Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

As Tongtian finished speaking, the Zixiao Palace fell silent.

Three thousand worldly travelers all paled.

They looked up in disbelief at Tongtian, then at the purple-robed figure on the high platform.

crazy.

Has Tongtian gone mad?

How revered is Hongjun the Sage? He is the first sage to create heaven and earth, the master of preaching in Zixiao Palace, and an unparalleled being who holds the power of the Heavenly Dao!

Even if Pangu were to be resurrected, he would still be treated with respect.

So what if he's just a mere Great Luo Golden Immortal, a transformation of Pangu's primordial spirit? How dare he question such a secret in front of a sage?

Where does this leave the dignity of the saint?

Lao Tzu slammed his pine-wood staff down heavily, his beard and hair trembling slightly.

"Third brother! Don't be rude!"

The primordial Jade Purity radiated a surge of immortal light, its expression as cold and stern as frost:

"Tongtian! Get out of here!"

It can reach the heavens without moving an inch.

He stood with his hand on his sword, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the purple-robed figure on the high platform.

He waited for three thousand years.

For three thousand years, that figure in black robes sat quietly on the lotus platform, unmoved through the ages.

Over three thousand years, he repeatedly deduced, pondered, and asked himself—who exactly is this person?

Why should even sages be treated with respect?

Why can't even the Heavenly Dao detect its origins?

Why is it that when he sits here, it is as if chaos is suppressing the Purple Heaven, causing the Three Thousand Great Daos to freeze?

he does not know.

He knew only that if he didn't ask today, he would never have the chance again in this life.

"saint!"

Tongtian spoke again, his voice ringing out like the clang of a sword:

"This disciple meant no offense, but was truly eager to seek the Way!"

"This senior destroyed the Chaos Bell with a single glance; his cultivation level is unprecedented throughout history!"

"This disciple dares to ask the Sage..."

"Just who is this senior?!"

After he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Three thousand gazes, as if drawn by an invisible hand, all turned toward the high platform.

Turning to Hongjun.

Hongjun sat quietly on the cloud platform.

His purple robes hung loosely, his Taoist aura was restrained, and his face was calm and expressionless.

It was as if Tongtian's questioning was nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing past his ear.

But his five fingers were already clenched tightly within his purple sleeves.

The mind of a sage remains undisturbed.

That is the delusion of someone who has not yet attained sainthood.

A true sage is in harmony with the Way of Heaven, breathes with the primordial world, and can freely control his joys, sorrows, and anger, and will never be disturbed by external things.

But at this moment.

Hongjun, however, clearly sensed a glimmer of something stirring deep within his own Dao heart, which had already reached perfection and was about to merge with the Heavenly Dao...

Extremely faint, extremely fine, yet unmistakably real ripples.

That is......

惊。

besides......

窘。

He did not know who this person was.

He really didn't know.

After becoming a saint, he used the authority of the Heavenly Dao to survey the entire prehistoric world, including all the heavens and myriad realms, the Three Realms and the Six Paths, the past and the future. Everything within the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Dao was within his calculations.

He knew the origins of the Three Pure Ones.

He knew the origins of Emperor Jun and Taiyi.

He knew the cause and effect of Nuwa and Fuxi.

He knew the origins of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

He could even glimpse some of the remnants of chaotic demon gods and the remains of ancient great beings that had been dormant since the beginning of time.

But this person...

He surveyed the entire river of celestial laws and exhausted the authority of sages, yet he could not even grasp a single thread of cause and effect.

It was as if this person did not belong to this world at all.

It does not belong to any time or space.

It does not belong to...

Any dimension that the Way of Heaven can reach.

The figure in the black robe had been sitting quietly under the table for three thousand years, and he had deduced three thousand years of history from that.

Three thousand attempts, three thousand failures.

Each time his divine sense touched that person's body, it vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

That invisible barrier was neither supernatural power nor magic.

Rather, it is a kind of...

An existence that transcends the Heavenly Dao itself.

Like an abyss or a prison, it cannot be fathomed.

But can he say these things?

A sermon was given at Zixiao Palace, where three thousand mortals gathered.

This marks the beginning of the Xuanmen lineage, his first public exposition of the Great Dao after becoming a saint, and a crucial step in his impending union with the Dao.

If, in such a setting, in full view of everyone, I were to be stumped by a junior's question, and known to three thousand fellow practitioners...

He, Hongjun, couldn't even recall the name of the person who had been sitting quietly in the audience for three thousand years.

Where then is his saintly majesty?

Where is the dignity of Heaven?

If I were to unite with the Dao in the future, would all beings believe in me? Would all the saints obey my command?

Hongjun's gaze gradually hardened.

He looked towards the heavens.

Then he looked down at the figure in the black robe who was still sitting quietly with his eyes closed.

The person remained seated on the lotus platform, his black robe cascading down like a waterfall, his black hair flowing over his shoulders.

His gaze remained fixed, his expression unchanged.

It was as if Tongtian's clamorous questioning was nothing more than a passing breeze to him.

It was as if the turbulent waves about to surge in the Purple Cloud Palace had nothing to do with him.

He just sat there.

Like a pillar that stabilizes the sea.

Like a bottomless abyss.

Hongjun took a deep breath.

He forcefully suppressed the ripples in his Dao heart.

He spoke slowly, his voice calm, like the voice of the Great Dao:

"Reaching the Heavens".

The two words, uttered without anger, exuded an imposing aura.

Tongtian's body trembled slightly, and his hand on the sword tightened quietly, but he still stood tall and refused to take a step back.

"Disciple is here."

Hongjun's deep gaze fell upon Tongtian:

"I already know that you are eager to seek the Way."

"Such a spirit of striving for excellence is indeed beneficial to the practice of swordsmanship."

He paused, then changed the subject:

"However, in the Zixiao Palace, there are three thousand fellow Daoists listening to the Dao; it is not a place for you to ask the Dao alone."

"This person's name."

Hongjun's gaze shifted slightly, landing on Kong Xuan.

Eyes facing each other.

Kong Xuan kept his eyes closed.

But Hongjun knew he was listening.

Three thousand travelers in the mortal world held their breath, and even the sound of the flowing chaotic air seemed to freeze.

Everyone is waiting.

When Hongjun revealed that name.

That figure in black robes will no longer be a mystery.

Lao Tzu's pine-patterned wooden staff trembled slightly, and the Daoist spirit of non-action almost spiraled out of control.

The light of the Primordial Jade Purity Immortal flickered unpredictably, and his face was as cold and stern as if covered in frost.

Di Jun supported the still-healing Donghuang Taiyi, his eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and anticipation.

Nuwa gently covered her lips with her delicate hand, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Fuxi spun the Bagua compass between his fingers rapidly, attempting to deduce the secrets of heaven from Hongjun's next words.

The Old Ancestor of Red Clouds rode on a red cloud suspended in mid-air, forgetting even to breathe.

Zhen Yuanzi's long sleeves fell down, and the illusory image of the Earth Script quietly dimmed.

The Kunpeng slightly folded its wings, its eyes filled with a sinister yet... indescribable expectation.

The two Westerners stared intently at Hongjun, like drowning people grasping at the last piece of driftwood.

The twelve Ancestral Witches looked at each other in bewilderment. The spatial power around Dijiang was in disarray. Gonggong and Zhurong, unusually, did not argue and were all holding their breath.

Inside the Purple Cloud Palace.

All sounds are silent.

Hongjun slowly spoke:

"This is..."

The three words were uttered like a thunderclap!

Three thousand hearts were in their throats at the same time!

Lao Tzu's wooden staff thumped violently.

The primordial jade-pure celestial light suddenly surged.

Tongtian's pupils suddenly contracted, and the veins on his hand holding the sword bulged.

Di Jun tightened his grip on Tai Yi's hand.

The illusory image of Nuwa's Mountain and River Map quietly dissipated.

The Fuxi Bagua Plate fell down with a bang.

The red cloud ridden by the Old Ancestor of Red Clouds completely dissipated.

Zhen Yuanzi's illusory image of the Earth Book sank behind him, his face as solemn as iron.

The Kunpeng's wings trembled violently, nearly causing it to fall from mid-air.

The two Westerners nearly fell to the ground.

The twelve Ancestral Witches all gasped in shock.

then.

Hongjun's voice abruptly stopped.

It's not that he doesn't want to talk about it.

He couldn't say it.