Emperor Xuanyuan retired after achieving his great work and took up residence in Fire Cloud Cave. Humanity entered the era of Zhuanxu.
Yet the balance of heaven and earth was quietly changing.
Seated in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Emperor Hao Tian gazed down upon Primordial Earth. He saw humanity's Luck flourishing like a dragon, the imperial path at its zenith. Humanity was gradually becoming a force unto itself, drifting ever farther from the primordial Divine Path represented by the Heavenly Court, even showing signs of rejection.
He knew well that the order of the Heavenly Court established after the Witch-Demon Calamity required clearer boundaries.
"Heaven and earth have their order. Gods and mortals must be separated."
Emperor Hao Tian's majestic voice resounded through the heavenly vault. Its soundwaves became tangible chains of law that swept across the Thirty-three Heavens, making countless immortals and gods tremble. "The Jianmu Tree connects heaven and earth. Though it is a legacy of the ancient gods, it no longer accords with the order of this age. It allows immortals and gods to meddle freely in the mortal world, while letting mortals rashly peer into heavenly secrets.
"If this continues, heaven and earth will fall into disorder, and authority and responsibility will become muddled. That will not benefit the Three Realms. Today, I shall uphold the Heavenly Dao and sever this passage, setting the Universe aright!"
Words Follow Law, and the authority of the Heavenly Dao began to turn.
That supreme ancient tree, the Jianmu Tree, which supported heaven and earth and linked gods and mortals, began to wither from its roots. Its immense life force faded at a visible pace. Emerald leaves turned withered yellow, and its lustrous violet trunk lost its sheen, as though an invisible giant hand had drained away all its spiritual