The people of the primordial era ruled the heavens and earth.

"Why have you three returned?"

Qin Tian looked puzzled, somewhat confused.

Having just heard the Dao, shouldn't it be time to absorb and transform that power?

Why did you come back at this time?

Taiqing Laozi looked embarrassed, but considering the purpose of his trip, which concerned his own path to sainthood, he put aside his pride and bowed to Houtu, Qin Tian, ​​and Minghe.

The same applies to Yuanshi and Tongtian.

Seeing this, Qin Tian was startled and quickly stepped aside, asking, "Fellow Daoists, what are you doing?"

"Even if you need my help, you have to explain why!"

"I really don't deserve to be bowed to you without saying a word."

Houtu and Styx did not speak, nor did they accept the salute from the Three Pure Ones.

The Three Pure Ones are unlike others; they are direct disciples of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and are destined to become saints.

They might even become their future enemies.

Therefore, Styx was very puzzled as to why Qin Tian would accept Taiqing Laozi and let him join the human race.

However, before this question could be addressed, the Three Pure Ones returned.

Taiqing Laozi knew that Qin Tian was the one in charge among the three.

So this scene is not surprising, frankly speaking:

"Fellow Daoist Qin Tian, ​​to be honest, when you first fought the demon race, I sensed that my chance to become a saint was vaguely related to you and would manifest in the human race."

"At that time, I was focused on severing the three corpses and achieving perfect enlightenment, so I didn't come to find you."

"When Fellow Daoist Styx attains enlightenment, I will fully realize that the opportunity to become a saint lies with the human race."

"But Fellow Daoist Styx, you can become a saint without the Primordial Purple Qi, which has deeply shocked me."

"On that day, I severed my three corpses, returned my cultivation to myself, and extracted the Primordial Purple Qi and put it into the Taiji Diagram, thinking of becoming a saint on my own."

"But unexpectedly, after a thousand years of seclusion, I gained nothing and felt deeply lost."

"So I quietly descended Mount Kunlun."

"At that time, Fellow Daoist Qin Tian fought against Zhulong and subdued the dragon clan, so I came to the Southern Wilderness."

"Later, I made a pact with you, Fellow Daoist Qin Tian."

After listening to Laozi Taiqing's words, Qin Tian was filled with emotion.

As expected, he was ranked first among the Six Sages of Heaven in later generations, the Supreme Dao Ancestor.

Surprisingly, at that time, he sensed the opportunity to become a saint.

That is, besides himself, he also helped the human race and the witch race form an alliance, as well as his own pursuits.

Otherwise, Laozi would probably have already become a saint by now.

Because back then, I was powerless to stop it.

In the original history, because he did not exist, Taiqing Laozi entered the human race early on and secretly watched over them.

While preaching, he also pondered and eventually founded the Humanistic Education.

They didn't even fight Nuwa, but directly stole Nuwa's fruit.

Nuwa had no choice but to accept the fact that Laozi owed her a karmic debt.

Thinking about this, Qin Tian suddenly felt that Taiqing Laozi was actually quite pitiful.

He knew exactly where the opportunity to become a saint lay, but because his strength was growing too fast, and because of the existence of the Styx River and Houtu, he had to keep delaying it.

The fact that they were able to endure until today before speaking out shows remarkable composure.

Putting himself in Qin Tian's shoes, he felt he couldn't do it.

He wouldn't care about so many things; becoming a saint is the priority.

The cause and effect can be repaid slowly in the future.

...

"Fellow Daoist Taiqing, I have not forgotten our agreement."

"Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you as long as I know it."

"This humble Taoist would like to know, how can one achieve sainthood without using the Primordial Purple Qi?"

Qin Tian smiled. He knew that Taiqing Laozi would ask this question, and immediately replied without hesitation: "This question is actually very simple."

"Fellow Daoist Styx is a typical example, as is Fellow Daoist Houtu."

"I believe Fellow Daoist Taiqing is aware of this."

"What you're asking is definitely not that simple, but I'd like to ask you a question first."

After speaking, Qin Tian looked at Taiqing Laozi, and seeing him nod, he immediately continued, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Taiqing, in your opinion, what is a sage?"

Taiqing Laozi looked thoughtful. After hesitating for a while, he said, "To be honest, fellow Daoist, I have many answers to this question."

"But I feel that none of these answers are correct."

"Haha..." Qin Tian chuckled lightly, "Fellow Daoist Taiqing, you are indeed extraordinary."

"It's both and neither, that's a very insightful answer."

"I'll just briefly share my views on sages."

"First of all, being a sage is a state of being, and it requires an extremely high level of understanding of the Dao."

"Because of its difficulty, there is a Quasi-Saint realm between the Great Luo Golden Immortal and the Saint."

"The Quasi-Saint realm that the Dao Ancestor passed down to us is to sever the three corpses and retain only a pure heart that yearns for the Dao."

"That's not wrong, but the mistake is that he kept it to himself."

"The realm of Quasi-Saint is actually very simple; it is simply the number of steps one has taken in the pursuit of the path to sainthood."

"The Dao Ancestor achieved sainthood by severing his three corpses, which was divided into three steps. Proving the Dao through force only required one step, while achieving sainthood through merit transformed the number of steps."

"The simpler the path to sainthood, the better. Therefore, it is generally accepted that proving one's path through force is the strongest, while achieving sainthood through merit is the weakest."

"Because there are limitations to achieving sainthood through merit, especially under the Heavenly Way."

"If Heaven desires you to have something, you will have it; if Heaven desires you not to have something, you will not have it."

"Only those who cultivate themselves can become true saints and true Primordial Golden Immortals."

"A Primordial Golden Immortal?" Taiqing Laozi murmured repeatedly, then asked, "I understand what you just said, fellow Daoist."

"But what exactly is this Primordial Chaos Dao?"

"Is it a grand path?"

"Of course not." Qin Tian shook his head: "Hun Yuan is a realm where one achieves oneness through the Three Thousand Great Daos, and then uses this oneness to control the Three Thousand Great Daos."

Upon hearing this, Taiqing Laozi immediately understood, but he did not stop there. Instead, he continued to ask, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, what exactly is the Primordial Purple Qi?"

"Why did the Dao Ancestor say that one can become a saint by possessing the Primordial Purple Qi?"

Qin Tian pondered for a moment: "The Primordial Purple Qi is actually a key that allows you to open the gate to the Heavenly Dao and borrow its power."

"It gives you the illusion that you are invincible."

"But in reality, every time it is used, one's own path is assimilated."

"In the end, you will become a puppet of the Way of Heaven."

Upon hearing this, Taiqing Laozi was greatly shocked. He was very unwilling to believe that it was true.

But he knew that Qin Tian had no reason to lie.

Then, thinking that Qin Tian had already clashed with his own teacher, Taiqing Laozi seemed to understand something.

But he wasn't sure, so he pressed on, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, why did Hongjun do this?"

"What good would doing him do?"

"What is the significance of his preaching at Zixiao Palace?"