The Eighteenth: The People Become Saints

  Actually, Kunpeng never intended to want any congenital spiritual treasure, he did this just to test the reaction of the crowd, to see what attitude Niwa Niangniang and others had towards him, and also to plan for his own future. Fortunately, he tested Niwa Niangniang this time, otherwise he might have been calculated by them in the Great Witch War. This is good too, completely cutting off relations with the demon tribe, and the impending heavenly disaster will have nothing to do with him. He still guards the human race well, earning more merit for himself.

  Kunpeng left the Heavenly Court and returned to the human tribe's residence, where he wholeheartedly took care of the human tribe.

  The six-eared macaque understood the way, and knew all that Kunpeng had suffered in Heaven's Court. So he asked, "Master, since the demons have treated you this way, why don't you give them a taste of their own medicine?"

  Ji Peng said: "As a member of the demon tribe, I cannot let a temporary dispute lead to a big fight. Moreover, their narrow-mindedness makes it difficult for them to achieve great things. It's better for me to leave the demon tribe and avoid being implicated by them. The human race is favored by the heavens, and you have been protecting them for a long time, so you must have gained some merit. In the future, the human race will surely prosper, and as long as it doesn't harm your own life, you should continue to protect them wholeheartedly in order to gain more merit."

  Wu Dao said: "Disciple understands, these years disciple indeed gained no small merit, making self's cultivation greatly improved."

  "Merit is a good thing, it can be used to refine the heavenly merit treasure, or to improve one's cultivation. Now your cultivation is still low, collecting some merit will also help improve your own cultivation. Improving your cultivation with merit won't leave any hidden dangers for yourself. Moreover, having more merit means that even saints wouldn't dare to kill you, it's like adding a layer of protection to yourself. As your master, I obtained some merit on this trip and plan to use it to refine a merit treasure, which will also help suppress the aura of our fate. So, the affairs of the human tribe are for you to handle yourself."

  Kunpeng didn't say anything else, and then closed himself in the human residence to meditate on what kind of acquired skill he should cultivate as a treasure to suppress his own aura.

  After Nüwa became a saint, Taishang Laojun vaguely felt that the fundamental reason why saints become saints lies in their own enlightenment. He had learned from Hongjun, cut off the three corpses, but just missed the last step. With his merits and magical powers, where was the final opportunity? Taishang Laojun fell into deep contemplation.

  Yuanshi Tianzun was also anxious about his own sanctification. He had always believed that among the three brothers, his qualifications were the highest, and the Great Master was only older than himself by many years, while Tongtian Jiao Zong had no point to compare with himself. Although it is said that the Three Purities are one body, he has never put this brother in his eyes. If Tongtian Jiao Zong is allowed to attain enlightenment before him, what face will he have? It has always been himself suppressing Tongtian Jiao Zong by a head, if he cannot become holy before Tongtian Jiao Zong, the gap between them will only grow further in the future.

  Yuanshi Tianzun went to Mount Shouyang to find Taishang Laojun, wanting to discuss a strategy together. However, Taishang Laojun was in seclusion at the time. Helpless, he had no choice but to return to Kunlun, where the pressure in his heart was too great, and even seclusion had little effect. Every moment, he worried about when Tongtian Jiao would be able to attain enlightenment.

  The Three Pure Ones divided the family and merged with the Tianxian sect, then went overseas to make Jin'ao Island his own cave mansion. After Daozu Hongjun divided the treasure, he began to close himself off and pondered the method of his own enlightenment.

  A hundred years later, the Supreme Old Lord suddenly thought of what Hong Jun said to Zhunti and Jieyin when he accepted his disciples: "You two will establish a great side door in the future." A spiritual light flashed, establishing a sect. To have a prosperous destiny, one must establish a great sect. After establishing a sect, there will be merits. Thinking of this, he got up and left the pass.

  On the top of Mount Shouyang, Taishang Laojun revealed his true form. With one step forward, he stood in mid-air, holding the Taiji diagram. On his head was a Linglong Pagoda that pierced through the heavens and the earth. He tossed the Taiji diagram into the air, and immediately, countless Daoist energies shot down towards the human world below. Then, he said: "The Heavenly Way is my proof, I am Laozi, from the Hongjun Gate, transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit. I shall enlighten humanity, with the Taiji diagram as the treasure of our teachings."

  The crowd under the traction of the Taiji diagram, fell to the ground one after another, calling out "great virtue". The sky outside was stirred up, and the Heavenly Way responded. Pangu's merit in opening up the sky and the merit of establishing the teachings were both bestowed upon Laozi, who attained sagehood instantly. After a flash on Taishang Laojun's body, a mysterious saintly form appeared, with Laozi as its center, ripples spread throughout the vast wilderness, and the spiritual energy surged violently. The stars in the sky responded, just like when Nüwa became a saint, opening up the convenient gate of blessings, bestowing boundless starlight, celebrating for a while.

  "The Human Teacher has risen!!!" As soon as this voice came out, the entire Honghuang heard it. In the dark and mysterious void, all living beings seemed to know that a sage had emerged, and they all knelt down and bowed from afar to pay their respects to the Sage.

  The Supreme Elder had just established the human world's teachings, and in the Kunlun Mountains, the Primordial Heavenly Lord and the Tongtian Teachings Master on the Golden Turtle Island also stood up. The Three Pure Ones became one body, Laozi was sanctified, and they immediately understood their own path to sainthood. In front of the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun, the Primordial Heavenly Lord stood in mid-air, holding the Pangu banner, shouting at the void: "The Heavenly Way is my proof, I am the Primordial, the Hongjun Gate's descendant, the incarnation of the Pangu Original Spirit. Now I establish a teaching to expound and clarify the Heavenly Way, following the will of Heaven's destiny, named the Xuan Teachings, with the Pangu banner as the treasure of the teaching."

  As he spoke, he tossed the Pangu fan into the air, and instantly, the Pangu fan shot out countless rays of light. The Heavenly Way was moved, and bestowed upon him the merit of establishing the teachings and the merit of opening up the heavens, which were absorbed by Yuanshi Tianzun. In an instant, he succeeded Taishang Laojun and became a sage, attaining the supreme fruit of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal. Yuanshi Tianzun's body flashed with light, revealing his sacred form. With Yuanshi Tianzun as the center, ripples spread throughout the vast expanse, causing the spiritual energy to surge violently. The stars in the sky responded, and endless starlight descended.

  "The Tao is preached, it stands!!" As soon as this voice came out, the vast wilderness heard it, and all living beings in the world bowed down towards Mount Kunlun, calling him a sage.

  The Tianyi sect was newly established, and the master of Tongtian Island also stood in mid-air like Yuanshi Tianzun. He threw out the Four Swords of Execution and the Array Chart, shouting: "Heaven's Way is my proof, I am Tongtian, under Hongjun Gate, Pan Gu Yuan Shen transformed, now establish a sect, taking the meaning of cutting off one line of Heaven's Way life machine, named Jie Sect, with the Four Swords of Execution and the Array Chart as the sect's treasure."

  At that moment, the Lord of Tongtian was like Yuanshi Chengsheng, and the Heavenly Way had a feeling, and he bestowed the merit of establishing the teachings on Pangu's opening of heaven. The Lord of Tongtian absorbed it, becoming a saint, and obtained the supreme fruit position of Hunyuan Dajin Golden Immortal. The body of the Lord of Tongtian flashed, revealing his sacred form, and with the Lord of Tongtian as the center, a ripple spread throughout the entire Hongyuan, causing the spiritual energy to fluctuate violently. The stars in the sky responded, and endless starlight descended.

  "The decree is cut off, rise!!!" As soon as this sound came out, the vast wilderness heard it, and the creatures between heaven and earth bowed down in the direction of Jīn áo Island again, calling him a sage.

  The Three Pure Ones have achieved sainthood, and the two from the Western Realm also sensed it. Zhunti's heart was anxious, and he asked Daoyin: "Elder brother, all the people in the Eastern Realm have become saints, but where is our own path?"

  Jie Yin's face was rarely seen with a smile, but only matched his bitter melon face which didn't look good at all. It was even uglier than crying. Jie Yin said: "Younger brother, the way you and I are going is already clear." Zhun Ti looked at Jie Yin in surprise.

  He smiled and glanced at Zhunti, pointing to the lotus flower in the Eight Treasures Pool of Merit, then to Bodhi, and shouted: "Younger brother, if you don't enlighten now, when will you?"

  Zhun Ti followed the guide's finger to take a look, and then heard the guide's voice. In his heart, it was like clouds opening to see fog. With a round face and a smile, he said: "The flower blooms to see me, I see Bodhi."

  Suddenly, the Western direction responded with waves of chanting. As soon as the chanting stopped, heavenly maidens were seen scattering flowers in the air, countless golden lotus flowers surged from the ground, two beams of golden light filled the sky and earth, a relic and a Bodhi tree shot up into mid-air, wave after wave of sandalwood fragrance intoxicating people's hearts. It turned out that the Western direction had sent down great vows with Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara to ferry all living beings across, establish the Western teachings and attain sainthood, so heaven bestowed strange signs to show everyone.

  The Primordial Beings had just finished worshiping the Lord of Tongtian, when they heard that the Western Sect was established. They all went to worship in the west, calling themselves saints. Within a day, five people became saints. From then on, all the beings with saintly positions, except for Hongyun who had already fallen, became saints. The era of saints has arrived, and the great calamity of heaven and earth is about to begin.

  The Three Pure Ones have all become saints, but the high and low among them are immediately apparent. The Jade Pure One has self-enlightenment, while the Supreme Pure One and the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning need to be guided by others, clearly inferior to the Jade Pure One. However, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning does not mind, after all, he never thought of comparing himself with the Jade Pure One. The Supreme Pure One, on the other hand, is somewhat depressed in his heart, as he has always considered himself to be the most talented among the Three Pure Ones, but unexpectedly obtained it later than the Jade Pure One, which is a considerable blow to him who has always been competitive.

  After becoming a saint in three clear days, he went to the thirty-third heaven outside to open up a Taoist temple, which is separately called Taiqing Heaven, Yuqing Heaven, and Shangqing Heaven. The Supreme Old Lord moved the Eight Scenic Palace to the Taoist temple and renamed it Douluo Palace.

  The Three Pure Ones each have their own teachings, but the transactions are vastly different. The Supreme Elder Lord advocates for non-action, requiring great willpower and excellent roots to enter the Tao, so there are only a few disciples under his door. The Heavenly Master Yuanshi values innate talent, looking down on those who have achieved the Tao through cultivation, such as demons, birds, insects, fish, and beasts, not accepting any of them, only allowing those with extraordinary talents or spiritual creatures to enter his door. The Lord of Tongtian has a teaching without boundaries, as long as one has a heart that yearns for the Tao, they are considered to have affinity. Therefore, among the living beings in the world, eight or nine out of ten worship under the Lord of Tongtian, and the influence of the Intercepting Sect is unmatched for the time being.

  Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiao's teachings were different, starting the dispute over the Taoist lineage that lasted for thousands of years. At this point, among the seven saints appointed by Hongjun, six had achieved sainthood. Under Hongjun, there are seven sacred positions, but now only the position of Red Cloud is unknown. When each saint first attained the Tao, they didn't make any big moves, but rather meditated on the Heavenly Way in their own Daoist temples.

  These newly canonized saints, although they all followed the example of Hongjun, each achieved their own merits and virtues to attain sainthood. None of them were like Hongjun who attained enlightenment by cutting off his corpse. They all relied on their accumulated merits to become saints, so naturally they couldn't achieve what Hongjun did. However, as a result, they retained many of their attachments; otherwise, there wouldn't have been any disputes over the orthodox lineage.

  At present, all the saints have returned to their positions. However, each of them is busy comprehending the heavenly way and principles after becoming a saint. Under the shock of the saints, everyone is working hard to cultivate themselves, hoping to get the last remaining sacred position one day. Therefore, in the next few hundred years, the vast land of Honghuang was peaceful and calm. Neither the witch nor the demon tribe wanted to take action at this time, lest they be calculated by that saint.