Hongjun saw this, said no more, and his gaze swept over everyone again, speaking faintly, "This sermon will be divided into three sessions. Each session will last for ten thousand years, with an interval of thirty thousand years between each."
Then, Hongjun continued, "The Cultivation of the Grand Dao can be divided into three Realms."
"The first is Grand Unity, free and unfettered, imperishable through countless kalpas."
"The second is Quasi-Saint, with profound magical power, having glimpsed the threshold of the Saint Dao."
"The third is Saint, whose Primordial Spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, imperishable through countless kalpas, immune to death and injury, ruling on behalf of the Heavenly Dao."
At this point, Hongjun's tone paused slightly, and his gaze seemed to become even more profound.
"Below the Saint, all are ants!"
These simple eight words, "Below the Saint, all are ants!", caused a massive shock in the hearts of all the great powers in the hall!
Ants!
Even powerful Innate Great Gods like them, with deep foundations and ruling over their respective territories, were merely ants in the eyes of a Saint!
This filled many with dread, and at the same time, it ignited an unprecedented longing for the supreme Realm of a Saint!
Hongjun paid no attention to their reactions and continued, "This sermon is to clarify the Realms below the Grand Unity Golden Immortal for you."
"Below Grand Unity, there are six Realms: Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Profound Immortal, Golden Immortal, Taiyi Golden Immortal, and Grand Unity Golden Immortal."
As Hongjun spoke, in the unseen, the Heavenly Dao operated, and the division of these six Realms was completely imprinted into the Laws of the Primordial Land.
"Today, I shall begin by speaking of the Heavenly Immortal..."
After Hongjun finished speaking, he said no more and began to expound on the true meaning of the Grand Dao.
In an instant, myriad phenomena appeared in Purple Cloud Palace!
Heavenly flowers rained down, golden lotuses sprung from the earth, Dao sounds were ethereal, and Laws resonated!
Purple Qi permeated, and Dao Rhythms flowed, rendering the entire palace incomparably sacred.
Hongjun's voice was not loud, yet it contained infinite mysteries, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
Layer upon layer of the mysteries of the Realms were eloquently explained by Hongjun, in an accessible yet profound manner, directly pointing to the core.
The three thousand guests in the hall, regardless of their Cultivation level, regardless of their origins, were all intoxicated at this moment, completely immersed in this ocean of the Grand Dao!
Some occasionally frowned in deep thought, some suddenly enlightened, some gestured wildly, and some shed tears!
All manner of human emotions were revealed on the path of seeking the Dao.
Wu Ming also closed his eyes, his mind sinking into it.
What Hongjun preached was the Xuanmen Immortal Dao, which seemed entirely different from the Law-based path of the Witch Tribe's Legacy.
However, the stones of other mountains can be used to polish one's own jade!
But the three thousand Daos, though different paths, lead to the same destination.
Wu Ming silently circulated his Primordial Spirit, listening to Hongjun's explanation of the Immortal Dao's profundities, while simultaneously verifying them against his own understanding of Pangu's Legacy and the Grand Dao of Laws.
Comparing the two, he drew inferences from one case to another, gaining many insights.
And behind him, the Twelve Ancestral Witches also held their breath and listened attentively.
Because they now possessed Primordial Spirits, they no longer, as in their original fate, found the Saint's sermon incomprehensible, like listening to a heavenly book.
Although many subtle points explained by Hongjun were still somewhat obscure for them to understand, they could comprehend much of the general direction and principles.
They, too, were verifying what Hongjun preached against the Laws they controlled.
Under the guidance of Hongjun's Grand Dao, they seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of the Laws they controlled!
Inside Purple Cloud Palace, there was only silence, with only the sound of the Grand Dao reverberating.
Years passed by, like a fleeting moment.
Ten thousand years quietly flowed away.
On the high platform, Hongjun's voice slowly ceased.
The endless Dao Rhythms that permeated the palace also gradually subsided.
Everyone awoke as if from a dream, emerging from that profound state of enlightenment, their faces showing a lingering sense of unfulfillment.
Ten thousand years of listening to the Dao surpassed countless eons of their own arduous Cultivation!
Many even felt that the Bottlenecks that had troubled them for years showed signs of loosening!
Their gazes towards Hongjun on the high platform were filled with awe and gratitude.
Hongjun's calm and unwavering voice resounded again, "This sermon ends here."
"Thirty thousand years from now, I will preach again, expounding on the Dao of the Quasi-Saint."
"You may all withdraw."
After Hongjun finished speaking, his figure quietly faded on the high platform, disappearing without a trace.
The two attendants, Haotian and Yaochi, reappeared and walked to the palace gate.
Creak—
The gates of Purple Cloud Palace, which had been closed for ten thousand years, slowly opened.
"We respectfully bid farewell to the Saint!"
The three thousand guests in the hall all rose in unison and bowed.
After the ceremony, everyone, suppressing their excited emotions, either in groups of two or three, or alone, transformed into streaks of light and flew out of Purple Cloud Palace, returning to the Primordial Land.
This session of listening to the Dao had yielded immense gains, and they all needed to return and go into seclusion to properly assimilate them.
Especially the Realms defined by Hongjun, and his assertion, "Below the Saint, all are ants," weighed like a great mountain on the heart of every great power in the Primordial Land!
Cultivate!
They must seize the time to Cultivate!
Only by striving to Breakthrough to a higher Realm before the next sermon could they hope to glimpse the supreme Dao of the Saint!
"Hmph... This Saint's sermon is indeed formidable!" Zhurong scratched his head, a hint of excitement on his face.
"Indeed profound." Dijiang also nodded, his eyes sparkling, "Although the path is different, my understanding of the Law has indeed deepened significantly."
"It's a pity it only lasted for ten thousand years." Houtu frowned slightly, feeling somewhat unfulfilled.
Wu Ming smiled faintly as he watched the Ancestral Witches excitedly discussing.
It was good that they had gained something.
His gaze shifted, and he saw Zhenyuanzi and Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, who were preparing to leave.
Fellow Daoist Hong Yun was still somewhat distraught at this moment, his face full of bitterness, clearly not yet recovered from the immense blow of losing the Opportunity of the cushion.
Zhenyuanzi was quietly comforting him by his side, a look of helplessness on his face as well.
"Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, please wait," Wu Ming said gently.
Zhenyuanzi and Fellow Daoist Hong Yun stopped and turned around.
Zhenyuanzi bowed, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming."
Fellow Daoist Hong Yun also forced a smile, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, may I ask what your instructions are?"
Wu Ming looked at the two and smiled, "After this sermon, I believe both Fellow Daoists have gained much."
"After returning to the Primordial Land and assimilating your insights, I wonder if you would have leisure to gather at my Witch Tribe's Pangu Hall?"
"The Ancestral Witches and I have also made some progress in our Cultivation, and perhaps we could verify our understandings with each other and discuss the Grand Dao."
Upon hearing this, Zhenyuanzi looked at Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, "Alright, since Fellow Daoist Wu Ming invites us, after this poor Daoist and Fellow Daoist Hong Yun have gone into seclusion to assimilate our gains, we will certainly trouble you at Buzhou Mountain."
Fellow Daoist Hong Yun also recovered his senses. Although his spirits were not high, he could not refuse Wu Ming's initiative invitation, so he also nodded and said, "Thank you for the kind invitation, Fellow Daoist. At that time, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun will definitely go with Brother Zhenyuan."
"Good!" Wu Ming clapped his hands and laughed, "Then it's a promise! Wu Ming awaits the honorable presence of both Fellow Daoists at Pangu Hall!"
"Farewell."
Wu Ming said no more, turned to the Twelve Ancestral Witches and said, "Let's go, back to Buzhou Mountain!"
"Yes, Elder Brother Wu Ming!"
Thirteen figures instantly transformed into streaks of light, tearing through the Chaos, and sped towards the Primordial Land.
Zhenyuanzi watched the direction the Witch Tribe departed, then looked at Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, who was still sighing beside him, and shook his head.
"Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, since things have come to this, further thought is useless."
"It is better to return to the Primordial Land first, properly assimilate the contents of the Saint's sermon, and improve your strength; that is the right path."
Fellow Daoist Hong Yun nodded bitterly, "Alas, I know, but... but my heart is truly uneasy!"
Zhenyuanzi patted his shoulder, "Let's go, first back to my Wuzhuang Temple, to calm your mind and Cultivate in seclusion."