In the boundless chaos void, a magnificent and ancient palace quietly floated.
It seemed to have existed since the primordial beginning of the universe, carved entirely from chaotic green jade. Eaves draped with wisps of Xuanhuang Qi, while every brick and stone was imprinted with profound and incomprehensible Daoist talismans.
Beyond the palace, there was no heaven or earth, no light or darkness—only eternal chaotic currents swirling around, sometimes taking the form of dragons and phoenixes, at other times condensing into the semblance of stars.
Inside the palace, it was vast and desolate, with only a single figure seated cross-legged at the very center.
The person wore a simple white Daoist robe, the sleeves fluttering without wind, surrounded by a faint, clear light.
His face was ancient, and between his brows, there was a transcendent indifference, as if all things in the world failed to catch his eye. His long hair was loosely tied with a green wooden hairpin, a few silver strands falling to his shoulders, marking the passage of countless ages.
His hands formed a profound Daoist mudra, before him lay a white jade Ruyi scepter. The head of the scepter was carved in the shape of a chaotic green lotus, its petals half-open, the subtle rhythm of the Dao flowing within them.
At the very moment Ji Hongli devoured the fragments of the Heavenly Dao and the Candle Dragon reversed reality—
That person's eyes suddenly opened.
What kind of eyes were those! His left eye was like the blazing sun, illuminating the three thousand worlds; his right eye was like the clear moon, reflecting the cycles of ten thousand ages. Wherever his gaze fell, even the chaotic currents seemed to stagnate.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the endless void, falling toward a certain place.
"Oh?"
A soft sound of surprise tinged with unexpectedness. He raised his right hand, his fingers lightly pinching together, with rivers of stars and threads of karma manifesting at his fingertips. After a moment, his brow furrowed, then smoothed out again, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Interesting."
His voice was soft, yet it rippled through the void.
"They say that even a fool may have a moment of wisdom," he murmured to himself. "If I hadn't left that little something behind back then, I truly would have been deceived by him."
After speaking, he fell silent for a moment, then pinched his fingers again to calculate. This time, the Daoist rhythm at his fingertips was even more profound, with the faint image of heaven and earth being born swirling between them. When he finished calculating, he actually took something from his sleeve—
It was a small bronze bell, no larger than his palm, entirely Xuanhuang in color, its body covered in dense primordial Daoist patterns. The bell's knob was in the form of two intertwined dragons, their mouths holding a pearl within which chaos seemed to churn.
"A primordial spiritual treasure, in exchange for a thousand years of time in your small world," he said softly, casually tossing the small bell into the void. "You won't be at a loss."
The moment the bell left his hand, it suddenly transformed into a Xuanhuang stream of light and vanished into the depths of the void. Where the bell passed, the chaos receded, spacetime twisted, as if even the Great Dao itself was making way for it.
Afterward, he slightly raised his arm, as if guided by an invisible force. A youth appeared before him like a ghost, silently and without a sound.
The youth wore a simple long robe, with a delicate face and a clever glint in his eyes.
Seeing him, the youth quickly bowed in salute, his voice low and respectful: "Greetings, Master. What are your instructions?"
The man gave a slight nod, gesturing for the youth to come closer.
Seeing this, the youth hurried forward a few steps, standing just a short distance away, slightly bowing and listening intently.
Only then did the man whisper a few words to the youth, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. If the youth hadn't been completely focused, he likely wouldn't have been able to hear a word.
However, the youth listened with great concentration, memorizing every word.
When the man finished speaking, the youth respectfully responded with a "Yes," then slowly backed away until he exited the great hall and disappeared beyond the doorway.
He watched the youth leave, a satisfied smile finally appearing on his face.
Afterward, he closed his eyes again, and the great hall returned to its former silence.
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