Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

Deep within the main hall of Penglai Immortal Island.

Time seemed to lose its meaning here. Countless years passed, and Chen Qing's true form remained seated cross-legged in the core of the world, like an unchanging stone statue, his body enveloped in layers of dense light of laws.

The light sometimes surged like a tidal wave, and sometimes flowed quietly like a veil; each rise and fall touched the pulse of the entire inner world.

Within his body, the once vast and boundless world of particles had completely disappeared.

The 840 million microscopic worlds that were once scattered throughout his body like stars in the sky have, after a long period of forging and fusion, now come together into one, a true, complete, and boundless universe.

This world is vast and boundless, with a boundless land, crisscrossing mountains and rivers, and the sun, moon, and stars revolving on their own.

Above the sky, the three thousand Great Dao Laws intertwined into a dense, impenetrable net, each law as thick as a mountain, radiating an ancient and profound light.

The laws of time, space, slaughter, life, and destruction... all three thousand great paths converge, intertwine, and corroborate each other, forming a perfect closed loop.

The world's barriers are as solid as iron, comparable even to those of the primordial chaos at its very beginning. Chaotic energy slowly flows around the world's edge, blocked by the barriers, unable to penetrate even a fraction.

He has thoroughly comprehended, replicated, and integrated the Great Dao Laws within all the spiritual treasures and supreme treasures of the Three Pure Ones.

The Yin-Yang Dao in the Tai Chi diagram, the Dao of Destruction in the Pangu Banner, the Dao of Slaughter in the Four Swords of Zhuxian... He pieced together countless fragments of the Dao, eventually converging them into the complete Three Thousand Laws of this world.

Each of these treasures contributed an indispensable force to the perfection of his world.

The Chaos Pearl he obtained from the Ancestral Dragon has been completely refined and integrated into the core of the world.

The primordial chaos remaining in the Chaos Pearl acted like a key, unlocking the final door to the evolution of his world.

Today, this world has reached the level of countless great worlds—just like it was at the beginning of time.

Chen Qing slowly opened her eyes.

In that instant, the entire hall seemed to light up. His eyes held no glint of brilliance, no sharpness, only an unfathomable calm.

Those were eyes that had experienced countless life and death, and witnessed the rise and fall of the world. They were like a deep pool, calm on the surface, but containing a power capable of destroying the world.

He stood up.

The simple act of getting up caused visible ripples to spread through the surrounding void.

It wasn't something he did intentionally; rather, the power contained within his body was so immense that even the space itself couldn't withstand it and automatically gave way.

Chen Qing looked down at his hands. These hands looked no different from ordinary hands, but the power contained within them was enough to shatter his past self with a single punch and annihilate the body of a saint like Zhunti with a single palm strike.

He could even sense that, if he wanted, he could tear apart the spatial barriers of the primordial world and enter the chaos at any time.

"Is this... the power of the boundless great world?" Chen Qing said softly, his tone tinged with emotion.

He probed his body with his divine sense, scanning the vast and boundless world.

The world has mountains, rivers, oceans, and forests. Birds fly in the sky, fish swim in the water, and beasts roam the land. In some places rich in spiritual energy, some creatures have even awakened their intelligence and embarked on the path of cultivation.

This is the world he created, and he is its sole ruler. Here, he is the Way of Heaven, he is the rule.

Chen Qing withdrew his divine sense and turned his attention to the outside world. His divine sense surged out like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire primordial world.

In that instant, all the secrets of the primordial world were revealed to him.

He "saw" his master refining elixirs on Shouyang Mountain, and the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir in the furnace was nearing completion.

He "saw" his second master, Yuanshi Tianzun, preaching to his disciples in the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, with Yun Zhongzi and others sitting below, listening with rapt attention.

He "saw" his third uncle, the Tongtian Sect Leader, practicing the Zhuxian Sword Formation on Jin'ao Island. The four immortal swords in his hands were like living things, their sword intent soaring to the sky.

He "saw" that on Mount Sumeru in the West, Jieyin and Zhunti were discussing religious affairs. Zhunti's expression was solemn, as if he was planning something.

He "saw" Nuwa in the Nuwa Palace, her eyes closed in meditation, surrounded by holy light.

He "saw" Haotian and Yaochi inspecting the Peach Garden in the Heavenly Court, where peaches that ripen once every nine thousand years were already hanging heavily on the branches.

He also "saw" the Abyss of the East Sea, where the Ancestral Dragon was recuperating from its wounds deep within the Dragon Clan's ancestral court. The Ancestral Dragon's injuries had mostly healed, and its body was filled with dragon energy, but there was still a faint trace of obscure aura remaining—the mark left by the Purple Lightning Hammer.

He even "saw" the Way of Heaven.

That invisible shackle, like an iron chain stretching between heaven and earth, firmly bound the entire primordial world.

That is the limit of the Primordial Golden Immortal—the limit of the Heavenly Dao.

In Chen Qing's perception, the shackles were clearly visible and within reach. He could see every line of the shackles and feel the will of Heaven contained within them.

That will has no emotions, no consciousness, only rules and order. It does not allow any living being to surpass it, nor does it allow anyone to break it.

"So that's how it is," Chen Qing murmured.

He finally understood what the boundaries of "Primordial Chaos" were.

It wasn't a wall, but a river—an invisible river flowing between heaven and earth, connecting the past and the future.

All living beings struggled to move forward in this river. Some sank to the bottom, some were washed ashore, and a few swam to the surface, poking their heads out to breathe the air beyond the heavens.

The sages, on the other hand, were lifted from the river by the Heavenly Dao and placed on a high platform on the bank. Although they were no longer in the river, they were still bound by the Heavenly Dao.

Their power comes from the Heavenly Dao, their status comes from the Heavenly Dao, and their fate is also in the hands of the Heavenly Dao.

But Chen Qing didn't want to be pulled out. He wanted to get ashore on his own. No, he wanted to leave this river and walk his own path.

"It's time to prove my faith," Chen Qing said calmly.

Attaining the status of a Primordial Golden Immortal is not a gift bestowed by Heaven, but a qualification earned through one's own efforts. It does not require the approval of Heaven, nor the blessing of auspicious energy; it only requires sufficient power to break free from those shackles.

Chen Qing took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the main hall.

On Penglai Island, the sun shone brightly, and a gentle sea breeze blew. Xuanming was meditating cross-legged at the entrance of the main hall when he sensed Chen Qing emerge. He opened his eyes, about to speak, but suddenly froze.

She looked at Chen Qing, her pupils suddenly shrinking. Not because there was anything unusual about Chen Qing; quite the opposite, it was because she could no longer sense Chen Qing's presence at all.

Chen Qing stood before her, dressed in white as snow, his face as usual, but when her divine sense swept over that spot, she only saw emptiness—as if Chen Qing did not exist at all, as if he had merged with heaven and earth, no, as if he had transcended heaven and earth.

"You..." Xuanming hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Chen Qing smiled slightly at her, but didn't say anything. He raised his head and looked up at the sky.

The sky was a clear, deep blue, without a single cloud.

But Chen Qing saw more than just the sky. He saw the shackles of the Heavenly Dao, the boundaries of the primordial world, and the intersection of chaos and order.

That shackle was there, stretching across the heavens and earth, like an invisible iron curtain, separating the primordial world from chaos.

Chen Qing raised his hand and waved it gently.

There was no sound, no light, no strange phenomena. But in that instant, the entire primordial world trembled.

The tremor was extremely faint, so faint that ordinary beings could not feel it at all. But all the saints, all the quasi-saints, and all the powerful beings with profound cultivation simultaneously sensed that tremor from the depths of heaven and earth.

On Shouyang Mountain, Laozi's alchemy furnace trembled violently, nearly ruining a batch of Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs. He put down the furnace, looked up towards the East Sea, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and a slow smile played on his lips: "It's finally about to begin."

In the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, the Primordial Celestial Venerable stopped his sermon, his gaze piercing through mountains and rivers to look towards Penglai Immortal Island. The disciples below, unaware of what was happening, exchanged bewildered glances, but dared not utter a sound.

On Jin'ao Island, the Tongtian Sect Leader sheathed the Four Swords of Zhuxian and laughed heartily: "Good lad! I've finally waited for this day!" After laughing, he transformed into a streak of light and flew towards Penglai Immortal Island.

On Mount Sumeru in the West, Jieyin and Zhunti opened their eyes simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and both saw shock in each other's eyes.

"That kid... is he going to attain enlightenment?" Zhunti's expression was complicated, and his voice carried a hint of indescribable emotion.

Jieyin sighed, "This child has extraordinary luck and has been unstoppable all the way. Now that he is about to attain enlightenment, the future order of the primordial world will likely undergo a major change." The bitterness on his face deepened.

Zhunti snorted coldly: "Attaining enlightenment? It's not that easy. The tribulation of becoming a saint is not something anyone can overcome. The Heavenly Dao does not allow anyone to easily break its boundaries. When the Ancestral Dragon underwent his tribulation, he barely escaped with his life. How much stronger can he be than the Ancestral Dragon?"

In the Nuwa Palace, Nuwa opened her eyes, looked towards the East Sea, and a trace of emotion flashed in her eyes.

"Time flies," Nuwa murmured.

Above the Heavenly Court, Haotian and Yaochi stood side by side, gazing towards the East Sea with complex expressions. Although they had little interaction with Chen Qing, his reputation was well-known to them.

If Chen Qingzhen can truly attain enlightenment, the power of the three religions will become even more unshakeable in the future.

In the abyss of the East Sea, at the ancestral home of the Dragon Clan, the Ancestral Dragon suddenly opened his eyes, his expression changing drastically. He sensed the tremor emanating from the Heavenly Dao, and felt the terrifying aura that was rising rapidly.

"It's that brat!" Zu Long gritted his teeth. "He's actually going to prove himself? That Chaos Pearl..."

He then realized he might have been tricked. Chen Qing wanted the Chaos Pearl not to "avoid the suppression of the Heavenly Dao," but to use its power to prove his Dao! He really shouldn't have given that pearl away!

"No, we can't let him succeed!" Zu Long suddenly stood up, his dragon aura surging around him. But as soon as he stood up, he slumped back down.

The Three Pure Ones will definitely stay by Chen Qing's side; if he goes, he will only bring shame upon himself. Moreover, his injuries have not fully recovered, and his strength has been greatly reduced.

"So be it..." Zu Long sighed, his eyes filled with helplessness and resentment.

On Penglai Island, Chen Qing withdrew his gaze.

He looked up at the sky. There, layers of dark clouds had gathered, sometime before.

Those were no ordinary dark clouds, but tribulation clouds—clouds of trial sent down by Heaven to test someone who was about to cross its boundaries.

The tribulation clouds churned, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Streaks of purple-gold lightning weaved through the clouds, radiating an aura of world-destroying power. The terror of that aura surpassed even that of the tribulation clouds during the Ancestral Dragon's tribulation.

Xuanming's expression changed drastically, and she subconsciously took a few steps back. Although she was a patriarchal witch, she felt a chill run down her spine in the face of such divine might.

"Chen Qing, be careful," Xuan Ming said in a deep voice.

Chen Qing did not answer, but simply watched the tribulation clouds in the sky.

He had waited far too long for this day. From the moment he embarked on the path of cultivation, he had been preparing for it.

The forging of 840 million microscopic worlds, the comprehension of the three thousand Great Daos, the evolution of the inner world, the acquisition of the Chaos Pearl... every step was arduous, every step was fraught with danger. But he never wavered, never retreated.

Now, the time has come.

Chen Qing took a step forward, and his whole body soared into the sky.

The wind howled, lightning flashed and thunder roared, but he stood motionless, his white robes as pure as snow. His figure stood out starkly against the backdrop of lightning, like a drawn sword pointing straight to the heavens.

The tribulation clouds seemed to be enraged, churning even more violently. A thick bolt of purplish-gold lightning descended from the sky, carrying a world-destroying force, and struck towards Chen Qing.

Chen Qing didn't dodge, nor did he even raise his hand to block. He just stood there, letting the lightning strike him.

"boom--"

Thunder exploded on his body, sparks flying everywhere. But Chen Qing remained completely still, not even flinching.

The lightning, powerful enough to obliterate an ordinary quasi-saint, only sparked a string of sparks on his body before vanishing without a trace.

His body, tempered by countless laws and refined by the power of the world combined with the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, had long surpassed the level of an innate spiritual treasure. This level of lightning was nothing more than a tickle to him.

The tribulation clouds seemed somewhat surprised, remained silent for a moment, and then began to churn even more violently.

The second bolt of lightning struck, several times thicker than the first, and its color changed from purplish-gold to deep purple, with faint traces of chaotic energy circulating within it.

Chen Qing remained motionless.

The second bolt of lightning struck him, but barely produced any sparks.

The third, the fourth, the fifth... one bolt of lightning after another arrived, each more violent and terrifying than the last.

Chen Qing remained motionless.

He stood there amidst the sea of ​​lightning, unmoved by the thousands of bolts striking him.

His body became stronger and more resilient under the tempering of the thunder.

Each bolt of lightning that struck was absorbed by the world within him, transforming into the world's essence and making his world even more stable.

After an unknown amount of time, all eighty-one bolts of lightning struck.

In the sky, the clouds of calamity gradually dispersed.

The sunlight shone down again, illuminating Chen Qing and casting a golden glow upon him.

A mysterious aura rose from his body and soared straight into the sky.

That aura contained the Three Thousand Great Daos, the profound mysteries of the beginning of chaos, and the ultimate truth of the birth and death of the world.

This aura can be felt in every corner of the vast, ancient land.

All living beings, regardless of their cultivation level, felt an unprecedented awe under this aura. It was a reverence from the depths of their souls, an instinctive submission to a higher level of life.

On Shouyang Mountain, Lao Tzu smiled with satisfaction.

In the Kunlun Mountains, the Primordial Celestial Venerable nodded slightly.

Tongtian, who had already arrived, burst into laughter.

On Mount Sumeru in the West, Amitabha and Cundi remained silent.

In the Nuwa Palace, Nuwa closed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips.

In the abyss of the East Sea, the First Emperor's face was ashen, yet he was helpless.

Chen Qing slowly descended and stood atop the mountain of Penglai Immortal Island.

He looked down at his hands, feeling the unprecedented power within his body.

He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer a Primordial Golden Immortal, but a Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal—a truly carefree being, unbound by the Heavenly Dao and unrestricted by the world.

He attained enlightenment and achieved perfect enlightenment.