Chapter 21: The Sovereignty of the Holy Throne

Facing Hongjun’s question, Laozi, seated on the first prayer mat, rose and stepped forward. After bowing, he asked, "May I ask the Saint, who among the Primordial world is capable of attaining sainthood?"

Bai Jing watched with keen interest. He knew that after this question, the distribution of the Grandmist Purple Vapors would surely follow.

As expected, Hongjun replied the next moment: "Setting aside those who attain the Dao through the laws of nature, there are nine positions of sainthood under the Heavenly Dao of the Primordial world. To become a Saint, one must establish the foundation of the Dao using the Grandmist Purple Vapor, a sacred object of the Heavenly Dao, and entrust one's primordial spirit to the Heavenly Dao itself.

"Nine is the ultimate number; thus, there are nine Grandmist Purple Vapors under the Heavenly Dao. However, the Great Dao consists of fifty, of which only forty-nine are manifest, with one remaining hidden. One strand of Grandmist Purple Vapor has vanished, and even the Heavenly Dao cannot calculate its whereabouts. When I attained sainthood, I utilized one strand, and now, the remaining seven are in my possession."

Upon hearing this, the mighty figures in the Zixiao Palace could no longer maintain their composure. Even the usually detached and inactive Laozi looked at Hongjun with burning intensity. After all, with the status of a Saint within reach, who could remain calm?

As for the path of attaining the Dao through brute force, even Hongjun had failed to succeed, so the powerful figures of the Primordial world subconsciously abandoned that route. This was evident in the fact that, aside from Bai Jing, Houtu, and the Eastern Emperor Taiyi (who held the Chaos Bell), all those who had broken through to the Golden Immortal of Hunyuan level had achieved it by severing their three corpses. To these masters, the Grandmist Purple Vapor was the very foundation of their path to enlightenment.

Yet, some of the cleverer ones already harbored a sense of foreboding. Hongjun had made it clear: the Grandmist Purple Vapors that granted sainthood were in his hands. Did this not mean that Hongjun could decide exactly who would become a Saint?

At this thought, top-tier figures like Styx and Di Jun stared intently at the six prayer mats in the front. With only seven Grandmist Purple Vapors and seven saintly positions, and six prayer mats already occupied, if these six individuals were all granted a vapor, then the significance of those seats was far greater than they had ever imagined.

Styx felt a wave of regret; had he known, he should have fought for a seat. Aside from the Three Pure Ones, who among Nuwa, Fuxi, or the duo from the West could have contested him? Meanwhile, Kunpeng glared at Hongyun with a gloomy expression—if sitting on a prayer mat guaranteed a Grandmist Purple Vapor, he would surely kill Hongyun for his. Hongyun himself felt a pang of regret; why had he been so soft-hearted as to give up his seat?

If the status of a Saint was truly tied to the prayer mats, had he not missed out on a monumental opportunity?

While the minds of those in Zixiao Palace were in turmoil, Hongjun spoke: "In my perception of the Heavenly Dao, I know that saints shall emerge from among my disciples. I shall accept disciples here and bestow upon them the Grandmist Purple Vapor to certify their saintly status."

As he spoke, Hongjun looked down, bypassing the eager gazes and turning his attention to Laozi. With a flick of his finger, a strand of Grandmist Purple Vapor, flowing with extraordinary and mysterious rhythm, appeared beside him. Hongjun looked at Laozi and said, "Laozi, you are one of the Three Pure Ones born from Pangu’s primordial spirit, possessing great merit for opening the world. You are capable of sainthood. Are you willing to be my personal disciple?"

Laozi hesitated. As Hongjun noted, he was born from Pangu’s spirit and was of Pangu’s true lineage. If he were to acknowledge Hongjun as his master, would that not place Hongjun on the same level as his Father God, Pangu? If so, could the Three Pure Ones still call themselves the true descendants of Pangu? Yet, with the status of a Saint right before him, Laozi could not refuse.

A moment later, Laozi chose to bow: "This disciple is willing. I pay my respects to my Master."

Seeing Laozi agree to become Hongjun's disciple, Houtu’s expression darkened. The Three Pure Ones claimed to be the true lineage of Pangu, yet they held no reverence for their Father God; otherwise, how could they bow to Hongjun as their master?

Bai Jing, however, saw nothing wrong with Laozi’s choice. He knew Laozi had hesitated, as being one of the Three Pure Ones made him reluctant to bow to another. But circumstances dictated otherwise; the Grandmist Purple Vapor was in Hongjun’s hands. If he refused, what if Hongjun withheld the vapor? Unlike Bai Jing, who knew that the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa were destined for sainthood regardless of the vapors, Laozi could not resist the temptation of the saintly status.

Satisfied, Hongjun nodded. After bestowing the vapor, he produced a precious scroll. It was the Taiji Diagram, the supreme innate treasure, once the protective artifact of the Yin-Yang Ancestor. After the Ancestor fell in the great war against Luo Hou, the scroll had fallen into Hongjun's hands.

"Laozi, as my personal disciple, you must have defensive treasures. This is the Taiji Diagram, a supreme innate treasure with unrivaled defensive power, capable of suppressing destiny. I bestow it upon you for your protection."

Once Laozi received the Grandmist Purple Vapor and the Taiji Diagram, his hesitation and resentment vanished. Since even a supreme innate treasure had been granted, he would accept his role as a disciple.

Bai Jing thought to himself, "Laozi is rejoicing too soon. Hongjun may seem to be gifting the Taiji Diagram, but he can recall it at will during the great calamities, as he can with all the other treasures. These items clearly contain hidden measures left by Hongjun. It remains to be seen whether these treasures truly belong to the Heavenly Saints or to Hongjun himself!"

Subsequently, Hongjun looked at Yuanshi: "Yuanshi, are you willing to take me as your master?"

Yuanshi was the proudest of the Three Pure Ones and had reservations about bowing to Hongjun. However, seeing his elder brother had already done so and had received both the vapor and the Taiji Diagram, he suppressed his discontent and bowed: "This disciple is willing."

Hongjun nodded in approval and bestowed upon him a Grandmist Purple Vapor and the Pangu Banner.

With the first two of the Three Pure Ones having accepted, Tongtian did not refuse when Hongjun asked him. Hongjun first gave Tongtian a strand of Grandmist Purple Vapor, then produced a sword array. The moment the array appeared, a terrifying killing intent swept through the Zixiao Palace.

Among the masters, many were swordsmen, and they looked on with envy, especially Styx, to whom the array felt perfectly suited. Tongtian, however, was delighted. He loved the sword, possessed profound swordsmanship, and was well-versed in arrays—the most skilled among the Three Pure Ones in setting them. Seeing such a terrifying array, he was overjoyed.

Hongjun said expressionlessly, "This array is called the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, a supreme treasure of slaughter with infinite power. If a Saint sets this array, it cannot be broken unless four Saints work together. Use it with caution."

Upon hearing this, Tongtian was first startled, and then his love for the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array grew even deeper.