"Master, it's Master!"
"Master has returned?"
"Patriarch!"
"This...?"
All living beings had different reactions, but Primordial Beginning gave no response.
Yet the sky suddenly turned purple. Streams of light descended from purple lotuses, separating the Saints from the Human Race while also imprisoning the Five Saints, preventing any chance of escape.
A white figure slowly descended from atop the purple lotus. With every step, a purple lotus supported him. Dao rhythms and laws formed railings, and heaven and earth resonated as though celebrating Primordial Beginning's advancement into the Hunyuan Wuji Golden Immortal realm.
The expressions of the Five Saints changed rapidly, a complicated mix of shock and panic.
"Disciple Zhen Yuanzi (Kongling, Yun Shang, Nuwa, Yimu) pays respects to Master."
"Grand-disciple Jin Ling (Yunxiao) pays respects to Grandmaster."
"Disciple Xuanyuan pays respects to Patriarch!"
"The Human Race pays respects to Dao Venerable!"
"We pay respects to Boundless Dao Venerable Primordial Beginning!"
"..."
Primordial Beginning slowly approached and waved a hand, raising everyone to their feet.
"The aura of Hong Huang is still familiar. When I left, Hong Huang had not yet undergone great changes. Yet when I returned, everything had changed beyond recognition."
He ignored all the commotion, his disciples' fervor, the Five Saints' terror, and the Human Race's shock.
Primordial Beginning seemed to be speaking to himself.
"There is something you may not believe. I have walked here since heaven and earth were first opened. I accepted fellow Daoist Pangu's request to protect this beautiful Hong Huang. At the same time, I followed Hong Huang's evolution and comprehended my own Dao. My original intent has never changed. However..."
Primordial Beginning paused before continuing, "Conflicts arose during the course of protection. For the sake of pursuing the Dao, the beings of Hong Huang have always taken what was useful and