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

The ruins of Zixiao Palace floated precariously in the void storm.

The palace walls had already crumbled, revealing broken chains of law within them—traces of the Heavenly Dao's authority being forcibly torn apart.

Hongjun Daozu stood in the center of the ruined palace, his purple robe tattered, his white hair disheveled, and a trace of pale golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The phantom of the Heavenly Tree behind him was still burning, with more than half of its three thousand branches already destroyed.

The remaining part is also covered with cracks, flickering and dim, as if it will completely collapse at any moment.

But those eyes, which were in harmony with the Dao of Heaven, were now fixed on the front, with an unbelievable sense of dread surging deep within their pupils.

Unstoppable.

Even if it meant burning his Dao-merging essence, even if it meant sacrificing his Heavenly Dao foundation, that desperate strike he just made...

It was still crushed by Kong Xuan's countless chaotic light wheels that exploded!

It's not about defeating or resolving.

It was utterly and completely...crushed!

Like a giant wheel crushing an ant, there is no room for resistance.

"Late stage of Primordial Chaos... is it really that powerful?"

Hongjun's voice was extremely dry and hoarse.

He originally thought that even if Kong Xuan broke through, he would only be in the early stage and his foundation would not be stable.

By burning one's own essence and borrowing the power of the Heavenly Dao, at least a fight to the death can be won.

But in reality...

It was so cruel it suffocated him.

Kong Xuan's strength is far beyond what is said about the early to late stages!

The perfect Daoist aura emanating from every gesture, the nonchalant indifference with which the Heavenly Dao flames were crushed...

At least his peak in the later stages!

He even... touched the threshold of the perfect Hunyuan Wuji!

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun, why must you continue this desperate struggle?"

Yangmei Daoist's voice came from the side, carrying a hint of cold pleasure.

Holding a jade-green bamboo staff, he stood in the void, with Dao patterns flowing around him, firmly locking this crevice in time and space, cutting off any possibility of Hongjun's escape.

Fine cracks are faintly visible on the bamboo cane.

He was not unscathed from the clash with the burning ancient tree.

But those aged eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, as if a volcano that had been suppressed for millions of years had finally found an outlet.

Kong Xuan ignored Yang Mei.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the chaotic lotus platform, his black robes motionless in the void storm, his gaze calm, yet fixed on the depths of the void above Hongjun's head...

As if waiting for something.

Hongjun's heart suddenly tightened.

Not right.

Given the strength Kong Xuan just displayed, if he really wanted to kill him, he could have seized the opportunity after that attack and completely suppressed him.

But Kong Xuan did not.

He simply stood there quietly, letting himself catch his breath, letting the illusory image of the ancient tree of heaven linger on.

What is he waiting for?

Could it be...?

A terrible thought surfaced in Hongjun's mind.

"Are you waiting for... the Heavenly Dao?"

Hongjun spoke in a hoarse voice, with a barely perceptible tremor in his tone.

Kong Xuan finally turned her gaze to him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"I finally understand."

His voice was calm, yet every word was like a knife, slashing at Hongjun's heart:

"If I were to kill you directly, the Heavenly Dao might retreat to the depths of its origin, using the primordial world as a shield and all living beings as its hostages, to contend with me."

"When I want to extinguish its selfish desires, I must first destroy the primordial chaos, harm the innocent, and add to the karma."

"How about..."

Kong Xuan paused, his gaze suddenly turning cold:

"First, I'll push you to the brink, force you to burn your very essence, force you... to trigger your innate instincts."

"When it can no longer restrain itself, it will show itself to protect you..."

"I'll strike again and nip it in the bud."

The words fell.

Hongjun trembled violently, as if he had fallen into an ice cave!

Scheming!

It was all a scheme!

From Kong Xuan stepping into Zixiao Palace, to casually scattering the pillar of heavenly light, to forcing him to burn his origin...

Every step was under Kong Xuan's control!

What he thought was a cornered beast's struggle, a desperate counterattack...

It was just a trap that the other side had planned long ago!

"You...you weren't targeting me from the very beginning..."

Hongjun's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot:

"It's the will of Heaven! It's the selfish desires of the will of Heaven!"

"good."

Kong Xuan nodded, making no attempt to hide his agreement:

"You have merged with the Dao of Heaven, and although you are the Dao Ancestor, you are ultimately just its representative."

"The one who truly governs the primordial world and draws upon the essence of all living beings is the Heavenly Dao itself, and the selfish desires that grow deep within the essence of the Heavenly Dao."

"You are nothing more than its puppet in the open..."

"What I want to destroy is it."

"As for you..."

Kong Xuan glanced at Hongjun, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a dead man:

"It was just... incidental."

"puff!"

Hongjun could no longer suppress it and suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden blood!

Holy blood spilled into nothingness, instantly shattered and annihilated by the storm.

He staggered backward, his breath extremely weak, and the burning phantom of the Heavenly Dao Ancient Tree above his head trembled violently, with several more branches breaking off.

It's not an injury.

It's anger.

It's that feeling of being completely seen through and manipulated... humiliation and despair!

He had been in harmony with the Dao for countless eons, ruling over the primordial world, believing himself to be transcendent and above all ages.

But in the end...

In Kong Xuan's eyes, he was nothing more than a... puppet to be dealt with incidentally?

"Well... well done, Kong Xuan!"

Hongjun gritted his teeth, a mad glint in his eyes:

"You want to force the Heavenly Dao to reveal itself?"

"Then this humble Taoist... will grant your wish!"

He suddenly looked up, gazing into the depths of nothingness, and let out a long, hoarse howl:

"Heaven's will prevails! This fiend defies Heaven and seeks to destroy the foundation of your Dao!"

"May the Heavenly Dao descend!!!"

With the last four words, he burned the last trace of his Dao-merging origin, using his own holy soul as a guide and the authority of the Heavenly Dao as a bridge, and issued this call!

hum! ! !

The void suddenly solidified.

It's not that space is frozen, nor that time is stopped.

Rather, it is... the complete solidification of all laws, all concepts, and all existence!

It was as if an invisible giant hand had pressed the pause button on the entire world.

Even the raging void storm, even the shattered ruins of the Purple Cloud Palace, even the spatial Dao patterns flowing around Yang Mei...

Everyone froze in place at that moment.

Only Kong Xuan.

He remained standing on the lotus platform, his black robes fluttering gently, his gaze calm.

It was as if this solidifying power, which was enough to make even a saint tremble, was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.

"They're here."

Kong Xuan muttered to himself, his eyes swirling with a chaotic light.

He slowly raised his head.

Looking up at the top of Hongjun's head... to the deepest part of that void.

There.

A tiny point of purple-gold light appeared silently.

At first, it was no bigger than a grain of rice, but in an instant, it swelled, spread, and proliferated!

It transformed into a... gigantic eye that blots out the sky!

The pupils are a chaotic color, with billions of stars floating and sinking deep within them.

Within it, the phantoms of myriad primordial spirits struggle, and the malevolent aura of the Dragon and Han, the murderous intent of the witches and demons, and the karmic forces of countless eons surge...

Furthermore, an aura of supreme majesty, transcending all else and disregarding all living beings as mere ants, spread out!

The eye of heaven!

The true form of the Primordial Heavenly Dao has manifested!

"Insects... how dare they defy the heavens?"

An indescribable sound emanated from the giant eye.

Every word contains the authority of Heaven, and the absolute will to annihilate all those who defy Heaven!

Hongjun groaned. Even though the sound wasn't directed at him, the aftershock still caused his holy body to shatter, and golden blood gushed out.

Yang Mei Daoist also had a solemn expression. He slammed his bamboo staff down, and layers of spatial Dao patterns protected his body, barely managing to stabilize himself.

Only Kong Xuan.

He faced the giant eye head-on, his expression unchanged.

Even... a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.