Inside Zixiao Palace.
A torrent of laws and order surged, and dazzling immortal light suddenly burst forth.
Within it, two indistinct yet imposing figures slowly materialized.
There was no need to say more. They were Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos.
They had previously merged themselves into the Heavenly Dao Void, seeking to unravel the ultimate mystery behind that Sage-slaying method and trace the source of Gu Changqing's inconceivable power.
Now, the two slowly opened their eyes.
Their gazes were as still as ancient wells, yet seemed to contain the endless mysteries of the universe's birth and destruction and the revolutions of ten thousand Daos.
But in the deepest reaches of those mysteries lay an indescribable gravity and shock.
"So that's how it is..."
Dao Ancestor Hongjun murmured the words, each one seeming to stir the resonance of the Great Dao within Zixiao Palace, sending ripples through space.
His voice was quiet, yet carried the exhaustion and horror of someone who had glimpsed a heaven-shaking secret.
Beside him, an exceedingly complicated expression appeared on the Elder of Chaos's face, which had remained unchanged through countless ages.
He spoke in agreement, his voice dry.
"I never imagined it. Never imagined it..."
"That Gu Changqing had already come into contact with an existence on that level."
Hongmeng!
That supreme realm found only in the most ancient legends, which even Dao-Integration Sages like them could only dimly perceive!
The gains from this seclusion had been greater than they could ever have imagined.
They had seen it!
Guided by the Heavenly Dao Will, the scene branded into the deepest reaches of the river of time had unfolded clearly before them.
The five pre-heavenly ultimates!
Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji!
Those supreme concepts had been born within Hongmeng and had existed before