Chapter 107: Uniting with the Dao, Intercepting and Slaying

Although the treasures on the Treasure-Dividing Rock were abundant, one could not simply take as many as one pleased; it depended entirely on one's destiny and strength. Furthermore, despite the seemingly large number of items, there were over two thousand listeners in Zixiao Palace, meaning demand far outstripped supply, and not everyone was destined to receive one.

As the crowd surged forward, most returned empty-handed, having been beaten to the treasures by those who were swifter or luckier. Before long, the Treasure-Dividing Rock trembled, and everyone present was forcibly ejected.

Daoist Yuantu took stock of his haul. It was quite decent; he had secured over a dozen spiritual treasures. While most were of middle or lower grade, they were innate spiritual treasures nonetheless and possessed extraordinary power. Moreover, there was one item among them that brought him a pleasant, unexpected surprise.

The Sanqing brothers—the Three Pure Ones—were the biggest winners. Laozi collected several high-quality treasures, Yuanshi obtained over twenty, and Tongtian, leveraging the coverage of his Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, scavenged dozens, making him the most successful of all. Others, such as Nuwa, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Di Jun, also walked away with their own gains, all of them wearing expressions of joy.

The remaining guests in Zixiao Palace, though a small number had managed to obtain treasures, mostly looked sullen. It was clear they had gained nothing and had wasted their efforts, though some who had obtained treasures tried to mask their glee with sighs and grimaces, pretending to be disappointed to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

Suddenly, the Treasure-Dividing Rock shuddered, and all the restrictions and arrays upon it vanished. The remaining innate spiritual treasures broke free and, before anyone could react, transformed into streaks of light that vanished into the Great Primordial world.

Upon regaining their senses, those who had failed to secure a treasure beat their chests in frustration. They could not wait to leave Zixiao Palace, eager to search for those treasures throughout the world. Alas, treasures have spirits; how could they be so easily obtained? Once they had departed, they would not easily reveal themselves again, waiting instead for those with whom they shared a fated connection.

Although most cultivators departed, a few remained and silently returned to Zixiao Palace. Among them were Daoist Yuantu, the Sanqing, Nuwa, Jieyin, Zhunti, Di Jun, Donghuang Taiyi, and Kunpeng. Though the lecture had concluded, Daoist Ancestor Hongjun was about to merge his body with the Heavenly Dao. How could they miss such a rare opportunity to experience the might of the Heavens?

When they returned to the palace, they found that Hongjun’s aura had become ethereal and elusive; though he stood right before them, it was as if he did not exist at all.

Hongjun looked at the dozens who had returned and spoke calmly: "Pangu opened the heavens and created all things in the Great Primordial world. I obtained the Jade of Creation and, in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, became a Sage. I established this Zixiao Palace to preach the Dharma, and now my merit is complete. My cultivation has advanced greatly, yet I perceive that the Heavenly Dao is incomplete. Though I possess great divine powers, I cannot mend it alone. After much deliberation, I intend to merge my body with the Dao, to care for all living beings, to cultivate the great benevolence of heaven and earth, and to rectify the great lack of benevolence in the world."

"We beseech the Teacher (Daoist Ancestor) to reconsider!" the crowd bowed in unison. Only Daoist Yuantu remained cold and silent, sneering inwardly. These people were likely hoping Hongjun would merge with the Dao so they would no longer be under his restraint, yet they insisted on putting on this sickening display of reluctance.

Hongjun glanced at them and continued: "After I merge with the Dao, I shall only govern the great trends and destinies. Henceforth, the Great Way shall flourish, and Sages shall emerge to follow the Heavenly Dao. A Sage is indestructible through ten thousand tribulations and remains untainted by karma. The Sage acts through non-action, thus they never fail and never lose. Sages eschew excess, extravagance, and indulgence—you must all remember this!"

"We shall never forget the Teacher's (Daoist Ancestor's) teachings," the crowd bowed again.

Finally, Hongjun declared: "Remember, unless the world faces a great catastrophe, Hongjun shall not appear. From this moment on, Hongjun is the Heavenly Dao, but the Heavenly Dao is not Hongjun. Henceforth, you must look to your own paths!"

Having spoken, Hongjun flipped his hand to reveal the Jade of Creation. With a solemn expression, he whispered, "Merge... with the Dao!"

The Jade of Creation erupted in brilliant light, transforming into a chaos-colored portal. A surge of vast and terrifying pressure permeated the hall. Hongjun’s figure stepped into it and vanished instantly. The chaos-colored portal dissipated as well, leaving only the empty high platform and cloud bed.

"Was the aura emanating from that portal the aura of the Heavenly Dao? It is truly terrifying!" After Hongjun merged with the Dao, Daoist Yuantu left Zixiao Palace with the others, reflecting on the chaos-colored portal and whispering to himself.

Upon leaving the Chaos and returning to the Thirty-Third Heaven, Daoist Yuantu glanced back at Di Jun, Donghuang Taiyi, and Kunpeng, who were following him from a distance. A cold sneer curled his lips as he headed straight toward the Nether Blood Sea.

He had not traveled even a tenth of the way back when a dense fog suddenly rose before him. As he entered the mist, the temperature plummeted, and a barrage of ice spikes swarmed toward him.

*Sizzle.* The twelfth-grade Red Lotus of Fire emerged beneath his feet, and the karmic fire surged, enveloping him like a suit of flame. Before the ice spikes could touch him, they were easily incinerated into white mist.

*Clang.* Sensing danger, Daoist Yuantu suddenly unleashed his Yuantu Divine Sword from within his body, easily deflecting an ice spike that had been shot from behind him. This spike was clearly different from the others; it bounced off the sword without a scratch. It was no mere ice, but a specialized spiritual attack weapon.

"Hmph! Cowards hiding in the shadows, come out! You want the Primordial Violet Qi, don't you? What, are you too afraid to show yourselves, resorting only to sneak attacks?" Daoist Yuantu sneered with disdain. "Those like you are destined to be nothing more than ants. You want to attain the Dao? You are dreaming!"

Soon, a dozen figures emerged from the thick fog. Leading them was a gaunt, cold-faced old man in a black robe. His entire being radiated a bone-chilling cold that seemed to freeze the surrounding space. From his terrifying aura, it was clear he was a Quasi-Sage—though merely a one-corpse Quasi-Sage. The others behind him were also powerful, each possessing the cultivation of a peak Great Luo Golden Immortal. A dozen such figures standing together was quite an imposing sight.

"And you think you are worthy of seizing the Primordial Violet Qi? How overconfident," Daoist Yuantu scoffed. "I am curious, though. If you succeed in taking the Qi, who among you will actually get to keep it?"

"Old Ancestor Minghe, stop trying to sow discord," a cold-faced middle-aged man in black robes standing beside the gaunt old man barked. "We all follow Old Ancestor Binghe. Only our ancestor is qualified to enjoy the Primordial Violet Qi. If you are wise, surrender it now. Otherwise, this shall be the place of your death."

Daoist Yuantu smiled. "The scenery here is indeed lovely. It is a fine place to be buried. You have certainly chosen a perfect spot for your own ends."

"Die!" The black-robed man roared, his figure flickering as he lunged at Daoist Yuantu. He swung a long halberd of ice, tearing a clear rift through the seemingly frozen space as he struck.

"A strike with remarkably restrained power. This fellow is among the elite of the Great Luo Golden Immortals," Daoist Yuantu thought, his eyes narrowing. He summoned the Yuantu Divine Sword into his hand and delivered a seemingly casual strike. With a low, metallic *clang*, the black-robed man was sent flying, his body shuddering. His palms were split and bleeding, and the ice halberd, wailing in vibration, nearly flew from his grasp.

Without pause, Daoist Yuantu flicked his wrist, and the Yuantu Divine Sword transformed into a razor-sharp beam of light, shooting toward the black-robed man.