The Sermons of Zixiao Palace

In the common Honghuang account, once the war of Dao and demon was over Hongjun opened Zixiao Palace beyond the heavens and announced that he would preach three times. When its doors opened, cultivators from every part of the world crossed the chaos to come.

Only six mats had been set before the preaching seat. The Three Pure Ones sat down in turn, Nüwa took the fourth place, and Hongyun and Kunpeng held the last two.

When Jieyin and Zhunti arrived from the west the six places were full. This account has Hongyun rise and give up his own mat to Jieyin, after which Zhunti and the others pressed Kunpeng out of his seat, so that the six were finally held by the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, Jieyin and Zhunti.

At the first sermon Hongjun expounded the methods of cultivation. Those in the hall each noted what they had understood and returned to the world to cultivate when it ended, and when the doors opened again they took their former places.

At the second and third sermons Hongjun went on to the ways of the quasi-saints and of sainthood. Dijun, Taiyi, Zhenyuanzi, Hongyun, Kunpeng and Minghe came to the palace again and again, until the last sermon was almost done.

Hongjun took Laozi, Yuanshi and Tongtian as personal disciples and numbered Nüwa, Jieyin and Zhunti among his followers. He brought out seven streams of Primordial Purple Qi, gave six to the six, and put the last into Hongyun’s hands.

Having taken his disciples, Hongjun divided the Taiji Diagram, the Pangu Banner, the four Zhuxian swords and his other treasures among them. What was left he set on the treasure-granting bluff, and those who had heard him took what chance allowed and left Zixiao Palace.

Nüwa attained sainthood first, after making humankind. Laozi then founded the Human Sect, Yuanshi the Chan Sect and Tongtian the Jie Sect; Jieyin and Zhunti founded a teaching in the west, and the six received their saintly seats in turn.

Hongyun left the palace with his stream of purple qi and, in the common continuation, was set upon by Kunpeng, Minghe and others. Hongyun fell in the fighting, and the Primordial Purple Qi vanished from the field.

When the six saints had taken their places, Hongjun merged himself into Heaven’s Way, and Zixiao Palace closed. Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nüwa, Jieyin and Zhunti each returned to their own seats and took disciples and taught apart from then on.