The grudge of blocking one's path was irreconcilable!
He invoked the Authority of the Heavenly Dao and followed Tongtian closely!
He wanted to see with his own eyes who stood behind Tongtian!
As it happened, Tongtian emerged from Biyou Palace.
Hongjun was mildly surprised. Rather than heading for some famous mountain or cultivation ground, Tongtian was walking alone across the empty sea!
Just as he was wondering,
his eyes suddenly widened. An island had appeared on the sea!
It was Penglai Immortal Island, unknown to anyone since the beginning of creation!
So someone had long since occupied this island!
Hongjun was utterly shocked!
As the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, he had actually failed to sense the island's existence!
How unimaginable!
He instinctively felt that the Master of Penglai Immortal Island had to be the one behind Tongtian!
A wisp of his divine sense silently attached itself to Tongtian,
concealed beneath Tongtian's divine radiance.
He wanted to see who dared to ruin his grand plan!
Tongtian noticed nothing and strode straight into Penglai Immortal Island.
All of a sudden,
Lin Dong's voice rang out:
"What audacity. You attached yourself to my young friend Lingbao and tried to sneak into my Penglai Immortal Island!"
Tongtian was stunned!
Possession? Sneaking in?
How was that possible? He was Hunyuan!
In an instant, a vast and mighty force descended,
forcibly stripping away a wisp of divine sense!
Tongtian's face drained of color. Someone had truly attached themselves to him?!
His expression turned livid!
In the Primordial Era, aside from the one in Zixiao Palace, who else could accomplish such a thing?
Within Zixiao Palace in the Thirty-Third Heaven, Hongjun abruptly rose from his Windcloud Cushion!
His face turned green!
After all his calculations, he had never expected the Master of Penglai Immortal Island to be "Dao"!
The instant his divine sense touched that great being, it vanished without a trace, like snow beneath the blazing sun!
Hongjun, the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, a Great Sage of the Dao Integration Realm and progenitor of the Mystic Gate, actually broke out in a cold sweat!
He was a saint of the Dao Integration Realm. His dharma body was flawless, and he had long forgotten what sweating felt like!
Yet now, sweat poured down like rain, impossible to stop!
He had been utterly intimidated!
Though his divine sense had been weak, it bore the status of the Dao Integration Realm!
It was the divine sense of the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, among the very strongest in the Primordial Era!
Let alone destroying it, even detecting it was difficult!
He had once been confident that nothing in the Primordial Era could escape his notice!
As the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, he was nearly omnipresent!
He only needed to control the greater currents of the Heavenly Dao and regulate Yin-Yang,
while leaving everything else to the saints!
No one could escape the framework he had laid down!
He merely needed to play the role of arbiter!
He had never imagined
that there could be secrets in the Primordial Era unknown to him! That there could be an existence beyond him!
Yet when he sought to investigate the force behind Tongtian,
it was as though he had been struck by a bolt of lightning!
No! It was thunder in midsummer!
His invincible divine sense had melted away like snow in sunlight, vanishing into nothingness!
That divine sense came from a Heavenly Dao avatar
and carried the attribute of "Immortality"!
Yet before the great being of Penglai Immortal Island, it had not the slightest power to resist!
Just as the ants of the Primordial Era were before Hongjun!
A chill rose within him!
The divine sense had followed Tongtian onto the island and dissolved in an instant!
He had not even glimpsed the island master's true face!
He only knew that this island master was a supreme mighty being whose cultivation far surpassed his Incarnation of Heavenly Dao,
almost an embodiment of Dao itself.
Truly, a great being!
Hongjun's face was white as paper!
Fear welled up inside him. His divine sense had been annihilated without any resistance!
If this mighty being attacked him... he did not dare believe that he could withstand it!
Hongjun recoiled!
Who could have imagined that the Dao Ancestor of the Mystic Gate, a mighty being of the Dao Integration Realm, would recoil!
Before an existence nearly equivalent to Dao, let alone him, even the Heavenly Dao would likely have to yield!
Only after a long while did he calm himself.
Cautiously, he used the Authority of the Heavenly Dao to investigate the East Sea.
His pupils suddenly contracted!
At the place where his divine sense had dissolved, there was nothing at all beneath the Authority of the Heavenly Dao!
That was absolutely impossible!
He investigated again and again,
yet found only seawater—endless seawater!
What had just happened seemed like a dream!
But he knew it was real!
Absolutely real!
He frowned and connected to the Heavenly Dao Origin.
His pupils contracted again!
The Heavenly Dao Origin contained no record of Penglai Immortal Island!
This was far beyond his expectations!
Yet his brows relaxed!
He let out a long breath and even revealed a faint smile!
"Looks like the Master of Penglai Immortal Island is truly a reclusive great being!"
"He has no interest in the turmoil of the Primordial Era. Otherwise, how could he have remained completely unknown?"
"He is a great being wholly devoted to seeking Dao!"
The Great Dao was endless; the search never ceased!
To devote oneself to Dao without being troubled by worldly matters was every cultivator's aspiration!
Even Hongjun himself was the same!
If possible, who would willingly be distracted by worldly affairs?
To him, all matters of the Primordial Era were mundane affairs!
This was his true feeling!
A great being like the Master of Penglai Island would surely disdain the petty struggles of the Primordial Era!
He was certain of it!
If the island master had intended to contend for supremacy, how could the Primordial Era's first saintly position have fallen to him?
It made no logical sense!
Having understood this, he was completely relieved!
He suddenly felt envious.
"No wonder Tongtian's cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds!"
With guidance from such a great being,
how could he not improve quickly?
His mind relaxed.
As long as that great being did not act personally, there was nothing to worry about!
As for Tongtian, who had seen through his plans...
he now understood the reason!
The great being of Penglai must have guided Tongtian, greatly broadening his perspective!
But he was not worried in the least!
So long as that great being did not personally enter the fray, Tongtian could not stir up any great waves!
Besides, Tongtian was merely Hunyuan, not a saint!
That alone was enough for Hongjun not to regard him as his foremost threat!
Tongtian had already accomplished in advance what he himself had wished to achieve!
He let out a long breath.
At last, he put aside his concerns over Penglai Immortal Island!
With insufficient strength, rashly probing the island would only bring humiliation upon himself!
If he wished to test the island master's true strength, he would have to wait until his plan was complete!
On Penglai Immortal Island, Tongtian was filled with uncertainty!
He was shaken by what had happened to him!
He had never expected that an unusual aura had been hidden within his divine radiance!
It was terrifying beyond belief!
He anxiously asked, "Senior, what... exactly was that?"
Lin Dong smiled calmly.
"Just now, a wisp of divine sense attached itself to you and tried to infiltrate my Penglai Immortal Island!"
"This divine sense shares the same origin as your cultivation technique. I presume it belongs to a senior of the Mystic Gate."
"Who would have thought that he harbored hostility toward you!"
"So I erased it, as a small warning!"
Hiss!
Tongtian looked at Lin Dong with reverence!
His senior spoke of it lightly, as though it were a trivial matter!
But Tongtian did not dare see it that way!
He knew that only Dao Ancestor Hongjun could have done such a thing!
Senior Lin Dong's cultivation was truly unfathomable!
Tongtian could only be awestruck!
Yet Lin Dong had not finished speaking.
"I had not intended to act against him. After all, he is a mighty being of your Mystic Gate."
"When we first met, one of your master's elders came to listen to my Dao, and I did not stop him."
Hm?
Tongtian was full of confusion!
His master's elder was Hongjun, was it not?
Was there someone else?
Lin Dong found it somewhat strange.
"Come to think of it, the auras of these two are quite similar."
"Only, the one hostile toward you has slightly inferior cultivation to the former!"
Hiss!
Tongtian instantly understood whom Lin Dong meant!
A chill ran down his spine!
So it was not only Hongjun's divine sense that had once attached itself to him!
He had never expected that the Heavenly Dao itself had once attached itself to him as well!
Its aura resembled Hongjun's, yet its cultivation was higher. Other than the Heavenly Dao, who else could it be?
Tongtian was deeply shaken afterward!
Having been possessed by these two mighty beings, even at the Ninth Heaven of the Heavenly Dao Realm, he could hardly have endured it!
Even saints were unwilling to have their privacy exposed!
In theory, a saint's divine sense was entrusted to the void of the Heavenly Dao and wielded the Authority of the Heavenly Dao.
Without interference from other saints, they could be omniscient and omnipotent!
Yet in reality, no saint was willing to lay bare all their secrets!
Mutual interference was inevitable!
Unspoken rules such as not prying into a saint's sacred grounds were universally accepted!
All who attained the Dao saw themselves as supreme beneath heaven!
To control the Primordial Era was their ambition!
Placing pieces and arranging schemes, whether on a whim or after deep consideration, was commonplace!
At such times, what was the most commonly used method?
Disrupting the Heavenly Secret!
Preventing other saints from seeing their tracks!
Tongtian was no exception!
Yet he had never expected the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun to attach their consciousness to him!
It was simply terrifying!
The Heavenly Dao was one thing; it had merely come to listen to the teachings.
But Hongjun was clearly spying on him!
Tongtian's fury burned fiercely!
With the cultivation of those two, how could he possibly distinguish them?
Thankfully, he had been on Penglai Immortal Island!
What if he had been in Biyou Palace?
A doubt arose in his heart:
"Why would Hongjun spy on me?"
"How lacking in confidence must he be to do such a thing?"
After all, Hongjun was the Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, the Dao Ancestor of the Mystic Gate, a saint of the Dao Integration Realm!
Nominally the number one figure of the Primordial Era!
All who attained the Dao possessed immense confidence!
How could he possibly act in such a manner?
It was far too strange!
Yet Hongjun had done exactly that!
Tongtian instinctively sensed that something was wrong!
But he could not say what was wrong!
"Could I have ruined one of his schemes?"
As he pondered bitterly,
Lin Dong enlightened him:
"Little Friend Lingbao, your recent progress has been extraordinary. I'm afraid you've drawn someone's attention!"
Tongtian suddenly came to his senses!
That was exactly it!
In only a few thousand years, he had leaped from the Sixth Heaven of the Heavenly Dao Realm to the peak of the Ninth Heaven!
Who would not be suspicious?
Was cultivation the area in which he had improved the most?
It appeared so!
But that was not the case!
What had improved the most?
His grasp of the greater picture!
That had been his greatest leap forward!
Without that grasp of the greater picture, could he have decisively expelled his disciples, abolished his own sainthood, dissolved the Interception Sect, and escaped Hongjun's calculations?
Absolutely not!
If he were Hongjun, he would also investigate the secret behind it all!
With that thought,
his emotions gradually settled!
The Primordial Era respected strength above all, and he naturally did not wish to be spied upon by Hongjun!
Unfortunately, his strength did not permit it!
"Hongjun and I have formed Karma!"
"Since that is so, I will surely settle this Karma!"
The Primordial Era did not ask about right or wrong, only Karma!
Still, he was faintly worried.
Would Hongjun employ further schemes?
Once he left Penglai Immortal Island, he had no confidence in escaping Hongjun's calculations!
But if he did not leave, while his safety would be guaranteed, what would become of his disciples?
Lin Dong glanced at him with interest:
"Little Friend, I see that your Luck runs long and strong. There is no great danger, so rest assured!"
Tongtian felt a weight lift from his heart!
With Senior Lin Dong's words, all was secure!
Those words were the greatest blessing he could receive!
He took a deep breath:
"This disciple had intended to remain here and listen to your teachings, but this matter arose unexpectedly..."
He solemnly bowed:
"This disciple must return at once to deal with it and cannot remain for long!"
"I hope Senior will forgive me!"
Lin Dong nodded. "Naturally. You may return another day."
Tongtian took his leave and returned to Biyou Palace.
A strange light flashed through Lin Dong's eyes:
"That divine sense just now was quite interesting. It seemed to share the same origin as the one previously attached to Little Friend, yet was actually vastly different..."
"That person seems to intend to seize another's nest!"
"Interesting!"
"A member of the Mystic Gate actually harbors such thoughts!"
He shook his head:
"What does it have to do with me? I'm merely watching the show!"
"The Primordial Era truly is lively!"
"If my cultivation were not merely that of a Primordial Golden Immortal, and I had reached the Hunyuan Heavenly Secret Golden Immortal... I truly would like to tour the Primordial Era!"
"Never mind. I'll wait for Little Friend Lingbao to bring news from the outside world!"
"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity is approaching. The saints' schemes and clashes will surely be magnificent!"
Lin Dong looked forward to it faintly.
Tongtian returned to Biyou Palace with a gloomy expression.
The atmosphere within the palace was heavy.
He secretly considered how to break Hongjun's scheme.
Then he suddenly froze:
"No!"
"If the Dao Ancestor merely wished to repay the Karma of the Primordial Era, why would he need to establish two calamities in succession?"
"He is far too hasty!"
"It does not fit Hongjun's style!"
What sort of image did Hongjun present?
With heaven and earth as the board, creation as the path, and all living beings as pieces, he sat quietly within Zixiao Palace and controlled the rise and fall of eras!
Whenever he acted, there was never any trace of worldly haste!
Laying subtle clues and making plans that spanned eternity—that was his nature!
Yet he had stirred up two great calamities in succession.
Tongtian could not help feeling that it was rushed!
The saints had not seen through Hongjun's arrangements, so each understood things differently!
But he was different!
With Lin Dong's guidance, he had already seen through Hongjun's purpose!
That only made him more doubtful!
Hasty, far too hasty!
Hongjun seemed to have an urgent plan and was eager to settle Karma!
The interval between the calamities of the Lich and the Investiture of the Gods was too short!
Not to mention the subsequent Rise of the West!
Tongtian felt a touch of regret:
"I should have sought more guidance from Senior Lin Dong!"
"Never mind. I'll ask next time!"
As he pondered, Hongjun's voice suddenly rang beside his ears:
"Saints, hasten to Zixiao Palace to discuss matters!"
Zixiao Palace stood towering as the saints gathered once more.
Taishang, Yuanshi, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti all wore solemn expressions!
They knew that this gathering was surely about signing the Investiture of the Gods List!
But Tongtian's question from last time remained unanswered.
Which of the five saints would dare sign lightly?
Cultivators of the Primordial Era possessed unfathomable Supernatural Powers!
True Immortals could already overturn rivers and seas, move mountains, and fill the earth—let alone disciples of saints!
Yet Hongjun strictly forbade saints and cultivators from damaging the Primordial Era!
This ran contrary to the purpose of the Immeasurable Calamity, which was to clear Karma!
With such restrictions upon the calamity, who would be willing to take part?
The saints remained silent!
Tongtian had also lost his usual carefree air!
He had never expected that the dignified Incarnation of Heavenly Dao, a saint of the Dao Integration Realm, would secretly spy on him!
He became even more cautious, refusing to give Hongjun any excuse!
Hongjun sat upright upon the Heaven and Earth Cushion, his expression as impassive as ever:
"The Investiture of the Gods Calamity is the great trend of the Heavenly Dao and must be decided early!"
"The longer you saints delay, the fewer opportunities you will have to respond!"
"There will be no fourth time. Only a thousand years remain before the Investiture of the Gods Calamity. You must make your decision soon!"
The expressions of the five saints grew even uglier!
How could they not understand Hongjun's words?
They understood!
But with such a great obstacle before them, who would dare casually sign the Investiture of the Gods List?
If their disciples entered the calamity, they would inevitably damage the Primordial Era!
According to the Dao Ancestor's words, that would be a sin and would only add to their Karma!
Therefore, who would dare allow their disciples to enter the calamity?
The Immeasurable Calamity was meant to purge heaven and earth of killing intent and set Karma in order!
But if doing so meant bearing the Karma of damaging the Primordial Era,
who would be willing?
Although Hongjun permitted saints to enter the fray,
their primordial spirits were entrusted to the Heavenly Dao and linked to it,
making them the Heavenly Dao's spokesmen!
When saints manifested within the Three Realms, they affected the Primordial Era everywhere!
Let alone when saints clashed?
A battle between saints was tantamount to destroying the world!
Even a minor exchange would severely damage the Primordial Era!
Yet Hongjun had clearly stated that saints could fight, but could not damage the Primordial Era!
How was such a decree merely binding their hands and feet?
Until this matter was resolved,
who would dare sign the Investiture of the Gods List?
That would be inviting Karma upon themselves!
Sages were said to remain unscathed through countless calamities, untouched by all consequences,
but that applied only to Karma involving non-Sages!
The Karma between Sages, between Sages and the Heavenly Dao, and between Sages and the Primordial Era
could not be avoided!
The Sages fell silent!
They could not think of any way to evade Karma!
Unable to find an answer no matter how they pondered, they simply kept their mouths shut!
They had seen the situation clearly!
If they signed the list now, they would ultimately suffer the consequences themselves!
The five Sages were united. No matter how dire their circumstances, they all stood at the same starting line!
No one held an advantage, and no one suffered a disadvantage!
This was the greatest fairness!
All the Sages possessed great wisdom. Without discussion, they reached a tacit agreement!
Hongjun keenly sensed the oppressive atmosphere in Zixiao Palace!
This differed from the pressure he had exerted on the previous two occasions!
That had been part of his strategy!
But now, the pressure came from the Sages and Tongtian!
This was a silent protest!
He cast Tongtian a seemingly casual glance. It is all because of this fellow that my grand plan has been ruined!
Had Tongtian not repeatedly awakened them,
the Sages would already have fallen into his trap!
How could there have been so much trouble afterward?
But it did not matter!
He had contingencies!
What mattered now was patience!
Perhaps Tongtian's grasp of the bigger picture had improved under the guidance of the Great Deity of Penglai!
But...
A faint smile curled Hongjun's lips.
"No matter how strong your grasp of the bigger picture is, you are not the one moving the pieces!"
"You are merely a chess piece with a little awareness!"
"You cannot escape my grasp. Hmph!"
He was in no hurry. He closed his eyes to rest and leisurely contemplated the Dao!
His standing was here. The ones who had convened this gathering were ultimately the Sages, not him!
Zixiao Palace sank into eerie silence; a falling needle could be heard!
Just as he expected, the Sages gradually began to lose their composure!
To them, time was a fatal red line!
A thousand years of preparation was barely enough!
Any less than that, and all their plans would come to nothing!
Once the time came, they would have to sign whether they wished to or not—Sages did not defy Heaven; those who defied Heaven were no Sages!
The Two Sages of the West were the first to lose their patience.
Jieyin and Zhunti rose and bowed to Hongjun.
"May we ask, Master, how should the matter Tongtian raised earlier be resolved?"
"How are we to engage in conflict without harming the Primordial Era?"
Taishang, Yuanshi, Nuwa, and Tongtian nodded repeatedly!
The Two Sages of the West had asked exactly what needed to be asked!
If this matter remained unresolved, who would be willing to sign the Investiture of the Gods List?
That was immense Karma that would anger the Heavenly Dao. No one dared touch it!
Hongjun opened his eyes, a trace of disappointment flashing through them.
"The unorthodox path remains the unorthodox path. Its patience cannot compare to the Mystic Gate!"
Yet it would not be fair to blame the two Sages!
They bore Karma owed to the Heavenly Dao and wished at all times to repay their Merit as soon as possible!
Thus, they were more anxious than the Mystic Gate Sages!
He swept his gaze over the Sages, his tone edged with mockery.
"You are troubled by this matter?"
"Had you asked me sooner, why would you have such concerns?"
"Once the Investiture of the Gods List is signed, I will invoke the Authority of the Heavenly Dao and divide the Three Realms!"
Hm?
All the Sages were shaken!
"From this day onward, cultivators of the Primordial Era shall belong to the Earth Immortal Realm, mortals to the Human Realm, and the Nine Underworlds and Ten Lands to the Netherworld Realm!"
"The Earth Immortal Realm shall be so sturdy that even Sages will find it difficult to damage!"
"The great tribulation must unfold within the Earth Immortal Realm!"
"Furthermore, I will impose the Heavenly Lock!"
"Cultivators of the Human Realm shall be limited to the Heavenly Immortal realm!"
"Those who wish to surpass the Heavenly Immortal realm must undergo heavenly tribulation and ascend in broad daylight!"
"The Three Realms and Six Paths, the Nine Underworlds and Ten Lands, and All Heavens and Myriad Worlds shall each follow their own paths, without interfering with one another!"
"The Heavenly Court shall govern the Three Realms and Six Paths and All Heavens and Myriad Worlds!"
Ah?!
Before you continue