Silence.
After the Dao Ancestor vanished, the world was first filled with endless wails.
They came from the depths of the Great Dao—a reversal of the mind and spirit, an unbearable agony.
Some could no longer distinguish between past and present.
Most were unable to endure the pain, as if they were torn apart and then forcibly pieced back together.
As if they had been thrown into the past, forced to relive their most agonizing moments.
The torment was so unbearable that death seemed a mercy.
Thus, after the initial screams, the world fell into silence.
Countless people lost consciousness, unable to make a sound, let alone take any action.
Only a rare few remained awake, though they could do nothing but sit cross-legged in place, staring into the endless darkness with wordless solemnity.
It was a sensation—one that brushed against the mysteries of the Great Dao, yet left only an elusive melancholy.
A realization that should have come, yet remained just beyond their grasp.
This silence lasted for a long time.