The cyan-gold light path stretched across the Primordial World, like a link connecting the mortal realm to fairyland.
Ao Xuan stood at the front of the path. His originally smooth cyan Taoist robe fluttered wildly in the fierce wind. With his dragon pupils piercing through the clouds, he could clearly see the area beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens shrouded in purple-tinged celestial light—that was the direction of Zixiao Palace.
The Dao sound echoed from the depths of the void. Each syllable washed over the soul like clear spring water, making the accompanying rogue cultivators and monkey clan unconsciously slow their breathing.
"Fellow Daoist Ao Xuan, it looks like someone's fighting over the path ahead!"
Yuan Hao suddenly stopped, pointing to the fork in the light path where two massive innate creatures stood facing each other.
On the left was an old turtle with a mysterious armored shell covered in Dao patterns. On the right was a firebird draped in scarlet flames. As its wings flapped, the scorching fire twisted the surrounding air slightly—it was a Scarlet Flame Bird.
"I found this path first—don't try to seize it!"
The old turtle's voice was hoarse yet powerful, and the Dao patterns on its shell glowed with earth-element spiritual light.
"The opportunity to hear the Dao at Zixiao Palace is rare. I must arrive as soon as possible, or there might be no place left for me!"
The Scarlet Flame Bird screeched, and scarlet flames condensed at its beak. "Ridiculous! How can a path in the Primordial World belong to someone alone? I am an innate fire spirit, far faster than you old turtle—this path should be mine!"
With that, it spread its wings and charged toward the light path. The flames transformed into a scarlet meteor, attempting to directly smash through the old turtle.
Ao Xuan frowned slightly. If he let them fight, it would not only delay their journey but might also attract more chaotic beasts.
His figure flickered, appearing between them in an instant. Pale blue water fortune power surged from his palm, forming a translucent water wall that barely blocked the Scarlet Flame Bird's charge. The flames hit the water wall with a hissing sound, and as steam rose, the bird's attack was cleverly deflected.
"Fellow Daoists, the preaching at Zixiao Palace is a grand event in the Primordial World. Why waste time fighting?"
Ao Xuan's voice carried dragon power yet remained gentle. "This light path can accommodate multiple people. If you don't mind, you can come with us—we'll look out for each other on the way."
The old turtle stared at the flowing water fortune spiritual light in Ao Xuan's palm, a hint of awe flashing in its eyes. It could clearly sense the merit contained in this light, far surpassing that of ordinary innate creatures.
The Scarlet Flame Bird also restrained its fire. Its attack had been easily deflected, and it knew Ao Xuan's strength was far beyond its own. If it persisted, it might not even be able to enter Zixiao Palace.
"Thank you for mediating, fellow Daoist. My name is Xuanzhen, and I am willing to travel with you." The old turtle nodded slowly, and the Dao patterns on its shell calmed down.
The Scarlet Flame Bird flapped its wings, its voice tinged with unwillingness yet resignation. "My name is Chiling. Thank you for sparing me, fellow Daoist. I apologize for my earlier rudeness—please forgive me."
Ao Xuan smiled and nodded. The group continued forward. Xuanzhen the old turtle knew many ancient stories of the Primordial World, so he told Ao Xuan and the others about the origin of Zixiao Palace along the way.
Legend had it that Zixiao Palace was refined by Taoist Hongjun using chaotic spirit stones. The palace walls were carved with Heavenly Dao runes dating back to the creation of the world, and the futons inside contained innate spiritual energy, helping those who listened to the Dao comprehend the Heavenly Dao laws faster.
Yuan Hao's eyes lit up as he listened, occasionally asking questions. Cang Lie listened attentively beside him, nodding occasionally to memorize the information.
Ao Xuan couldn't help but smile secretly. If Taoist Hongjun hadn't opened the palace to preach this time, ordinary creatures would never have the chance to see Zixiao Palace.
All the stories were just hearsay.
After roughly half a day's journey, Zixiao Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens finally came into view.
It was a magnificent palace floating in chaotic qi. The palace walls were built with pale purple Hongmeng raw stones, each retaining its rough surface without polishing. Yet it didn't feel shabby—instead, it seemed as it should be, returning to simplicity.
Above the main entrance hung a plaque made of ordinary wood, inscribed with three large characters: "Zixiao Palace." It had no mortal aura, yet exuded a majesty that suppressed heaven and earth.
Outside the palace gate, two streams of chaotic qi transformed into guarding Dao patterns, like two invisible giant dragons, eradicating any chaotic remnants that attempted to break in.
"Spectacular!"
Yuan Hao's mouth dropped open, not noticing when his stone staff slipped from his hand.
"I've never seen such a magnificent place in my life—is this where the Dao Ancestor lives?"
Cang Lie also restrained his golden metal spiritual energy, his tiger eyes fixed on Zixiao Palace, filled with awe. The Dao rhythm emanating from here made the White Tiger origin in his body tremble slightly.
Ao Xuan took a deep breath. The Hongmeng Purple Qi in his body grew slightly warm, clearly resonating with Zixiao Palace.
He took the lead toward the palace gate. As soon as he approached the Dao pattern barrier, it split open automatically. A gentle force guided him inside, and Yuan Hao, Cang Lie, and the others followed closely behind, encountering no resistance.
But the monkeys behind Yuan Hao were blocked outside.
Yuan Hao turned to go back for them, but Ao Xuan shook his head. "They are not destined for this. Forcing it may not bring them good fortune."
Yuan Hao fell into thought, then nodded, waving for the monkeys to wait outside.
The moment they stepped into Zixiao Palace, a surge of vast spiritual energy rushed toward them—several times richer than the spiritual eye of the East China Sea Dragon Palace.
Inside was a spacious main hall. The ceiling was inlaid with countless spirit beads arranged according to the positions of the celestial stars. Each bead emitted spiritual light of a different attribute corresponding to its star: cyan for wood, blue for water, white for golden metal, red for fire, and yellow for earth. The five elements' spiritual light intertwined into a net, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
In the hall, there were a total of 3,600 futons, woven from innate spiritual grass and covered with intricate Dao patterns.
Ao Xuan's eyes narrowed. He immediately spotted seven futons placed separately at the front of the hall—six of which were already occupied. After a moment's thought, he walked straight forward and sat on the last remaining futon at the front.
By now, many innate creatures had arrived. Some sat cross-legged on futons meditating with their eyes closed, while others exchanged cultivation insights. When they saw Ao Xuan sitting on the last front futon, they couldn't help but look stunned, whispering among themselves about which immortal he was.
The Primordial World was vast. Although Ao Xuan had made a great stir in the East China Sea, it hadn't spread across the entire Primordial World due to the short time, and he had never traveled far. Thus, most of the creatures here didn't recognize him.
Once seated, Ao Xuan began to look around.
On the futons to his left sat three Taoist cultivators. The one on the far left exuded Taiqing spiritual light, with a gentle expression. The middle one emanated Yuqing spiritual energy, his eyes sharp. The one on the right carried Shangqing Dao rhythm, his aura steady.
They were none other than the future Supreme Old Lord, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Tongtian Jiaozhu—the Three Pure Ones.
Sensing his gaze, the Supreme Old Lord nodded slightly. Yuanshi Tianzun only glanced at him indifferently. Tongtian Jiaozhu's eyes flickered with curiosity, clearly noticing the Azure Dragon origin in him.
On the futon to the right of the hall's front sat a woman in a plain white palace dress, surrounded by innate spiritual energy. Her face was gentle, and she held a seven-colored stone staff—it was Nüwa, with a human head and snake body. Feeling Ao Xuan's gaze, she smiled softly, her eyes filled with kindness.
Fuxi, also with a human head and snake body, sat cross-legged beside Nüwa with his eyes closed. He was Nüwa's elder brother.
Ao Xuan's identity as an Azure Dragon was naturally seen through at a glance by the top powerhouses of the Primordial World. In Nüwa's eyes, the Dragon Clan was naturally part of the Demon Clan.
The other occupant of the front futons was a Taoist with red hair and a gentle face, carrying a large red gourd on his back. When he saw Ao Xuan, he smiled and nodded.
If Ao Xuan's guess was correct, this must be the kind-hearted Hongyun. From what he remembered, something would happen to Hongyun here...
At that moment, two more cultivators entered the hall. One had a sorrowful expression and held prayer beads; the other had bright, clever eyes and clutched a bodhi branch. They were Jieyin and Zhunti, the two great powers of the West.
The aura around them was completely different from that of creatures in the eastern Primordial World. Jieyin's Taoist robe was covered in yellow sand, with slight tears at the edges, and each bead of his prayer beads glowed with a faint aura of sorrow and emptiness. Zhunti's knuckles were white as he gripped the bodhi branch, and the hem of his robe was stained with dried blood. Clearly, they had encountered chaotic beasts on their journey and fought their way to Zixiao Palace.
"How could this be..."
Zhunti's gaze swept over the seven front futons, his pupils contracting sharply. These seven futons were woven from innate spiritual roots, containing Hongmeng Dao rhythm—they were the best seats for listening to the Dao. Yet now, they were all occupied by Ao Xuan, the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, Fuxi, and Hongyun, leaving not even an inch of space.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on the bodhi branch, his voice tinged with barely noticeable eagerness. "How could this be? I once sensed the Heavenly Dao—this place is destined for the West, and there should be a seat for the two of us... How could this happen..."
Jieyin also frowned, speaking up. "We came from the West, seeking the Dao rhythm. We traveled for years, crossing millions of li, slaying countless demonized beasts along the way. We never thought we'd still be too late..."
A look of solemnity crossed Jieyin's sorrowful face. The West had been the most severely invaded by Luo Hu, with thin spiritual veins and heavy turbid energy. If they missed the preaching at Zixiao Palace, they would likely never find another chance to attain Dao.
His clasped hands trembled slightly as he glanced at the other futons in the hall. Although those futons also contained spiritual energy, they were far inferior to the seven at the front, and all were occupied by powerful innate gods. Fighting for them would be beneath them.
Seeing Jieyin fall silent, a flash of inspiration crossed Zhunti's eyes. He suddenly stepped forward, pointing the bodhi branch obliquely at the ground, his voice suddenly rising in a look of grief. "Fellow Daoists, do you know that the West has long been soaked in demonic flames? The land is scorched, spiritual plants have withered, and innate creatures are either corrupted by demonic energy into beasts or hiding in the remains of spiritual veins, barely surviving. We do not covet the Dao rhythm of the front futons— but the West is harsh and bitter. If we cannot comprehend the Great Dao here, how can we protect the remaining creatures of the West in the future?"
As he spoke, he revealed the wounds beneath his robe—traces of being injured by demonic creatures, still glowing with a faint black aura.
"To reach Zixiao Palace, we never rested along the way, not even taking time to heal our wounds. We only sustained our spiritual energy by breathing wind and drinking dew. But now... now we don't even have a seat to listen to the Dao. Could it be that the Heavenly Dao truly intends to abandon the West?"
His words recounted the hardships of the West while subtly implying that other cultivators occupied the good seats without knowing the West's suffering.
The hall fell silent instantly. Some cultivators looked sympathetic, while others frowned and said nothing.
"Fellow Daoist, please calm down."
A gentle voice suddenly sounded. Hongyun, sitting on the right side of the hall's front, slowly stood up. He placed his large red gourd gently beside his futon, brushed the dust off his Taoist robe, and smiled sincerely.
"I am Hongyun, living in the central Primordial World for a long time, never having experienced the hardships of the West. Since you have traveled so far, I will give you my futon. Listening to the Dao is about comprehending the laws, not the quality of the seat. Sitting at the back will actually allow me to be more peaceful."
Without waiting for Zhunti's response, he picked up his gourd and walked toward a seat in the middle-back of the hall.
As he passed by Ao Xuan, he even smiled and nodded in greeting, completely unaware of the several subtle glances fixed on him in the hall—complex flashes in the eyes of the Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Sages.
Joy flashed in Zhunti's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He bowed deeply to Hongyun. "Fellow Daoist, your kindness is great. Zhunti will never forget this favor! If the spiritual veins of the West recover in the future, we will definitely invite you to visit!"
Jieyin also clasped his hands in greeting, his voice filled with gratitude. "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, your goodness is boundless. All beings in the West will remember your kindness."
The two then sat down, squeezing onto one futon. Fortunately, both were slender—otherwise, they truly wouldn't have fit.
Zhunti quietly nudged Jieyin's arm with the bodhi branch, a flash of joy in his eyes. Jieyin nodded slightly, and the prayer beads in his hand rotated faster, clearly relieved.
On a futon in the middle-back of the hall, Zhenyuanzi watched this scene. The Earth Book in his hand trembled slightly. He stroked his beard, his brows furrowing more and more. Finally, he couldn't help but sigh softly. His voice was low, yet it reached the ears of several nearby cultivators. "Fellow Daoist Hongyun... When will you ever change this temperament of yours? The futons in Zixiao Palace are more than just seats for listening to the Dao—they are... sigh..."