Of course, things would be different if a Half-Step Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal possessed an Innate Supreme Treasure, or if his Great Dao transformed and ascended several times at that realm, bringing his mastery of the Great Dao on par with a third- or fourth-layer Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal.
The former might still be no match for a first-layer Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal who lacked an Innate Supreme Treasure, but he should be able to protect himself and escape.
The latter could probably match a first-layer Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal without an Innate Supreme Treasure, perhaps even gain the upper hand. But in both his ability to survive and his staying power... he would fall short of a true Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal.
After briefly taking stock of his condition, Yuan Yan did not lose himself in it or sink into cultivation and contemplation of the Dao. He decided to become a Saint first.
Yes, although he had already attained the Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal realm, he still intended to become a Saint.
Before reaching that realm, he had tried to divine the Heavenly Secrets. But his cultivation had been too low, and he had learned too little to judge whether attaining Sainthood would bring more benefits than drawbacks.
So he had used the Twenty-Fourth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus to temporarily seal the Hongmeng Purple Qi, planning to decide once he reached the Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal realm and could see the advantages and disadvantages clearly.
Now that he had reached it, his level of existence had entered another dimension and his horizons had broadened. Insight had come to him, revealing many secrets he had never known. He could weigh the benefits and drawbacks clearly, so he no longer hesitated.
Without question, becoming a Saint after reaching the Primordial Daluo