Tai Xu Singled Out

Xuan Qing entered the Saint Venerable Hall with Jian Chen and Huan Jin. One glance told him it fell far short of Zixiao Palace deep in the Prehistoric Era.

Within Zixiao Palace, the Great Dao ran fathomless, and Dao Resonance arose of its own accord. Every brick and tile embodied the deepest truths of the Heavenly Dao. Even a speck of dust held echoes of Heaven and Earth Splitting.

The Saint Venerable Hall before him had none of that natural presence of the Great Dao. Instead, something about every part of it felt forced and awkward.

Ordinary beings entering this place would be dazzled by its golden splendor and billowing aura of treasure. They would take it for the residence of a supreme Dao Ancestor, imposing beyond measure, and never notice a thing amiss.

But to Xuan Qing, flaws filled the Great Hall.

The building had not taken shape in harmony with the Dao. It had been painstakingly crafted and piled high with treasures. Glazed tiles covered the floor, fine jade formed the beams, and immortal light swirled throughout. Yet all that splendor was only skin-deep.

This was a Dao Ancestor's residence, yet it lacked the quiet simplicity of one who had returned to the source. Instead, it had the air of a newly rich man who had climbed to the top overnight and could not wait to show it off.

The traces of the Great Dao were deliberate, the arrangement of Laws rigid. It looked incomparably imposing, but beneath the surface, it was hollow.

How was this a place where a Dao Ancestor had united with the Dao? It was plainly a Dao Field built up by force with treasures and authority, all for appearances.

A faint light flickered in Xuan Qing's eyes. He understood now:

*This Dao Ancestor