"Forbidden."
Heavenly Dao Shichen's icy voice fell from the Heaven Beyond Heaven.
The vow-runes the Sages had just formed had yet to fully merge with the Heavenly Dao when his voice shattered them, inch by inch.
Zhun Ti froze, then burst into delighted laughter. "The Heavenly Dao forbids it! Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Fuxi, you can hardly blame us now!"
Jie Yin quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Pressing his palms together, he intoned a Buddhist invocation. "How good. All things are ordained by the Heavenly Dao. They cannot be forced by mortal hands."
Fuxi frowned. Ignoring their gloating, he looked up at the sky, confusion threading through his voice.
"May I ask why? The Human Dao would stand on its own, while the Sages' lineages would share its fortunes. Each side would gain what it needed. What is wrong with that?"
Space rippled.
Heavenly Dao Shichen stepped out, his figure radiant with divine light. Divinity flickered through his eyes as he looked down on them with cold indifference.
Fuxi's heart jolted. He finally remembered that it was Time Dao Venerable who had merged with the Heavenly Dao. Did that mean this was the Dao Venerable's will?
Unwillingness flashed in his eyes. As Human Emperor, he had wanted to secure a path forward for the Human Race, yet now he felt utterly powerless.
The Sages were also shocked when they saw Heavenly Dao Shichen's face. They hurriedly bowed in alarm.
"We pay our respects to Time Dao Venerable!"
Heavenly Dao Shichen swept his gaze over them and spoke without emotion.
"The Human Dao is one of the Heavenly Dao's three pillars. It arose to make the Heavenly Dao whole and must therefore remain within its authority."
"If the Heavenly Dao Sages bind themselves to the Human Race, they will pull the