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

Upon hearing this, Yang Mei's expression turned slightly serious.

A faint hint of seriousness flickered deep within those calm eyes.

He looked at Xuandu, and when he spoke, his voice was a few decibels lower than before.

"I almost forgot about the important matter."

"I came here not just to sense the aura of time."

"There's one more thing I must tell you in person."

Xuan Du looked at him without saying anything, just waiting for him to continue.

Yang Mei took a deep breath and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I sensed Hongjun's aura at the Ancestral Temple of Ten Thousand Trees."

"He's not dead yet."

"Although it is extremely faint and hidden very deeply, I cultivate the Great Dao of Space, and my perception of aura far surpasses that of ordinary people."

"Although that aura was concealed by layers of laws, it could not escape my perception."

"He is deep within the Ancestral Temple of Ten Thousand Trees, slowly recovering with the help of the remaining innate wood essence there."

As the sound faded, the void fell silent.

The chaotic energy surged slowly outside the boundary, as if even this world was frozen in time by the news.

Xuan Du stood still, his brows slowly furrowing.

Hongjun.

Daozu Hongjun.

During the battle at Mount Sumeru, he used the Chaos Pearl as a guide, and Houtu, Rahu, and Yangmei joined forces to drag Hongjun and the Eye of Heaven into the Chaos Rift.

At that time, he thought that even if Hongjun did not die, he would wander in the depths of chaos for countless eons and never return.

But Yang Mei said today that he sensed Hongjun's aura in the Wanmu Ancestral Court.

"Goodness."

Xuan Du spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying an indescribable sense of emotion.

"Hongjun, that guy, is really lucky to be alive."

"No wonder its true form is an earthworm; its fate is indeed quite tough."

"I personally dragged him into the Chaos Rift, and even the Eye of Heaven was frozen in place. How did he manage to escape alive?"

"Can we find a place to recuperate and recover?"

Yang Mei gently shook her head.

"I don't know exactly how I escaped the chaotic rift."

"When I sensed his presence, it was already extremely faint, as if it would dissipate at any moment."

"But it does exist."

"Though faint, it is far more stable than in the chaotic rift."

"This means he is recovering."

"Although the speed is extremely slow, the direction is correct."

Xuan Du remained silent for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly.

He was processing the news.

Hongjun did not die.

This was indeed beyond his expectations.

In that battle, he calculated every step and used all his trump cards to barely drag Hongjun into the Chaos Rift.

Logically speaking, given Hongjun's state at the time, even if he didn't perish, he should have drifted in the chaos for billions of years and been worn down to death by the chaotic storm.

But he actually managed to escape.

They also found the ancestral temple of Wanmu.

"The Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Woods."

Xuandu repeated the place name, then turned his gaze to the time.

"What place is that?"

Shi Chen stood beside him, his cloudy eyes flashing slightly.

In the depths of those silver eyes, a trace of a distant memory seemed to flash by.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice more serious than before.

"The Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees is similar to the Xuanji Heavenly Domain."

"They are all places where living beings gather in the chaos."

"However, the Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees is more ancient and more mysterious than the Xuanji Heavenly Domain."

"Legend has it that this is where the first innate spiritual root was born at the beginning of chaos."

"That spiritual root is called 'Ancestor of All Trees,' which is the source of all wood-type creatures in the chaos."

"Although the Ancestor of All Trees perished in the era of the Chaos Demon God, its remains transformed into a vast secret realm called the Ancestral Court of All Trees."

"In that secret realm, there remains a rich aura of the primordial wood essence."

"For beings who cultivate the laws of wood, it is a sacred place of cultivation second only to the origin of chaos."

"But for those who are seriously injured and on the verge of death, the Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees is also an excellent place for recuperation."

"The primordial wood there contains an extremely rich vitality."

"As long as there is still a breath left, one can slowly recover there."

"It's not surprising that Hongjun found that place."

Xuan Du's gaze narrowed slightly after hearing the explanation of the time.

Ten Thousand Mu Ancestral Court.

The secret realm formed from the remains of the first innate spiritual root at the beginning of chaos.

The innate essence of wood is extremely concentrated.

It is an excellent place for recuperation for those who are seriously injured and on the verge of death.

After escaping the rift in chaos, Hongjun actually found that place.

"He certainly knows how to pick a place."

Xuan Du spoke in a low voice.

"Is there a powerful figure presiding over the ancestral court of Ten Thousand Trees?"

Shichen shook his head.

"The situation at the Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees is far more complicated than that at the Xuanji Heavenly Domain."

"There is no unified order there, and no half-step Hunyuan Taiji like Cangxuan and Qingmu to guard the four directions."

"Because the Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees is itself a living secret realm, and the essence of wood within it still retains fragments of the will of the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Trees."

"Although those fragments of will have no consciousness, they instinctively reject anything that might threaten the survival of the secret realm."

"The higher one's cultivation level, the stronger the rejection one experiences."

"A being at the Hunyuan Taiji level who enters the Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees will be severely suppressed by the remaining will of the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Trees."

"The higher the cultivation level, the stronger the suppression."

"Therefore, truly powerful beings there will not easily set foot there."

"But for Hongjun, this is actually a good thing."

"Although his cultivation level has dropped, his foundation as a Heavenly Dao Saint is still intact. As long as he doesn't actively activate his power, he won't trigger the rejection of the Ancestor of All Trees' will."

"He can then recover peacefully deep within the ancestral temple."

Upon hearing Shi Chen's words, Xuan Du felt the tension in his heart tighten again.

Hongjun did not die.

Although his cultivation level had dropped and his aura had weakened, he was still alive.

Moreover, it is slowly recovering in the ancestral temple of Wanmu.

What does this mean?

This means that the great battle at Mount Sumeru was not completely over.

This means that Hongjun Daozu may still make a comeback.

Although the possibility is extremely slim, it does exist.

"Which direction is the Ancestral Temple of Ten Thousand Trees in?"

Xuan Du spoke, his voice calm.

Yang Mei looked at him, her bright eyes flashing slightly.

"You want to go?"

Xuan Du nodded.

"Let's go take a look."

"Now that we know he's there, we can't just pretend we don't know."

"If he recovers and sets up another Investiture of the Gods scheme, and drags a few more saints onto the list, then we'll be in trouble."

"Strike while the iron is hot and kill him."

"I understand that principle."