Hongjun looked around in confusion and sent out his divine sense, searching hundreds of millions of miles, but he found no trace of whoever had taken the Demon Ancestor's Three Treasures.
He hadn't even detected the slightest trace of Beichen.
That was the terror of the Great Dao Art of Evasion!
Once the Great Dao Art of Evasion was used, no one could detect, deduce, or even know of the user's existence—unless they were a true Sage!
What was more, Beichen hadn't only used the Great Dao Art of Evasion. He had also promptly employed the Great Dao Divine Ability, Close at Hand, Yet Worlds Apart.
By the time Hongjun tried to find him, Beichen had already escaped into the Three Immortal Islands, protected by countless Dao Fragments. He was no longer in this world!
Hongjun was furious!
"Someone dared to steal the fruits of my, Old Ancestor Hongjun's, victory? They're practically asking to die!"
"Let me find out who you are, and I'll tear you limb from limb, cast your soul into the Eighteen Levels of the Ninefold Underworld, and make sure you never reincarnate!"
Hongjun searched with his divine sense for a long time, scouring nearly the entire Primordial World—even every remote corner, every uninhabited place, and every barren wasteland—but found nothing.
In the end, he had no choice but to give up!
But he remained at Mount Sumeru for a full thousand years.
During those thousand years, he did nothing but wonder who had taken the Demon Ancestor's Three Treasures.
That person had appeared and vanished without a trace, and the three treasures had been snatched right out from under his nose.
To Old Ancestor Hongjun, the whole thing felt like a dream—and a nightmare at that.
At last, when the thousand years were up, Hongjun left Mount Sumeru reluctantly and with no other choice.
"It's time to enter my final stage of secluded cultivation, comprehend the Devil Dao that will complete the Heavenly Dao, and fulfill my path to Sagehood!"
The theft of the Demon Ancestor's Three Treasures was no small matter. But after wasting a thousand years without making any progress, Hongjun knew he couldn't keep dwelling on it. His top priority now was to become a Sage, begin lecturing on the Dao, forge ties of cause and effect, and gain control of the Primordial World, becoming a mighty power who would uphold the age!
As for those three treasures, he would deal with them after becoming the first Sage of the Primordial World.
Old Ancestor Hongjun returned to the Violet Heavens Palace and began his secluded cultivation, striving to break through to the Sage Realm.
Meanwhile, on the Three Immortal Islands, Beichen waited for a thousand years. Day after day, he hoped to hear that Hongjun had become a Sage and begun lecturing on the Dao, but no news ever came.
How could he know that Hongjun had been so neglectful of his duties as to waste a thousand years at Mount Sumeru?
He had no idea, either, that Hongjun had spent the whole time thinking about him, Beichen, and trying to figure out who he was.
"Mo Yuan, you've been patrolling the borders of the Three Immortal Islands. Have you heard any major news from the Primordial World?"
Since returning from Mount Sumeru, Beichen had digested all the laws and causes and effects he had gained from watching the battle. Before long, he had reached the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm, and now he was advancing toward its peak.
Standing before Mo Yuan, he completely overwhelmed him with his presence.
Mo Yuan hurriedly bowed, answering nervously, "Master, other than the Dao-Devil War at Mount Sumeru a thousand years ago, there's been no other news!"
"Hasn't anyone become a Sage? Has no one begun lecturing on the Dao?"
Mo Yuan shook his head. "No. If anyone in the Primordial World had become a Sage, it would surely have shaken the heavens. I wouldn't have missed news like that!"
"Mo Yuan, you haven't been slacking off on the task I gave you, have you?"
Beichen questioned him.
Mo Yuan immediately dropped to one knee, trembling with fear. "Master, please believe me. The black dragon patrols the borders every day. I'd know of any movement in the outside world, and I wouldn't dare slack off!"
"Get up." Beichen waved a hand. "I was only asking. Why are you so nervous?"
"Oh!"
Beichen added, "If you hear that someone has become a Sage and started lecturing on the Dao, let me know at once!"
"Yes!" Mo Yuan's eyes darted around. "Master, is the person you said would become a Sage Old Ancestor Hongjun?"
Three Quasi-Saint experts at the peak of their realm had fallen in the battle at Mount Sumeru, and Great Immortal Yang Mei had fled into the Primordial World, his whereabouts unknown.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun was the only one who had emerged uninjured. He was the most likely to become a Sage!
"No need to ask. You'll find out when the time comes!" Beichen gave Mo Yuan a serious look. "Don't neglect your cultivation. If the person who becomes a Sage starts lecturing on the Dao, I'll consider taking you all along to listen."
"Huh?" Mo Yuan immediately brightened. "Thank you, Master! I'll work hard at my cultivation!"
On the Sun Star, four figures would often stand at the edge of the void, gazing toward Mount Sumeru.
Xihe stroked her swollen belly. "It's been a thousand years since the Dao-Devil War. It feels like the world should be entering a new era of calamity, but there's been no movement at all. The peace is unsettling!"
Over the past thousand years, the Three Thousand Divine Demons had caused no trouble. Demons, monsters, ghosts, and spirits had gone into hiding, and the myriad races had vanished from sight. It seemed that all the living beings of the boundless Primordial World were diligently preparing for a great calamity.
Dijun's brows knit slightly. He, too, was looking forward to the calamity and the arrival of a chaotic age!
The battle-hungry Taiyi even thumped his chest. "When that calamity comes, the two brothers of the Sun Star will enter the fray and become heroes of the chaotic age!"
Changxi's belly had grown larger and larger, yet there was still no sign she was about to give birth. "When will these children finally come?"
Taiyi quickly bent down to listen for movement. "That's right! It's been over seventeen hundred years. How much longer will they take?"
Dijun seemed calm, but he was just as anxious inside. He couldn't help calling out to Xihe's belly, "Children, hurry up and come out! Your old man will take you to conquer the Primordial World and become peerless heroes!"
Thump! Thump!
A wave of pain ran through Xihe's belly. "Ah, that hurts! They're kicking me. Dijun, stop saying things like that."
"Oh, all right, all right. I won't say anything else!" Dijun quickly shut his mouth.
"Elder Brother, Taiyi, the Dao-Devil War caused such a commotion last time. Why hasn't Master reacted at all?" Changxi suddenly asked. "Could Master really not know about the Dao-Demon War?"
Dijun shook his head. "It is a little strange. That battle involved tremendous cause and effect. It really is unusual that Master hasn't reacted."
Taiyi said, "Exactly. Master hasn't visited the Sun Star in ages, and we can't even find where his Dao Field is now. I wonder how he's doing!"
All four disciples felt a little lost. They missed Beichen and wanted his guidance.
On the Three Immortal Islands, Beichen kept up his habit of the past thousand years, studying the Demon Ancestor's three treasures every day.
While watching the battle at Mount Sumeru, he had already learned how to use them.
However, the Demon Ancestor Luohu had placed restrictions on each treasure. He needed to study them before he would be able to use them.
Only today did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. He had comprehended all the restrictions within and could now use the treasures.
But Beichen didn't rush to try them out. Instead, he put the three treasures away.
With his current cultivation, it was still too soon to activate these Supreme Grade Innate Ultimate Treasures, each powerful enough to destroy the world!
He would need to at least reach the Quasi-Sage Realm before it was safe to use them. To unleash their true destructive power while ensuring his own safety, he would have to become a Sage!
Though he couldn't use them for now, Beichen wasn't in a hurry. The treasures were already in his hands; once his cultivation reached the right level, he could use them as he pleased.
Even if his cultivation wasn't high enough yet, he could still risk using them in a crisis!
"Master, look what I found!"
Just as Beichen sat in meditation, Ling Cair burst into the cave, visibly excited. In her hands was an object that shimmered with a keen glint and gave off a gentle glow.
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