Chapter 393

On the high dais, after being “optimized and upgraded” by the gods, the countless “plugins” surrounding Tian Dao Hong Jun gradually faded and merged into his “Tian Dao body,” making his aura even deeper and more inscrutable.

His eyes, unchanged for ten thousand eons, slowly opened; though still indifferent, they now carried a faint, indescribable “liveliness” absent from his last lecture.

Xiang Xuanqing instantly sensed the anomaly.

He cast a meaningful glance at Tian Dao Hong Jun but made no other move.

Tai Shang and Yu Chen also glanced at the dais with suspicion.

But seeing Xiang Xuanqing remain still, they too stayed silent.

Hong Jun spoke: “My fellow cultivators, now gathered once more in the Purple Cloud Palace, I shall continue where I left off last time, elucidating the true principles of the Hun Yuan Dao.”

The voice of Hong Jun Dao Ren arose, calm and unruffled, yet seemingly imbued with the cosmic harmony of the Great Dao, instantly capturing the attention of every deity.

“We bow in thanks to the Dao Ancestor!”

The gods sat down to listen, as naturally as if attending a daily lesson.

Hong Jun said: “Today, I shall detail for you the myriad methods of Xian Dao cultivation, for your reference.”

Upon these words, every deity in the hall perked up, their gazes fixed intently on the dais.

The Xian Dao methods—each had dabbled in them to some degree; many were themselves the founders or ultimate masters of one such method.

But for the Dao Ancestor Hong Jun—a being on the verge of merging with the Dao—to systematically expound them from the height of Tian Dao itself, the significance and effect were incomparable.

Perhaps they might glimpse hidden mysteries along their own paths, or gain insights that sparked new understanding.

“Xian Dao is myriad, its methods countless, yet their root lies always in seeking truth, seeking the Dao, seeking transcendence.”

Hong Jun Dao Ren’s voice, unhurried and steady, began his exposition.

“First: the Human Immortal Path.”

“This method emphasizes trials in the mortal realm, experiencing the myriad facets of human nature across the countless worlds, wandering freely through the heavens and earth.”

“The Human Immortal uses sentient beings as the furnace, worldly emotions as fuel, refining a luminous, flawless Dao heart—through laughter, anger, sorrow, and joy, he pierces illusion; through joy, grief, separation, and reunion, he perceives his true self.”

“At its peak, thoughts flow unimpeded, free and unbound—mortal life becomes the Dao hall, play becomes cultivation; with a single thought, flowers bloom; with a single thought, myriad worlds arise. This is the wonder of attaining Dao through the mortal realm.”

Many wandering deities who had risen from mortal origins and endured trials to attain Dao nodded in quiet agreement.

“Moreover, the Human Immortal wields great power within reality, within the river of time and space, even before the Primordial!”

After Hong Jun described Nv Wa’s insights into the Human Immortal Path, most deities were awestruck.

Using the myriad worlds as the mortal realm drew little reaction—every deity present had already done so.

Using the river of time and space as the mortal realm—Great Luo Sovereigns dismissed it as trivial.

But that the Human Immortal could, even before the Primordial, use Chaos as the mortal realm and the Demon Gods as sentient beings—this was beyond extravagant!

We’ve never seen such a technique—we must learn it well!

【Wait, if we practice the Human Immortal Path and enter Chaos, treating Demon Gods as sentient beings, doesn’t that mean we can become any Demon God at will?】

Most deities present had never experienced the Age of Creation or transformed into Chaos Demon Gods themselves.

Yet upon hearing the Human Immortal Method, they all simultaneously realized this possibility.

【No wonder there were countless Chaos Demon Gods—so this is how.】

Hong Jun ignored their thoughts and continued: “Second: the Earth Immortal Path.”

“The Earth Immortal relies on Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, internally cultivating boundless Da Qian worlds, the Zhou Tian cosmos.”

“Starting from small grotto-heavens of mere dozens of zhang, step by step, steadily advancing, one transforms their grotto-heaven into a Xiao Qian world, then a Da Qian world, until finally evolving into a Da Qian cosmos, a multiverse!”

“The Earth Immortal’s Dao fruit is built upon boundless heavenly realms—it is the Dao fruit of co-ruling with the world, the Dao fruit of universal transcendence!”

“This method focuses on creation and evolution, emulating the Great Pan’s work of separating Heaven and Earth—within Chaos or Void, using one’s own Dao as foundation, evolving a universe.”

“The Earth Immortal merges body with world, Dao with realm, becoming the sovereign of the world he creates, receiving the world’s qi and fortune as tribute—this is co-ruling with the world.”

“When the world is perfected and the Dao accomplished, one may transcend together with the entire world—this is the grand aspiration of universal ascension.”

Zhen Yuanzi, hearing this, stroked his long beard.

This was his own research—now spoken by the Dao Ancestor, it carried a unique resonance.

The gods listened intently, meditating deeply.

The Earth Immortal Path, though less flashy than the Human Immortal Path, was steady and beneficial to all beings—everyone found it deeply compelling.

【But calling Great Pan an Earth Immortal—isn’t that odd?】

Hong Jun continued: “Third: the Heavenly Immortal Path.”

“This method values understanding the Dao and contemplating Heaven—penetrating the mysteries of the Three Thousand Great Dao, comprehending the laws of cosmic operation, wielding all laws with supreme wisdom.”

“The Heavenly Immortal plucks stars from the sky, holds the Mandate of Heaven in his mouth; one word can become myriad laws, one thought can fix Heaven and Earth. At its peak, one may use one’s own Dao as core to ‘craft’ a Tian Dao, acting as Heaven’s enforcer—this is the Heavenly Immortal.”

This one they knew well.

Wasn’t their Tian Dao Academy exactly this?

“Fourth: the True Immortal Path.”

“This method is profoundly mysterious—it is concept-based attainment, using supreme mental power to twist reality, transforming illusory concepts into true, unshakable existence.”

“The True Immortal speaks and law follows; thoughts become reality; whatever he conceives becomes real—even defining laws and altering reality itself.”

“As the saying goes: ‘When false is treated as true, truth becomes false; where nothing is treated as something, something becomes nothing.’ This is the essence of this path—difficult to cultivate, yet immensely powerful.”

Some deities specializing in illusion, dream Dao, or mental power techniques blinked with sudden insight.

Those adept at turning illusion into truth listened intently, comparing their own methods with the True Immortal Path.

“Fifth: the Mystery Immortal Path.”

“This method seeks the word ‘Mystery’—mystery within mystery, the gate of all wonders; its Dao cannot be named, cannot be described, often pointing directly to some ‘unknowable’ beyond the origin of the Dao.”

"The Mystery Immortal is the Lord of All Methods, exhausting all divine transformations, using absolute great power to connect the beginning and end of the river of time and space."

“With beginning and end, yet without beginning or end—between wondrous being and wondrous non-being, the Mystery Immortal Dao endures!”

“This method may also be called attainment through force.”

The three thousand guests of the Purple Cloud Palace paused, stunned.

So the Mystery Immortal Path is attainment through force?

“Our Mystery Immortal Ancestor (Kun Peng Dao You) is truly a genius!”

The gods had no choice but to admit it.

Such a path of attainment was beyond the reach of ordinary deities.

Hong Jun continued expounding the Dao: “Sixth: the Golden Immortal Path.”

“This method emphasizes refining the ‘Golden Nature’—‘Golden Nature’ does not refer to the Five Elements’ Metal, but to the eternal, indestructible, unblemished true nature.”

“The Golden Immortal uses his body as the furnace, myriad calamities as fire, hammering and refining endlessly, discarding the impure, preserving the essence, cultivating a single luminous light that never dims, achieving perfect, radiant Golden Nature.”

“Through countless calamities, his soul remains unextinguished; through aeons of destruction, his Dao body endures—this is the truth of indestructibility and immortality.”

Many veteran Great Luo Sovereigns, who had endured countless calamities to reach their state, deeply understood this.

Deities who had interacted with the Sumeru Academy now turned their gaze to Jie Yin and Zhun Ti.

“Seventh: the Divine Immortal Path.”

“This method is the ultimate of law-based attainment, specializing in one or several laws, penetrating them to their ultimate origin, then reversing the post-heaven to trace back to the primordial.”

“The Divine Immortal makes law his body, Dao his name, transforming into the primordial deity who governs that law—existing with the Dao, his words become law, his actions become principle.”

“Among the Hong Huang, many primordial deities were born as practitioners of this path—merely by continuous refinement, they naturally achieve success.”

The primordial deities present all nodded in understanding—this was the path they knew best.

“Eighth: the Ghost Immortal Path.”

“This method is most peculiar—it seeks life through death, attains Dao within annihilation, finds truth within finality.”

“The Ghost Immortal may undergo cycles of life and death, govern the Underworld, endure the Final Dharma Calamity, continually ‘reducing to achieve emptiness,’ shedding all excess, reaching the origin of ‘Emptiness.’”

“At its peak, he becomes the ultimate fruit of all worlds, embodying the fate that all things return to stillness—attaining great eternity within annihilation.”

Hong Jun Dao Ren expounded each of the eight mainstream Xian Dao methods in turn—his words plain, yet imbued with ultimate truth, as if clearly unfolding before the gods the paths to Heaven itself.

Though the gods already knew these methods well—even excelling in them—now hearing the Dao Ancestor analyze them from

Many previously obscure and unclear passageways suddenly became clear;

Some long-standing cultivation problems also found new avenues of thought.

All present drank deeply as if from sweet nectar, lost in rapture, each comparing what they had learned with their own understanding, verifying their insights, feeling as if the door to the Dao had opened a little more to them.

When the eight Immortal Dao methods had been fully expounded, Hong Jun continued by detailing the cultivation process of these eight methods, from low to high.

He then began with how a Luo Jinxian further consolidates their Dao fruit and comprehends the fundamental source of their own Dao, citing widely yet explaining clearly and accessibly.

The three thousand mortals of the red dust focused their minds, listened intently, continually cultivated insight, and constantly verified their understanding.

Most among them listened with rapt attention, occasionally radiating brilliant Dao light, their Dao principles growing ever deeper and more profound, the Dao path widening and extending ever farther.

When the eight methods of attaining Dao had been fully explained, Hong Jun shifted tone, his voice becoming even deeper and more distant. “Aside from these eight methods, my Immortal Dao possesses a ninth method—the Hun Yuan method.”

“Today, this humble Daoist shall elucidate for you its core: the method of severing the Three Corpses to attain Dao!”

At these words, the Zi Xiao Palace fell utterly silent; every deity’s breath halted, their gazes snapping in unison to Hong Jun.

The Hun Yuan method! This was the very core they had come here hoping to hear!

Though Xuan Qing Tian Di had once mentioned that Hong Yun’s Hong Meng Zi Qi might be the foundation for attaining Hun Yuan, no one knew precisely how to achieve it.

Severing the Three Corpses to attain Dao was the supreme method passed down by Hong Jun, the Dao Ancestor, and the very path he himself had once walked.

Now, as he personally expounded it in detail, its priceless value was self-evident.

Soon, the sound of the Great Dao’s melody echoed through the Zi Xiao Palace.

“The True Constant responds to all things; the True Constant attains its nature. Constantly responding, constantly still—ever pure and still. In such purity, one gradually enters the True Dao. Having entered the True Dao, one is called one who has attained Dao; though named one who has attained Dao, in truth one gains nothing. For the sake of transforming all beings, one is called one who has attained Dao. Those who awaken to this may transmit the Sacred Dao…”

Sacred Dao?

The deities gazed thoughtfully toward the first row: San Qing, Nv Wa, Jie Yin, and Zhun Ti.

The six permanent members of the Heavenly Dao Committee now hold the title of Sage.

Meanwhile, the Demon Dao’s Demon Kings were somewhat enraged.

“Damn Hong Jun! He’s stolen our Demon Dao’s achievements! ‘Holy virtue shines bright, holy Dao glows glorious’—those phrases clearly describe our Demon Sect!”

Hong Jun didn’t care whether anyone understood or not; he spoke nonstop for three hundred years.

For those three hundred years, everyone struggled to follow.

Only when Hong Jun finished his lecture did Tai Shang ask: “May I ask the Dao Ancestor, where lies the essence of the Three Corpses Method?”

Hong Jun spoke calmly: “The first corpse is the Good Corpse, representing attachment to virtuous thoughts—compassion, mercy, and other positive emotions. Excess goodness leads to pedantry and loss of decisiveness.”

“The second corpse is the Evil Corpse, representing attachment to malevolent thoughts—greed, anger, and other negative emotions. Excess evil leads to brutality and easy descent into demonic paths.”

“The third corpse is the Self-Corpse, also called the Clinging-Self Corpse, representing rigid attachment to the concept of ‘I’—to one’s own existence, past experiences, and future aspirations. This corpse is the hardest to sever and the most crucial.”

“These three corpses are like three great mountains pressing upon the seeker’s heart, preventing them from clarifying their mind and seeing their nature, and hindering union with the Dao.”

“How does one sever them?” asked the [Yuan Shi Tian Zun].

Hong Jun replied: “To sever the Three Corpses, one must rely on the aid of Primordial Spiritual Treasures, severing these three attachments from the Yuan Shen, transforming them into independent entities, thereby purifying the original body’s Yuan Shen and restoring its primordial purity.”

“When the Good Corpse is severed, the heart embraces all under heaven without being bound by goodness; actions align more closely with Heaven’s will.”

“When the Evil Corpse is severed, one perceives all evils without being tainted by them; conduct becomes more decisive.”

“When the Self-Corpse is severed, one breaks free from ego-attachment, realizes that the true self is not the self, and gains a more objective, grander perspective on the cosmic Dao—laying the foundation for union with the Dao.”

Hong Jun Dao Ren explained in detail the origin, characteristics, and significance of severing the Three Corpses.

He spoke with extreme precision—from how to sense the Three Corpses, to selecting the Primordial Spiritual Treasure to host the severed corpse, to how to nurture and cultivate them after severance—each step laid out clearly.

“Severing the Three Corpses is not the goal—it is a means,” Hong Jun emphasized.

“Once severed, they become three ‘Dao-Selves,’ each possessing independent thought and Dao understanding, capable of exploring different paths to assist the original body’s cultivation.”

“More importantly, when all three corpses are severed and each has cultivated to a level comparable to the original body, one may attempt the unification of the Three Corpses.”

“The unification of the Three Corpses is not mere addition—it is the harmonization and unification of these three extreme attachments at a higher level: the dialectic between ‘having self’ and ‘no self.’”

“If one succeeds in unifying the Three Corpses, one can penetrate the gateway to Hun Yuan, realize the profound truth that ‘I am the Dao, the Dao is I,’ and step directly into the supreme state of Hun Yuan Da Luo Jin Xian!”

Hong Jun’s voice echoed within the Zi Xiao Palace; each word seemed imbued with boundless Dao rhythm and mystery.

The gods listened, entranced; their Yuan Shen trembled slightly, as if a door to an entirely new world was slowly opening before them.

Among them, some gods had once attempted to sever corpses, but due to improper methods, unsuitable spiritual treasures, or insufficient understanding of the Three Corpses, most had only dabbled and failed to advance.

Now, hearing Hong Jun’s penetrating explanation, they felt their minds suddenly unblocked—all past confusion and doubt vanished.

“So the key to severing the Three Corpses lies not only in ‘severing,’ but in ‘uniting!’” muttered a Da Luo Zun, eyes blazing with insight.

“Good and evil, self—these are not to be utterly discarded, but transcended and embraced!” another god suddenly understood.

“The selection of Primordial Spiritual Treasures involves so many subtleties—I never realized how simplistic my thinking was!”

The gods were immersed in their contemplation of the Three Corpses method for attaining the Dao; the entire Zi Xiao Palace was suffused with a thick atmosphere of Dao-seeking.

Seeing this, Hong Jun Dao Ren did not interrupt; he simply waited quietly as they absorbed and digested his words.

After an unknown length of time, several Da Luo Zuns with deep accumulations and prior preparation flashed decisive expressions in their eyes.

BOOM!

A god clad in star-robes, his entire body radiant with starlight, suddenly saw a pure qi surge from the crown of his head; within the qi, a Daoist figure with a gentle smile and a star-sword slowly coalesced.

“Excellent, excellent. This humble Daoist, Star River Daoist, greets the original body!” the figure bowed.

This seemed like a signal.

Immediately after, another god, surrounded by sinister demonic energy and an overwhelmingly dominant aura, let out a thunderous roar; from his crown, a black qi erupted.

The black qi churned, forming a monstrous shadow with a terrifying face, wielding a demonic saber, radiating murderous intent.

“Hehehe! I am Tian Sha, the Demon Lord! Original body, you finally let me out!” the shadow laughed wildly.

“Shut up!” the Dark Demon God’s lip twitched—this evil corpse had some personality!

“The embodiment of good thought—now is the time to sever it!” a clear laugh rang out as Hong Yun Dao Ren was enveloped in crimson clouds.

A pure, flawless thought surged from his crown, forming in midair a Daoist with the same face as Hong Yun, yet even more compassionate and benevolent, holding the Nine-Nine Crimson Cloud Soul-Dispelling Gourd.

“This humble Daoist, Yun Zhong Jun, greets the original body!” the good corpse bowed, smiling warmly.

"Excellent! Hong Yun Dao friend truly has great fortune!" Zhen Yuan Zi applauded beside him.

Ming He’s blood-sha and boundless killing intent suddenly receded, transforming into a pure, piercing will to cleanse all impurity and sin from the world.

From deep within his Yuan Shen, a dark, ink-black evil thought—yet faintly tinged with sacred purity—was severed, forming a black-robed Daoist holding the Yuan Tu and A Ni swords, his gaze cold and decisive.

“I am the Killing Life Daoist. Greetings, original body. From today onward, you govern life; I govern death!” the evil corpse spoke with icy tone, yet devoid of demonic malice.

Ming He stared at his own evil corpse as if he were a fool: “You mean… you want to kill me?”

[Killing Life Daoist] grinned: “What difference is there between you and me?”

“You kill me, it’s suicide. I kill you, it’s suicide!”

“Is that so?” Ming He’s expression remained blank as he drew his killing sword and stabbed [Killing Life Daoist] through the heart on the spot.

“Ugh~~” [Killing Life Daoist] widened his eyes, then dissolved into immortal light.

“Hmm, my cultivation seems to have increased slightly!” Ming He held his bloodied killing sword, grinning wildly, almost mad.

“Ming Di, what was that?” Nearby gods had never seen such an underworld maneuver—they were startled.

Ming He turned his head, revealing sharp white teeth, and smiled: “Don’t be afraid. The spirits of our underworld cultivate the Ghost Immortal Dao.”

“Didn’t you all hear the Dao Ancestor say? ‘To live, one must face death.’ You understand, right?”

“Yes yes yes!!” Several gods nodded frantically, terrified this lunatic might come and cut them down.

Meng Wu You’s body was surrounded by endless dreamlike bubbles.

She severed a thought embodying the extreme contradiction of "emptiness" and "clinging," forming a woman clad in seven-colored glass robes, with a vermilion dot on her brow, her aura both ethereal and eerie.

"Dream Heaven Maiden greets the Original Zun." The woman bowed gracefully, her eyes holding a hint of mischief.

The great demon cultivator Pan Wang Lao Zu, surrounded by countless phantom demon shadows, severed an attachment representing "absolute control" and "limitless reproduction," forming a bizarre Daoist clad in hundred-legged, hundred-eyed armor, wielding a ten-thousand-cultivation banner.

Lei Ze, the Dragon God, roared, surrounded by myriad thunderbolts; a thunderous evil thought symbolizing “destruction” and “rebirth” surged skyward, forming the Thunder Punishment Heavenly Lord, wielding a thunder hammer and lightning chisel, mighty and dominant.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox giggled, her nine fluffy tails swaying behind her; she effortlessly severed a thought embodying “ultimate seduction” and “boundless desire,” forming a stunningly beautiful demoness whose gaze alone could bewitch all beings.

"Emotion Heart Demon Lord greets the Original Zun."

Zhu Que, the Phoenix Clan’s Divine Lord, was engulfed in blazing Southern Ming Li Fire.

A fierce attachment symbolizing “burning all things” and “rebirth through nirvana” transformed into a flame phoenix, circling his body.

Bai Hu, the Divine Lord, radiated golden martial energy skyward.

A powerful attachment symbolizing “supreme slaughter” and “guardianship of the west” formed a colossal white-tiger with glowing eyes and a broad forehead, roaring through empty space.

Qing Long, the Divine Lord, pulsed with vibrant eastern wood energy; a benevolent attachment symbolizing “eastern growth” and “dragon clan dignity” transformed into a thousand-mile-long azure dragon, summoning clouds and rain.

Bei Fang Zhen Wu Da Di’s Xuan Wu form solidified; a heavy attachment symbolizing “suppressing floods” and “tortoise-snake unity” formed a massive tortoise bearing the Luo Book, entwined by a spiritual snake.

Ying Long, the Divine Lady, was wreathed in misty vapor; a good thought symbolizing “summoning clouds and rain” and “dragon clan heritage” formed a dignified, beautiful dragon maiden holding a dragon pearl.

Suddenly, the Zi Xiao Palace was filled with rising immortal qi and spreading evil Sha , yet strangely maintaining a balance.

The newly born Three Corpses incarnations, each with unique forms and energies, bowed respectfully to their original bodies—the scene was magnificent.

————

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(End of Chapter)