Chapter Eighty-two: Transcending the Week

  Mount Buzhou, transformed from the spine of Pangu, embodies a sense of simplicity and desolation. Its height is unknown, reaching tens of billions of li, as if to pierce through the nine heavens and reach the primordial chaos. Its width is also unknown, spanning tens of billions of li, stretching across the four cardinal directions. Billions of sacred mountains surround it, undulating in a majestic landscape, with towering mountain ranges encircling Mount Buzhou like stars surrounding the moon.

  A majestic mountain range stretching billions of miles across the vast expanse, combined with the unique aura of Mount Buzhou, is so shocking that it makes the creatures of the Primordial World involuntarily worship.

  The mountains are lush and green, with towering trees that seem to touch the sky. The old vines and wild grasses are all infused with the essence of the forest, creating a majestic sight. In the midst of the mountains, the water flows gently, its surface glinting like stars in the night sky. The silver scales of the fish flash as they leap from the water, and countless rare and precious treasures lie hidden within.

  Hong Jun walked step by step on the natural small path of Buzhou Mountain, neither fast nor slow. The little grass beside the road nodded gently, as if welcoming his arrival.

  Hong Jun's heart slightly moved, feeling as if something was attracting himself. Although the grass and trees are small, they also have a kind of mind towards the Tao from birth; no matter what harsh environment, they can strive to grow; no matter how the creatures of the vast wilderness treat them, they are without complaint or regret; their spiritual intelligence is just beginning to open, but they understand how to welcome people with courtesy, and when they meet, there is a destined connection. And so he sat down cross-legged and began to preach the Tao to the flowers and grasses, the Tao of the grass and trees being simple and quiet, without dust or pollution.

  Hongjun is not about displaying magical powers to help the spiritual growth of grass and trees, but rather explaining the cyclical principles of heaven and earth, and the unyielding way. The sound may not be loud, but it's like a great bell resonating between the mountains of Buzhou.

  Hongyuan sighed and stood up to leave, singing a song: "If the mind is free from thoughts, all phenomena will not arise. If the intention is cut off from the mysterious mechanism, how can the fine dust stand? The Tao has no body, but it stands because of its body. The Tao has no name, but it gets its title because of its name. If one says that speech is mind and Tao, this is still not entering the profound subtlety. If one says that speech is neither mind nor Tao, this is still pointing to the ultimate principle. The path upwards is one, but a thousand sages do not transmit it. Learners labor in vain, like apes grasping at shadows."

  The flowers and grasses in the Not-Non Mountain that were infatuated with Hongjun's Taoist methods gradually woke up, saw Hongjun get up and leave, and moved together as if to see him off.

  At this time, the ground suddenly cracked open, and a fragrance wafted up to his nose. Countless primordial wood true energies descended from above, transforming into lotus flowers that bloomed everywhere, surging into the surrounding flowers and grasses. Those flowers and grasses instantly became enlightened and their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Amidst the vast expanse of green mist, a heavenly spiritual root appeared as an illusory shadow, bowing to Hong Jun and saying: "Master, I still await your enlightenment."

  Hong Jun's heart moved slightly, he let out a sigh and walked upwards in a leisurely manner.

  That wraith pleaded bitterly: "Master, we plants are born with hardships and difficulties. Our vital energy nourishes heaven and earth. The Heavenly Way is unfair, not only making it difficult for us to awaken our spiritual consciousness and transform into human form, but also forcing us to be enslaved by all things and oppressed. My heart is unwilling."

  Hongjun stopped in his tracks and sighed: "The water flows rapidly, but the boundary is always calm; the flowers fall frequently, but the meaning is self-restrained. The Tao is natural, and the mind is clear and pure."

  "That specter said: 'Heaven and earth give birth to all living things, all are objects of the Heavenly Way. Why do we grass and trees not have a single thread of merit, everywhere serving as slaves to all things, oppressed and not even allowed to utter half a word of complaint.'"

  Hong Jun sank into deep thought for half a day, then let out a sigh and said: "Alright, alright. You are the spiritual roots of the five elements, the opening of heaven, all possessing great creative power, and should enjoy the blessings of heaven and earth. However, your heart is filled with resentment and you have lost sight of what's important; using the temptation of spiritual roots, you stirred up conflict among the three tribes of Hong Huang; although it's a small flaw, take care of yourself."

  "That shadowy figure said: 'It is only because the three tribes of the Primordial Chaos are naturally greedy, and the Heavenly Way has used my hands to bring down punishment.'"

  Hong Jun coldly snorted: "It seems that you are seeking merits for the sake of all living beings, but in reality, it is for your own benefit and private gain. If you were to provoke the three tribes of the vast wilderness, that would be one thing. But what about those innocent spirits of nature who have lost their lives due to your provocation? Have you ever lifted a hand to save them? Your heart is far removed from my Way, and your transgressions have already been punished by Heaven's decree. Not to mention that you are hopeless in achieving enlightenment in this life, but also, the calamity of death is right before you."

  That illusory shadow hastily kowtowed on the ground and said: "I still hope that Master will save me. I have scattered all my vital energy, transforming it into blessings to follow Master."

  Hong Jun said: "Alright, you also have some fate, I can help you resolve your killing karma, but proving the Tao is still up to you."

  The shadowy figure said, "Thank you, Master." As he spoke, his true form appeared - the primordial wood spirit root of Huang Zhong Li. This Huang Zhong Li blooms once every 60,000 years, bears fruit once every 60,000 years, and only ripens after another 60,000 years. It produces three fruits, each with the patterns of heaven and earth on them, resembling the characters for "Huang Zhong". Eating it allows one to attain the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit.

  This yellow center Li fruit tree said, is about to disperse all over the body repair, a body of innate Jia wood gas surging, completely have let a withered and barren universe withered wood meet spring, vigorous vitality.

  Hong Jun's heart moved at this time, feeling a thread of air mechanism pulling. Due to the unclear heavenly way and unapparent heavenly mechanism now, cause and effect are chaotic, only through the pull of the air mechanism can one calculate a little bit.

  It's also because of this reason that it's very difficult to see the cause and effect between heaven and earth through inference. Currently, only Hong Jun and Di Jun have the ability to calculate the divine in the world. Hong Jun has half of his body as the primordial spirit of Xuan Huang, which is connected to the Xuan Huang primordial spirit that guards the heaven and earth. The two Emperor Jun's accompanying spiritual treasure, the Hetu Luoshu, also has the effect of calculation. However, Hong Jun's calculation is not at will, it can only be done when encountering the corresponding gas mechanism.

  Hong Jun nodded and secretly thought, "So there's still such a cause and effect." Suddenly, a stream of Xuan Huang energy floated towards Huang Zhong Li, who had just begun to disperse his skills. The Tian Di Zheng Qi within the Xuan Huang began to flush away the causal forces within Huang Zhong Li's body.

  At the same time, he asked: "Are you born with a treasure of heaven and earth, but have not yet taken shape?"

  Huang Zhongli was shocked upon hearing this, realizing that his companion spirit treasure had been born with the power of the five elements and he had always wanted to absorb its elemental powers without allowing it to evolve on its own.

  Hong Jun nodded and said: "This treasure is somewhat against the heavens, it can reverse the transformation of yin and yang and the five elements, and should have this kind of difficulty."

  Huang Zhong and Li were both secretly shocked, and as they spoke, a floating seven-colored light ball emerged from their bodies, with the aura of yin and yang and the five elements swirling around.

  Hongjun burst out laughing, stretched out his hand and pointed, a strand of creative energy surrounded the seven-colored aura, the seven-colored aura quickly transformed, turning into an ancient and elegant small cauldron.

  As soon as the tripod was formed, it began to absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. Especially around this small tripod, the flowers, grasses, and trees seemed to be suffering a disaster, with countless spiritual energies flowing out of their bodies, gradually withering away.

  Huang Zhong Li let out a bitter laugh, and the innate Jia Mu energy within his body was released. First, it protected the surrounding flowers, grasses, and trees, then poured a large amount of Jia Mu essence into the small cauldron. The small cauldron quickly absorbed the surging innate Jia Mu energy, continuously tempering and perfecting itself.

  The power of yin and yang is in the tripod, with heaven, earth, and man as the three legs of the tripod. The five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth flow within it. The Qian Kun Ding gradually takes shape, containing Qian, which represents Heaven; Kun, which represents Earth; and Ding, which represents a container or space. Therefore, this Qian Kun Ding can contain heaven and earth, refining all things. What's more, it has the effect of reversing the order of nature, allowing post-heavenly objects to return to their pre-heavenly state.

  Hong Jun saw this and said to himself: "One drink, one peck, isn't it all predestined?"

  Huang Zhongli knew that it was only because he had suppressed the congenital spirit treasure earlier and continuously extracted the power of the five elements from it. Now, he had actually returned the innate Jia wood essence to the other party, truly a case of every cause having its effect.

  Hong Jun held the Qian Kun Ding with one hand and said to Huang Zhong Li, who had lost all his magical powers, "Don't you go inside the Ding to rest yet?" Huang Zhong Li transformed into a stream of light and flew into the Qian Kun Ding.

  Perhaps the spirits of the plants and trees on Mount Zhōu were moved by Hóng Jūn's sermons, so they spread out a carpet of mountain flowers and green grass under his feet, filling the air with fragrance and spiritual energy.

  At this time, a monk drove a auspicious cloud towards Hong Jun and said: "Master, slow down!"

  The monk hastily stepped forward again and saluted: "Teacher, Nüwa of the Not-Week Mountain pays respects to the teacher and invites him to move his residence."

  Hongjun looked at Nüwa with a smile but said nothing, and just nodded slightly.

  Nüwa said: "Just now I listened to the teacher's great way, and I was puzzled in my heart. Please ask the teacher to dispel my doubts."

  Hong Jun said: "The Great Way is three thousand, who can penetrate through it? Being vast and unknowing is the real trick."

  The two of them arrived at Nüwa's place of cultivation and discussed the Tao together. Nüwa brought out some pre-heavenly spiritual fruits, jade-like liquor.

  Hongjun also brought out some heavenly spiritual fruits, among which were fire dates, ginseng fruit, yellow Chinese plum, five-element fruit, star fruit... Some of them were even objects from the primordial chaos, these spiritual fruits were a hundred times stronger than his own! There were also some that he had never even heard of!

  The two of them started discussing the Tao, and at first Nuwa was still able to interject a few sentences to share her own insights. But later on it became Hongjun lecturing! Nuwa could only listen, often with doubts arising, frowning as she listened.

  Hongjun has been lecturing for over a hundred years. When Hongjun stopped lecturing, Nüwa was still immersed in the enlightenment of the Tao.

  Nüwa woke up and bowed to Hongjun: "I hope the teacher will accept me as a disciple!"

  Hongjun bowed to Nüwa and said: "You have great virtues and great opportunities. You and I have a teacher-disciple relationship!"

  Nüwa was overjoyed when she heard this and hastily kowtowed saying: "Disciple Nüwa pays respects to the teacher!"

  Hong Jun nodded with a smile but said nothing. Suddenly, his sharp eyes shot out two beams of divine light that directly pierced through the cave.

  Nüwa was in a hurry, although she didn't know what level her teacher's cultivation had reached, but seeing him strolling leisurely on Mount Buzhou, she knew he was a person with great divine powers. This Mount Buzhou was transformed from the spine of Pangu, naturally possessing the unyielding will and heavenly oppression of Pangu. Except for the original inhabitants born in this place, no one with great divine powers dared to take another step forward. Moreover, her teacher's Dao in his heart was vast and profound, mysterious and endless.

  Nüwa also knew that the visitor was definitely Fuxi, who shared the same roots as herself. She paid homage to him as her elder brother. This elder brother Fuxi was not very understanding and had been eavesdropping for so long without coming to pay respects to their teacher.

  Nüwa hurriedly shouted to Fuxi: "Elder brother, aren't you coming to pay respects to our teacher?"

  Fuxi felt uneasy as soon as he saw Hongyuan, thinking that his siblings were all born with innate spiritual power, especially Nüwa, who was born with great virtues and merits. He couldn't even compare to her dust. What virtue or ability did this Taoist have to be her teacher?

  Fuxi listened to Hongjun's words, but there were too many doubts, and he could only treat it as a deceitful trick.

  Hong Jun sighed softly, this Fuxi, although his fate was not shallow, but he had no hope of proving the Tao.