Primordial Era: Elixir of Qi Transforms into Form, Controlling the Pharmacology of the World

This transmission of the Dharma and the Way continued for three thousand years.

Hongjun's Daoist voice gradually subsided: "After three thousand years of transmitting the Dharma, you should have gained some understanding by now."

"Thank you, Master, for transmitting the Dharma and the Way. This disciple has gained some understanding!" Lao Tzu said gratefully.

Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian nodded in agreement.

Ling Dan felt the same way, gaining much from the experience.

Zhunti wept bitterly, "Master... this disciple has grasped very little, this disciple..."

Upon hearing this, Hongjun flicked his sleeve, rendering Zhunti speechless: "Alas... all beings in the primordial world know that the Dharma should not be lightly passed on, but the Great Dao should not be easily imparted either. Especially the Great Dao involving the Hunyuan realm, which requires utmost caution. Therefore, I relied on the Treasure Distribution Rock to set up this test. Unfortunately, most of the three thousand Zixiao guests were influenced by greed and ultimately lost the opportunity to obtain the Great Dao... The same is true for you two. Influenced by greed, your minds were clouded, and you ultimately missed the opportunity to glimpse the Great Dao. This kind of opportunity only comes once, and once lost, it cannot be recovered."

As they spoke, Zhunti and Jieyin became increasingly sorrowful and filled with regret.

"Alright... With the completion of the three sermons, I have repaid a small portion of the karmic debt I owed to the Primordial World. Next, I should also complete the union of my body with the Dao and make amends to the vast Primordial World." Hongjun seemed to sigh, or perhaps to linger, as he gazed at the vast Zixiao Palace, or perhaps at the boundless Primordial World.

Upon hearing this, Laozi was overcome with sorrow: "Master...do you truly wish to merge with the Dao?"

Yuanshi Tianzun also spoke solemnly: "Master..."

Nuwa was puzzled and conflicted: "Master, why did you unite yourself with the Dao?"

"Since its birth, the Primordial World has gone through many eras and countless calamities, ultimately bringing irreparable pain to it. Now, your master will merge with the Heavenly Dao, becoming a part of it, and then repair the few remaining defects of the Primordial World." Hongjun sighed, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Hiss..." Kunpeng gasped, his expression grave. "Teacher, you have merged with the Heavenly Dao. From now on, in what form will the Heavenly Dao, or even you, exist?"

"Heaven is ruthless, but Hongjun is compassionate. When the two merge, my compassion will be imprisoned. From now on, within the Zixiao Palace, Hongjun will always be Hongjun. Outside the Zixiao Palace, Hongjun will merely be the Heavenly Dao, representing the ruthless Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao." Hongjun spoke with a sigh, and also with a lament.

"Master...is this really how it must be?" Tongtian said with grief.

Hongjun spoke with a hint of profundity and seriousness: "To attain Dao is my responsibility, and an unchangeable fact. From now on, you must behave yourselves well and not rely on your strength or status to act recklessly. Otherwise, even your master will find it difficult to protect you."

As they spoke, the three Pure Ones were filled with sorrow, as was Ling Dan.

Nuwa and the others felt the same way, filled with emotion.

"Alright, the time is almost up. At the moment I merge with the Great Dao, you should carefully comprehend it. Consider it my final instruction to you." Hongjun said, his aura becoming increasingly profound.

At that moment, Hongjun exuded a kind of conviction, a kind of vicissitude, as if he had been baptized by endless years, or as if he had been washed by the long river of the Great Dao, and his whole body was filled with a kind of vastness.

At that moment, the aura emanating from Hongjun was terrifying; merely sitting still, he exuded an aura of invincibility.

It makes the great river of life boil, and makes the ages of ancient and modern times unstable.

"Heavenly Dao, unite..." Hongjun didn't think much, and condensed his divine power, which rippled outwards, transforming him into an invincible being.

Then, the Great Dao River appeared. It resembled the vast Purple Cloud Palace, now floating on the Great Dao River.

Endless Daoist principles intertwine, stirring up waves and radiating profound depth.

The long river flows downstream, revealing a unique Daoist aura that transforms into a halo of light—that is the Heavenly Dao.

The evolution of the Heavenly Dao manifested as chains of order, drawing Hongjun into his physical body and binding his soul.

At that moment, Hongjun, bound by chains, gradually intertwined and solidified. They merged into one, emanating a unique Daoist aura that allowed the cultivators present to see the future.

That's right, it's seeing the future, seeing the future of the great path.

At that moment, everyone seemed to be looking down upon the long river of the Great Dao, following the gaze of the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun.

Or, from this position, one can see the downstream of the Great River.

But then we see that downstream of the Great River, there are countless branches and tributaries.

Three thousand tributaries, which then evolved into three thousand more tributaries.

Every tributary flows with a vast and profound power.

Intersecting and flowing, passing through the past and present, flowing through all the heavens.

The countless stars in the sky cannot compare to the abundance here, nor can they compare to the vastness of the Great River.

Ling Dan could clearly sense that her Dao Fruit was only within a tributary.

Following the tributaries upstream, one eventually merges with larger tributaries, which then flow into the middle reaches. And the middle reaches themselves seem to be part of the tributaries. Looking upstream, it appears as a dot, or perhaps very blurry.

It feels like the source of the Great Dao's long river is just a single point. This point evolves, creating tributaries of the Great Dao, which then evolve into the middle reaches. In turn, they evolve into countless more tributaries, becoming the lower reaches.

Those downstream connect the heavens and draw them in.

After watching for a long time, as the aura of the Heavenly Dao dissipated, everyone came back to their senses and realized that they were inside the Purple Cloud Palace.

Looking at Hongjun now, he seemed unchanged, still much the same as before. At most, he was more profound, more mysterious, and exuded a unique aura.

Laozi stroked his beard, reflecting on the moment, and then looked at Hongjun: "Master, what is your current state?"

"Inside Zixiao Palace, I am Hongdiao. But even Hongjun finds it difficult to do things that violate the laws of Heaven. Outside Zixiao Palace, every word and action is in accordance with the laws of Heaven." Hongjun said, with a mix of emotion and indifference.

Yuanshi Tianzun asked solemnly, "Master... will you have the opportunity to be freed from these constraints in the future?"

"There is always a glimmer of hope. However, whether or not one can seize that glimmer of hope depends on their strength," Hongjun said again.

Tongtian sighed, his expression changing: "Master... was what we just saw the Great Dao River?"

"Indeed, that is the Great River of the Great Dao. I do not know what the source of the river is. However, I do know that it is the pinnacle of the Great Dao, and it seems that only Pangu has ever been able to set foot here. Whether Pangu actually set foot here is also unknown."

Evolving from its source, the Three Thousand Rivers flow, traversing the primordial chaos. From each of these three thousand rivers, countless tributaries will emerge. And now, you are among these tributaries. If you go against the current and enter the middle reaches, it will mean stepping into the Three Thousand Great Rivers. " Hongjun said slowly.

"I see... But with so many tributaries, can we choose freely?" Zhunti suddenly asked.

"Every tributary of the Great Dao River connects countless cultivators and countless Great Daos. Which tributary you are in, which tributary you flow into, is an opportunity, and also a legacy. It is also the reason for the birth of the primordial world. In short, the Great Dao River is mysterious; explore it yourselves." Hongjun stroked his beard and said in a low voice.

The many cultivators looked at each other and ultimately chose to remain silent.

After a brief exchange, Hongjun flicked his sleeve and said, "You may all leave. From this day forward, Zixiao Palace is closed. Unless I summon you, you shall not enter."

With that, he flicked his sleeve, scattering Laozi and his companions into the primordial wilderness.

At that moment, the Purple Cloud Palace within the chaos also gradually disappeared into the chaos.

Seeing this scene, the cultivators present were filled with mixed emotions.

"Sigh... Let's go, let's go..." Laozi said, and left with Ling Dan.

Zhunti and the others also left. Nuwa pondered for a moment, then sighed and departed.

The Queen Mother did the same; she glanced at Ling Dan, said nothing more, and then left.

After everyone left, Ling Dan obediently followed Laozi back to Kunlun.

In retrospect, this trip to Zixiao Palace was very fruitful, but I saw even more.

With Ling Dan's current cultivation level, she was unable to participate in the discussion of these many mysterious matters; she could only act as a witness.

After a long time, Ling Dan and his group returned to Kunlun.

Upon returning to Kunlun, Laozi's complex expression also carried an air of indifference.

"Disciple...go and cultivate. Now that you have condensed your Dao Fruit, you will have to figure out how to proceed on your path from now on." Laozi said, gently stroking Lingdan.

Ling Dan nodded and entered the secluded cultivation area.

Ling Dan gained a lot from this trip, the biggest gain being the condensation of the Dao Fruit. Therefore, in the time to come, Ling Dan will focus his main efforts on comprehending the method of severing the three corpses.

……

Time flies, and thousands of years have passed in the blink of an eye.

"Hoo... After years of enlightenment, my Dao fruit has gradually stabilized, and my cultivation level has gradually improved. However, it will be difficult to continue to improve in a short period of time."

Ling Dan slowly opened her eyes and sighed.

After condensing the Dao Fruit, the next realm is the Primordial Chaos Realm.

Breaking through the Hunyuan realm is no easy feat.

There's no point in rushing it.

Ling Dan picked up the fast-sleeping Tiger Girl: "Tiger Girl... you've been sleeping for so many years. Your essence has been repaired. It's time to wake up."

"Awoo... Young Master, my essence has been repaired and my aptitude has improved. I can improve my cultivation while sleeping, so there's no need to cultivate while awake." Tiger Girl said righteously.

Seeing this, Ling Dan also felt that this tiger girl was too lazy. However, she didn't think too much about it, picked her up, and petted her like a cat as she walked out of the secluded cultivation place.

To be honest, Tiger Girl has brought me quite a few benefits. I didn't realize it before, but after condensing my Dao Fruit, I gradually began to feel it. The remaining fortune of the divine beast White Tiger clan has all fallen onto Tiger Girl.

Ling Dan is Tiger Girl's master, so she can also enjoy that kind of luck.

He picked up Tiger Girl and went to Kunlun Blessed Land, but he didn't see his master or his uncle. He guessed that they were still in seclusion.

Ling Dan gazed at the unchanging Kunlun, feeling a mix of emotions.

Tiger Girl, her eyes still blurry with sleep, asked, "Young Master... what are we going to do? Are we leaving Kunlun?"

"Why go out? It's so dangerous outside. Isn't it better to stay in Kunlun?" Ling Dan immediately shook her head.

"But young master, you've already reached the Great Luo Dao Fruit stage. This level of cultivation is very strong even in the primordial world," Tiger Girl said, puzzled.

"So what if I have a Dao Fruit? It's too dangerous to go out. I'll just stay here in Kunlun." Ling Dan said seriously, absolutely unwilling to go out alone.

"If we don't go out, are we just going to stand here and look at the scenery?" Tiger Girl asked, puzzled.

"No, that's not it. There are many things I need to do." Ling Dan imagined that there really were quite a few things to do.