41: Chapter 41 Severing the Three Corpses - Daoist Rhyme Soars to the Heavens

"Could it be... that I truly must cultivate the method of 'Three Corpses Enlightenment' in order to break through?" Hongjun reached out to summon the half-piece of the creation jade plate, holding it in his palm with a hesitant expression.

Since obtaining this object, he had realized a new path from it — called "Three Corpses Enlightenment".

The so-called Three Corpses are the Good Corpse transformed from benevolent thoughts, the Evil Corpse condensed from evil thoughts, and the Obsession Corpse from lingering obsessions. To sever the Three Corpses is to sever the seven emotions and six desires, making the heart like still water, transcending the worldly, no longer disturbed by the red dust, and focused solely on the Dao.

After realizing one's true self, one then merges the Three Corpses back into one body, allowing the primordial spirit to entrust itself to the heavenly dao, thereby achieving the fruit position of a Saint.

However, what this path proves is not a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, but rather — a Saint!

Although they are of the same rank as Hunyuan, a Saint can borrow the power of the heavenly dao, making them nearly invincible within the Primordial World, far surpassing an ordinary Hunyuan.

There is only one drawback: once one becomes a Saint, one is bound by the heavenly dao, must operate its laws, maintain order, and can never escape for the rest of one's life.

All living beings loathe shackles, and Hongjun is no exception.

"Time waits for no one! If I let Luo Hou take the step to prove the Dao first, he will definitely make a move against me!" His heart tightened suddenly.

Because Hongjun and Luo Hou each hold half of the creation jade plate, whoever obtains the full plate will control the heavenly dao wheel, become the Dao Ancestor, and act on behalf of heaven to govern all worlds.

This contest is truly a battle for the position of Dao Ancestor!

Hongjun's expression was helpless. Between "Law Enlightenment" and "Three Corpses Enlightenment", he ultimately had to choose the latter — only by doing so could he suppress Luo Hou, seize his half of the plate, and ascend to the supreme position.

Meanwhile, far away in Mount Sumeru, Luo Hou was staring at the incomplete jade plate in his hand, filled with worries.

His situation was similar to Hongjun's: his cultivation was also stagnant at the Half-step Hunyuan Great Perfection, just half a step away from proving the Dao, yet no matter how he tried to break through, he could not cross it.

He had also glimpsed the method of "Three Corpses Enlightenment" from this half of the creation jade plate, but he hesitated to act.

Because once one cultivates this method, it means submitting to the heavenly dao from then on, becoming a puppet, and obeying invisible laws for the rest of one's life.

To put it bluntly, it means becoming a servant of the heavenly dao, following orders and prohibitions, never daring to defy them.

With Luo Hou's unyielding, arrogant, and conceited nature, how could he tolerate this? This action fundamentally went against his original heart.

"Hmph! Even if I cannot obtain that damned position of Dao Ancestor, I will never live on my knees!" Luo Hou shouted coldly, his words ringing with conviction.

Clearly, between power and self, he chose to stick to his original heart. In this, he was diametrically opposed to Hongjun.

Luo Hou casually tossed the creation jade plate aside, out of sight and out of mind. Forget it, it was more practical to just cultivate in peace.

Being a lackey for the heavenly dao? Sorry, I, Luo Hou, cannot comply.

Mount Buzhou.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches were curled up in a frozen Dao Heart world, where the world was covered in silver and the cold air was bone-chilling. Even though their physical bodies were formidable, they were currently shivering so hard their teeth were chattering, forced to huddle together for warmth, with their heads tucked into their shoulders, looking just like twelve turtles huddling together.

"Big... Big Brother, a whole kalpa has passed, why... why hasn't the Patriarch come to pick us up yet?" Gong Gong hugged his knees, his voice trembling so much it was almost out of tune.

The other Ancestral Witches all showed expressions of fear — their cultivation was sealed, and even their physical strength was suppressed; they simply could not withstand this bone-piercing cold.

Dijiang was no better off; his eyebrows and hair were covered in white frost, his skin was blue and purple, and wisps of icy mist sprayed from his mouth when he spoke.

"The... the Patriarch probably... has something delaying him, let... let us wait a little longer, per... perhaps he will come in a while." He said, shivering, his tone so weak it sounded like he might stop breathing at any moment.

At this time, Zhu Jiuyin spoke tremblingly: "Big... Big Brother, you have already said... that a hundred times."

"Do you think..." Zhu Rong suddenly interjected, his voice weak but carrying a hint of fear, "could the Patriarch have... forgotten... about us?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's hearts instantly felt like they had fallen into an ice cave, three times colder than the cold wind blowing in their faces.

"Shut... shut up!" Dijiang glared fiercely at Zhu Rong, then roared in a low voice, "Everyone... everyone move closer to the center, don't spread out, it will be warmer."

At the same time, in the Samsara World, Pangu Hall.

Jiang Chen stared at the corpse of the Four Sacred Beasts before him, which had already been more than half transformed, the corners of his mouth slightly rising, revealing a look of satisfaction.

Suddenly, he frowned slightly, and an inexplicable sense of emptiness welled up in his heart — as if he had forgotten something extremely important.

Thirty million years later...

Outside Zixiao Palace, on a small hillside, two children resembling young boys/girls were lying on the mountaintop, looking from afar at that majestic palace.

"Ever since Master went into seclusion last time, Zixiao Palace has been shrouded in a terrifying aura. Haotian, do you think... Master is about to prove the Dao?" The young girl asked in a low voice, her eyes flickering with awe.

"It is very likely!" The young boy replied, his expression excited, "Master once said that he was only one step away from proving the Dao. Now with such strange phenomena, this must be the final kick!"

These two were Haotian and Yaochi, their original forms both being innate jade stones, which Hongjun had personally enlightened one kalpa ago and taken in as attendants.

Originally, they should have been on duty outside Zixiao Palace, but in recent years, the pressure radiated by Hongjun had become increasingly terrifying, and with their Golden Immortal cultivation, they simply could not withstand it, so they had to hide far away.

Just as the two were chatting, an indescribable pressure suddenly descended, as if the heavens and earth were overturning and the Great Dao were collapsing.

"Not good! Run!" Haotian did not hesitate, grabbed Yaochi, and ran wildly into the distance.

Unfortunately, it was ultimately one step too late.

In an instant, the entire mountaintop, along with the void within ten million light-years of Yujing Mountain, was completely shrouded by that might.

Boom—!

Mountains collapsed, rivers flowed backward, and ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers disintegrated inch by inch, turning into dust.

Haotian and Yaochi fell to the ground in response, blood gushing from their mouths and noses, and they instantly fainted.

Inside Zixiao Palace, Hongjun, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils like lightning, reflecting all the heavens.

"Good-thought Corpse, sever!"

With a sharp shout, a figure flew out from within his body — with kind eyebrows and pleasant eyes, dressed in a white robe, emitting a gentle and compassionate aura all around.

It was not over yet; Hongjun roared again: "Evil-thought Corpse, sever!"

Another figure broke out of his body, wearing a black robe that fluttered, with a ferocious face, and yin malevolence surging around him, just like a killing god from the netherworld.

Immediately after — "Obsession Corpse, sever!"

The third figure appeared, with a gentle temperament, its appearance almost identical to Hongjun's, as it was transformed from his obsession.

With the Three Corpses all out, Hongjun's aura climbed steadily, his beard and hair dancing wildly, Dao Rhyme flowing around him, and law runes leaping and ringing in the void, as if ten thousand Great Daos were chanting in unison.

Purple energy pierced the sun, and the half-piece of the creation jade plate above his head spat out brilliant divine rays, illuminating the entire Zixiao Palace, the scene being extremely magnificent.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists." Hongjun stood up and bowed to the Good Corpse and the Evil Corpse.

"Greetings, Original Self!" The Three Corpses responded in unison, bowing and returning the salute.

The temperaments of the Three Corpses were vastly different: the Obsession Corpse was calm as water, the Good-thought Corpse was compassionate to the world, like a savior Saint; while the Evil-thought Corpse had gloomy eyes and monstrous killing intent, just like a Demon Ancestor who had slaughtered all living beings.

Between them, they were as different as clouds and mud, especially the Good Corpse and the Evil Corpse, which were diametrically opposed, like the two poles of light and darkness.

Regarding this, Hongjun felt no surprise.

Whether good or evil, it was all a part of him.

Since it is himself, why resist?