Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

All of this is because he is the current Dao Lord. Back then, Lin Nan was merely a subject of the Human Dao Court.

However, as time went by, he continued to distinguish himself in the world, demonstrating his great strength and wisdom time and time again, causing the Buddhist sect to suffer many hidden losses.

In this way, all the immortals and gods in the world were completely convinced of his worth.

Beyond the mortal realm, Lin Nan's prestige also reached unprecedented heights in the Heavenly Court and the Netherworld. This was truly unparalleled in the long history of Taoism.

Within the Daoist sect, aside from the three revered Dao Ancestors, Lin Nan's prestige is undoubtedly the highest. The numerous immortals and deities within the Daoist community naturally hold him in the highest esteem.

Lin Nan sped along, and soon arrived before the Jade Purity Sacred Realm. Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens lay the Three Pure Heavens: Jade Purity Heaven, Upper Purity Heaven, and Supreme Purity Heaven. These Three Pure Heavens were the sacred realms of the Three Pure Ones, each with its own unique characteristics.

Within the Jade Purity Sacred Realm resides the Jade Purity Sage—Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun was formed from the three energies of Pangu, representing "Primordial Energy." Upon entering the Jade Purity Sacred Realm, Lin Nan immediately felt an omnipresent "Primordial Energy" wash over him. This aura seemed to contain the mysteries of the beginning of all things, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

Unlike the primordial energy felt in the Shangqing Sacred Realm, the "Primordial Qi" here offered a completely new experience. Upon entering the Yuqing Sacred Realm, Lin Nan felt the last flower on his head begin to stir, seemingly wanting to transform into "Primordial Qi." However, no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't find a breakthrough opportunity.

Lin Nan knew that this was not a good time for cultivation, so he did not stop but continued forward, searching for the location of the Mi Luo Palace. Finally, after searching for a while, he arrived in front of the Mi Luo Palace.

"Disciple Lin Nan has come to pay respects to Ancestor Yuqing." Lin Nan spoke humbly, reciting incantations and addressing Yuanshi Tianzun as "Ancestor Yuqing." This title carried a sense of intimacy, much better than addressing him as "Sage Yuanshi."

In fact, Lin Nan's original Taoist practices were extremely complex, encompassing both major and minor sects. He based his practice on the "Supreme Three Heavens Orthodox Method," and later studied various other methods such as talismanic arts, thunder arts, and Supreme Laws. These methods, to varying degrees, all bore traces of the Three Pure Ones. Therefore, his address of "Grandmaster Yuqing" was perfectly appropriate.

As Lin Nan finished speaking, the previously tightly closed gates of the Mi Luo Palace slowly opened. A young boy emerged from within, dressed in a white Taoist robe, surrounded by an aura of immortality. Lin Nan recognized him at a glance; the boy was no ordinary human, but rather a white crane.

This white crane was no ordinary creature; it was the White Crane Attendant who had served Yuanshi Tianzun since ancient times. Upon emerging, the White Crane Attendant's first action was to bow to Lin Nan, addressing him as "Senior Brother." This was perfectly reasonable; in the absence of fixed seniority, the most accomplished precedes the most respected.

"The master invites you in." The White Crane Boy gestured and then led Lin Nan into the Mi Luo Palace.

Lin Nan followed the White Crane Boy into the Mi Luo Palace, his steps steady and slow. Finally, in the main hall, he saw the true figure. At first glance, Lin Nan felt as if he had seen the true essence of the Dao.

The other party was none other than Yuqing, one of the Three Pure Ones, and the renowned Yuanshi Tianzun. Lin Nan bowed again and said, "Disciple Mingxuan pays respects to Ancestor Yuqing." He only glanced at the middle-aged-looking Yuanshi Tianzun and felt that he was completely different from Taishang and Tongtian Jiaozhu.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable exuded a more imposing aura, appearing solemn and dignified. The Supreme Lord, on the other hand, was detached and unassuming; one might easily overlook him if not paying close attention. The Master of the Heavenly Realm, however, was relatively sharp and assertive, displaying a strong sense of righteousness.

“Mingxuan…” Yuanshi Tianzun’s gaze also fell on Lin Nan. With just one glance, he seemed to see right through Lin Nan. “I already know your purpose in coming here,” Yuanshi Tianzun said slowly. “Since Senior Brother Taishang and Junior Brother Tongtian have already passed on the Dharma to you and recognized you as the Dao Lord, I will not keep it to myself.”

"As the Lord of the Dao, you should naturally learn the Three Pure Ones' teachings." With that, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable pointed, and a futon appeared on the ground. "Sit down and listen to the lecture."

Upon hearing this, Lin Nan was overjoyed and quickly sat down on the futon, ready to listen to the sermon of the Primordial Celestial Venerable. Inside the Mi Luo Palace, the Primordial Celestial Venerable began his sermon, but Lin Nan was the only listener. This could be described as both a sermon and a transmission of the Dao.

What the Primordial Celestial Venerable transmitted was not an ordinary path of cultivation, but his own "Primordial Way," which is also the Way of Primordial Qi among Primordial Qi, Yuan Qi, and Xuan Qi. This Way is extremely profound and difficult for ordinary people to understand.

Under normal circumstances, even if the Primordial Celestial Venerable were to impart such Daoist teachings, no one would be able to comprehend their mysteries. In fact, whether it is the Dao of Primordial Qi, the Dao of Profound Qi, or even the Dao of Yuan Qi, they are all so profound and difficult to understand.

However, Lin Nan had a unique experience. He comprehended the Supreme Realm in modern times, thus enabling him to open this mysterious door. From there, he drew inferences and transformed the three energies at his head into three flowers, and the three flowers into three pure ones.

Lin Nan was completely absorbed in the sermons of Yuanshi Tianzun. He sat cross-legged, listening to Yuanshi Tianzun's teachings, and unknowingly fell into a meditative state.

At the same time, numerous extraordinary phenomena arose within Lin Nan's inner realm. The inner realm is a profound state of cultivation in Taoism. Some also say that the inner realm is the universe within the human body, also known as the inner cosmos.

Lin Nan's inner world was now revealed. Profound Qi and Pure Qi emerged from the top, and in addition, a nascent Primordial Qi was vaguely visible. These three streams circulated continuously, vaguely showing signs of evolving into all things.

Within the inner realm, the Black Emperor, the Crimson Emperor, and others each occupied a region. There were also five emperors who had not yet been conceived, still merely a mass of gas, unformed. Even so, the phenomena within this inner realm were already extremely extraordinary.

On the platform, Yuanshi Tianzun sensed this and casually glanced at it, taking in the entire extraordinary phenomenon. The thoughts of a sage are unfathomable and unpredictable, rarely showing any fluctuation throughout the ages. Yet, at this moment, Yuanshi Tianzun felt a slight surprise within him.

"It's the same method that my Supreme Elder Brother gathered with Junior Brother Tongtian and me to deduce back then," Yuanshi Tianzun thought to himself. "This Lin Nan is actually going to master this method!"

“No wonder my fellow disciples all acknowledge Lin Nan. Once this method is completed, although its power is still weak, it is enough to encompass everything and has endless room for growth.” Yuanshi Tianzun looked at Lin Nan and thought slightly, “Although it is not as powerful as the Three Pure Ones who are born with a single strength, it has no upper limit.”

The Primordial Celestial Venerable saw through this, but his sermon did not stop; he continued speaking. Lin Nan was immersed in it, and that wisp of Jade Purity Primordial Qi was slowly gestating within him. At the same time, Tang Sanzang and his disciples were riding the steam train of Chechi, slowly leaving Chechi. As soon as they left Chechi, they all suddenly felt somewhat "unaccustomed."

Having lived in Chechi for five years, Tang Sanzang and his disciples, except for Sun Wukong, the original Monkey King, had all become accustomed to the convenient life there. Clothing, food, shelter, transportation… there were so many convenient things. Therefore, upon suddenly leaving Chechi, they felt a strong sense of unease.

This feeling was like suddenly arriving in a feudal society after living in a civilized society for a long time, or like going from a city to a wilderness tribe. After leaving Chechi, Tang Sanzang hadn't immediately changed his habits. He didn't chant Buddhist prayers as often, and no longer frequently said "Amitabha."

Seeing this, the Great Thunderclap Temple also noticed something amiss. Just then, Tang Sanzang and his disciples still had to endure several more hardships before they could successfully complete their pilgrimage.

Not far from the carriage, they came across a village. "There's not a trace of demonic energy here, but we didn't see a village like this when we came here," Sun Wukong said after taking a quick look.

However, he was also puzzled as to why there was an extra village here. "Perhaps they are villagers who reclaimed the wasteland in Chechi?" Pigsy suggested.

Having lived in Chechi for several years, he was quite familiar with all aspects of the village. Among them was the "reclamation" plan, which encouraged the people to cultivate land for the outside world, along with numerous incentive policies. With these questions in mind, the master and his apprentices set off towards the village.

As they approached the village entrance, they saw a man slumped there, leisurely basking in the sun. However, his expression was somewhat lost, as if he had no interest in anything around him. Looking around, they saw that many villagers were in a similar state; many seemed idle, their eyes vacant.

"This village..." Tang Sanzang frowned slightly, having already noticed the unusual scene. He stepped forward and respectfully asked an old man, "Old man, may I ask where this place is?"

The old man replied weakly, "Our village is called 'Wuxing Village'."

"Why is it called 'Wuxing Village'?" Tang Sanzang asked, full of doubt.

The old man sighed deeply, his tone full of pessimism and despondency: "Although our village is well-off, with no worries about food or drink and no need to worry about making a living, everyone feels bored. Apart from the daily routine of work, no one in the village has any other hobbies or interests, and life is meaningless."

"Hmm?" Tang Sanzang and his disciples exchanged bewildered glances. This was the first time they had encountered such a peculiar situation on their journey to the West. Along the way, the people they had met were either struggling daily for a living, threatened by demons, or trapped by severe weather; their lives were filled with hardship and helplessness. Only the people of Chechi were free from worries about food and clothing, living a stable life without these troubles. But this Wuxing Village was completely different from what they had seen before, which was truly unexpected.

"Why are you so uninterested?" Pigsy couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Since you have no worries about food and drink, why not pursue something of a higher level?"

“Life is not just about eating and drinking; we should have many other pursuits,” Pigsy continued.

"So what should we be pursuing?" the villagers asked, gathering around the group. Their expressions held a mixture of negativity and anticipation, as if they were waiting for Tang Sanzang and his disciples to provide a satisfactory answer.

Before the high monk Tang Sanzang could speak, Zhu Bajie interjected, "Since you have no worries about food and drink, you should naturally pursue something higher. For example, let more people have enough to eat and wear."

However, Pigsy's answer left the villagers of Wuxing Village looking at each other in bewilderment, clearly not expecting such a response. Little did they know that in the past few years, Pigsy had joined the "Great Harmony Society" in Chechi, spending his days spreading its ideals, and he himself had long been a believer in them, dedicating himself to their cause for five years.

"For example, understanding that everyone in this world is equal and that there is universal harmony..." Pigsy continued to ramble on.

"Bajie, stop talking nonsense." Tang Sanzang quickly stepped forward to stop him, and then said to the villagers, "Fellow villagers, life may seem ordinary, but it may contain a lot of fun and meaning. Everyone has their own way of living. Perhaps you just haven't discovered the beauty of life yet."

Meanwhile, in the distant Mi Luo Palace, the Primordial Celestial Venerable sat sermon on a high platform, addressing Lin Nan. At this moment, Lin Nan was the only one in the vast palace, listening quietly. This was both a sermon and a transmission of the Way.

What Yuanshi Tianzun taught was not the ordinary path of cultivation, but his own unique "Yuanshi Dao," which is the Dao of Primordial Qi among Primordial Qi, Yuan Qi, and Xuan Qi. This Dao is infinitely mysterious and contains the most fundamental secrets of heaven and earth.

Under normal circumstances, even if the Primordial Celestial Venerable were willing to impart such profound Daoist teachings to others, it is likely that no one would be able to truly understand and comprehend them. After all, whether it is the Dao of Primordial Qi, the Dao of Profound Qi, or the Dao of Yuan Qi, they are all too profound and beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

However, Lin Nan was an exception. He had a unique experience, comprehending the Supreme Realm in modern times, thus opening the door to this profound Daoist art. It was precisely because of this that he was able to draw inferences from one instance to another, transforming the Three Qi at his head into Three Flowers, and the Three Flowers into Three Pure Ones, embarking on this extraordinary path of cultivation.

Lin Nan listened intently to the teachings of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, completely absorbed in them. He sat cross-legged, his expression focused, and unknowingly entered a state of deep meditation.

At the same time, numerous strange phenomena rose up within Lin Nan's inner realm. The inner realm is a profound state in Taoist cultivation, also known as the inner world or inner universe of the human body.

At this moment, Lin Nan's inner world manifested, with profound and pure energy slowly emerging from the top, and a hazy primordial energy also being conceived. These three energies circulated continuously, faintly showing signs of evolving all things.

Within the inner realm, the Black Emperor, the Crimson Emperor, and others each occupied a region, each emanating a unique aura. The five emperors, yet to be fully formed, remained as a mass of gas, not yet materialized. Even so, the phenomena within this inner realm were already extraordinary, highlighting the uniqueness and exceptional nature of Lin Nan's cultivation path. (End of Chapter)