Chapter 233: with translation of chapter title

The lecture on the Dao is about to begin; after the previous session, how do you all view the distinction between immortals and gods?

Qi held his wine cup and approached the Three Pure Ones, raised it to drink the wine inside; the Three Pure Ones immediately rose to respond, also draining their wine.

Immediately facing Qi's question, concerning the Divine and Immortal Daos, even they felt it a bit thorny; after exchanging a glance, it was still the Primordial Daoist who spoke: "Your Majesty's words are perhaps too distant; the discussion of immortals and gods is premature for now—though the Immortal Dao has advanced, compared to the gods it remains far."

The Primordial Daoist pondered repeatedly, but ultimately decided to speak frankly, voicing his true thoughts.

In his view, the limit of the Immortal Dao is still too obvious, although in the short term it has already made an exaggerated advance.

But as long as the gap remains, the superiority between immortals and gods is destined to be clear.

Moreover, the Primordial Daoist and his companions actually do not care whether cultivation follows the Immortal or Divine Dao, for with the gods' foundation, pursuing either path will occupy the pinnacle of heaven and earth.

Moreover, the Three Pure Ones do not think that cultivating the Immortal Dao would change anything—after the innate gods cultivate the Immortal Dao, would they really abandon their responsibilities?

Qi smiled and sighed: "Not early at all—after only two Dao lectures, such changes have already occurred; what more of the future?"

"Although I know that cultivating the Immortal Dao is now the prevailing trend and cannot be reversed, we have suffered through such long practice to finally witness today's scene; thinking of those who come after, who can reach it easily, we still feel a bit unwilling."

"We are both innate gods, born of heaven and earth's nurturing, having comprehended the Great Dao, refined our lives, and possessed an unblemished Dao fruition; only through painstaking effort could we earn the saying that god and Dao are one."

"My cultivation path has been relatively smooth, with a lofty foundation; having cultivated to this day, I have already accumulated several hundred eons—I imagine you are no inferior to me."

"Having endured two Great Calamities and obtained countless opportunities, I have only now entered the Grand Unity Dao; compared to the Primeval Wasteland, this is already a great advantage, far surpassing others."

The Three Pure Ones did not know why Qi would say these things, yet they also somewhat agreed, feeling that Qi was indeed extraordinary; they had cultivated no less time than Qi, but only now did they witness the Grand Unity Great Dao.

Seeing Qi pause, the Dao and Virtue Daoist interjected with a sentence:

"Your Majesty's divine abilities surpass those of ordinary humans; they cannot be compared."

Qi nodded and continued: "I do not know if you have noticed, but those who cultivated the Immortal Dao before and those who did so after the second lecture are actually fundamentally different."

Upon these words, the Three Pure Ones were somewhat startled; the Numinous Treasure Daoist could not help but ask doubtfully: "Oh? What is the difference? Please, Your Majesty, do not withhold your instruction."

"I dare not claim to bestow instruction; I merely have some past experience. In the Heavenly Court, there are many cultivators of the Immortal and Divine Daos; I once took disciples before, and only by comparison did I make this discovery."

Seeing they listened attentively, Qi then continued: "Before the Heavenly Court was established, I took a disciple from the Dragon Clan; after careful training, in a single eon he attained the status of a Great Luo Golden Immortal."

"Although the time was short, he was still among the highest of the Immortal Dao at that time; yet in my view, his Dao fruition is riddled with holes."

"At that time, the Immortal Dao emphasized meridians and foundation, the three flowers atop the head and the five vital breaths in the chest; they had only just begun to touch upon it, and although there were applications, compared to now it is still rather crude."

"At that time, if one did not possess an innate god's body, in my view the limit had already been reached, making it impossible to surpass the Great Luo realm."

"Yet in the the the Zixiao Palace, the marvels of the Immortal Dao are such that even I have found many points worthy of applause, and my gains have been considerable."

"Only now do I realize that its cultivation path is already withered; you three are ascetics, so you have not paid much attention to it."

"Now the fruition of the Immortal Dao is nearly complete; the three flowers above and the five vital breaths within are extraordinary—though lacking compared to the Divine Dao, it excels in simplicity."

"Even in its application upon the primordial spirit, it surpasses, for using the primordial spirit's benefits it can rival divine abilities."

The Primordial Daoist heard this and was startled, beginning to recall the earlier-heard secret of the Immortal Dao's primordial spirit; at first hearing he felt nothing, but now looking again it is simply outright heresy.

In response, the Primordial Daoist could not help but exclaim:

"The primordial spirit is the foundation of cultivation; it most loves stillness and cannot be easily moved—if there is reckless motion, it truly destroys one's path; how can the Immortal Dao have such heretical talk!"

"Moreover, the primordial spirit most abhors impurity, fearing to taint its purity; the Immortal Dao does this—is it not simply adding a weakness for no reason?"

The Dao and Virtue Daoist and the Numinous Treasure Daoist both wore solemn expressions, feeling that such a loophole could not be considered an advantage; seeing the three somewhat puzzled, Qi explained: "When I first heard of this, I felt the same as you fellows; later, seeing innate gods in the Heavenly Court switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao, I observed carefully and then understood."

"This shortcoming, for us gods, has little effect; although it is a weak point, few can corrupt it."

"Know that innate gods, born of heaven and earth's nurturing, seeking completeness—whether Dao fruition or primordial spirit—this is the benefit of divine beings."

"Compared to the benefits gained from the primordial spirit, a few weak points are not unacceptable; after all, switching to cultivate the Immortal Dao loses much of one's divine abilities, so there must be something to compensate."

The Three Pure Ones, upon hearing this, finally understood the situation and nodded in agreement.

"The distinction between immortals and gods—its most important point—is simply that their cultivation differs."

"I have come to understand that the Divine Dao seeks unity, differing not from the Dao; when proving the Grand Unity, one seeks an unblemished Great Dao, using cultivated life as recommendation, with the Great Dao residing within the body."

"The Immortal Dao pursues the self, regarding the flesh as a raft, the primordial spirit as the foundation, seeking to entrust the Dao fruition within the Heavenly Dao."

"As for how to entrust it, I do not know; but if there is no recommendation from cultivated life, one must certainly rely on external compensation—this is what I have learned through inquiry and must not be divulged."

Having spoken to this point, Qi seemed to think of something and then reacted with a warning:

The Three Pure Ones naturally nodded in promise, guaranteeing that these words would not be spread outside; Qi then continued: "As far as I know, both the Divine and Immortal Daos now have methods to prove the Grand Unity; the Immortal Dao's cultivation is simple, but I cannot fathom how the Divine Dao's future path will unfold."

"You three have long been renowned in the Primeval Wasteland as top gods of the Divine Dao; now this matter concerns the future of the Divine Dao, so I ought not conceal it."

Only then did the Three Pure Ones begin to feel a headache; they had taken their seats in the the the Zixiao Palace, listening to Grandmaster Hongjun's exposition, and now the Dao lecture had passed more than half.

Grandmaster Hongjun's lecture on the Dao brought them abundant gains; they already harbored thoughts of changing allegiance, and now they felt they should pay half‑teacher respect—upon hearing that the Immortal Dao has a way to prove the Grand Unity, they were still somewhat pleased.

But now, learning that the future of the Divine Dao is dim, while they stand as eminent figures among the Divine Dao of the Primeval Wasteland, they find it hard to choose.

Since their birth, as innate gods they have long enjoyed the fortune of the Divine Dao and have upheld this identity; if the Divine Dao were to flourish in the future, switching to cultivate the Immortal Dao would be no problem.

But the Divine Dao is now in distress, and they have incurred karmic debt from listening to the Dao lectures; how could they not be torn?

After Qi finished speaking, his heart felt much more at ease; some matters, when forced upon oneself, are hard to resolve and are not beneficial to cultivation.

As a top god of the Primeval Wasteland, Qi enjoys the fortune of the Divine Dao and naturally must uphold it; he bears no resentment toward this.

But Qi does not wish to bear this burden alone; he intends to speak with those top gods who also enjoy the Divine Dao's fortune, so as to spare himself effort and avoid gaining nothing in the end. After informing the Three Pure Ones of this, Qi cheerfully returned, having resolved to continue forward on the Divine Dao's path—keeping a few more gods around would also help thicken the Divine Dao's fortune.

Seeing that Nüwa had not yet returned, Qi glanced around and then lifted his wine cup to go to the table where the next deity sat.

Only after the banquet ended did Qi and Taiyi return to the main hall; Fuxi smiled and said: "We have informed all the gods present that the loss of the Divine Dao's fortune can be somewhat alleviated—at least in the short term, its fluctuations should not be too great."

Qi nodded; the idea of having the gods descend into the water was Fuxi's—not to prevent them from switching cultivation, but at least to prolong the loss of the Divine Dao's fortune, giving everyone time to seek a solution.

However, innate gods are few, and the rest of beings cannot cultivate the Divine Dao; this measure merely amounts to a delay.

"The time for the third Dao lecture is drawing near; the interval is only tens of thousands of years, and after the third lecture the Immortal Dao will surely enter a period of vigorous development."

"Fuxi, Taiyi, why not you two stay to give the Dao lecture after it ends in the the the Zixiao Palace?"

Taiyi disagreed; he did not mind when the lecture was given, and even whether he gave it or not was irrelevant to him.

Fuxi then wore a smile, having understood Di Jun's intention, and said:

"This is easy; I only fear that this move might provoke the displeasure of Grandmaster Hongjun, for promoting the Immortal Dao is of utmost importance to him."

At such a critical moment for the immortal Dao, announcing the might of the divine Dao would surely displease him.

Di Jun frowned slightly upon hearing this; Hongjun the Old Ancestor's status is too special, so they also must consider this matter.

Nüwa, however, said indifferently:

What is there to worry about? Yangmei the Great God is still here; he has now attained the Dao fruit of Primordial Unity, achieving the title of Primordial Unity Infinite Luo Heaven Honored God, making him a consummate master of the divine Dao.

Even if Hongjun the Great God were dissatisfied, he could not treat us however he pleased; in the end, he must still show some respect to Yangmei the Great God's dignity.

Qi thought for a moment, then nodded and said: "It should be fine; the prevalence of the immortal Dao in the world is the great trend of the primordial heavens and earth; our actions merely delay it a little, having no effect on the outcome."

It's only a little time; Hongjun the Great God surely won't mind, after all, although he is the lord of the immortal Dao, he was previously an innate deity.

For an innate deity, what they lack least is time; having already waited so long, a little more time will be given by Hongjun the Great God.

Although Qi said this, everyone also understood his meaning; whether Hongjun gives them this time or not, it actually has no effect on the divine Dao and the immortal Dao.

In the end, Di Jun affirmed: "If so, then this is settled; at that time we can also deter those ambitious scoundrels in the primordial world, lest they develop the heart to provoke the Heavenly Court."

In the Chaos, strands of chaotic qi dissipated into invisibility, as if returning to nothingness; within it, two figures stood facing each other.

At this moment, Hongjun's physical form was shattered, covered in cracks, brows tightly furrowed, the Three Corpses eliminated; the several spiritual treasures he once held are now all in his hands.

Yangmei, far off, was also quite disheveled, with some stray hairs on his head, and his originally azure Dharma robe showed several tears.

Through the tears, one could see that his divine body beneath the robe was likewise covered in wounds, but observing his condition, his state is clearly far better than Hongjun's.

Hongjun, it seems I cannot kill you today; however, to think I could end this so easily is still not enough.

Yangmei gazed at Hongjun the Old Ancestor, whose face was also covered in cracks, and couldn't help feeling a hint of regret; although he held the upper hand in this battle, he ultimately could not slay him.

Although Hongjun's divine body was shattered, he rarely laughed loudly and said:

Yangmei Dao friend, although I harbor the wish to settle this, it is not now.

Let me speak plainly to you, Dao friend; Hongjun's purpose in coming this time is simply to seek one battle, with life and death already set aside.

Yangmei was somewhat surprised, not knowing what madness Hongjun was indulging in; he frowned and asked: "You have avoided this for so long, how can you now be so magnanimous? Surely it cannot be that you have attained Primordial Unity yet still have not overcome the tribulation of heart and mind? Or do you truly believe you can defeat me?"

Hongjun took no offense at Yangmei's words; he merely thought of what comes after this battle and smiled: "Yangmei Dao friend, you overthink; I am different from you—your path relies entirely on your own initiation, and lacking spiritual treasures for protection, you naturally face many trials."

Although I am untalented, I have indeed received the Heavenly Emperor's orthodoxy, possessing the Dharma, wealth, companions, and land—nothing lacking.

To achieve perfection and smoothness, the Heavenly Emperor had long made plans, and I too have made preparations.

The Heavenly Emperor's Jade Disc of Creation can bless me to dispel external evils, gather heart and mind, accomplish union with the Dao, and also ensure absolute safety.

Yangmei Dao friend, although the divine Dao is mighty and perfect, the immortal Dao has its own subtleties, which the divine Dao cannot reach.

Saying this, Hongjun's eyes shone with self-satisfaction; the energy he has expended to reach this point far exceeds Yangmei's imagination.

In order to unite with the Dao and safeguard the path of Primordial Unity without fail, he continually accumulated merit on the Eastern Continent, making up for deficiencies in the primordial heavens and earth.

Each of these matters is difficult for outsiders to handle; although the gods feel responsibility toward the heavens and earth, yet striving for transcendence, they have produced many harmful deeds.

In the end, only he, Hongjun, stood forth; this is also where he feels greatest pride.

No matter how Yangmei, Rahu, Yin and Yang, the Five Phases, and Heaven and Earth view him, no matter how maliciously they speculate about his intentions, ultimately the only one who steps forward to handle these matters is him alone.

Yangmei, although you are strong, you cannot ultimately kill me; though your words scorn the Mandate of Heaven, have you ever considered that the Mandate of Heaven resides with me and not with you?

Your strength is merely a temporary advance; in my view, your actions are no different from Rahu's! Compared to Rahu, you are even lacking!

Although Rahu is wicked, at least he harbors his own resolve and acts upon it, seeking to change the primordial world.

Although you have always been stronger than us, you ultimately merely blunder about like a headless fly; how could such a person possibly bear the orthodoxy of the Great Emperor?

And as for the final outcome between you and me, it is the same—you will never be able to defeat me!

Hongjun rarely called someone by name directly, not even addressing them as Dao friend; this greatly surprised Yangmei, and hearing his words, he could not help but fall silent.

He felt that Hongjun and Rahu were both too extreme; he never expected Hongjun to view him likewise, which in turn made him lose some interest.

(End of Chapter)