Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

That night, the white light in the sky suddenly flashed for a moment.

It wasn't a gentle brightness, but a brightness that was suddenly stretched open by something.

It sounded like someone pushed the door hard from the other side.

Kong Xuan looked up.

Deep within the white light, the dark figure stood at the edge of the crack.

It's closer than ever before.

It was so close that you could see the fine wrinkles on its edges, like old tree bark or a dried-up riverbed.

It is looking at that flower.

Kong Xuan stood between the flower and the crack, not moving aside.

The shadowy figure stared at the flower for a long time.

Then it spoke: "It's open."

Kong Xuandao: "Hmm."

The shadowy figure was silent for a moment: "That boy, the flower you mentioned, is this the one?"

Kong Xuandao said, "It's this one."

The shadowy figure fell silent again.

Its edges rippled slightly, as if it were digesting something.

Much later, it said, "I wandered outside the door for so long."

"I've never seen anyone put flowers on their door before."

Kong Xuan did not respond.

The shadowy figure watched for a while longer.

Then it slowly took a step back, retreating into the deeper part of the white light.

"I'll walk around that tree."

"But I can't guarantee I'll always get around it."

Kong Xuandao: "I know."

The shadowy figure didn't say anything more.

It sank into the depths of the white light, like sinking into deep water, getting farther and farther away.

The wind rushed out from the crack, stirring the flower.

The petals trembled gently in the wind, as if bidding farewell.

Kong Xuan stood there.

Behind me are flowers, in front of me is light.

The dark figure retreated.

This time, it left no trace.

But Kong Xuan knew it would come again.

The flowers are blooming there.

The wind kept blowing.

Kong Xuan stood before the crack, guarding the flower and the door.

His black robe billowed in the wind.

His back was ramrod straight.

Like a mountain.

After that flower bloomed, the cracks quieted down a bit.

There were no shadows, no sounds, and even the wind seemed to have died down.

But Kong Xuan knew that the quiet was fake.

He stood before the white light, like a stone.

The wind blew by, brushing against his robes.

The flowers swayed gently on the branches.

The flower bloomed for seven days, and the petals did not wither; instead, the golden lines along the edges became even brighter.

On the morning of the eighth day, Kong Xuan sensed an extremely faint aura seeping in from the crack.

It wasn't a black shadow, but a thinner shade of gray.

Like a layer of gauze, it clung to the inner wall of the white light, quietly drifting towards this side.

It was extremely slow, as slow as a melting ice line, almost merging with the white light.

Kong Xuan did not move.

The gray liquid swam across the edge of the crack, landed on the wispy clouds, and retreated after a gentle touch.

Like fingers testing the water temperature.

Kong Xuan raised his hand, and a wisp of golden light condensed at his fingertips, drawing a very short line on the cloud.

The light flashed for a moment, then went out.

The gray color did not reappear.

But Kong Xuan knew that it was paving the way.

It's testing how tight the door is, how fast his reaction is, and how dense the tree's root system is.

The Golden-Winged Roc approached from afar and stood beside Kong Xuan: "Is there something there?"

"have."

"What?"

"The shadow. It's thinner than last time."

The Golden-Winged Roc was silent for a moment: "It's learning."

Kong Xuan nodded.

The two stood there, gazing at the white light.

The flowers bloomed quietly behind them.

A few days later, fine black powder began to float out of the crack.

The powder is extremely fine, like ground charcoal.

They landed on the clouds, on the roots of seedlings, and among the moss.

From a distance, it looked as if the clouds were beginning to be covered with a layer of gray.

Kong Xuan squatted down and rubbed a pinch of powder between his fingers.

The powder feels cold to the touch, like iron in winter.

It has no foul odor, no smell.

But it was there, little by little, covering that growing land.

He straightened up and raised his hand to brush away the wisps of cloud.

Golden light flowed by, swirling up the powder and sending it drifting into the distance.

But the next day, new powder arrived.

The Golden-Winged Roc frowned: "Is it scattering ashes?"

"They're testing us," Kong Xuan said, "to see how quickly we react."

"And what about next time?"

Kong Xuan looked at the white light: "Slower, even harder to detect."

He began to make adjustments.

Every two hours, golden light sweeps across the entire cloud.

He would sweep away the powder each time it came in.

On the third day, the powder disappeared.

However, a very thin white mark appeared at the edge of the crack, like a mark left by a fingernail.

Unlike the last one, this one is much shallower, so shallow that it's almost invisible.

The golden-winged roc squatted beside the crack, tilting its head and staring for a long time: "What is it drawing?"

Kong Xuan walked over and squatted down as well.

The white mark extended from the edge of the crack and circled around the roots of the tree.

Then it turned a corner and headed into the depths of the clouds.

It looks like a question mark.

Kong Xuan looked at the seal without saying a word.

He reached out and gently touched the end of the seal, covering it with golden light.

The white mark gradually faded in the light, as if it had been washed away by water.

But he didn't wipe it off completely; he left a section.

The Golden-Winged Roc asked, "What's the point of keeping it?"

"Let it know that I can see."

The Golden-Winged Roc did not ask any further questions.

On the seventh night, the stars were very bright.

Kong Xuan stood in front of the crack when he suddenly heard a very faint sound behind him.

It looked like something had broken open.

He turned around.

The petals of that flower are peeling off one by one.

White petals fall from the branches, twirl in the air, and then land on the clouds.

The gold lines at the edge shone for a moment in the starlight, then dimmed.

After the petals have all fallen, a tiny fruit forms at the stamen.

It is bluish-green and smaller than a mung bean.

Its surface is covered with a layer of fine down, like a newborn animal.

The Golden-Winged Roc, who had awakened at some point, stood behind Kong Xuan: "It has borne fruit."

Kong Xuan walked over and squatted down in front of the seedling.

The fruit was small, but it hung there, heavy, as if the entire tree had used all its strength to produce this one.

Kong Xuan reached out and gently touched the fruit with his fingertips.

The fruit is warm, like a tiny heart.

He withdrew his hand.

The next day, a golden bird floated in through the crack.

It pierced through the white light, landed on the branch of the seedling, looked down at the fruit, and then gently touched it with its beak, as if confirming something.

After confirming its presence, it flapped its wings and flew back to the other side of the crack, disappearing from sight.

The Golden-Winged Roc gazed in the direction it had disappeared: "Was it here to deliver a message?"

"They came to see the fruit."

"They're waiting over there too."

The Golden-Winged Roc was silent for a moment: "What if the fruit ripens?"

Kong Xuan thought for a moment: "Let's talk about it after we're more familiar with it."

The fruit grew bigger day by day.

It grew from the size of a mung bean to the size of a soybean.

The surface fuzz gradually fades, revealing the pale blue skin underneath.

Fine lines began to appear on the skin, like the veins on a leaf.

Each line is a pale gold color, shimmering slightly in the sunlight.

Kong Xuan would look at it once a day.

Sometimes it's early morning, sometimes it's evening.

He didn't touch it, but just watched it change little by little.

The Golden-Winged Roc sometimes looks too, but he looks for longer.

One day, he squatted under the tree and looked at it for a long time, then suddenly said, "Brother, what will this fruit eventually become?"

Kong Xuan thought for a moment: "It will become a new seed."

"Then what?"

"Then there will be new trees, new flowers, and new fruit."

The Golden-Winged Roc tilted its head: "Then it'll never end?"

Kong Xuandao: "Probably."

On the morning of the eighth day, the dark figure appeared again from the crack.

It stopped at the edge of the white light, not crossing it, but looking at the seedling and the fruit on the branch through that thin curtain of light.

It stared at it for a long time.

Then it spoke: "I thought it would keep blooming."

Kong Xuandao said, "Flowers will fall, and fruits will grow."

The shadowy figure was silent for a moment: "My scent is in that fruit."

Kong Xuan did not deny it.

The roots have already crossed the crack and touched the soil on the other side.

The fruit is growing and absorbing nutrients.

It absorbed the nutrients from that place and also absorbed its atmosphere.

The shadowy figure continued, "Aren't you afraid that when that fruit grows, it will bear my shadow?"

Kong Xuandao: "I'm afraid."

"But it will still grow."

The shadowy figure remained silent.

It retreated into the depths of the white light, like sinking into deep water, and slowly disappeared.

Kong Xuan stood there, and the wind surged from the other side, blowing the fruit, which swayed gently, as if to say, "I am not afraid."

Kong Xuan withdrew his gaze, looked down at the fruit, and said, "I understand."

But the voice was very soft, as if it were being spoken to oneself.

The fruit hangs on the branch, its green skin gradually developing deeper golden veins.

Three days later, the patterns had become as dense as a spider web.

The wind drifting in through the crack began to carry a very faint sweetness.

The Golden-Winged Roc smelled it, squatted under the tree, looked up, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Big brother, when will it ripen?"

Kong Xuandao: "Soon."

"Can I eat it once it's cooked?"

"have no idea."

The Golden-Winged Roc didn't ask any more questions, but his gaze fell on the fruit.

As evening fell, the green color on the surface of the fruit suddenly faded, turning into a warm, milky white.

The golden veins stand out clearly against the milky white peel, like a map taking shape.

The Golden-Winged Roc leaned closer to take a look, holding its breath.

"It changed color."

Kong Xuan walked over and squatted down as well.

The fruit swayed slightly on the branch, its milky white skin glowing with a warm light.

Through the fruit peel, you can vaguely see something slowly turning inside.

Like a tiny star, it silently rotates inside the nutshell.

Kong Xuan reached out and gently touched the surface of the fruit peel with his fingertips.

Warm. Like a stone that has just been baked by the sun.

The fruit peel has a very thin layer of fuzz on its surface, making it soft to the touch.

The Golden-Winged Roc lowered its voice and asked, "Is it cooked?"

"Almost there."

"The fruit is ripe when the peel turns a light golden color."

The Golden-Winged Roc nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

That night, neither of them slept.

They sat by the tree, gazing at the fruit.

The fruit gleamed with a warm white light under the moonlight, and the golden veins meandered like a river, clearly visible.

The Golden-Winged Roc, leaning against a cloud, suddenly said, "Brother, if that shadowy figure knows this fruit is almost ripe, will it come again?"

Kong Xuandao: "Yes."

"It has been waiting."

"Wait until this fruit is fully ripe."

The Golden-Winged Roc turned to look at him: "What does it want to do once it's ripe?"

"I want to pick the fruit."

"That was formed from the seed of Pangu; it contains the essence of that realm."

"If it gets its hands on it, it can follow that root and find its way in."

The Golden-Winged Roc remained silent for a while, then sat up straight.

"Then we'll keep watch."

"If it comes, stop it."

Kong Xuan did not respond.

The night breeze poured out from the cracks, rustling the fruit, which swayed gently on the branch, as if responding to that promise.

As dawn approached, the fruit changed color again.

A hint of pale gold shines through the milky white, like the light of sunrise seeping from inside the fruit peel.

The golden veins flowed across the pale golden peel, like living things slowly swimming.

The Golden-Winged Roc rubbed its eyes and sat up.

"It seems to have ripened a little more."

Kong Xuan stood beside the tree, his hands behind his back, gazing at the fruit.

"Soon."

"It should be fully ripe by today."

The Golden-Winged Roc stood up, stretched its shoulders and back, then walked to the tree and stood facing the crack.

His back wasn't wide, but when he stood in front of the tree, he looked like a wall.

Kong Xuan glanced at him but said nothing.

The sunlight climbed higher and higher, landing on the fruit peel.

The golden veins grew brighter and brighter in the sunlight, extending from the stem all the way to the bottom.

The pale gold color of the fruit peel deepens, spreading downwards from the stem end.

It looks like a hand is applying color to it.

At noon, the whole fruit had turned a warm golden color.

The surface of the fruit peel shimmers with a fine, shimmering luster, like a piece of carefully polished amber.

The Golden-Winged Roc glanced back, then turned away again.

"Is it ripe?"

"It's ripe."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind surged out of the crack.

The wind was stronger than usual, carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

It felt like something was rapidly approaching from the depths of the white light.

Kong Xuan looked up.

From the depths of the white light, the dark figure was rapidly rising.

Faster than ever before, as if being pushed along by some force.

It stopped at the edge of the crack, where the edge churned violently, as if panting.

"I've come to collect the fruit."

Kong Xuandao said, "You can't take it away."

The shadowy figure remained silent.

Its edge jutted forward, crossing the boundary of the white light and landing on the wispy clouds.

The moment that black piece touched the cloud, the cloud emitted a slight sizzling sound, like water being poured onto hot iron.

The shadow continued to stretch forward, like an arm, toward the tree.

The golden-winged roc stepped forward, its feather blade in hand.

"Take one more step, and I'll kill you."

The shadowy figure did not stop.

The black section continued forward, three steps, two steps, one step away from the tree trunk.

The golden-winged roc moved.

The feather blade slashed down, striking the edge of the shadow.

With a hiss, the dark figure was cut open, but the cut quickly closed up like water.

The shadowy figure continued forward.

Kong Xuan also made a move.

He didn't make a move; he simply walked to the tree and stood between the shadow and the trunk.

The shadowy figure stopped.

It stopped a foot away from Kong Xuan and did not move forward.

But it didn't retreat either.

"I know you can stop me."

"But you only have two hands."

"You can stop me, but can you stop anything else?"

Kong Xuan did not answer.

But he knew the shadowy figure was telling the truth.

It had removed all his markings and probed his reaction.

It hasn't come for a while; it's been doing other things.

The Golden-Winged Roc frowned: "What are you doing?"

The shadowy figure did not answer.

But suddenly something seeped out from the edge of the crack.

They are very small and thin, like strands of black hair.

It flowed slowly from the gaps in the white light, landed on the wispy clouds, and then spread out in all directions.

One, two, three.

More and more black lines seeped out from the cracks, spreading out like a spider web.

Each one is extremely thin, so thin that it is almost invisible.

But they are spreading, expanding, and covering.

Like a net being woven, it spreads outward from the edge of the crack.

Kong Xuan looked at the black lines.

The shadowy figure spoke: "I can't get the fruit, but I can set up a net around it."

"Once the net is fully spread, no matter where the fruit grows, it won't be able to avoid me."