Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

A faint purple aura stirred atop the high platform.

The figure of the Sage Hongjun quietly appeared.

He sat cross-legged on the cloud platform, his purple robes flowing down, his Taoist aura swirling, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd below.

Ultimately... it fell on Kong Xuan.

"Fellow Daoist."

Hongjun spoke slowly, his voice indifferent, yet carrying a majesty that was as profound as heaven and earth:

"Now that you are in the palace, please take a seat."

He raised his hand and pointed to the six prayer cushions below the stage:

"These six seats were formed by my own innate creation and contain the potential for sainthood."

"If you are interested, fellow Daoist... you may choose one to sit on."

The words fell.

The entire venue was deathly silent!

The pupils of the three thousand mortals shrank suddenly, and a huge wave surged in their hearts!

The Sage Hongjun... actually intends to relinquish his position on the meditation cushion to this person?!

That's a golden opportunity to become a saint!

The method of achieving sainthood is being publicly proclaimed for the first time since the beginning of time!

Even the Three Pure Ones, transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu, and even Emperor Jun and Taiyi, born from the sun, still need to compete, scheme, and... risk their lives!

But now...

Hongjun actually offered to give up the position?!

Just who is this figure in black robes?!

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Kong Xuan's back, and their breath seemed to stop.

Kong Xuan slowly turned around.

His dark robe fluttered lightly, and his black hair fell down.

His gaze calmly swept over the six prayer cushions, then over Hongjun on the high platform.

A slight upturn at the corners of his lips revealed a smile that wasn't quite a smile:

"The position of the futon was set up by the Taoist Ancestor for those with affinity."

"I am not the one destined for you, so there's no need."

The sound was calm, yet it was as loud as a thunderclap!

He... refused?!

He even refused the opportunity to become a saint?!

The three thousand travelers in the mortal world were completely blank, almost unable to believe their ears!

A hint of purple flickered deep within Hongjun's eyes, but his expression remained unchanged:

"Since you have no interest in the meditation cushion, please listen quietly from below the stage."

Kong Xuan nodded slightly and said no more.

He turned around and landed gracefully at the very front of the stage.

There was nothing there...

But just as he landed...

A chaotic lotus platform phantom quietly bloomed beneath his feet!

The lotus platform has twelve petals, each petal flowing with chaotic Dao patterns, surrounded by the illusory images of the Three Thousand Great Daos, exuding an unparalleled Dao charm that transcends everything!

The lotus platform appeared.

The entire Zixiao Palace... trembled violently!

The swirling purple mist, as if drawn by an invisible force, frantically converged toward the lotus platform, only to quietly dissipate and dissolve when it reached within three feet of the platform!

It was as if that lotus platform... was originally part of the chaos, completely out of place with the Purple Cloud Palace and the Dao of Heaven!

Hongjun's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly!

A twelfth-grade... Chaos Lotus Platform?!

Before the creation of heaven and earth, the Chaos Green Lotus shattered, and the lotus seeds transformed into a supreme treasure of chaos!

Even the innate treasures transformed from Pangu's axe cannot compare to it!

Such priceless treasures... are actually in this person's hands?!

Who exactly is he?!

The audience below the stage was utterly horrified!

The Daoist aura emanating from that lotus platform... was terrifying!

It was as if a miniature chaotic universe was slowly rotating before my eyes!

The profound truths of the Great Dao contained within it are even more ancient, more vast, and closer to the origin than the Heavenly Dao aura emanating from the Sage Hongjun!

In a short time.

Everyone instinctively took a half step back.

Even the Three Pure Ones had solemn expressions, their eyes fixed on the lotus platform, their hearts filled with turbulent waves!

Kong Xuan, however, seemed oblivious.

He sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, his black robes cascading down, his black hair flowing like a waterfall, and slowly closed his eyes.

Like an old monk in deep meditation, unmoved for eternity.

Hongjun gave him a deep look, his gaze hardening.

This person... is too mysterious.

His cultivation was unfathomable, and his treasures were earth-shattering, yet... he had absolutely no interest in the opportunity to become a saint.

What exactly is his purpose in coming to Zixiao Palace?

The doubt in Hongjun's heart quietly grew.

But he remained expressionless and slowly began to speak:

"In that case... let the sermon begin."

The sound was calm, yet like the voice of the Great Dao, resounding throughout every corner of the palace.

"This sermon will last for three thousand years."

"To expound the Way of Primordial Chaos and to describe the means to achieve sainthood."

"Those who are destined to receive it will obtain it; those who are not destined... should not force it."

The words fell.

Hongjun slowly closed his eyes.

His body was enveloped in a surge of purple energy, and the Daoist principles of Heaven surged forth from his body like a river bursting its banks, transforming into countless fine purple-gold runes that flowed and evolved in the void!

In an instant.

The entire Zixiao Palace seemed to have transformed into a miniature primordial world!

The sun, moon, and stars rise and fall; earth, water, fire, and wind surge and rush; mountains and rivers manifest; and all spirits and phantoms arise!

All three thousand great paths are contained within!

The crowd below the stage all changed color, quickly composed themselves, sat cross-legged, and tried their best to comprehend the vast and boundless Dao of Heaven!

In a short time.

Within the palace, purple mists swirled, and the essence of Taoism flowed.

Only Kong Xuan...

He remained seated with his eyes closed, like a sleeping, chaotic demon god, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

The voice of Hongjun preaching was like the voice of the Great Dao, echoing in his ears.

The Daoist principles and rhythms flowed around him like an invisible tide.

But he...didn't move an inch.

It was as if the opportunity to become a saint, which would move even a saint, was nothing more than a passing breeze to him.

Time passed slowly amidst the sermons.

One year... ten years... one hundred years...

The audience below the stage were all immersed in their understanding of the Great Dao.

Some people looked pleased, as if they had gained something.

Some people frowned, struggling to deduce the truth.

Someone's aura fluctuated, hinting at a potential breakthrough.

Only Kong Xuan...

Consistently.

Like a pillar stabilizing the sea, yet also like a bottomless abyss.

Seated on the lotus throne, unmoved for eternity.

Hongjun's voice remained calm as he preached.

But deep in his eyes... that trace of doubt and... fear grew even stronger.

What exactly is this person waiting for?

A century of preaching has passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Purple Cloud Palace, purple mists swirled, and the Daoist aura flowed like a tide.

The three thousand worldly travelers all sat cross-legged, some with furrowed brows, some in a daze, some with flushed faces, and some with fluctuating breaths.

Some people grasped a sliver of the secrets of heaven, and their bodies shone with a surge of divine light.

Some people are stuck in a bottleneck, racking their brains but unable to find a solution.

On the high platform, Hongjun spoke golden lotuses, each word transforming into purple-gold runes that intertwined and evolved in the void, revealing the profound mysteries of the Great Dao.

From the Great Luo to the Quasi-Saint, from the Quasi-Saint to the Primordial Chaos.

From severing the three corpses to proving the Dao through force, from achieving sainthood through merit to the primordial purple aura.

Analyze it meticulously, proceed step by step.

The crowd below the stage was starving and eagerly devouring this opportunity to achieve sainthood, which was being poured out for the first time since the beginning of time.

Only one person.

It remained unmoved.

Kong Xuan sat cross-legged on the twelve-petaled Chaos Lotus Platform, his black robe cascading down like a waterfall, his black hair flowing over his shoulders, and his eyes slightly closed.

There was no flow of energy or leakage of Daoist charm from his body.

Like a piece of ancient ice that has sunk into the deep sea for thousands of years, no matter how turbulent the surface of the sea is, the seabed remains as silent as an abyss.

For a century, he never once looked up at Hongjun.

He didn't even glance down at the prayer mat for a moment.

Hongjun continued his sermon, but his hand, hidden in his purple sleeve, had already quietly clenched.

This person...

Are they here to listen to the sermon, or... to oversee things?

He sat there quietly, like an invisible sword hanging from the top of the Purple Cloud Palace.

Before the sword was even drawn, its intent had already caused the very essence of the heavens and the Dao to freeze.

Hongjun could not ignore him.

But he couldn't see through him either.