Chapter Twenty-One: The Sage's Sermon

As soon as Li Tian entered the grand hall, his gaze fell upon six meditation cushions arranged side by side atop the high platform. Without hesitation, he led Nuwa swiftly inside and seated himself upon the first cushion. Just as he was about to invite Nuwa to take the second cushion, the Three Pure Ones slipped in as well, claiming the second, third, and fourth cushions with practiced ease. With no other choice, Li Tian had to let Nuwa sit behind Tongtian.

Being pulled by the hand before so many people had left Nuwa's cheeks flushed. She sat upon her cushion, head lowered in shy silence, forgetting to ask Li Tian why he had dragged her in so abruptly.

Others soon poured into the hall. Seeing that five of the six seats were already taken, those at the front, though unsure of the cushions’ true purpose, nonetheless knew that a seat so near the dais would be a mark of status. The few standing at the fore jostled each other, each hoping to seize the last remaining spot.

In the end, it was a red-robed Daoist who claimed it by virtue of his speed. This was Hongyun, the first cloud to attain enlightenment under heaven and earth.

Thus, the six seats were all claimed. Those left without could not help but feel a surge of anger, especially the likes of Minghe and Kunpeng. Kunpeng, in particular, had almost reached the cushion, only for Hongyun to snatch it at the last moment. With little recourse, he could only find a random seat below the dais.

At that moment, another figure entered from outside. He bore the appearance of great fortune, his head covered with countless black nodules, and his demeanor serene, lending him the air of a solemn, majestic statue. This was Zhunti, who had journeyed from the distant West, crossing nearly the entire primordial wilderness—a journey that had taken him a full century.

Upon seeing the seats were all taken, Zhunti gave a long sigh. "I have come all this way from the West, seeking the Dao for the sake of the lost and deluded. Yet even a seat is denied me. If I cannot hear the true path clearly, how will I answer to the souls of the West? Ah, the suffering of the West..."

He began to pour out his woes, bemoaning calamities that had befallen the three clans, the self-destruction of Rahu, and the desolation of the Western lands—painting his tale as tragically as possible.

Li Tian, seated cross-legged on his cushion, merely closed his eyes and said nothing, maintaining an air of aloof indifference. Nuwa glanced back with a flash of distaste, naturally unwilling to intervene. As for the Three Pure Ones, they were even less inclined to get involved.

But as ever, there was no lack of meddlers in this world. Moved by Zhunti’s lament, Hongyun, unable to bear it, rose to his feet and said, "Fellow Daoist, your perseverance and wisdom are truly admirable. Your devotion to seeking the Dao for all living beings is greater than mine. I gladly yield this seat to you."

"Many thanks for your generosity," Zhunti replied shamelessly, his expression instantly brightening as he sat himself down with obvious delight.

"It’s nothing," Hongyun replied simply, then went to find another seat below.

Nuwa turned her head and snorted softly at Zhunti. She had not expected such a poor display to find any believers.

"Ah, so it’s Fellow Daoist Nuwa. My respects to you. And the esteemed Friend from the Supreme Heaven is here as well," Zhunti greeted them with a beaming smile, as if he were an old friend.

"Oh? And who might this fellow be?" Tongtian, assuming Nuwa and Li Tian were acquainted with Zhunti, asked.

Nuwa merely snorted, clearly unwilling to elaborate. Tongtian, a little embarrassed, was about to seek clarification from Li Tian when suddenly a peal of chimes echoed through the Zixiao Palace.

At once, everyone composed themselves, sitting upright and proper, fearful of making a poor impression upon a Sage.

Soon after, an elderly figure with snow-white hair appeared silently atop the dais, without a trace of warning. At the sight of him, all present—even the Three Pure Ones—straightened with utmost respect.

"You who have come here are all possessed of great destiny. I shall preach the Dao here three times. This is the first. I hope you will all gain something from it," Hongjun said, opening his eyes and casting his gaze over the six seated on the cushions. When his eyes fell upon Li Tian, they lingered for a moment.

Li Tian's heart clenched. Was Hongjun about to make things difficult for him? But to his relief, nothing untoward occurred. Instead, Hongjun offered him a faint smile and a gentle nod before moving on.

Li Tian was left puzzled. What was this about? Was Hongjun pleased because he had thwarted Jieyin and thereby saved an additional Sage seat for the Eastern Sect?

"From now on, these shall be your assigned seats—they may not be changed. This session of preaching shall last three thousand years," Hongjun continued. In truth, when he first glimpsed Li Tian, he too was surprised; he could not understand why only one of the innate Golden Crows remained upon the Sun Star. But after calculating the workings of fate, he could only sigh at the twists of destiny. The sole surviving Golden Crow now bore the fortune of both, having advanced even further, and would one day lead all tribes, making an indelible contribution to peace among the myriad races of the primordial world.

He also divined that Li Tian had sown discord between the two from the Western Sect, saving a Sage seat for the Eastern School and curbing the rise of the heterodox path, which pleased Hongjun greatly.

At this time, not yet merged with the Dao, Hongjun considered matters more from the perspective of the Dao Ancestor of the Eastern School than from that of the Heavenly Way itself.

"Before the heavens and earth were formed, there was a formless substance, born before all creation—silent and desolate, standing alone, unchanging, moving in endless cycles, yet never exhausted. It can be called the Mother of All Under Heaven..."

Thus Hongjun began his sermon. With each word, golden characters materialized, swirling around the assembly in the Zixiao Palace. As the sermon deepened, countless illusory golden lotuses bloomed in the grand hall, each brimming with ineffable mysteries.

The three thousand gathered in Zixiao Palace listened with rapt attention. For now, Hongjun spoke of cultivation below the realm of Golden Immortal of the Great Principle, which most present had already attained, so the content did not seem overly abstruse.

As time passed, many found their cultivation breaking through bottlenecks, especially those of lesser attainment, who advanced through several minor realms in succession.

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Zhunti all benefited greatly. Laozi reached the peak of the Great Principle Golden Immortal; Yuanshi and Tongtian reached the late stage; Nuwa and Zhunti advanced to the middle stage.

As for Li Tian, he was already at the summit of the Great Principle Golden Immortal. To advance further, he would have to wait for the next sermon, when Hongjun would reveal the method of proving the Dao by dividing the three corpses. Still, after so many years of listening, all the questions that had once been hazy to him were now perfectly clear.

In the blink of an eye, a thousand years passed. Hongjun finished explaining all the realms below that of Quasi-Sage, and began expounding upon the Three Thousand Great Daos.

Of course, the profundity of the Dao was such that even Hongjun himself grasped only the surface, so at most his teachings planted a seed of the Great Dao within each listener. Whether that seed would blossom depended upon individual destiny.

Unseen and unheard, another two thousand years slipped by before Hongjun paused at last. The assembly awoke from the profound mysteries with unspeakable longing, like parched souls who, having at last tasted sweet nectar, found it snatched away after only a sip. Such a feeling defied description.

Li Tian, too, felt a pang of reluctance. But since Hongjun had stopped, the sermon was clearly at an end; however unwilling, there was nothing to be done.