The instant Jieyin and Zhunti fled, they left their perception of heaven and earth behind.
Heavenly Dao Sages could seize opportunities and exploit openings, already moving the instant a thought arose.
Yuanshi Tianzun's Dao Heart was in turmoil, and Taishang Laojun's Origin had been torn by a sword mark.
Within that crack, the two saw a way to survive.
Fleeing without a fight.
Their dignity as Sages would be trampled into the dust.
But with life and death before them, dignity was merely a speck of dust upon a Daoist robe.
As long as they left this formation and returned to the Primordial World, they could still draw upon the power of the Heavenly Dao to protect themselves.
Whether they retreated to Mount Sumeru and sealed their sanctuary or rushed to the Purple Heaven Palace to ask the Dao Ancestor to intervene, there would still be room to turn things around.
If they remained here and faced Tongtian, who had broken free of the Heavenly Dao's restraints, they could not even be certain they would retain their Sage status.
Two streaks of golden light tore through the Chaos Sword Qi, one heavy with nirvana, the other radiant with bodhi, reaching the formation's edge in the blink of an eye.
They did not charge toward a formation gate.
Their Sage thoughts swept across the undulating formation patterns, heading straight for the weakest junction in the formation's workings.
"Trying to leave?"
A cold snort came from behind them.
Those words bored into Jieyin's and Zhunti's ears, and both their chests sank.
Neither looked back.
They drove their Sage power to its limit, and the golden light surged another stretch forward.
Sect Master Tongtian remained where he stood, his feet not shifting even half an inch.
He watched those two hurried streaks