The Northern Extreme Region!
Beast Emperor Shenni was drilling the fierce beast army. At this time, the Beast Emperor Shenni had already reached the realm of a Peak Mid-Stage Da Luo Golden Immortal!
The four major fierce beasts under his command had all manifested into the world: Qiongqi, Taowu, Taotie, and Hundun!
At this point, the cultivation bases of all four major fierce beasts had reached the Peak Mid-Stage Taiyi Golden Immortal!
Standing upon a high platform and looking out at the majestic and imposing fierce beast army below, Shenni felt boundless pride surge within his heart.
With a wave of his arm, he shouted loudly, "Hear my command, all fierce beasts! Today is the day of our expedition. Follow me to sweep across the Honghuang continent and let the world know the might of the fierce beast clan!"
The four major fierce beasts let out a simultaneous roar that shook the nine heavens. Leading the fierce beast army, they surged forth in a mighty and unstoppable torrent toward all corners of the Honghuang continent.
Taking the brunt of the onslaught were Ancestor Hunkun and Ancestor Wuji!
Because the dao abodes of the two ancestors happened to be located in the Northern Extreme Region, the very first wave of the fierce beast army crashed directly into their territories!
In those times, the cultivation bases of Honghuang living beings were generally not very high, and the disciples within the dao abodes of Ancestor Wuji and Ancestor Hunkun naturally fared no better.
Encountering the fierce beast army, they naturally found it difficult to resist, especially since most of the fierce beasts lacked spiritual intelligence and knew only of pure, mindless slaughter!
The disciples under the two ancestors were still shallow in cultivation; how could they possibly withstand the sheer, massive numbers of the fierce beast army?
Facing the tide-like horde of fierce beasts, the numerous disciples plunged into despair, seemingly forgetting even how to mount a defense!
However, the cultivation bases of the two ancestors had barely reached the Peak Mid-Stage Da Luo Golden Immortal, so they felt no fear when facing the Beast Emperor Shenni.
The two sides engaged in a fierce, unceasing melee. Watching his disciples fall one after another, Ancestor Wuji roared in fury and instantly summoned his supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Wuji Shield!
As soon as the shield appeared, it swelled to the size of a mountain and crashed down toward the fierce beast army, instantly slaughtering countless beasts!
Seeing this, Ancestor Hunkun also unleashed his supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Hunkun Rod. With a single sweep, it whipped up heaven-shaking shockwaves that sent the fierce beast army scattering in utter disarray!
The two ancestors laughed wildly without stopping, "Brat Shenni, stop acting so insolent and come fight us!"
Truth be told, although these two frequently engaged in killing others to seize their treasures, they were actually quite decent toward their own disciples!
Hearing this, the Beast Emperor Shenni flashed through the void and arrived directly before the two of them!
Without wasting words, he stretched out his large hand, causing the God-Killing Spear to materialize in his grasp, and thrust it straight at the pair!
"Boom!"
With a deafening crash, the God-Killing Spear was blocked by Ancestor Wuji's Wuji Shield!
In the blink of an eye, Ancestor Hunkun, wielding the Hunkun Rod, was already right in front of Shenni!
Although Shenni's cultivation base was slightly superior to theirs, the two ancestors had spent countless years together and naturally possessed tacit coordination. Wielding their combined might, Shenni was faintly pushed onto the defensive!
Such a battle was far beyond the ability of the four major fierce beasts to participate in; they could only stand by with reddened eyes, watching helplessly!
In the span of a breath, they had exchanged thousands of blows. The Beast Emperor Shenni delivered a spear thrust, then retreated a thousand miles in a single bound!
With a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Fall back!"
At the Beast Emperor's command, the fierce beast army retreated just as like a receding tide!
As the fierce beast army withdrew, Taichu also withdrew his divine sense!
"It seems every living being has its necessity for existence. Although these two frequently murder and seize treasures, if they hadn't been here today, the living beings of Honghuang would have suffered a devastating catastrophe!"
With that thought, Taichu vanished from the spot.
A burst of dao resonance echoed through the empty air: "Ten thousand years from now, I shall deliver the third discourse on the Dao. All of you must cultivate and comprehend it diligently!"
The Three Immortals Island in the East China Sea!
Having not returned for ten thousand years, the moment he stepped onto the island, Taichu could distinctly feel its surging vitality!
Rare beasts and exotic birds roamed everywhere, flocks of immortals cranes soared through the air, and the spiritual Qi within the island had grown even more abundant!
Forming hand seals, Taichu reinforced the island-protecting grand array once more.
With a flick of his wrist, he produced the countless heavenly treasures he had gathered across Honghuang over the years and constructed a grand palace at the highest peak of Penglai Immortal Island!
With a wave of his hand, a plaque materialized before the hall, bearing the inscription: "Taichu Palace".
Immediately afterward, Taichu conducted a second discourse on the Dao for the living beings residing on the island!
This discourse covered the Dao from the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm up to the Da Luo Golden Immortal realm.
The lecture lasted for three thousand years. Seeing everyone on the island immersed in a trance and continuing to cultivate right where they sat, Taichu's mind stirred, and he seated himself solemnly within Taichu Palace.
After a moment of quiet contemplation, he decided to enter seclusion for a period to better comprehend the Great Dao.
During seclusion, Taichu's state of mind grew increasingly serene, and his cultivation advanced to a higher level.
He began attempting to break through his current bottleneck, but after several tries, he still failed!
However, his cultivation base grew even more solid, and at this moment, Taichu's cultivation realm stood at the Peak Early-Stage Hunyuan Golden Immortal!
Seeing that many living beings were still meditating on the Dao, Taichu walked over to the Enlightenment Tree.
He looked at the 12th-grade White Lotus of World Salvation in the pool, around which many 9th-grade and 6th-grade white lotuses had already sprouted, and nodded in satisfaction!
With a beckoning wave of his hand, the Chaos Bead flew into his palm. Having been nourished in the Three-Light Divine Water for over a hundred thousand years, the Chaos Bead finally gleamed with a brilliant luster!
"Not bad. Although its grade hasn't risen, it has already recovered almost entirely. I believe that in another ten thousand years, it will be able to fully unleash the might of an innate supreme treasure!"
Once the Chaos Bead was fully repaired, he would be able to open up an entire world within it!
This was undoubtedly a massive boon for him. If the Three Immortals Island was Taichu's regular standing force, then the world opened within the Chaos Bead would be his ultimate trump card!
Seated beneath the Enlightenment Tree, Taichu resumed refining the Heaven-Measuring Ruler.
"When I was at the Da Luo Golden Immortal realm, I couldn't refine the final three restrictions no matter what. Now that I have broken through to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm, it shouldn't be much of a problem."
A hundred years later, Taichu had refined the Heaven-Measuring Ruler up to the 48th restriction.
Scanning with his divine sense, he saw that living beings were waking up one after another. Taichu made his way to the dais where he had lectured!
He sat quietly upon the dao platform, waiting for all living beings to gradually awaken!
Observing that the cultivation bases of the island's inhabitants were now mostly at the Golden Immortal and Taiyi Golden Immortal stages, Taichu was exceptionally pleased!
Five hundred years later, the very last living being awoke from its comprehension of the Dao!
Taichu fixed his gaze upon this being. Its true form was a white tiger, and its cultivation base had already reached the Peak Early-Stage Taiyi Golden Immortal!
Though a white tiger, it possessed no bloodlust; its temperament was resilient, making it a rare and exceptional talent!
Seeing Taichu seated serenely upon the dao platform, all the living beings sat cross-legged on the ground in complete silence!
"You have all done well. You haven't slackened in these years and truly live up to being the living beings of my Three Immortals Island. Now that the population of the island is growing steadily, I intend to establish an island-protecting guard! Anyone who enters the guard shall be permitted to cultivate beneath the Enlightenment Tree!"
"Those whose cultivation has reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, step forward!"
As Taichu finished speaking, nearly a hundred figures flew forward one after another.
Taichu nodded with satisfaction: "White Tiger, step forward. From this day onward, you shall serve as the commander of my Three Immortals Island's guarding force. Are you willing?"
Hearing this, the White Tiger hurriedly stepped forward and fell to his knees in kowtow: "I am willing! Many thanks, Master!"
"From now on, these Taiyi Golden Immortals will be under your command. You may deploy them as you see fit—protecting the living beings of our Three Immortals Island from external threats, and maintaining discipline among the inhabitants internally. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
With a flick of his finger, Taichu directed a wisp of Great Dao merit flying straight into the center of the White Tiger's brows!