Primordial Era: A Counterattack Against Hongjun Daozu at the Start

He smiled bitterly to himself, realizing that from the moment he stepped into the Thirty-Third Heaven, all his actions were under the watchful eye of the Sage.

As the mysteries of the Taiqing Realm flowed, Zhou Yi vaguely sensed that it concealed secrets of the Heavenly Dao that even he had never touched, perhaps intricately connected to Ancestor Hongyuan and even the Supreme Laws.

He gently shook his head to dispel these distracting thoughts. He had not even reached the Emperor Realm yet, and delving into the secrets of the Sage was like gazing at the moon and stars.

This place, a blessed land opened up by the Sage of Taiqing, has a spiritual energy concentration more than ten times that of the outside world, making it a sacred place for cultivators who seek to comprehend the Dao of Taiji Yin and Yang.

As soon as Zhou Yi stepped into this place, he felt the Yin and Yang energies flowing naturally, and the internal circulation of his body began to operate on its own. The previously obscure mysteries were now as clear as a spring.

"The Sacred Realm is truly wondrous and awe-inspiring," the young man thought to himself. The difference between a Quasi-Saint and a true Saint is like a firefly compared to the bright moon; the mere lingering Daoist aura here has already benefited him immensely.

Grand Master Miaole led Zhou Yi through the cloud-shrouded steps bathed in rosy light, stopping before a Taoist temple with green tiles and bowing respectfully: "Master, your disciple has invited the Human Emperor."

"Enter."

The brief response, imbued with profound truths, caused the bronze bells on the eaves to tremble slightly.

The moment Zhou Yi crossed the threshold, it was as if he had passed through a water curtain separating Yin and Yang, and when he looked up again, he saw the old man sitting upright on the Tai Chi diagram.

Just as he had preached to the human race a hundred years ago, the innate Daoist aura flowing around the Supreme Saint had become even more unfathomable.

After Miaole left, the Taoist temple fell into a strange silence. Zhou Yi stood quietly with his eyes lowered, the faint sound of yin and yang harmonizing echoing in his ears.

The incense smoke from the desk rose gently, outlining a Tai Chi symbol in the air. The sage remained silent, yet the entire space was filled with unfathomable mysteries.

As the incense ash fell for the third time, Lao Tzu slightly flicked his whisk and asked, "Do you know the deeper meaning behind summoning you here?"

"The thoughts of a sage are all-encompassing, and I dare not presume to fathom them." Zhou Yi lightly touched the Kongtong Seal in his sleeve with his fingertips, and the Qi of the Nine Cauldrons quietly flowed within his body.

Before a sage who can see the secrets of heaven, even a single extra word can disturb one's destiny.

Incense smoke curled around the Taiqing Hall, where the Sage sat serenely on the cloud platform, observing with a smile. Zhou Yi stood with his head bowed below the steps, his back already beaded with sweat.

The sage's gaze was like a still, deep pool, clearly devoid of any imposing aura, yet it sent a chill through him, as if he were standing naked on a snowy plain.

"In the past, the teachings were passed down for a hundred years. Did you know the true meaning behind them?" The sage lightly swept his whisk, and the green smoke rising from the incense burner suddenly condensed into the phantom images of the Hetu and Luoshu.

"The sage establishes people, teaches and proves the Way, and should repay the debt of teaching and guiding." Zhou Yi's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

The yin-yang fish bronze incense burner on the table flickered on and off, making the lines between his eyebrows exceptionally clear.

A clear, resonant sound, like jade striking stones, came from the cloud platform: "Miaole has assumed the position of deputy instructor, and the cause and effect of a thousand years has been cleared."

Before he finished speaking, a purple aura suddenly appeared from the east outside the hall, carrying half a yellowed bamboo scroll that hung in front of Zhou Yi.

When the bamboo slips are unfolded, there is a striking image of Lao Tzu riding a green ox out of Hangu Pass.

Zhou Yi gazed at the trajectories of stars flowing through the bamboo slips.

Memories from later generations flooded back: when the Investiture of the Gods began, the gates of Zixiao Palace were tightly shut; during the great war between the Lich King and the Demon King, Shouyang Mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist.

The "settlement of cause and effect" mentioned by the sage was such a resolute detachment.

"Although the teachings of humanity are established, they are not shackles." The sage lightly tapped his fingertip, and the bamboo slips transformed into specks of fireflies that disappeared into Zhou Yi's brow. "When Nuwa molded humans from clay, she inscribed the opportunity for self-salvation into the bloodline of the human race."

Zhou Yi suddenly felt his mind clear. Images of sparks from Suiren drilling wood, beams from Youchao building houses, and grass stems that Shennong chewed when tasting hundreds of herbs appeared in his mind.

The faint glow of fireflies gathered in the darkness to form four ancient seal characters: Self-improvement.

Suddenly, the incense burner burst forth with Samadhi Fire, burning the remaining contract documents into wisps of smoke.

When Zhou Yi looked up, the cloud platform was empty, with only half a verse echoing between the beams and pillars: "Non-contention is contention, inaction is better than action."

As the Sage of Taiqing stated, his ties with humankind had long been severed.

Since they have no designs on the human race, they will naturally not interfere in their affairs.

What Zhou Yi truly despises are those opportunists who only appear during the prosperous period of humankind to seek merit.

Zhou Yi has always maintained a cautious attitude towards this founder of the school.

The Golden Elixir Dao passed down by Taiqing, though not a superior lineage for the then-ignorant human race, ultimately opened the door to cultivation.

Based on this alone, Zhou Yi could not easily criticize it. What truly concerned him was whether the sage's strategy was a random move or contained profound mysteries.

As Zhou Yi pondered the deeper meaning behind Taiqing's words, his thoughts became increasingly complicated. Finally, he cupped his hands and said, "The sage's teachings will be engraved in my heart, and the human race will naturally strive to become stronger."

"What a fine example of self-improvement! If we can uphold this spirit, what is there to worry about in the rise of humanity?" The Sage of Taiqing swept his whisk lightly, and his Taiji Daoist robe fluttered without wind: "You must be wondering why I invited you to the Eight Views Palace."

"I humbly request the sage's guidance." Zhou Yi bowed his head and waited quietly.

"It's not about taking on a disciple; our paths are different. This invitation is because I hope you can maintain the stability of the Six Paths of Reincarnation during the decisive battle between the Lich and the Demon." These words caused Zhou Yi's pupils to shrink slightly. Even though he had considered a thousand possibilities, he had not expected it to involve the Netherworld.

What's even more intriguing is that the other party made no mention of the Heaven-Covering Emperor's Law, the spread of the Human Sect, or even the Battle of Taiyi.

In the primordial world, everyone knows that the Six Paths of Reincarnation were transformed from the ancestral witches of the Thick Earth, and the witch clan holds power over the underworld.

If you seek a stable cycle of reincarnation, you should contact the high-ranking members of the shamanic community. Why do you seek it out on your own?

In that instant, a chilling thought flashed through Zhou Yi's mind: Could it be that his secret plan had been discovered? He immediately dismissed the idea.

If a sage truly understood the secrets of heaven, the Dao Ancestor would have already unleashed divine punishment; how could he have stood safely in the Taiji Hall?

The Eight Views Palace was shrouded in purple mist, and Zhou Yi stood bowing before a futon with a chaotic blue lotus pattern.

The Sage of Taiqing lightly touched the void with his fingertip, revealing the Buddha's light at the entrance to the Six Paths of Reincarnation: "While you were battling with Ksitigarbha, I was deducing the cycle of heaven and earth."

Zhou Yi's pupils contracted slightly. It turned out that the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation he had set up on the Road to the Underworld had already been clearly seen by the Sage.

The illusory image of the Taiji diagram swirled behind the sage: "If those two bald monks dare to step forward, I, the humble Taoist, will handle them."

The primordial energy within the hall suddenly stagnated, and Zhou Yi felt as if Mount Buzhou was pressing down on his soul. He forced himself to speak: "The sorcerers of the underworld will never step outside the cycle of reincarnation; this is a rule established by the Goddess of the Earth."

As he spoke, the illusory image of the Book of Life and Death in his sleeve flickered, subtly aligning with the laws of the six realms of reincarnation.

A hint of approval flashed in the eyes of the Supreme Sage. With a light wave of his sleeve, Miaole's hurried footsteps could be heard outside the hall.

As Zhou Yi exited, he glimpsed the Samadhi True Fire in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, which had condensed into a totem of the Wu tribe, and his mind immediately became clear.

"Will Master accept you as his junior brother?" Miao Le grabbed Zhou Yi's wrist and pressed him for an answer, while the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace spewed out crimson light behind him. Upon learning the result, the chief disciple of the Human Sect was so annoyed that he almost knocked over the jade plate containing the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

The moment Zhou Yi stepped out of the Taiqing Realm, he gazed at the primordial starry sky and murmured, "When a sage makes a move, it is truly like a gazelle hanging its horns on a tree."

The Human Race's Flame Pendant at his waist suddenly lit up, illuminating the twelve Ancestral Witches practicing the Great Array of Heavenly Gods and Demons deep in the Netherworld.