Outside Zixiao Palace, the Immortals Gathered, Displaying Their Divine Abilities

The cyan rainbow bridge that Sovereign of the Heavens rode across spanned hundreds of millions of miles of chaotic void, its speed far exceeding any escape Lin Xuan (Xuanyuanzi) had ever performed. The surroundings were not ordinary cosmic starry skies, but boundless, surging chaotic energy. Earth, water, fire, and wind flickered in and out of existence within it; ordinary Golden Immortals would turn to dust in an instant upon entering. However, upon this rainbow bridge, it was as stable as rock. A sword intent that could sever heaven and earth, that could break anything, isolated all chaos and danger from the outside.

Lin Xuan followed closely behind Duobao Daoist, feeling the immense Saintly power contained within the rainbow bridge beneath his feet, his heart filled with unparalleled shock. This is the might of a Saint! Compared to this, his own meager cultivation was truly like an ant looking up at the sky.

After an unknown amount of time, perhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity. Deep within the chaos ahead, a point of purple light approached from afar, rapidly expanding. The purple light, initially like a bean, soon transformed into a brilliant radiance tens of thousands of feet wide, dispelling the chaos and revealing the silhouette of a magnificent palace that could not be described in words.

The palace was entirely purple, neither gold nor jade, made of an unknown material. Dao Charm flowed upon it, as if carrying the ultimate principles of heaven and earth and the profound mysteries of the universe. It did not rest upon any land or star, but floated in the center of the chaos, suppressing boundless disorder, forming its own world of order. A supreme, indifferent, and awe-inspiring Dao Charm emanated from the palace, causing all who approached to involuntarily feel reverence and restrain their aura.

This was the place where the Dao Ancestor Hongjun lectured – Zixiao Palace!

At this moment, on the vast cloud platform in front of Zixiao Palace, immortal light already blazed, and myriad phenomena unfolded! Powerful and peerless auras crisscrossed, some serene and detached, some majestic and overbearing, some compassionate and benevolent, some ferocious and malevolent... The top mighty figures of the Primordial Era had almost all gathered here!

The rainbow bridge descended, and Sovereign of the Heavens led his disciples onto the cloud platform. In an instant, countless gazes, both overt and hidden, fell upon them. There was curiosity, scrutiny, apprehension, and also undisguised hostility.

Lin Xuan felt his entire body tense, as if pressed down by countless invisible mountains, making even breathing difficult. The weakest among the owners of these gazes were likely at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level, with many Quasi-Saints and even half-step Primordial Chaos existences among them! He quickly circulated the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique with all his might. Simultaneously, the Chaos Bead in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly, emitting a faint trace of chaotic energy, which barely offset some of the pressure, yet he still felt as insignificant as dust.

He looked up and saw that on the cloud platform, there were roughly several factions.

Closest to the main gate of Zixiao Palace, three beams of pure light were most striking. In the center stood an old man, wearing an Eight Trigrams Daoist Robe, with an ancient appearance and an ethereal aura, as if he had merged with heaven and earth – this was Taiqing, the Heavenly Lord of Morality, Laozi. Behind him stood only one disciple, Xuandu Master, exuding an air of serene detachment. To his left was a man of middle age, radiating profound majesty, surrounded by the power of order that expounded the Heavenly Dao and established rules – this was Yuqing, the Primal Heavenly Lord. Behind him stood Guangchengzi, Chijingzi, Jade Cauldron True Person, and a host of disciples with pure auras and extraordinary origins, all appearing dignified and radiating Dao Charm. To the right, naturally, was Shangqing, the Heavenly Lord of the Spiritual Treasure, Sovereign of the Heavens. The Jie Sect disciples were the most numerous, with diverse appearances. Though not as orderly as the Chan Sect, they possessed a vigorous vitality and an eager, progressive spirit. Although the Three Pure Ones stood together, subtly, Primal Heavenly Lord's gaze towards Sovereign of the Heavens and his disciples carried a hint of imperceptible distance and scrutiny.

On the other side, demonic energy surged, and resplendent light dazzled. Two emperors, clad in imperial robes and wearing coronets, stood at the front. One was majestic and overbearing, with the True Sun Fire flickering around him – this was the Heavenly Emperor, Di Jun. The other had a gentle demeanor, deep eyes, and held a small, chaos-colored bell in his palm – this was the Eastern Emperor Taiyi. Behind them, the Demon Master Kunpeng lurked in the shadows, while Ji Meng, Ying Zhao, and the other Ten Great Demon Gods stood solemnly, along with countless demon immortals and generals, forming a powerful and imposing lineup.

Opposite them was a vast and mighty Bloodline Power filled with primal strength. Twelve figures stood like twelve Buzhou Mountains, these were the Twelve Ancestral Witches of the Witch Tribe! Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin, Houtu, Zhu Rong, Gong Gong... They did not cultivate the primordial spirit but refined their physical bodies. Yet, their immensely powerful Bloodline Power churned the chaos, no less potent than any immortal Dao mighty figure. Empress Nuwa's gaze swept over the Jie Sect disciples, pausing briefly on Lin Xuan, a hint of gentleness flashing through her eyes, before moving away.

In addition, Empress Nuwa stood alone, radiating sanctity and compassion, with red light swirling behind her, as if the energy of creation flowed. In the western region, Daoist Jieyin wore a sorrowful expression, while Daoist Zhunti's eyes gleamed. Behind them followed only a few disciples, appearing quite "impoverished," yet no one dared to underestimate them.

Immortals gathered, each displaying their divine abilities. There were Immortal Cranes and imperial carriages, Nine Dragon Incense Carriages, lotus thrones, rolling demonic clouds, and soaring Witch energy... Various phenomena illuminated this chaotic cloud platform, making it appear bizarre and colorful. The mighty figures either meditated with closed eyes, conversed in low voices, or exchanged glances. Beneath the seemingly calm surface, undercurrents surged, and the atmosphere was so heavy it could almost solidify.

Lin Xuan stood amidst it all, like a tiny boat in a stormy sea. He clearly felt the subtle and tense relationships between the various forces: the ideological differences among the Three Pure Ones, the life-and-death opposition between the Witch and Demon Tribes, the hidden schemes of the two from the West... This place outside Zixiao Palace was, in essence, a microcosm of the grand situation in the Primordial Era!

He particularly noticed that within the Chan Sect's formation, the gazes of disciples like Guangchengzi, when sweeping towards the Jie Sect side, especially when they saw him, a human cultivator of low cultivation standing in the core group, revealed unconcealed contempt and confusion. In the Demon Tribe's formation, the Eastern Emperor Taiyi's gaze occasionally flickered towards the Three Pure Ones, carrying scrutiny and calculation; among the Witch Tribe, there was mostly an air of battle readiness, confronting the Demon Tribe formation across the void, filled with palpable tension.

"Is this the top-tier structure of the Primordial Era..." Lin Xuan felt a sense of awe. Here, personal cultivation, the strength of factions, and ideological divergences intertwined to form an incredibly complex tapestry. He knew well that his presence here was entirely due to Sovereign of the Heavens' appreciation and the value of his own ideas within the Jie Sect. But here, his value and cultivation were likely insignificant.

However, he did not feel discouraged. Instead, a strong desire for knowledge and fighting spirit surged within him. The spirit of science lies in exploring the unknown, and this world before him, these great figures standing at the pinnacle of the Primordial Era, were the grandest and most profound "unknowns"! If he could observe, analyze, and understand all of this from a scientific perspective, perhaps he could glimpse the deeper mysteries of the Great Dao.

As his emotions surged, the great door of Zixiao Palace, which seemed to separate eternity, slowly opened a crack. An even purer and more boundless Dao Charm flowed out, instantly calming all the agitation and undercurrents on the cloud platform.

The Dao Ancestor's lecture was about to begin.

The immortals held their breath, and all was silent. Lin Xuan knew that the true test and opportunity lay beyond this door.