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

In the chaotic void, Xuandu moved through the surging gray-white air currents.

The aura mark received from the void was like a faint star.

It kept pulsating in his senses, guiding him in the right direction.

The first marker is located deep within an area called "Dark Abyss".

The Dark Abyss is located in the lower part of the middle layer of Chaos, where the chaotic energy is thin and it is shrouded in a very faint gray mist all year round.

Within the mist, fragmented void cracks appear and disappear intermittently, with faint starlight occasionally seeping out from them, only to vanish in an instant.

Xuandu passed through the gray mist, the light curtain of the Chaos Pearl silently flowing around him.

All those faint cracks in the void were completely shut off.

A moment later, he sensed the sleeping aura.

That aura was deep and heavy, yet it carried a hint of stagnation, like a giant beast stuck at a bottleneck, unable to move. Although it possessed profound strength, it was still unable to break through that invisible barrier.

He followed the direction of the aura and found a figure sitting cross-legged on a floating continent deep within the Dark Abyss.

The figure was burly, covered in a layer of grayish-white scales, with a rugged face and closed eyes. His aura fluctuated between the early and middle stages of the Hunyuan Taiji realm.

That being is trying to break through a bottleneck, but it's always just one step away.

Xuan Du landed a hundred feet in front of that being, without deliberately concealing his aura or deliberately releasing it.

He simply stood there, hands behind his back, waiting for the figure to awaken from his cultivation.

A moment later, the figure shuddered and suddenly opened its eyes.

Those vertical pupils were dark gray, and their gaze was filled with vigilance and caution.

He gazed at Xuan Du, sensing the aura emanating from him that was so subtly restrained yet still made him instinctively tremble; his body tensed slightly.

Who are you?

Why did you trespass into the Dark Abyss?

Xuan Du looked at him, his gaze calm:

"The Intercepting Sect, Xuandu."

"I created an independent world deep within the chaos, which I call the Dao Realm."

"I sensed that you were stuck at a bottleneck, so I came to guide you into the Dao realm for cultivation."

Upon hearing this, the figure froze.

He gazed at Xuan Du, his dark gray vertical pupils churning with an extremely complex emotion.

He had mastered the art of Hunyuan Taiji, but he was stuck at the bottleneck between the early and middle stages of the art. Despite his diligent practice day and night, he was unable to break through it.

He thought he would be trapped in this realm for the rest of his life, but at this moment someone stood in front of him and said that an independent world had been opened up and that he would be guided to enter it for cultivation.

"An independent world?"

The figure spoke, his voice hoarse, carrying a tremor he himself was unaware of.

"In the chaos, no one has ever truly created a world independent of the chaos."

"How...did you do that?"

Xuan Du gazed at him, sensing the unbelievable anticipation beneath the surface, and offered no further explanation:

"I have transcended chaos."

"The Dao Realm is the foundation of my transcendence."

"If you are willing to join, you will have the opportunity to break through your bottleneck with the help of the martial arts will of the Dao Realm."

"If you are unwilling, I will not force you."

The figure remained silent for a long time.

He gazed at Xuan Du, his dark gray vertical pupils flickering with uncertain light, as if he were weighing something.

A moment later, he slowly stood up, his gray-white scales glowing faintly in the mist.

He spoke, his voice low but carrying a solemnity he had never shown before, even at a multi-million dollar event:

"I wish to enter the realm of Taoism."

"I've been practicing for billions of dollars, but I'm stuck at a bottleneck. I've already reached a dead end."

"If you can truly open that path for me, I will entrust my life to you."

Xuan Du looked at him and nodded slightly:

"Then come with me."

He turned around and took a step back in the direction he had come from.

The figure hesitated for a moment, then followed.

Two figures, one in front of the other, walked slowly towards the Dao Realm, passing through the gray mist and the surging chaotic energy.

A moment later, the pale golden boundary of the Dao Realm appeared in sight.

The figure gazed at the surging martial will, sensing the mode of existence contained within it, and suddenly trembled:

"Is this the Dao Realm?"

Xuan Du nodded:

"Go in."

"In the Dao Realm, there are nine chaotic beings who sit in the four directions and evolve the nine laws."

"After you enter the Dao Realm, choose a region with laws similar to your own origin to settle down in. After cultivating for a period of time, you will be able to break through the bottleneck."

The figure gazed at the surging light, took a deep breath, and then took a step forward.

The moment he crossed that pale golden boundary, the martial will of the entire Dao Realm surged slightly for a moment before accepting his presence.

He landed on an open space at the edge of the Dao Realm, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to perceive the order of this world.

Xuan Du stood at the edge of the Dao Realm, gazing at the figure who was immersed in cultivation, sensing the bottleneck around him that was slowly loosening, and nodded slightly.

The first one was successfully guided.

Without lingering, he turned around and stepped out of the Dao Realm again, heading towards the direction of the second aura marker.

The second location is in the eastern part of the middle layer of chaos, in an area called the "Shattered Jade Sea".

Countless tiny crystal fragments floated in that area, emitting a faint glow, like shattered stars scattered in the void.

Xuan Du passed through the crystal ruins and saw a slender woman on a floating continent made of crystals.

The woman's entire body shimmered with a faint fluorescent light, like an elf formed from crystal. Her face was aloof, her eyes were closed, and her aura was stuck at the bottleneck between the early and middle stages of Hunyuan Taiji.

Xuandu landed in front of her and explained his purpose as before.

The woman opened her eyes, her glowing pupils reflecting a mixture of caution and anticipation.

She gazed at Xuandu, then sensed the faint martial intent fluctuations emanating from the direction of the Dao Realm.

After a moment, she slowly nodded, her voice clear and firm: "I am willing to enter the Dao Realm."

The third marker is located in an even more remote area, deep within a ruin called "Desolate Abyss".

The place was littered with broken, chaotic remnants, like a wasteland forgotten in a corner of time.

The aura was hidden on the back of a huge piece of wreckage, subtle and profound.

Xuandu bypassed the wreckage and saw a gaunt figure huddled inside.

The figure was as thin as a dried corpse, and its aura was extremely weak, but its foundation was still profound, as if it might be completely extinguished at any moment, but it was always just one last bit of strength that prevented it from crossing over.

Xuan Du landed in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke, his voice not loud but clear:

"If you continue to sit here in vain, you will completely dissipate before the Three Yuan Era ends."

"I created an independent world outside of chaos, which I call the Dao Realm."

"If you are willing to join, you will have the opportunity to break through that bottleneck and extend your life."

The gaunt figure slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes gazing at Xuan Du, a light that even the Billion Yuan Society had never seen before surging within them.

He didn't speak, but slowly stood up.

The movements were slow, as if every inch of movement was consuming his last remaining essence.

But he stood up, and when he spoke, his voice was extremely hoarse:

"lead the way."

Xuandu sensed his unwavering determination, which was on the verge of collapse yet still unwilling to give up. He nodded slightly and turned to head towards the Dao Realm.

The gaunt figure followed behind him, staggering but never stopping.

Fourth, fifth, and sixth locations.

Wherever the auras of those illusory markers were located, one after another, figures were guided through the pale golden boundary of the Dao Realm.

Each being is stuck at the bottleneck of the early and middle stages of Hunyuan Taiji, with different cultivation levels and unique origins.

Some are primarily of the ice element and sink into the time law region in the due north direction.

Some are primarily of the fire element and are located in the area governed by the law of destruction in the due west direction.

Some, based primarily on the origin of the void, chose the astrological law region in the due east direction.

Some are based on the earth's origin, rooted in the junction between due north and due west.

Each of those figures found a place close to their own origin and settled down, closing their eyes and immersing themselves in cultivation.

The boundary of the Dao Realm ripples faintly whenever a figure enters, as if welcoming its new member.

The plants and trees glowed briefly after the creatures took their places, as if adding a touch of life to this world.

On the mountain peak at the very center of heaven and earth, Xuandu stood with his hands behind his back, watching the figures taking their places in the four directions of the Dao Realm.

Nine chaotic beings each reside in a different region, evolving nine laws.

The newly arrived beings each find their place and use their martial arts will to break through their bottlenecks.

Plants are growing, starlight is gathering, and heaven and earth are breathing.

The ethereal voice drifted slowly from the north, carrying a tranquility that even a billionaire's gathering had never possessed:

"The Dao Realm has come to life."

Xuan Du nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the surging light in the distance.

The Daoist realm has indeed come alive.