Forty-three, Treasure - Divide Treasure Rock

  The people immersed in the Daoist patriarch's lecture at Zixiao Palace were unaware of the passage of time, and neither was Xunzi, who was cultivating on his own, aware of it.

  In a flash, Hongyuan Daozu has been lecturing on the Tao for 500 years. Those who listen to the Tao gain a lot, those who think deeply and understand, those who listen with all their heart, and those who strive to remember, all have something to gain.

  Compared to those who cultivate with a concentrated mind, the self-cultivating seeker of the Way also gains no less. Perhaps it's the unique environment of this Purple Mist Palace that makes the seeker's cultivation extremely smooth, their consciousness guiding the techniques they created to run through repeatedly, and also pondering if there are any places for improvement.

  After a hundred years, the operation of Xun Daozi's Gongfa gradually became aware of the guidance and correction of some unreasonable places in the operation; Two hundred years passed, Xun Daozi's Gongfa no longer had Xun Daozi's conscious guidance, only the strand of divine soul that split from Xun Daozi autonomously guided the operation of Gongfa. Gradually, that strand of divine soul was no longer guiding the operation of Gongfa in the way Xun Daozi initially set it up, perhaps also because the environment was too special, the strand of divine soul guided the operation of Gongfa gradually changed, becoming more reasonable and mysterious, the operation of Gongfa became faster and more efficient, the refinement of Fa Li became more refined, the tempering of the flesh and the nourishment of the divine soul were more effective.

  Three hundred years have passed, and the spiritual soul that was guiding the practice of Daoyin Gongfa is no longer just a guide. It has grown significantly and has fully merged with the practice, running instinctively along with it, truly meeting the requirement of Xun Daozi's physical instincts. No conscious guidance is needed; the practice runs on its own.

  At this time, Xun Daozi was in a different state, sitting upright on the back of Yuanshi, his eyes lightly closed, motionless and speechless, yet he was in the "sit-forget" state of Yuanshi's Taoist body method. In daily practice, the body method is often "guarding stillness", using intention to cultivate it, or "investigating things", observing all things to understand the operation of the Tao; The "sit-forget" method is extremely difficult to enter, not only is it a body method, but also an enlightenment method, which can achieve the effect of "being one with the Tao". Therefore, it is highly revered by practitioners, yet very few people have entered.

  This time, Xun Daozi also entered this state of cultivation that cultivators yearn for extremely due to a chance encounter. He was dazed and confused, forgetting the sky, forgetting the earth, and forgetting himself. However, in his mind, he heard the voice of Hong Jun Dao Zu lecturing on the Tao, which was ethereal and mysterious.

  Xun Daozi forgot everything at this time, unaware of the world or his own body. He only felt that he was in a state of being dazed and confused, where there were images; being dazed and confused, where there were objects; being obscure and dark, where there were essences; its essence was very true, where there was a place of faith.

  And he himself was the 'image', 'object', 'essence', and 'faith' within it. In the midst of confusion, he was quiet and still, standing alone without changing, circulating without perishing.

  Xun Daozi has been in the "sitting forgetting" state for over 200 years, during which his cultivation has been rapidly increasing. He has made a breakthrough in the Taiyi True Immortal's dao fruit and is now close to achieving enlightenment. His self-created gongfa (meditation technique) has started to merge with the Zhoutian gong (heavenly cycle gong), showing signs of integration. The liquidized, pure, and refined fa li (mystical energy) in his body has slowed down the circulation of his gongfa, making it feel like pushing mercury. In his dantian (lower abdomen), the black and white qi swirls have disappeared, replaced by a round, hazy, bright, and dark electric light that revolves in reverse. Similarly, in his tan zhong xue (middle dantian), the five-colored qi swirls are gone, replaced by a round, bright, hazy, and colorful electric light that revolves forward. In the depths of his shi hai (sea of consciousness), the gray qi swirl is still and quiet, while the purple qi swirl rotates slowly and imperceptibly, absorbing the unique purple energy from the space where Zixuan Palace is located. This process is so subtle that even Hong Jun Daozu, who is currently lecturing on the dao in the palace, cannot detect it.

  Hongjun Daozu continued to preach, and the crowd listened as if they were drunk and confused, like a maze. The seeker's son was still muddled and confused, unaware of the world around him.

  Another five hundred years passed, and the lecture of Hong Jun Dao Zu came to an end. The voice of Hong Jun Dao Zu echoed in everyone's mind: "The last lecture of Zixiao Palace for a thousand years has come to an end, and from now on, it will not be open again. There are three thousand Dao methods, and every door can verify the origin, you can cultivate with all your heart." Everyone heard Hong Jun Dao Zu's words and woke up from their intoxication in the Tao, including Xun Daozi who was in a state of confusion.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu saw that everyone had sobered up and opened his mouth: "This time the lecture is over, I will collect a few names of my disciples to inherit my teachings in the vast wilderness."

  Hongjun's words were like a thunderclap, causing the hearts of all the powerful beings present to churn with unprecedented turmoil. From now on, after the Zi Xuan Palace lecture, no one would ever lecture again, leaving future cultivators to rely solely on self-enlightenment or mutual exchange, but how could they compare to listening to Hongjun's lectures and gaining so much? With their own abilities, who knows when they might achieve enlightenment?

  Hong Yuannu heard that the ancestor wanted to accept disciples, and they didn't fight for precedence, wanting to get recognition, and bowed under his door, so as to continue to receive guidance from the Hunyuan Great Ability. Previously, everyone was an auditor, listening to the same teacher in one classroom, but this time the teacher accepted apprentices and no longer gave public lectures, only giving private lessons to his apprentices, and others couldn't listen anymore. Moreover, the teacher said that even if he lectured in the future, it would be his apprentices who would lecture, and those who wanted to listen to the lectures could only find his apprentices. It's hard for a group of classmates who listened to the same lesson together.

  This being the case, upon hearing that Hongjun Daozu was about to accept disciples, everyone's spirits were lifted, their faces radiant with expectation as they gazed at Hongjun Daozu, waiting only for a nod of approval to bow and enter his tutelage.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu's eyes scanned the crowd, and everyone thought they saw themselves, puffed out their chest, lifted their head, and were filled with energy. Only Xun Daozi didn't make a sound, quietly sitting behind Yuan Shi, silently watching the development of things.

  As expected, Hong Jun's ancestor opened his mouth and said: "Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian; you are the primordial spirits transformed by Pangu after he opened up the sky, with great merits. Are you willing to pay homage to me and become my disciples?"

  The three of them immediately stood up and bowed down, saying: "We are willing!"

  Hong Jun Dao Zu said, "Since you are willing to join my sect, Lao Zi will be the eldest brother and my great disciple, Yuan Shi will be the second disciple, and Tong Tian will be the third disciple. You can sit down first."

  Hongjun spoke again: "Nüwa, you have a great destiny, are you willing to join my sect and become my closed-door disciple?"

  The girl stood up and bowed down, opening her mouth to say: "Disciple is willing!"

  Hong Jun Dao Zu said: "Very well, you may sit down."

  Everyone heard that Nüwa was taken as a closed disciple, and their hearts cooled down: No chance!

  At this time, the Zhunti sitting in the front row suddenly knelt down on the ground, sobbing: "Please, Dào Zǔ, have mercy on me, the Western world is poor and barren, the people are suffering, take my fellow disciples!" After finishing speaking, he continued to kneel without getting up, his mouth making a sad and mournful sound.

  Everyone's face has a look of contempt.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu sank into thought for a moment, then opened his mouth and said: "Forget it, you two are also great willpower types, and have some fate, I'll take you two as nominal disciples, are you willing?"

  Then Jie Yin and Zhun Ti immediately knelt down and said in unison: "Be willing, be willing!" Are the disciples who are recorded as disciples not also disciples?

  Xun Daozi muttered to himself in his heart: This is indeed a child who will cry and have milk to drink!

  Hong Jun Dao Zu said: "You two sit down too."

  Jie Ying, Zhun Ti was so excited that he got up and sat down with tears in his eyes.

  After a moment, Hong Jun Dao Zu saw that the crowd had no other movement, and he opened his mouth to say: "The creatures cultivate, if they prove the mixed yuan way, they can be born without death, and they will not be destroyed after passing through millions of kalpas. They can be called saints; The great kalpa below the saint starts from the beginning to the end as ashes, so the saint is an ant below."

  Everyone was shocked upon hearing this.

  Half a sound, Laozi opened his mouth and asked: "The origin is difficult to prove, dare I ask the teacher, can becoming a saint be achieved through a method?"

  The Daoist Patriarch said: "There are three thousand methods of the Dao, and every door can be used to verify the primordial chaos. If we must speak of it in terms of forced explanations, there are three ways to attain sagehood. The first is to use power to become a saint, accumulating infinite powers to break through the constraints of the heavenly way, clarifying the mind and seeing one's nature, attaining a glimpse of the great Dao, and verifying the primordial chaos. The second is to behead the three corpses and become a saint. The three corpses refer to the three worms, which are the evil spirits that reside in the body of the practitioner. Each practitioner has their own unique ones, and they must be eliminated using secret methods in order to clarify the mind, see one's nature, attain a glimpse of the origin, and verify the primordial chaos. The third is to achieve sagehood through merit and virtue, doing things that benefit heaven and earth, receiving the merits and virtues bestowed by heaven and earth, accumulating vast merits and virtues, exchanging them for the assistance of heaven and earth, clarifying the mind, seeing one's nature, glimpsing the heavenly way, and verifying the primordial chaos.

  Everyone listened and pondered in silence.

  After a moment, Yuan Shi also asked: "May I ask, Master, are there many saints?"

  Everyone listened as Yuan Shi asked questions, and they all pricked up their ears.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu said: "Heaven and earth have their limits, the saints also have their numbers. In the vastness of heaven and earth, the saint should be nine."

  Everyone was shocked when they heard this. The Nine Saints of the Desolate Era had already produced one, leaving only eight remaining. Among the countless cultivators in the Desolate Era, who would be the first to achieve enlightenment?

  Then the crowd heard Hongyuan Daozu say: "I have seven Hongmeng purple energies that can help practitioners attain the mixed yuan." After finishing, seven spiritual and dynamic purple energies appeared in Hongyuan Daozu's hands.

  Everyone looked and was extremely envious.

  Hongjun Daozu swept his eyes over the crowd and said, "Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, you three have great merits, each of you can get one way." After finishing speaking, he gave a purple energy to Laozi and the other two, one way for each person.

  Laozi and three others received the transmission of the Tao from Zou Yan's ancestor.

  Hongjun Daozu handed a purple airway to Nüwa: "Nüwa has great luck, and can get one more."

  Nüwa thanked Hongjun Daozu and took over the purple energy, putting it away safely.

  Three purple auras were left, and Hong Jun thought for a moment before saying: "Jie Yin, Zhun Ti, you two can take one each."

  Jie Yin happily accepted the purple energy and thanked Hong Jun Dao Zu.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu held the last Hong Meng purple energy in his hand, still deep in thought.

  Everyone in the Purple Mansion was eager and regretful; those who were eager thought about how to obtain this last Hongmeng purple energy, while those who regretted it did not expect that a disciple of the Hongjun Daozu could have such good fortune, and now they regretted not competing for it earlier, at the very least they should have cried and begged to become a nominal disciple.

  Just then, Hongyuan's ancestor spoke up and said: "Alright, this Hongmeng Purple Qi will be given to Red Cloud!" As soon as he finished speaking, the purple qi in his hand flew into Red Cloud's hands. Everyone's gaze also shifted onto Red Cloud. Red Cloud held the purple qi and laughed loudly, completely unaware of the sinister and venomous glint in her own eyes.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu said, "Old Master, as my eldest disciple, you must have a protective treasure. This is the pre-heavenly treasure 'Taiji Diagram', which can calm the great teachings' energy and protect your body." Hong Jun Dao Zu finished speaking and handed Lao Zi a diagram.

  The old man accepted with thanks.

  Hongjun Daozu then took out a grayish-white banner and handed it to Yuanshi: "Yuanshi, as my second disciple, you must have a protective treasure. This banner is called the 'Pangu Banner', a pre-heavenly supreme treasure that can calm the great teachings' aura. I give it to you for your protection."

  Originally accepted with thanks.

  Hong Jun Dao Zu took out a sword and a diagram, handing them to Tong Tian Dao: "Tong Tian, you are my third disciple. This sword is called 'Zhu Xian' (Slaying Immortals), also a pre-heavenly treasure. It can be transformed into four parts to form the Zhu Xian Great Array with this diagram. Those who are not of mixed origin cannot defend themselves against it. If you want to break the array, you must gather four people of mixed origin. I give it to you for protection, use it well."

  Tongtian happily accepted the array diagram of the Zhuxian Sword and thanked Hongjun Daozu.

  Hongjun Daozu took out another picture and handed a embroidered ball to Nüwa, saying: "These two objects are the pre-heavenly spiritual treasures, use them to protect yourself."

  Nüwa accepted with thanks.

  Zhun Ti looked at Hong Jun Dao Zu with pleading eyes, seeing that Hong Jun Dao Zu was still motionless, he knelt down on the ground and pitifully said: "Master, have mercy on me! My Western land is poor and barren, there are no precious objects, I hope Master will grant me one or two protective talismans!"

  Hong Jun Dao Zu looked at him with a pitiful expression, and took out a golden lotus platform and a small green flag, which he handed to Jie Yin and Zhun Ti. "This twelve-piece golden lotus is a pre-heavenly spiritual treasure, which has the effect of suppressing the air transport; this green lotus treasure flag is also a pre-heavenly spiritual treasure, for you two to protect your body."

  Hong Jun Dao Zu raised his head and looked at the crowd in the hall, then said: "In the back of the palace, on the rocky cliff, there are some pre-heavenly treasures that I collected during my early years of traveling through the desolate wilderness. You can go take a look, if you have fate with them, you may obtain one or two protective talismans, and it won't be in vain to come to this Purple Mist Palace."

  Everyone heard this and thanked with their mouths, competing to go to the back of the palace.

  Xun Daozi followed Yuanshi to the back of the Zixiao Palace, where he saw a huge grey rock floating in mid-air. On top of it was a canopy of light, inside which were flashing colours that couldn't be clearly made out.

  Everyone arrived, but didn't stay. The old master walked to the front of the rock and saw a dozen or so rays of light flying out from within the light cover, entering into his open sleeves. He turned around and left the rock. Yuanshi immediately went up, and several dozen rays of light flew out from within the light cover, which were taken in by Yuanshi's sleeve. He turned around and left. Tongtian also walked forward, and nearly a hundred rays of light flew out from within the light cover, which were taken in by Tongtian with a hearty laugh.

  Tongtian returned to Laozi, beside Yuan Shi's body, and the crowd came forward one after another, some with one or two items, others with three, four or five items, all of whom had gained something.

  Soon, everyone had walked through it once, and even Xun Daozi had obtained two treasures.

  When no one came forward again, more than a hundred rays of light suddenly flew out of the light cover and went straight to the vast land of Honghuang. The crowd also followed suit. Just as Laozi and his two companions were about to leave with the crowd, Xun Daozi stretched out his hand and pulled Yuan Shi back. Yuan Shi turned his head to look at Xun Daozi, his face full of doubt.

  Xun Daozi hastily whispered to Yuanshi: "Master, can you accept this rock for me?"

  At the beginning of one listening, under one stunned, immediately without moving voice and color's big sleeve waved, put grey huge rock into sleeve. Then with Laozi, Tongtian together went back and forth.

  Xun Dao's son followed closely behind him, step by step.

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