After everyone made their vows, Nuwa took out the creation cauldron and handed it to Wu Ming.
Wu Ming reached out and took it, a smile appearing on his face.
"Very good."
"Now, I shall tell you all how to comprehend this Hongmeng Purple Energy."
As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in Pangu Hall instantly became tense.
The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti—six pairs of eyes stared intently at Wu Ming, their ears perked up, afraid to miss a single word.
They had paid no small price for this very moment.
Wu Ming paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, then slowly began, "Actually, the Hongmeng Purple Energy cannot be comprehended at this stage."
"What?!"
Yuanshi Tianzun was the first to explode, standing up abruptly and glaring at Wu Ming, "Wu Ming! How dare you toy with us!"
"We paid the price, and you tell us it cannot be comprehended?!"
"Are you making fun of us?!"
His aura surged, and the air within Pangu Hall became stagnant.
Laozi's brows were tightly furrowed as he looked at Wu Ming, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
Tongtian also looked bewildered.
Nuwa's delicate brows furrowed; she clearly hadn't expected such an answer.
Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions changed drastically. Zhunti nearly burst into tears on the spot, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, aren't you... aren't you deceiving us?!"
"Cannot be comprehended? Then why did Dao Ancestor bestow the Hongmeng Purple Energy? For display?"
A thought simultaneously arose in the minds of the six: We've been tricked!
Facing the wrath of the six future Saints, Wu Ming showed no sign of panic. He raised his hand.
"Fellow Daoists, please calm yourselves and allow this humble Daoist to finish speaking."
Laozi took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said to Yuanshi, "Second Brother, sit down. Let's hear Fellow Daoist Wu Ming out."
Yuanshi snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and sat down, but his face was still dark enough to drip water.
Suppressing their anger and confusion, everyone looked at Wu Ming again.
Wu Ming then continued, "To say that the Hongmeng Purple Energy cannot be comprehended is not entirely accurate."
"More precisely, your time to become a Saint has not yet arrived, so no matter how hard you try now, you won't be able to comprehend anything from the Hongmeng Purple Energy."
"The time has not yet arrived?" Laozi asked in a deep voice, his tone filled with deep doubt.
Wu Ming nodded, "Precisely."
Wu Ming looked at their expressions and continued to drop a bombshell, "All of you are Dao Ancestor's Disciples, bearing the Hongmeng Purple Energy, and are Heavenly Dao-ordained Saints. It is undeniable that you are destined to achieve Enlightenment to become a Saint in the future."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the six softened slightly, especially the words "Heavenly Dao-ordained Saints," which made them feel much better.
The Three Pure Ones, in particular, who had always considered themselves the orthodox Pangu lineage and favored by destiny, felt their hearts surge with emotion upon hearing Wu Ming's words.
Nuwa's beautiful eyes also gleamed with excitement.
Jieyin and Zhunti were trembling with excitement. Their Western lands were barren, and obtaining the Hongmeng Purple Energy was already a tremendous blessing. Now, to hear that they were destined to become Saints was simply a gift from Heaven!
Their previous dissatisfaction seemed to be greatly diluted by this sudden, immense surprise.
Wu Ming took in everyone's expressions and continued, "However, the time for you to become a Saint has indeed not yet arrived."
"Although you are destined to become a Saint, becoming a Saint also requires an Opportunity."
"Before this Opportunity appears, the Hongmeng Purple Energy will be like a stubborn rock to you. No matter how you ponder it, it will not react at all."
"The true purpose of the Hongmeng Purple Energy is that when the Opportunity for each of you to become a Saint arrives, it will naturally give you enlightenment, guiding you on how to proceed to smoothly achieve Enlightenment to become a Saint."
"At that time, the Hongmeng Purple Energy will naturally merge into your Primordial Spirit, helping you ascend to the Saint Realm in one step."
After listening to Wu Ming's explanation, the six gradually calmed down.
Sect Master Tongtian stroked his chin, "You mean that our current lack of comprehension is not due to our insufficient Comprehension Ability, nor is there a problem with the Hongmeng Purple Energy, but rather... the time has not yet arrived?"
"Precisely." Wu Ming nodded.
Yuanshi Tianzun's brows were still tightly furrowed, and he snorted coldly, "Then, according to Fellow Daoist, are we to simply wait and do nothing?"
His tone carried clear dissatisfaction.
If they could only wait, then the price they had paid earlier...
Daoist Zhunti's face was even more mournful, "Yes, Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, if that's truly the case, then what we paid... isn't that..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: he felt like they had suffered a huge loss.
Wu Ming shook his head, "It's not that you have to completely wait and do nothing."
"Before this Opportunity arrives, you can focus on Cultivating and improving your own cultivation."
"The higher your cultivation and the deeper your Foundation, the higher the Realm you can achieve and the stronger your strength will be when you become a Saint."
"Therefore, your previous neglect of your own cultivation and single-minded pursuit of comprehending the temporarily incomprehensible Hongmeng Purple Energy was, in itself, a mistake—putting the cart before the horse."
Upon hearing this, everyone was speechless.
So, after all that effort, they had taken the wrong path?
They had paid such a high price, only to get a single word: "wait"?
Although the news of being "Heavenly Dao-ordained Saints" was explosive, they still felt... it was a bit not worth it.
Especially since their greatest concern, which made them so eager to become Saints, was the Yao Race!
Now, to be told they couldn't immediately become Saints, didn't that mean their Hongmeng Purple Energy was still at risk of being stolen by the Yao Race?
Zhunti's face was even more mournful, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, what... what if the Yao Race comes to seize our Hongmeng Purple Energy? What should we do?"
"We can't become Saints now, and we can't defeat them!"
Wu Ming seemed to have anticipated their question and said calmly, "Regarding this, you actually don't need to worry too much."
"The Yao Race doesn't have the guts to openly seize the Foundation of a Dao Ancestor's Disciple's Enlightenment."
"You are Dao Ancestor's Disciples, and behind you stands Dao Ancestor Hongjun. As long as those few in the Yao Race haven't lost their minds, they won't be foolish enough to cross that bottom line."
"Moreover, as I just said, you are Heavenly Dao-ordained Saints. This Saint position is determined by the Heavenly Dao; it is your destiny."
"Unless you actively seek death by provoking the Yao Race to the point of desperation, or commit some act that incurs the wrath of Heaven and man, your Saint position will be as stable as Mount Buzhou. No one can steal your Hongmeng Purple Energy."
"Those six futons in Zixiao Palace are the best proof. Why did Dao Ancestor specifically wait until Fellow Daoists Jieyin and Zhunti were firmly seated on the futons before appearing to preach? Don't you all understand the profound meaning behind this?"
Jieyin and Zhunti's spirits lifted upon hearing this.
That's right!
The scene of scrambling for seats in Zixiao Palace back then was still vivid in their minds.
If it weren't for Dao Ancestor's tacit approval, how could the two of them have sat firmly on those two futons?
So, their Saint position is truly destined by the Heavenly Dao?
"Therefore, go back and Cultivate with peace of mind. Just quietly await the arrival of your respective Opportunities to become Saints."
Wu Ming's words, being well-reasoned, greatly reassured the six.
Indeed, they were Dao Ancestor's Disciples. No matter how powerful the Yao Race was, they wouldn't dare to easily touch them.
"Is what Fellow Daoist Wu Ming said... true?" Laozi looked at Wu Ming, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.
Although Wu Ming spoke eloquently, he still wanted to confirm it again.
Wu Ming met Laozi's gaze calmly, "Absolutely true."
"I have no past grievances or recent animosity with you all. There's no need to deceive you on such a matter."
"Besides, what benefit would deceiving a few future Saints bring to my Wu Race?"
"Am I to wait for you all to become Saints and then come seeking retribution? I'm not that foolish."
Sect Master Tongtian was the first to state his position, "I believe what Fellow Daoist Wu Ming said. Given Fellow Daoist Wu Ming's character, he wouldn't deceive us on such a matter."
"As Fellow Daoist Wu Ming said, deceiving us brings him no benefit whatsoever. On the contrary, it would create a mortal enmity with us six future Saints, which would be a net loss."
Laozi and Yuanshi also nodded slightly, agreeing with Tongtian's statement.
Nuwa's worries also lessened considerably.
Everyone thought about it, and it did make sense.
Wu Ming had no reason to deceive them.
But...
Thinking of the price they had paid, especially Jieyin and Zhunti, their hearts ached again.
The two of them had paid the greatest price, and in return, they received... well, if you say it's important, it certainly is important. They learned the key to becoming a Saint and that they were Heavenly Dao-ordained Saints.
But if you say it's not important, this news doesn't seem to have such an immediate effect. It's more of a psychological comfort and guidance.
In short, they just felt a bit of a loss.
But since things had come to this, and the vows had been made, any further dissatisfaction could only be suppressed.
Now that the information was in hand, whether they were willing or not, the matter was settled.
The six did not linger. After a simple farewell to Wu Ming, they left Mount Buzhou with complex feelings, transforming into six streaks of light disappearing into the distance.
Wu Ming saw the six off from Pangu Hall, watching them transform into six streaks of light and depart. He then thought of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation that Tongtian had mentioned.
He murmured softly to himself, "For the balance of the Grandmist, and for my Wu Race... it's time to find an opponent for the Yao Race."