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

A slow smile crept onto Xuan Du's lips:

"If I don't want to, I just don't want to. Why make up so many 'whys'?"

As the voice faded, the figure gazed at him, a faint light gathering in the depths of her bright eyes.

Over millions of years, he has seen countless people step into this barrier.

Some hesitated, some struggled, and some gritted their teeth and made the difficult decision.

Some wept bitterly, while others closed their eyes and deceived themselves.

But no one has ever answered so decisively.

So composed.

So self-righteous.

The figure remained silent for a moment, a hint of confusion in his voice:

"Do you know that if you wish, you can step into the realm of Hunyuan Taiji in one step?"

"That was the realm before Pangu created the world, the height at which the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods were at their peak."

"You've been working tirelessly to build a multi-million dollar fortune, isn't that all for this?"

"The opportunity is right in front of you, yet you say... you're unwilling?"

Xuan Du looked at him, his gaze calm as still water.

Beneath that calm, there was not the slightest wavering.

"Senior is right. I did come to the Xuanji Secret Realm for a breakthrough."

"But I never thought that my breakthroughs would come at the cost of sacrificing anything."

"I have cultivated for billions of yuan, taken on disciples to spread the Dao, protected the human race, and reversed the heavenly order. I have relied on the path I have walked step by step."

"There is no shortcut that comes from giving up something."

"If today, for the sake of Hunyuan Taiji, we must abandon the Jie Sect, abandon the human race, and abandon the primordial world."

"So, in order to reach a higher realm tomorrow, will we even have to abandon our own Dao heart?"

"So, in order to achieve immortality, will you even have to forget who you are?"

"If that's the case, then what exactly am I cultivating for the billions of yuan?"

The sound faded, like the evening drum and the morning bell.

In the pure white void, the light curtain remained frozen.

The purple clouds over Jin'ao Island, the smiling faces of human cultivators, and the rotation of Houtu's Reincarnation Seal.

Scene after scene, frozen in that instant.

The figure gazed at Xuandu, the light in the depths of its bright eyes flickering uncertainly.

He has seen too many people.

I have seen those who betray their masters for higher realms, those who slaughter their relatives and friends for immortality, and those who sever their karmic ties for the sake of the Great Dao.

Those people all believed that giving up is gaining, cutting off is progress, and emptiness is the Way.

In the end, very few people actually manage to take that step.

Because the heart of Tao has been shattered.

Because the root has been severed.

If you don't even recognize yourself, why should the Great Dao recognize you?

The figure remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice carrying a gentleness he himself was unaware of:

"You've surprised me."

"A billion-dollar meeting? You're the first person to answer so decisively."

"It's also the first one that makes me feel that this restriction is somewhat meaningful."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Du did not say anything more, but instead asked:

"May I be so bold as to ask, senior, what is your name?"

As the five words fell, the figure in the void paused slightly.

The light in those bright eyes froze for a moment.

After the billion-dollar gathering, he left behind this remnant soul, which now resides in the core of the secret realm.

Countless cultivators entered this place; some knelt and begged for opportunities, some tried to seize them by force, some used flattering words, and some pretended to be calm.

But everyone was only focused on that fragment of law, on that opportunity for breakthrough.

No one ever asked his name.

No one ever cared who he was.

The figure remained silent for a long time, and a flickering light shone deep within its bright eyes.

It's as if those two words haven't been mentioned for far too long.

So long that he almost forgot who he was.

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hoarse quality reminiscent of the weight of millions:

My name is Xuanji.

The two words fell like the echo of an ancient bell.

In the pure white void, a faint ripple suddenly appeared on the stagnant light screen.

It was as if the space itself was trembling slightly at the utterance of those two words.

Upon hearing this, a genuine flicker of emotion flashed deep within Xuan Du's usually calm eyes for the first time.

He gazed at the figure, at the gaunt yet ancient face, at the eyes that shone like stars, and remained silent for a moment before speaking:

"Are you Xuanji?"

The voice wasn't loud, but there was a rare sense of surprise in its tone.

Xuanji.

The master of the Xuanji Heavenly Domain.

That being, the Primordial Grand Supreme Golden Immortal, that supreme expert whose name countless cultivators have only heard of but never seen, that supreme being whose whereabouts even Cangxuan and Qingmu dared not speculate on.

He's here.

Only a wisp of his soul remained, sitting in the core of the secret realm he left behind, guarding the restriction and the foundation of that celestial domain.

Xuan Ji gazed at Xuan Du, a faint smile slowly curving his lips, a smile that carried the relief of someone who had achieved great success.

"What? You know me?"

Xuan Du gently shook his head:

"I don't know him."

"Before entering the Xuanji Heavenly Domain, I had never heard of your name, senior."

"After entering the Heavenly Realm, I only heard that there was a Hunyuan Taiji in the Xuanji Heavenly Realm, but he had already retired tens of thousands of Yuanhui and his whereabouts were unknown."

"Rumors circulate that the senior has either transcended this world or is slumbering deep within a secret realm."

"No one has ever mentioned that the predecessor has already passed away."

"Only a remnant soul remains."

After the sound faded, silence filled the void.

The stagnant light screen still hung beside Xuandu, freezing the purple glow of Jin'ao Island, the smiling faces of human cultivators, and the rotation of Houtu's Reincarnation Seal in that instant.

Xuanji gazed at Xuandu, his bright eyes flashing with an uncertain light.

The amount involved is hundreds of millions of yuan.

He is the master of the Xuanji Heavenly Domain and its founder.

As the era of three thousand chaotic demon gods came to an end, he found a safe place deep in the chaos, opened up a training ground, set up a boundary wall, and attracted powerful people from all directions to gather here, eventually forming this celestial domain.

However, he never publicly declared himself to be the Lord of the Heavenly Realm.

He loved quiet, he loved spiritual practice, and he loved being alone in that secret realm, comprehending the laws and deducing the Great Dao.

The Taoist name he gave himself was never made public.

People only know about the Xuanji Heavenly Domain, but they don't know who Xuanji is.

Those who came later, those powerful figures, those who were half-step into the Primordial Chaos Taiji realm, all believed that the name of this Heavenly Domain originated from that secret realm and from that Xuanji Token.

Little did they know that he had created that secret realm and that he had personally crafted that token.

Xuanji was the original and only master of this celestial realm.

Xuan Du gazed at him, at that lean yet serene face, and spoke calmly:

"Aren't you going to explain, senior?"

Xuanji paused slightly, then spoke:

"Explain what?"

Xuandu said:

"Since you are the Lord of the Xuanji Heavenly Domain and a supreme being of the Primordial Taiji, why did you perish here?"

"Only a remnant soul remains, guarding the secret realm; the Billion Yuan Society has never left."

"This is not the attitude of someone who has transcended worldly concerns."

Xuanji gazed at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"Because my enemy isn't quite dead yet."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Du raised an eyebrow slightly.

He looked at Xuanji, signaling him to continue.

Xuan Ji stood with his hands behind his back in the void, his gray robe slightly fluttering, and a hint of melancholy appeared in the depths of his bright eyes.

"I opened up the Xuanji Heavenly Domain in order to find a quiet place to cultivate and avoid the strife in the depths of chaos."

"But I didn't expect that this celestial domain is located right on the node of a chaotic spiritual vein."

"Although that spiritual vein is buried deep in the void, its power is immense."

"So vast that even the existence of Hunyuan Taiji cannot ignore it."