Chapter 138: The First Conversation with Dao Ancestor Hongjun

"Heavenly Emperor, your actions truly leave this poor Daoist astonished."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's voice carried a hint of complex emotion that was hard to conceal; he gazed at Qin Hao, his deep eyes seemingly capable of perceiving everything.

From the moment Qin Hao took control of the Heavenly Court, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had cast special attention upon this young Heavenly Emperor.

At that time, he calculated the heavenly secrets, yet he always felt an unusual aura quietly surging within the Heavenly Court, seemingly portending some unpredictable change.

But regarding the rise and fall of the Heavenly Court, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, as the foremost being of heaven and earth, had always remained indifferent.

In those years, the Eastern Prince held the Purple Mansion, commanding all the immortals of Honghuang, with great momentum;

Demon Emperor Dijun presided over the Ancient Heavenly Court, commanding all demon immortals, his might shaking the eight wildernesses.

However, in the eyes of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, these were nothing more than passing clouds.

Because whether it was the Eastern Prince or Demon Emperor Dijun, their fates and powers were all within the grasp of Dao Ancestor Hongjun; he needed only a single word to easily depose them from their positions.

Yet, ever since Qin Hao took control of the Heavenly Court and became the Lord of the Heavenly Court, everything had changed.

Because Qin Hao had obtained the recognition of heaven and earth, and in the end, even obtained the recognition of the Human Dao, the Earthly Dao, and the Great Dao, becoming the Lord of the Great Dao Heavenly Court.

Under such circumstances, even Dao Ancestor Hongjun could not casually depose such a Heavenly Emperor.

When Qin Hao conferred titles upon the immortals using the Investiture of the Gods, it was even more beyond the expectations of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

He knew well the power of the Investiture of the Gods; once an immortal or god was on the list, it was difficult to escape its control, and both their cultivation and fate would be constrained by the Heavenly Court.

Yet Qin Hao had cleverly resolved all of this, making the Investiture of the Gods an aid rather than a shackle.

Under normal circumstances, after entering the Investiture of the Gods, one could no longer cultivate.

Or rather, one could no longer follow the previous path of cultivation, but could only cultivate according to the path of the Heavenly Court's gods.

And after entering the Investiture of the Gods, one could not escape the control of the Investiture of the Gods.

Otherwise, during the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, so many people would not have been unwilling to enter the Investiture of the Gods.

But after some operations by the Heavenly Emperor, the Investiture of the Gods was completely devoid of these drawbacks.

At that time, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had only paid a little attention.

Because Dao Ancestor Hongjun thought everything was still under control; after all, he had already merged with the Dao, merged with the Heavenly Dao.

It was not until later that one Saint after another joined the Heavenly Court, and the Heavenly Court transformed into an unprecedented Great Dao Heavenly Court.

But what shocked Dao Ancestor Hongjun even more was that Qin Hao had actually discovered the existence of other worlds and successfully caused the Primordial Heavenly Court to descend upon those worlds.

This move undoubtedly broke the boundaries between the Heavens and Myriad Worlds, causing the entire Great Primordial World to tremble.

The Great Dao Heavenly Court became a major force spanning the Heavens and Myriad Worlds, shaking the heavens with its might.

When Qin Hao first began to discover other worlds, Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not immediately notice.

At that time, the Heavenly Emperor took action to conceal the Causality, and all of this was hidden from Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

However, as the Heavenly Emperor's actions became more frequent, the Heavenly Emperor no longer concealed them.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun naturally also saw the Heavenly Court, under the leadership of the Heavenly Emperor, descend upon other worlds.

The Dao Ancestor began to realize that the ambition and strength of this Heavenly Emperor far exceeded his imagination.

To tell the truth, whether it was resolving the shackles of the Investiture of the Gods, making the Saints submit, or discovering other worlds.

These were, for Dao Ancestor Hongjun, even extremely difficult things.

Yet, Qin Hao had achieved them one by one; this indeed made Dao Ancestor Hongjun feel surprised and confused.

Regarding resolving the shackles of the Investiture of the Gods, although Dao Ancestor Hongjun could barely manage it, he also knew that this was not a simple matter.

As the cornerstone of the Heavenly Court, the binding power of the Investiture of the Gods was no small matter, and it even involved the Causality of the Great Calamity.

That Qin Hao could easily resolve its shackles and even reverse the Causality, turning it into an opportunity, meant he must possess extraordinary wisdom and means.

As for making the Saints join the Heavenly Court and submit to the Heavenly Emperor, this was something Dao Ancestor Hongjun could not even imagine.

The Saints were the most supreme beings between heaven and earth; they had their own pride and dignity, so how could they easily bow their heads to others?

Even he, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, could not achieve this.

In the past, in the Purple Heaven Palace, he preached the Dao and bestowed the method of the Saints.

Therefore, those Saints called Dao Ancestor Hongjun their teacher.

Even so, Dao Ancestor Hongjun understood that these Saints were not submitting to him.

They even held many opinions about him in their hearts.

As for discovering other worlds, Hongjun, as a being who had merged with the Heavenly Dao, although he was also exploring other worlds in the vast void, had yet to make any discoveries.

Yet Qin Hao was able to discover other worlds and cause the Primordial Heavenly Court to descend upon them; this method and insight made Dao Ancestor Hongjun feel even more shocked.

Hongjun began to re-examine this young Heavenly Emperor, Qin Hao.

He realized that Qin Hao was not a simple existence; this was a variable, an accident.

Now, what was even more critical was that under the leadership of Heavenly Emperor Qin Hao, the Great Dao Heavenly Court had already formed an unrivaled momentum.

This force not only covered the many immortals and gods within the Heavenly Court but also gained the support and submission of numerous Saints.

It had even governed several worlds, and its influence had far exceeded the scope of the Great Desolate World.

At the same time, Heavenly Emperor Qin Hao himself had also displayed powerful strength, a powerful strength that even Dao Ancestor Hongjun found somewhat unfathomable.

To tell the truth, when the Heavenly Emperor first took control of the Heavenly Court, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was dismissive.

After Dao Ancestor Hongjun merged with the heaven and earth, he indeed developed a subtle relationship with the Heavenly Dao.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun was the Heavenly Dao, but the Heavenly Dao was not Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

After merging with the Heavenly Dao, Dao Ancestor Hongjun only became a part of the Heavenly Dao, not that the Heavenly Dao was Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

How could the always-proud Dao Ancestor Hongjun be willing to accept this?

Ever since merging with the heaven and earth, he had embarked on a long and lonely journey.

His goal was to contend for that supreme dominance of heaven and earth, to devour all the Heavenly Dao Origin, and to control the Heavenly Dao.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he was originally the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, yet he was unwilling to be bound by the Heavenly Dao.

Although the Heavenly Dao is powerful, it is devoid of emotion and desire, operating merely according to established rules.

Yet Dao Ancestor Hongjun longs to become that true Heavenly Dao, possessing seven emotions and six desires, controlling everything, and running the rules of heaven and earth according to his own will.

Since before Chaos was opened, Dao Ancestor Hongjun has been laying out the Great Primordial World with profound wisdom and endless strategy.

Every one of his actions is precise and powerful, making him the ultimate victor time and time again.

For an existence like Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he has long since transcended the emotions and desires of mortals.

His pursuit has always been the Great Dao, that which is above the Great Dao, and that which is above transcendence.

During the Opening Heaven Great Tribulation, Pangu Great Heavenly Venerable used immense divine power to open up the Great Primordial World, yet in the end, it was Dao Ancestor Hongjun who became the master of this world.

Pangu Great Heavenly Venerable's hard work ultimately served as a wedding dress for Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

During the Dragon-Phoenix Great Tribulation, although Demon Ancestor Luohou was a hero of his generation, victorious in every battle.

Was he not, in the end, tricked and killed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun?

And strong figures like Yangmei Great Immortal and Qiankun Old Ancestor were nothing more than chess pieces in the hands of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, cleverly utilized by him as stepping stones.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's ambition and pursuit go far beyond this.

He has plotted and laid out plans time and again, and reaching this day is by no means just to become the emotionless, desireless rules of the Great Primordial World.

What he craves is to completely control the Heavenly Dao and become the true master of heaven and earth.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun is not content with being merely a part of the Heavenly Dao, nor is he willing to be dominated by it.

He wants to fully become the Heavenly Dao, to fully control the Heavenly Dao, and to make all things in heaven and earth operate according to his will.

To achieve this goal, Dao Ancestor Hongjun has been secretly guiding the great trends of heaven and earth, constantly devouring the origin of the Heavenly Dao.

He uses his wisdom and power to silently influence the operation of the Heavenly Dao, controlling it bit by bit.

But such a process is not easy.

The power of the Heavenly Dao is vast and mysterious; although Dao Ancestor Hongjun is powerful, he cannot easily shake its foundation.

He needs to pay a huge price to devour even a sliver of the Heavenly Dao's origin. But even so, he has never given up.

It is precisely because of such ambition and persistence that Dao Ancestor Hongjun has been unable to spare the energy to plot against everything on the Honghuang Continent.

He has placed all his focus on the contest with the Heavenly Dao, hoping that one day he will be able to completely control it and become the true master of heaven and earth.

It is for this reason that he sat by and watched the Heavenly Court grow, and the Heavenly Emperor grow.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun has already used various means to suppress the Saints of the Great Primordial World, but who would have thought that the accident of the Heavenly Emperor would appear?

Qin Hao gazed quietly at Dao Ancestor Hongjun, his deep eyes revealing an indescribable indifference.

He met the gaze of Daoist Hongjun, as if wanting to see into the depths of this ancient existence's soul.

Qin Hao spoke slowly, his voice calm and powerful: "I cannot compare to the Dao Ancestor, who turns his hands to summon clouds and rain; the entire Great Desolate World is nothing but a chess piece in your hands."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere between the two instantly became tense.

The surrounding air seemed to be solidified by an invisible force, making one feel oppressed and suffocated.

However, at this moment, Dao Ancestor Hongjun suddenly burst into loud laughter.

His laughter was like a great bell, echoing between heaven and earth, breaking the tense atmosphere.

After the laughter, Dao Ancestor Hongjun restrained his smile, but a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes.

He spoke: "Heavenly Emperor, you are not bad. To be able to rise in such a short time and reach the point of conversing with me, your strength and wisdom are extraordinary."

Qin Hao nodded slightly, noncommittal to Dao Ancestor Hongjun's praise.

He knew that the conversation with this ancient existence had only just begun, and the real contest was yet to come.

How could a proud existence like Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who turns his hands to summon clouds and rain, ever submit to others?

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's voice carried a touch of curiosity and inquiry as he said slowly: "It is strange to say, but in my past calculations, I should have taken in a boy named Haotian, who would govern the Heavenly Court and become the Lord of the Heavenly Court. Yet, for some reason, the Causality of this Haotian has shifted onto you, Heavenly Emperor."

He stared intently at Qin Hao, as if wanting to see into the depths of Qin Hao's soul.

At the same time, he was secretly calculating, trying to find the mystery within.

Qin Hao faced Dao Ancestor Hongjun's gaze calmly; he knew this ancient existence was probing his secrets.

Yet he felt no fear.

A battle between him and Dao Ancestor Hongjun would happen sooner or later to decide who would ultimately rule the future Great Primordial World.

"Oh?"

Qin Hao said indifferently, "On me? I do not touch Causality."

Dao Ancestor Hongjun sat quietly in the void, his gaze like a torch, trying to pierce through layers of mist to calculate the Causality on the Heavenly Emperor.

But the Heavenly Emperor before him was like a mass of Chaos, a mass of primordial mist, impossible to grasp.

A ripple of indescribable emotion surged in Dao Ancestor Hongjun's heart.

He is the Dao Ancestor, and has even merged with the Heavenly Dao, possessing the ability to perceive all things in the world, but now, facing the Heavenly Emperor, he felt unprecedented confusion.

That mass of Chaos seemed to hide endless mysteries, preventing him from glimpsing its true face.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun took a deep breath, focused his mind, and tried to calculate again.

He mobilized the endless magic power within his body, trying to peel away that mass of Chaos to explore the secrets within. However, no matter how hard he tried, that mass of Chaos remained the same, without any change.

In that instant, Dao Ancestor Hongjun felt an unprecedented profundity.

It was an existence between the tangible, yet transcending the intangible.

The existence of the Heavenly Emperor was like a mist that could not be named or described.

He was no longer simply "One," nor was he purely "Nothingness," but a combination of the two, the most mysterious and elusive existence in the universe.

When the Heavenly Emperor preached to the Saints, he told them of two paths above the Saint level.

Either become "One," or become "Nothingness."

But the current Heavenly Emperor was not only "One" but also "Nothingness," possessing both qualities simultaneously.

The Causality on him seemed to be gathered by a mysterious force, existing and yet not existing at the same time.

These threads of Causality seemed like fine filaments, entangled upon the Heavenly Emperor, forming a unique aura.

Yet these threads of Causality also seemed to be swallowed by an invisible force, making them both clearly visible and difficult to grasp.

Upon closer observation and calculation, where could there be any Causality at all?

Even an existence such as Dao Ancestor Hongjun could not fully deduce the Causality upon the Heavenly Emperor.

When his divine sense touched those threads of Causality, it seemed to be repelled by an invisible force, unable to penetrate within.

And in the next second, what he touched was merely Nothingness.

Where could there be any Causality?

It seemed as if this person, the Heavenly Emperor, did not exist at all.

This feeling made Dao Ancestor Hongjun feel shocked, and also made him even more curious about the Heavenly Emperor's origins and the Heavenly Emperor's strength.

It could be foreseen that the Heavenly Emperor's strength must be extremely formidable.

Yet Dao Ancestor Hongjun, as the number one person of heaven and earth all along, had led the development of Honghuang for countless epochs, and had even merged with the Dao of heaven and earth.

He did not believe that he was inferior to the Heavenly Emperor in any way.

All along, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had been the greatest victor.

Pangu Great Heavenly Venerable had paved the way for him, and Demon Ancestor Luohou had become his defeated opponent.

Qiankun Old Ancestor, Yangmei Great Immortal, and the Dharma Ancestor of Blue Heaven had become his stepping stones.

Though the Heavenly Emperor was strong, it would still be the same.

(End of this chapter)