The doors of Pangu Hall slowly closed, the heavy Chaos Stone Gate shutting out all the clamor outside.
The radiance of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the confrontation between the gods of the Divine Dao and the Heavenly Court's army.
The cold severity of Taiyi's brow, the flames surrounding Zhu Rong.
All of it was barred outside. Within the hall, only the steady, ancient beating of Pangu's Heart remained.
Each pulse stirred a resonance in the hall's laws. Father God's presence permeated every corner, vast, ancient, and compassionate. It held no hostility, yet it involuntarily inspired reverence.
The moment Di Jun stepped into Pangu Hall, the Light of the Sage around him dimmed slightly.
He could feel Father God's presence suffusing the hall. It produced an extremely faint resonance with the Primordial Violet Qi Mark between his brows.
The resonance was subtle, yet it stirred something in his heart.
Pan Xuan extended a hand in invitation, and the two seated themselves on opposite sides of a stone table in the hall.
A purple clay tea set stood on the table, its pot steeping spirit tea made from the tender buds of the Enlightenment Tea Tree.
The tea's fragrance was crisp and refreshing, seeping into the heart.
Pan Xuan personally poured Di Jun a cup, his movements calm and unhurried.
It was as though the man before him were not the ruler of the Heavenly Court and a Sage of the Primordial World, but an old friend who had traveled from afar.
Di Jun lifted the cup but did not drink.
The Light of the Sage flowed ceaselessly through his golden eyes. His tone was level, yet scrutinizing:
"Fellow Daoist Pan Xuan, you pledged your own Primordial Spirit to invite me here. Surely it was not to sample tea.
"You have already learned