The lingering might of Zixiao Great Hall had yet to dissipate, and the air remained stagnant and cold.
The chilling aura left behind when Jieyin and Zhunti had been bound in Human Dao chains and dragged away still lingered throughout the hall. At its center, the broken statue bearing remnants of foreign evil charm rested silently on the ground, strands of dim and unfamiliar Dao marks drifting from it. Its strange, icy aura made every saint of the heavens, as well as the Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress, wear grave expressions.
Haotian sat upon the Heavenly Emperor's seat, his gaze fixed on the statue. Hesitation and confusion filled his brow as he asked softly, "Dao Ancestor, is this statue truly the cross-realm marker that connects to the foreign realm and guides the Sin Domain army into the Prehistoric Era?"
He had governed the Heavenly Court for ages and stood guard over the Prehistoric Three Realms year-round, yet he had never personally encountered the forces of foreign Chaos. He did not understand the nature of their aura, so doubts still lingered in his heart. He found it difficult to fully confirm that this was the source of the calamity.
Above them, Hongjun lowered his gaze slightly. His voice was steady and distant as he revealed a secret of the Prehistoric Era that had been buried for ages, one none dared forget. His words established irrefutable proof. "Naturally, it is."
"Do you still remember the final moment after the Witch-Demon War ended, when the laws of Heaven and Earth were on the verge of collapse?"
"At that time, the Primordial Heavenly Dao was about to crumble, and the Measure Tribulation had reached its peak. Heaven and Earth should have been completely reset and remade. Yet a foreign giant hand spanning Chaos forcibly