Chapter 9
Time flew like an arrow, fleeting and fast.
As more and more cultivators gathered outside the gates of Zixiao Palace, the time set by the Sage for the lecture approached rapidly.
At a certain moment,
Haotian, the Daoist Ancestor’s boy who had been standing by the gates of Zixiao Palace looking drowsy, suddenly snapped awake.
Then, with a solemn expression, he announced:
"The period of ten thousand years has arrived. My master is about to expound the Great Dao. Fellow practitioners, please enter Zixiao Palace!"
Hearing Haotian's words, all the cultivators present sprang to their feet with burning enthusiasm, their piercing gazes fixed on the slowly opening doors of Zixiao Palace.
Fuguang was no exception.
This was the opportunity to listen to a Sage expound the Great Dao!
Having traversed the Primordial World—
not only did he lack any sort of system,
he was also saddled, to a certain extent, with the original destinies of Di Jun and Taiyi!
The slightest misstep could lead him astray.
Fuguang had no choice but to seize every opportunity to diligently raise his own cultivation, then watch his words, tread carefully, and forge his own path step by step, terrified of walking the same old road!
If that were to happen,
he really would suffer terribly!
"There's just one question, though—"
While waiting for the doors of Zixiao Palace to swing fully open, Fuguang glanced somewhat surprised at Haotian, the sole boy standing at the entrance.
Suspicion and uncertainty stirred in his heart:
"The Daoist Ancestor only has one boy named Haotian... what about Yaochi?"
Where had Yaochi gone?
According to the original trajectory, alongside Haotian, the future co-ruler of the Heavenly Court should have been a certain Queen Mother Yaochi.
Yet right now—
there was no sign of a maidservant named Yaochi outside the gates of Zixiao Palace at all!
"Could it be..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Fuguang's gaze swept over the crowd of Daluo female immortals, landing on one graceful and luxurious Daluo female immortal—
Xiwangmu.
Though this female Daluo had experienced plenty of ups and downs, she was likewise a supremely lucky entity whose lifespan matched the heavens and earth and whose existence rivaled the world itself!
More importantly—
in myth and legend, Xiwangmu had numerous alternative titles such as "Queen Mother," "Old Mother of Yaochi," "Golden Mother of Yaochi," and "Queen Mother of the West."
Her current Daoist domain was none other than the Yaochi Fairyland in West Kunlun!
If the future Queen Mother of the Heavenly Court truly was the Daoist Ancestor's maidservant,
surely the Daoist Ancestor wouldn't be unaware of someone like Xiwangmu, nor ignorant of the fact that her domain bore the characters "Yaochi"?
The Daoist Ancestor couldn't possibly be that incompetent.
Therefore,
there was only one truth—
Haotian was undoubtedly the Daoist Ancestor's boy.
But the Queen Mother was not; her true identity should be none other than Xiwangmu, one of the Three Thousand Guests in Zixiao Palace back then, as well as the future leader of female immortals and mother of the Immortal Court!
This made sense—
after all, the Heavenly Court was the place where the Heavenly Dao managed the order of the Primordial World. Allowing the Daoist Ancestor, as a collaborator, to place a single Haotian inside was already the limit.
The other half
certainly could not be left entirely for him to decide.
Xiwangmu should be one of the Heavenly Court administrators favored by the Heavenly Dao!
After all, she cultivated the Great Dao of Pure Yin and the Dao of Heavenly Punishment, making her well-suited to become one of the managers of the Heavenly Court.
With this realization—
Fuguang suddenly understood why Haotian was the Daoist Ancestor's only boy.
Thoughts flashed like light, vanishing in an instant.
Clang—
Before long, the tightly shut doors of Zixiao Palace swung completely open.
The numerous cultivators who had come to listen to the Dao hurried inside Zixiao Palace.
No one dared to display divine powers or mystical techniques.
Nor was there any pushing or shoving.
After all, stepping into Zixiao Palace
was akin to entering a classroom arranged by a Sage. Among this crowd of students, who would dare to act presumptuously?
"Heavenly Dao prayer mats."
As soon as he stepped into Zixiao Palace, Fuguang, like everyone else, spotted the six Heavenly Dao prayer mats at the very front.
However,
unlike the deeply excited crowd, Fuguang remained extremely calm—
Those six prayer mats had long since been assigned by destiny!
The first three were destined to belong to the Pangu Three Pure Ones; they were transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit, and the immense merit and achievements of opening up the Primordial World ensured that three Heavenly Dao Sage Fruit Statuses would fall upon them.
The fourth prayer mat was tied to the birth of the Human Race and was the key to awakening the birth of the Human Realm's will; it was also destined for Nuwa, the foremost master of the Great Dao of Creation in the Primordial World today.
As for the remaining two positions—
perhaps one could fight for them!
Yet Fuguang dared not be certain whether those two positions were used by the Sage to repay the karma caused by the past battle that had left the Western Land in ruins.
If they weren't, there would be no problem for him to sit there.
If they were, sitting on them would disrupt the Sage's arrangements and undoubtedly make him a target.
After hesitating for a moment,
Fuguang chose to give up—
Better safe than sorry!
Just think of the miserable end that befell Hongyun, who had occupied one of those seats.
Fuguang lost all interest in the remaining two positions.
Regardless of whether they had genuinely been pre-arranged or not,
such uncertain matters were best treated under the worst-case scenario.
Therefore,
in Fuguang's eyes—
all six Heavenly Dao prayer mats were damn well pre-determined and completely untouchable!
Knowing when to take and when to let go—
knowing when to advance and when to yield—was also a great form of wisdom.
Having abandoned any thoughts regarding the six Heavenly Dao prayer mats, Fuguang instantly sensed a trace of spiritual traction.
Following this guidance, he quickly found an unadorned prayer mat in a fairly forward position.
Then,
he cheerfully sat down upon it!
At this very moment—
seated on a prayer mat that circulated the rhythm of the Sun Star's Great Dao and perfectly matched his own primary cultivation of the Sun Star, Fuguang wore a satisfied smile.
A sense of emotion involuntarily arose in his heart:
"There are three thousand Great Daos, but all roads lead to the same destination!"
"The most eye-catching is not necessarily the best!"
"Only what suits oneself is truly the best."