Zixiao Palace had existed eternally, standing tall within chaos.
The great experts listened to Dao Ancestor Hongjun preach the Dao. For a time, they were all utterly entranced, their divine minds immersed within it. The three Flowers gathered above their heads, and their harvest was immense; they found it impossible to pull themselves away.
Only Fang Yang tilted his head and snored away, gaining absolutely nothing!
Thus, thirty thousand years passed quietly.
“Hum!”
Suddenly, Dao Ancestor Hongjun stopped preaching the dao and slowly opened his chaos eyes, casting a deep look at the sleeping Fang Yang. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
Soon, the great experts awoke from the ethereal dao resonance. Their three flowers returned to their bodies, and their expressions returned to normal.
At the same time, each of them was visibly excited. They had clearly gained a great deal from listening to the dao; many obscure and difficult points had been explained, their cultivation realms showed signs of loosening, and they had gained a far deeper understanding of their future path of cultivation.
“This preaching the dao has lasted three thousand years. All of you should return and ponder and comprehend it carefully.”
Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s calm and ethereal daoic voice drifted over. “Three thousand years from now, Zixiao Palace will open, and I shall preach the Dao once more!”
“Hum!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not wait for the great experts to react. His form transformed into specks of starlight and dissipated atop the dao platform, as though he had never appeared at all.
“We kowtow and thank you, teacher!”
Upon hearing that they could return to Listen to the Dao again, the great experts were beside themselves with excitement. They all kowtowed to thank Dao Ancestor Hongjun, planning to return to their daoist Sanctuaries and digest what they had heard of the Great Dao.
“Huh?!”
But suddenly, an astonished voice rang out.
It was Daoist Fuxi, seated beside Fang Yang, who noticed something strange about him and discovered that he had not kowtowed to thank Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
Moreover, although the preaching the dao had clearly ended, Fang Yang still had his head tilted, his eyes closed, and his breathing was calm and steady.
“Whoosh!”
Hearing Fuxi’s astonished cry, all the great experts turned to look over in unison.
“Fellow Daoist Fang Yang?” Fuxi nudged Fang Yang and called out.
“What?”
Only then did Fang Yang slowly open his eyes, still looking bleary with sleep. He rubbed his eyes, then looked at the Dao Platform before saying, “It’s over? Then let’s go back!”
“Pfft!”
Since the main hall was utterly silent at that moment, Fang Yang’s words sounded so abrupt that every word fell clearly into the ears of the great experts.
“Hwaa!”
The next moment, the great experts erupted into an uproar.
Especially upon seeing Fang Yang’s freshly awakened appearance, they began discussing him among themselves.
“Hahaha! What a ridiculous little brat. It looks like he slept here for thirty thousand years!”
“Hmph! He actually dared to sleep soundly in Zixiao Palace. That is truly the height of disrespect toward teacher!”
“What nerve, you little brat! How dare you behave like this?”
“How can there be someone so lazy and dull-witted in this world? First, he refused to sit on a meditation cushion, and then he slept soundly while teacher was preaching the dao, failing to hear the Great Dao. He truly is mud that cannot be shaped into a wall!”
“Indeed. I truly wonder how he cultivated to the mid-stage golden immortal Realm!”
“...”
For a time, the great experts inside the hall discussed the matter animatedly.
The general meaning was that they were mocking Fang Yang for being lazy and hopelessly foolish.
At the same time!
The three Pure Ones looked at Fang Yang, whose face showed that he could not wait to leave this place, and their expressions grew even darker.
“Rebellious disciple! You rebellious disciple!”
For a long while!
Lord Tongtian was so furious that his beard and eyes stood on end. Even the hand pointing at Fang Yang trembled as he berated him, “You refused to hear the Great Dao and instead slept soundly here? You’re infuriating me to death! Infuriating me to death!”
“Nephew-disciple Fang Yang, your actions truly went too far!” Primordial Heavenly Venerable also said coldly.
“Sigh, how could you lazily sleep through such a tremendous opportunity? Nephew-disciple Fang Yang, you have truly let us down!” Laozi likewise wore an expression of regret.
“Rebellious disciple, you’ll be the death of me sooner or later!” Lord Tongtian continued shouting, furious beyond measure.
Yet in the face of the Three Pure Ones’ angry scolding, Fang Yang did not take it to heart. Instead, his face was filled with delight.
Of course!
He was not delighted by the Three Pure Ones’ angry scolding. Rather, he was delighted that his cultivation had indeed made no progress, remaining stuck at the mid-stage golden immortal Realm. There had also been no system notification voice and no breakthrough points obtained.
“Hahaha! It really worked. What a relief!”
Fang Yang rejoiced inwardly. “I’m really happy today, so very happy!”
After successfully avoiding another breakthrough, Fang Yang was in an excellent mood. He could not even help humming a tune to himself.
As for the Three Pure Ones’ angry scolding, he simply chose to ignore it selectively.
Say whatever you want. It’s not as though I’ll lose a layer of skin!
Besides, the Three Pure Ones were only thinking of him and hoping he would grow as quickly as possible. It was merely an elder’s frustration at iron that refuses to become steel, and nothing serious.
“Little Bamboo, were you really... sleeping soundly just now?”
At that moment, Lady Nuwa’s suspicious voice came from beside Fang Yang’s ear.
Clearly, she too was astonished by Fang Yang’s actions!
“That’s right. I even had a beautiful dream. In it, I was traveling through the Primordial World with you, traversing its mountains and great rivers. It was quite enjoyable, but unfortunately, I was disturbed!” Fang Yang was in an excellent mood and could not resist teasing her.
“You... how could you waste such an opportunity?!” Lady Nuwa’s pretty face flushed as she scolded him through voice transmission.
However, upon hearing Fang Yang say that he had traveled through the Primordial World with her in his dream, she inexplicably felt a little pleased. Instinctively, she began to hope that she could truly travel through the Primordial World with Fang Yang.
“An opportunity is an opportunity. Gaining it is my fortune, while losing it is my fate. I won’t force it!”
“Hmph, you’re the only one who knows how to run your mouth!”
..
Although the Three Pure Ones were frustrated that Fang Yang was not living up to expectations, they were helpless. After all, Fang Yang had already slept through the entire thing. What else could they do?
Thus, they could only darken their faces and wave their hands, sweeping Fang Yang away with them in the direction of chaos.
This was... this was truly humiliating!
If they stayed, they would probably only be mocked by the great experts. They might as well leave quickly, out of sight and out of mind!
Afterward, the many great experts also departed one after another.
However, one thing was worth mentioning.
From that day onward, these great experts not only respectfully addressed Hongjun as Dao Ancestor, but also remembered Fang Yang—the golden immortal brat who had thought nothing of the meditation cushion position and slept soundly in Zixiao Palace.
After Fang Yang had left!
Only Haotian and Yaochi remained inside Zixiao Palace.
“Sigh! Daoist Brother Fang Yang actually slept soundly while teacher was preaching the dao. What a waste of opportunity! I even used voice transmission to remind him to sit on a meditation cushion!” Haotian sighed, his face filled with regret.
“Heehee!”
Unexpectedly, Yaochi merely giggled sweetly. Narrowing her beautiful eyes, she said with a grin, “As expected of Daoist Brother Fang Yang. He’s so distinctive!”
“Being able to sleep soundly in Zixiao Palace—he’s absolutely one of a kind!”
“I suddenly feel that Daoist Brother Fang Yang is becoming more and more interesting!”