Chapter Twelve: Dividing Treasure, Merging with the Way

  As they entered the Purple Mist Palace, many people had already arrived. In the front row, Laozi was sitting on his mat in meditation. Tongtian and Houtu stepped forward to pay their respects, saying: "We have seen you, two elder brothers. We are late." The people around them were shocked - when did they become elder brothers? Those with discerning minds thought to themselves that after listening to the Tao for the first time, Tongtian and Houtu had followed Laozi to Kunlun Mountain, so it must have been then. They just didn't expect to become siblings. Laozi was overjoyed when he heard this, and from now on, the relationship between the four of them was confirmed in front of everyone. With Tongtian and Houtu joining, no one dared to look down on them anymore. Even Laozi's expression, which had remained unchanged for ten thousand years, revealed a hint of a smile.

  "Haha, no need for formalities. Third brother and little sister have arrived late, please sit down quickly." The original laughed and said, the old man just smiled and nodded, then closed his eyes and meditated again. Tongtian Hou Tu smiled and walked forward, sat on the cushion, and began to close his eyes and cultivate his spirit.

  But little did they know that the impact on the crowd of immortals was enormous. To think that Laozi originally was one of the few great divine powers in the vast wilderness, and now he had joined forces with Tongtian and Houtu, four top-level divine powers huddled together, which made all the immortals feel a shock to their hearts, thinking "From now on, we will absolutely not provoke these four people". Although everyone had their own thoughts in their minds, they didn't say it out loud.

  People kept coming to the Zixiao Palace, greeted each other and sat waiting for the Daozu to explain the great way. After a while, when everyone was seated, Huangtian and Yaochi, the golden boy and jade girl, stepped forward and said: "Everyone, please be quiet, the Daozu is about to begin!" Then, they saw the Daozu Hongjun wearing a Hunyuan-colored Daoist robe, quietly appearing from the void and sitting high on the cloud bed.

  Hongjun Laozu didn't say a word, he just spoke the law, his eyes drooped down, observing with his heart, one by one, the grand Dao's maxims slowly came out of his mouth, and lingered in the air within the Zi Xuan Palace.

  "The Tao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to all things. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang, and the interplay of the two gives rise to harmony."

  "By non-action, nothing is left undone. By flavoring nothing, one's taste is not spoiled. In the great and small, in the many and few, repay resentment with virtue. Plan for difficulties while it is still easy, and deal with the big things while they are still small. The world's difficult affairs must be done when they are easy; the world's great affairs must be done when they are small. This is why sages never do anything great, and so they can accomplish their greatness. For this reason, those who lightly make promises will necessarily have little credibility, and those who easily take things to be easy will necessarily encounter many difficulties. This is why sages consider it difficult, and therefore ultimately have no difficulties."

  "It is easy to maintain while it is still easy, and to plan for before signs of trouble appear. It is easy to break something when it is still fragile, and to disperse something when it is still small. Deal with things before they exist, and govern them before they become chaotic. A large tree grows from a tiny sprout; a high tower rises from a pile of earth; a long journey begins at the feet. Those who act will fail, those who grasp will lose. Therefore, the sage does nothing, so he has no failures; he grasps nothing, so he has no losses. The people's undertakings are often ruined when they are almost complete. Be as careful at the end as you were at the beginning, and there will be no failed endeavors. Therefore, the sage desires not to desire, does not value rare goods; learns not to learn, returns to what the multitude has passed by. He aligns himself with the natural order of the myriad things, and dares not act."

  "The Valley Spirit never dies, it is called the Mysterious Female. The gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of heaven and earth. It is continuous and seems to exist, using it will not exhaust it."

  "Heaven and earth are long-lasting. The reason why heaven and earth can be long-lasting is that they do not give birth to themselves, therefore they can be long-lasting. This is why the sage puts his body after himself yet his body comes first, he puts his body outside of himself yet his body remains intact. Because he has no selfishness, therefore he can fulfill his own desires."

  "To know but not to know is a disease; Not to know and yet to think one knows is also a disease. This is why the wise are never sick, for they see their own sickness as sickness."

  "The Way of Heaven is like the bending of a bow. The high it presses down, the low it lifts up; that which has too much it takes from, and to that which has not enough it gives. The Way of Heaven reduces what is excessive and supplements what is insufficient; but the way of man is not so - he reduces what is insufficient and offers sacrifices to what is excessive. Who can have too much and give it to the world? Only those who follow the Way. Therefore, the sage acts without expectation, accomplishes without dwelling on his accomplishments, and does not seek to display his worth."

  "Heaven and earth are not humane, they regard all things as straw dogs; the sage is not humane, he regards all people as straw dogs. The space between heaven and earth is like a bellows, empty but never exhausted, moving yet never flowing away. Much speech leads to exhaustion, it is better to hold to the center."

  This time, the lecture was about the cultivation method after becoming a saint. It was extremely mysterious and difficult to understand. Even Laozi and others who were in the period of becoming a saint could barely follow it. Those who didn't understand could only remember it and reflect on it later. Fortunately, everyone had the Hongmeng Purple Qi, which merged with their yuan Shen faster and faster as they listened to the lecture, making it a gain.

  And the ones in the back, Emperor Jun, Taiyi, Zhenyuanzi, Minghe, Kunpeng, Hongyun and others, were only vaguely listening, not quite understanding. Even so, they still gained a lot, their cultivation improved significantly, and they also gained insight into many magical powers. As for the rest of the immortals, except for occasionally being able to understand one or two sentences, they could only close their eyes and sleep, it was even hard to remember them if their cultivation wasn't enough, once they tried to force themselves to remember, their primordial spirit would become unstable, and they would go crazy. So most of the immortals started sleeping.

  After a long time, the Taoist ancestor stopped talking about the Tao. He said to the crowd: "After Pangu opened up the sky and the earth, I obtained the jade disc of creation, understood the great Tao, followed the heaven and taught the people, and talked about the Tao three times. Now it has been completed, from now on I will not talk about the Tao again. From this time on, the great Tao will rise, and there will be saints. The saint is the Hunyuan Dalo Golden Immortal, who will not be ground for ten thousand years, and will not be stained by cause and effect. The saint has nothing to do, so he will not fail, so he will not lose. Things are either in motion or at rest; either looking or blowing; either strong or weak; either carrying or falling. Therefore, the saint gets rid of what is extreme, extravagant, and arrogant. You should remember this carefully! The last time I talked about the Tao, I had already established a sacred position, but now I don't mention it.

  All the immortals who were not destined for the holy position were unwilling, but as the Taoist ancestor said, they couldn't do anything about it. They all secretly thought about the ownership of the last holy position, looked at each other with dislike, and had a strong sense of gunpowder, constantly calculating in their hearts.

  At this time, Hong Jun said to the crowd: "Nowadays, the creatures of the vast wilderness have some disputes, and you don't have much advantage. As my disciples, you should have some opportunities. When I traveled through the vast wilderness in my early years, I found all kinds of treasures, but after I realized the Great Way, I will merge with the Way, and these treasures will be useless at that time. Now, I will distribute them to those who are predestined, let you protect yourselves, and also have spiritual treasures to suppress the sect's rules when you become immortals in the future."

  Everyone in the Purple Mansion was delighted to hear that Hong Jun wanted to distribute treasures, and they exclaimed: "Master is so kind!" However, Tong Tian secretly sneered: What kindness! These fools don't know that the greater their expectations, the greater their disappointment. What's not yours will never be yours. Perhaps on the Treasure Cliff, you might obtain one or two Pre-Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, but what Hong Jun has in his hands are already owned by others. Even if you begged, it would be useless.

  Tongtian had been waiting for this day for a long time, the Exterminating Immortal Sword Array! It was finally going to belong to him. However, he also felt some trepidation in his heart. Although the Honghuang world now only had him and Hou Tu's fate different from their previous lives, others didn't have much change. As the saying goes, "pulling one hair moves the whole body", it was unknown whether he could possess the Exterminating Immortal Sword Array, but he was transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit, so there would definitely be great treasures. He wasn't too worried either. With excitement in his heart, he put on an expectant look and gazed at Hongjun, others did the same.

  "Laozi, you are the incarnation of Pangu Yuanshen, my first disciple, the great master of all people. The heavenly numbers indicate that you should take charge of this Taiji diagram." Laozi stepped forward, bowed to Hongjun, and received it with a slightly trembling face. Everyone below looked on in envy, swallowing their saliva at Laozi's good fortune.

  "Originally, you were also transformed by Pangu Yuanshen, this Pangu flag, the function of breaking through the chaos. I hope you will use it well and in the future when you are in charge of the great teachings, you can also take it to suppress the air transport." Hong Jun said lightly. Yuansheng was overjoyed and thanked him, came forward to receive it, held it in his hand and looked at it repeatedly, extremely happy.

  "Tongtian, you are the primordial spirit of Pangu merged with the chaotic air. Now I grant you the Four Swords of Exterminating Immortals, which will govern the use of killing and punishment. Additionally, I grant you the Array Chart of Exterminating Immortals. When these two are combined, they can be used to set up the first killing array in the vast wilderness - the Exterminating Immortal Sword Array. Within this array, slaughter is endless; even saints cannot break it unless all four saints are present! However, you must use it with caution and not lightly provoke conflicts."

  Hongyuan's words shocked everyone. This Exterminating Immortal Sword Array was indeed for exterminating immortals, and its primary function was to kill and punish. But what was astonishing was that breaking the array would require the presence of all four saints! Currently, there wasn't even one saint present; even if all those who had attained sainthood were gathered together, excluding Tongtian, there would only be a few saints left. Moreover, earlier in the Purple Mansion, he had referred to himself as the elder brother of the original ancestor, and the Purple Mansion was the ancestral temple of the Taoist founder. This established their relationship with each other. And Hou Tu had always been on his side, so that left only three saints remaining. How could they possibly break this Exterminating Immortal Sword Array? Wouldn't Tongtian be invincible from now on? In the future, it seemed that everyone would have to give in to Tongtian and a few others; otherwise, once the Exterminating Immortal Sword Array was unleashed, they might become the immortals being exterminated.

  Tongtian hastily took over the Xian Jian Si Jian and the formation chart, thanked Hongjun, and then turned his eyes to cry with a sad face: "The main killing of the Xianjian Sword Formation is weak in defense, and it cannot suppress the aura. I hope that the teacher will take pity on me and grant me a defensive treasure, so that my disciple can protect myself in the future!"

  Everyone saw that he had obtained such a heavy treasure and still asked the Taoist ancestor for treasure, they were extremely disdainful, but also admired Tongtian's meticulous thinking. He was able to calmly analyze the pros and cons of the Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation after obtaining such a heavy treasure, his temperament can be imagined, and all the immortals in their hearts were self-deprecating. However, the Houtu on the side heard it, but almost laughed out loud, holding back her laughter, but her face was already like a peach blossom, looking like she had a high fever.

  Hong Jun didn't say a word, he just stared at Tong Tian with his empty eyes. Tong Tian felt a chill in his heart and stuttered: "Disciple just remembered that there are still some spiritual treasures in hand, no problem with self-protection, won't bother Master anymore." In his heart, he cursed: "Damn old man, give you some and you'll die? Want to keep it for the coffin?" Hong Jun still didn't speak, just kept staring at him. Tong Tian took a look and dared not think about it again, with a respectful expression.

  After a while, Hong Jun was no longer watching Tong Tian and continued to distribute treasures.

  "Houtu, you are the essence of Pangu's primordial spirit and blood. You will have great virtues to accomplish in the future. This is the Qiankun Ding, which can return all things to their origin and reverse the natural order. It can also be used for defense and to suppress the flow of energy. Use it well." Houtu hastily thanked him and accepted the Qiankun Ding. Tongtian was also secretly delighted for Houtu on the side. The Qiankun Ding has a wide range of uses, including refining instruments, defense, and suppressing the flow of energy. Moreover, the Qiankun Ding still has several virtues to accomplish, it can be said to be a top-grade treasure.

  "Nüwa, you are kind and gentle, and dislike conflict. In the future, there will be a great merit to be accomplished, so I grant you the Mountain River Map, the Red Embroidered Ball, one for offense and one for defense. In the future, they can protect you completely!" Nüwa hastily thanked her and accepted the two treasures.

  Hongjun gave it to Nüwa, then closed his mouth and didn't speak, apparently having no intention of giving again.

  As soon as they met, they knelt down and cried out: "My Western land is poor and has few treasures. I beg the Master to have mercy and grant me a spiritual treasure to protect myself." As he spoke, his words were sincere and urgent, with a hint of sadness in his voice. The guide also hastily knelt down on the ground.

  Hongjun Laozu looked at the two of them and said after a moment, "You two also have great willpower and wisdom, and you've gained insight into the side door's great method. However, it's still just fate, and in the end, you're still guests from the Western Land, with no affinity for the Eastern Land's great treasure. Never mind, I'll give you twelve-petaled golden lotus flowers and a divine staff to aid you." After speaking, Hongjun Laozu took out a golden lotus flower and gave it to Jieyin, while Zhunti received the divine staff.

  Everyone saw that the treasure had been obtained, and they all knelt down to worship and ask for the Taoist ancestor. Suddenly, the Zixiao Palace was noisy and lively, what a commotion!

  "The predestined spiritual treasures have already been allocated, and the remaining ones are placed on the Fenbao Rock outside the palace in the southeast. You can all go take them." Hong Jun looked at the crowd below, who were all bowing down, and felt slightly comforted. Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately rushed out of the Zixiao Palace and charged towards the Fenbao Cliff.

  Tongtian Ke was just waiting for Hongyuan Lao's words. Earlier, Hongyuan Laozu only gave him the Xianjian Sword Array and didn't give him any other spiritual treasures. He thought to himself: "Not giving? Very good, watch me empty out Fenbao Cliff for you." As soon as Hongyuan Lao's words fell, he pulled Hou Tu along and flew off in a flash. Everyone's eyes blurred, and his figure disappeared. Everyone was stunned for a moment before reacting quickly, all rushing towards Fenbao Cliff at high speed.

  Tongtian and Houtu arrived at Fenbao Cliff. They saw a large black boulder floating with all sorts of treasures, dazzling their eyes. Without saying another word, he let Houtu collect the spiritual treasures herself, while he began to sweep up everything in sight, regardless of what kind of spiritual treasure it was, as long as he saw it, he picked it up. The crowd rushed over and immediately started grabbing treasures.

  This place is near the Hongyuan Purple Palace, and people didn't dare to fight with magic, so they all used brute force. In an instant, they were packed together, pushing and shoving each other. In the end, everyone was satisfied, Laozi got a lot of spiritual treasures, became rich and escaped poverty, his face full of smiles, looking very pleased. Zhunti also got some, and he couldn't stop smiling, his mouth stretched wide open. Jieyin's bitter melon face also relaxed a bit. The rest of the people got more or less some pre-heavenly spiritual treasures.

  After the Lingbao disappeared from the Equal Treasure Cliff, Tongtian waved his hand and put away the Equal Treasure Cliff. This Equal Treasure Cliff was also a treasure, for all the cross-world travelers of past lives, this Equal Treasure Cliff was a must-have item, if they didn't take it themselves, it would be a disappointment to the audience! The crowd of immortals watched with their eyes wide open and mouths agape, and in their hearts, they were also regretful that they hadn't thought of it themselves, and they couldn't help but admire Tongtian.

  Everyone took the treasure of the law and returned to the Purple Cloud Palace to witness the grand occasion of Hong Jun Dao Zu's union with the Tao!

  As soon as he returned to the Purple Mansion, he saw Hong Jun sitting calmly on a mat, his expression serene and unruffled. When he saw everyone coming in, he first instructed them to take their seats, then slightly raised his eyelids and said: "Pangu opened up the sky and earth, creating the vast universe and all living things, for tens of thousands of years. I have obtained the divine instrument of creation, followed the will of heaven to become a saint, established this Purple Mansion, preached the Tao and transmitted its teachings, and my merits are complete. My cultivation has made great progress, and I feel that the great Tao of heaven and earth is like a dog herding all living things, it is both great benevolence and great malevolence. The grand trend of the heavenly way is lacking one from the number fifty, although I have great teachings, I am unable to make up for this deficiency. However, after much contemplation, my intention is to seek the method of uniting with the Tao through self-cultivation, to care for all living things, to prolong the great benevolence of heaven and earth, and to supplement the great malevolence of heaven and earth."

  Everyone was overjoyed as soon as they heard the news. Hongjun wanted to merge with the Tao, so later on, he would no longer be a saint, but a kind of law. It's easy to ask about the affairs of the Hongyuan again, and people can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although everyone has achieved great success, even becoming quasi-saints, they are still under the pressure of a powerful teacher like Hongjun, how can they live freely? This time, Hongjun's merging with the Tao just got rid of the heart disease of the crowd, and after that, the Hongyuan would belong to them.

  "I still hope the teacher will reconsider!!" Although they were extremely delighted in their hearts, everyone stood up and bowed down saying.

  Hongjun looked at them and continued to say: "I am the Heavenly Way, only in charge of the great trend of heaven, until this great way is prosperous, there are saints who come out to follow the heavenly way, for the sake of the saints, they will not be destroyed for millions of years, they will not be stained by cause and effect, the saints have nothing to do, so they will not fail, so they will not lose. The saints must go to extremes, go to luxury, go to peace, you should remember this carefully!"

  "The teacher's teachings will never be forgotten!"

  "Master Hongyuan, after you merge with the Dao, will it be for the Heavenly Dao or for yourself?" Tian Xuan asked immediately.

  "Hong Jun is the way of heaven, and the way of heaven is not for Hong Jun." Hong Jun replied calmly. Tong Tian scolded in his heart: "Can't you speak clearly? Last time you spoke, it took me a long time to understand after laughing at it. Classical Chinese is really hard to understand." Seeing Hong Jun's expressionless face, he didn't ask anymore.

  "Remember, it's not the end of the world, I won't appear again. You all take care of yourselves from now on!" Hong Jun gave his final reminder, telling everyone that as long as they didn't go against heaven too much, he wouldn't interfere with anything else, and the crowd once again chorused in agreement.

  Everyone said in unison: "Teacher's sacred grace, we bid farewell." This trip to the Purple Cloud Palace was quite rewarding. Hong Jun insisted on merging with the Heavenly Way, which made everyone extremely happy.

  Tongtian was also deeply moved in his heart. Hongjun obviously knew some of his secrets, but didn't do anything to him and treated him extremely well. Thinking back on past events, he couldn't express his gratitude towards Hongjun. Sighing, he walked out of the Zixiao Palace, "Little sister, come here, let's make one last bow to our teacher. Who knows if we'll meet again in the future, whether it will be as teacher and student or as equals under the heavens." Houtu nodded, and the two sincerely knelt down, making one final bow to Hongjun before standing up and leaving with the crowd, not caring whether he was concerned about them or not.

  In the Purple Mansion, only Hong Jun was seen lightly nodding his head, with a smile on his face. He then slightly opened his mouth and said two words: "He Dao!" Suddenly, a golden Dharma wheel appeared in the air, and Hong Jun's body shape was cast into it and disappeared. The Dharma wheel also disappeared into thin air and was no longer visible.

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  (Update 2 is finally here, thanks for waiting everyone ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seeking votes, seeking recommendations, seeking collections, seeking reviews.)