Primordial Era: Starting with the repair of Penglai Immortal Island

Huanglong's eyes lit up as he looked at the Antarctic Immortal and Guang Chengzi.

Both of them were disciples of the Chan Sect who had gained a lot of merit during the Lich Wars, and at this moment they each took a step forward in the Great Luo Realm.

The Antarctic Immortal has reached the late stage of the Great Luo realm, and Guang Chengzi is not far from reaching the late stage as well.

"Senior brothers, it's been ten thousand years since we last met. Your cultivation progress is astounding!"

The Old Man of the South Pole and Guang Chengzi first bowed to Randeng before looking at Huanglong.

Guang Chengzi shook his head. "If I hadn't gained a lot of merit during the great calamity, I wouldn't have made such progress. As for Junior Brother Huanglong, he has been secluded for ten thousand years; he must have gained a lot."

As the two were talking, the figures of the other disciples of the Chan Sect fell one after another!

Taiyi held a whisk in his hand, exuding the aura of a peak Taiyi master.

Chi Jingzi, dressed in a red Taoist robe, had a stern face and was also at the peak of the Taiyi realm.

Yu Ding's face was cold and stern, and his whole body exuded a chilling sword aura...!

The disciples of the Chan Sect, after the Lich War, seemed to have shed their shackles in the past ten thousand years, and their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

Although most of them are still at the peak of Taiyi, they are not far from Daluo.

When everyone had arrived, the gates of Zixiao Palace opened with a bang, and Baihe Tongzi stepped out, bowed to Randeng, and then spoke.

"The master is already waiting in the hall."

Ran Deng nodded to the white crane, "Go in!" With that, he took the lead and stepped into the Jade Void Palace.

Disciples such as Randeng, Guangchengzi, and Huanglong followed closely behind.

Inside the Jade Void Palace, the Primordial Celestial Venerable sat high on a cloud bed.

He held a jade scepter with three treasures in his hand, and his whole body exuded a vast aura of sainthood.

The aura was vast and unfathomable, inspiring a sense of awe in all the disciples.

"Disciple greets Master!"

All the disciples knelt down in unison, their voices echoing throughout the Jade Void Palace.

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over his disciples.

His gaze was calm, yet it gave the disciples the feeling that everything about him was seen through.

Get up!

The disciples stood up and took their seats according to their assigned positions.

Randeng then sat down on the futon next to Yuanshi Tianzun.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable's gaze fell upon the South Pole, and he nodded slightly.

"Antarctica, ten thousand years have passed, and you've reached the late stage of the Great Luo realm. Not bad."

Nanji quickly stood up and respectfully said, "It is all thanks to Master's excellent teachings that I have achieved this."

Yuanshi Tianzun waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, and then turned his gaze to Guangchengzi.

"Guang Chengzi, your cultivation has made great progress, but your understanding of the laws still needs to be solidified. You must not be impatient for quick results."

Guang Chengzi respectfully replied, "Disciple will humbly follow Master's teachings."

"Huanglong!"

Upon hearing Yuanshi Tianzun call his name, Huanglong immediately stood up.

"Disciple is here!"

"You did a good job!"

Huang Long was taken aback. Seeing that Yuanshi Tianzun had begun to call out the cultivation progress of the other disciples, he sat back down on the futon with a puzzled look on his face.

Finally, the gaze of the Primordial Celestial Venerable fell upon Randeng.

"Randeng, how long have you been a member of the Chan Sect?"

Ran Deng was also taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Reporting to the Master, I have been a member of the Chan Sect for tens of thousands of years."

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded slightly, but offered no comment.

He withdrew his gaze, his expression becoming serious.

"I have summoned you all today for two matters."

Everyone perked up, knowing that the main topic was about to be discussed.

"The first thing," Yuanshi Tianzun said slowly.

"The Daoist Master summoned us sages to the Zixiao Palace to discuss the selection of the Heavenly Emperor. In the end, the Daoist Ancestor appointed Haotian as the Heavenly Emperor and Yaochi as the Queen Mother, to jointly rule the Heavenly Court."

These words sparked a flurry of discussion among the disciples.

"Haotian? Yaochi?"

"Who are these reclusive masters? Why have we never heard of their names in the primordial world?"

Only Ran Deng looked astonished, while Huang Long remained calm.

To Randeng's astonishment, the two boys in front of the Dao Ancestor's gate had become the Heavenly Emperor.

Huanglong remained calm because he knew that the Heavenly Emperor's throne must belong to Haotian.

Guang Chengzi looked at Huang Long, who had a calm expression beside him, and asked in confusion, "Junior Brother Huang Long, do you know who this Haotian is, that he was able to succeed Di Jun as the Heavenly Emperor?"

Huang Long smiled slightly, "Haotian is merely a pageboy before our grandmaster!"

"A mere child has become the Heavenly Emperor."

"Why did our Grandmaster choose a mere boy instead of one of our sage disciples?"

Upon hearing this, Guang Chengzi and the others exchanged bewildered glances, finding it difficult to accept.

The position of the Heavenly Emperor, which governs all the saints of the primordial world, is so revered that it was actually given to a mere child.

"snort!"

The Celestial Lord of Primordial Beginning let out a cold snort, causing the disciples who were discussing the matter to change their expressions drastically and instantly dare not utter another word.

"This disciple has been reckless and offended my master. Please punish me, Master!"

One by one, the disciples who had raised doubts apologized to Yuanshi Tianzun.

"You have no right to comment on your master's decision."

"The second matter!" Yuanshi Tianzun continued, "I have summoned you all today to preach the Dao."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples' eyes lit up.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable is giving a sermon—this is a rare opportunity!

After all, Yuanshi Tianzun did not preach as frequently as Tongtian Shengren.

Especially after the Three Pure Ones separated, Yuanshi Tianzun might not preach even once every tens of thousands of years.

"Today I will teach the method of 'severing the three corpses'," said Yuanshi Tianzun. His voice was not loud, but it caused the laws of nature to tremble.

The most astonished was Randeng, who did not expect that the Primordial Celestial Venerable would begin his lecture with the quasi-saintly path of "severing the three corpses".

Randeng, who had already trapped countless members at the peak of the Great Luo realm, focused his mind and adjusted his state to its peak.

Looking at the disciples sitting upright, and glancing at Randeng beside him, Yuanshi Tianzun closed his eyes slightly.

"The Three Corpses are: the Upper Corpse, Peng Ju, residing on the top of the head, fond of finery and greedy for glory and wealth...!"

"The so-called Three Corpses are not the three worms of the human body, but the three obstacles to the Daoist mind!"

"Good obstacles, bad obstacles, self-imposed obstacles!"

"Good is not true good, but a false thought of goodness. Evil is not true evil, but the poison of attachment. I am not the true self, but the illusion of self. Only by cutting off the three obstacles can one see the origin of heaven and earth, and attain the true fruit of sainthood."

These words immediately made everyone in the hall tremble with fear.

Huang Long remained expressionless and listened quietly.

The Old Man of the South Pole lowered his head in deep thought, while Guang Chengzi suddenly realized something.

Taiyi, Yuding, Chijingzi, and other Taiyi Realm disciples looked completely bewildered.

Ran Deng's body trembled slightly.

"Evil obstacles are not the slaughter of living beings." Yuanshi Tianzun's gaze swept over Randeng almost imperceptibly as he continued.

"For those who cultivate the Tao, all their thoughts are evil; clinging to fame and fortune is evil; clinging to the Lingbao (Spiritual Treasure) is evil; clinging to the orthodox tradition is evil; clinging to the position of a sage is also evil."

"Anything that is attached to becomes an obstacle."

"The deeper the obsession, the thicker the evil obstacles. To slay the evil corpse is not to slay others or external things, but to slay the obsession that one cannot let go of in one's own heart."

The lamp's expression changed drastically.

He suddenly understood why the first lecture given by the Primordial Celestial Venerable today was about severing the three corpses.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable continued his sermon, his voice booming like a bell, each word like thunder, resounding in the heart of the lamp-burning monk.

"The evil corpse, formless and shapeless, dwells in the deepest recesses of the soul, feeding on obsessions and nesting in delusions...!"

The hall was deathly silent; everyone held their breath and dared not make the slightest sound.

Yuanshi Tianzun suddenly stopped.

His gaze fell upon Randeng, like two golden beams of light piercing straight into the depths of Randeng's soul.

"Light the lamp!"