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Ye Chuanze was momentarily stunned, captivated by Hongjun's grace and demeanor. He quickly regained his composure and silently praised, "What a beautiful appearance! What an elegant presence!" He recalled the Kitsunetsu of the Azure Hill Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan, known as the most beautiful among them. However, in Ye Chuanze's eyes, Kitsunetsu could not compare to Hongjun. While both had similar beauty, Kitsunetsu fell short in terms of elegance.
The elegance that Hongjun exuded, honed over countless ages by the Primordial, was unmatched throughout the Primordial. A beauty is admired for both appearance and grace. Yet, no matter how beautiful one might be, it is unwise to entertain any improper thoughts. After all, the combat prowess of such a beauty was too high; Ye Chuanze did not wish to meet an untimely end. He quickly dismissed any inappropriate thoughts from his mind and lowered his gaze, no longer daring to look at Hongjun.
The Three Pure Ones, upon seeing Hongjun, all bowed respectfully and said, "Disciple pays respects to the Master."
Ye Chuanze hurriedly followed suit, saying, "Disciple pays respects to the Master."
"Mm." Hongjun responded with a calm nod, acknowledging their greetings.
The Primordial then spoke up with a voice as cold as frost but laced with undeniable respect, "Disciple has fulfilled the Master's command and brought Brother Ye to the Purple Cloud Palace."
Hearing this, Hongjun turned his gaze towards Ye Chuanze, his expression neutral as he asked, "Do you remember what I once said?"
"…I am not sure which words you refer to, Master," Ye Chuanze replied with a twitch of his lips.
At this, Hongjun slightly lowered his eyes and fell silent.
The Primordial, standing nearby, frowned at the exchange but dared not speak further.
After a moment of silence, Hongjun continued, "It has been nearly a thousand years; it is almost time for the third and final sermon at the Purple Cloud Palace. After this last sermon, I will merge with the Way of Heaven."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Three Pure Ones changed dramatically. However, Ye Chuanze appeared slightly surprised for a moment before quickly regaining his composure; it was only a matter of time before Hongjun merged with the Way.
Hongjun halted the words of the Three Pure Ones, continuing, "The Great Dao is fifty; Heaven transforms into forty-nine. In between lies a thread of life; thus, the Way of Heaven is incomplete, allowing all things to possess a thread of life. Now I will merge with the Way of Heaven to rectify its incompleteness."
"Master… after merging with the Way of Heaven, will you still be our Master?" asked Primordial, his voice slightly hoarse.
Hongjun glanced at him and slowly nodded. "After merging with the Dao, Hongjun becomes the Way of Heaven; yet the Way is not solely Hongjun, and still, Hongjun remains as he is."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Three Pure Ones softened as they calmed down. Their greatest fear was that after merging with the Dao, Hongjun would no longer be himself—only the Way would remain in this world, leaving them without their beloved Master and severing their bond.
Standing quietly to one side, Ye Chuanze pondered deeply over Hongjun's words: "Hongjun is the Way of Heaven; the Way is not solely Hongjun, yet still, Hongjun remains as he is."
The meaning is roughly that after merging with the Dao, Hongjun becomes a part of the Heavenly Dao, completing what was missing. However, the Heavenly Dao is not Hongjun; besides Hongjun, it also consists of the forty-nine parts that originated from the Great Dao since the beginning of creation. The Heavenly Dao has both form and formlessness, and Hongjun represents the form of the Heavenly Dao, acting as its enforcer and spokesperson in the mortal realm. Hongjun is still Hongjun, meaning that even after merging with the Dao, he retains his personal thoughts and emotions, thus he remains himself.
After thinking for a long time, Ye Chuanze concluded that Hongjun handled this matter beautifully! After merging with the Heavenly Dao, he is still himself and maintains his existence. From then on, he is no longer oppressed by the Heavenly Dao; after merging with it, Hongjun stands at the same height as the Heavenly Dao, which can no longer erase or calculate against him. The Heavenly Dao and Hongjun coexist and tolerate each other's existence.
Hongjun is an innate chaotic deity who wholeheartedly pursues the Great Dao but ultimately becomes bound by the Heavenly Dao, unable to attain true enlightenment. As long as the Heavenly Dao exists above him, he cannot achieve the Great Dao. In the end, he chooses to yield and merge into one with the Heavenly Dao; although he cannot reach the Great Dao, he is no longer forced by it, and they coexist from then on.
Ye Chuanze thought that if he were Hongjun, he would also choose to merge with the Dao since he could not attain the Great Dao anyway. He would simply overpower the Heavenly Dao and stand at an equal height with it. In this primordial world, which claims that beneath a Sage one is merely an ant, it is unknown that even a Sage cannot escape the calculations of the Heavenly Dao.
Seeing that the Three Pure Ones had calmed down, Hongjun said: "You are all my direct disciples of the Taoist Sect. In the future, you must inherit my teachings and carry on my legacy; it is up to you to ensure that the Taoist Sect continues. Remember, among fellow disciples, you must respect each other and never engage in internal strife that would harm our sect's legacy!"
Upon hearing this, the Three Pure Ones all looked solemn and replied in unison: "Disciples will respectfully follow Master’s orders! We dare not disobey!"
Ye Chuanze remained quietly seated on the Black Lotus, looking around with an indifferent expression.
Seeing this, Hongjun frowned slightly and said: " Ye Chuanze, do you have any objections to what I just said?"
Ye Chuanze quickly replied: "No, no! Master’s words are absolutely correct!"
Hongjun's expression darkened as he said displeasedly: "If that's the case, why did you not respond?"
"The disciple thinks three senior brothers are enough for carrying on the Taoist Sect's legacy. My cultivation is shallow; I do not dare take on such a heavy responsibility. I would rather obediently follow behind my three senior brothers and not bring trouble to the Taoist Sect. Matters concerning inheritance are significant; I will not overestimate myself when three senior brothers are sufficient," Ye Chuanze said.
Hongjun snorted lightly and said: "You know your own cultivation is shallow yet do not diligently practice; you waste your time."
Hearing Hongjun reprimand him made Ye Chuanze's face flush red as he stammered: "I think I have been diligent enough."
Hongjun looked at him with deep eyes that seemed unfathomable, making Ye Chuanze feel awkward. "Alright! I admit that I have been lazy and neglectful in my cultivation," Ye Chuanze said helplessly.
Only then did Hongjun soften his expression and continue: "You are my youngest disciple; having three senior brothers means it’s not a big deal if your cultivation lags a bit. In time, your three senior brothers will take good care of you."
Upon hearing this, Ye Chuanze felt embarrassed but internally was kneeling in awe. Master, is it really okay for you to show such favoritism towards your youngest disciple in front of my senior brothers? Will they become jealous and resentful enough to stab me? In this day and age, one must guard against fire hazards as well as senior brothers!
He secretly glanced at the expressions of the Three Pure Ones but saw that they appeared calm without any particular emotions showing. It was Sky-Connecting who noticed his gaze and quietly smiled at him. Seeing this made Ye Chuanze's eyelids twitch; he had a bad feeling about it.
Indeed...
Sky-Connecting spoke to Hongjun, saying, "What Master said is very true. I will take good care of my junior brother in the future and will not allow him to suffer even the slightest harm, so as not to worry Master."
Upon hearing this, Hongjun nodded slightly and praised, "As fellow disciples, we should indeed care for each other like this."
Ye Chuanze felt uneasy after hearing this; he thought that the resentment he had drawn today was no less than that of Red Cloud.
Hongjun turned to look at Ye Chuanze and immediately changed his expression, speaking sternly, "You indulge in pleasure and neglect your cultivation, which has led to your inability to transform until now. You have brought shame upon me!"
"…Wait, what’s wrong with this statement?" Ye Chuanze twitched his mouth.
Hongjun continued, "I am about to merge with the Dao, and the only thing I cannot let go of is you, this useless disciple. From today on, you will stay in Purple Cloud Palace. Until you transform, you are not allowed to leave!"
"…" Ye Chuanze.
Now, Ye Chuanze was truly feeling terrible; he spoke with difficulty, "Master... I have a shadow in my heart regarding the Thunder Tribulation. Could you grant me a few more days?"
Hongjun glanced at him and replied calmly, "I will grant you that; you must transform within three days."
"…" Ye Chuanze.
********
Under the moonlight, admiring the lotus flowers, the blossoms were beautiful and the person charming.
A Twelfth Grade Black Lotus took root in the pond's water. Ye Chuanze sat cross-legged on the Lotus Platform, resting his chin on his hands with a face full of sorrow, sighing heavily.
Hongjun sat at a stone table beside the lotus pond, with a pot of wine and two cups before him. He poured himself a drink and enjoyed his own company. Occasionally, his gaze would inadvertently glance over at the sorrowful young man with long black hair by the lotus pond.
Half an hour later, Ye Chuanze continued to sigh heavily with a face full of sorrow. Hongjun, feeling slightly helpless, spoke up, "Why do you still look so troubled? It's just about transforming."
Hearing this, Ye Chuanze raised his eyes to look at him, expressionless as he let out two coughs. Then he turned around to face away from Hongjun, continuing to lower his head and sigh. It was as if he was saying he didn't want to engage with him and hoped that he would not engage with him either.
Hongjun felt helpless and said, "Are you still angry with me? I am doing this for your own good. I am about to merge with the Dao and will not be able to leave the Purple Cloud Palace easily in the future, so I won't be able to look after you. If you can successfully transform, it will ease my worries."
Ye Chuanze pretended not to hear him and continued to give Hongjun a desolate back.
Hongjun shook his head helplessly and comforted him, "Instead of sighing and resenting me, you should think about how to deal with the Transformation Thunder Tribulation. If you transform early, you can leave early."
Upon hearing this, Ye Chuanze finally spoke up, "If I can never transform, do you plan to keep me here forever?"
Hongjun frowned and replied firmly, "My disciple will not be so useless."
Ye Chuanze smiled bitterly and said, "Master, I really appreciate your confidence in me. However, the truth is that I am afraid—afraid of the thunder tribulation, afraid of failure. My heart is hesitant and uneasy, which is why I have been reluctant to face the third transformation tribulation. With an unstable heart and fear within, how can I confront the tribulation?"
Upon hearing this, Hongjun showed a flicker of an indescribable emotion on his face. He instinctively reached out his hand toward him but quickly withdrew it. His expression soon returned to normal as he said lightly, "With me here, you need not fear or feel uneasy. With a fearless heart, face the tribulation head-on; I will always be by your side."
After a pause, Hongjun added, "The wine buried under the Peach Blossom Tree can be dug up this year; we can drink it."
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