Primordial Era: The Sun Emperor

This wait lasted for over ten thousand years.

The star fields are vast, stretching to the ends of the earth. Even though they could use the power of the star field's origin to speed up their journey when summoned by the Emperor, it still took them more than ten thousand years to finally arrive together.

Over the years, Taiyi and Ziwei Xingjun did not waste any time. They discussed the Dao with each other and, through their combined understanding, made further progress in their respective fields.

Not only that, Taiyi also passed on the Dao Domain to Ziwei Star Lord, which greatly moved Ziwei Star Lord.

The Dharma should not be transmitted lightly, especially since this is the Dharma for attaining enlightenment.

Others may find it difficult to comprehend, but as the top innate deity of the Ziwei Star, the Ziwei Star Lord should be able to comprehend it.

Inside the hall, auspicious clouds surged like a tide.

Taiyi sat high on the main seat, with a golden halo slowly rotating behind him. The Great Dao of the Sun transformed into countless golden crow phantoms soaring in the auspicious clouds. Each golden crow carried a great sun, radiating a blazing Daoist charm that could burn away all things.

Ziwei Star Lord sat slightly lower on the steps, his purple-gold Imperial Star Avenue hanging like an inverted Milky Way, converging and colliding with Taiyi's Sun Avenue amidst auspicious clouds.

The two great paths intertwined and entwined, sometimes like two dragons playing with a pearl, sometimes like yin and yang fish swimming, bursting forth with countless profound Dao sounds and runes, which scattered throughout the hall.

Below, the 364 star lords sat cross-legged, their minds completely immersed in the supreme Daoist aura.

Some people showed a look of sudden enlightenment, and the starlight around them surged; some people frowned and then suddenly became enlightened, and the star meridians in their bodies were connected one by one; some people were so engrossed that tears even glistened in the corners of their eyes—that was the shock and emotion of touching the origin of the Great Dao.

The Great Dao of the Sun is extremely powerful and fierce, while the Great Dao of the Emperor Star is extremely noble and supreme. The two reinforce and inspire each other, bringing the profound mysteries of the laws of the stars to their ultimate expression.

Each Star Lord saw their own path within it, and witnessed a higher realm of the Star Lord's position.

They wished this debate would never end.

However, as the last star lord stepped into the hall, Taiyi and Ziwei star lord, who were sitting high on the main seat, opened their eyes at the same time.

Two pairs of eyes: one pair of golden pupils like the blazing sun in the sky, and the other pair of purple eyes like an emperor descending to earth.

The auspicious clouds slowly dissipated, and the surging Great Dao receded like the tide. The two intertwined primordial laws separated from each other and returned to the bodies of Taiyi and Ziwei Star Lord.

The palace was restored to its former tranquility.

The star lords below opened their eyes, their gazes filled with a sense of lingering satisfaction.

Some people's lips moved slightly, as if they wanted to plead for the sermon to continue, but dared not presume. Their eyes, yearning to hear the sermon again, burned brighter than starlight.

The entire hall was completely silent, with only the lingering echoes of Taoist philosophy gently reverberating in the air.

"What a pity! Who arrived so quickly? Couldn't they have come a little later!"

"Such a wonderful discourse, I was completely absorbed in it, when I was suddenly interrupted—how unpleasant!"

Immediately, some complaints arose in the hall, and people turned their gazes toward the person who had just entered.

The man was none other than Mars, also known as the Fire Star Lord. His face was as black as charcoal, and he cursed, "What are you doing? I haven't caught up yet! Compared to me, you are far superior!"

"The Five Luminaries are not the furthest in terms of location, so why are they only arriving now?" Zhenxingjun asked, his brows furrowed slightly.

Lord Yinghuo waved his hand and said, "Don't mention it. We encountered a ferocious beast remnant on the way. It was quite powerful, which is why we arrived a little late."

As he responded to everyone, he stepped down from the stage, bowed to the two emperors on the steps, and said, "This humble Taoist, Yinghuo, pays respects to the Ziwei Emperor and the Da Ri Emperor."

Although I have never seen Taiyi, I can tell from the Daoist aura emanating from the sun god halo behind him that he is undoubtedly Taiyi, the Lord of the Great Sun.

Ziwei Star Lord smiled slightly and cupped his hands slightly in return.

"Please take a seat."

Taiyi nodded slightly and spoke.

Yinghuo was not annoyed and went straight to his place, which was the position of one of the Five Luminaries.

Although he was the last to arrive, no one dared to sit down randomly here.

They are all innate deities nurtured by heaven and earth, and naturally know their place in the starry sky.

Sensing the auras of the 365 Star Lords below, Taiyi nodded in approval. These Star Lords were all at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, but their levels varied; some were at the Perfection stage while others were still at the initial stage.

After Taiyi finished speaking, the hall fell silent, and no one dared to speak recklessly anymore.

He sat upright in the main seat, his golden eyes blazing like torches, sweeping over the 365 star lords below. His voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet each word was like the sun falling into the deep sea, stirring up a thousand undercurrents:

"Now that everyone is here, I will speak frankly."

"In the primordial world of cultivation, what are we fighting for? We are fighting for a destiny."

"Some beings are born with great fortune. For example, Fellow Daoist Ziwei, and for example, myself."

Even so, they are still inferior to the Three Pure Ones who were transformed from Pangu's primordial spirit, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches who were transformed from his heart's blood.

Our fortune is still rather weak. If the fortunes of the Three Pure Ones and the Ancestral Witches were separated, with my fortune, I would certainly not fall behind others. But what about them? It is precisely because they are united that their fortunes are incomparably prosperous.

Leaving aside the Three Pure Ones, the Wu Clan alone, since their emergence after the fall of the Three Clans, has occupied the most central position in the prehistoric world, and Mount Buzhou has almost become their back mountain!

Not to mention the three ancient races of the past—the dragon, the phoenix, and the qilin—whose power and fortune once so immense that they blotted out the sky. But what was the end result? They declined and vanished in an instant.

"To not fight is to wait for death. Either you die and your soul is scattered; or you submit to others, depend on their breath, and barely survive."

"We, the star gods, all originate from the same source, transformed from the hair of Pangu and imbued with the essence of the stars. We share in each other's glory and our losses; the fortune of the starry sky is shared by you and me."

"But what about now? Everyone is fighting their own battles, their hearts are not united, and their strength is not gathered. Their fortunes are scattered like sand, unable to be gathered in one place, so they cannot protect anyone."

"If one day those powerful beings turn their gaze to the stars, how will you all defend yourselves?"

"I have no fear. The Sun Star is special, formed from Pangu's left eye. Anyone who comes here will have to think twice. You all know this."

"But what about you?"

Taiyi's voice suddenly deepened, like a bell tolling in the heavens:

"What do you have to fight with? What do you have to defend yourself with?"

"Those with slightly weaker cultivation will be crushed with a single blow. Let alone Taiyi Golden Immortals like you, even ordinary Daluo Golden Immortals are nothing more than slightly larger ants when facing such an existence."

Once you die and your essence dissipates, your origins and your fortune will become the spoils of others, who will readily absorb them to strengthen themselves.

"Will the starry sky still be your starry sky by then?"

Taiyi fell silent; the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The 365 star lords looked at each other, all seeing shock and lingering fear in each other's eyes.

Taiyi's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, completely shattering their wishful thinking of staying in one's own corner and acting independently.

Yes, the three races have been destroyed, the struggle between the Dao and the Demon has ended, who will dominate the next era of the primordial world?

If we cannot band together, the starry sky will sooner or later become a hunting ground for those powerful beings.

After a long silence, Venus was the first to stand up.

He was the leader of the Five Elements, with silver hair and a white robe, his body surrounded by starlight as cold and frosty as ice. At this moment, his expression was solemn as he bowed deeply to Taiyi:

"What the Great Sun Emperor says is absolutely right. We star gods are of the same breath and are bound together, and should advance and retreat together, share glory and disgrace."

"I, Taibai, though unworthy, wish to lead the Five Luminaries to elect His Majesty Taiyi as the Lord of our starry sky, to establish a Star Clan, to rule over the stars, to gather fortune, and to resist external enemies!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the five planets—Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn—rose together and bowed in worship.