Primordial Era: A man at the mouth of the Guanjiang River marries the Third Holy Mother.

He is like the past, the present, and the future.

He is the Tao, and the Tao is him.

This is Hongjun Daozu!

It is a being that is in harmony with the Heavenly Dao, imperishable through countless eons, a truly supreme being!

Chen Changsheng had met sages before, met his grandmaster Tongtian Jiaozhu, and even fought with an incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun.

The aura of a sage is overwhelming, domineering, and allows you to clearly feel the difference in power.

But the Dao Ancestor before them had no aura of power, and they couldn't even sense the slightest fluctuation of magical energy.

But it is precisely this "nothingness" that is most terrifying.

Standing before him, Chen Changsheng felt like a mortal facing the entire world.

Insignificant, powerless.

He hadn't experienced this feeling in a very, very long time.

"Disciple Chen Changsheng pays respects to the Dao Ancestor."

He composed himself and bowed deeply once again.

"Um."

Hongjun Daozu responded with a faint nasal sound.

His eyes, which seemed to hold the very essence of the universe's birth and death, fell upon Chen Changsheng.

"From an ordinary mortal to a primordial Dao body, and now to a half-step Primordial Chaos cultivator."

"Chen Changsheng, I have been watching your rise to power."

boom!

Chen Changsheng's mind went blank for a moment, and he almost crashed on the spot.

What the heck?

Was the Dao Ancestor watching all along?

Does that mean that from the moment I transmigrated here, whether it was treasure hunting, taking on disciples, marrying Yang Chan, fighting with the Chan Sect, or killing the Primordial Incarnation... all of this was right under his nose?

A chill instantly shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

What's the difference between this and someone having a god-like perspective and broadcasting the whole thing live?

His biggest secret, that soul from Earth, that treasure-hunting system, could it be...?

As if seeing through the turmoil in Chen Changsheng's heart, the voice of Dao Ancestor Hongjun rang out again, still calm and composed.

"Your origins and your opportunities are all variables."

"Since the beginning of time, the primordial world has been governed by the predetermined laws of Heaven. Only you are the greatest variable."

Chen Changsheng was completely numb.

The biggest variable in the primordial world?

This hat is way too big; he can't quite keep it on!

He initially thought he was a transmigrator with cheat codes, here to stir up trouble in the prehistoric world. But it turns out his every move was under the surveillance of the final boss.

What's this? A newbie player just left the village and was immediately called to the office for a talk by a max-level GM?

However, judging from Hongjun's tone, he didn't seem to intend to pursue this "variable"; rather, he seemed to be stating a fact.

Chen Changsheng quickly calculated in his mind.

Since the Dao Ancestor knows everything, he must also know the purpose of his visit today.

"Speak."

The voice of Hongjun Daozu interrupted his thoughts.

"What brings you here after all this trouble?"

Chen Changsheng took a deep breath, suppressing all the shock and distracting thoughts in his mind.

Regardless of what the Patriarch thinks of him, the most important thing right now is the Fire Cloud Cave.

He raised his head, met those deep, boundless eyes, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Dao Ancestor, your disciple has come here regarding the matter of the Fire Cloud Cave of the Human Race."

"Oh?"

Hongjun's tone was completely calm, as if he were asking about a trivial matter.

Chen Changsheng dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately recounted everything that had happened in the Fire Cloud Cave in detail.

It all began when the Six-Eared Macaque first discovered that the strings of Fuxi's zither had broken, and black mist began to rise in the long river of human destiny.

The three, Daoist Ran Deng, the Old Man of the South Pole, and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, were furtively setting up an array around the Fire Cloud Cave.

When he arrived at the scene himself, he used the full power of the Donghuang Bell to strike, only to find that he couldn't break through the strange gray seal at all.

Finally, even when the Grandmaster Tongtian Sect Leader personally arrived and used the Four Swords of Zhuxian, a supreme weapon of slaughter, he was still defeated in front of that great formation and was even repelled by the force of the formation's rebound.

Chen Changsheng explained it in great detail, leaving out every single detail.

He had to make the Dao Ancestor understand just how serious this matter had become.

That was no longer a struggle between disciples of sages, nor a contest between sages themselves.

That was an unknown force that even saints found troublesome and even helpless against, shaking the very foundation of the entire prehistoric world!

Throughout the entire narration, Hongjun Daozu listened quietly without uttering a single word.

His face, which was obscured, showed no emotion whatsoever.

It was as if the Tongtian Sect Leader's defeat and the blasting of the Four Swords of Zhuxian were nothing but fleeting clouds in his eyes.

After Chen Changsheng finished speaking, the entire Zixiao Palace fell into absolute silence once again.

Chen Changsheng felt a little uneasy.

What exactly does the Dao Ancestor mean by this?

Does he think this matter is too trivial to warrant his attention? Or is it too big for him to handle?

He waited a moment, and seeing that Hongjun still showed no intention of speaking, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and make his request.

"The Dao Ancestor".

Chen Changsheng bowed again, his tone extremely sincere.

"Humanity is the protagonist of heaven and earth as ordained by the Heavenly Dao, and the Fire Cloud Cave is the foundation of humanity's destiny. Now that the Three Sovereigns are trapped and their fates are unknown, both humanity's destiny and the destiny of the Great Shang Dynasty are in turmoil."

"If this continues, not only will the Great Tribulation of the Gods be subject to endless changes, but the order of the entire prehistoric world will likely be affected."

"That ancient seal has an unknown origin and is extremely strange. Even the Celestial Ancestor was helpless against it. Within the Three Realms, I'm afraid only you, Dao Ancestor, have the supernatural power to break this formation."

"This disciple humbly begs the Dao Ancestor to have mercy, to break that seal, to rescue the Three Sovereigns of Humanity, and to restore peace to the primordial world!"

After saying this, he bowed deeply, maintaining the posture of a bow, and waited for Hongjun's reply.

He believed his reasons were sufficient.

In terms of public affairs, it is to uphold the general trend of Heaven and ensure the smooth progress of the Investiture of the Gods calamity.

Personally, it was to save the human race and solidify the alliance between his Jie Sect and the Shang Dynasty.

From any perspective, it seems that the Dao Ancestor had no reason to refuse.

However, Hongjun's next words were like a bucket of ice water, chilling Chen Changsheng to the bone.

"This seal cannot be broken."

Hongjun's voice remained calm and devoid of any emotion, but what he said struck Chen Changsheng like a thunderbolt.

Unbreakable?

Chen Changsheng suddenly raised his head, his face filled with disbelief.

Did he mishear?

This is none other than the Dao Ancestor Hongjun! He is an being whose body is one with the Heavenly Dao!

Is there something within this primordial chaos that he "cannot break through"?

How is that possible!

"The Dao Ancestor..."

Chen Changsheng's voice trembled slightly, "You mean...?"

He wanted to ask, is it that you don't want to break it, or that you really can't break it?

The difference between the two is enormous.

If it's the former, it means that the Dao Ancestor has a different opinion on the sealing of the Fire Cloud Cave, and may even have tacitly approved it.