Alas, aside from our master, no one else has been able to reach such a realm.

Even I ultimately chose the path of Merit to Saint."

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded deeply in agreement.

Originally, when we cultivated the Cutting Three Corpses to prove the Dao together, Taiching Saint was far ahead—aspects of good and evil, as well as the true self, all cut away. But in the final step of Dao verification, he was clueless, and only after Nuwa had succeeded in becoming a Saint through creation did he have an epiphany about the method of Merit to Saint.

After much hesitation, he finally gave up the path of Cutting Three Corpses and chose the path of Merit to Saint.

"Good, evil, and obsession are important components that make up the soul of living beings."

Taiching Saint continued, "When our master was expounding the Dao back then, I was touched by the hardships of all beings and thus chose to travel across Primordial, measuring every inch of the world with my feet.

But then, I found that the evil thoughts of all beings were far too profound.

Arrogance, jealousy, fury, sloth, and greed... No matter how I guided them, they would eventually stray further and further.

The weak are meek and selfish; the powerful are arrogant and greedy.

The good are oppressed by others, while the wicked act without restraint.

During my travels in Primordial, seeing too many powerful beings wreaking havoc in the world, I thought to fight evil with evil, to stop them with force, to prevent the ruin of all living beings.

However, I eventually discovered that all of this was futile.

For the evil thoughts of all beings would never vanish; they only swell and migrate.

When the weak become the strong, good becomes evil.

Where there is power, there will be desire, and where there is desire, evil will inevitably breed."

At this point, Taiching Saint's voice deepened, and his expression grew even more solemn.

"At that time, I thought perhaps there was a way to free all beings from the torment of good and evil thoughts: to satisfy all their desires, to immerse them forever in joy, making everyone the same. This way, there would be no division between the strong and the weak, and no evil thoughts like greed and laziness would arise."

Hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise, "Isn't this the very Pure Land preached by the Western Sect?"

"Yes."

Taiching Saint replied indifferently, "I once took this path. But in the end, I discovered that these beings were not as joyful as expected, nor were their desires fulfilled; instead, they always craved for more.

This is because deep within them, there's an 'ego' causing trouble, an 'ego' that inflates indefinitely and can never be satisfied.

But this 'ego', I cannot obliterate!

For without the 'ego', these beings would no longer be truly alive, but rather mere objects!"

After listening to Taiching Saint, Yuanshi Tianzun looked at him thoughtfully and said, "No wonder Brother had given up the Cutting Three Corpses method that was one step away from completion, choosing instead to pursue the path of Merit to Saint at the very end.

Back then, Tongtian and I could hardly understand Brother's decision; we thought it was because you were not content with seeing Sister Nuwa achieving Sainthood first... But now, it seems I've underestimated Brother."

Taiching Saint sighed softly, "The path of Cutting Three Corpses was indeed impassable for me. To cut away good and evil was acceptable to me, but to cut away the true self was not... Without the self, am I still me?"

"Sss~"

Yuanshi Tianzun sharply inhaled in shock, "According to Brother, does that mean that our master... "

Before he could finish, Taiching Saint shook his head, "Do not let your imagination run wild."

Yuanshi Tianzun's emotions surged.

How could he not let his thoughts wander?

Taiching Saint had never discussed these matters before, and his cultivation of the Cutting Three Corpses was about the same as Tongtian's, both having cut away two corpses and dispersing the thoughts of good and evil back into themselves after achieving Sainthood.

In other words, his understanding of the Cutting Three Corpses method was not as profound as Taiching Saint's; he did not know that he must cut away the ego at the end!

If what Taiching Saint said was true, and he wasn't lying about his judgment of the Cutting Three Corpses method, wouldn't that mean Hong Jun Daoist who created the method and succeeded in becoming a Saint had already cut away his 'ego'?

No!

If that were the case, then as Taiching Saint said, he should have become an autonomous 'object' without consciousness!

But in their several visits to Zixiao Palace, they had seen Hong Jun Taoist Ancestor to be the same as before he became a Saint.

Of course, to say he was the same would also be inaccurate.

Because not long after Hong Jun Taoist Ancestor became a Saint, he merged with the Dao, becoming part of the Heavenly Dao.

In a sense, Hong Jun Taoist Ancestor is the Primordial Heavenly Dao, and the Primordial Heavenly Dao is Hong Jun Taoist Ancestor!

He made the Primordial Heavenly Dao more perfect and even gave it consciousness.

Yuanshi Tianzun's thoughts were complex, finally turning into a profound and obscure gaze towards Taiching Saint.

"Brother, in light of the current situation, should we pay a visit to Zixiao Palace?"

"Why should we go to Zixiao Palace?"

Taiching Saint asked in return, appearing extremely composed in the puzzled gaze of Yuanshi Tianzun, smiling, "Just do what needs to be done; the sky won't fall."

Yuanshi Tianzun frowned at these words.

Taiching Saint's face still bore that indifferent and carefree expression, as if the sky falling would have nothing to do with him.

Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't help but sigh, "Brother truly has an open mind."

After a pause, he couldn't resist asking, "Ever since our master issued the decree for the Three Sects to discuss Divine Enthronement, I have felt no change in the Heavenly Dao's mandate; does Brother feel the same?"