"We pay our respects to the Dao Ancestor!"
Dao Ancestor Hongjun gave a nearly imperceptible nod and directly began his discourse on the Dao.
"During this discourse, I shall impart to you the methods for breaking through to the Quasi-Sage Realm and the path of cultivation beyond it..."
As the Dao Ancestor spoke, the sound of the Great Dao echoed throughout Zixiao Palace. Ten thousand rays of colorful mist rose from behind Hongjun, gathering into blooming golden lotuses that drifted down upon everyone present.
Their bodies became crystal clear, and their comprehension of the Dao grew far more profound.
Everyone was utterly enthralled, listening as their cultivation and spiritual attainment advanced steadily!
Xiaoxuan was originally the incarnation of an Immortal Apricot, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, and his innate talent and comprehension were already peerless. After the Immortal Apricot devoured a portion of the origin of the Enlightenment Tea from Wuyi Mountain, his comprehension had taken another leap forward.
In merely ten years of listening to the Dao, Xiaoxuan broke through the bottleneck of the Taiyi Golden Immortal and officially stepped into the realm of the Daluo Golden Immortal.
At this point, he had barely managed to keep pace with the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace, stepping into the ranks of the elite!
The Dao Ancestor seemed to pay special attention to Xiaoxuan, as the number of golden lotuses around him far exceeded that of anyone else.
With the aid of this external force, Xiaoxuan's cultivation surged upward by leaps and bounds!
Three thousand years of discourse on the Dao might seem long, but to those immersed in the realm of the Dao, it passed like a fleeting white horse glimpsed through a crack in the wall, gone in the blink of an eye.
"Clang!"
The Dao boy struck the bell and chime, and the congregation gradually regained their senses.
"This discourse on the Dao has ended. You may all disperse on your own!"
"Many thanks to the Dao Ancestor for the grace of imparting the Dao!"
The assembly in the great hall bowed deeply and said in unison.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun waved his sleeve lightly, and the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace instantly appeared outside the palace gates.
"Is this what a Sage is?"
By now, everyone understood the method for breaking through to the Quasi-Sage Realm, yet in their eyes, the Dao Ancestor appeared all the more unfathomable!
"Eh, why hasn't little Xuaner come out?"
Master Tongtian exclaimed in surprise.
Although everyone knew Xiaoxuan was the eldest disciple of the Three Pure Ones, they ultimately knew very little about him, and since the matter involved the Dao Ancestor, no one spoke up.
Burning Lamp, however, still harbored resentment toward Xiaoxuan, having previously failed to seize any treasures and instead losing his supreme treasure, the Qiankun Ruler.
Seeing that Xiaoxuan had been kept in Zixiao Palace by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he said with a sinister smile, "Perhaps he offended the Dao Ancestor and has already been reduced to ashes!"
"You..."
Before Tongtian could flare up, Taishang intervened, saying, "Before Zixiao Palace, do not be impudent! We shall settle accounts with him for this matter later!"
Clearly, Taishang had no intention of letting Burning Lamp off easily either!
...
"Disciple Xiaoxuan pays respects to the Grand Ancestor!"
Seeing that everyone else had vanished, Xiaoxuan bowed respectfully.
"You are quite sensible!"
Whether it was his imagination or not, Xiaoxuan sensed a trace of human warmth from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, whose aura was otherwise elusive, cold, and devoid of emotion.
"I know you are an anomaly, and I also understand that you are the future of our Xuanmen!"
Xuanmen was the orthodoxy passed down by Dao Ancestor Hongjun; in later eras, with the rise of Buddhism, Xuanmen's status would instead gradually wane, losing its current radiant glory.
At this time, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had not yet merged with the Heavenly Dao, so naturally he hoped his Xuanmen could be passed down through the ages!
"The Great Dao numbers fifty, of which the Heavenly Dao makes use of forty-nine; all things possess that one escape route, and you are no exception!
After all, existence is rational; even the Heavenly Dao cannot interfere!
The opportunity you missed before, I shall make up for you now!"
With that, Dao Ancestor Hongjun began preaching once more, explaining to Xiaoxuan the Dao below the Daluo Golden Immortal.
The Taiqing Mysterious Classic was already profound, but it ultimately represented Taishang's comprehension of the Dao; by listening to it now, Xiaoxuan gained an even deeper understanding of the Dao, and his foundation became all the more solid.
Only after another millennium had passed did Dao Ancestor Hongjun finally stop.
Seeing that Xiaoxuan had stabilized at the mid-stage Daluo Golden Immortal, a smile flashed across his face, clearly showing extreme satisfaction.
When Xiaoxuan awoke, a beam of mysterious light from Dao Ancestor Hongjun's hand descended into Xiaoxuan's spiritual altar. The Dao Ancestor waved his hand and said, "With this, the future of Xuanmen is handed over to your hands, and I can finally rest easy!"
Before Xiaoxuan could reply, Dao Ancestor Hongjun waved his sleeve, and Xiaoxuan appeared outside the gates of Zixiao Palace.
"This disciple bows in gratitude to the Grand Ancestor!"
Xiaoxuan bowed respectfully, and Zixiao Palace flashed abruptly before vanishing into thin air!
"Little Xuaner, you..."
Master Tongtian had an impatient temperament. Having waited outside Zixiao Palace for a millennium, he finally saw Xiaoxuan appear and hurriedly questioned him.
"We'll talk when we return to Kunlun Mountain!"
In Kunlun Mountain, within the Taiqing Palace.
Xiaoxuan respectfully recounted the events of Zixiao Palace to the Three Pure Ones of Pangu, and the three of them were immensely shocked upon hearing them.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun was a Sage, and the cultivation methods of all living beings in the Primordial World originated from Xuanmen. What other orthodoxy could possibly contend with Xuanmen?
Although Xiaoxuan knew the events of later generations, he could not speak of them plainly and could only shake his head to indicate he did not know.
"Regardless, this matter is a supreme fortune for you!"
Even on Taishang's serene and resigned face, a full smile blossomed.
Clearly, he was extremely overjoyed that his disciple had won the special favor of the Dao Ancestor!
Among the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace, not a single one had managed to receive a private discourse from the Dao Ancestor!
After motioning for Xiaoxuan to withdraw and cultivate on his own, Taishang said, "The struggle between the Wu and Yao clans is growing increasingly fierce. The three of us must also break through to the Quasi-Sage Realm as soon as possible so that we can protect Kunlun Mountain from the calamities of the Wu and Yao!"
Yuanshi and Tongtian nodded in deep agreement.
...
In the side hall of the Taiqing Palace, Xiaoxuan sorted through his gains from Zixiao Palace, continuously refining and perfecting the Taiqing Mysterious Classic and the Wind and Thunder Technique to make them better suited to his own Dao.
At the same time, Xiaoxuan paid extra attention to the Treasure-Dropping Money.
Over a period of a century, Xiaoxuan refined several more of the innate restrictions of the Treasure-Dropping Money, gaining an even deeper understanding of his Immortal Apricot true form.
Xiaoxuan was now confident that with the Immortal Apricot protecting his body, he would have the strength to fight even the Burning Lamp Daoist.
Arriving at the main hall of the Taiqing Palace and sensing the increasingly profound and obscure fluctuations within it, Xiaoxuan naturally understood that his master, Taishang, had reached the critical period of breaking through to the Quasi-Sage.
Offering a respectful bow, Xiaoxuan transformed into a streak of mysterious light that flew out of Kunlun Mountain, heading straight toward Buzhou Mountain.
Buzhou Mountain was formed from the spine of the Great God Pangu and contained the will of the Great God Pangu.
For Buzhou Mountain, Xiaoxuan, who practiced the Taiqing Mysterious Classic, felt a unique emotional attachment.
At this time in the Primordial World, rare herbs and spiritual treasures were countless.
Along the way, wherever Xiaoxuan passed, it was like a swarm of locusts sweeping through; all the spiritual herbs were thoroughly looted.
Having foreknowledge, Xiaoxuan knew very well that after the Investiture of the Gods, the Primordial World would be restricted by seals, and spiritual herbs that were once commonplace would become scarcer than one in ten thousand, leaving very few cultivation resources...
The baleful Qi grew daily, and battles between the Wu and Yao clans could be seen everywhere.
Xiaoxuan had not the slightest interest in the affairs of the two clans; moreover, the Taiqing celestial light radiating from Xiaoxuan caused members of both the Wu and Yao clans to view him with wary dread.
It took him several centuries to reach Buzhou Mountain, yet Xiaoxuan had managed to coexist peacefully with both the Wu and Yao clans all the way, without becoming entangled in a single thread of karma!
"This is Buzhou Mountain!"
Xiaoxuan raised his head, gazing at Buzhou Mountain, which pierced the clouds and whose peak was out of sight, and sighed in admiration.
"Indeed, this is Buzhou Mountain!"
A youthful yet fiercely imperial voice sounded from behind Xiaoxuan.
Turning around, he saw a youth dressed in a white robe embroidered with golden threads; although the style was simple, it looked extraordinarily luxurious!