As Yuanshi's hesitant words fell, even Hongjun was momentarily taken aback. His deep gaze fixed upon the Sanqing as a cold fury began to rise within him.
Fighting is one thing. But to actually steal their Primordial Violet Qi...
"You are the Saints ordained by Heaven. This cannot be changed. Even without the Primordial Violet Qi (primordial violet qi), you are destined to Achieve Sainthood (achieve sainthood)."
"Return for now. I have my own plans," Hongjun said plainly, maintaining an air of absolute control. While he appeared calm on the surface, he was calculating inwardly. Primordial Violet Qi had to be extracted from the Heavenly Dao Origin and required a period of "processing." He couldn't simply pull more out of thin air immediately. Originally, there were only seven strands ordained; due to the "Variable," he would have to extract three more.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Yuanshi said with great joy. The Sanqing bowed in unison, but as they lowered their heads, a sharp, fleeting glint passed through Laozi's eyes. They withdrew from Zixiao Palace and departed.
Once they vanished, Hongjun's form shifted from phantom to reality. He stood up and took a single step, disappearing into the void.
When Hongjun reappeared, he was in the depths of the Chaos, standing before the Karma Reincarnation (Karma Reincarnation) created by Ling Xiao. Inside, the Two Sages of the West were still repeating their cycle of mutual destruction and rebirth, completely oblivious to Hongjun's arrival. They were trapped in an isolated pocket of space-time, living in an eternal "world for two," unaware of anything outside.
If any other living being had been around to see the future Saints repeatedly murdering each other with such relish, they would have been terrified.
"The Path of Karma..." Hongjun's face was solemn. Trillions of Karma threads shot from his eyes as he began to dissect the loop.
"Well played, Ling Xiao..."
After a moment, Hongjun's expression grew heavy. In that heartbeat, every past event unfolded in his mind in its original state. He finally realized that Ling Xiao had allowed himself to be "calculated" by Hongjun previously, intentionally taking on the weight of infinite Karma just to steal the Law of Karma (Law of Karma).
It was a suicidal gambit. A single slip would have meant eternal damnation. Yet, he had succeeded. It wasn't just immense willpower; it was a staggering amount of Luck.
"Hehe. Interesting. You are the first to ever snatch a narrow victory from my hand..."
A faint, indifferent smile touched Hongjun's lips. Since his emergence, he had faced countless foes—all legends in their own right—yet he was always the one left standing. Now, Ling Xiao gave him a sensation he hadn't felt in eons. It was faint, but enough to be intriguing.
The Karma threads in Hongjun's eyes began to spread, covering the entire loop. The highest realm of the Law of Karma is the "Cause of All Fruits". At this level, all Karma originates from oneself. Changing a person's fate or transferring Karma becomes trivial. This is the horror of the Law: it transcends the standard rules of order. To be the "Cause of All Fruits" is to be beyond all logic.
Ling Xiao's mastery of Karma had already reached a sophisticated level. As Hongjun worked to dissolve the loop, he realized this trap was a deliberate challenge—a puzzle Ling Xiao had left for him.
Hongjun stood motionless for an unknown amount of time until the Karma Reincarnation began to dissolve. He terminated the loop at the precise moment before the Western Duo killed each other again. Had he been a fraction of a second later, they would have died, and with the loop terminated, they would have stayed dead.
"Awaken!"
Hongjun's sharp shout startled Jieyin and Zhunti. They froze, a look of confusion flashing in their eyes, followed by a state of mental disarray. The thousands of deaths and rebirths had inflicted irreversible trauma on their Dao Hearts. Even now, looking at one another, they instinctively felt a surge of hatred and a desire to kill. It had become a reflex—a "professional disease."
"Teacher!" "Thank you, Teacher, for saving us!"
Jieyin and Zhunti wept with gratitude, performing the full five-point prostration in the Chaos Void Realm. It was a masterful display of sycophancy that few others could manage.
"Go. You are the ordained Saints of Heaven. Do not be distracted by worldly affairs. Achieving Sainthood is your only priority," Hongjun said, repeating the same lines he gave the Sanqing.
"Thank you, Teacher!" They rejoiced. Hongjun's words were their ultimate reassurance: no matter what happened, they were guaranteed to become Saints.
With a wave of his hand, Hongjun transported them back to the Primordial World.
"We're back!" Zhunti sighed, breathing in the air of the Great Desolation.
"Thanks to Teacher's intervention, or we would have been doomed," Jieyin agreed. As the words left his mouth, they accidentally made eye contact. Immediately, a primal urge to murder one another surged from the depths of their souls.
The 'professional disease' is acting up!
They both shuddered and looked away, the killing intent slowly receding.
"Junior Brother, I apologize for my rudeness just now," Zhunti said, staring intently at a distant horizon.
"It is nothing. I was also in the wrong," Jieyin replied, looking up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. Without another word or glance at each other, they hurried toward Mount Sumeru.
At the same time, a purple figure stepped out from the Sun Star and flew silently into the Chaos.
After entering the void, the figure was enveloped by a mysterious power. Their vision blurred, and when they looked again, they saw a tall, handsome, and arrogantly poised young man.
"Master, you called for me."
The Ziwei Boy (Ziwei Boy) immediately knelt, his voice filled with excitement.
"Rise."
Ling Xiao gave a small laugh, a trace of reminiscence crossing his face. "You have been with me for many years now..."
Ziwei Boy nodded, looking at Ling Xiao with curiosity. He wondered why he had been summoned so suddenly.
"Now, a monumental Opportunity (Opportunity) has arrived for you. In the future, you may Attain the Primordial Chaos (Attain the Primordial Chaos)!"
The nostalgia vanished from Ling Xiao's face, replaced by a solemn gravity. He looked directly into the boy's eyes.
Ziwei Boy's heart raced. "Master, what kind of opportunity is it?"
Ling Xiao smiled and transmitted a Divine Thought (Divine Thought) into the boy's mind. After hearing the plan, the boy's youthful face turned serious. Without a moment's hesitation, he nodded firmly.