Yama of the Second Hall

After seeing Li Qiu off, Li Dalong returned to the Underworld River, where he often went to think.

He lay upon the Underworld River, gazing up at the sunless clouds of ghostly energy shrouding the Underworld. His eyes were as deep as an abyss. "Ancestor, are you truly somewhere in this world? And what has happened to you?"

Over the years, learning about the Ancestor's deeds at the dawn of heaven and earth had taught Li Dalong many of the world's secrets. He had also formed a few conjectures. Just as his instructions to Li Qiu to search for the Ancestor suggested, he, too, was trying to piece everything together.

There was no doubt that if the Ancestor could truly command the power the Human Emperor had wielded through an immortal artifact in his bedchamber to send him back to the dawn of heaven and earth, then the Ancestor could travel through time and space. In that case, Li Dalong should have met the returning Ancestor a thousand years ago.

Thus, all his deductions led to one possibility: the Ancestor had either perished in antiquity or been unable to appear for some other reason.

"Perhaps the children have reached the same conclusion as I have."

The Lineage's first generation had never lacked wisdom. Even when the old monsters of the imperial dynasty spoke of Li Dalong a thousand years ago, one phrase invariably came up: "Great wisdom wears the guise of foolishness."

"Li Qiu was also the Ancestor's student. After the dawn of heaven and earth, the Ancestor's existence became a secret. Why do all the immortals refuse to speak of him? He was also one of the first generation of humans born when heaven and earth first opened, yet even among humanity, there is no trace of his existence."