The Purple Heavens Palace.
Hongjun, who had remained within the Purple Heavens Palace comprehending the Heavenly Dao ever since becoming a Sage, suddenly wore a strange expression on his aged face.
"How odd. Dijun's and Taiyi's destinies have actually changed. Who could have done this?"
Hongjun murmured to himself, his brows furrowing slightly, his voice filled with bewilderment.
Ever since severing his three corpses and becoming a Sage, his understanding of the Heavenly Dao had grown ever deeper, and he had sensed the impending War of the Liches in the unseen workings of fate.
Dijun and Taiyi, the innate beings upon the Sun Star, were among the central figures of the War of the Liches.
Yet just now, Dijun's and Taiyi's destinies had suddenly changed.
As for where that change had come from, he actually could not divine it.
This only left him all the more puzzled.
Many mighty figures throughout the Primordial World had sensed the terrifying aura unleashed when Daochen fused with the Pangu Jade Marrow.
But that was a matter for another time.
On the Sun Star, within the towering Sun Palace.
Daochen's body was curled up, fine beads of sweat covering his handsome face.
He was clearly enduring indescribable pain.
Three hundred years later, the terrifying aura surrounding Daochen gradually receded.
After being tempered by the Pangu Jade Marrow, Daochen's skin and bones were like precious jade, without a single flaw, lending him an uncanny beauty.
Beneath his skin, patterns of the Great Dao of Strength flickered in and out of sight.
His cultivation had broken straight through from the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm to its peak.
In this age when the myriad arts had yet to emerge and a Sage had only just attained the Dao, he had advanced from the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm to its peak in a mere three hundred years.
Such a terrifying pace was enough to make every mighty figure in the Primordial World drop their jaw!
But compared with his soaring cultivation, the change in his innate foundation delighted Daochen even more.
Previously, he had possessed only the innate foundation of an Innate Golden Crow. Now, after fusing with the Pangu Jade Marrow, he had advanced directly into a Chaos Golden Crow.
If the upper limit of an Innate Golden Crow's growth had been the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, then his current Chaos Golden Crow foundation gave him the potential to become a Sage.
After all, among the three thousand Chaos fiendgods who had battled Pangu during the great tribulation of heaven's creation, which had not possessed Sage-level cultivation?
Let alone Daochen, who had now fused with the Pangu Jade Marrow.
His Chaos Golden Crow foundation would rank among the foremost even within the three thousand Great Dao Gods and Devils.
"Strength..."
Daochen murmured to himself, confidence gleaming in his eyes.
In this Primordial World fraught with danger, he now had something that would let him stand proud above the assembled heroes. He was no longer an ordinary innate deity left at others' mercy.
He believed that, with his Chaos Golden Crow foundation, he could easily defeat even Hongjun back when Hongjun had likewise been at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm-and emerge completely unscathed!
This transformation had truly been immense!
With a thought, a Dao ruler wreathed in hazy purple qi appeared in Daochen's hand.
It was none other than the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
Three feet and two inches long, it bore engravings of the sun, moon, and stars, with mountains and rivers upon its back.
"What a fine treasure!"
Sensing the boundless power contained within the Heaven Measuring Ruler, Daochen's eyes brimmed with satisfaction.
Over these three hundred years, aside from fusing with the Pangu Jade Marrow, Daochen had devoted all his remaining attention to refining the innate divine restrictions within the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
By now, Daochen had refined the first forty of the Heaven Measuring Ruler's forty-nine innate divine restrictions, but no matter how he tried, he could not budge the final nine in the slightest.
That was only because Daochen's cultivation was still merely at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
Once he reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, or even the Quasi-Saint realm, he would surely be able to refine every innate divine restriction within the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
Having understood the reason, Daochen did not dwell on it.
Then, with a sweep of his hand, the defensive formation surrounding him vanished, and he walked out of the palace.
Compared with three hundred years ago, almost nothing had changed on the Sun Star. Dijun and Taiyi were still forcing themselves to stand outside the palace without leaving, their Daoist robes woven from innate fire essence reduced to tatters.
Clearly, life had not been easy for the two brothers during the three hundred years Daochen had spent fusing with the Pangu Jade Marrow.
"Eldest brother!"
At the sight of Daochen emerging, delight immediately appeared on Dijun's and Eastern Emperor Taiyi's faces.
They understood that Daochen must have encountered a great opportunity during his three hundred years of seclusion, but great opportunities inevitably came with great dangers.
Thus, throughout those three hundred years, the two brothers had guarded the Sun Palace, scarcely taking a single step away.
They had done so to prevent anyone from disturbing their eldest brother.
"Mm, everything is fine now."
Daochen nodded in satisfaction and said calmly, "Let's go!"
"Where?"
Hearing Daochen's words, Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi froze, not understanding what he meant.
"The Purple Heavens Palace!"
Daochen answered calmly.
Then his figure shot into the sky, heading straight toward the Purple Heavens Palace.
"The Purple Heavens Palace?"
Delight shone in Dijun's and Eastern Emperor Taiyi's eyes.
They immediately soared into the sky, following behind Daochen.
Within the endless Chaos, many mighty figures of the Primordial World were also making their way toward the Purple Heavens Palace.
Chaotic currents raged, carrying vast heavenly might. Even Grand Unity Golden Immortals had to tread carefully here.
At that moment, within Chaos.
Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian struggled onward.
"These chaotic currents and this Heavenly Profound Fire are far too troublesome. Had we known, we should never have let those fellow Daoists come along with us."
Breathing heavily, Tongtian dispersed the chaotic currents before him with a strike of his sword, then looked back at the endless currents behind them and spoke with regret.
Almost all the innate deities of the Primordial World who had traveled with them had perished.
"How could the pursuit of the Dao ever be easy? If they died in Chaos, it only means their blessings were insufficient."
Yuanshi, who had the appearance of a middle-aged man, spoke with a cold expression.
"But..."
Tongtian was just about to argue.
Just then, a brilliant streak of light suddenly rose behind the three of them.
Utterly overbearing, it charged headlong through everything in its path, sweeping past them in an instant and plunging deeper into Chaos.
"So fast!"
Tongtian cried out in astonishment.
The streak of light was incredibly swift, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"What is there to make such a fuss about? They are merely creatures clad in fur and armor, relying on their innate abilities."
Yuanshi looked in the direction where the streak of light had vanished, shook his head, and spoke disdainfully.
With a casual wave of his hand, he sent out a crimson ribbon of light that instantly dispersed the chaotic currents before him.
"Who are you calling creatures clad in fur and armor?"
Just then, a gentle male voice suddenly rang out.
A brilliant flame flashed, and three figures abruptly appeared before Yuanshi and the others.
They were none other than Daochen and his two brothers.
Before you continue