The figures of Ling Yuling and Saintess Xiyuan reappeared in the Imperial Immortal Palace. Apart from them, no one knew what they had discussed or negotiated within.
Over the next few days, the Imperial Immortal Palace was bustling with activity.
Streaks of light and flying vessels cut through the sky, landing here one after another. Many orthodox forces that had received the news but had not yet arrived also sent important figures rushing over to participate in the discussions.
The goal was to jointly formulate the Xiyuan Alliance Pact.
In addition, many previously unknown forbidden lands and secluded realms also began to show signs of activity. A young boy rode on a golden immortal ox, soaring through the clouds and mist, bringing a message from the Temple's Master.
At the edge of the sky, cracks appeared, and many beings clad in divine light descended one after another, hailing from the Divine Dao Civilization.
This was a major event that shook the entire Prime-Origin Civilization. Not only the Prime-Origin Civilization, but many True Worlds and nations were closely watching, eager to be the first to understand the progress.
Ling Yuling and the many elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace were constantly discussing and revising the terms of the alliance pact. At the same time, they were also deducing the fate of the Prime-Origin Civilization, further refining the pact.
Meanwhile, in a certain corner of the vast and boundless expanse of time and space...
Ancient and broken stone tablets were scattered across this stretch of time and space. Large swathes of nebulae were shattered, forming a chaotic burial ground.
One could see ancient blood-stained coffins lying in the craters, some parts already decayed and tattered, exuding an aura of death.
These coffins had been placed here for countless epochs. Some had already been opened, revealing nothing inside except for a few tattered and weathered remnants of clothing.
A stunning woman, her brows furrowed, held a piece of radiant divine jade, attempting to break through the layers of restrictions before her.
She sat cross-legged, surrounded by vast temporal forces, ethereal and otherworldly, as if she were a celestial being from ancient myths, feasting on mist and drinking morning dew.
Her face was obscured by the mist, with only her moon-like eyes visible.
She wore a golden gown that shimmered with golden light, flowing with the mist, giving her an aura of divine grace.
"The secret treasure left by the Eternal Primordial God should be here, according to reason. But why does it keep going wrong?"
"Could the key forged from the five Eternal Artifacts be incorrect?"
As the stunning woman muttered to herself, she channeled her divine power into the piece of jade in her hand.
A terrifying and surging aura erupted from the jade, like an endless river or ocean crashing forward, attempting to destroy the layers of restrictions around her.
However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not break through the restrictions.
Instead, a terrifying backlash force struck her, wave after wave, causing her blood to churn and her body to stagger. A trickle of golden blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
The vast amount of energy she had poured into the jade quickly dissipated.
"I've roamed through various temporal burial grounds and ancient ruins, traversed countless perilous lairs and forbidden lands, but this is the first time I've encountered such a situation..."
"Could it be that the Eternal Primordial God never truly died?"
The stunning woman frowned, healing her injuries while her gaze fell once more on the layers of restrictions before her.
She was none other than Luo Xiangjun, who had obtained the five Eternal Artifacts from Gu Changge and forged them into a key to unlock the secret treasure of the Eternal Primordial God.
However, since she had forged the key, confirmed the location of the Eternal Primordial God's secret treasure, and arrived here, she had been trapped for nearly a thousand years.
During this millennium, she had tried various methods to break through the restrictions and enter the Eternal Primordial God's secret treasure.
But all her attempts had failed. She had even used the artifacts given to her by Gu Changge, but to no avail.
Now, even escaping had become a problem.
Before coming here, Luo Xiangjun had never imagined that things would be so troublesome.
The Eternal Primordial God had been dead for countless eons, and even the bloodline of the Eternal Divine Clan had become extremely thin, with only a small group remaining in the Immortal Spirit Civilization.
So why were the restrictions left by the Eternal Primordial God still so powerful after so many epochs? Even a typical Ancestral Dao existence would find it difficult to break through.
Back then, she had confidently promised Gu Changge that she would soon unlock the Eternal Primordial God's secret treasure and retrieve its many treasures and resources.
But now, even escaping from this place had become difficult.
Luo Xiangjun even began to worry that Gu Changge might mistakenly think she had taken the Eternal Secret Treasure and fled with all the treasures and resources.
"According to the records I've obtained, the Eternal Primordial God was at least a being who had survived nine Heavenly Decline Tribulations, approaching the level of Supreme Shattering..."
"If he isn't truly dead, then could the so-called Eternal Secret Treasure be nothing more than a rumor?"
"But the five Eternal Artifacts do exist, and I did forge them into a key."
Luo Xiangjun frowned, unable to make sense of it.
If she had known it would be like this, she would never have dared to set her sights on the Eternal Primordial God's secret treasure, given her strength.
With a sigh, she stood up and began to walk through the temporal burial ground, searching for another way out.
She couldn't stay trapped here forever.
If Gu Changge truly misunderstood her, things would become even more complicated.
A grayish-brown wind blew from the distant reaches of time and space, carrying with it a decaying aura and a chilling, ominous presence.
This temporal burial ground was not fixed in any one location but shifted with the turbulence and changes of time and space. Even if Luo Xiangjun managed to escape, she wouldn't know where she would end up.
The vast expanse contained billions of time-spaces and infinite universes. No one knew if there was an end to it.
Perhaps by the time she escaped, she would be impossibly far from the Immortal Spirit Civilization, and reuniting with Gu Changge might take millions of years.
"I have never broken an oath. I hope he doesn't misunderstand me."
Luo Xiangjun moved gracefully, transforming into a streak of golden light as she wandered through this lifeless temporal burial ground, searching for a way to escape.
According to the ancient records she had studied, the Eternal Primordial God had fallen because he had obtained ten Taboo Secret Codices that were never meant to exist in this world.
That Taboo Secret Codex was also known as the Transcendence Codex.
Luo Xiangjun had been searching for the Eternal Primordial God's secret treasure precisely because of this Transcendence Codex.
She knew her own talent and capabilities. Even with heaven-defying opportunities, she would likely only reach the peak of the Ancestral Dao Realm and go no further.
And that Transcendence Codex was her final chance.
If she wanted to escape her fate, she had to obtain the Transcendence Codex.
Boom!
Suddenly, a terrifying explosion rang out. In front of Luo Xiangjun, an enormous star shattered into countless fragments.
A massive hand, covered in white bones, reached out from the void, instantly plunging the area into darkness as it swiftly grabbed toward her.
"How can there still be living beings here?"
Luo Xiangjun's expression changed. She had never expected someone to attack her at this moment.
Without time to react, her body instantly expanded, and her arm shot out. Her snow-white palm, imbued with terrifying Dao Realm rules, shattered the surrounding space as it collided with the massive skeletal hand.
A terrifying collision erupted, as if countless stars and universes were being destroyed. The energy released caused the surrounding time and space to collapse and disintegrate.
Luo Xiangjun let out a muffled groan, her arm going numb as blood flowed from her slender, pale fingers, which were nearly shattered.
She was in disbelief. Her strength was nearly unmatched below the Ancestral Dao Realm, yet she had been at a disadvantage in the collision with that skeletal hand.
"How is this possible? For thousands of years, I haven't sensed any life here. How could a being comparable to the Ancestral Dao Realm suddenly appear?"
"Could it be that the Eternal Primordial God truly isn't dead?"
Luo Xiangjun's figure quickly flew backward, trying to evade, but the massive skeletal hand followed her like a shadow.
No matter how she tried to dodge, shifting between the real and the illusory, it was useless. The hand seemed to have locked onto her, slamming into her body and sending her crashing to the ground, splitting the earth apart.
"Pfft!"
Luo Xiangjun spat out a mouthful of blood, her aura slightly weakened as she struggled to stand.
Her expression was grave as she stared at the skeletal hand, her heart filled with apprehension.
"Who's there, playing tricks?" Luo Xiangjun coldly demanded.
"Hehe, I must thank you, little girl, for your offerings over the past few millennia, which allowed me to awaken. You need not panic; I have only used a fraction of my power."
"This body belongs to an enemy who perished here while besieging me. Its remaining power is not much, but it is more than enough to deal with you. So don't get any ideas."
"You have done me a favor by awakening me, and I will not make things difficult for you."
An ancient, hoarse voice echoed through the temporal burial ground, causing all the stone tablets to tremble as if responding to the voice.
Although Luo Xiangjun had already guessed, she was still shocked and incredulous.
"Who are you? Are you the Eternal Primordial God?" she asked solemnly.
"Hehe, you're a clever girl, knowing of my existence," the ancient voice replied with a faint laugh.
"The Eternal Secret Treasure doesn't exist, does it? This is all a scheme you set up?"
Even if Luo Xiangjun were foolish, she would have realized by now that there was no Eternal Secret Treasure.
The rumors were deliberately spread by the Eternal Primordial God. He had likely foreseen this day and set up this scheme to lure people into reviving him.
No wonder she had felt something was off when trying to break the restrictions. The energy she poured into them always dissipated like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace.
Now, the Eternal Primordial God had deliberately revealed himself and injured her, likely to intimidate and frighten her.
After all, he had only just awakened and was not at his peak. The power he could wield was limited.
Or perhaps he had been hunted and killed in the past, forcing him to set up this scheme to leave behind a means of revival.
The so-called Eternal Secret Treasure was nothing more than a grand scheme to select a suitable candidate to help him revive.
After realizing all this, Luo Xiangjun's expression turned grim. She had spent so much time researching ancient records, searching through ruins and perilous lairs, risking her life countless times.
And in the end, it was all just a scheme?
These ancient beings who had reached the level of Supreme Shattering were truly not to be underestimated.
"You're a clever girl, worthy of having come this far and earning my recognition. You figured it out so quickly."
"I know what you want, and I do have it. My fall was indeed related to it."
"If you want it, I can give it to you."
"But before that, you must make an oath to the Heavenly Dao and help me with a few things."
The voice of the Eternal Primordial God echoed once more through the temporal burial ground, straightforward and cutting straight to the heart of Luo Xiangjun's desires.
"Do I have a choice at this point?" Luo Xiangjun said coldly.
Even if the other party could only exert the power of the Ancestral Dao Realm, it was more than enough to deal with her.
"Smart and sensible. The restrictions here have been lifted. Later, you will take me away from here and help me find a descendant of my bloodline. In addition, you must not reveal my existence."
"I will enter a period of slumber. Once I recover, I will naturally give you what you desire."
With that, the voice gave Luo Xiangjun no time to hesitate.
A streak of dark golden light flew out from the depths of the burial ground, landing directly on the temporal jade in Luo Xiangjun's hand.
Hum!
The divine jade instantly emitted a dazzling light, its radiant surface becoming even more transparent and luminous.
But soon, it dimmed again, as if its spirituality had been absorbed.
Luo Xiangjun watched coldly, wanting to throw the jade away, but she held back.
This jade was something she had obtained from an ancient tomb, a burial object of a great figure. It was priceless, containing vast amounts of pure energy that even Ancestral Dao Realm beings would covet.
But now, its energy had been completely absorbed by the Eternal Primordial God. Even though he had fallen into slumber, he could still control it.
She dared not act rashly. As for the words the other party had spoken, she didn't believe them at all.
The Eternal Primordial God had fallen because of the Transcendence Codex. Would he really give her such a precious thing as promised?
"But where can I find a descendant of the Eternal Divine Clan? Do I have to return to the Immortal Spirit Civilization?"
For now, Luo Xiangjun couldn't worry about that. Surviving and escaping this predicament was her top priority.
She had traveled through many civilizations and True Worlds, and only in the Immortal Spirit Civilization had she found traces of the Eternal Divine Clan's bloodline.
It seemed she would have to return to the Immortal Spirit Civilization.
Meanwhile, in the Prime-Origin Civilization, in a region filled with silver light and surging faith energy...
The Old Man Cold Crow and the old Taoist from the Lesser Yin Faction and Heavenly Decline Faction stood reverently before a Heaven-Slaying Shrine.
Gu Changge stood with his back to them, his eyes closed, silently meditating within the shrine.
Countless strands of fate energy, like a vast ocean, gathered before him, weaving into a grand net that encompassed all worlds, allowing him to hear and see the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of all beings...