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

Xuandu stood before the boundary wall, not in a hurry to reply.

He simply looked at Yang Mei, noticing the rare surprise on that lean face, and nodded slightly.

The movement was very subtle, yet it spoke volumes.

Yang Mei fell silent.

He cultivated for billions of yuan, witnessed countless changes in the world, and saw countless powerful figures rise and fall.

But at this moment, he was indeed somewhat surprised.

Time of day.

That time demon who withstood an axe blow when Pangu created the world, whose origin shattered and sank into the depths of chaos, disappearing without a trace for billions of years.

They're still alive.

Moreover, he had just become Xuandu's disciple.

This news carries even more weight than when Yang Mei escaped from Hongjun's clutches.

Just as Yang Mei was silent, a gray-white figure slowly appeared behind Xuan Du.

He was thin, with an ordinary face, and a sliver of silver light gleamed deep within his cloudy eyes.

Time of day.

He slowly stepped out of the boundary wall and stood beside Xuandu.

Those eyes looked at Yang Mei, scrutinized her from head to toe, and a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

The smile wasn't malicious, but it carried a familiarity that came with the weight of millions of dollars.

"Yang Mei".

When Shichen spoke, his voice was not loud, but clear as water striking stone.

"You're getting more and more backward as you get older."

"They awakened so many years earlier than me, yet their cultivation level is now the same as mine."

Yang Mei's expression darkened slightly.

Shi Chen's words really hit a nerve.

Since the battle at Mount Sumeru, he was tricked by Hongjun and severely injured by the Western spiritual veins detonated by Rahu, forcing him to retreat into the depths of chaos to recuperate.

That period of recuperation could amount to hundreds of millions of yuan.

It wasn't until Xuandu laid out the Investiture of the Gods, awakening Rahu and forcing Hongjun into the scheme, that he found an opportunity to settle the karmic debts and banished Hongjun into the Chaos Rift.

However, that one move, while allowing him to settle his karmic ties with Hongjun, also exhausted most of the power he had accumulated over the years.

His cultivation level is still at the peak of the ninth level of the Hunyuan Daluo Heaven.

There's always been a slight gap between us and the threshold of Hunyuan Taiji.

And what about the time?

Although Shichen awakened late, he had been lying dormant in the depths of the void for years, neither making a move nor showing his face.

The subtle shifts in the laws of time allowed him to repair most of his original essence in the safest way.

Although he was also at the peak of the ninth level of the Hunyuan Daluo realm, the stability of his foundation was far superior to that of Yang Mei.

Yang Mei looked at the time, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Because he truly had nothing to say.

But in that speechless silence, Yang Mei suddenly shuddered.

A sudden glint of light gathered deep within those calm eyes.

He looked at the time, then gazed at Xuandu.

Shi Chen's cultivation level was indeed at the peak of the ninth level of the Hunyuan Daluo realm, but he had not crossed that threshold.

But what did he just say?

"Become my disciple."

Shi Chen became a disciple of Xuan Du.

What does this mean?

Yang Mei's mind raced, and the voice of the Great Dao resounded in her heart.

The reason he was willing to help Xuandu exile Hongjun was not only to settle his own karma, but also because of a deeper consideration.

He saw the potential in Xuandu.

A cultivator who emerged from the primordial era was able to cultivate to the peak of the ninth level of the Hunyuan Daluo realm within tens of thousands of years, and set up the grand scheme of the Investiture of the Gods, forcing the Dao Ancestor Hongjun into a desperate situation. This foundation, this skill, and this fortune are far beyond what ordinary cultivators can compare to.

Therefore, before leaving, he deliberately pointed out the location of the Xuanji Heavenly Domain, indicating the direction for Xuandu's breakthrough.

He wanted to forge a good connection.

A kind connection that might one day in the future help him cross that final hurdle.

But now, he hasn't even crossed that threshold yet, while Xuandu has already done so.

Yang Mei's bright eyes fell on Xuan Du, her gaze filled with a seriousness she had never shown before, even at a billion-dollar event.

He's watching.

Look at Xuandu standing there, his green robes fluttering slightly, his black hair flowing over his shoulders.

No pressure emanated from him, yet the void beneath his feet solidified automatically.

It was a kind of control that was so natural that it reached its ultimate form.

Just as the universe itself should be so.

Yang Mei narrowed her eyes slightly, and the perception from the depths of chaos quietly spread out, like an invisible thread probing outwards to a distance of about ten feet around Xuan Du.

Where the thin line passed, the void remained as still as ever, without the slightest ripple.

But when it touched three inches in front of Xuandu, the thin thread suddenly trembled slightly.

Then it vanished without a sound.

Like ice and snow meeting the sun, like thin mist entering the wind.

There was no resistance, no backlash, no hostility.

It simply vanished.

It was as if that void itself did not allow any outsider to approach.

Yang Mei's heart trembled slightly.

Half-step Hunyuan Tai Chi? No.

He had seen cultivators who were halfway to the Hunyuan Taiji realm. Although their aura was restrained, it still carried a sense of incompleteness, like a crescent moon that was just one breath away from being complete.

But Xuandu stood there, his aura complete and seamless.

It must be the realm of Hunyuan Taiji!

Yang Mei carefully sensed it for a moment, and the shock in her heart deepened even more.

Hunyuan Taiji.

After leaving the Xuanji Heavenly Domain, Xuandu not only crossed the half-step Hunyuan Taiji that he had failed to cross even with billions of yuan, but also directly broke through to the Hunyuan Taiji.

Yang Mei withdrew that wisp of perception, stood in the void, and remained silent for a long time.

A moment later, a bitter smile slowly spread across his lips.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a complex meaning, as if billions of dollars would eventually be lost.

Congratulations, fellow Daoist.

The two words fell softly, yet as clearly as metal striking the ground.

"You've actually stepped into the realm of Hunyuan Tai Chi."

"When I first guided you to the Xuanji Heavenly Domain, I thought you would have to spend at least tens of thousands of yuan to even touch that threshold."

"I never expected that you not only overcame it, but also did it before me."

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

There was no trace of smugness in that calmness, only a clear understanding of the ways of the world.

"Fellow Daoist Yang Mei, you are mistaken."

"I am able to get to where I am today thanks to your guidance back then."

"If it weren't for your help back then, I'd probably still be in the primordial wilderness."

Yang Mei gently shook her head.

"Guides are just that—guidance. Ultimately, you have to walk your own path."

"I have cultivated for billions of years, met countless cultivators, and received countless guidances, but very few have actually been able to take that step."

"You got to where you are today because of your own foundation and good fortune, and it has little to do with my guidance."

He paused, his gaze falling on the time.

"What's more, you've even subdued the time."

"This further illustrates the point."

Shi Chen stood to the side, listening to Yang Mei's words, and the smile on his lips slowly deepened.

"Yang Mei, you're unusually clear-headed."

"I originally thought that after you were tricked by Hongjun, you would become resentful and blame others, but I didn't expect you to still see things clearly."

Yang Mei glanced at him, her expression darkening slightly.

"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

Shi Chen chuckled, offering no retort, but simply stood beside Xuan Du, a faint silver light shimmering in his turbid eyes.

Clearly, he was quite pleased with Yang Mei's humiliation.

Xuan Du gazed at these two ancient beings from the era of Chaos Demon Gods, and his heart stirred slightly.

Yang Mei and Shi Chen, one cultivates space, the other cultivates time.

The two roads originate from the same source, yet lead in completely different directions.

If these two could jointly govern the Jie Sect, then no one could shake the Jie Sect's foundation deep within the chaos.

"Fellow Daoist Yangmei."

Xuan Du spoke, his voice calm.

"Besides sensing the aura of the time, do you have any other plans for coming to the Xuanji Heavenly Domain this time?"