Chapter 558

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable's face sank, the illusory phantom of the Pangu Banner in his hand flickering in and out of view, and he coldly laughed, saying, "How? Dijun, am I mistaken? A mere Golden Immortal—does he deserve to set foot in the Purple Azure Palace? If not for your protection, he would have long since turned to flying ash in this Chaos!"

"Courting death!" Dijun flew into a rage, the terrifying quasi-sage pressure about to burst forth completely.

Fuxi and Nuwa's expressions changed, and they hastily prepared to step forward to assist.

The atmosphere before the Purple Azure Palace gates instantly tensed, the remaining powerhouses all retreated, revealing looks of eager anticipation.

At this critical juncture.

A slightly icy hand lightly rested on the back of Dijun's hand, which was gripping his sword hilt.

"Elder brother, please stay calm and do not act rashly."

Gu Yuan's calm voice sounded in Dijun's ear.

The violent killing aura on Dijun's body suddenly stalled.

Gu Yuan stepped forward to stand before Dijun, his gaze calmly fixed on the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

He was not angered; his face even bore a hint of tranquil composure.

"Daoist friend Yuanshi cultivates the Way of Spreading Heaven, following heaven and responding to man."

Gu Yuan gave a slight cough, his clear voice carrying across the square: "In the past, the Patriarch's decree clearly stated, 'All who have affinity in the Primordial and manage to enter the Chaos may come forth to listen to the Dao.'"

"The Patriarch never set any cultivation threshold, nor did he restrict lineage or race."

"By following my elder brother through the Chaos and standing safely before the Purple Azure Palace gates, I have fulfilled the Patriarch's 'affinity.'"

Gu Yuan looked at the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's ever-darkening face, his tone still bland:

"Daoist friend, you keep saying I am unworthy to set foot here—could it be that in your heart your rules outweigh the Patriarch's decree?"

"Or perhaps the gates of the Purple Azure Palace today are under your command, Daoist friend Yuanshi?"

Silence.

The entire white jade plaza fell into a deathly silence at that moment.

All the powerhouses were stunned.

Even Laozi, seated on his mat, had his half-open eyes snap open in an instant, gazing deeply at Gu Yuan.

Tongtian couldn't help but burst out laughing with a puff.

Excellent!

Those two sentences directly roasted Yuanshi over the fire pit of 'overstepping the Patriarch's decree'!

Yuanshi Tianzun's face turned deathly pale in an instant, his chest heaving violently as he pointed at Gu Yuan: "You… insolent brat, cease your sophistry and sowing discord!"

"Whether I am sowing discord, you know in your own heart."

Gu Yuan no longer looked at him, withdrew his gaze, and gave Dijun a slight smile: "Elder brother, before the Patriarch's gate, do not quarrel with the unreasonable, lest we lose the magnanimity of our Heavenly Court in vain."

Dijun looked at the slender figure before him who had rendered one of the Three Pure Ones speechless, and his anger instantly transformed into surging delight and pride!

"Hahahaha!"

Dijun threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice shaking the Chaos: "Well said, little brother! My Heavenly Court does not quarrel with narrow-minded folks!"

He provocatively glanced at Yuanshi, then took Gu Yuan's hand and strode toward the front of the plaza, his aura unmatched for a moment.

Meanwhile, at another corner of the plaza.

Two figures clad identically in hemp garments stood there silently.

Zhunti Daoist stared at Gu Yuan's back, his eyes flickering, and sent a mental transmission to Jieyin beside him:

"Senior brother, is this Donghuang Taiyi truly just a crippled Golden Immortal? I feel that this child's mind and scheming are far more terrifying than Dijun's."

Jieyin's face was bitter, he shook his head and whispered: "Cannot fathom. Deep within this person's primordial spirit lies an immensely vast power lying dormant—do not provoke him."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Dijiang and Houtu of the Twelve Ancestral Witches stood at the edge of the crowd.

Houtu gazed at Gu Yuan, a strange light flickering in her beautiful eyes: "Elder brother, he is none other than Donghuang Taiyi."

Dijiang's massive demonic form tensed slightly as he rumbled: "This kid is no simpleton. Chiyuan stumbled in Luoxia Valley years ago precisely because he saw through the Great Array's flaw. Today, upon seeing him, he is indeed a tough and ruthless opponent."

Just as the various factions harbored different thoughts and undercurrents surged.

Squeak—

A deep, distant door-opening sound rang out.

The two massive bronze doors of the Purple Azure Palace, sealed shut for ten thousand years, slowly swung inward.

Two youths dressed in Daoist robes, exquisitely carved like jade, walked out from within—they were Haotian and Yaochi.

Haotian held a horsetail whisk, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his clear voice ringing throughout the Chaos:

"The ten-thousand-year deadline has arrived; per the Patriarch's decree, I proclaim that all beings of the Primordial may enter the hall to listen to the Dao!"

The bronze gates flung open, and the chaotic mist that had been swirling around the plaza was lightly brushed aside by the youths' whisks, retreating obediently to either side of the steps.

Within the gates there were no carved beams or painted pillars, nor any lavish golden decorations.

All that met the eye was an endless expanse of emptiness; the floor was paved with rough, ancient grayish stone, and in the center hung a three-foot-high stone dais, above which nothing hovered save a faint wisp of pure qi slowly coiling.

Beneath the dais, six yellowish-brown mats were neatly arranged.

Even as far back as a lecture ten thousand years ago, these six spots had already been assigned.

Taiqing Laozi walked ahead, expressionless, and sat upon the foremost mat.

Yuanshi Tianzun wore a cold expression, stepped forward to take the second seat, and as he sat down he glanced back coldly at Dijun and Gu Yuan following behind.

Tongtian shrugged his shoulders, sat down cross-legged in the third spot, laid his four swords across his knees, and closed his eyes to cultivate.

On the fourth mat, Nuwa stepped forward slowly and sat down with dignified composure.

Fuxi naturally retreated half a step, standing behind Nuwa to act as her guardian.

As for the last two mats.

Jieyin and Zhunti had already rushed forward, one after the other, Jieyin sitting with a bitter face on the fifth mat, Zhunti plopping down onto the sixth, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he warily eyed the surrounding powerhouses, fearful that someone might come to seize them.

The remaining several thousand powerhouses who had come from all corners of the Primordial—such as Minghe Old Ancestor, Zhenyuanzi, Hongyun Old Ancestor, and Kunpeng—could only find empty ground beyond the six mats and sit cross-legged at random.

Emperor Jun pulled Gu Yuan and walked straight to the exact center of the first row, a spot only three chi away from six futons.

Emperor Jun pulled Gu Yuan and walked straight to the exact center of the first row, a spot only three chi away from six futons.

six futons, three chi.

He flicked his wide sleeve, and two clusters of pure yang true fire fell to the ground, turning into two scarlet-gold cloud chairs.

He flicked his wide sleeve, and two clusters of pure yang true fire fell to the ground, transforming into two scarlet-gold cloud chairs.

He flicked his wide sleeve, and two clusters of pure yang true fire fell to the ground, turning into two scarlet-gold cloud chairs.

Brother, sit here.

Brother, sit here.

Emperor Jun pressed Gu Yuan's shoulder, carefully letting him sit down, and also took out a thick piece of silkworm-silk cushion from his sleeve and spread it on the chair,

"Emperor Jun pressed Gu Yuan's shoulder, carefully letting him sit down, and also took out a thick silkworm-silk cushion from his sleeve and spread it on the chair."

Emperor Jun pressed Gu Yuan's shoulder, carefully letting him sit down, and also took out a thick piece of silkworm-silk cushion from his sleeve and spread it on the chair,

This spot is closest to the dais, the Dao aura is strongest here; when the Dao Ancestor gives his lecture later, you should relax your mind—whatever you can hear is enough. If you don't understand, it's fine; as your elder brother I will surely note it down for you.

Quoted speech: "This place is closest to the Dao platform, the Dao aura is strongest; later when the Dao Ancestor gives the lecture, you just relax your mind—whatever you can hear is enough. If you don't understand, it's fine; as your elder brother I will naturally take notes for you."

We need to keep punctuation. We'll translate: "This place is closest to the Dao platform, the Dao aura is strongest; later when the Dao Ancestor gives the lecture, you just relax your mind—whatever you can hear is enough. If you don't understand, it's fine; as your elder brother I will naturally take notes for you."

The corners of the eyes of all the mighty beings in the hall twitched a few times.

"In the hall, the various mighty beings' eyes twitched a few times." Could be "In the hall, the eyes of all the mighty beings twitched a few times." We'll translate: "In the hall, the eyes of all the mighty beings twitched a few times."

Anyone who comes to the Purple Cloud Palace to listen to the Dao sits nervously on the ground, fearful of losing propriety and angering the sage.

"Others who come to the Purple Cloud Palace to listen to the Dao—who isn't nervous and sitting on the ground, fearing to lose etiquette and anger the sage?" We'll translate: "Anyone who comes to the Purple Cloud Palace to listen to the Dao is nervous and sits on the ground, fearing to lose propriety and anger the sage."

This monster clan's heavenly emperor is quite something—he not only brought a Golden Immortal realm burden along, but also in the sage's Dao field he himself dragged out a chair and laid a silk mat.