Facing Pangu
The instant the Dao Fruit formed, it transformed into a pillar of light that shot straight up against the sky.
As though crossing space and time, it pierced directly into a mysterious place.
A long, illusory river stretched out with neither source nor destination in sight. It seemed to surge out of the void, sweeping along endless phantoms of living beings as it rushed onward.
The River of Space and Time, also called the River of Fate, connected and reflected every fate of every living being in the Primordial World.
It began at the beginning of the world and flowed toward the world's final return to the void.
It was illusory, yet it truly existed.
Within the river, the phantom of Ao Changsheng's soul was swept up by the Dao Fruit and leaped free of the River of Space and Time.
"Daluo, so this is Daluo!"
Standing above the river and gazing at the countless phantoms rising and sinking below, Ao Changsheng felt a great sense of freedom and joy well up in his heart.
Then Ao Changsheng strode forward with firm steps, breaking through the mist that shrouded the River of Space and Time and making his way upstream along the far bank of the River of Time.
Every step carried him across time, across ages, across epics!
Along the way, Ao Changsheng could clearly see the history of the Primordial World over countless past years in the River of Space and Time, glimpsing countless secrets hidden within the ages.
Except... Daluo!
Throughout his journey, Ao Changsheng had not seen a single Daluo in the River of Space and Time. Even fallen Daluo were nowhere to be seen.
Until-
"Pangu!"
Ao Changsheng gazed at the giant standing in the Chaos before the Primordial World had been created.
The supreme giant wielded an axe to cleave open the heavens. Streaks of axe light tore through the Chaos, opening up yin and yang, ordering the four manifestations, separating the eight trigrams, and bringing the Primordial World into being.
This was also the final trial for breaking through to Daluo, and the most dangerous one-facing Pangu!
Or rather, facing Pangu's Dao of Heaven Opening!
Crossing history to arrive at the beginning of the Primordial World.
Those who survived the great tribulation of the opening of the heavens and could still hold fast to their own Dao after facing Pangu's Dao of Heaven Opening were Daluo!
Gazing at the giant who was opening the heavens and earth, and at the endless Chaos Demon Gods besieging Pangu around him, Ao Changsheng stepped into that space and time without hesitation.
The instant he stepped in, the omnipresent axe light came cleaving straight down at Ao Changsheng's head.
In an instant, the fine hairs that could scarcely have existed on Ao Changsheng stood on end, and an overwhelmingly dense breath of death unlike anything he had ever felt enveloped his entire dragon body.
It was as though he would die the very next instant.
Under the threat of death, Ao Changsheng instinctively circulated his magical power to activate the world within his body, shielding his entire dragon body securely.
But the instant the seemingly unstoppable axe light touched the world within Ao Changsheng, it swept past him, without touching him in the slightest.
Ao Changsheng was not surprised by this.
The so-called great tribulation of Pangu opening the heavens had never been directed at Daluo from later generations like them, but at the Chaos Demon Gods of that time.
They, the Daluo of later generations, only needed to avoid being overawed by Pangu's Dao of Heaven Opening or falling into despair the instant they stepped into this space and time.
As long as they could hold firm to their own Daluo Dao and manifest it to protect themselves, Pangu would naturally not strike them, the Daluo of the Primordial World from later generations, dead.
And the instant Ao Changsheng traveled upstream through the River of Space and Time and stepped into the era when the Primordial World had just been created,
All the Daluo cultivators in the Primordial World sensed it and raised their heads to look toward that unseen place.
"A cultivator... has attained the Dao of Daluo!"
"After cultivating bitterly in the Primordial World for countless years, today I have finally become a Daluo! What joy, what joy!"
He felt his own imprint of life engraved upon the era when the Primordial World had just been created, and his projection washed along by the River of Space and Time, spreading throughout its entire length.
From now on, unless the River of Space and Time was destroyed, or every trace of Ao Changsheng within it was completely erased,
Even if Ao Changsheng were to fall one day,
Sooner or later, he would be reborn from the illusion of this River of Space and Time.
Ao Changsheng felt an immense exhilaration in his heart.
His only regret was that, after he became a Daluo, the River of Space and Time could only wash over his projection. If his true body could be carried all the way downstream by the River of Space and Time from here,
Then it would be as though Ao Changsheng had become a Daluo when the Primordial World was first created and cultivated bitterly all the way until its destruction.
His cultivation would surely soar to an inconceivable level in an instant.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on attaining the Dao of Daluo!"
Suddenly, not far from Ao Changsheng, a figure emerged from the Chaos and walked toward him. The figure had red hair and red robes, and his entire body was shrouded in red magical power.
From that magical power, Ao Changsheng could even faintly sense the breath of a great tribulation that he had sensed earlier in the River of Time's Passage.
"You are..." Ao Changsheng immediately regarded the newcomer warily.
The newcomer laughed heartily and cupped his hands in greeting. "I am Hongyun, a humble Daoist. Greetings, fellow Daoist! Greetings, fellow Daoist!"
Hongyun?
That legendary Mr. Nice Guy of the Primordial World, that fool Hongyun who gave up his seat of sainthood in the Purple Firmament Palace?
Ao Changsheng was stunned.
He did not yet know that, because of him, Hongyun had never managed to sit on a seat of sainthood in the Purple Firmament Palace at all.
Still less could he have done something as utterly foolish as giving it up.
Ao Changsheng looked at Hongyun before him, a hint of hesitation in his gaze.
Though it was somewhat hasty... Ao Changsheng looked at the breath of a killing tribulation contained in the magical power surrounding Hongyun's body.
Clearly, this Hongyun was a Daluo Golden Immortal who had forged a Dao of killing tribulation of some kind.
Could a person like that be a Mr. Nice Guy?
Ao Changsheng would sooner die than believe it.
As Ao Changsheng pondered, figures came walking over from unknowable places all around.
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, you're as quick as ever!" An old man with a long beard and long hair approached with a smile.
The breath of the Daos of rich earth and Yi Wood was extremely strong around him, making him look like a Daluo who walked the Dao of earth and wood. But the true power of his Dao and arts was concealed by the breath of rich earth and Yi Wood, making it impossible to see clearly.
"I am Zhenyuanzi, a humble Daoist. Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on attaining the Dao of Daluo. May you enjoy immortal blessings forever!" Zhenyuanzi likewise cupped his hands and bowed to Ao Changsheng as he spoke.
"I am Changsheng, a humble Daoist. Greetings, fellow Daoist!" Ao Changsheng returned the greeting.
His tone, however, remained exceptionally indifferent. Ao Changsheng had no particular wish to make the acquaintance of Great Immortal Zhenyuan, who would be so famous in later generations.
Leaving aside the fact that Zhenyuanzi was accompanied by the equally "famous" Hongyun, there was Ao Changsheng himself to consider.
He had long since resolved not to leave seclusion during the Witch-Demon Tribulation of this epoch. How could he have time to make the acquaintance of Zhenyuanzi?
"Haha, how unusual. I thought the entire Dragon Race had gone into hiding long ago in this epoch. I never expected a Daluo of the Dragon Race to appear."