Amidst the vast Chaos, thirteen figures traversed through it, flying towards Purple Cloud Palace.
Before long, the grand and ancient Purple Cloud Palace was visible in the distance.
The palace gates were open, and many figures were already standing inside, some in groups of three or five, others standing alone, each with a different aura, all of them powerful beings with renown in the Primordial World.
Wu Ming and the Twelve Ancestral Witches entered the hall, and from afar, they saw Zhenyuanzi and Fellow Daoist Hong Yun.
His gaze lingered on the Twelve Ancestral Witches for a moment; the restrained yet increasingly terrifying Law fluctuations made his heart slightly tremble.
"Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun," Wu Ming stepped forward and bowed slightly to the two.
Zhenyuanzi returned the bow, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, I trust you have been well."
Fellow Daoist Hong Yun said with a gentle smile, "Fellow Daoist's demeanor is even more outstanding than before."
Wu Ming nodded, "The same goes for both Fellow Daoists."
"It seems that both Fellow Daoists have made significant progress during your ten thousand years of secluded cultivation."
Zhenyuanzi nodded slightly, "I have gained a little, but it's far from what Fellow Daoist has achieved." He looked at the Twelve Ancestral Witches behind Wu Ming, whose auras were even more unfathomable, and he sighed with emotion.
Wu Ming and they exchanged a few simple words before taking their seats.
As time passed, those who came to listen to the Dao arrived one after another.
When the last powerful being stepped through the palace gates, the two attendants, Haotian and Yaochi, walked out.
The main gate of Purple Cloud Palace slowly closed, and the entire palace instantly fell silent.
Above the high platform, Hongjun's figure appeared silently, as if he had been there since eternity.
Everyone quickly rose, bowed, and saluted, "Greetings, Saint!"
Hongjun raised his hand to gesture, "No need for formalities, be seated."
After everyone was seated, Hongjun's calm voice resounded, spreading throughout the entire Purple Cloud Palace.
"This lecture will last for ten thousand years, and I will speak on... the Dao of the Quasi-Saint."
Hongjun ignored the reactions of the crowd and began to expound on his own.
"A Quasi-Saint is one who has already clarified the direction of their own Great Dao, whose magical power is profound, and whose Divine Abilities arise naturally..."
"To attain Quasi-Saint status, one must clearly understand the path ahead..."
Hongjun's voice echoed in the hall, every word containing the profound principles of the Great Dao.
However, as the lecture deepened, the atmosphere in the hall began to become subtle.
The Sanqing, Nuwa, and others in the front rows all listened attentively, their Dao rhymes fluctuating, their brows sometimes relaxing, sometimes furrowing in deep thought.
Wu Ming closed his eyes and concentrated, his Primordial Spirit operating at full capacity, comparing and verifying the Quasi-Saint mysteries Hongjun spoke of with the methods of Law application from the Pangu Legacy.
With the help of his Primordial Spirit, he could understand most of what Hongjun explained, especially the parts about how to condense one's own Great Dao and sever external demons, which gave him new ideas for controlling Law.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches were also the same; relying on their powerful Primordial Spirits and their control over their own Laws, they tried to understand parts of what Hongjun taught, using it to perfect their own application of Law.
Although they could not fully comprehend the profoundness of the Immortal Dao's Quasi-Saint, they each compared it to the Laws they controlled, diligently absorbing the aspects of Hongjun's Dao that could be used for reference, and combining them with their own, they were not without gains.
However, for most of the listeners further back, it was a different scene.
What Hongjun said was profound; every single word, when separated, was recognizable, but when put together, it was like listening to a heavenly book, abstruse and elusive.
Some looked pained, scratching their ears and heads.
Some forcefully operated their Primordial Spirits, attempting to memorize what Hongjun was saying, but those true words containing the profound principles of the Great Dao, as soon as they entered their minds, slipped away from memory without leaving a trace.
This scene of polarization made those powerful beings who couldn't understand even more anxious but helpless, only able to watch as their Fellow Daoists in front were immersed in the joy of comprehending the Dao.
"What are the Three Corpses? They are transformed from one's good thoughts, evil thoughts, and Obsession..."
"Severing one corpse can grant the cultivation of the Early Stage Quasi-Saint."
"Severing two corpses can grant the cultivation of the Middle Stage Quasi-Saint."
"Severing three corpses can grant the cultivation of the Peak Quasi-Saint."
"Once all three corpses are severed and the Dao Fruit is at Perfection, one can attempt the unification of the Three Corpses to attain the Hunyuan Dao Fruit and achieve the revered status of a Saint."
Hongjun meticulously explained how to identify the Three Corpses, how to condense one's mind, and how to invoke the power of the Great Dao to sever them.
"Among the Three Corpses, the good and evil corpses are relatively easy to sever; only the self-corpse is the most difficult."
"The self-corpse refers to the self, the true self, which is the fundamental basis of a Cultivator's existence."
"Severing the self-corpse is not about destroying oneself, but about severing that'self-attachment,' that solidified perception of one's own existence, thereby transcending it and realizing the true self."
Hongjun emphasized the difficulty and crucial points of severing the self-corpse, and its profoundness made many powerful beings furrow their brows again.
Even the Sanqing and others in the front row, upon hearing this, frowned deeply and fell into contemplation.
Unconsciously, ten thousand years passed once more.
When the last Dao sound fell, the infinite Dao rhyme permeating Purple Cloud Palace slowly subsided.
Hongjun opened his eyes and looked down at the beings below.
"This lecture ends here."
"If any of you have difficulties in your cultivation, you may all ask, and I shall resolve your doubts."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall instantly fell silent for a moment, and then some could not hold back.
The first to stand up was Laozi.
He bowed, "May I ask, Saint, how does one sever the Three Corpses?"
As soon as this question was asked, everyone's attention focused on Hongjun.
This was the key to the path of the Quasi-Saint!
Hongjun looked at Laozi and slowly spoke.
"To sever the Three Corpses, one needs to rely on external objects."
"Innate Spirit Treasure can serve as the basis for severing the corpses."
Innate Spirit Treasure!
These four words made many hearts in the hall tremble!
In the Primordial World, how rare are Innate Spirit Treasures? Most have already found their masters, or are hidden in Secret Realms. An ordinary powerful being is lucky to even obtain one accompanying Spirit Treasure; where would they find three to sever corpses?
Moreover, Hongjun continued to add.
"Cultivators use Innate Spirit Treasures to carry and entrust their good thoughts, evil thoughts, and Obsession, thereby severing the good corpse, evil corpse, and self-corpse." Hongjun continued to explain.
"The higher the grade of the Spirit Treasure, the purer the thoughts entrusted to it, the stronger the severed Three Corpses will be, and the more stable their Foundation."
These words made many listeners' hearts sink by half.
High Grade Innate Spirit Treasures were already as rare as Phoenix feathers, let alone top-grade ones.
Did this mean that without top-tier Innate Spirit Treasures, the path to Quasi-Saint was impassable, or even if one walked it, their Foundation would be shallow?
After Laozi, Yuanshi rose, also bowing.
"May I ask, Saint, will the Spirit Treasure be damaged or disappear after severing the corpse?"
This was also a question many were concerned about.
If severing a corpse required the consumption of an Innate Spirit Treasure, the cost would be too great.
Hongjun shook his head, "During this process, the Spirit Treasure serves as a carrier and an aid, becoming the dwelling place for the Three Corpses' entrustment. Once the corpse-severing is successful, the Spirit Treasure still exists, merging within the Three Corpses, and can also be used at will."
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief.
If the Spirit Treasure was not lost, there was still hope.
Immediately after, the Demon Emperor Dijun rose, his voice resounding.
"May I ask, Saint, in the Primordial World, is severing the Three Corpses the only way to achieve Enlightenment to become a Saint?"