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

Xuandu withdrew his divine sense and slowly opened his eyes.

He turned to look at the time.

"With your Great Dao of Time, how long can you immobilize the remnant will of the Ancestor of All Trees within the Ancestral Court of All Trees?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Chen frowned slightly.

A silver light flickered deep within those murky eyes for a moment, as if they were weighing something.

He then spoke, his voice carrying a rare hint of caution:

"If it's just for a moment, this disciple can do it."

"If I want to continue for even a short while, I will need to expend my source power."

"Although I am unwilling to admit it, I am currently only at the peak of the ninth level of the Hunyuan Daluo realm."

"Although the Great Dao of Time is profound, it is ultimately limited by one's cultivation level."

"If I were to hold the remnant will of the Ancestor of All Trees in place for more than three breaths, I fear I would damage my very foundation."

Xuan Du nodded slightly and did not ask any further questions.

He then turned to Yang Mei.

"And you?"

Yang Mei stood still, her bluish-gray Taoist robe billowing slightly in the emerald green light.

He sensed the faint fluctuations emanating from the distant void, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"Although the lingering will of the Ancestor of All Trees is ancient, it is ultimately just a wisp of a soul."

"My Great Dao of Space can temporarily strip away the void around that hole, temporarily isolating Hongjun from the origin of the Ancestral Court of Ten Thousand Trees."

"If he loses the continuous nourishment of the wood element, he will not be able to catch his breath."

"At that time, without us having to lift a finger, his remaining foundation will crumble on its own."

Xuandu looked at Yang Mei, then at the time.

After a moment, he nodded slightly:

"Okay. That's settled then."

"Resolve this as soon as possible."

After he finished speaking, he did not hesitate any longer.

Turning around, he walked step by step towards the hollow space enveloped in emerald green light deep within the Wanmu Ancestral Court.

Time followed closely behind, his grey-white robe billowing slightly in the emerald light, the Great Dao of Time flowing silently around him.

Yang Mei lagged behind, her bright eyes fixed on the figure in blue robes ahead, the gray-blue Taoist robe fluttering without wind.

Three figures disappeared into the depths of the Wanmu Ancestral Court.

The lurking creatures sensed the three auras departing, and their hearts stirred slightly, but none dared to follow.

They simply watched from afar, sensing what was happening deep within that green sea.

The emerald green light grew increasingly intense.

The oppressive feeling of the lingering will of the Ancestor of All Trees is growing stronger.

The light screen of the Chaos Pearl slowly rotated above Xuan Du's head, completely isolating him from the oppressive feeling.

He walked to the edge of the hollow and stopped.

In the void, Hongjun sat cross-legged.

His gray Taoist robe hung down like withered leaves, and his figure was as emaciated as a dried corpse.

Those eyes, which had remained indifferent through countless years, were now slightly closed.

But the moment Xuandu stopped, his closed eyes suddenly opened.

A grayish-white light flashed briefly in the depths of his eyes.

Even with only his last breath remaining, his eyes still carried an imposing aura that seemed to weigh millions.

Hongjun gazed at Xuandu, at the figure in green robes, at those eyes as calm as an ancient well, and at the Chaos Pearl hanging above his head.

He was silent for a long time.

Then he spoke, his voice hoarse but still carrying a trace of the remnants of the Dao Ancestor's aura.

"You've arrived."

Hongjun's voice echoed in the hollow.

Xuan Du stood at the edge of the void, gazing at the withered figure, without rushing to answer.

He stood there, the light barrier of the Chaos Pearl isolating the remnant will of the Ancestor of All Trees, while emerald green light flowed endlessly around him.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Dao Ancestor, it's been a long time."

After the four words were spoken, a slight silence fell over the void.

Hongjun's gray eyes flickered slightly, and a faint smile slowly appeared on his aged face, which was almost unrecognizable.

The smile was bitter, yet it carried a sense of relief, as if millions of dollars would eventually be forgotten.

"It wasn't too long."

"For a group that has lived for hundreds of millions of yuan, this period of time is just a blink of an eye."

Xuan Du gazed at him, sensing the faint, candle-like aura surrounding him, his eyes calm.

"The Dao Ancestor seems to have a very open-minded attitude."

"When we parted ways at Mount Sumeru, I thought the Dao Ancestor had perished in the Chaos Rift."

"I never expected that not only did the Dao Ancestor survive, but he also found the treasure land of the Myriad Trees Ancestral Court."

"She's really lucky."

Hongjun gently shook his head.

"Good fortune?"

"It's just a matter of prolonging its existence."

"Ninety percent of my Dao foundation is shattered, and less than one-tenth of my origin remains. If it weren't for the Wood Origin of the Myriad Wood Ancestral Court keeping me alive, I would have perished long ago."

"You've come today, surely not to reminisce about the past?"

Xuan did not deny it.

He stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the void, his blue robes fluttering slightly, his gaze fixed on Hongjun's withered figure.

"Since the Dao Ancestor knows why I'm here, there's no need to waste any more words."

"In the battle of Mount Sumeru, the Dao Ancestor set out the calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, intending to destroy all the immortals of my Jie Sect and to suppress the human realm and imprison the earth realm."

"I won that round by sheer luck, sending the Dao Ancestor into the Chaos Rift."

"Since the Dao Ancestor is still here today, I will deliver the final blow."

As the sound faded, the empty space fell silent.

The emerald green lights seemed to sense some kind of danger and scattered in all directions.

Hongjun gazed at Xuandu, his grey eyes devoid of fear, only displaying a calm that seemed to have settled over billions of dollars.

"you're right."

"I lost that game."

"A complete and utter defeat."

"But there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Xuandu looked at him, gesturing for him to continue.

Hongjun's gaze fell upon the Chaos Pearl, and upon the forty-nine ever-flowing Chaos Restrictions.

How did you get to where you are today?

"You have only cultivated for tens of thousands of years, yet you have already entered the mid-stage of Hunyuan Taiji."

"You have subdued Cangxuan, Qingmu, and Taixu, and you have also recruited Shichen and Yangmei as your allies."

"You hold the Chaos Pearl in your hand; even the remnant will of the Ancestor of All Trees cannot harm you."

"I have cultivated for billions of years, merged with the Dao of Heaven, wielded the Jade Disc of Creation, and overlooked the primordial world for countless years."

"But I have never seen anyone like you, always one step ahead of everyone else."

"It's as if everything is within your calculations."

"How exactly did you do that?"

Xuandu looked at Hongjun and remained silent for a moment.

He sensed the faint yet real aura emanating from Hongjun, and the confusion surging deep within those greyish-white eyes.

The accumulation of hundreds of millions of yuan was overturned by a junior who had only accumulated tens of thousands of yuan through cultivation.

This incomprehension is indeed enough to make anyone feel uneasy.

Xuan Du spoke, his voice not loud, but clear as metal striking the ground.

"Dao Ancestor, you lost to me not because you were not strong enough."

"It's because you believe too much in the will of Heaven."

"You believe that the will of Heaven is predetermined and cannot be defied, you believe that the Investiture of the Gods is inevitable, and you believe that all the immortals of the Intercepting Sect will surely be listed."

"You calculated everything, but you overlooked one thing."

"Human hearts".

Hongjun's gray-white eyes suddenly narrowed.

Xuandu continued:

"You have joined the Dao of Heaven and the Dao of Billions, and have long forgotten that beyond the Dao of Heaven, there is also the Dao of Humanity, the Dao of Earth, and all living beings."

"You only see the true spirits of those saints, only see the names on the list, only see the operation of the predetermined fate of Heaven."

"You can't see why Shen Ni was willing to become my disciple, you can't see why Cang Xuan was willing to leave the Northern Territory, and you can't see why Tai Xu was willing to entrust his sword heart to me."

"You think everything is a scheme, everything is predetermined."

"But the most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart."

The sound faded, and the empty space fell into a deathly silence.

Hongjun gazed at Xuandu, his gray eyes flashing with an uncertain light.

He cultivated the Hundred Million Yuan Sect, merged with the Dao of Heaven, wielded the Jade Disc of Creation, and looked down upon all living beings.

He thought he had already seen through all the rules of this world.

But at this moment, a junior who had cultivated for tens of thousands of years stood in front of him and said, "You have miscalculated people's hearts."

These four words pierced the depths of his heart, which even a billion-dollar sum could never touch.