Primordial Era: With unparalleled comprehension, I am the Ancestor of Stars.

Chapter 94 The Grand Vow of Heaven, Four Sages Emerge!

"at this time?"

Zhunti looked around in surprise and doubt, looking up at the Heavenly Dao and down at the Underworld, his brows furrowed, but he still couldn't find an opportunity to attain enlightenment.

The same applies to guiding others.

In an instant, the bitter expressions on their faces deepened.

Yuanshi and Tongtian were also filled with astonishment and doubt.

Not long ago, they were surprised to discover that the opportunity for enlightenment that Lao Tzu had vaguely sensed when he attained enlightenment seemed to have vanished. No matter how the two of them tried to sense it, they could no longer find that feeling.

The two were surprised and confused, and then inexplicably regretted their actions.

If I hadn't had any doubts back then, I might have already attained enlightenment!

At this point, the opportunity to attain enlightenment is hard to find.

So much so that the two of them couldn't help but feel anxious after hearing Hongjun's words.

According to Hongjun, Jieyin and Zhunti attained enlightenment right here, right now. So where are they? And when?

Just as the two were thinking, Jieyin seemed to realize something, and quickly looked up at the sky with a surprised and uncertain expression.

This opportunity to attain enlightenment seemed to pose a dilemma for him, and even made him hesitate.

"Teacher, is this the only method?"

"Without this method, the only options are the merging of the three corpses into one, or opening the heavens with brute force, or... Taihao's free visualization. Apart from these, the only way is to attain enlightenment through merit!"

Hongjun said this, seemingly unconcerned about what method he used.

Guiding them remains difficult.

It wasn't until much later that he gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and made a decision.

Before that, he glanced at Lao Tzu.

It seems that the reason for doing so is inextricably linked to Lao Tzu.

Indeed, that is the case. If he had not attained enlightenment, Lao Tzu alone could have prevented the two brothers from competing for the underworld's fortune.

On the contrary, if the two brothers successfully attain enlightenment, not only will Laozi be unable to do anything to them, but he will also have to give up a significant portion of the Netherworld's fortune!

As for Yuanshi and Tongtian?

Are only saints qualified to participate?

It was with this in mind that Jieyin made a bold decision and, before Yuanshi and Tongtian attained enlightenment, made a grand vow to the Heavenly Dao!

"Heaven above, today, I, Jieyin, together with my junior brother Zhunti, wish to establish a religion called the Western Religion! We will guide all beings toward goodness, open the Western Paradise, and create a pure land free from worry and suffering for all beings. We hope that Heaven will take notice!"

Upon hearing this, golden clouds began to gather.

However, its spread was far less than when Lao Tzu attained enlightenment.

Therefore, one cannot prove the truth simply by establishing a doctrine!

Not to mention, the Western religion was not established by Jieyin alone, but also by Zhunti! Therefore, the merit is even less than that.

Seeing this, Zhunti sighed and could only continue to the next step with a worried expression.

Make a grand vow!

In an instant, chanting of Buddhist hymns resounded throughout the primordial world.

The golden clouds of merit continue to gather.

It wasn't until the two of them made forty-eight great vows in a row that their merits enabled Jieyin and Zhunti to attain enlightenment simultaneously!

However, neither of them seemed particularly happy after attaining enlightenment.

Instead, they became even more distressed.

On the other side, Yuanshi and Tongtian simultaneously gasped.

Suddenly, it dawned on me.

"It turns out that the opportunity for enlightenment I sensed back then was really problematic!"

It seems that establishing a doctrine alone is insufficient to prove the truth!

Doesn't that mean...?

If they want to attain enlightenment, they must also make a great vow.

When Lao Tzu attained enlightenment, both Yuanshi and Tongtian sensed the opportunity to attain enlightenment.

However, due to the obscurity of the heavens at that time, the two of them could hardly fathom it, so they did not activate the Primordial Purple Qi and directly establish a sect and become saints.

They felt there was something wrong with it!

At this moment, it seems that this problem is quite significant?

"If this method is used, wouldn't it be equivalent to... attaining enlightenment through merit?"

Yuan Shi thought to himself, feeling very unwilling.

Arrogant as he was, he always believed that he was no less than Nuwa.

To be precise, if Nuwa hadn't attained enlightenment before him, he would have even thought that Nuwa was inferior to him.

That's why he felt that if Nuwa could create the world and prove her Dao, then Yuanshi could do the same.

But he was told that he couldn't get through to the beginning!

Even the method of merging the three corpses into one and proving one's Dao by severing the corpse is not acceptable!

He can only choose the weakest of all the paths to enlightenment.

Merit and virtue lead to enlightenment.

In fact, it does.

In the history of the primordial world, the six sages after Hongjun all relied on the path to enlightenment, the difference being the degree to which they relied on it, more or less.

Nuwa was both the one who performed the most merits and the one who relied on the most.

Lao Tzu is the least.

That's why, even though Nuwa was the first to attain enlightenment, her strength was relatively the weakest among the Six Sages.

Merit is indeed a good thing, but for those who aspire to attain enlightenment, it is a mixed blessing.

When Yuanshi saw that Nuwa had not relied on merit and had even given up on becoming a saint, he was not only unconvinced but also somewhat mocking.

But now it seems he has no right to laugh.

Giving up the status of a saint is a voluntary choice.

But he must prove his Dao through merit, which is an extremely passive situation.

"Could it be... that I, Yuanshi, am truly inferior to Nuwa?"

Tongtian also looked unwell.

Although he wasn't as eager to prove himself as strong as Nuwa as Yuanshi, he still harbored considerable pride.

Moreover, simply establishing a religion and accumulating merit is not enough; one must also make a grand vow.

What, making a grand vow?

Isn't that equivalent to borrowing merit from Heaven?

Even after attaining enlightenment, one cannot truly be free and unrestrained; one is still subject to considerable constraints!

This made Tongtian even more upset. He was one of the Three Pure Ones, born with great fortune. Logically speaking, as long as he sensed the opportunity to attain enlightenment, he should have been able to accumulate enough merit.

How could this happen?

With their cultivation levels, Yuanshi and Tongtian naturally couldn't understand it.

They also cannot see that their own path to enlightenment has already been altered!

Through fate, and precisely when the river of fate collapses!

Only Lao Tzu glimpsed a clue, so he frowned and asked.

"Teacher, are my second and third brothers also going to make grand vows?"

Hongjun glanced at him but did not answer directly. Instead, he looked at the sea of ​​blood and spoke calmly.

"Did you know that the River Styx also created a race?"

"Is the one you're talking about the Asura race?" Lao Tzu replied.

"When Nuwa created the human race, Heaven bestowed merit upon her. When the Styx created the Asura race, Heaven also bestowed merit upon them, but the amount of merit they received was incomparable. Do you know why?"

Long ago, the Styx River witnessed Nuwa creating humans from clay, a feat of immeasurable merit.

Therefore, he also created a race, which is now one of the six realms of reincarnation, namely the Asura realm.

However, despite both being creators of races, the merits gained by Styx were incomparable to those of Nuwa; in fact, they were not even in the same league.

After Hongjun finished asking his question, Laozi pondered for a moment and then said...

"Is it because the Asura race is not as naturally endowed as the human race?"

Hongjun nodded and continued.

"But there is also the reason why Nuwa was the first to create life in the world."

Now I understand.

Or rather, after Hongjun's guidance, he felt that he understood.

"I see, thank you for clearing up my confusion, teacher!"

In fact, Lao Tzu was not the first person in the world to establish a religion.

Even if we exclude Hongjun, who established the Xuanmen, there is still Taihao Zhuyu before him. Laozi can only be considered the second at most.

If Yuanshi and Tongtian established a religion, then they can only be considered the fourth and fifth!

Therefore, it seems reasonable that the merits are insufficient?

At this moment, Lao Tzu thought it was fortunate that he attained enlightenment so quickly; otherwise, he would probably have had to make a grand vow.

As for Yuanshi and Tongtian, they had even more unspeakable grievances.

According to Hongjun, they absolutely had to make this grand vow in order to prove their Dao!

Thinking of this, Yuanshi glanced at Jieyin and Zhunti, who had already absorbed all the merits and were about to break through to the Hunyuan realm, and knew that the matter was beyond saving.

At that moment, he couldn't care less about anything else, so he summoned the Primordial Purple Qi and shouted loudly.

"I am Yuanshi, the primordial spirit of Pangu, the true successor of Pangu. Today, I wish to establish a new sect, named the Chan Sect! I will use the innate treasure, the Pangu Axe, as the sect's guardian to suppress the destiny! All spiritual beings in the world, especially those with extraordinary talents, may enter my sect! The Chan Sect is established!"

As soon as Yuanshi finished speaking, golden clouds gathered in the sky once more.

But his merits were not enough for him to attain enlightenment!

Seeing this, Yuanshi steeled his heart and became ruthless as well.

"After I attain enlightenment, I will spread the teachings in accordance with the will of Heaven and humanity, elucidating the principles of the Great Dao! For the benefit of the primordial world!"

"When I attain enlightenment, I should restore the fragmented primordial world, allowing the lifeblood of the Great God Pangu to be condensed!"

Yuanshi made eighteen grand vows in one go before enough golden clouds of merit could be condensed.

Then, in the next instant, he began to transform into a Primordial Chaos.

At the same time, Tongtian's voice rang out.

"I am Tongtian, the embodiment of Pangu's primordial spirit, the true successor of Pangu. I now wish to establish a sect, named the Jie Sect! With the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation as our treasure, all those in the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man, regardless of their background or cultivation level, may enter my sect! The Jie Sect is established!"

Then, just like the situation Yuanshi faced, the merits bestowed by Heaven were insufficient!

Left with no other choice, Tongtian could only make a grand vow.

It's also eighteen.

"After I attain enlightenment, I will pass on the Dharma to teach and enlighten all beings, and also to secure a glimmer of hope for them in the vast eons to come!"

(End of this chapter)