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

Tongtian laughed.

His smile was bittersweet, tinged with a hint of relief.

"Elder brother, there's no need to say anything more."

"I see."

He withdrew his arm and took a step back.

Looking at Lao Tzu, looking at the Primordial Beginning.

He gazed at these two faces that had been with him for countless years.

"The shackles of Heaven can be broken."

He spoke slowly, his voice calm:

"But the solution is not with me."

Lao Tzu's expression changed again:

"Third brother! Didn't you just say..."

"As I just said, only I can provide the solution."

Tongtian interrupted him:

"But I didn't say that I would definitely take action."

Lao Tzu was jolted.

The Primordial Jade Purity Immortal Light Surges:

"Third brother! What do you mean by this?! Are you going to stand by and watch me die?!"

"Should we just stand by and watch someone die?"

Tongtian laughed:

"Second brother, you are wrong."

"The shackles of Heaven on you will not kill you in the short term."

"On the contrary..."

He paused, his gaze hardening.

"If I were to truly untie the knot for you, when the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods descends upon you, would you show me mercy?"

Laozi's face turned deathly pale.

Yuan Shi staggered.

Tongtian no longer looked at them.

He turned around and looked down at the surging sea of ​​clouds below the mountain.

"Eldest brother, second brother."

"Let's go back."

"From now on, I will still respect you as my elder brothers."

"but......"

He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold:

"Do not mention the matter of breaking the shackles of Heaven's Way again."

"Because you don't deserve it."

The words fell.

He took a single step towards the heavens.

His black robes fluttered in the wind, and his sword intent soared to the heavens.

It transformed into a chaotic sword light that pierced through heaven and earth, speeding towards the depths of Kunlun Mountain.

"Third brother!!"

Laozi gave a low shout, and the Daoist principle of non-action erupted suddenly, reaching out to grab it.

All that could be grasped was a wisp of a vanishing shadow.

He staggered to the ground, his face ashen.

Looking in the direction where the sword light disappeared, looking at the empty void.

His aged face was filled with bitterness and regret.

Yuanshi stood frozen in place, and the Jade Purity Immortal Light completely receded.

He stared at the void, a look of bewilderment appearing on his usually stern face for the first time.

a long time.

Lao Tzu slowly lowered his head.

Looking at his empty hands.

The palm still retained the warmth of the lingering afterimage from when it grabbed Tongtian.

But she's gone.

"Brother..."

Yuanshi stepped forward, his voice hoarse.

Lao Tzu did not answer.

He just stared intently at that void, his aged face filled with complex emotions.

There was regret, heartache, and self-blame.

There was also a hint of indescribable fear.

Because he suddenly realized.

The words Tongtian just spoke about the Investiture of the Gods, the Great Tribulation, and the future.

If all of this is true.

So what exactly did they miss?

At the summit of Kunlun Mountain.

The sea of ​​clouds surged, and the fairy mist swirled around.

The two figures stood frozen in place, speechless for a long time.

......

Jin'ao Island.

An isolated island in a chaotic sea, floating and sinking between rifts in space and time.

Tongtian's figure appeared in the void outside the island, his black robes fluttering, his sword intent restrained.

He gazed at the island before him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

It wasn't because the Three Pure Ones had separated that he needed to find a place for his practice.

Rather, it was because, on the summit of Buzhou Mountain, before Kong Xuan left, a word had reached his ears.

"If you've figured it out, you can come find me on Jin'ao Island."

At that time, Tongtian was immersed in the shock of his sudden increase in cultivation level and did not think carefully about the deeper meaning of these words.

Thinking back on it now.

The senior already knew.

Knowing he would confront his two brothers, knowing he would leave heartbroken, knowing he would have nowhere to go.

They even knew that he would eventually come to this place.

Tongtian took a deep breath, suppressed the surging thoughts in his heart, and stepped into the island.

Jin'ao Island is not large, spanning no more than a thousand miles in length and width.

The island is rich in spiritual energy, far surpassing any other blessed land in the primordial wilderness.

Rare flowers and exotic herbs abound, spiritual springs and waterfalls cascade down, and countless innate spiritual roots that had disappeared since the beginning of time thrive here.

He was too busy to appreciate these things.

His gaze fell on the center of the island.

There, a magnificent hall stands tall.

The main hall is entirely black, cast from chaotic stone, ancient and magnificent, with a flowing Taoist aura.

There is no plaque or nameplate in front of the hall.

It is known to Heaven that this was built for him by Kong Xuan.

With a wave of his hand, he created this grand hall.

Such skills are beyond his reach, even at his current peak cultivation level as a Primordial Golden Immortal.

Tongtian slowly stepped forward.

With each step, chaotic Dao patterns rippled out beneath his feet, resonating with the entire Golden Turtle Island.

He sensed it.

This island, this palace, even every blade of grass and every tree on the island, are all closely connected with that figure in black robes.

It was as if this place was that person's sacred ground.

But that person's dojo was opened for him at this moment.

A complex feeling, difficult to describe, welled up in Tongtian's heart.

There was gratitude, trepidation, awe, and a touch of bitterness.

He was questioned by his two elder brothers and pressured by the masses, forcing him to leave Kunlun.

But that senior, whom he had never met before, had already paved the way for his future.

What is the Tao?

This is the Way.

No words are needed, no explanations are needed, and no promises are required.

Just give him a place to go when he needs it most.

Tongtian stopped outside the palace gate.

The palace doors were tightly shut, simple and unadorned, yet exuding a chilling aura of oppression.

That oppressive aura was exactly the same as the one emanating from Kong Xuan.

It stands above all things, yet is as gentle as water.

Tongtian took a deep breath, straightened his black robe, and bowed respectfully:

"Disciple Tongtian requests an audience with Senior!"

The voice was respectful, echoing throughout the island.

The hall was silent.

Tongtian bowed and remained motionless.

He knew that his senior was there.

He could sense that the figure in the black robe was currently sitting cross-legged deep inside the hall.

He dared not enter without permission, dared not spy, and dared not even utter a word.

We can only wait.

Waiting for the senior to speak.

Or wait for the senior to open the door.

a long time.

A calm voice came from inside the hall:

"Come in."

The two words, when uttered, sounded like the voice of the Great Dao.

Tongtian shuddered and slowly straightened up.

The palace doors opened silently by themselves.

Inside the door, everything was in a state of chaos, with swirling mist obscuring any view.

Tongtian did not hesitate and stepped in.

The moment I stepped through the palace gate, the scene before me changed abruptly.

As the chaos dissipated, a simple grand hall came into view.

The hall was empty except for a futon in the center.

A figure in a black robe sat cross-legged on a futon.

Her black hair fell down, her eyes were calm, and she was looking at him.

Kong Xuan.

"They're here."

Kong Xuan spoke, his voice calm and undisturbed.

Tongtian stepped forward three times and bowed deeply:

"Disciple Tongtian greets Senior!"

Kong Xuan nodded slightly:

"sit."

Spit out a word.

Behind Tongtian, a prayer mat appeared out of thin air.

Without hesitation, Tongtian sat cross-legged, facing Kong Xuan.

The hall was silent.

Kong Xuan didn't speak, but just stared at him quietly.

His gaze was calm as still water, yet it seemed to see through everything.

Tongtian felt a strange sensation as he was enveloped by that gaze.

It was as if all my thoughts, all my struggles, all my resentment and bitterness were seen through by that gaze.

There was nowhere to hide.

There is no need to hide it anymore.