Inside Zixiao Palace.
Hongjun had completely refined those three Hun Yuan Great Daos, and his strength had reached the Fourth Heaven of the Primordial Realm.
Combined with the authority of a Heavenly Dao Sage, his true strength had reached the Fifth Heaven of the Primordial Realm.
"The time to preach is drawing near..."
Hongjun slowly opened his eyes. Galaxies seemed to swirl within them, then quickly settled into stillness.
During the time he had spent refining the Hun Yuan Great Daos, surely more Outer Realm Demons had appeared in the Prehistoric World. If he helped the Heavenly Dao deal with a few, perhaps he could obtain a few more Hun Yuan Great Daos.
Hongjun's plan was simple: gather the Three Thousand Great Daos and use them to cultivate a hundred scriptures. Perhaps he would then have a chance to attain the Primordial Limitless.
With a wave of his sleeve, he moved all of Zixiao Palace into Chaos.
Chaos was boundless. Only those who had reached the realm of Grand Unity Golden Immortal could barely cross it.
That was thanks to the Grand Unity Golden Immortals' nature of being self-sufficient and boundless, with all their selves united as one.
Put simply, they kept resurrecting in Chaos, and the damage Chaos inflicted couldn't outpace their recovery.
Even so, Grand Unity Golden Immortals could still get lost in Chaos.
The Three Thousand Travelers of the Mortal World were predetermined, and in the end, only three thousand would reach Zixiao Palace.
Hongjun communicated with the Heavenly Dao and released a trace of Saintly Might. Then he broadcast the lines Zhang Hao had given him throughout the Prehistoric World:
"I recline high among the ninefold clouds, upon a cushion where the Dao's truth takes shape."
"Beyond Heaven and Earth's mystic yellow, I shall hold the honored seat of the teacher."
"Pangu gave birth to the Supreme Ultimate; the Two Modes and Four Images followed."
"The leader of the Mystic Sect, one breath transformed into Hongjun."
"I am Hongjun. I have now attained sainthood. Seeing all living beings suffer in their search for the Dao, I shall preach the Great Dao at Zixiao Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens a thousand years from now. Those who are destined may come and listen."
Having done all this, Hongjun left Zixiao Palace.
He found two Chaos stones and pointed at them. Two streaks of Immortal Light flew into the stones.
The two Chaos stones then transformed into a pair of exquisitely carved children.
They were Hao Tian and Yao Chi.
The two hurriedly bowed in thanks. "Many thanks, Lord, for granting us enlightenment!"
Hongjun nodded in satisfaction. They had emerged with the cultivation of Early Grand Unity, making them just right to guard his gate.
"From now on, the two of you will be attendants in my Zixiao Palace. You are Hao Tian, and you are Yao Chi."
"Thank you, Lord, for granting us our names!" Hao Tian and Yao Chi said gratefully, staring straight at Hongjun with their big eyes.
This was Hongjun's first time dealing with children. After thinking for a while, he bestowed on them some High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures that he had no use for.
Hao Tian and Yao Chi received the treasures, their faces bright with joy.
"That's enough, that's enough. Go wait outside Zixiao Palace."
Hongjun waved them away impatiently, though he was quite pleased with Hao Tian and Yao Chi.
"Yes, Lord!"
A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye for the living beings of the Prehistoric World.
At the edge of Chaos, Zixiao Palace stood imposingly, its ancient gates shut tight. Two attendants stood before them: Hao Tian and Yao Chi.
By then, streaks of light had begun arriving through the chaotic currents. Each newcomer was an innate divine being with a powerful aura and profound Daoist presence.
The first to arrive were the Three Pure Ones and Li Shou.
Laozi held a Whisk, his expression calm.
Primordial Heavenly Venerate looked dignified and detached from worldly affairs.
Tongtian Cult Master carried a keen sword intent between his brows.
Li Shou followed behind the three elder brothers, looking somewhat nervous.
"A Sage's sanctuary truly is magnificent," Laozi remarked, giving a slight nod toward the palace gates.
Hao Tian and Yao Chi stepped forward and said in clear, young voices, "By our Lord's decree, the gates of Zixiao Palace remain closed. Please wait here, fellow Daoists."
As soon as they finished speaking, several more streaks of light arrived together.
Nuwa and Fuxi, brother and sister, were graceful and composed, the Daoist presences of creation and the Eight Trigrams swirling around them.
Next, two golden beams broke through Chaos. They were Qin Yuan and Tai Yi. Di Jun, meanwhile, was holed up on the Solar Star and refused to come out, no matter what.
Qin Yuan's gaze swept over everyone present, matching their appearances one by one with the figures from the Prehistoric World novels he had read.
Tai Yi, meanwhile, looked eager. He was especially invigorated when the cool and ethereal Nuwa, Xi He, and Chang Xi arrived.
But Xi He ignored him completely, while Chang Xi even rolled her eyes at him and clung tightly to Xi He's arm.
Tai Yi's mouth twisted into a crooked smile as he thought, Xi He really is a tsundere!
The old friends Hong Yun and Zhenyuanzi had also arrived. Hong Yun was still carefree and boisterous, while Zhenyuanzi was much more composed.
Ancestor Minghe rode in on a surging sea of blood, his baleful aura so fierce that everyone turned to look.
Kunpeng had transformed into a black-robed Daoist. With a sinister gaze, he stood alone in a corner.
In a short time, dozens of the Prehistoric World's top Great Powers had gathered before Zixiao Palace. The weakest among them was at the mid-stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Their auras intertwined, yet each remained distinctly separate.
Li Shou quietly sized everyone up, his heart thrilled and uneasy.
These were all legendary Great Powers!
His gaze passed over them, then suddenly stopped on Qin Yuan and Tai Yi.
Were these two Di Jun and Tai Yi? They weren't what he had imagined at all.
Why was Di Jun so sleazy, staring at the Female Immortals of the Prehistoric World the whole time? And why was Tai Yi still a child of seven or eight?
Qin Yuan noticed his gaze and turned to him with a friendly smile.
Li Shou quickly looked away.
A little while later, twelve fierce and immense auras drew near, their baleful energy soaring into the sky. The Ancestor Witches had arrived together!
Dijiang, Zhu Jiuyin, Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming... Though the Twelve Ancestor Witches hadn't revealed their true forms, the domineering pressure that came from Pangu's essence blood still made many of the Great Powers present furrow their brows.
Chen Tian followed at the rear, his aura restrained. He looked refined and gentle, entirely at odds with the rough-hewn Ancestor Witches around him.
His gaze swept over the Three Pure Ones, lingered on Li Shou for a moment, then moved on to Qin Yuan and Tai Yi as he quickly calculated.
"Well, if it isn't the four fellow Daoists transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit! You're here early," Gonggong said with a grin when he spotted the Three Pure Ones, his voice booming like a bell.
Yuanshi's expression darkened, and Tongtian gave a cold snort.
Laozi merely raised his eyelids and said nothing.
Though Li Shou hated these Ancestor Witches, he knew he was no match for them, so he simply ignored their provocation.
Even now, his cultivation had only reached the mid-stage of Great Luo.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Just then, another figure arrived.
It was Xuan Qing, holding a green lotus leaf. His expression was sorrowful, with a hint of resentment.
Xuan Qing fixed his gaze on the Three Pure Ones. He stared especially long at Laozi before finally looking away in hatred and taking a place to the side.
Qin Yuan retreated into a corner and silently mused, A gathering of forces before Zixiao Palace, with undercurrents among the Three Thousand Travelers! Old grudges, tangled relationships, and competing interests—what a show is about to begin!
Points +10
Seeing that the appointed time had arrived, Hao Tian and Yao Chi exchanged a glance, then announced in unison, "The time has come. Our Lord is beginning his lecture, and the palace gates are opening. Fellow Daoists, please enter."
At their words, the seemingly ordinary gates of Zixiao Palace silently swung inward, revealing a hazy glow and an endless Daoist presence within.
Everyone's spirits lifted. Forgetting their subtle tensions, they turned into streaks of light and streamed through the gates.
The palace contained a vast world of its own, boundless and endless. At its very front stood a high platform, with six meditation cushions lined up beneath it.