Sweeping across the heavens, starting with the first emperor of the ancient times.

Another thousand years have passed.

Jiang Hao was in seclusion deep within the Lingxiao Palace when his mind suddenly stirred. It wasn't that someone outside the palace was requesting an audience, but rather a message that crossed the endless galaxy.

It was a message from Lingbao Tianzun, delivered with an unusually solemn tone.

Without hesitation, Jiang Hao's thoughts shifted slightly, and his figure vanished from the Lingxiao Palace.

The next moment, he appeared in a desolate corner of the universe where even starlight was almost extinct.

This place has exceeded the normal range of Heavenly Court's fortune, and even space and time seem somewhat fragile.

A familiar bluish-gray figure stood with his hands behind his back on a floating meteorite; it was none other than Lingbao Tianzun.

"Fellow Daoist has arrived." Lingbao turned around, his usual carefree demeanor gone, replaced by a solemn expression and a hint of excitement.

"I arrived as soon as I received the message." Jiang Hao landed beside him and asked directly, "Fellow Daoist, is there some important good news?"

Judging from Lingbao Tianzun's expression, Jiang Hao knew that things were not simple.

Lingbao didn't answer immediately. Instead, he first waved his hand, creating a barrier that separated the inside from the outside, before speaking in a low voice:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, I may have... discovered traces of an old friend."

"An old friend?" Jiang Hao's eyes flickered slightly. "There probably aren't many old friends who can make you, fellow Daoist, so solemn."

Lingbao Tianzun came from the mythological era. People from that era either died or entered forbidden areas.

"Indeed, almost all of my old friends have passed away." Lingbao Tianzun sighed. Although he was not an enthusiastic or outgoing person, he still felt a little emotional when he woke up to find that two eras had passed and his old friends had all passed away.

"But recently, my mind has been constantly stirred by a mysterious feeling. Combining this with a wisp of almost dissipated Daoist charm that I accidentally captured when I was traveling around this place in my early years, after repeated deductions, I have come up with a guess that I myself dare not believe."

Lingbao Tianzun paused, then looked directly at Jiang Hao: "That wisp of Daoist charm is extremely faint, almost merging with the chaotic void, and ordinary people would not be able to detect it at all."

"But my Dao is special, and so is its rhythm. That little bit of feeling feels incredibly familiar to me."

"That feeling is like..." Lingbao slowly uttered the name that was famous throughout the heavens in the mythological era, "like Fellow Daoist Yuanshi."

Yuanshi Tianzun!

Jiang Hao's eyes suddenly narrowed.

One of the Nine Heavenly Venerables of mythology, he was the master of the Primordial Dao and a supreme being who, according to legend, had long since perished in the mythological era.

A very powerful and legendary Celestial Venerable!

"Yuanshi Tianzun?" Jiang Hao said in a deep voice, "According to ancient records, he has already vanished."

Jiang Hao had read various records, all of which stated that Yuanshi Tianzun had perished, a fact confirmed by many celestial beings from the mythological era.

"That's how it's recorded." Lingbao Tianzun nodded, but his tone became increasingly certain.

"But that unique Daoist aura of the beginning of all things—in all the heavens and realms, apart from him who has cultivated the Primordial Dao to a profound level, I cannot think of a second person. Even a trace of it would be extremely difficult to forge. I am 70% certain that the source of that aura, even if it is not Fellow Daoist Primordial Dao himself, must be directly related to him!"

Lingbao Tianzun pointed to the distant void where even the chaotic air currents appeared thin and disordered:

"Right there, in the depths of a completely distorted spacetime, that wisp of Daoist energy appears and disappears, extremely unstable."

Jiang Hao looked at the dark void that seemed capable of swallowing everything and said without hesitation, "In that case, let's go in and see what's going on."

Jiang Hao still had great faith in Lingbao Tianzun.

Lingbao Tianzun is not a liar and is trustworthy.

"Great!" Lingbao's spirits lifted.

Having said that, he transformed into a sharp sword light and shot towards that absolute void.

Jiang Hao subtly concealed his aura, remaining ever-present.

The two instantly entered the dark void where there was no light or sound.

The two then arrived at the depths of the void.

"This is it." Lingbao Tianzun pointed to the void in front of him.

This place looks no different from any other chaotic void.

But Jiang Hao did sense something different; there were signs of human intervention.

"open!"

With a low shout, Lingbao Tianzun tore a dark rift in the void at the point where the sword energies converged.

From within the crack, a desolate and ancient aura emanated.

It was the very aura that Lingbao had sensed.

Jiang Hao and Lingbao Tianzun exchanged a glance, then slipped inside.

Inside the crack was a small world, no more than 100,000 li in circumference.

The place was deathly silent, devoid of sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and even a wisp of wind. Only in the very center floated a figure in a tattered Taoist robe.

The figure remained seated, its face blurred by the passage of time and some kind of force, but its outline slowly overlapped with that of an old friend deep in Lingbao's memory.

What made the two of them freeze in their tracks was that a true spirit mark was flashing between the eyebrows of the remains.

The true spirit, like an extremely thirsty infant, was absorbing an invisible, special essence from the surrounding void at an imperceptible speed.

"Truly Fellow Daoist Yuanshi!" Lingbao Tianzun's voice trembled slightly. He strode forward, but stopped abruptly a few feet away, not daring to touch him rashly.

Jiang Hao was also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected it to be Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun had actually survived.

Indeed, what is recorded is not necessarily reliable, even if it is recognized by the Heavenly Venerable Ancient Emperor.

Lingbao Tianzun suppressed his excitement, his gaze sharp as he carefully scanned the invisible, special array in the void surrounding the remains.

The more he looked, the deeper the shock on his face became. "And this formation... besides the Daoist aura of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, the flowing Daoist principles also bear the traces of another person!"

Jiang Hao saw it clearly as well.

What sustains this small world from destruction, protects that fragile true spirit, and cleverly draws upon the essence of the chaotic void to nourish it is an extremely complex and ancient formation.

There are two Dao traces among them, one of which is the Primordial Celestial Venerable, while the other Dao charm and layout style are something Jiang Hao had just experienced on the ancient star Kunlun not long ago.

"It is Dao Zun," Jiang Hao said slowly, his tone certain.

"Indeed, it is the work of the Daoist Master!"

Lingbao nodded emphatically, his face showing a mixture of realization and understanding.

"I never expected that... before Dao Zun left, he not only laid out plans for Kunlun and future generations, but also left such a contingency plan for Fellow Daoist Yuanshi."

Jiang Hao was also somewhat surprised.

But upon further reflection, it seems reasonable.

Yuanshi Tianzun followed Daozun in the mythological era, so the two must have had some interaction, and may even have had a deep friendship.

Given Dao Zun's abilities and magnanimity, it makes perfect sense that he helped Yuanshi Tianzun, thus secretly providing Yuanshi Tianzun with a glimmer of hope.

Jiang Hao approached and examined the True Spirit Mark more closely.

The mark was in a deep slumber, showing no reaction to the outside world, and its absorption of the essence of the chaotic void was incredibly slow.

At this rate of natural change, it would probably take millions of years for the true spirit to be fully restored and consciousness to be revived.

However, there was nothing that could be done. Judging from the arrangements, Dao Zun and Yuanshi Tianzun had already done their best.

The grand formation set up by the Daoist Master and the location chosen by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable were very particular.

Because of the unique nature of the Primordial Celestial Venerable's Great Dao, the Chaotic Void is more suitable than other places.

Let this wisp of true spirit, in absolute slumber, undergo a slow process of returning to its origin, reverting to its purest, most primordial state.

If successful, the revived Primordial Era may be closer to the true meaning of the word "Primordial Era" than the mythological era.

Jiang Hao shifted his gaze from the array's veins to the remains, his brows furrowing slightly.