Chapter 186: The Third Main Meridian Opens

Once everyone had left, Zhunti could not help but ask urgently, "Since Senior Sister Nuwa did not achieve Merit Sanctification, could it be that she followed the Hunyuan Dao?"

He and his fellow disciple had crossed paths with Nuwa; in a one-on-one fight, they were no match for her at all, and even if the two of them joined forces, they could only barely fight her to a draw.

As fellow Heavenly Dao Saints, such a vast gap naturally made them suspicious.

And after the fact, the two of them learned that Nuwa had not absorbed that strand of Hongmeng Purple Qi, which left them even more bewildered.

Without the aid of merit, without Hongmeng Purple Qi, how could Nuwa be so powerful?

Now, Nuwa's words forced Zhunti to think this way.

Beside him, Jieyin did not speak, but his eyes were fixed tightly on Laozi at the head of the hall.

The two of them were only Nominal Disciples of their Master, but Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones were all personal disciples; perhaps the three of them knew something of the situation.

"Impossible! Master once said there are only three methods to achieve sainthood: Father God Pangu's Law Proving the Dao, the Slaying the Three Corpses method, and Merit Sanctification. Where would this Hunyuan Dao come from?" Yuanshi Tianzun spoke first, refusing to believe it at all.

As for the Western Two Sages saying earlier that Nuwa was powerful, in Yuanshi Tianzun's view, it was entirely because Jieyin and Zhunti were too weak.

Now that they were all Heavenly Dao Saints, Yuanshi Tianzun felt he would have no problem beating the two of them himself.

Listening, Jieyin and Zhunti's faces darkened; they naturally knew these things, which was why they were even more perplexed.

They were well aware that there was a gap between them and the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa, but this was simply too exaggerated.

Yet under the gaze of the two, Laozi at the head of the hall had his eyes half-closed, and no expression could be discerned.

Tongtian, however, who was to the side, had a strange look flash in his eyes and said with slight hesitation, "Could that Hunyuan Dao be the same as Law Proving the Dao?"

Back then in Purple Heaven Palace, Hongjun had focused on explaining the Slaying the Three Corpses method and Merit Sanctification; as for Law Proving the Dao, he had only mentioned it in passing.

They only knew that Law Proving the Dao was the way Pangu cultivated.

Even a figure like Pangu had failed to prove the Dao in the end, and coupled with the fact that Hongjun himself said he only achieved sainthood by Slaying the Three Corpses, they had dismissed the idea of Law Proving the Dao at the time.

For the Slaying the Three Corpses method, without magic treasures of the same origin, one could not merge the three corpses later; since Nuwa did not absorb merit and the Hongmeng Purple Qi had fled, then it could only be Law Proving the Dao.

"Law Proving the Dao?" Yuanshi Tianzun exclaimed, then shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Even Master only achieved sainthood by Slaying the Three Corpses; how could Nuwa have such talent? This is absolutely impossible!"

Yuanshi Tianzun did not believe it in the slightest. The three of them were only Merit Sanctification saints, yet Nuwa had followed the Law Proving the Dao and even succeeded—where did that leave the Three Pure Ones? In the entire Primordial World, the Three Pure Ones had the deepest foundations, yet they had chosen the weakest method of sainthood; Yuanshi Tianzun could not accept this in his heart.

Tongtian frowned, his eyes filled with doubt.

Beside him, Laozi remained indifferent, as if he took nothing to heart.

Jieyin and Zhunti, sitting below, exchanged a glance, a flicker of doubt crossing their faces.

They had harbored this suspicion earlier, but not knowing about Law Proving the Dao, they had no way of knowing the specifics.

Now it seemed the Three Pure Ones were equally unclear about Law Proving the Dao.

So, was Nuwa's sainthood truly Law Proving the Dao? Was the Hunyuan Dao that Tian Yuan spoke of actually Law Proving the Dao? Tian Yuan had taken form from Mount Buzhou and, like them, was an Innate Sacred, but he had not attended any of the three lectures at Purple Heaven Palace.

Putting everything together, Jieyin and Zhunti already had a vague answer in their hearts.

It was just that the two brothers could not fathom this result.

If Tian Yuan knew of Law Proving the Dao, there was no reason the Three Pure Ones would be unaware.

Given the pride of the Three Pure Ones, if they had known the Law of Dao was viable, how could they have chosen the weakest Merit Sanctification?

No one replied, and the hall became incredibly heavy once more.

Yuanshi Tianzun gave a cold snort and declared, "Whether it is or not, if we make a trip to Mount Buzhou, won't we know?"

In any case, he was very annoyed with that stone man; he would test Nuwa's methods and, incidentally, capture that Tian Yuan. After searching his soul, he would understand everything; there was no need to keep guessing like this.

Hearing this, the Western Two Sages' eyes lit up instantly, and they looked at Laozi at the head of the hall with anticipation.

With the Three Pure Ones taking action, they would surely be able to take down Nuwa and Tian Yuan, and then they would have a chance to enter that Consciousness Space.

However, such matters were not like the lectures; they required Laozi's consent.

After speaking, Yuanshi Tianzun turned to look at his Big Brother; he still held Laozi in great respect.

Having already acted on his own initiative once just now, Yuanshi Tianzun did not dare to act recklessly again.

Tongtian Jiaozhu furrowed his brows and cast an indifferent glance at the Western Two Sages before him.

He always felt that these two fellows seemed to have come with an ulterior motive.

That Jieyin and Zhunti could achieve sainthood before them meant they must be hiding a great secret.

Laozi half-opened his eyes and replied unhurriedly, "Tian Yuan will preach in three thousand years; we shall simply wait!"

Both Tian Yuan and Nuwa had said they would pass down the Hunyuan Dao; when the time came, with their abilities as saints, they would be able to know it instantly even from far away at Kunlun Mountain.

Seeing that Laozi did not agree, Yuanshi Tianzun was stunned and hurriedly said, "Big Brother..."

"Enough!" Laozi did not even look at him, his indifferent words echoing.

Yuanshi Tianzun was speechless; although he felt a little disgruntled inside, he dared not say anything more.

Jieyin and Zhunti, sitting below, showed clear disappointment in the depths of their eyes.

Laozi raised his head slightly, glanced coldly at Jieyin and Zhunti, then closed his eyes to sit in silence, speaking no more.

With Laozi no longer speaking, Tongtian and Yuanshi Tianzun naturally remained silent as well.

Understanding the situation, Jieyin and Zhunti each performed a Buddhist Verse with their hands and said gently, "In that case, this junior brother will take his leave first!"

A Golden Lotus appeared beneath them, and the Lotus Platform turned slightly, carrying the two of them as they vanished from the hall.

Seeing the Western Two Sages depart, Tongtian Jiaozhu could not help but say, "Big Brother! I fear there is something strange about Jieyin and Zhunti."

Regardless of foundation or comprehension, the Three Pure Ones were far above Jieyin and Zhunti; that the two could achieve sainthood right after Nuwa was already strange, and this visit was likewise peculiar.

"What could be strange? The two of them combined couldn't even fight Nuwa, hmph..." Yuanshi Tianzun was quite disdainful.

In the entire world, apart from his two brothers, no one caught Yuanshi Tianzun's eye.

Laozi remained motionless and did not open his eyes, only his ethereal voice came: "Having just achieved sainthood, we should cultivate our insights well!"

After speaking, he began to cultivate on his own.

Yuanshi Tianzun glared resentfully in the direction of Mount Buzhou and likewise began to sense the changes after achieving sainthood.

Tongtian Jiaozhu, sitting quietly to the side, frowned deeply, looking at his Big Brother Laozi, then at his Second Brother Yuanshi Tianzun.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but after becoming a Saint, he felt Big Brother's reaction was somewhat strange.

Jieyin and Zhunti came this time ostensibly to congratulate the Three Pure Ones on becoming Saints, but their true intention was to borrow their hands to deal with Nuwa.

He could see it, so there was no reason for Big Brother to have failed to notice.

Yet looking at Big Brother's expression, he seemed not to care at all.

Tongtian, taking a deep breath in his heart, cast his gaze toward the direction of Mount Buzhou.

Perhaps Big Brother was the same as him, both waiting for the sermon at Mount Buzhou three thousand years later.

If the Hunyuan Dao is truly Law Proving the Dao, and if Junior Sister Nuwa proves the Hunyuan Dao, then what the Dao Ancestor said in Purple Heaven Palace—Tongtian Jiaozhu's heart contracted violently, and a flash of horror crossed his eyes.

Just now, his attention was entirely limited to Nuwa and Tian Yuan, and he had never doubted the Dao Ancestor in Purple Heaven Palace. If his inner conjecture were true, then—Tongtian turned his head to look at Big Brother beside him, and ten thousand zhang of terrifying waves had already risen in his heart.

Has Big Brother already noticed?

This suddenly rising thought made it impossible for Tongtian to calm his mind to cultivate.

Doubts from when he became a Saint popped into his mind uncontrollably; the more Tongtian thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

If the Dao Ancestor had truly plotted against all living beings in the Primordial World, that would be a massive conspiracy.

Tongtian's mind became unstable, wisps of sword light spitting out around his body, and Chaos thunder flickering.

"Steady your mind!"

A calm voice echoed in his heart; Tongtian's whole body shook, and he stabilized his restless Primordial Spirit.

Their Primordial Spirits are entrusted to the Heavenly Dao; if he thinks too much, he fears being... He glanced at Laozi beside him, who still hadn't moved in the slightest, and Tongtian took a deep breath, pressing that suspicion into the deepest part of his heart; this was perhaps the main reason Big Brother was waiting.

Whether it is or isn't, it will be revealed three thousand years later.

In the north of the Primordial World, in the vast Beiming, inside the Demon Master Palace.

Kunpeng sat quietly on the throne, frowning, his face showing contemplation.

The Three Pure Ones became Saints, but he did not go to congratulate them; after all, Yuanshi Tianzun was partly to blame for the Cushion being snatched in Purple Heaven Palace back then.

He, a dignified Phoenix Prince, was actually cursed as a creature with fur and horns, wet-born and egg-hatched.

More importantly, if not for that strike from Yuanshi Tianzun, how could he have rolled off the Cushion and let Zhunti pick up the leak?

As for Minghe, they had no relationship, and the other party was still in the Netherworld, so Kunpeng didn't even think about going; now, besides becoming a Saint, there was nothing else in his mind.

Minghe's becoming a Saint, although it made him incomparably angry, also gave Kunpeng a glimmer of hope.

Minghe, like him, did not have Hongmeng Purple Qi; since he could achieve Merit Sanctification, then he must also have a chance.

Minghe created the Asura Clan himself, then established a sect with the Asura Clan, only then obtaining the merit of heaven and earth, and finally taking that step.

Kunpeng guessed that he also needed to create a brand-new living being in the Primordial World, and then establish a sect with these living beings, perhaps he could achieve the Saint Fruit Position.

Simply creating living beings was not a big problem for Kunpeng, who was at the Quasi-Saint Essence Refining Stage, but to become a Saint, it certainly couldn't be an ordinary race.

After Minghe became a Saint, he had been thinking bitterly in his heart, but unfortunately, he had no intuition at all.

"I heard that the Asura were born in the Sea of Blood; could it be that the race I create should also live within Beiming?" Kunpeng whispered, a flash of light crossing his eyes.

The Sea of Blood lies in the Netherworld, where there are many wandering ghosts between heaven and earth. Beiming is located in the extreme north of the Primordial World, resisting the erosion of Chaos, and there is simply not a single living being there.

Creating living beings naturally cannot be done out of thin air; it also requires material.

Wanting to create living beings that can live in Beiming is really not a simple matter, but at least he now has a direction.

"Demon Master! Demon Master!"

Just at this moment, panicked shouting came from outside the hall.

Kunpeng, with a dark face, reached out a large hand, and a figure fell into the hall.

Looking at the person below, Kunpeng said angrily: "What happened again?"

Hiding in Beiming, besides the fact that this place was suitable for his cultivation, the most important thing was to stay away from the disputes of the Primordial World.

Recently, for some reason, not only were major events happening frequently in the Primordial World, but even his desolate Beiming had frequent anomalies.

Seeing Kunpeng's impatience, the Demon Race member under the hall hurriedly replied: "Reporting to Demon Master, those Fierce Beasts... the Fierce Beasts have all disappeared!"

Earlier, countless black mists rose up everywhere, evolving into one Fierce Beast after another, ravaging the entire Northern Land.

Fortunately, they headed straight for Mount Buzhou, so everyone couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

But a moment ago, not only did those strange black mists disappear, but those surging Fierce Beasts also lost their tracks.

He had fled toward the direction of Mount Buzhou; it was quiet over there, and except for the somewhat messy earth, there was no sign of any Fierce Beast.

He searched carefully, but he didn't find even a trace.

It seemed that during the time the Three Pure Ones and the others became Saints, all the Fierce Beasts disappeared into thin air.

Listening to the subordinate's report, Kunpeng frowned.

This Demon could be valued by him, so naturally, his cultivation was not weak, and the matter was indeed very strange.

However, right now he only wanted to become a Saint, so how could he have time to pay attention to these things?

Kunpeng, with a dark face, said with a serious expression: "Heaven and earth have the Great Calamity; you all just guard Beiming, and don't worry about other things. I am going into seclusion; do not come to disturb me if there is nothing!"

There was no hope for Hongyun's Hongmeng Purple Qi, and he had already given up; now that a Minghe had popped out, how could Kunpeng be reconciled?

As one of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace, he prided himself on being no weaker than anyone else.

The Demon Race member under the hall heard this, his face instantly filled with joy, and then he shouted loudly: "This subordinate wishes the Demon Master an early Proving of the Dao!"

People were becoming Saints in heaven and earth one after another, and now the Demon Master was also going into deep seclusion; how could this not make him have wild thoughts?

"Go down!" Kunpeng waved his hand, but did not say much more.

There were so many of the Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace, and even Hongyun, who had obtained the Hongmeng Purple Qi, had not yet made a move; wanting to take that step was definitely not that simple.

Kunpeng did not have much confidence in whether he could take that step either.

However, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would not give up.

There were many who had the same thoughts as Kunpeng; whether they were those who went to congratulate or the Innate Sacred hiding in their caves, they were all racking their brains to create living beings, hoping to establish a sect to become a Saint.

Time passed slowly; there were living beings in the Primordial World rushing to Kunlun, living beings rushing to Mount Buzhou, and others cultivating the method of becoming a Saint in their caves.

Inside the Buzhou Mountain Consciousness Space, within that Main Vein in the north of the Eastern Land.

Houtu was leading a group of the Wu Clan in striving to purify the Earth Vein when suddenly, faint voices came from ahead.

Houtu, who had been smashing a Strange Stone, immediately stopped her movements and looked up.

The area ahead was densely packed with rubble, and she could see nothing; without hesitation, she leaped up.

In an instant, amidst the golden light flowing not far away, Houtu caught sight of dense, swarming figures—they were those Demons who were dredging the Earth Vein.

It was connected; after such a long time of effort, they had finally approached the Demon Race from the other end of the Main Vein.

There was only a final thousand miles left to go before the third Main Vein of the Eastern Land could be completely opened.

"It seems we can make it before Dao Brother Tian Yuan begins his sermon!" Houtu whispered, her lovely face full of joy.

Withdrawing her gaze, she descended back into the Earth Vein.

"Hurry! There's only the last bit of distance left!" Amidst the loud shouts, Houtu excitedly rushed toward the Strange Stones all around.

Once this Main Vein was purified, all the Earth Veins of the Eastern Land would be connected.

Hearing this, the many members of the Wu Clan all around likewise cheered aloud.

(End of this chapter)