Primordial Era: Cultivation level equals the sum of the Jie Sect's total; the Three Pure Ones a

Inside Biyou Palace, the Tongtian Sect Leader was deducing the final changes of the Zhuxian Formation Diagram, his fingertips wielding sword intent that traced the Dao patterns in the void.

Suddenly, his fingertips trembled violently, and the wisp of sword intent that was about to take shape vanished without a trace.

It was neither a mistake nor a distraction.

Instead, an indescribable, unprecedented, and immense pressure descended from the void without warning, causing him to lose his composure in that instant.

Tongtian suddenly looked up, his gaze like two solid blue lightning bolts, piercing through the many restrictions of Biyou Palace, tearing apart the sky, and reaching the depths of the void.

"This is......"

His pupils suddenly contracted, and for the first time, a clear look of surprise appeared on his handsome face.

That wasn't the oppressive force of Heaven.

He was all too familiar with the power of Heaven's will.

But the oppressive aura hanging over Jin'ao Island at this moment is completely different.

It is older, more profound, and more...ruthless.

It seems to originate from before the creation of the world, in a time of chaos before separation, and is the source of the laws of all things and the foundation of the order of the universe.

Under this oppressive force, even the Heavenly Dao seemed insignificant.

"The overwhelming pressure of the Great Dao..."

Tongtian spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice dry and hoarse, with a tremor he himself was unaware of.

He had been a saint for countless eons, wielding the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, which could not be broken by any but the Four Saints. He considered himself to be standing at the pinnacle of the primordial world, overlooking the cycle of reincarnation of all living beings.

But only now did he truly understand what the Great Way was.

It is not a law that can be comprehended, nor a power that can be borrowed, but rather a kind of...existence.

A supreme being that transcends everything, defines everything, yet disregards everything.

It will not deviate from the will of the sage, nor will it show mercy to the prayers of the people.

It simply exists, like the unchanging starry sky, like the silent, surging river of time.

"Xuan Du..."

Tongtian's gaze sharpened, piercing through numerous obstacles as it landed in the direction of Lingyun Peak.

He could clearly sense that the core of this overwhelming pressure was firmly locked onto the cave dwelling enveloped by chaotic energy.

It was also focused on the figure in blue robes inside the cave who had just entered the Hunyuan Daluo realm and whose aura was not yet fully stable.

"The Tribulation of the Primordial Golden Immortal..."

Tongtian muttered to himself, the surprise in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a deep and solemn expression.

He deduced the infinite secrets of heaven and naturally knew the difficulty of this path to transcendence.

By severing the three corpses and entrusting the Primordial Purple Qi to the Heavenly Dao, one becomes a "Heavenly Dao Saint," protected and also bound by the Heavenly Dao.

The Primordial Golden Immortal transcends the Heavenly Dao and establishes its own laws, yet it still needs to undergo the trials of the Great Dao.

If you can overcome this obstacle, the Great Way will approve, and the road ahead will be smooth.

If one cannot overcome this obstacle... then one will die and perish, never to be reborn, and even the mark of one's true spirit will be completely erased, leaving no chance for reincarnation.

Throughout the ages, this path has been attempted by many.

During the Dragon-Han Great Calamity, how incredibly talented and brilliant were the Ancestral Dragon, the Primordial Phoenix, and the First Qilin?

They all used their racial destiny to attempt to reach the Grand Luo of the Primordial Chaos, but in the end, they all stopped at the peak of the Golden Immortal of the Primordial Chaos, unable to cross the threshold.

And now...

Xuan Du did it.

He not only condensed unprecedented martial arts laws, but also broke through the shackles of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm in just over a month and stepped into the Primordial Daluo realm.

This talent, this accumulation, this luck has already surpassed that of the former Ancestral Dragon and Yuan Phoenix!

But precisely because of this, the great tribulation he attracted is probably... far beyond imagination!

"Buzz..."

The pressure of the Great Dao in the void grew increasingly heavy.

Above Jin'ao Island, the clear blue sky was gone, replaced by a chaotic void.

Countless disciples of the Jie Sect on the island, from True Immortals to Great Luo Immortals, all felt a suffocating fear stemming from their very life instincts at that moment.

They couldn't see the source of the pressure, but they could clearly feel that the path they cultivated, the laws they comprehended, and even their own existence were trembling slightly under that invisible force, as if they might collapse and dissipate at any moment.

"All disciples, retreat to your caves, seal your five senses, and concentrate your minds!"

A majestic voice suddenly resounded throughout every corner of Jin'ao Island, like a thunderclap, waking the disciples from their fear.

The sound waves contained the power of a sage, forcefully calming the chaotic spiritual energy and laws on the island.

The disciples felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and hurriedly retreated to their respective caves, activating the restrictions, and daring not to peek into the outside world again.

In Biyou Palace, Tongtian slowly rose to his feet.

The green-clad figure moved without wind, and the illusory image of the Qingping Sword silently appeared behind him, its blade shimmering with clear light, subtly resisting the pressure of the Great Dao in the void.

He took a step forward and his figure was already outside Biyou Palace, standing on the top of Jin'ao Island, looking up at the chaotic void.

His gaze was sharp as a sword, yet it carried an unprecedented solemnity.

"The Tribulation of the Great Dao..."

Tongtian murmured softly, his hands slowly clenching together inside his sleeves.

He knew he couldn't help Xuandu.

This calamity can only be faced by Xuandu alone.

Any external intervention will only amplify the pressure of the Great Dao, and may even backfire, affecting the entire Golden Turtle Island.

All he could do was wait.

Xuandu will rely on his own Dao and his own heart to undergo this unprecedented test.

"Xuan Du..."

Tongtian's eyes were deep and unfathomable, reflecting the chaos and the calm, seated figure in the cave on Lingyun Peak.

"You absolutely must... pull through."

The voice was soft, yet it carried an almost resolute trust.

Tongtian's words had not yet faded.

"Buzz!"

In the void, five distinct yet vast and unfathomable auras of saints descended upon Jin'ao Island almost simultaneously!

Without stepping onto the island, he simply stood suspended in the distance, across thousands of miles of void, silently gazing in the direction of Lingyun Peak, which was shrouded in the oppressive aura of the chaotic Great Dao.

The first thing to arrive was a pure and aloof celestial light.

Amidst the celestial light, the Primordial Celestial Venerable stood with his hands behind his back, his face majestic and cold, his eyes like blades forged from ice, fixedly locked on the figure in green robes deep within Lingyun Peak.

His body was surrounded by a pure and radiant light, with the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi hanging in front of him, radiating an unparalleled holy might that suppressed all ages.

However, within that holy aura, there was a faint, suppressed killing intent and apprehension surging within.

Xuan Du's attainment of the Great Luo of Primordial Chaos is now a fact.

Now that the Great Tribulation has arrived, for Yuanshi, this is both a crisis and... an opportunity!

If Xuandu fails to transcend the tribulation, his body and soul will perish, his martial arts will crumble, and the human race will turn against him, causing the fortunes of the Jie Sect to plummet.

At that time, the Chan Sect can seize the opportunity to rise up and regain its status as the orthodox sect of Taoism!

"The Tribulation of the Primordial Golden Immortal..."

Yuan Shi muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips:

"Throughout history, very few have been able to survive this calamity."

"Xuan Du, though you are a prodigy, can you withstand this tribulation of the Great Dao?"