Yuan Shi and Tong Tian heard Li Yi say this, and were one hundred percent unconvinced. Tong Tian said to Li Yi:
"Impossible! Then how could my second brother and I not feel your presence!"
Yuan Shi also nodded:
"What the third brother said is true, eldest brother! You don't have to bear everything yourself. My third brother and I can help you."
Li Yi knew that some things were difficult for Yuan Shi and Tong Tian to control, so he couldn't tell them. Thus, Li Yi began to shoo them away.
Li Yi spoke:
"Alright, alright, it's getting late. Everyone should return to their own abodes!"
When everyone heard Li Yi say this, they had no choice but to leave. Yuan Shi and Tong Tian seemed to be sulking with Li Yi, refusing to leave no matter what.
After everyone had left, Li Yi saw Yuan Shi and Tong Tian still sitting in their spots and was filled with a headache.
Yuan Shi said to Tong Tian:
"Eldest brother not telling us must be because there were too many people just now, and it was inconvenient for him to say!"
After Yuan Shi finished speaking, his eyes kept darting towards Li Yi. Tong Tian also came to his senses and cooperated:
"Second brother is right, it must be like this!"
Tong Tian even deliberately raised his voice, as if afraid Li Yi wouldn't hear.
Seeing Yuan Shi and Tong Tian's actions, Li Yi couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly. Li Yi had no choice but to tell them the truth.
Li Yi looked at the childish behavior of the two and said:
"Don't you two just want to know? I'll tell you then. Come into the Chaos Orb with me, and I'll tell you inside!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shi and Tong Tian immediately beamed with joy and said to Li Yi:
"We knew eldest brother wouldn't let us two brothers camp here!"
After saying that, the two trotted to Li Yi's side.
Li Yi shook his head, unable to do anything about these two rascals, and brought them into the Chaos Orb.
As soon as the three of Li Yi entered the Chaos Orb, Li Yi said:
"I actually went to find the Heavenly Dao Divinity!"
As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, Tong Tian interrupted:
"Eldest brother, what are you looking for the Heavenly Dao for? Did you find it?"
Li Yi and Yuan Shi both glared at Tong Tian. Tong Tian then realized he was too impatient and chuckled sheepishly:
"Eldest brother, please continue! Please continue!"
Li Yi continued:
"I know that Hongjun is a reincarnation of the Chaos Orb God. His ambition is too great, and he wishes to replace him to become the Heavenly Dao. We have offended him too much, and I fear he will act against us. Therefore, I went to inform the Heavenly Dao in advance to guard against Hongjun. That's why you couldn't sense my presence; it's because I went to where the Heavenly Dao is!"
After hearing this, Yuan Shi fell silent. After a while, he finally spoke:
"With Hongjun's cultivation, although he is above us three, we three brothers joined together are not afraid of him. Eldest brother, why was this necessary?"
Tong Tian also said:
"Yes, eldest brother, if that old fellow dares to come and trouble us, I'll cut him down with a single sword!"
Hearing Yuan Shi and Tong Tian's words, Li Yi knew they didn't take Hongjun seriously.
Li Yi's expression turned serious:
"You two must not underestimate Hongjun. The path he walks is different from ours. We three intend to follow Pangu the Father God's path of proving the Dao with strength, but Hongjun has a marvelous method, a way to achieve sainthood!"
Tong Tian asked doubtfully:
"Saint? What kind of realm is that?"
Yuan Shi also looked at Li Yi doubtfully. Li Yi smacked his forehead, having forgotten that the concept of Saint only appeared after Hongjun's sermon in the Zixiao Palace. Thus, Li Yi explained again:
"The realm of a Saint is equivalent to the realm of a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal. Once one enters the realm of a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, they can also be called a Hunyuan Saint; this is a dividing line. Once Hongjun becomes a Saint, even if the three of us join forces, we won't be able to defeat even one of his fingers."
Yuan Shi's expression became serious, and he asked:
"Does eldest brother mean that Hongjun is about to become a Saint?"
Tong Tian also looked at Li Yi. Li Yi nodded gravely:
"According to my speculation, it should be soon!"
Upon hearing this, Tong Tian's face changed greatly and he said:
"Given our relationship with him, once he becomes a Saint, won't we be in danger?"
Li Yi nodded and said:
"That's why I went to find the Heavenly Dao, to make him guard against Hongjun. As long as Hongjun has not truly become the Heavenly Dao, even if he succeeds in becoming a Saint, if he hasn't merged with the Heavenly Dao, he won't dare to act against us!"
Yuan Shi asked doubtfully:
"Didn't eldest brother say that once Hongjun becomes a Saint, dealing with us will be easy? Why would he not dare to act against us if he hasn't merged with the Heavenly Dao?"
Li Yi explained:
"The three of us are transformations of Pangu's primordial spirit. The Father God Pangu had merit in opening the heavens. If Hongjun does not successfully merge with the Heavenly Dao, and he were to kill us, he would be backlashed by the Great Dao, and his cultivation would never progress. Therefore, he will only act against us after he has successfully merged with the Heavenly Dao!"
Yuan Shi and Tong Tian understood. Both of them now felt a sense of crisis.
They immediately urged:
"Eldest brother, then we should hurry up and cultivate! Otherwise, when that old fellow comes, we will have no power to resist!"
Seeing their urgency, Li Yi smiled in his heart. If he didn't put some pressure on them, they would be happy all day long!
Li Yi watched as Yuan Shi and Tong Tian began to cultivate, and had no choice but to leave the Chaos Orb. When Li Yi came out, the sky was already bright.
As soon as Li Yi came out, he heard rolling heavenly sounds reverberate through the heavens and earth:
"Taishang of Kunlun Mountain has merit for the heavens and earth. Today, a decree of Heavenly Dao Merit is bestowed as reward!"
As the voice fell, a cloud of merit and virtue immediately gathered above Kunlun Mountain. In just a moment, the cloud of merit and virtue had completely gathered.
On Taiqing Peak, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, and heavenly flowers rained down. The Heavenly Dao Merit flowed towards Li Yi.
Seeing the Heavenly Dao Merit descending, Li Yi remembered that the Heavenly Dao Divinity had said he would bestow Heavenly Dao Merit upon him. However, Li Yi hadn't taken it to heart, so he forgot about it as soon as he returned. He hadn't expected that it would actually descend upon him.
However, Li Yi dared not absorb this Heavenly Dao Merit. This Heavenly Dao Merit was not comparable to Great Dao Merit. Once absorbed, he could only pursue sainthood through merit, and would have no hope of becoming a Hunyuan Saint.
However, this Heavenly Dao Merit could be used to refine spirit treasures of merit and virtue, and to offset karma, so it was quite useful.
Just as the Heavenly Dao's voice sounded, the gazes of many great powers in the Primordial World converged on Taiqing Peak of Kunlun Mountain. Seeing the merit falling from the sky, everyone's eyes were filled with envy.
Did they not see that the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes had gone to great lengths and even made heavenly oaths for this merit, while Li Yi obtained it so easily? Although the quantity was far less than what the three tribes had exchanged for their heavenly oaths, it was still genuine merit! Naturally, everyone was envious.
Hongjun had not yet preached, and everyone did not know the method of achieving sainthood through merit. Otherwise, these people would not only be envious, but also filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
However, Li Yi, who looked down upon this item that others saw as a good thing, put it away. He immediately summoned Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao and said to them:
"Second brother and third brother are in seclusion here. Go inform Taiyi and Chen'er and the others! You don't need to report back to me after returning. I'm going into seclusion as well!"
After Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao received the order and left, Li Yi returned to the Chaos Orb to enter seclusion!