After speaking, he lowered his eyes once more to Jieyin and Zhunti, who remained kneeling on the ground, stubbornly arguing and refusing to yield. On the Dao Ancestor's usually indifferent, impassive face, rare and profound regret and endless sorrow emerged.
A long sigh echoed through the Great Hall, filled with the bleak disappointment of seeing them fail to live up to expectations:
"Alas..."
"The Prehistoric Era nurtured the two of you into sainthood. How generously have heaven and earth treated you?"
"I even spared no effort to deduce the Great Dao, opening a path toward Transcendence beyond sainthood and granting you both the opportunity to ascend to Taiji."
"After receiving such vast grace, why do you still remain obstinate, secretly harboring the seeds of disaster, colluding with outsiders, and bringing ruin upon the foundations of the Prehistoric Era?"
Zhunti still refused to give up. Prostrating himself, he repeatedly kowtowed and urgently protested:
"Dao Ancestor! We truly have never colluded with outsiders!"
"From beginning to end, we have kept to our duties, suppressed evil creatures, and guarded the Western Lands. We have never done anything to betray the Prehistoric Era! We beg the Dao Ancestor to investigate clearly!"
Even with death at hand, they still argued, shifted blame, and showed no remorse.
The last trace of patience in Hongjun's eyes was utterly worn away, and his face turned completely cold!
He spoke no further and flicked his fingers in a Dao seal!
In an instant, the void throughout the Great Hall shook violently. Countless black, chilling Heavenly Dao Law Chains, inscribed with Dao Patterns of the Prehistoric Era's ultimate judgment, surged madly from cracks in space!
Billions of chains crisscrossed in every direction, their cold gleam sinister as they carried supreme heavenly might capable of shackling Saints, suppressing the Dao, and