Of One Breath Transforming into Hongjun

In the realm of Huaxia, upon Mount Taiyue.

This was the peerless wonderland of eternity, the paramount immortal mountain beneath heaven. It was the crown of the Five Sacred Mountains, where all four famous mountains bowed in reverence and the five celestial peaks united in fealty.

On this day, ten thousand strands of auspicious clouds and a thousand trails of favorable qi converged upon Mount Taiyue. Ethereal fragrances drifted through the air as the Great Dao transformed into a Daoist holding a bamboo staff. The Daoist proclaimed himself Ancestor Hongjun. He had manifested in this world solely to open the altar, discourse upon the profound principles of the Heavenly Dao, and edify all living things and souls.

After his birth, Ancestor Hongjun glanced at Mount Taiyue and decided to establish his Daoist sanctuary right here.

Ancestor Hongjun constructed a palace wreathed in immortal mist: the Taiyuan Zixiao Palace. The Taiyuan Zixiao Palace faced the reflection wall, the Three Platforms, the Five Elders, the Candle, the Fallen Hat, and the Incense Burner peaks. To its right was the Divine Thunder Cave; to its left were the Pool of Yu's Footsteps and the Precious Pearl Peak. The surrounding mountains naturally formed a treasured armchair of two dragons playing with a pearl.

Having completed all this, Ancestor Hongjun transmitted his Daoist voice across the entire realm of Huaxia.

Hum—

"I am the Patriarch, Hongjun, Ancestor Hongjun!"

"The realm of Huaxia has reached the dawn of a new era, yet all spirits of heaven and earth know not where to turn, lacking any method of ascension."

"Therefore, complying with the Heavenly Dao, this Patriarch shall open an altar within the Zixiao Palace at the crown of the Five Sacred Mountains to discourse upon the profound principles of the Heavenly Dao and impart the arts of immortal cultivation."

"The age of the Great Dao shall commence within the Zixiao Palace. All those with affinity may come to hearken!"

The voice of Ancestor Hongjun resounded through heaven and earth.

Every single word spoken by Ancestor Hongjun contained unrivaled profundity of the Great Dao, instantly sweeping across the entirety of Huaxia.

The invitation of Ancestor Hongjun was illusory and ethereal, difficult to grasp, yet present everywhere.

All spirits heard the summons of the era within the words of Ancestor Hongjun. One by one, they dropped to their knees, quietly listening to the guidance of the lighthouse.

Above the firmament, ten thousand zhang of brilliant light shone, and the phantom of an immortal palace towered in the nine heavens.

Spirits looked up toward the heavens in unison. The five characters "Taiyuan Zixiao Palace" were deeply etched into the hearts of all living beings, shining like the dawn cutting through the darkness.

"What palace is that? How can it possess such profound mysteries?"

"Could that be the Zixiao Palace at the crown of the Five Sacred Mountains?"

"What ultimate aura!"

"A great destiny! This is a monumental destiny!"

"Just who is this Ancestor Hongjun? To think Huaxia harbors such a mighty figure!"

"The Zixiao Palace! We must go!"

...

All spirits within the heaven and earth of Huaxia cast their gazes toward Mount Taiyue, the sanctuary within their hearts.

The powerful beings among all spirits who possessed the capability to reach the Zixiao Palace on Mount Taiyue immediately set out upon their journeys, solely to hear the profound principles of the Heavenly Dao and understand the arts of immortal cultivation.

——

——

——

Mountain Tianshan, Primordial Pavilion.

Mu Changge listened to the words of Ancestor Hongjun, tended to by the black rabbit at his side.

"Black Rabbit, prepare yourself. This Master shall take you to the Zixiao Palace to listen to the arts of immortal cultivation."

"Understood!"

"Moreover, Black Rabbit, you are this Master's attendant. Once we arrive at the Zixiao Palace, do not disgrace this Master's face."

"Please rest assured, Master. Black Rabbit will never cause Master to lose face."

Mu Changge nodded. "Let the Lesser Administrator of Fate, Wuzhiqi, and Pingxin remain here to look after the Primordial Pavilion. They need not go join the bustle."

"Master, if that Ancestor Hongjun lectures for too long, what shall we do if someone launches an attack on the Primordial Pavilion?" The black rabbit voiced her concern.

"Hahaha..." Mu Changge was amused. "Rest easy. This Master commands the Great Dao of Time and Space. A single thought of mine can trigger the rules of time and space. Someone wishes to attack my Primordial Pavilion? I am rather curious to see who could be so bold."

Seeing Mu Changge so confident, the black rabbit understood that he must have reserved trump cards, and she instantly cast her worries aside.

"Master, do you suppose that Ancestor Hongjun is as handsome as you?" The black rabbit asked out of newfound curiosity.

Mu Changge hooked his index finger and flicked the black rabbit's delicate bridge of the nose. "What do you think? Between this Master and that Ancestor Hongjun, who is more handsome?"

"Why, Master, of course! Master is the most handsome! There is no one in the entire realm of Huaxia more handsome than Master!" The black rabbit immediately professed her loyalty.

"Really?"

"Really! In Black Rabbit's heart, Master is forever the most handsome!"

Mu Changge smiled and shook his head, reaching out to stroke the black rabbit's head adorned with a black beret.

"Knowing that my considerate little cotton-padded jacket thinks this way brings me great consolation."

The black rabbit narrowed her emerald eyes, reveling in Master's head-pats. At the same time, she was delighted that Mu Changge's self-reference had just shifted from "this Master" to "I."

Looking at the adorable black rabbit before him, Mu Changge resolved that, to prevent this considerate little cotton-padded jacket from turning into a heart-piercing or drafty one, he must vigorously care for the black rabbit's growth.

Naturally, this meant proper, wholesome care.

The Lesser Administrator of Fate happened to walk in and witness this scene, prompting her to consider retreating.

"Lesser Administrator of Fate? Why turn to leave the moment you arrive at my domain?"

The Lesser Administrator of Fate paused and turned back around.

"Pavilion Master, I have arrived at an inopportune time. I beg the Pavilion Master for punishment."

Mu Changge chuckled, thinking that this exact setting finally allowed him to utter those words.

"No, your timing is impeccable. Come, join me in drinking tea and conversing."

Mu Changge had the black rabbit prepare the tea sets, and the three of them sat together to sip tea and chat.

A short while later, the Lesser Administrator of Fate looked at Mu Changge and asked, "Pavilion Master, who on earth is this person who calls himself Ancestor Hongjun? He surely cannot be an ancient god, correct?"

Mu Changge nodded. "Indeed, he is not an ancient god. He is the incarnation of the Great Dao, the initiator of the age of immortal tales in the realm of Huaxia."

The black rabbit also chimed in at that moment, "Master previously had me prepare for immortal cultivation—did you already know of this figure, Ancestor Hongjun?"

"This Master did indeed know of Ancestor Hongjun beforehand, but at that time he had yet to manifest. If the Heavenly Emperor Dijun and the Jade Emperor Haotan were still around, how could it ever fall to this Ancestor Hongjun to open an altar, discourse upon the Heavenly Dao, and inaugurate a new era?"

The black rabbit and the Lesser Administrator of Fate nodded, their boundless admiration for Mu Changge growing a notch further.

"Master, is this Ancestor Hongjun very strong? Is he as strong as a Heavenly Emperor?"

"That depends entirely on which Heavenly Emperor you mean. This Master is a Heavenly Emperor; the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are Heavenly Emperors; Dijun, Haotan, and the Eastern Emperor are Heavenly Emperors; even Nüwa is a Heavenly Emperor. The strength of Heavenly Emperors varies, and their power is divided into different tiers."

"However, in this Master's view, that Ancestor Hongjun has not yet reached the echelon of a Heavenly Emperor. Hmm... he is roughly equivalent to a God Ancestor among the ancient gods."

"Master, if Ancestor Hongjun is merely a God Ancestor, why must Black Rabbit go listen to his lectures?"

"Although Ancestor Hongjun is only a God Ancestor, he represents the new era, conforms to the development of the realm of Huaxia, and holds the entry ticket to the Dao of immortal cultivation. Therefore, one cannot judge Ancestor Hongjun solely through the lens of pure might."

The black rabbit nodded thoughtfully.

At this time, the Lesser Administrator of Fate also inquired, "Pavilion Master, are the immortal cultivation arts imparted by this Ancestor Hongjun accessible to everyone?"

"Immortal cultivation does depend on aptitude, but it is far easier to advance and popularize than for ancient gods like us. In time, you will discover that even when ancient gods like us are at our peak, our numbers will still fall far short of the immortals of the age of immortal tales. The number of immortals will be at least dozens of times greater than the ancient gods. For instance, the upcoming new Divine Court—or rather, the Immortal Court—will routinely maintain a standing force of one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and celestial generals."

"O—One hundred thousand!?" The black rabbit and the Lesser Administrator of Fate were instantly astounded.