Multiverse Skill System

Page 412

Chapter 1039, The Method to Achieve Sainthood

While Yi Shuihan was sizing up Hongjun, Hongjun seemed completely oblivious, showing no reaction to Yi Shuihan's arrival from beginning to end, as if Yi Shuihan's presence made no difference whatsoever.

Of course, that's not the case. Hongjun's attention to Yi Shuihan far exceeded that of everyone else present, but his methods were so sophisticated that no one could tell.

The system that granted the Wu Clan the ability to cultivate immortality greatly surprised Hongjun. It completely violated the laws of the Heavenly Dao, allowing cultivation to be improved simply by killing demons, and it was a solid improvement that was even more powerful than the panacea of ​​merit.

"Heaven attains oneness and becomes clear. Earth attains oneness and becomes tranquil. Spirit attains oneness and becomes divine. Valleys attain oneness and become full. All things attain oneness and come to life; Heaven and Earth endure. The reason Heaven and Earth can endure is that they do not live for themselves, therefore they can live long. Therefore, the sage puts himself last and yet comes first; he puts himself outside and yet remains. Is it not because he is selfless? Therefore, he can achieve his own ends. The highest ruler is one whose existence is not even known..."

A series of Daoist chants echoed in the main hall, accompanied by a profound aura, instantly drawing people into the world of the Dao.

Hongjun's Taoist arts are so profound; every word he speaks contains the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, making people unconsciously immerse themselves in them.

At the beginning of the lecture, Hongjun spoke about his insights into the Great Luo Golden Immortals. Almost everyone present could understand it, and they showed joy on their faces, having gained a great deal.

After preaching for a thousand years, Hongjun changed his tone and began to preach the Path of Quasi-Saints. This part was far more profound than before, and only a very small number of people in the hall, less than one-tenth, could understand it.

Those who could understand it naturally wanted to gain insights from it and lay the foundation for improving their cultivation. Each of them wished they could devote a thousand percent of their energy to it.

Even those who didn't understand didn't give up, wanting to write down what Hongjun said so they could understand it later.

However, if one's cultivation level is insufficient, one does not even have the qualification to remember, and will either be confused or simply fall asleep in the main hall.

More than a thousand years later, Hongjun's teachings had risen to the level of a sage. This time, apart from Yi Shuihan who could barely understand, even the Three Pure Ones looked distressed. They couldn't understand nine out of ten sentences and could only try to guess and force themselves to memorize them.

Hongjun himself certainly knew that even if he spoke, no one would understand, but he showed no intention of stopping, and didn't even slow down his speech.

For Hongjun, he was merely fulfilling the mission of spreading the Dao assigned by the Heavenly Dao, not truly sharing all his insights with everyone, so he naturally didn't care whether anyone could understand him.

Originally, Yi Shuihan was also in a state of not understanding, but he was lucky enough to master the Three Lights Secret Technique, which boosted his recovery ability a hundredfold, barely reaching the level of a saint. Listening to these profound teachings would consume too much of his divine soul, or to put it more simply, his brain cells. Because of his strong recovery ability, he could barely keep up. Even so, he felt very rushed and could not spare any thoughts for anything else.

Two thousand nine hundred years later, Hongjun suddenly stopped preaching. When everyone awoke from their reverie, they were all left wanting more. Even if they couldn't understand the words Hongjun spoke, their essence still helped them improve in some way, more than a hundred times faster than their own arduous cultivation. How they wished they could listen to his teachings forever.

"If you have any questions, you may ask them."

The soft voice echoed in the hall, startling everyone. In the past, Hongjun had never allowed questions during his sermons. This time, however, he had asked questions, which seemed suspicious.

Hongjun didn't urge him, but sat there waiting. The hall was quiet for a moment, and finally Laozi asked first, "May I ask, teacher, what is a sage?"

"A sage is one who has attained the Great Golden Immortal of Primordial Chaos, who remains undying through countless eons and untouched by karma. He exists in harmony with the Heavenly Dao and the Great Dao. With a single thought, he can know any person, event, or thing in the past, present, or future. He can destroy countless universes without lifting a finger, and can create heaven and earth and recreate the primordial world."

Undying through countless eons, untouched by karma? Existing with the Way of Heaven, coexisting with the Great Dao? Knowing the past and future in a single thought?

Hongjun's words resounded throughout the hall, causing everyone's heads to buzz. They were so shocked by these words that they lost their composure. They had only known that the Sage was powerful, but they did not know just how powerful he was. Now that Hongjun had said this, they were completely overwhelmed by the Sage's strength.

So this is how powerful a sage is. He can even create the world and recreate the primordial era. Isn't he on the same level as the great god Pangu?

After the initial shock came an overwhelming frenzy and desire. They wanted to become saints. What were Great Luo Golden Immortals or Quasi-Saints compared to Saints?

"Teacher, is there a way to become a saint?"

"There are three ways to become a saint. The first way is to become a saint through merit. Those with great merit can become saints by gaining the approval of the Heavenly Dao. The second way is to prove the Dao with force. The Great God Pangu followed this path. However, proving the Dao with force is too difficult. Even the Great God Pangu failed. The third way is to sever the three corpses. By merging the three corpses into one, one can become a saint. This is the method I used."

After Hongjun finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment, giving everyone time to process what he had said.

"May I ask, teacher, is the Primordial Golden Immortal a sage?"

“A sage is not a Primordial Golden Immortal; the power of a Primordial Golden Immortal is comparable to that of a sage.”

This time, it was Yi Shuihan who asked the question. Upon hearing Hongjun's answer, Yi Shuihan knew that although Hongjun was not lying, he was deliberately not explaining the difference between the two in detail, clearly intending to trick people.

There were quite a few intelligent people present, and they could naturally sense that something was amiss. But what could they do in the face of the temptation to become a saint?

"After Pangu separated heaven and earth, I obtained the Jade Tablet of Creation, comprehended the Great Dao, and followed the will of Heaven to teach all living beings. I have preached the Dao three times and now it is complete. From today onwards, I will unite with the Dao and will not act except in accordance with the great power of heaven and earth."

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked again, but they all breathed a sigh of relief. With Hongjun as a powerful figure pressing down on them, they were not having an easy time either.

"Nine is the ultimate number. Under the Heavenly Dao, there should be nine holy positions, and under my tutelage, there should be six holy positions."

The main event is about to begin. Yi Shuihan knows that the most important moment of this sermon is about to begin: the division of the saintly positions. It can be said that the division of the saintly positions will determine the future trend of the entire prehistoric world. Who will be the pawn and who will be the player?

The saying "below the sages are all ants" is not just a saying. Before Hongjun appears, the era of sages will follow.

Chapter 1040, The Expected Primordial Purple Qi

The number six, combined with the six prayer cushions at the front, made many powerful figures in the hall understand. They were extremely unwilling. If they had known that the six prayer cushions represented six holy positions, they would have fought for them no matter what.

Among the many powerful beings, Kunpeng was the most furious. He once held a position, but lost it because of Hongyun. Thinking that he had lost a saintly position, Kunpeng was furious and hated Hongyun to the extreme.

Originally, it wasn't Hongyun who took Kunpeng's place, but Zhunti and the others. However, Zhunti and Jieyin were so powerful that Kunpeng didn't dare to retaliate against them, since they were destined to become saints. Hongyun, on the other hand, was different. Regardless of his cultivation level, his combat power was definitely inferior to Zhunti's, so he could easily bully him.

"May I ask, teacher, who is worthy of these six sacred positions?"

Of course, some people were still unwilling to give up and asked this question. Since they hadn't heard Hongjun say it himself, they still held onto a sliver of hope. What if that prayer mat was just for show? Those who could listen to the sermon in this hall could all be considered disciples of Hongjun!

Without the slightest hesitation, Hongjun shattered the hopes of the powerful beings: "Pangu created the world and performed great deeds. Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian are all transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu. They can become sages and my personal disciples."

"Disciple pays homage to teacher."

Laozi and his two companions were overjoyed and quickly bowed in homage. The other powerful figures looked at them with envy, for half of the holy positions had just been lost.

Hongjun nodded upon hearing this, pointed his finger, and three streams of primordial purple energy entered the three Pure Ones' brows. "This is the primordial energy, the foundation of the Great Dao. You should study it carefully, and when the opportunity comes, you will become saints."

Before the Three Pure Ones could react, he pointed again, and a wisp of primordial purple energy entered Nuwa's brow. "Nuwa has great merit to perform, which can lead to sainthood and make her my closed-door disciple."

Nuwa bowed to Hongjun with a joyful expression, her face beaming with uncontrollable smiles.

After that, Hongjun did not continue to distribute the saintly positions, as if he was thinking about something. This made Zhunti, who originally thought that the saintly position was his for the taking, anxious. He hurriedly said, "Teacher, my senior brother and I are single-mindedly pursuing the Dao and have no other requests. Please grant us your wish."

As he spoke, Zhunti continued to kowtow to Hongjun while crying, looking utterly pathetic. The powerful figures watching were all disdainful, thinking that Zhunti was too shameless and had lost face as a Quasi-Saint. If Hongjun Daozu disliked him because of this, everyone would have a chance.

Unfortunately, the powerful figures were overthinking things. The position of saint had already been decided long ago. The reason why Hongjun did not speak immediately was to suppress Zhunti and Jieyin. After all, he had not yet achieved Dao and still had emotions. The main reason was that he knew that Zhunti and Jieyin would establish the Buddhist and Daoist sects to compete for the Dao lineage.

Although Buddhism is essentially a branch of Taoism, Hongjun was inexplicably displeased.

Seeing that Zhunti had kowtowed, Hongjun felt that it was enough. He sighed and said, "Alright, although you and your fellow disciples do not have innate merit, you will have great things to do in the future and can also become saints. I will accept you as my nominal disciples."

The title of "disciple in name" doesn't sound as prestigious as "personal disciple" or "closed-door disciple," but who cares about that at this moment? When Hongjun bestowed two strands of Primordial Purple Qi upon Zhunti and the others, Yi Shuihan faintly heard countless heartbreaks.

Just when all the powerful beings were in despair, Hongjun once again produced a wisp of Primordial Purple Qi. Everyone already knew what Primordial Purple Qi represented—it represented a Sainthood. Therefore, everyone looked at Hongjun expectantly, hoping that he would give it to them. No one cared why Hongjun had clearly said that he had 6 Sainthoods under his command, but now there were 7 wisps of Primordial Purple Qi.

"I hope the teacher will have mercy on me."

The powerful beings followed Zhunti's example and kowtowed, except for Yi Shuihan, Dijiang, and the Three Pure Ones who obtained the Primordial Purple Qi.

"Fine, let's leave it to fate."

As Hongjun spoke, he casually tossed out the Primordial Purple Qi, which immediately began to surge wildly through the hall at such a speed that even a Quasi-Saint couldn't see it clearly.

The powerful beings all used their best skills to try and seize the Primordial Purple Qi, but they couldn't even touch a hair of it.

Yi Shuihan stared at Hongyun, who was equally excited beside him, thinking that the Primordial Purple Qi should automatically flow into Hongyun's hands. Suddenly, he froze and realized that all the powerful beings were looking at him angrily.

"What's going on? Did I kill their parents or something?!"

The thought flashed through Yi Shuihan's mind, but in the next instant, he finally understood why. It turned out that a ball of purple energy had been quietly sitting in his arms at some point. What else could it be but the Primordial Purple Energy?

No way? It actually landed on me? You must have made a mistake! I'm not Hongyun.

Hongyun, standing beside Yi Shuihan, looked at him with envy. Although he was a kind-hearted man, he still longed for the position of saint.

"Here, take this!"

A conspiracy, there must be a conspiracy, we can't fall for it. With this thought in mind, Yi Shuihan handed the Primordial Purple Qi to Hongyun.

All the powerful figures in the hall were stunned, staring blankly at Yi Shuihan. It was truly unbelievable that someone would give away the opportunity to become a saint. They couldn't believe that anyone could do such a thing.

Even Hongjun seemed surprised that Yi Shuihan would make this choice, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

The final Primordial Purple Qi was said to be a matter of chance, but in fact it was predetermined. Hongjun handed it over to Yi Shuihan according to the will of Heaven, in order to set a trap for Yi Shuihan and let other powerful beings find a way to deal with him. If they could not deal with him, they would let Yi Shuihan become a saint. Once Yi Shuihan became a saint, he would be completely under the control of Heaven.

"This is your destiny, how could I possibly accept it!"

Hongyun's expression kept changing, and finally he said this, which once again surprised all the powerful figures. He was just refusing the opportunity that was offered to him. If you don't want it, give it to us!

"Really don't want it? You can become a saint! Below the saint, all are ants. Are you willing to give up this opportunity?"

Yi Shuihan was surprised by Hongyun's choice and said jokingly.

Hongyun was so moved by Yi Shuihan's words that she could no longer look away.

"The Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine. All things have a glimmer of hope. Although you do not have innate merit, if you have great perseverance and courage and cultivate great merit, you can still become saints. Everything depends on your own efforts."

Hongjun's words rang out again, causing the eyes of many powerful beings to flicker. This was an encouragement to seize the Primordial Purple Qi!

Unlike other possessors of the Primordial Purple Qi, Yi Shuihan is not Hongjun's disciple, making him the best choice. Even though Yi Shuihan has a record of chasing and killing Kunpeng, some people are still tempted. The timid will be overwhelmed, while the bold will starve. They are capable of anything to become saints. If one is not enough, they can join forces with other powerful beings!

Chapter 1041, Dividing the Treasure

Yi Shuihan naturally noticed the changes in the gazes around him, but he didn't care. He was, after all, a Saint-level fighter. It was fine if these people didn't try anything, but if they dared to come, Yi Shuihan would let them know what the truth was.

Might makes right; this is the so-called truth.

He casually put away the Primordial Purple Qi, as if it were just an ordinary magic weapon.

"Fellow Daoist Taiyi is indeed an extraordinary person!"

Tongtian's eyes showed admiration. He knew that he was very careful when facing the Primordial Purple Qi, afraid of making any mistakes.

"Incredible luck."

Yuanshi Tianzun was dissatisfied with Yi Shuihan's acquisition of the Primordial Purple Qi. In his view, how could Yi Shuihan, an outsider, possess such precious Primordial Purple Qi? In fact, in his eyes, no one outside the Three Pure Ones should possess this Primordial Purple Qi.

Laozi, on the other hand, remained expressionless, but his eyes held a thoughtful expression. He seemed to have sensed something from Yi Shuihan's unusual behavior.

Nuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin looked at Yi Shuihan with friendly eyes, hinting at a desire to befriend him.

After learning the meaning of sainthood, those destined to become saints had already separated themselves from those who could not become saints, feeling that they were inherently superior to them. It is estimated that only Fuxi could maintain his original status in Nuwa's heart.

"Do you have any further questions?"

In the eerie atmosphere, Hongjun's voice rang out again, carrying a special charm that made everyone who heard it tremble and temporarily calm down.

However, driven by their thirst for sainthood and their desire to obtain the Primordial Purple Qi, these powerful beings had no interest in asking any more questions and remained silent.

"In that case, this sermon ends here. Finally, I have some treasures that I now use, and I bestow them upon you."

Upon hearing that a treasure would be bestowed, the powerful beings' hearts were stirred again. Any treasure that could catch Hongjun's eye could not be an ordinary item.

In the primordial world, a good magic weapon accounts for at least half of one's combat power. For example, with Donghuang Taiyi's Chaos Bell, his strength directly doubled.

"Laozi, you are my eldest disciple and the head of the Three Pure Ones. This is the Taiji Diagram, and you shall take charge of it."

All the powerful beings were stunned. They watched as Laozi happily put away the Taiji Diagram, their eyes red with envy. That was the Taiji Diagram! It was known as one of the three supreme innate treasures, along with the Chaos Bell and the Pangu Banner. It had the power to pacify the earth, wind, water, and fire, and could also transform the power of the five elements and yin and yang, among other effects.

Even Yuanshi felt jealous when he saw his older brother obtain this treasure. However, the next moment he looked at Hongjun expectantly, because if he was not mistaken, Hongjun would give him the treasure next.

"Yuanshi, you are my second disciple, and you were also transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu. This Pangu Banner has the power to cleave through chaos, so I entrust it to you. I hope you will make good use of it, as it can serve as a treasure for you to suppress destiny in the future."

The Pangu Banner, the last of the three supreme innate treasures, is now complete. The envy of all the powerful beings has shifted to Yuanshi Tianzun. The Pangu Banner's power is in no way inferior to the Chaos Bell or the Taiji Diagram; it possesses the power to tear apart the primordial chaos, shatter the spacetime of all heavens, govern the mysteries of all laws, and create the universe. Furthermore, it can manipulate the power of heaven and earth, and its offensive and creative abilities rank first among the Heavenly Dao.

Yuanshi felt at ease now, and looked triumphantly at the powerful figures. With this Pangu Banner, who was he afraid of?

When it came to bestowing treasures upon Tongtian, Tongtian's face was filled with excitement and agitation. The Ancestor Hongjun was exceptional; the previous two items were innate supreme treasures, so his must be equally impressive!

"Tongtian, these are the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the Zhuxian Formation Diagram. Although they have no power to suppress destiny, they can form the number one killing formation of the Heavenly Dao. A sage sets up the formation, and it cannot be broken unless all the sages of the Mind join forces. So I entrust them to you for safekeeping. Do not ruin their reputation."

Zheng Zhong handed the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the Zhuxian Formation Diagram to Tongtian. Tongtian was already dazed with joy. The number one killing formation of the Heavenly Dao, what a great name! It was just too much in line with his personality. Although it did not have the power to suppress the destiny, he would not trade it even for the Pangu Banner and the Taiji Diagram.

"This is too biased! With the Three Pure Ones obtaining such a supreme treasure, who would dare to covet them? Once they become saints, wouldn't they be invincible? Tongtian alone can be used as three saints. Laozi and Pangu, who wield the other two supreme treasures, are definitely not weak among saints. Even if other saints joined forces, they might not be their match."

Even knowing that if they didn't become saints, it wouldn't matter whether a saint had good treasures or not, the powerful beings still couldn't help but think in that direction.

Moreover, Dao Ancestor Hongjun once said that there are nine saints under the Heavenly Dao, and Hongjun's sect occupies seven of those positions. With Yi Shuihan possibly taking one, there's still one left, so maybe they have a chance too!

"Nuwa, you dislike fighting, but you have a great merit to do in the future. I will bestow upon you the Map of Mountains and Rivers and the Red Embroidered Ball, which can protect you both offensively and defensively."

The Mountain and River Map contains heaven and earth, nourishing celestial beings and giving birth to all things. It is a supreme treasure with a slight chance of growing into a treasure similar to a personal world. It is a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. Although it is a level below the treasures of the Three Pure Ones, its potential is enormous.

The Red Embroidered Ball is also a top-grade innate spiritual treasure and a sacred artifact of merit. It can establish marriage between Heaven, Earth, and Man, and its power is astonishing. It is also a rare treasure.

With the Taiji Diagram, Pangu Banner, and Zhuxian Sword as a foundation, the powerful beings could barely accept the treasures that Nuwa obtained.

After bestowing treasures upon Nuwa, Hongjun did not continue, as if he had no more treasures to offer. Zhunti, upon seeing this, thought, "How can this be? As fellow disciples, he and Jieyin have received nothing. Wouldn't those powerful beings have something to say about this?"

They quickly knelt on the ground, their cries shaking the heavens: "Teacher, our Western lands are barren and have few treasures. We beg you to have pity on us and grant us spiritual treasures for protection. We don't need top-grade innate treasures, just a set of top-grade innate spiritual treasures with one for offense and one for defense, like Senior Sister Nuwa."

What?! You actually said that? But we really want a top-grade innate spiritual treasure with both offensive and defensive capabilities!

The crowd felt their worldviews had been refreshed once again by Zhunti. Although they were ashamed of Zhunti's behavior, they also secretly admired him. He could throw away his morals so easily. Impressive!

Chapter 1042, I Want to Buy a System

Zhunti persisted relentlessly, even kowtowing until his head bled, as if he wouldn't get up unless he was given a treasure. Hongjun finally had no choice but to give in and bestowed upon Zhunti and Jieyin a twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit and a blessed vajra.

The spiritual treasures given to Zhunti and Jieyin were also top-grade innate spiritual treasures. Although each of them only received one, they were satisfied, as they themselves did not possess such fine treasures!

Perhaps to prevent others from being as shameless as Zhunti, Hongjun vanished, leaving only a lingering echo in the hall: "The innate spiritual treasures that were destined for you have been distributed. There are some remaining treasures on the Treasure Distribution Rock to the southeast of the palace. Take them yourselves."