, was naturally much closer to them by blood than the Three Pure Ones, who were but transformed from a trace of his primordial spirit.

Thus, even before the Zixiao Palace sermon began, Pangu had, prior to Chenxing’s arrival, entrusted a drop of his essence blood to Chenxing, who secretly planted it within Houtu, making her a true descendant of Pangu.

This drop of blood not only enabled her to comprehend the profound truths of the Dao, but also allowed her to reverse-cultivate a primordial spirit. Since these people had forged karma with Pangu, they had also done so with Houtu. Hence, they would not make things too difficult for her in the future.

Seeing all this, Hongjun sighed and asked no more.

Decades passed in a flash, and within the Zixiao Palace, the Three Pure Ones and others gradually awoke from their cultivation. Seeing them awake, Hongjun called out in a sonorous voice, “If any among you have doubts, now is the time to speak! I will answer your questions!” His voice was as resounding as a great bell, rousing everyone from their reverie.

The crowd exchanged glances, believing it was the Dao Ancestor’s power that had let them touch the Dao resonance, and they immediately bowed low. “Thank you, Dao Ancestor!”

Hongjun smiled faintly. “The karma you owe today is not upon me—you will understand in due time. Now, you have accumulated enough. You may break through to Quasi-Sainthood at any time. If there are matters unclear, speak.”

He paused, seeing the eager, yet uncertain looks on their faces, then continued with a gentle smile, “In truth, you need not hurry. Having gained insight into the Dao, you need only return and cultivate diligently, solidify your foundation, and you will naturally enter the Quasi-Saint realm. But do not forget the karma incurred today.”

The crowd was bewildered. If it were that simple, why had they cultivated for so many years without ever sensing an opportunity to become Quasi-Saints? What of the arduous paths they had previously walked? Yet no one paid heed to the karma Hongjun mentioned.

Seeing their confusion, Hongjun sighed and explained, “Your fortune was profound this time. Bathed in Dao resonance, it is only natural that you can enter Quasi-Sainthood with great power.”

Laozi asked in puzzlement, “Is the method our teacher speaks of to become Quasi-Saints merely to be bathed in Dao resonance?”

Hongjun shook his head. “My method is different. This time, your fortune was deep—such an opportunity will be hard to come by again.”

“May I ask, then, how does your method for attaining sainthood differ from this chance of ours?” inquired Yuanshi from the side.

“You have glimpsed the Great Dao through this opportunity. Henceforth, your breakthrough to Quasi-Sainthood will come as a matter of course. Yet, if you wish to attain the Fruit of Sainthood in the future, you must comprehend the laws of the Great Dao. Now that the Dao has faded into seclusion, without an extraordinary opportunity, the Fruit of Sainthood will remain but a flower in the mirror, a moon in the water,” Hongjun replied calmly.

The hearts of all sank instantly. Who did not wish to achieve true Sainthood? Was Quasi-Sainthood the end of their path?

Yuanshi could not help but ask, “Then what is the method by which you broke through, Teacher? Is it possible to become a Saint?”

At this, everyone’s spirits lifted. Indeed, was there not another way? They all waited with bated breath for Hongjun’s answer.

Hongjun smiled serenely. “There is indeed a method. It is what I comprehended from the Jade Disc of Creation, and may lead to Dao Sainthood.”

The crowd was overjoyed. With such a powerful method to become Quasi-Saints, and even a way to become Saints, how could they resign themselves to mediocrity? In unison, they bowed and pleaded, “We ask the teacher to instruct us!”

Hongjun smiled slightly and said, “This method requires great perseverance, great determination, and great wisdom. Using a primordial spiritual treasure as a medium, you must sever the Three Corpses from your body: the good, the evil, and the obstinate. Severing any one will allow you to enter Quasi-Sainthood.”

No sooner had Hongjun finished explaining the path to Quasi-Sainthood than the assembly fell into deep thought. Suddenly, all present perceived that Laozi, seated on his meditation cushion, was suffused with Dao resonance. A mysterious aura radiated from his body, and a tower exuding profound and primordial energy manifested behind his head. Laozi shouted, “Daoist friend, if not now, when?”

The tower spun and transformed into a middle-aged Daoist—it was Laozi’s Good Corpse, severed with the Earthly Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. The middle-aged Daoist saluted Laozi, “This humble Daoist, Taiqing, greets my friend.” Laozi returned the salute and said, “We are but one, no need for such formality.”

Taiqing smiled and turned into a ray of clear light, merging back into Laozi.

Witnessing Laozi achieve Quasi-Sainthood in an instant, the crowd was filled with envy and jealousy, secretly vowing that upon their return to the prehistoric world, they must search for primordial spiritual treasures to sever their own corpses and not fall behind others.

Thus, for some time afterward, every living being in the prehistoric world frantically sought treasures to use in severing their corpses.