"What? This aura..."
As the outer disguise was broken, an origin Dao resonance that Hongjun knew all too well, one that had haunted his dreams, slowly seeped out.
Serene and unacting, encompassing all things, containing the truths of the Three Thousand Great Daos...
Hongjun's hand jerked, and an incredulous light burst from his eyes. Even his breathing grew more labored.
"This is..."
He could no longer afford to remain composed. He circulated his Primordial Realm Sage power to its fullest and carefully peeled away the layers of the "system shell."
At last.
A warm, ancient jade-colored radiance, as though it bore the first wisdom of heaven and earth, floated quietly in his palm.
Within the radiance,
a jade disc fragment about the size of his thumb, its edges jagged and irregular, slowly revolved.
The Dao resonance it gave off shared the same origin as the Jade Disc of Creation Fragment above Hongjun's head.
"The Jade Disc of Creation... another fragment?!"
Hongjun's voice trembled.
He had never imagined that the core of the "Creation System," which had brought Transmigrators around to stir up trouble, was actually a small fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation, shattered long ago!
No wonder this "system" could easily help people break through, let them exchange for all kinds of insights into the Great Dao, and conceal them from the Heavenly Dao...
It was part of a Primordial Treasure. Though broken, its rank was still extraordinarily high, and it naturally possessed some of the authority over "creation" and "derivation"!
"So that's it... So that's it!"
Hongjun suddenly understood. Many of his doubts fell into place all at once.
Why had so many strange "systems" and "Transmigrators" suddenly appeared in the Prehistoric World?
Why could these "systems" interfere with fate to a degree and evade the Heavenly Dao's surveillance?
Most of these "systems" were probably fragments of certain supreme treasures shattered in the Prehistoric World or even in Chaos.
Under the influence of some mysterious force, they had combined with the "system" concept in the Transmigrators' minds to form peculiar entities!
They traveled through the myriad heavens, bound themselves to hosts, and plundered the origin of worlds. Their ultimate goal was likely to repair themselves!
"Well, I'll be... They're treating the Prehistoric World like a dungeon to grind?"
Hongjun's expression turned strange, then his eyes lit up.
He gazed at the tiny fragment in his palm. Though small, its Dao resonance was complete, and his heart burned with excitement.
If he could fuse this fragment with his own Jade Disc of Creation...
His Jade Disc of Creation was already incomplete, leaving the Three Thousand Great Daos recorded within blurred and fragmentary, and making his deductions of the Heavenly Secrets falter.
If he could restore it—even with just this small fragment—it would be of immeasurable help in comprehending the Great Dao and deducing the Heavenly Secrets!
It might even let him glimpse a path to a higher realm!
"Ha ha ha! Heaven is helping me! My path is destined to prosper!"
Hongjun couldn't help laughing aloud. All the resentment he'd felt from "working" vanished.
What could compare to restoring his own companion treasure? Refining those messy systems couldn't possibly be as practical as completing his own natal supreme treasure!
He no longer hesitated. He immediately drew the now-docile Jade Disc of Creation Fragment into his Primordial Spirit, placing it beside his own larger fragment.
As soon as they drew near, both gave off a clear chime. Their Dao resonances blended like milk and water, and they began to attract, converge, and mend one another of their own accord.
Hongjun could clearly feel his perception of the Great Dao growing sharper. Many obscure and difficult principles of the laws now seemed orderly and clear.
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!"
He savored the exquisite sensation of improving with every passing moment and could hardly wait to return to Zixiao Palace and enter seclusion.
But he hadn't forgotten what he needed to do.
His gaze swept over the tiny remnant of Hu Lu's True Spirit, soon to dissipate on the ground.
Hongjun thought for a moment, then casually sent out a streak of clear light to protect a trace of its origin from vanishing and send it to the end of the River of Time.
"You did give me a great gift, after all. I'll leave you a sliver of hope for survival."
Once he was done, Hongjun's thoughts stirred, and he appeared in the void of the Heavenly Dao.
Zhang Hao was propping up his chin, watching the "livestream" with interest.
The so-called "livestream" consisted of countless screens conjured from Heavenly Dao laws, all showing scenes from the Prehistoric World.
"Oh, Lao Hong's back? How'd it go?" Zhang Hao asked without turning around.
"Thanks to the Heavenly Dao, I've gained a great deal." Hongjun couldn't suppress his smile.
He explained how he had refined the "Creation System," discovered that it was a Jade Disc of Creation Fragment, and arrived at his speculations.
"Oh?" Zhang Hao finally turned around, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
"The systems are formed from fragments of treasures? That... does make sense."
He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"No wonder some of those systems' origin auras feel familiar, yet somehow repellent..."
"They're treasures from outside, but they disguise themselves as 'systems,' drawing on the origin of the Prehistoric World to repair themselves..."
"So they're treating the Prehistoric World like a blood spring."
Zhang Hao's gaze turned cold.
"Still, this may be an opportunity for us," Hongjun interjected, his eyes gleaming.
"Since they're fragments of treasures, capturing and refining them would not only eliminate a threat and strengthen the origin of the Prehistoric World, but also give us fragments to restore our own treasures!"
"Perhaps, if we gather enough fragments of the same kind, we might even recreate certain Primordial Treasures..."
Zhang Hao glanced at Hongjun and smiled. "Looks like Dao Ancestor has had a taste of the benefits."
"What, you don't want to report the systems anymore? You want to go it alone?"
Hongjun's old face reddened, and he coughed twice. "Ahem, ahem. This Poor Daoist would never do such a thing... Everything should serve the greater good of the Prehistoric World. I'll follow the Heavenly Dao's instructions."
"Give it a rest."
Zhang Hao waved a hand. "Your intentions are written all over your face. But you're right; this is indeed a viable path."
He stood and gazed across the vast Prehistoric World, his eyes glinting with calculation.
"I am the Heavenly Dao of the Prehistoric World. Though I am the being closest to the Great Dao, I cannot attain the true Great Dao."
"But you're different. If you get the chance, don't stay in the Prehistoric World as some Heavenly Dao Sage. Go pursue your own Dao."
Zhang Hao had been friends with Hongjun for an entire Yuanhui and knew what kind of person he was.
Had Zhang Hao never arrived, Hongjun would likely have done what he did in many Prehistoric World novels: merge with the Dao and complete the Prehistoric World.
But the result would have been that Hongjun could never attain the Great Dao.
The Prehistoric World would have bound Hongjun here forever.
Hongjun said nothing.
Leave the Prehistoric World?
He was the first wisp of Immortal Qi born after the Prehistoric World had been created, and he had inherited Pangu's will to enlighten all living beings.
Chaos was boundless and vast, but only the Prehistoric World was his home.
"Hongjun."
"This Poor Daoist is here."
"Don't make a move against the Transmigrators for now. Let their systems cough up some more origin."
Zhang Hao chose to skip the question and turn the conversation to the Transmigrators.
"If they want to 'run dungeons' and 'farm materials,' then let them come."
"But we'll decide who the BOSS is and who the materials are."
Hongjun understood and bowed. "This Poor Daoist understands."