Within Tang Xiaoqi's dantian, the Dao seed sprouted, emitting warm and eternal platinum light, marking his Dao path entering a completely new, more essential level. This metamorphosis was not an explosion of power, but a leap in the degree of harmony between life essence and the Great Dao. He felt himself as if transformed into a part of this law void, able to more clearly "hear" the deepest mysteries contained in the Dao Ancestor's true word, more freely absorbing the vast Dao rhyme contained in the golden springs surging from the ground and the Dao flowers scattered by heavenly maidens.
His enlightenment did not stop because of the Dao seed's sprouting, but instead entered a deeper realm. Past realizations like streams flowing into a river, spiraling and settling around this newborn Dao seed, consolidating its foundation. His new understanding of "guarding" and "purification" also continuously verified against the Great Dao origin expounded by the Dao Ancestor, becoming more complete and penetrating.
Time lost meaning in this extreme enlightenment.
Perhaps an instant, perhaps a thousand years.
When Tang Xiaoqi felt his Dao seed was already stable, and his understanding of his own Dao had reached a temporary saturation, unable to absorb any new realizations from this continuously resounding Dao sound and phenomena, that Great Dao true word that had resounded for who knows how long began to gradually weaken, drift, finally like a receding tide, slowly dissipating into the invisible law void.
The golden springs surging from the ground stopped gushing, the seven-colored rosy light slowly turned inward, the spring eyes gradually dried up, finally disappearing without a trace, as if they had never appeared. The heavenly maiden phantoms flying and scattering Dao flowers throughout the sky also dissolved like bubbles, with auspicious smiles, quietly vanishing into the void.
Within the Transmission Hall, the thousands of manifested law phenomena began to return like tired birds to the forest, transforming into colorful flowing lights one after another, merging into the surrounding chaotic qi, no longer presenting in such concrete form. The entire law void, from that extreme activity and clamor, gradually returned to a profound, restrained peace.
The preaching ended.
The Dao Ancestor phantom seated on the central gray cushion, its blurry form seemed even more faded than before, as if this preaching had also consumed quite a bit of its accumulated power. It still maintained its seated posture, soundless and breathless, yet remained the unquestioned center of this heaven and earth.
The nine listeners on the cushions, including Xiao Qi, all slowly awoke from that deep enlightenment state. Everyone's eyes flickered with irrepressible excitement and the joy of harvest, their auras compared to before the preaching had undergone earth-shaking changes, more profound, more complete, Dao rhyme abundant.
Mu Xue's ice eyes opened and closed, as if they could freeze time and space, and also reflect the subtlest ripples in human hearts. Golden light circulated within Ao Qin's dragon eyes, his imperial majesty even greater, yet with an added air of embracing heaven and earth. Ling Jueyi was like a sword drawn from its sheath, his sharp edge fully contained, yet giving people an extreme sense of danger that nothing could not be severed. The palace-robed woman's fingertips flowed with spiritual light, as if she could calculate heavenly secrets. The black-robed cultivator's surrounding black mist was even deeper and more mysterious. The Mysterious Turtle Elder was stable as a primeval divine mountain. Master Hui Ming's Buddhist light shone universally, his appearance solemn. The bronze-skinned burly man's qi and blood were like a dragon, his law of power nearly condensed into substance.
Everyone's harvest was heaven-defying! Establishing the supreme Dao foundation for future assaults on higher realms!
However, the Dao Ancestor's bestowment did not end there.
Just as everyone's hearts were surging, digesting this enormous harvest, the Dao Ancestor phantom, its blurry arm, extremely slightly raised, facing the direction of the nine people below, seemingly casually waved.
No earth-shaking momentum, no dazzling brilliance.
But as it waved, nine strands of qi flow, fine as hair, different colors, yet emitting difficult-to-describe purity and ancient aura, separated from its phantom, like dragons possessing spiritual intelligence, precisely shot toward the nine people seated on the cushions!
At the moment these nine qi flows appeared, the entire law void within the Transmission Hall lightly trembled! As if even the origin laws constituting this heaven and earth showed some degree of "desire" and "awe" toward this qi flow!
Tang Xiaoqi's pupils suddenly contracted, his heart uncontrollably beating violently! He didn't even need to identify it, his soul's depths already issued the most instinctive cry—
Innate Qi!
And the highest quality, most original Innate Mother Qi!
This was the root energy that evolved all things and derived spiritual potential at the beginning of opening heaven and earth! The supreme treasure dreamt of for building perfect Dao foundations, condensing supreme Nascent Souls, and even assaulting higher realms! A thread of innate qi was enough to make ordinary cultivators shed their mortal bodies and transform, establishing immortal foundations! Its value far exceeded any spiritual pills and immortal medicines, divine arts and secret scriptures!
One could see shooting toward Mu Xue was a strand of ice-blue innate qi, containing extreme ice-cold and pure origin; shooting toward Ao Qin was a sea-blue one, carrying vast water element and imperial dragon qi; shooting toward Ling Jueyi was a platinum-colored one, sharp beyond compare, as if it could sever cause and effect; shooting toward the palace-robed woman was a seven-colored circulating spiritual light containing infinite calculation mysteries; shooting toward the black-robed cultivator was a dark profound qi flow as if it could devour light; shooting toward the Mysterious Turtle Elder was a thick yellow Wu Earth Mother Qi; shooting toward Master Hui Ming was an auspicious golden Buddhist innate source light; shooting toward the bronze-skinned burly man was a violent blazing qi blood source root!
And shooting toward Tang Xiaoqi was a strand presenting chaotic color, yet internally faintly flickering with platinum purification radiance and green lotus phantom's unique innate qi! This qi flow seemed tailor-made for him, perfectly matching his just-sprouted, unique Dao seed that fused guarding, purification, balance, and chaotic true meaning!
Opportunity! This was the true, most substantive bestowment after the Dao Ancestor's preaching!
No one would hesitate, nor dare to hesitate.
Almost at the moment the innate qi touched their bodies, the nine people simultaneously employed means, either opening their mouths to swallow, or using divine sense to guide, or circulating techniques to receive, exerting all their strength to take this supreme treasure into themselves!
Xiao Qi even more fully activated the newborn Dao seed in his dantian, platinum Dao rhyme forming a gentle yet firm suction force, like a mother welcoming a wandering child, precisely wrapping that chaotic-colored innate qi, slowly guiding it into his dantian, carefully guiding it toward that slowly rotating tender Dao seed.
He knew that if he could successfully merge this innate mother qi, his Dao seed would receive the most original nourishment, its foundation would be solidified to an unimaginable degree, with immeasurable benefits for future Nascent Soul condensation, and even assaulting Deity Transformation!
However, just as these nine innate qi flows descended, and everyone was fully absorbing, at the moment their minds were most relaxed and focused—
Anomaly, abruptly arose!