During the thousand years of the Dao Ancestor's preaching and treasure distribution, the Primordial World was calm and peaceful.
No one dared to cause trouble during the Dao Ancestor's final moments of existence, fearing annihilation by Hongjun if they incurred his wrath.
Within these thousand years, over a thousand great beings set off for beyond the heavens, never to return to the Primordial World.
They left their dojos in the Primordial World to their disciples, disciples' disciples, or to friends and family, or exchanged them for spiritual treasures.
Their roots were thus planted in the chaos.
Many of these great beings were Da Luo Golden Immortals who had not yet severed the three corpses. They took their innate spiritual treasures beyond the heavens, either to temper their Dao hearts or to sever their corpses.
These great beings did not wish to remain in the Primordial World, but rather the paths of their great Daos were already occupied by top-tier great beings walking ahead, and in the struggle for the Dao, they could not compete.
Some Quasi-Saints who had severed one corpse also left the Primordial World. Before their Daos stood six Saints, making it impossible for them to surpass the six Saints. Thus, they were willing to venture beyond the heavens to seek a sliver of Dao opportunity!
There were also terrifying beings who had existed since the beginning of heaven and earth, like living dead. They too left the Primordial World. They carried too much karma, and before the Heavenly Dao was complete, they could still evade it with countless secret arts. However, after Hongjun's integration with the Dao, there would be no place for them to hide.
Hongjun's integration with the Dao was delayed by a thousand years, not unintentionally pointing a path for them.
In the Dragon Tomb, the old man bowed again before the tombstones of the four Ancestors and said mournfully, "My lords, Black Dragon, White Dragon, Candle Dragon, I shall depart the Primordial World, and can no longer accompany you. My decaying body can still seek a sliver of Dao opportunity for the Dragon Clan, and it shall be of some use."
The old man, stooped and hunched, left the Dragon Tomb and entered the Ancestral Den of Ten Thousand Dragons to bid farewell to the Ancestor Yellow Dragon.
Ancestor Yellow Dragon personally rose to see off this old Prime Minister of the Dragon Clan. As for the promise made in the past, how could it compare to Patriarch Gui's venturing beyond the heavens to establish a new world and seek Dao opportunities?
In the West, within the Three Thousand Worlds, nine enormous lion-tiger beasts emerged from the worlds. Their terrifying aura forced the beings of the West to prostrate themselves on the ground. On each of the nine immense beasts, a chain was bound, forged from pure, radiant, chaotic golden stone. The nine beasts pulled a colossal golden coffin out of the Three Thousand Worlds.
An immortal aura emanated from the coffin, mixed with the scent of decay. The golden coffin was slowly pulled out of the Three Thousand Worlds and taken towards the heavens beyond.
On Mount Sumeru, Zhun Ti and Jie Yin's faces were filled with bitterness. Hidden behind their sect, there was such a terrifying existence, and they had been completely unaware!
As the golden coffin ascended to the heavens, the world suddenly changed. Endless thunderclouds surged, and terrifying Purple霄 Divine Thunder converged madly, targeting the existence within the coffin.
The being in the coffin seemed to have just awakened and lazily said, "Hongjun, you are now a Saint. Once your words are spoken, they become law. Are you going back on your word?"
Within the Zixiao Palace, Hongjun's brow furrowed. After a moment of silence, he sighed.
In the vast expanse of the Primordial World's sky, the myriad divine thunders instantly dispersed.
The nine enormous lion-tiger beasts moved forward again, heading directly for the heavens beyond.
All the great beings of the Primordial World were shocked. The person in the coffin possessed such terrifying power and audacity, yet they had never heard of such a figure.
In the starry sky, Patriarch Kunpeng arrived beside Qing Ling. Looking at the nine enormous lion-tiger beasts, he sighed and said, "Do you know who is in the coffin?"
Qing Ling shook his head.
"There are no more than a handful of beings in the world who know of this person's existence. This is the Beast Emperor Shen Ni from ancient times!"
"Didn't the Beast Emperor perish?" Qing Ling's heart skipped a beat, and he asked.
"The Beast Emperor Shen Ni did perish, but his body still remains. This is the self-awareness generated by the Beast Emperor Shen Ni's physical body, akin to the corpse refining of Zu Shebi Shi of the Wu Clan. He sealed himself with chaotic golden stone and a chaotic golden coffin, both to trap himself and to protect himself.
Only when Hongjun integrates with the Dao and Shen Ni's true spirit can no longer return will this body completely belong to him, and then this one will be entirely unrelated to Shen Ni!"
Upon hearing this, Qing Ling couldn't help but ask, "Shen Ni's mere body possessed half-step Hunyuan strength. Back then, he must have been just a sliver away, hadn't he?"
Kunpeng nodded. "Back then, Shen Ni was like Ancestral Dragon. He was besieged by all the gods and demons while breaking through to Hunyuan and perished. I was merely a great being of heaven and earth back then, and now I am still trapped at the peak realm. Half-step Hunyuan, after all, carries the word Hunyuan!"
Qing Ling smiled, not taking up the conversation.
After Shen Ni's corpse entered the chaos, the old monsters in the Primordial World who were like living dead saw that even such a powerful being could be released. They no longer concealed their abilities and began to enter the chaos.
In the North, a colossal Black Tortoise raised its head and looked at the sky. It soared like a giant mountain, causing the northern mountains to shake and the earth to crack for tens of millions of miles.
The Black Tortoise remained silent. It merely raised its head, and the North fell into chaos. If it were to truly leave the Primordial World, the North would cease to exist.
Moreover, the Heavenly Dao no longer permitted it to leave. It could not ascend to the thirty-third heaven!
The Black Tortoise felt no sorrow. It slowly lowered its colossal head and flew onto the sky-high "land," returning to its original place.
Its true spirit began to dissipate slowly, but the heaven and earth perceived it as merely falling into slumber.
In the starry sky, Qing Ling silently watched as one great being after another left the Primordial World, sighing inwardly.
Even without careful sensing, he could roughly perceive that the Primordial World had originally hidden seven or eight peak great beings and more than ten great beings of heaven and earth.
Including the group of great beings like Dou Mu Yuan Jun who left after Hongjun became a Saint, there were already twenty to thirty beings of the Heaven and Earth Great Being level or above in the chaos.
Adding these over a thousand Da Luo Golden Immortals who were heading beyond the heavens, even if the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods were reborn, it would be enough to resist for dozens of eons.
Qing Ling looked at Kunpeng and said, "You came to see me, Demon Master, not just for idle chat, right?"
Kunpeng smiled and said, "The Demon Ancestor is also trapped by the shackles of the thirty heavens. I believe we should have something in common."
Qing Ling said helplessly, "Demon Master, you have been trapped in this realm for tens or even hundreds of eons. I believe I am the same, so naturally we have something in common."
"No," Kunpeng shook his head. "You are different from me. I have been battered by the years for too long. Even though I now have the fortune to settle in the Primordial World, every further step is incredibly difficult.
You are different. Your age is not yet late, and your fortune is far deeper than mine. Even if you are currently trapped in the thirtieth heaven realm, it will not be for long."
Qing Ling's expression became serious. "So, you have come to interrogate me, Demon Master?"
Kunpeng burst into laughter. "Of course not. After all, you and I are both leaders of the demon race. I wish to ask the Demon Ancestor for one thing: to help me break through!"
Qing Ling's eyes narrowed. "You wish to borrow my Wood Dao to introduce Earth and Fire? To achieve perfection of the four elements, Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water?"
"Precisely! This is the method!"
Qing Ling's brow furrowed, and he pondered for a long time.
Seeing this, Kunpeng did not disturb him and waited quietly.
After a long while, Qing Ling raised his head and looked at Kunpeng.
Kunpeng asked, "Demon Ancestor, what have you considered?"
Qing Ling smiled and said, "I can help you, of course. But Demon Master, have you thought carefully? Even if Earth and Fire are introduced, can you truly achieve the Great Dao?"
Upon hearing this, Kunpeng was not surprised, but merely sighed. "I am helpless. This method has only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success.
But I have tried hundreds or thousands of methods, and none can lead to the Great Dao."
Qing Ling's brows twitched slightly. "Then I shall point you towards a path."
Kunpeng was stunned, then said, "Demon Ancestor, please speak."
Qing Ling looked at the distant Sun Star and said, "Demon Master, look. The Sun Star, its light shines eternally, and it rises with vigor. You, as the teacher of ten thousand demons and the leader of the demon race, are even respected by the two deities of the Sun Star. Have you ever considered what it means to be a teacher?"
Kunpeng instantly understood the meaning, but sighed. "I am ultimately just the Demon Master. If I were to truly act on this, would the Demon Emperor not be wary?"
Qing Ling shook his head and said, "A teacher is analogous to Hongjun! It depends on whether fellow Daoist has the broadmindedness and realm of the Dao Ancestor!"
Kunpeng remained silent. Although he was arrogant, he also knew the difference between himself and Hongjun.
Seeing this, Qing Ling spoke again. "Does Demon Master still remember the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity?"
Kunpeng nodded.
"When I was merely a great being of heaven and earth, I annihilated the Axolotl clan of the Eastern Wasteland."
Kunpeng was momentarily confused. "And so what?"
Qing Ling said, "I annihilated a Saint's clan."
"What!" Kunpeng's heart suddenly jolted, and a look of shock appeared on his face. The only Saint of the current era was Hongjun. Had he annihilated Hongjun's clan?
Right, in the chaos, the Time Axolotl was Hongjun!
Hongjun, after the creation of heaven and earth, was formed from a wisp of Pangu's breath and became the Hongjun of the Primordial World.
If it were an ordinary person, they would naturally be inspired by this event and lean towards the path pointed out by the other.
However, Kunpeng's expression calmed down slightly, and he calmed himself. Having understood the crux of the matter, he said, "You never intended to help me achieve the four elements from the start, but rather wanted me to follow the path you indicated?"
Qing Ling nodded. "Because even if the four elements are achieved, it will still not lead to Hunyuan. Did the Great God Pangu achieve Hunyuan by proving the Dao with force? Did Hongjun, who took time as his Dao, achieve the perfection of the four elements?
Hunyuan is Hunyuan, and Chaos is Chaos. Therefore, the four elements are merely Chaos, not Hunyuan. Fellow Daoist, you blindly seek the perfection of the four elements, but you have cultivated the Wind and Water Daos for hundreds or thousands of eons. Even if you achieve Earth and Fire Daos, how can they compare?
The perfection of Hunyuan is immortal and eternal, not the so-called perfection of the four elements, but self-perfection within the Great Dao!
Otherwise, the Dao Ancestor would not have said that there are three thousand Great Daos, all of which can lead to Hunyuan!"
Kunpeng's heart was suddenly enlightened, as if his obsession had been resolved!