Volume One: The Lich Cataclysm Chapter 104: When Hongjun Preaches, Chen Rui Enters the Chaos

Chenrui and Yangmei, who stood nearby, merely smiled at these words and refrained from commenting.

Within the grand hall, Kunpeng found himself in a predicament—whether to yield or not, neither option seemed right. He glared furiously at Zhunti and burst out in anger.

“You truly have no shame! The Ancestor is sitting here peacefully, minding his own business, and yet you provoke him. If you arrived late and missed the seat, who else is to blame?”

But before Kunpeng could finish, Zhunti and Jieyin both turned to him, their faces darkening with menace.

“You’re quite right—we are here to take your seat. After all, you took it by force yourself,” Zhunti replied, his expression unchanging, his words sharp and unapologetic.

Kunpeng, however, showed no sign of backing down and met the pair head-on. Yet, how could he alone contend with both of them? Zhunti and Jieyin acted swiftly, forcibly dragging Kunpeng from the cushion. Jieyin promptly seated himself, firmly occupying the spot, while Kunpeng could only glare in fury. Just as he was about to retaliate, a sudden surge of Daoist resonance swept through the hall.

Above, three meditation cushions appeared out of thin air, and upon them, three figures materialized silently.

“Greetings to the Sages!”

All present rose at once, bowing to Hongjun in respect.

Hongjun took the central seat, with Chenrui and Yangmei flanking him. The appearance of these three startled many. They had seen images of Hongjun at his ascension, but few had ever laid eyes on Chenrui or Yangmei, especially the latter, who had withdrawn from the world after attaining the Dao of Primordial Unity, rarely seen by any.

Yet, among those in the hall, the most stunned were Minghe, Zhenyuanzi, Houtu, and their like. Houtu, at least, had some inkling, but Minghe and Zhenyuanzi knew very little. Hongyun watched Zhenyuanzi staring blankly ahead, but sensing it was not the right time to ask, he chose to stay silent.

At that moment, Hongjun waved his horsetail whisk, and two new meditation cushions appeared behind Chenrui. With a gesture, Ao Qing and Gengning were summoned to occupy them.

Hongjun then cast his gaze across the hall, his voice ringing with authority.

“Henceforth, the seats for attending the Dao lecture will be as arranged. Let there be no further disputes. Haotian, Yaochi, close the palace gates. I shall begin the discourse now. Today’s teaching will be on the Great Dao of Da Luo.”

At these words, all present stilled their minds and prepared to listen in earnest. Haotian and Yaochi, after closing the doors, quickly found places in the corners to sit and listen as well.

As Hongjun began his discourse from the Daoist platform, myriad visions manifested within the Purple Cloud Palace. The air was saturated with the resonance of the Dao, swirling around the assembly, accompanied by a rain of celestial flowers and golden lotuses springing from the earth.

Hongjun’s voice, at times gentle as a flowing brook, soothed the soul; at other times, it was like a mighty bell, shaking the spirit and bringing sudden enlightenment.

This first sermon in the Purple Cloud Palace expounded only on the path of the Da Luo Golden Immortal, which, for the assembled great beings, was not too esoteric. Yet, Hongjun’s teaching was both profound and accessible—he made the principles of Da Luo so clear and detailed that even the most accomplished among them were compelled to admire his mastery.

Time passed swiftly as Hongjun spoke—over a hundred thousand years went by in the blink of an eye before he finally paused.

“Now, Fellow Daoists Qingxuan and Yangmei will continue the teaching.”

Chenrui and Yangmei accepted without protest, and each took up the lecture in turn, their voices imbued with the authority of Heaven’s decree.

Yangmei spoke first, for over ten thousand years, and Chenrui concluded the teaching. Though they, too, spoke of the Great Dao of Da Luo, their interpretations differed completely from Hongjun’s. Thus, all present gained new insights, their harvests beyond imagination.

After another kalpa had passed, Chenrui suddenly ceased speaking.

“Enough, this sermon ends here. In ten kalpas, I will resume and teach the next stage of the Dao,” Hongjun declared.

No sooner had he finished than he, together with Chenrui, Yangmei, Ao Qing, and Gengning, vanished from the hall.

The assembly rose to depart. Unbeknownst to Hongyun, as they did so, Kunpeng fixed him with a dark, brooding glare.

Once outside the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongyun turned to Zhenyuanzi in curiosity.

“Brother Zhenyuanzi, so you know the Sage? No wonder you refused my earlier invitation to attend the lecture.”

Zhenyuanzi glanced at Hongyun, who was giving him a teasing look.

“What are you saying? I’ve never left Mount Longevity—I really don’t know the Sage. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Hongyun pressed, intrigued.

Zhenyuanzi shook his head. “I am only acquainted with Senior Qingxuan.”

What Zhenyuanzi did not reveal was that the one who had appeared was merely a manifestation of Qingxuan, not his true self. But this fact only deepened his awe, for from the course of the lecture, he could tell that Senior’s status was even more exalted than he had imagined.

Just then, Zhenyuanzi noticed Hongyun suddenly pause, which piqued his curiosity.

“Fellow Daoist Hongyun?”

“Brother Zhenyuanzi, I sense that a fateful opportunity is about to arrive!”

“Oh? Then let us hurry along, but Hongyun, you really ought to change that habit of yours, or sooner or later it will bring you misfortune,” Zhenyuanzi admonished as he pulled Hongyun along in search of this so-called opportunity.

Hongyun responded with words of agreement, but it was clear he was not taking the warning to heart.

“All right, Brother Zhenyuanzi, I’ll remember and won’t repeat the mistake.”

Zhenyuanzi, hearing his tone, knew his friend had paid no heed and sighed softly.

“Never mind, I’ll say no more. The opportunity you spoke of is what matters now—lead the way.”

With that, he let Hongyun guide him to the place of destiny.

…

“Fellow Daoists Qingxuan and Yangmei, may I invite you to attend the next lecture as well?” Hongjun asked the two once more, now that only the three remained.

Both demurred politely—they saw clearly that this first lecture was harmless, perhaps only meant to make an appearance, but the next would not be so simple. Whether Hongjun’s invitation was casual or calculated, it was best not to accept.

Thus, they both took their leave.

Outside the Purple Cloud Palace, Chenrui turned to Yangmei.

“Yangmei, I have a request.”

Yangmei looked at him with curiosity.

“My true self is trapped in the chaos beyond. I will need your aid with a matter.”

“Oh? If you are in difficulty, of course I will lend my hand and not stand by idly,” Yangmei replied.

Chenrui was delighted. With a wave of his hand, Houtu and Jumang suddenly appeared before him.

“There’s no need to question for now—just follow me and Fellow Daoist Yangmei for a while,” Chenrui said quickly, noticing the two were startled to find themselves in an unfamiliar place.

And so, the story continued.