Primordial Era: The Sun Emperor

At the moment when the Heavenly Court stood atop Mount Duzhou, the Heavenly Dao was moved.

Before the sound of the Chaos Bell had faded, a golden rift appeared in the heavens.

Boundless golden light of merit poured down like a celestial river, surging from the crack, passing through layers of clouds, and flowing straight into Taiyi's brow.

The magnitude of that merit and the intensity of its golden light even overshadowed the radiance of the Heavenly Court by a third.

Taiyi was bathed in the golden light of merit, and the sun god halo behind him became even more dazzling. The Great Japanese Origin and the Heavenly Dao Merit merged, and his aura rose steadily. Although he had not broken through, the depth of his foundation had already far surpassed that of others in the same realm.

The Great Way of the Sun resonated subtly with the Way of Heaven, as if declaring that the Way of Heaven had acknowledged the position of the Heavenly Emperor.

The golden light faded, but the primordial world remained restless for a long time.

The news of the establishment of the Heavenly Court spread throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and across the Four Seas and Eight Desolations, along with the sound of the bell and the golden light of merit. The powerful beings of various races and the patriarchs of all sides reacted in different ways.

Deep in the East Sea, within the Dragon Palace.

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, sat in the Crystal Palace, a complex look flashing in his dragon eyes.

The dragon race was once the overlord of the primordial world and even established a heavenly court, but in the end, they were forced to retreat to the four seas and submit to the emperor.

He slowly exhaled a breath of dragon's breath, his voice deep: "The essence of the sun, the Lord of Chaos... What a Heavenly Court! The lessons of the Dragon-Han Calamity are still fresh in our minds. Young and impetuous, unaware of the immensity of heaven and earth. Let's see how far he can go."

The immortal volcano in the south, the ancestral home of the Phoenix Clan.

The Phoenix Clan lives in seclusion here, avoiding the world.

The Phoenix Clan Chief, perched atop the sacred parasol tree, heard the news and merely opened his eyes slightly, letting out a clear cry.

The cry carried a hint of disdain, yet also a sigh: "After the three races, all races vie for supremacy, but who has truly seen the truth? The Heavenly Court? Heh, it's just another force heading towards destruction. Taiyi will eventually understand that the primordial world is not just the primordial world of one person or one race."

The Great Northern Marsh, Qilin Cliff.

The Qilin clan, which has transformed into auspicious beasts, has guarded this place for generations. The clan leader lies on the cliff top, gazing in the direction of Buzhou Mountain, his eyes as calm as still water.

He shook his head slightly and sighed, "The struggle for destiny is so cruel. The Heavenly Emperor... what a prestigious title. I hope he doesn't follow in the footsteps of the three races."

Having said that, he closed his eyes and ignored them.

The three races shared a surprisingly consistent attitude: in their eyes, Taiyi's Heavenly Court was nothing more than another force that would soon follow in their footsteps, enjoying a brief period of glory before its eventual decline.

In the vast and ancient land, countless races lived together.

The Wu tribe, inside the Pangu Palace.

The twelve ancestral witches gathered together, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Dijiang snorted coldly and waved his hand: "Heavenly Court? Heavenly Emperor? That Taiyi has quite the arrogance! My Wu Clan is formed from the essence and blood of our Father God, and is the true lineage of the primordial world. How dare that hairy beast who sprang from the Sun Star call himself Heavenly Emperor?"

Zhu Rong was even more enraged, flames surging around him: "When I lead the Wu tribe's army, I will flatten the summit of Mount Buzhou!"

Gonggong coldly said, "Wait. Let him be smug for a while and see how those powerful beings deal with it."

The ancestral witches each had their own version of events, but without exception, they all expressed shock, anger, and hostility towards the Heavenly Court.

The Golden-Winged Roc roared to the heavens, its voice shaking the nine heavens: "Heavenly Emperor? Hmph! My Golden-Winged Roc clan is born with the cultivation of a Golden Immortal, yet we dare not claim such a title. What virtue or ability does that Taiyi possess?"

The leaders of the lion, tiger, wolf, and other major races were both shocked and furious, and they all convened clan meetings to discuss countermeasures.

However, most of the patriarchs simply watched with cold smiles, waiting for the Heavenly Court's fate.

The Eastern King Duke stood on Zifu Continent, gazing at the majestic Heavenly Court atop Buzhou Mountain, his expression extremely complex.

He was born from the innate Yang energy, yet he still dared not call himself emperor.

What merit or ability did Taiyi, who emerged from the Sun Star, possess?

The Eastern King clenched his fists, his eyes filled with malice: "Let's see how long you can be so smug."

Meanwhile, in the Zixiao Palace atop Yujing Mountain.

Hongjun Laozu suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze pierced through the chaos and the void, landing on the magnificent heavenly court atop Mount Buzhou.

For the first time since the battle between Dao and Demon came to an end, that usually calm and composed face showed a look of surprise.

"No...no!"

Hongjun formed hand seals, and the Jade Disc of Creation shone brightly with white light, unfolding the curtain of Heavenly Dao's deduction before his eyes.

He noticed the change, but couldn't deduce its cause.

Now is the crucial moment for proving the Dao, and he dares not exhaust his original evolution.

"Regardless of anything else, I must first attain sainthood and become a saint. After that, I will be invincible!"

Hongjun sneered and closed his eyes.

If Heaven had not severed the path of the Primordial Golden Immortal, he would have already attained the Great Dao.

Now we can only find another way to prove the Way of Heaven.

He finally found the path to enlightenment, and was just one step away from becoming a saint.

……

Before any race could react, a strange change suddenly occurred in the primordial sky.

Above the nine heavens, chaos surged, and a purple-gold light tore through the void from an unknown place, illuminating all the heavens and myriad realms.

The light was neither as intense as the sun nor as cold as the moon, but rather a Daoist charm that transcended all things in heaven and earth.

That is the light of a sage, a supreme radiance that surpasses even the Primordial Golden Immortal and reaches the very origin of the Heavenly Dao.

Immediately afterwards, a voice came from the heavens.

The sound was initially ethereal, as if from the chaos before the beginning of time, then it grew clearer and louder, eventually transforming into a Daoist song that resounded throughout the primordial world:

"Lying high in the nine heavens, I found the true Tao on my futon."

Beyond the mysteries of heaven and earth, I shall be the supreme leader.

Pangu gave birth to Taiji, from which Yin and Yang and the Four Symbols followed.

One path is passed down to three friends; two teachings, Chan and Jie, are divided.

The leader of the Xuanmen (mysterious sects) transformed from a single breath into Hongjun.

The Taoist chants resounded like thunder, each word like a bell, every syllable resonating with the Way of Heaven.

Above the heavens, purple clouds drifted eastward for 30,000 miles, and golden lotuses descended from the sky, scattering across every corner of the primordial wilderness.

That was an extraordinary phenomenon signifying the enlightenment of a sage, a magnificent sight never before seen since the beginning of time.

The next moment, an invisible pressure poured down from the heavens, as if the sky were collapsing, the earth were overturning, and chaos was being reborn.

The pressure was so strong that it could not be discerned from direction or distance, and instantly covered the entire prehistoric world.

From the Purple Cloud Palace in the chaos to the Yellow Springs Road beneath the Nine Netherworlds; from the shores of the East Sea to the summit of the Western Kunlun Mountains; from the primordial land where all races gathered to the vast starry sky filled with stars.

All beings below the level of a Primordial Golden Immortal knelt down at this moment.

It wasn't out of willingness, but rather because I had no choice.

That is the majesty of a sage, the blessing of Heaven upon the sage, and the recognition of the sage by Heaven.

Under the horrified gazes of the Golden Immortals, Taiyi Golden Immortals, and Daluo Golden Immortals, their knees involuntarily bent and their backs involuntarily bowed.

The last remaining ancestors of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans gritted their teeth, yet were still forced to prostrate themselves on the ground; the ancestral witches of the Witch Clan roared repeatedly, but were also forced to kneel on one knee; without exception, all the clan leaders and powerful figures from all sides knelt down.

In the entire primordial world, below the level of a Primordial Golden Immortal, only one person remained who did not kneel.

At the summit of Mount Buzhou, in the Heavenly Court.

Taiyi stood with his hands behind his back atop the Nine Heavens Palace, his golden eyes fixed on the purple-gold holy light, the Sun God Ring spinning wildly behind him, and the holy flames of the sun soaring into the sky.

The Chaos Bell hung above his head, its tolling incessantly, and chaotic energy cascaded down like a waterfall, enveloping his entire being.

He is resisting.

The sage's might pressed down on him like a mountain crushing him, like the crushing force of heaven.

His bones were creaking, his Dao body was trembling violently, and his solar Dao domain was compressed to within three feet of his body.

But he did not kneel down.

Taiyi was still forced to lower his head slightly, but that was not submission, but respect for the way of the sage.

His back remained straight, his knees remained upright, and his imperial majesty remained undiminished.

In the primordial chaos, he was the only one who did not kneel under the pressure of a sage.

The reason why the Primordial Golden Immortal is able not to kneel is because the Primordial Dao is the Great Dao, and the Heavenly Dao cannot suppress the Great Dao. Naturally, the Heavenly Dao Saint cannot suppress the Great Dao cultivator either.

Hongjun's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of approval and a deeper meaning: "The Heavenly Emperor Taiyi is indeed extraordinary."

Taiyi raised his head, his golden eyes burning with the indomitable fire of the sun: "The sage has transcended, which is cause for celebration. However, the Heavenly Court stands in the primordial world, and the Heavenly Emperor governs all spirits. The sage's might can suppress his body, but it cannot sway his will."

High above, the purple light receded, and Hongjun's figure disappeared into the chaos.

Only the lingering echoes reverberate, reverberating throughout heaven and earth: "What a truly unyielding spirit!"